CHAPTER 1 – KERALA

A long ride back in time, 13 years back to 2007. A decade ago was the time when the internet was
scarce, it wasn’t the time when everyone had a phone and Facebook had just been starting to grow.
Believe me or not, thrown back in that time only a few per cent of the people would be able to
survive, and I am one of them, well, preferably with the right company.

So, Diwali vacation of 2007, off on a plane to Cochin, Kerala. As the flight was about to land, couldn’t
even see the airstrip. As a boy, I couldn’t comprehend rain in the time of Diwali, Geography taught
that the monsoon stays longer in South and the North East but seeing is believing. That night, as
soon as we reached the hotel, the rains stopped as if they were just there to surprise me. Reflecting
on that time, which hotel, how to reach there? It was the time of feature phones, and well, my
parents lived that age and could manage. On the same night, mom took me to shop, silk saree,
Kalyan Silk; I was explicitly afraid to go out without an umbrella but that night was learning from
there that Silk alone doesn’t create a saree. It takes unflinching commitment and a high level of
creativity to weave heavenly creations out of silk. Ladies, there were told that a silk saree takes
around 4 days of hard work from start to end and I am like, I don’t care let's enjoy the weather, it’s
my first long trip!

Next Morning, early departure to the next stop, I didn’t know that it would be the place that I could
never be able to forget and I even remember its stupendous location and also its entrance. That was
the time when I woke up early, and I liked to do that every day so, waking up early and on the taxi
which was gonna stay with us for the coming few days. The next stop – Athirapally. Yes, as weird as
it sounds and in a time when the tourist destinations weren’t developed much, going to an offbeat
place is what makes a trip great. It was a place where the sole mode of communication was just
telephone, but the whole family was there, I needed no more but wasn’t the same for dad, and I
used to scold him then, but now I understand.

Reaching the hotel, It had those curve like entry with four big wooden pillars that can accommodate
two cars below it. Above the structure was a triangular roof, like we see typically in a hillside house.
As soon as I was out of the car, went directly to reception, sat on the sofa; instead, I’d say was
bouncing on them. Just checked in and went straight to play carrom. All amenities aside, the best
part of it was when we came to the room, and in the evening, dadi (grandmother) told me to just
look as the fog cleared, the waterfall emerged, shining off the setting sun rays. I can still recall that
image, me, sitting on dadi’s lap, on the swings seeing that evening which we explored the next day
on a trek. There we stayed in a cottage, and my dad said the next day that he had the best sleep in a
long time. In the real south for the first time, going on cycling trip early morning with mom, trying
the native rice meal and at last, in the dinner, we were served local sweets as it was Diwali.

Athirapally, a town on the uphill and Periyar-Thekdi on the way downhill and on the top was
Munnar. Leaving for Munnar in the taxi, crossing many turns, it was the first time for me travelling
through hilly roads, bends and all. In some time, out of nowhere, clouds came, we were driving in
clouds. After a few minutes, I was in heaven – above clouds. I was with dadi and mom-dad, went in
nostalgia – their trip to Rohtang.

There it was then, above the clouds, between the lush greenery, a real polarising space. All amidst a
time when there were no phones and just people to interact with. The first thing we do is get to
know our neighbours for the 3 night stay there. Our stay was nothing less than a sunset and sunrise
point, How? It was like being on the top of the world, just getting to see at the horizon, the blue sky
in the day and orange during sunrise and sunset. Even the dawn that I remember seeing as an
orange in the air was from below me, it was literally below the eye level! I had just been woken up
by my mom and thus was sleepy, but it is as much as I remember. We were 3 days in Munnar, and
we saw there the making of tea, literally from scratch! Well, tasting the different flavours of tea was
the best part, my heart said. But my curious mind – just couldn’t comprehend the machines it saw
machines that were bigger than me taking up 1000’s of leaves in it and giving out entirely different
things. Before visiting the tea garden, I had a conception that plant grows from seeds, but tea grew
up not for seeds!

Waking Up in the Mountains is like waking up in Heaven,

amidst the fog.
The warmth of the glittering sun rays makes you forget all the qualms,
and help you get eternal peace.

There is something a long trip demands, to always stay on the move, to just unpack enough and
learn how much and how to pack and unpack for a journey, being a 7-year-old, I’d say my mom got
those learnings, I would’ve been upset if it didn’t propagate further, but I don’t mind as I know the
facts which are a proof that she somehow spread them! A long trip can give you memories and even
teaches you lessons, it's just that you shall be accepting enough.