A most memorable weekend :)

Yes, the last one was the best I've had in recent times. One trip didn't happen and another one happened,totally out of the blue. It was all planned and set up in a few hours, thanks to the organizers and I got the break I had been yearning for quite sometime.

There were 11 of us,by a quirk of fate or whatever, who had nothing better to do over the weekend and almost wholeheartedly warmed up to the idea of spending some quality time away from home, recreating all those magic moments we had while we were mad school kids high on testosterone. It was a time to rekindle hazy memories, strengthen existing bonds and enliven the general sombre mood of this erstwhile merry crowd of people who've mellowed down so much over the years on account of advancing age, maturity, society and I-don't-know-what. This was one last chance to reclaim our youth. And reclaim, we did. This was one big bash of friendship. It could most probably be the last one together, for some of us atleast, and I'm glad we could make the most of it while it happened.

The 14 seater bus reminded me of another great trip I had, when I was in college, with the closest of my people. We'd female company then and it was desperately missed this time around, albeit in another sort of way.(It's tough to explain and a different matter altogether but it's really bad that I'm not keeping any female company nowadays :( ). The trip was a short one, covering just two places- Wagamon and Alleppey backwaters. It was short and sweet. We started around midnight on Friday. The bus was 'adequately' loaded up for the journey lest we should run out of necessities midway during the trip. The driver was a friendly guy who regularly needed breaks for a smoke, apparently to kill off sleep. We also needed that. And more than that. I vaguely remember seeing the driver doze off during my intermittent bouts of sleep. Later, it was confirmed by many of my fellow travellers that hamara driver had actually slept off during the drive and the vehicle had veered off course on many occasions. Fine, so I wasn't imagining things. Thank God for our dear lives! Wayside perils aside, the misty round hills Wagamon welcomed us with a steady drizzle just before daybreak on Saturday. It was mighty cold. I was left cursing myself for not packing in a jacket. Worse, I had the audacity to wear a nylon Tee in that climate.

We rented a room for two hours.( Yeah, remember the one Shahid & Kareena rented for 2 hours in Jab We Met? The inn was, very aptly,named Hotel Decent :D ) This one was shady but more decent than the one in the movie. Plus, the reasons were glaringly different this time. Some travel-weary souls wanted to freshen up. The breakfast from a nondescript, typical mallu-restaurant nearby was heavenly because of the hunger that had kept growing in our stomachs all along through the night journey. The weather was bitingly cold. The drizzle kept on increasing in strength and the winds were also picking up. Just my kind of climate. Seriously. I fell in love with it even though I could see less of it on account of zero visibility conditions caused by the fog.

Later, we trekked up the famous round, rolling hills of Wagamon. No, trek isn't the right word. Stroll would've been sufficient since the land is only slightly undulating here.The slopes are gentle and light on the knees. Trust me, you won't ever tired. Only the climate can be an impediment. The meadows were lush-green. Picture-perfect! I have never seen greener meadows than the ones here. We literally lost track of time taking crazy pics amongst ourselves on the slopes. Gradually, the fog settled by one side and lo, there was it. It was a sight to behold. I have never seen a more beautiful-looking pool. The setting was serene.Here it was..at the base of two gentle hills, a large body of crystal-clear water in between them. The fog returned and it felt as if we were trapped in the fog, with just the pool and the adjacent vegetation keeping us company. Nobody could resist the temptation of jumping into the pool. Somebody said it looked safe. That was manna. It's safe u'know..there's nothing to worry about if you know swimming or even how to stay afloat. And then, we jumped. We hadn't carried any bags or anything with us. Nothing to change into or nothing to change from. We jumped into the water, totally nude! It's a highly liberating feeling. You feel totally at peace with nature. No worries, no tensions...nature's kids in all sense and meaning. The water was ice-cold. That's almost the rudest shock you can get when you jump nude into a pond however beautiful or serene it may look. Not even spotting a water snake swimming by or a hungry alligator looking ravishingly at you can come close to that feeling !! Nobody lasted really long in that cold...and to our utter horror, the fog surrounding the pond lifted and we could see a road some distance away with some people watching. They must've been shocked out of their senses!

Soon we were marching to the bus for some warmth, dryness and rest. The next destination was the famous Pine-Forest at Wagamon where innumerable movies have been shot. It's famous for 'courting couples and nesting couples', according to a travel website and local folklore. We couldn't find any! The weather must've played spoilsport. Plus the 'couples' who might turn up there during this time of the year and in this kinda climate must surely be on the run from mental asylums. I don't quite like the idea of finding psychopaths in the middle of a big pine forest. We were back in the bus for the next phase of the journey.... the enchanting backwaters of Alleppey were beckoning.

To be continued ( it's too late and I'm sleepy. ) ....

And here's the rest (posted a few weeks later)...

Posted on August 4,'09:

Weren't we supposed to board our house-boat at Kumarakom? That's what we had thought but the agent had this place called Punnamada near Alleppey in mind when the actual booking had taken place. Never mind. Even though the detour took around 1.5 hours, the wonderful steaming lunch on the boat was still waiting for us. The boat was uber-cool. Let's call it the U-boat. It was a marvel. It was so frikkin'ly feature-packed. Paradise on water. The stay would last from that afternoon till the next day morning. From Punnamada lake(which is the starting point of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race held annually) to Kumarakom via Nedumudy where the boat was anchored for the night. The crew consisted of a driver and a cook who were both affable beings.

There's nothing that beats that feeling of royal luxury which you get when the boat's gliding smoothly over the slightly-choppy backwaters. After soaking in the ambience and the atmosphere, we tried playing a game of bluff( a card-game) which seemed to go on till eternity. Imagine, bluff with 11 bluffmasters. It wouldn't have ended that day unless some wise soul had the nerve to throw away all his cards on the table with the others following suit. Thank God, the trip would have been an exercise in boredom had we continued for a few hours more. Dusk. as seen over the water, was majestic. The boat was anchored near the property of its owner. We met the owner of the boat too. What an unassuming man! The driver later told us that the owner had started out as a professional tree-climber; the one who collects coconuts etc. as also tapping toddy from tree-tops. You see, I've tried hard to describe him. He was a very down-to-earth, humble human being. I pinched myself upon seeing him for he didn't definitely look the part of a man who owns a 50lakh+ houseboat. Jeez, that's pricier than a beemer 5series or a merc E!

Soon, darkness prevailed and we, creatures of the night, ventured out. In fact, the dawn of darkness was much awaited. The driver, being a resident of the place (Nedumudy), had promised to take us to the best toddy shop in the region. This one was neither famous among tourists nor was it one among the new generation of flashy toddy shops which cater to a niche' customer base. This was a shop for the workers: where the workers congregated after a hard day's toil to get refreshed, to gulp down a few pints of that wonder juice bought with their hard-earned wages. This was not to be missed. Soon, we were marching in the darkness, to our destination which was a good 20 minutes' walk away from the place where we anchored. Walking in the darkness through narrow pathways amidst the undergrowth, by the side of the lapping waves of the backwaters, can be quite fun as we discovered that night, especially when there are narrow bridges strewn along the way, to help us poor humans cross over the numerous waterways dotting the landscape. These were not bridges in the truest sense of the term, but rather the slim trunks of felled coconut trees. Quite indigenous.

The toddy shop was awesome. They served the most mouth-watering sweet toddy in the region. Plus the food was manna to us hungry souls. 12 tipsy souls ventured out of the place ( us, including the driver! ), heading back towards the boat. It was fun finding our way in the darkness even though there was the inebriated boatman to guide us. The trickiest part was to find and feel our way through the above-mentioned 'bridges'. And, we were back in our abode, all set for the rest of the night that lay ahead. A binge drinking session followed which shall remain 'un-described' here. Hazy memories be damned. More explicit stories are coming up by the minute from all those who were present on that divine occasion. Let it remain so. One of the best in recent times.

The Sunday that followed was uneventful, lazy and wiped out by a bloody hangover.
And thus ended my most memorable weekend in these troubled times.

~snores~