Finally THE post – I

So it’s here finally. Without much ado, presenting you the not so well written travelogue.

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So close no matter how far,

Couldn’t be much more from the heart

Forever trusting who we are

And nothing else matters.

Never opened my self this way

Life is ours we live it our way

All these words I don’t just say

And nothing else matters.

Trust I seek and I find in you

Everyday for a something new

Open minds for a different view

And nothing else matters

Never cared for what they do

Never cared for what they know

But I know…

This is one song which clears my thoughts like none other(and I’m not sure about the lyrics). It is also ‘our’ song, according to me that is. It takes me back to the day when we – me and the Significant One, sat on the top of a hill in mild showers listening to this song. No talk. Only cool breeze and liberating thoughts in mind. We’d just met then and it was the first time we went out. This one song sure brings back loads of memories of that day.

And again last evening those memories came alive. There was no song or the Significant One for my company. But I was once again on top, of a mountain and I felt the same way I felt that day. Pure ecstasy, excitement and happiness. All the tension, stress and thoughts were whizzed away from my mind by the heavy wind that was blowing so hard I felt I’d fly away. It would’ve been fun if I did.

I’d told you I would have a rock n roll weekend. It was much more than that. I didn’t dance though. Our GANG went mountain trekking to Savandurga near Bangalore (near Magadi to be precise). I didn’t know nothing about the place and didn’t know what to expect (no I didn’t bother to browse, yes I’m that lazy). I thought it would be a simple trip, some games. We play, eat food and come back. But I’m glad it turned out to be something else.

Okay let me start from the beginning. We the 13 gypsies hired a tempo traveler to get to the place, actually it was one person who did the booking and stuff. Anyways, it was planned that we’d pick up everyone from their respective stops and leave Bangalore by 7:40, after packing food for lunch. Journey was about an hour from Vijayanagar. But you see we proposes and God disposes. There was a minor accident on the way to the last pickup and the other person started badly abusing our hired driver. So he didn’t reach Vijayanagar at the planned time. A lot of calls were made and finally another vehicle was arranged. It was 8:30 by then.

It was 9:30 or so when we left Vijayanagar. Navigated through the weekend traffic and then realized we didn’t get the lunch packed. We start looking for any possible signs/boards of hotels. Finally after driving for about an hour or so we find a small hotel and guys who go to get the lunch packed take years to come back. We thought they were caught by the owner while stealing or something and police were called etc. They can be pretty stupid sometimes you see.

We had planned a stop at a temple on our way. We reached there quite late and were welcomed by a huge crowd. Nope people were not there for us(we are not that popular yet). We got to know Saturday was that God’s day or something. And hence all that crowd for special pooja and all that. I had half a mind to get back to the vehicle and wait for the folks. But I stood anyways ‘coz I had it in my mind to visit a temple since quite long (I’m one of those who rarely goes to temples, believing that God exists in oneself and all that. Will make for another post). By the time we were done with, most of us were hungry.

We then proceeded towards the destination and most of us had it in mind that we are simply gonna see the mountain have food in the vehicle and get back. We were that disappointed by how the events were turning out. When we were nearing the place, we could see the mountain from a distance and everybody joked about our attempt to climb it. It was a huge rock and quite steep too. So everybody concentrated on another temple which was there at the base of the mountain. I didn’t get out of the vehicle this time. I don’t get what s with the folk and temples, wherever they find one they barge in. Give the gods some break people.

After the visit to the temple (which took half and hour by which time I had eaten a guava and still felt hungry), friends got back and we ate the bhel and cucumber masala they’d bought from a roadside shack. Yes, we are very hygine and health conscious Nobody even started about getting out and climbing.

Somehow we got out and started on our way to climb the huge rock. Actually we were trying to get to the actual base from where we could start on our way up. It was already noon, and many were climbing down. I had a sheepish grin plastered on my face on seeing them. I knew we could never make it. I just raised my head and saw the enormous rock standing in front of me. I looked for the spot till which I could decide to climb to and come back. I found it and I was glad I did. Nobody else knew where to climb to. I atleast had a destination spot in mind.Yippieee. I rejoiced in mind but was all serious on the outlook and there we started the climb. I was going to be one champ err…. for myself.

No more than 100 mtrs was covered and everybody started huffing and puffing. Out came the water bottles and we started to sit down and relax at regular intervals. I the determined soul and went ahead of them exploring my own way, which I then realized as wrong, came back and went where everyone went. Our guys were found shouting at my back “ey bulbul yellig hogtidiya?” (meaning: hey bulbul where are you going. It is a dialogue from famous kannada movie Nagarahavu (The King Cobra)) while the girls giggled tiredly. When I reached my destination spot , I was mighty impressed with myself. I thought, anything beyond this should be a bonus. It was a first climb for many in our group. We were slow, some sprained ankles, someone going out of breath. But then it was collectively decided that we’d go ahead as we’d come almost half way. We went ahead, dum lagake haiyya. Our pretty ladies had to be accompanied by atleast one of the guys since they didn’t know the climbing thing.

There was another spot where we sat to relax and casually asked someone climbing down, how long it is ahead. He said ‘you’ve not even come half the way’, which certainly didn’t boost our spirits. Add to that we saw women climbing down the mountain in *gasp* sarees. That means they’d climbed up in sarees (err… assuming they didn’t change at the top). We were staring at them mouth agape, wide eyed, in amazement. I was actually amused. Bless them; they inspired me to continue my climb.

I started climbing without stopping to wait for others (who were actually quite slow). Other two of the brave ladies came up to my speed and we three went ahead, keeping others at a distance where they could see us. Once it was so steep that I couldn’t stop while climbing for the fear of rolling down like a drum (considering me comparison should be a stick), after which I ran out of breath and felt dizzy. I was quite scared. Later, out came a camera and I started recording, giving ample information about the path we were going and how we felt. We went from the narrow paths between the rocks and it was exciting and I was recording it. Doing this I didn’t see the huge twig of a tree which was in oblique position and hit my head straight and got a bump. But I took it sportively and forgave the tree J.

At 3:15 or so we had reached the top. I couldn’t believe we were at the top. There was nothing besides a mantap (sheesh whoever builds mantaps on such a height?). But the view took my breath away. I could see a river, green forests, a lake, the village and temple at the base, another town at some distance. I lifted my head to find huge grey and black clouds right above my head, floating with the wind. I knew it would rain. I had nothing in mind. I was empty, blank and was smiling. It might’ve looked stupid. It was then that I remembered the song. Nothing else mattered to me at that exact moment.