The First Time

The trip went well ,maybe too well...Old as I am, this was my first trip absolutely alone and that too for a long period in a "strange" land.There is something in our culture that rebels against the lone man..I guess it's there in every society of the world.The man who is alone thinks and acts differently and so even the mere sight of someone alone ,independent strikes fear in our hearts.The most often questions I were asked were of course "Where are you from?" and "Who is with you?" followed by looks ranging from amazement to contempt to loathing .I don't really feel like blogging today so I will just put in some excerpts from a diary I maintained on my trip....



The bus journey was tolerable considering the standard of K.S.R.T.C.Reached Munnar at around six in the morning.Took an auto to Devikulam where my accommodation was arranged.Despite wearing a sweater the cold wind chilled me to the bone and my mandibles worked over time through out the journey.The mountains and the tea plantations were covered by a thin mist and the clouds seemed to be all around me.The drive was breath taking.



After breakfast, walked the way back to Munnar and also went exploring some side roads leading to the Tata Tea Managers Bungalow ,build by the Britishers around 80 -100 years back.The cook cum helper in the I.B was surprised I walked all the way to Munnar.He could recollect only once when he had done so and that was in school when there was a torrential downpour and no buses plied.He he ,he hasn't seen anything of me yet...



The silent presence of nature is profound in and around the IB. A narrow recently tarred road,hugged by the forest on both sides, leads away from the main road to the IB.Even along the main road that silent presence of the forest is there, broken once in a while by a bus or jeep.It's such a pleasure to walk aimlessly like this.To look at the trees ,the enormous bee hives hanging down,and all those sparrows,doves...I had forgotten what it was to be with myself...