Kerala Literature Festival 2019 (KLF)

As with any blog post,  I have been wondering how to start writing this one. Well it all started early in December when my friend shared a link asking me to apply for the post of official blogger for KLF. Skeptical at first as I hadn't written anything good apart from book reviews for over a year, I signed up in the end. Whether or not I got selected, the decision to attend the event had been made up, if not for the whole 4 days, I would be at the event on weekends. This was the fourth edition of KLF and since it's conception in the year 2016, it has come a long way and has now become the second largest literary festival in India. Held from 9th to 13th of January at Calicut Beach it saw a plethora of writers, poets and musicians. Coming back to my story, unexpectedly I got shortlisted on December 31 and as a final task, was asked to write another article from a set of three given topics. I received the confirmation on January 4th that I was selected.

Well for a guy who's looking for excuses to bump work, this was a blessing, sort of like winning the lottery. I'm currently working in Chennai and booked my tickets to leave on 8th evening, so as to reach there on the 9th as requested by the KLF team. It was around that time the All India Strike by the trade unions was announced, contrary to the popular and more common formats of 24 hrs or 12 hrs, this was a 48 hr strike. I guess when the government itself is experimenting on stupid projects and Tughlaqian schemes, why can't the opposition? Let them do it. Kudos!!

So with the a million (actually 10 or more) questions running in my head, I took the 5:00 PM Mangalore Express from Chennai Central Station and reached Calicut on the 9th at 4:30 AM. I waited for Joyce who was travelling with her father and would reach by 5:30. She was selected as one of the Malayalam bloggers. While waiting for them I checked online for cabs to the hotel. None. By 5:30 they arrived and we took a prepaid auto from the railway station entrance. After breakfast we decided to go checkout the venue and see all of the preparations. On reaching the beach, we could see three stages being erected and boards being put up. There was also a bookstall which, for us was the main attraction, and we were pretty sure that a good amount of money will be 'lost' there. A guy was painting a mural on a wall,  and there was a small buzz, as a hint of things to come. The beach itself was calm, with morning joggers, walkers and people doing yoga with numerous groups playing football. Since it was day 2 of the strike and as we got an autorickshaw I was under the impression that maybe the strike isn't successful. It was not so. By 9 or 10 in the morning the supporters of the strike decided to block the roads and stop all taxis. So after visiting the venue we had to walk part of the way back to the hotel. 

This made me wonder, will it affect the festival? Nah, I chided myself for thinking along those lines.  People who love to be a part of events like these aren't fazed by strikes or bandhs. And that was the case in the next four days. By evening we met Neetha and Shilpa who were also invited as bloggers. So there were two English bloggers - myself and Neetha, and Joyce and Shilpa for Malayalam. We also met Riju who was taking care of things there and when asked about the preparations he admitted that they were sort of lagging behind due to the unavailability of workers in the past two days. He also told us that they will catch up on lost time and will finish all preparations before tomorrow morning. 

The stages were erected on the north side of the beach and we learned that there were four in total named as - Ezhuthola, Aksharam, Thulika and Vaakku. There was a fifth room, where movies were screened - Vellithira, We were introduced to the media team which as well. From them we got to know of a Qawwali performance scheduled for the evening which would be a curtain raiser for the KLF. The stage was full and there were people crowded around it. We seated ourselves near the far right side by by the footpath. The performance was led by Ashraf Hydroz and it was magical (for lack of a more un-cliched word). The cool breeze from the sea, mingling with the music and accosted by the sound of waves created an evening to remember. He ended the performance with a rendition of 'Mast Kalandar' in which the crowd generously offered the chorus.

We went back with high hopes for Day 1

Kanyakumari - Part II

Continued from Part I.

Inside the memorial there is a quote from Gandhi about Kanyakumari - 

" I am writing this at the Cape, in front of the sea, where three waters meet and furnish a sight   unequalled in the world. For this is no port of call for vessels. Like the goddess, the waters around are virgin."


At the center of the first floor there is a garnite pedestal like structure which marks the spot where the ashes of  Gandhiji were placed before immersion.

From the ground floor there are stairs to the first floor, which has got a balcony and from there you can move on to the next floor as well. I was able to see most parts of the town and also far away I saw a watch tower. We decided that it would be our next stop. After taking some photos, we got down collected our footwear and proceeded towards the tower.

There was yet another ticket counter , the entrance fee was something like Rs.10 or so. I don't know why they were collecting money even for this place! To get to the top there was a spiral pathway built central to the structure. Even though the sunset was more than 1 hr away, the watch tower was almost half full, people already took up places where they thought they might get the best view. We found a spot for ourselves. Down below us lay the ocean, bathed in the red and gold hue of the setting sun. It was a sight to see. The sea was shimmering as the waves broke the surface as they traversed towards the shore and soon enough the pinkish hue of the horizon starting shifting towards a more deep red. And then the sun came out of the clouds. He was making  one last final appearance before finally making his grand exit for the day. Hands down I'll admit that this was one of the best sunsets I've seen, the magnificence of it is indescribable. I was at a loss for words. There was nothing to do but soak in the moment. Enjoy one of the most played out drama's in the history of  the world. The end of day and the start of the night.

Our next destination was an aquarium that we stumbled upon on our way back to the hotel. They had a notice board that said 'No Photography' and I was too naive to break that 'written rule'. Now when I think about I should have take some pics. What can I say about the place ? It was pretty cramped up and they was a very big queue leading into the place. The entrance fee was Rs.30 per person, but it's really worth it if you consider the variety of fishes on display. Here is a pic of some turtles inside the place, taken by my colleague who visited a few months later.

Moving on, the next place as a small park. The dilapidated state of the place might be the reason why so many were avoiding it. But when you've traveled 5 hrs on a crowded train to visit a place, when you are a 'tourist' you should suspend your judgment and get on with it, put your prejudices on hold. The main attraction of the place were some rides  for kids, a fountain and an emu (yep, that's right, an Emu) . After some digging around on google I came to know that the name of the park was Tamil Annai Park - which can we roughly translated to 'Mother Tamil'.  There were granite slabs inscribed with short verses from Thiruvalluvar's Tirukkurals.

There was also a Museum which was closed, it was around 7:30 by now. And we started making our way back towards the room. Another place you should try and visit is the Tsunami memorial. As we got to the main road there was an exhibition  based on Swami Vivekanada. It was called the Wandering Monk Exhibition. If you are not too fond of reading then avoid this place at all costs. The life and teachings of Swami Vivekanda are depicted in the numerous panels that adorn the walls. Each one with a detailed description about the sage. It makes for a really good read and the area was well maintained and clean. After dinner we decided to call it a day and head back. We had planned to see the sunrise tomorrow morning.

In love with the night.....

The trains are always late. We've already established this fact. I don't blame anyone anymore but me. It is the day after Christmas. The office was pretty much empty. There was a DJ party organized as part of Christmas Celebrations, which I obviously did not attend. 

It was 8:15 when the train finally found it's way onto platform number four. I started walking through the tracks. I was hungry. Hungry for a lot of things. The only thing i could satisfy at the moment was hunger for food. The rest would have to wait...

Delli Cafe was right around the corner. The thought of the curries and fresh rotis pulled me towards the general direction of the cafe like a magnet. I had made up my mind on the way that I'll be walking home. So I found myself at the heart of my town, Kollam, which we affectionately, and with a bit of pride call Quilon. Delli Cafe is on the Main Road. Yup that's the actual name of the road. It stretches from the town center and makes its way up to Kallupalam (Literally - Stone Bridge. I am yet to see any stones used in it's construction, been looking for stones ever since I came to know it's name).  Here's a map of the main road, just to give you an idea.

I walked into the road from the side of the Grand and Prince Movie Theaters. There are numerous textile shops along the footpath. The mannequins are still on display, and beside them the workers rest, themselves looking like the plastic figures beside them. Had I been an hour early they would have shouted at the top of their voices and almost dragged me into their establishments. Now the day is done and so is their work. They are all taking a break and I am no longer the potential customer. Still I take no chances and keep my eyes on the road, fearing, that if they caught me looking at the merchandise, they might call out....The Main Road is the hub of all activity in Kollam. You can find almost everything here. It is like a major artery of my town, or it's spine if you will...

How often I have passed through this road. Oh almost forgot, it's a one way road towards Kollam Town Center. The first shop that catches your eye if you were to start walking from Kollam is Quilon Sports Land. I've been seeing that shop since my childhood days.The cricket bats and footballs, jerseys and those trophies.Take a few more steps, you'll notice General Bakery on the same side. It was still open. Whenever you pass by General Bakery, you'll be engulfed by the smell of banana chips. And today was not different. Even at 8:30 pm the smell of fresh chips hung in the air. The footpaths are practically empty. To the right there used to be an aquarium along with a nursery. Delli Cafe lies ahead.. As i walked on there was a small crowd of bengalis (forgive me, but i am lazy, it's the general term used for out-of-state laborers - for lack of a better/worse word?) From the aroma of fresh chips I am greeted to the smell of paan and beetel. The group I saw was just these guys swarming a paan wallah. It was as I expected, there was paan spittle on the footpath around the guy's portable shop. The tiles were stained red, as if in the aftermath of some great war. I stepped over these 'blood stains'. No sooner had I done that, than the realization came to me that the streets have unfathomable filth than just chewed paan, it was futile. I walked over the rest of it. No bothering to jump or side-step...

Some shops have closed. And when I pass them, the section of footpath in front of them are dark. Only the biggies are still open. (By biggies I mean the shops like Sports Land and Quilon Radios, which have always been there as landmarks) Past Azad Hotel with it's yellowish theme I walk on. In between there are narrow alleys that open into darkness...On the right side, the lights are still on at the "Baby Shop" - It was from there that I got quick dry sheets for Arun's baby. An occasional car passes in the opposite direction and almost always with it's high beam on, temporarily blinding me. After Azad hotel I came upon the alley that would take me to Delli Cafe on the other side of the road Sree Ayyappa Bhavan was also open. North and South both awaiting me, but tonight I chose north. This small bye-road has mobile shops on either side of it, and a warehouse. I walked into building. A staircase of red-oxide floored steps and blue walls took me to the first floor where the hotel was. The place was full and I settled into a table for four occupied by just another man. I ordered 3 roti and cashew nut masala and asked for some butter to smear on the rotis. I took my time enjoying the meal. Ordered buttermilk, which I gulped down. The bill came to Rs. 96 and I was on my way again. 

Back on the main road, I came upon Dhanya SuperMarket - closed. A textile shop -closed, Bata showroom - closing. Hotel Guruprasad still had people walking out of it. Walking by I came upon three security guards sitting together. These sentinels of the night were guarding their respective shops and teamed up for a chat. They each had a chair and looks like they were gonna talk all through the night. As I passed them by, they all turned to look at me and started talking again. Hands in my pockets I took step after step,stomach cramps were causing a voice in my head to mutter " could have skipped the buttermilk..." Boots n Boots was still open, M S Book Depot was shut, beyond this the shops were mostly closed. The section of the road ahead was dark. There were people walking ahead of me. Old men, going home carrying plastic bags. They walk slowly but steadily. I overtook them with the haughtiness of youth .I came upon another security guard, having dinner. He was on chair facing the shop where he'll spend the night, his back against me. On a stool in front of him, there was an unwrapped meal. He was eating in the makeshift privacy that he could create. And I felt bad for taking a peek. Padma Cafe was next- old but still graceful. At the counter a customer was paying the bill. Waiters were carrying empty plates to and full ones from the kitchen. It was just a glimpse, a photograph and it's always the same. The same goes for Hotel Guruprasad as well. There were dogs on the side now. Some sleeping, some walking around. Wonder when they'll get violent and start attacking people...

Some people in a car was asking directions to a group of teens by the side of the hotel. A mobile showroom was being cleaned by it's three employees, they were dusting the carpets and I had to switch over to the right side of the road temporarily. I was nearing Hotel Fayalwan. Not what I had expected. The place was full. Ever since it's renovation I've lost some of my love for it. Bombay Dyeing, Fashion Textiles and Unnoonny and Sons Cycle Shop, shops pass me by, or rather, I pass by them. 

I am now entering an entirely different section of the Main Road. It's what you could call market road. I am greeted by the sound of shutters being pulled down. Every now and then I hear a shutter drop. Some are close by, some far. There is that dusty smell of gunny bags and all things veggie. There are more dogs here. Some wake up from their sleep, lift their heads say "Hi" and go back into doggie dreams...or whatever it is that they dream of... (a home, a loving master.. i wonder...) The next thing I notice is an egg shop. Empty egg cartons stacked up. Vegetable shops are closing, and so are fruit stalls. The smell here is a mix of both, of vegetables and fruits, with every breath, one dominating the other....The gates to the market were thrown open. The are slaughterhouses inside, I know this. I've been there. No more meat is sold today. The blood must have dried on the cutting blocks... Hands still in my pockets I looked down and the streets are now strewn with waste from these shops...I reminded myself to look up to the sky. It was a half moon, waxing..

The smell of spices, permeating the thick cold night air was yet another indicator, that I've reached another section. It was both intoxicating and invigorating, sweet and strong at the same time. Another shop, this one was selling plastic plates. The smell of fried chicken was next. A fast food shop was still open. People waiting for their orders. More Rice shops. Trucks were parked on the side of the road.  I had reached the end of Main Road. Quilon Tourist Home was still awaiting travelers to call it a day and take refuge in their comforts. I crossed Kallupalam to find the roadside Tapioca Chips Vendor, still frying... In the yellow glow of the petromax lamp, the fried chips looked to me like the glorious creation of a master of the craft. (I must be seriously high (I'm 6 foot three - pun not intended)) I bought some for Rs.10. I would have started eating were it not for the that buttermilk. Two people were sitting in front of an antique shop, talking. There was a new bakery with it's LED lights, bright spaces and posh seats. The dry cleaning center and the Shiva Sena Office gave way to the coffin shop. The last time I'd been there to get one for Mamma. Probably mine would also be from there. Crown Bakery was next on the line...

I was getting tired. But I told myself to stay on the white line by the side of the road and walk on. It reminded me of  'I walk the line' -  a song by Johnny Cash. 

I keep a close watch on this heart of mine

I keep my eyes wide open all the time

I keep the ends out for the tie that binds

Because you're mine, I walk the line

There was a fire, burning away the remains of the day, the smoke rising from it compensated the lack of fog on this December night. St. Aloysius School, St. Raphael's Seminary, Fathima Shrine and Trinity Lyceum School stood by with their lights thrown on the asphalt. I came to a crossroads and went straight. The road goes on. Another bend and I gaze upon Tangasseri Arch, home...

Street lights are scanty, but that's alright, the moon was still there. The sky is clear and the night has just begun. There are stars alight in the heavens and stars hung in homes. I am walking towards mine. 

I am in pain, but I know the night takes all our pain heals them before morning comes...

I am plagued by sorrow, but the night takes every drop of it and wipes them off my face...

I am tired, and the night fills us with vigour for when the sun rises on a new day

I am in love, and in the dreams woven by the night,..she loves me back....

Trek to Ponmudi

It began with plans for a team lunch, but we wanted something more. Brian was the one who suggested Paintball. It was a really good idea, since we don’t get an opportunity to shoot up our Manager and Team Lead every now and then. I was all up for it.  I mean, haven’t we all at one point wanted to do it?  But then the plan was dropped, I guess Manoj (our Project Manager) knew what we were up to J. Then I suggested that we visit Brimoor. And while checking online I stumbled upon a blog post about trekking to Ponmudi from Brimoor. So it was decided. We were going to a have a real team outing. Not the usual namesake lunch/dinner and group photo. This was going to be test of our physical limits.

So on Friday we met up at Brian’s house at Kannamoola. By 9:15 we left for Brimoor Estate in Manoj’s car. We were using google maps to navigate and after an initial hiccup (due to which we made a loop around Kerala University) we were on our way. The whole drive took around 1.5 hrs. There is a forest check point at Mankayam from where we paid the fees (800 rupees for a group of 5 members) and took our passes, a guide was also allocated to us. So from the check post at Mankayam the six of us (Myself, Brian, Manoj, Gireesh, Sreerag and Pappichayan, our guide) set out towards Brimoor Estate from where the trail starts. On the way we passed Mankayam water falls and since it was already late, we decided to jump into it on our way back. We parked where the trail starts took our backpacks and set out with enough water, supplements and other gear. The first thing that we did was getting hold of broken branches to be used as trekking sticks. Here's a map of how the trail would look. The portion marked in red is actual trail.

And thus we began, all fresh and pumped up, ready to walk, climb, crawl and do whatever it takes to make it through to the other side and back. The catch was that we would have to make it to the top and then walk back all the way because the car was parked at the beginning of the trail. The below pic is what you normally see at the start of a trek, eager, enthusiastic devil may care attitude.  

Brian and Sreerag

The plan was simple, walk through the forest, climb some hills then walk some more and then make it to the top of Ponmudi and do it all again. But we were already at a disadvantage, it was almost 11 am, the sun will be out and we'll be tired even before we cover a single kilometer. A long as we're under forest cover, it won't be an issue, but out in the open we'll be fried. At that time, we weren't thinking much about this, we were just walking along..

Fast forward half and hour, we're still walking. We're starting to feel the exhaustion creeping up, like another trekker. Soon enough he'll catch up with all of us. We came out of the forest cover and started climbing a hill, which would be one of many that we'll climb on this day. The estate used to produce tea, but for a long time it hasn't been looked after properly and has fallen to ruin. Nowadays they rent out rooms (which used to be the quarters when the factory was still operational) to tourists. Along the way we saw people picking cloves using ladders. Manoj, our Guide and myself were walking on, and when I looked back I saw Sreerag, Brian and Gireesh  opening up a gap between us. So i decided to wait for them. 

Another half hour has passed, our time under the sun was horrific, even with caps and enough hydration we're sweating out and feeling tired. Thankfully the ordeal was over and once more we found ourselves inside the forest canopy. The trick with trekking is to forget about it all, and try to enjoy your time in the forest. Soon enough we came across broken trees and more chaos which is quite the normal order here.

After some more grueling climbs, we reached what was according to our guide the half way-point? So we stood and looked down at the path we came up, there was nothing to see except for trees and a lot of green. It was 12:45 pm, the peanuts, biscuits and water that we had was almost over. The only thing that was left were glucose tablets,which we were all taking after every 15 mins or so. We came upon another clearing which according to our guide was the last bit of the trail before it joined the main road towards Ponumdi. We were all so damn hungry, and upon hearing this, we picked up the pace. Because when it comes to food fatigue can be kept aside.. :) 

This final stretch of the trail had tall grass on either side which we had to brush aside and in some sections it was completed closed off by the grass. The summer heat has turned it to a shade a yellow. Made me wonder how it would have been if we took this route during the rainy season. At least now we don't have to worry about leaches..

Grass, grass and more grass

Slow and Steady :)

And thus after two hours we found ourselves on the road again, amidst civilization. It was supposed to have made us happy, but only after we walked a bit did it dawn on us, that we still had a long way to go before we found any hotels. And to make matters worse, there was no more forest cover and on top of that we had to walk up hill. Maybe some of them might have thought paintball would have been a better option. From here on out, there's nothing much happening except for walking, Boulevard of Broken dreams would have been a good theme song for our current predicament. 

Empty roads..

After Grass, grass and more grass, now it's  Road, road and more road.

                                 

At-least the scenery was really cool. The hills covered in thin mist even at 1 pm in the afternoon, and a dreaded howling sound as the wind races between the trees. After a while, we came upon the penultimate bus-stop before you reach Ponmudi. There were two restaurants - one was by KTDC and the other was run the forest division (which was more of a canteen/mess). We checked into the latter and ordered lunch. We ate (more like gobbled) and then refilled our water bottles and sat outside the restaurant before setting out to complete the final stretch. 

At our destination we collapsed onto the bamboo shelters. I decided to get some more snaps before we started on our way down. We were short on time and we also had that much awaited dip at the waterfall. 

View from atop the observation tower. 

Being a weekday, the place was practically empty. On new years eve the place was so crowded that there were no parking spots and the roads were pretty much shut down. As you can see here, there are a handful of vehicles and a KSRTC bus. That bus would take us back to the start of our trail where it joined the road. But where's the fun in that eh? We had tea from the small shop there, stocked up on snacks and water and were on our way down again. The descent was rather fast, but painful on the knees. We could see a mist descending on the hills. Our guide told us that it would be best to cross the forest before dark. So again we were racing against time. Our way back was uneventful, except for the constant reminder of fatigue on our legs, but we kept on moving, our minds focused on that waterfall, our only thought the cool water and how great it would be. 

Another two hours and we made it back. We threw away our trusty trekking sticks,Sreerag however was too fond to let go of his. I thought we was gonna bring it back. After what seemed like a great deal of internal conflict he said goodbye and thank you to the stick and stashed it safely between a rock and a tree. All of us squeezed into the car and drove to the waterfall. We reached there just before 6 took a picture and jumped into the water.

The water was cold as ice, but it was awesome. After some 6 hrs of walking and climbing it was the most soothing experience ever. Even though the current wasn't that strong the pool was deep and had clear water and there were fishes too. Manoj was soon swimming around showcasing his techniques, while we were all just wading and sitting under water. Our guide, meanwhile told us to take our time, enjoy it and went off to smoke. (That guy was awesome, he walked the whole distance without flinching and must have been close to 60 years old). 

By 7:00 we were back on the road and had dinner from Zam Zam, wheer again we gobbled up all the ordered food, no surprises there as well. 

Until the next time....(Wonder where we'll go next...) :)

An ISL match - Kerala Blasters FC vs Delhi Dynamos

Last weekend was a pretty long one. With long weekends usually there are plans of some kind. This time it was an ISL match at Kochi. Kerala Blasters FC was playing Delhi Dynamos FC and we thought we'd go see the game. The tickets were booked in advance. There were 7 of us in total. Vivek, Nithin, Amjad, Nithin's Friend and myself were the ones from Kollam. Deepak and Renjith would join us at Kochin.

Kerala Blasters FC are known more for their tremendous crowd support than for their game. Knowing this we decided it would be best if we made it to Kochi well in advance so as to avoid the last minute rush and traffic blocks leading to the stadium. Thus we found ourselves on the 11:10 MEMU train to Erankulam. Oddly enough, the train scheduled was a MEMU, but it turned out to be a normal Passenger. The total distance was 156 kms and we reached there by 3:45. So that almost 4.5 hrs, with an average speed of 36 kms/hr. Somehow we survived.

The general consensus was that lunch shouldn't be skipped. Because, we might not have the luxury of time to grab some dinner, and so better to eat now. We decided to get an auto from the station and eat something from the stadium. But the 'auto-guy' advised us it's better to have something from here and then go to the stadium, as there aren't many great places to eat there. So we headed to the nearest restaurant. After going through the simple menu multiple times and we ordered the new-found staple food of Keralites - Porotta. Given the possibility that we might skip dinner, this seemed the obvious choice.( If you know what I mean). And we topped it off with a tea! While chewing on those rubberized strips of flour we thought why not book an UBER taxi? Hmm.. Okay! And it was done. Within minutes our ride came and off we went.

The diver was  a very pleasant guy and he was also very polite. He was also curious about the game and said that for the last home match time he got stuck in traffic with a customer. All along the way leading to the stadium we saw people wearing the yellow jerseys and carrying flags, and match time was still 2.5 hrs away.

The taxi fare amounted to Rs 50 or so!! Awesome right? Anyway, our gate of entry was 31. As we were about to enter, the team bus for KBFC arrived.

And all hell broke lose. People who were eager to enter the stadium, were thronging the fences trying to get a glimpse of the players. The players were all cheered on equally and they acknowledged the fans as well. Renjith, who was to join us was waiting for us. The only problem was Deepak, who was on the way and would take another 1.5hrs to get here. We unanimously decided to ditch Deepak for the time being (If you're reading this sorry Deepak!! ) and enter the stadium. The plan being that we'll try and set aside a seat for him, till he arrives. After checking our tickets and bags(yeah, they do check bags, and if you're carrying water or eatables, depending on the mood of the security, you might/might not be able to take it inside) we were permitted inside. According to our tickets we were allocated seats in E-block, which was near to one of the goal posts in the lowermost gallery. The first thing that caught my eye as soon as I entered was the vastness of the stadium, and the color yellow on the sections opposite to ours. Yes, let me rephrase - 'the color Yellow'. It started to rain and the soon a rainbow was painted across the sky, part of it visible from our seats.

The time was now close to 5 pm, but already there were chants going around most of which was for the 'God of Cricket'. There were drums here and there, and the general buzz of excitement in the air. People were displaying flags, flux boards and what not!! And the funny part is that there's another 2 hrs to go until the game gets underway. Sadly Tendulkar decided not to show up. But that was not gonna affect the crowd in any way. Slowly, but surely the our Block as well as the whole stadium was being filled. All this time we were occupying an extra seat for Mr.Deepak. Then the whole stadium decided it would be fun to hold up their phone's flashlights. Yeah, similar to how metal-heads would hold up cigarette lighters for rock ballads. The pic isn't that clear, but that's all I have. Soon enough the ground staff came on for their pre-match  inspections. And the players also took the field for a slight warm up session. All this while there was a relentless buzz of 50,000 souls. A torrent of shouts, screams and chants in unison. Along with that the waves had also started.

Waiting for the match to begin

By 6:30 Deepak finally graced us with his presence. He took a seat next to me. From then on, the amount of sound falling on my left ear increased exponentially. It reached alarmingly high levels once he got hold of a whistle (I guess it cost Rs 20 or so). The game began at 7:00 and every time the ball came into possession of a Kerala player, the crowd would erupt in a satisfactory cheer. And as the ball advanced further and further into the opposition half, the cheers grew into a crescendo. The game itself was below-average and both teams were defensive. The better of the two defense was Kerala's. We were quite surprised when the half-time whistle was blown. Forty-Five minutes, gone, just like that!! The second half saw the Kerala team becoming more aggressive and attacking. Which resulted in some yellow cards and corners. But sadly, none of those could be converted into a goal. During on of these intrusions into the Delhi Half, Micheal Chopra (aka Rocky), netted the ball, and the whole stadium went mad. But it was an offside and thus no goal! Somehow the crowds behavior (mine included) reminded me of the gladiator death matches. I can now see why those were so popular  back then.

The view from our seats. Pic courtesy : Deepak

 Deepak enjoying on the bus

As the final whistle blew, the match concluded in a goalless draw, both teams taking 1 point each. We decided to catch a bus back home. The only problem was that the roads were all blocked because everyone was trying to get home. We stopped an auto jumped into it and reached Erankulam Bus Stand.There was a low-floor bus about to start it's trip. That was to be our ride back home. After a lot of confusion regarding reservation/booking of tickets we departed from the bus-stand at 10:00 pm. And I reached home by 1:30

B'day Wishes to Davis from Davis

Let me start off this one by wishing myself a very happy birthday. A self-high five as well as a pat on the back are also in order. Now that I take a closer look at the title it seems awkward? Then again, what isn't? I have no clue as to how this blog entry is going to turn out, so please bear with me.

How was today? Well woke up, completed all the daily must-do stuff and reached office by 9:00 am. A few friends and family rang me up to send their wishes. Actually I can name them all and it's not gonna take up much space. Oh, and don't forget Google who was right on-spot with the cake and candles on their homepage. I liked it! Thanks guys. The first person to wish me in person today was Sreerag who was sitting next to me and he saw the google page and that was that! Of course, last year was different. There was  a system generated mail on my birthday that was sent to my project manager who forwarded it to the whole team and they all ended up wishing me, and myself replying with the customary thank yous. This year the auto-generated mail was sent only to me. Ensuring that no-one else gets bothered. However, I ended up telling my Team lead as well, because our conversation went something like this : 

"Hey Brian, I'm not too keen on staying back till 10 pm today, I'm leaving by 7. It's my birthday and if I do end up staying late, it'll be pathetic way to spend the day." 

He was cool about it and wished me. Met Varun and Kalesh for lunch and they knew. Thanks guys, really appreciate it. Had lunch and back to work. Went for tea in the evening and left office by 6:45. Took a train and here I am at home. They say Home is where your WiFi connects automatically (borrowed from the internet). I hadn't gone online the whole day and WhatsApp was turning green like the hulk. Again thanks to all the wishers. I had hidden my birthday on facebook and still Biju ended up scribbling on my Facebook wall. Seriously if it weren't for Facebook people wouldn't know your birthday. (It's true in 95% of the cases). I don't know, somehow the idea of it doesn't seem too appealing. Here you are scrolling away through your news feed wasting your life and there it is : 

Today is Abcde's birthday, make him feel special.  

Whaaat ? Like really? Seriously? Let's all drop the shallow feelings of empathy, sympathy and all the other fake feelings because what we all (well most of us) really feel is apathy and antipathy, but we all suppress it don't we? I am not writing off all the facebook dwellers. I salute you the rare breed of saints among the sinners. I'm unnecessarily ranting about unnecessary matters. Now I know why I'm writing this. Years from now when I look back on this post, it might put a smile on my face. 

I guess to me a birthday is a time to check up on what you've accomplished. To pause, look back, analyze, correct your course  and move on. Be happy that you've lived on one more year. All the miles that you've traversed, all the pain that you've endured, all the things lost and gained. You're doing okay man. So far so good, brace yourself the journey to come. And here be dragons.

Good luck!

 

 

Climbing Solo at Chembra Peak

There I was was walking along the snaking path, lush green tea gardens on either side of me. The valley below me laid out in an intricate pattern unique to tea plantations. Not a single person on the road. Then I remembered the following words (I was texting to a friend of mine telling her about my plans for a solo journey, and this is what she had to say)  - 

"There is no fun when we are alone. If we enjoy a solo journey, then it is not because of fun, it is something else" - 

 At that time I was adamant not to admit that its true in my case, at least partially. I hadn't intended to go alone, but since I couldn't find anyone to accompany me, I set out on my own. There was a sudden sense of urgency to travel, to go outside and explore places, meet and talk with people. The place that I chose was Chembra Peak in Wayanad.

On 14th of April I went to Kollam Bus Stand for a bus towards Kalpetta, where I had already booked a room. I had found a very good deal from RedBus. The bus that I had in mind was the Trivandrum -Mysore super fast which was to arrive at 19:40 hours. Whenever 'I' am waiting for a bus or train, the normally punctual vehicle will be definitely late. So I had expected this, and was not disappointed. The bus was indeed late by a whole hour. So by 20:40 the bus left Kollam towards Kalpetta While travelling towards Kalpetta, my thoughts raced back to those times when I took this bus to get to Mysore Infosys. It was almost 14 hours, at the end of which all the passengers walk out of the bus battered and drained. I also relieved that this time I'm travelling only till Kalpetta. I fell asleep a few times, and had short sleep intervals of 30 -45 mins. Each time I woke up, I was greeted with a new scenery. Finally at 5:30 in the morning I was woken up by a hard pull towards one side. The whole bus was swaying to one side and I new very well what this was. It was the start of the hair pin curves. There are a total of nine. Now that the climb had begun, sleep or rather any possibility of it became nil. All that's left to be done was to enjoy the scenery as the bus began the difficult ascent. 

At 6:00 the bus was passing through Vythiri and then around 20 mins later, I saw shops with sign boards, that said that I was passing through Kalpetta. Then the bus stopped. I was dazed and confused, thinking that it was the main stop, I grabbed my bag and jumped out. That was mistake number one. No wait, I am not going to be numbering my mistakes, because there are quite a few of them, and its gonna get all boring and systematic with their listing.  With a double bell, the bus was gone. I was standing on the side of the road, looking left and right and decided to walk in the direction in which the bus went. I walked for a good 20 mins before realizing that I had walked past the lodge. I re-traced my steps and found a deviation from the main road, which I had previously missed and found the lodge nestled away from the main road and hidden from view. The room was more than what I had bargained for. After taking a bath I switched into a fresh pair of clothes and went out.

Chembra peak is at Meppadi in Wayanad. I had lost my way trying to find the lodge and ended up near the bus station, where I had seen buses plying towards Meppadi. So there was no difficulty in getting a bus. It was a mini bus and was empty as it left from Kalpetta. Along the way it took on passengers and from Chundale junction it turned towards Meppadi. Tea and coffee estates wrap either side of the road. Each of the bus stops and the people boarding it gave off a rustic feeling. There was a calmness in the air, no rush, pushing or shoving inside the bus. I was not able to see the hectic daily races so very common in cities. After some time I reached the town and got off near a rather busy looking junction, which was the penultimate stop. The last stop is further away from the route towards Chembra peak, besides I was hungry and wanted to get something to eat. Found a place called Vanitha Mess and had 3 dosas and a tea. On second thought I had one extra dosa for the road. I struck up a conversation with the owner of the establishment to get a good idea about transportation facilities available. The news was disheartening. There's another 8 kms from my current location the start of the trek. And the only mode of transportation are private vehicles. He said that people normally come in groups and take an auto-rickshaw or hire a jeep. Both were out of the question in my case. I was travelling with my shadow and the voice in my head. I asked him whether it was a good idea to walk. He said its doable. From that point onward I was preparing myself mentally for the walk of 8 km. My plan was to complete those 8 km in 1 hour and still make it in time for the climb. This was crucial as I wanted to start climbing before the sun started his climb. I paid for my meal, thanked the old man and walked out to where the road begins. I got a bottle of water from a nearby shop and confirmed with the owner the actual distance till the start of the trail. He was amazed that I was going to walk that far. He advised me to get a shared auto. It was simple. But there was a catch. The auto will depart only when its full. The auto-driver was advising me that I'm running out of time and kept reminding that it's dangerous to climb during mid-day as I might get a sunstroke. He was trying to persuade me to travel alone and pay him the whole amount which was around  Rs. 150 - 200. I smiled and said I'll wait. And it took another 30-40 minutes before the auto was full. There was an old man who took a seat along with the driver, a middle-aged guy, an older woman, 2 kids and yours truly. The road was poorly maintained and as promised he only took Rs. 20 from each of us. He dropped me off at a distance of 3 kms. I had 5 more km to go. But before that I had to buy the tickets for trekking from the forest office. I asked some locals where the office was and he said to walk . Which brings us to the start of this blog. The view to my right was truly spectacular and breathtaking. I clicked a pic and moved on.

Walking with my jeans was proving to be too much of a hassle. So I stopped and took out a pair of shorts and changed into them, then and there on the side of the road. As I was lacing up my shoes and folding the jeans I saw a bike coming towards me. I asked him whether he could drop me near the forest office, to which he readily agreed. After a km or so he stopped and said that his house is that way - pointing to a path that led off the road and the office was in the opposite direction just up the the road. I thanked him. He asked me to take the short cut through a small footpath etched into the hillside. I climbed up through the bushes and cut across some trees to land directly in front of the office. The road on the other hand goes straight and takes a hair pin turn to get to the office. The officer there said that the trekking fees was Rs.750 for a group, even if that group has only one person. I already knew this, so I agreed and paid the amount. I also asked him to provide me with a guide. (This turned out to be the only smart move from my part on that day). The name of the guide was Rajesh. From the office to the start of the trek was another 3 kms or so. I was starting to walk and the officer who gave me the ticket said that the guide will take you in his bike. Yay!! Finally! The bike was actually a Honda Activa Scooter, I am not complaining or anything. It was a great ride. The only real problem was the road. It was pathetic and I was afraid that the shocks might break because of the gutters. Rajesh explained that the whole area is owned by the Chembra Estate and they haven't handed over the roads to the government. So there is currently a dispute going on regarding the ownership and hence the roads aren't being repaired. After 10 more minutes of back breaking gutters we finally came to a stop near a check post. The ticket I  took from the office was checked here. They will also checked your bags for alcohol and other prohibited materials. Since I had a guide with me they didn't bother to check my bags. You also have to pay a deposit for the plastic bottles that you carry up. You'll get the deposit back when you bring back the empty bottles. This is done to discourage littering (Again I was not made to pay this.)

From there we began what would turn out to be one the most grueling 45 minutes I've ever had. The trek starts out slow and steady. The path isn't much difficult to engage, but its very deceptive. The slow ascent is almost unnoticeable at first and too easy that you start to take it faster and end up tired before you know it. Rajesh had warned me about this, but being too excited I completely forgot to take it easy. The start of the trail looks somewhat like this. After some 100 meters or so the terrain starts to change and you can feel the ruggedness of the ground beneath you. Within another 10 minutes I was relying on the water i was carrying with me. Blame it on the sun and my bloody stubbornness to climb in the middle of the summer. Soon enough  we broke through the trees and came into a clearing and I was looking back to a spectacular view.

Behind me far below is the tea estate through which I came. We were now above the canopy of trees and directly under the sun. The climb was starting to become a bit more difficult. I slowed down a bit and started taking more water breaks. I kept on asking how much more and Rajesh would always reply 'A bit more, just a bit more'. All along we kept overtaking other groups.So I guess we were still the fastest that day. Sometimes we would encounter some steep climbs and there would always be an alternative route which Rajesh would suggest. Often I was forced to climb on all fours and the dry ground would sometimes be slippery with the gravel. After climbing over yet another small hill the peak became more prominent.

The summit was shrouded in clouds and in was beyond another stupid hill. I was getting tired of these small hills. There seemed to be no end to them. The only solace amidst was the fact that I am actually doing this. Finally, we reached the final point of the trek. The heart-shaped lake. The peak still loomed above us waiting to be explored. But after the recent sighting of a rare species of bird the trek to the summit has been restricted. It was now time to relax and take in the sights. There was a cool breeze and the view was reward enough for the climb. From here once can view all the major parts of Wayanad. There were only two groups at the the top when we arrived. After some time other parties began to trickle in. And soon enough everyone started clicking away to Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and what not!! I guess a couple of pictures wont be enough. I'll never know. This was how the peak looked that day.

We had ran out of water and Rajesh said he'd go an get some from a nearby stream and asked me to wait here. Left all alone I was pondering about the sad state in which our forests and parks are reduced to. There is control on the amount of deforestation that's occurring and pretty soon more and more bald spots will appear amidst the greenery. If I were to come back here after 10 years there might not be much to see, i,e if the trend is left unchecked. We have a responsibility to the generation that comes after us. The forests, rivers and mountains that we inherited should be given to them in a better condition than  when we first got it. Rajesh came back with a bottle full of fresh stream water. It was really cold and surprisingly clear and tasteless. I was not able to find a single speck of dirt in it. He said that they all use the very same water directly without any purification whatsoever. From the view point he showed places like Kalpetta, Vythiri etc. I don't exactly remember the whole list, besides it was a bit cloudy and hence I could make out very less of the places that were shown. I took some more pics of the peak as the clouds parted and decided that it was time to head back.

Getting down is as difficult as climbing. This is a fact that we all conveniently forget, until gravity starts shoving at your back. We descended at twice the pace and pretty soon we were half way down. On the way down I clicked more pics of the mountains that were on either side. Were were practically jumping  and hopping down when  I misjudged my landing and along with my current momentum I couldn't stop there. I started to run down so as not to fall down and yelled out to Rajesh, who was directly in front of me. He promptly stepped out of the way so that I wont collide into him and take him down with me. I was able to slow down and stop myself by grabbing hold of a branch. After this I became more cautious. All the while we could see new groups climbing up. After retrieving my bag from the watch tower we walked back to the parking area where the scooter was kept. Back at the ticket counter I had a hearty meal, which we had ordered in advance (before we started). After that Rajesh dropped me off at the auto stand from where I took another shared ride to Meppadi. On the way back to my hotel room I decided to visit Pookodu lake asI had enough time on my hands. I got off at Chundale Junction and took another bus, which dropped me off at Thalipuzha Bus Stand from where I walked for 10 mins and reached the lake. I've been here before a couple of times. But this is the first time just by myself. I've never been a fan of boating, so i skipped it. You have to pay 10 rupees for an entry ticket. Found an empty bench overlooking the lake. It was a clear sunny day and there are a lot of tourists. Some were trying their hand (read leg) at pedal boats, while others took the motor boats.  After a while I decided to take  a walk around the lake and return back to my room.

As you can see Wayanad, is a pretty vast area and it cannot be covered in a single day. My primary goal was to visit Chembra peak and I completed it. I'm sure the scenery would look much much better once the rains arrive. The hear shaped lake and the trail path would all be blanketed in greenery and even as I'm writing this I'm planning to take another trip after the rains. It is best to avoid trekking while the monsoon is at its peak. Also it' pretty disheartening that I was not able to trek all the way to the peak. I seriously doubt that they'll re-open it to the public.

Until next time :)