|
Walking in SooryaNelli Everyone around was desperate for a break and I thought a break is no break , if there is no activity associated with it. So we planned a 2 day trekking to Anaerangal Mala. As we pulled in the most unlikely individuals for the trek, I did have my fears . But for 5-6 healthy ones in the group, the team comprised of "very healthy" guys and a few unhealthy gals . Together we made a team of 19 .
The drive through Munnar tea estates and Chinna-Kanal was good . The jeep trek to the camp site was thrilling. I was standing on the rear footboard of jeep and everytime driver took a hairpin bend, my back was right over the tea plantations down below. It would have reminded everyone of the scenes of "Cliff Hanger" , if I had a body like Sylvester Stallone or atleast a butt.
Afternoon trek to Phantom Hill was difficult in every sense of it. I was tired even before we started the trek
I would not have made it to the top of the hill, if Chakky had not been the first to reach there. I was expecting him to be the one, whom I would have to coax and tease to make him reach the top. Chakky surprised all of us , by leading from the front and he was climbing , climbing and climbing. If you ask him, what he had in his mind when he started the trekk , he would answer in the true chakky style.
" I only had the hill-top in my mind , just like the warrior Arjun who saw only the balls of the birdie. I mean, the eye-balls. "
As the tiring first days trek was nearing its end, it was perfect darkness around us. As we labourously climbed our way back to the camp site through the twisting roads of tea estate, two words echoed repeatedly in the darkness . "Kaappi .. Pazhampori" "Kaappi .. Pazhampori" ( coffee and banana fry )
Second day's trekking was even more interesting for me , as I covered half the distance in a jeep while others trekked. We went to a lake this time , and the gutsy ones jumped into the water. After a light lunch , half of us took a jeep back while the rest showed their determination and perseverance by trekking back.
The whole trip was so enjoyable that half of the team, promised to do an activity every 3 months. Rest of the team, promised that they would never get into such a misadventure even by an accident.
|
