Better late than never!!

There are certain things we would be longing to do but never get the right time and opportunity... This post is one such piece... I have been wanting to write this for over the past four months(When I'd initially typed this, I had worded it "weeks")... But that's fine.. I am at least writing it today... Better late than never!! (Now you know where the title came from..! But the meaning isn't this shallow after all....)

Before you move on, a small foreword... My apologies to VAP for the undue delay in posting this piece... My excuses to the readers for the liberal use of Tamil, I thought it was necessary to give the needed impact. There are some layout problems cos of the pics... I shall sort them out as much as I can... Please bear with the "sometimes annoying" technical hiccups! (I know that sounds like some ode or obituary than a foreword!!)And a mild difference from my earlier posts,... This one is more narrative and light. Never miss the last three paras of it! Just to pep you up... That's enough of having the tea! Now drink it!!!

How is it to be in an interesting place after months and months of slogging in our routines? How lovely it is to amidst the lush green after at least a couple of hours every day in the cramming traffic? Further, how awesome it is to lose mobile connectivity and avoid calls like, "Hi! Sorry to be disturbing you over the weekend, could you please mail me the report by EOD? (Corporate terms are usually coined beautifully to place stress on you in the most concealed fashion!)"! How thrilling it is to spot the animals you usually see on Discovery Channel just in your vicinity? And thats not all!! "Buddies" - If they were a part of such an experience???

Enough of speaking... Just have a look at a few lovely pics we clicked...

That's the pleasant boat ride for an hour - The guide very frequently said something like... "Adho Paathingala.... Yaanaigallaam thanni kudikka vandhurukkunga!" And we used to look at the distant place like LKG kids on a field trip! I have to accept I have never been on a boat for so long... The scenery... The sound as the bamboo rafts on water... The occasional croc or water bird... And the uncalled for halt in the midst of the jungle....!!

If just the seemingly endless lake, the water bird, the crocs or the distant elephants had thrilled us enough, then probably we haven't done justice to the fauna of Top slip! The uniqueness of this place struck when we spotted a leopard just while cursorily traversing up the mountains! (Unfortunately, we couldn't click a pic of it... It is surely pretty more quicker than we are!!And yeah, such things don't create a great impact if just talked about... So... "Dhayavu senji nambunga boss!! )

Did that say enough of the richness of the place? That, I should say was the farthest view we got of the deers!! They would just run across our vehicle more often than a stray dog running across yours in Chennai!!

Never been closer to an elephant without a mahout...

People who heard we had spotted a leopard told the stars were smiling broad at us... Well then! Make the best use of it!! We, almost instantaneously, planned to stay in Top slip overnight and in consistent practice of its trend, the TN forest department turned us down saying no cottages were available... And this is how we were forwarded to the next adventure of the trip...

The Parambikulam Sanctuary of the Mallu frontiers!

The forest guards were all set to frighten us, I guess...! We walked into their range office and enquired about accommodation there. Two options... A tree top accommodation with the least view of the forest and the other - "Thellikkal vayal"... A walk of 8 kms inside the forest ! (The latter sounds captivating, right? So was it for us as well!) Just that info was enough for almost all of us to panic!!!

"Mach... Ivlo dhooram vandhu ivlo risk edukkanumaa?!" "Ippo illaatti epovamae poga mudiyaadhu da... Overa scene podaatha!" "Mach.. yosichikko! Namakkellaam innum kalyaanam kooda aavala!!" "Illa da... andha tree top la irundhu onnumae theriyaadhu da..." Quite a lot of such exchanges and finally....

"Nimirndhu Nil... Thunindhu sel... Thodanguthu un yugam...!" (eppidiyellaam link panna vaendiyaadha irukku?!! )

Instructions on payment of the accommodation charges!
1. Sir... Thanni, Paakku ellaam eduthu poga koodaatha
Right vidu!

2. Ungaloda oru guide varuvaaru... Avar solrathuthaan kaekanum!

"Sol paechu kaelaamai" enga agaraathiliyae illange aapicer!!"

3. Anga current laam irukkaathu sir! Iruttukkulla thaan irukkanum...
"Enna koduma saravanan idhu!! Namma idhellaam yosikkilayo?!"

4. Apram... unga bag ellaam car laye potrunga... Yaana koottamlaam andha pakkam naraya varum... Thorathichu naa odanumla!!

"Idhu vaeraya? Thiruttu payapulla... Idhellaam panam vaangarathukku munnaadi solla maattiya da?!"

Guess what was the biggest concern running in all our minds?! The animals? The darkness? The 8km walk? The risk of life?? No... Let me tell you, "How is Keelu gonna manage without a bath for one more night?! Yeah.. he can manage... Poor we!!!" Lots of cribbing.. Lots of concerns... Lots of sentimental dialogues... Nadakkaathu ree!! "We have decided and we are going!", I said...

Special thanks to Pikachu for accidentally nodding his head...!

That's the "Bravo team" that ventured the forests... "Romba hype kudukkaraanae.. Thaangala da saami!" If you are actually saying that to yourself, I wish you see the video clips we shot on our way into the lush green. Viv will help you out with the links in my comments page

And shocks began as soon as we stepped into the deep forests... The tiger's paw, the wild dogs, the bisons, the forest showers... Ow! What an experience! More detailing would make this a documentary and not a blog!!! So let me stop here with the details...

http://picasaweb.google.com/akil87/TopSlipValparai

Why did I have to put up all this to public display? Did I intend to show you the beautiful pics we clicked? Or to narrate our interesting experiences? Or to fulfill my buddies' wish of having it recorded somewhere in my style? Or.... A hundred other questions... And I would probably give a mild nod for all of them. But what drove me first to write up all this was to express the need for adventure, risk and thrill in life...

We are a metro politan crowd caught in the whims of boring routines... Office, Tuition classes, traffic, fast food, Up at 7 and to bed at 9 kind of people... I wish these systems didn't exist. But they do and we are to live in them.. It is deliberate permanent slavery to our own systems, if I could express my crude opinions on it. Most times, we don't reach the heart... Neither ours nor those of the people around us! All the love that once existed in us as a kid is now lost... We see the heart as a mere organ!! Sounds pathetic, but undeniably true!!!

Such little ventures into the only things we aren't able to bind by our cranky rules, beautifully called NATURE are our attempts to refill ourselves with our goodness, natural energy and more importantly, love - the very essence of life and living. Let's not hold us back from doing such things. Forget the finance it may consume, the time it may eat up, the revenue your business may lose... They are trivial if not nothing in comparison with the gains!!

Better late than never!!!

Love...

Sri!!!