Agumbe Trip - Trek To Jogigundi

Many a times I have been accused of not sticking to my promise and not completing travelogues.. Well, that's about to change. Taking a break from watching south park, I try to finish what I began... Here goes..

When we reached the path to Jogigundi falls, there were few guys waiting for the rest of their gang. Supposedly, they had gotten lost in the forest (wat's with this place!!!) and were re-grouping... We started down the path when one of them warned about leeches.. Bachas, We showed our blood soaked feet and they were dumbstruck!!! trip to agumbe 1000 rupees.. expression on their faces - priceless ;-) .. We continued our trek until we were at a clearing which had two paths branching out.. this time, we took the right one. The trek was short just about 5 minutes... We went on without any incident

On the path, there was a log lying so went across it and reached the river. The river snaked its way through the forest.. To soak our bloody feet in the running water was like "wearing dry clothes after being drenched in rain"... There were a few rocks here and there. We kept our stuff in one of those. The current was quite strong and we couldn't get into the water..

There was a funny rock ... it looked like a monkey's face to me... This rock proved to be a crucial marker later on.

After resting for about 10 minutes, we started back It should have been 12.30 when we started .. We remembered the log on the path a little off the path. We went for about 3 minutes and realized that we had lost the path. Let me digress and explain how the contour had been.. The path climbs up at about 45 degrees for sometime and then plunges at about 15 degrees. We started towards a log lying above us. Once we reached the log, there was a kind of path - nothing much but a straight line without leaf littering it. We kept going this path and realized that this was not a path. By now, we had lost sight of the river but could still hear it running below. The forest was so dense that the sun was not shining through. The ground was full of leaves - at some places they had mixed with the mud and water from rain that it was slimy. There were many shrubs - about our height, strong and flexible. We used them as supports to climb up. They were mostly green - at every step, we didn't know whether we were going to hold a shrub or a snake... The ground was no better.. it was brown similar to the skin of a snake.

We realized that we were completely lost and had no frigging sense of where we are going. We came to rock. I told sandeep that i'll go on top of it so that we can correct our course. Once we agreed on this, I started up going up the rock - climbing the edges of the rock.. It was a little steep at this point. I kept calling out and sandeep kept responding so that we know where the other was. From the top of the rock, I could see the river. I called out to sandeep from there but he didn't answer, so I shouted louder but in vain. I was at this point very worried and scared. After some 10 seconds, sandeep responded. He said that he was coming up. I told him that this wasn't the path but he came up anyways... We argued for a minute and decided that we had two options : one - keep going up and then climb down - we thought that this would surely lead us to the road. Another option that i suggested was to go back to where we started from - logic was that there was surely a path there (duh!!! we came via it). We decided on option one. Now, as it had been for quite a while, there was no path. We were just going in between the trees and shrubs.. My mind was singing "This is the end.." by the doors. The line "lost in a roman wilderness of pain" kept cropping back :-)

We kept going up until the forest started climbing down. It was a little too steep to climb down and we were close to panic at this point. So, we decided to take to option 2 of going back.. we started to go back.. There was a thorn bush that I ran straight into - got poked properly.. We kept going down until we reached the river. Now, we weren't quite sure whether to go down or up the stream. We decided to go up the stream for some time and if we didn't reach the location we started from, then we would proceed downstream. We turned one corner along the snaking river. At this point, the water was almost abdomen high. Sandeep was very skeptical about proceeding further up. So, I told him that I would go a little further and come back for him if the path was right. I turned another corner and was elated at the sight of the monkey faced rock. I said a silent thanks to the lords and promised that we would visit udipi the next day. I called to a skeptical sandep to come along. We sat at a clearing along the rocks. By now, my spirit was back and hunger was gnawing my stomach. After removing the leeches off my feet, I told sandeep that i'll scout for the path and come back for him.

I started up and found the path in less than a minute. It was a profound relief... I came back half way along the path to get sandeep. I asked him to start up - didn't want to go down and lose the path again :-) We trekked back along the path never straying this time... We were back to the road in no time. Our auto driver asoka was standing there. The joy of seeing a familiar face after such an adventure is inexplicable. I realized that adventure and tragedy are not far apart - you just survive in the first :-) ... but i loved every bit of it.. yes, I was frightened but i think fright is also an emotion that one has to undergo once in a while...

Agumbe Trip - Trek To Barkana Falls

It was one of those spur of the moment decisions that led us on an incredible journey. An experience that both frightened and exhilarated us. We decided to go on a trip over the weekend to Agumbe on friday, booked the tickets and were all set to go by 7 PM. Agumbe is this quite little village where R.K. Narayanan's Malgudi days came to life on the silver screen. The journey to Agumbe was uneventful - roads were a little on the bad side but we slept so that we will be active for the treks the next day.

Around 6, we reached the Shimoga district - The views were breathtaking - streams running everywhere, moss covered terracotta tiled roofs, greenery all around. We reached Agumbe around 7 and went to kasthuri amma's house. She was very hospitable and very active for a 63 year old person (as old as India - she was born in 1947). She took care of arranging an auto for taking us to the trek places. The house itself had old kerala style architecture.

We got onto the auto and headed towards Barkana falls. It was single winding road- our auto driver "Asoka" showed us the path to Jogigundi falls with a bunch of instructions in kannada (hell yeah!!! - i could manage it - thank you Sunil - learnt more kannada from you than 4 years of being in bengalooru). The idea was to trek to Barkana falls and then trek back to Jogigundi. He took us to path leading to barkana falls and said that we just have to go straight to reach the falls and that it was just about 3 km from the road.

The woods beckoned ...

Just 10 feet into the path we passed a clear stream. Our shoes were soaked wet - we had to remove our socks as they had got completely wet. May be, if we had had our sock on, there might have been fewer leech bites. The path was straight as an arrow as Asoka had told us - there were quite a few paths that joined ours. Birds were chirping here and there - in all, a pleasant woody area. We had made quite a progress in 15 minutes. Then we came to a dead end...

We traced our path back and started along a path that branched off about 20 feet from the dead end. Following this path, we came to a narrow gutter kind of passage. By this time our feet were being feasted upon by leeches. We had to check ourselves time and again to get those damn blood suckers off.

We came to another fork which reminded me of frost's lines :


Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

We continued our trek along the path for some time. I heard an animal's cry - i thought it was a hyena but supposedly it was a peacock (one of the villagers later told us this). Our path led us back to the road - we happened to land close to a village. The people were kind - they gave us salt to apply on the leech bites. We asked one of the villager "Praveen" who was herding cows if he could guide us. He agreed to do this for 70 bucks.. He led us back on the same path that we had come through back to the dead end. Here, he took us around the blockage clearing a few plants away with a sickle. Et voilà, there it was "the path" :

Here the forest had grown denser and more leech infested. We had to stop every 10 minutes to clear our feet off leeches. However, the scenery was beautiful and gave us motivation to march on!!! Some of the trees were fully covered in moss looking as though they were big green cylindrical plants .. 

I picked up a conversation with praveen in my broken kannada (Amazing, how much conversation you can manage with banni, hogi and yenu) - he told me that this area was a naxal hot spot a year back and that most had been cleared out by police. 

We crossed two clear streams en route. At one point, the path was so narrow and overgrown that we had to walk crouched for about a minute.

Abruptly, the forest ended and we came to the falls view point. I am understating when i say that the view was  worth the trouble... it was spectacular ... clouds lapping about, gliding over the hills.. valleys covered in white fog. The falls was playing peekaboo with us. In a matter of 15 minutes, it had switched visibility atleast 4 times

Now you see me

Now you dont

We had start out in 15 minutes as a huge cloud was climbing the slopes and would pour heavily if we stayed longer. I had to literally drag myself away from that place :-( ... We trekked back to our dead end - here praveen took leave as he had a path to his village. Since we didn't have a sickle with us, we climbed over the logs that formed the dead end. Sandeep slipped and feel right in the middle of the logs - thankfully, nothing much happened. We joked about how unpleasant it would've been had there been a stick pointing up at the location that he fell (ouch!!!) ..

The path took us back to another fork and here we took a wrong turn.. we went about in the wrong path for about 10 minutes and came to a grass land - by this time both us were pretty sure that it wasn't the right path. So, we trekked back to the fork and took the right path.. We were quite relived when we came back to the road finally. After about 10 minutes of sitting in the road, we started toward Jogigundi falls where a big adventure was waiting for us. That and more in the next post. For now, adios...

Goa - Here we come!!!

Some things in life are so good that it is worth recording in excruciating detail so that you can look back at them and laugh about all the little things ... Our trip to Goa definitely qualifies.

Wrapping up work at 6, I ran out of office - mind throbbing with excitement. I had to go to sandy's place and get into the ghadi from there. Getting there was going to be a problem. I had to take the 356C volvo - cannot carry the baggage in the BMTC bus. The moment I was out of home there was volvo crossing me. I got into it without looking at where it is going. Asked the conductor for a ticket to St. John's. He gave me one of the looks that asks WTF. What he said was "BTM". Damn!!! Fine, I thought I'll take a switch at Silk Board.

Things never turn out the way you expect them - even the silliest of things like taking a bus. One of the things you start taking for granted when staying in Electronic City is the traffic. But the city reminded me that very few people stayed in e-city. Bulk of the city stays in the city (wow!!! that's a discovery). Bommanahalli had a traffic jam. Tring Tring!!! Vivek was calling me - oops I am gonna be late I thought. When I answered it was Dianne told me that she's on the way to Arvind's place and will take 30 minutes to get everything wrapped up. Good.... that should give me time. Traffic was moving now....

Tring Tring!!! Raju ??

"Haan Buddy?"

"Abe!!! Tu kahan pe hai"

"Silk board pe"

"Teek hai ... Abe!!! mein auto lekhe sedhe pahunch jata hoon. Tu sedhe sandy ke ghar pahunch jana..."

"Ok. tere voice break ho raha hai. Mein baad mein baat karta hoon"

"Ok.."


Silk board was ... crowded!!! Negotiated the traffic and went in front of the police station to find the traffic at a stand still. Come on!!!!! Fine!!! I'll walk. God, are you punishing me for being the most irregular gymmer in history of gymming? Walking through madiwala was draining (God, I need to build a stamina). Swearing that I'll stick with arvind for gymming, I walked. By the time I reached St.Johns, I was thinking that distances are not what they look. Damn, its far. Tring Tring!! Sandy. I told him that i'll be at his place in 5. I was there in 10. We picked up some pillows and waited. After waiting for 5 minutes we called Arvind

"hey buddy, where are you?"

"boss, i'm stuck at Sony World junction. I'll be there in another 10 minutes. Tu woh Christ school road pe aa jaana"

It took me a minute to understand that it was the same way i had come through (y am i so weak at geo?).

"Hey raju's not yet here"

"he's with us in the cab"

"oh, he came there straight? teek hai"

The cab came in some time. We said bye to sandy's parents and left. Its worth mentioning about my attire at that time. It was a black shirt with red flowers - the vacation dress :-).... "abe yeh toh already goa pahunch gaya"

Vivek went to get water. I told Dianne that i hate pets when i saw evee (we call her evee or eeeveeeee depending on mood :-) )

Me: "Is that dog barking at us?"

D:  "Evee ko dekhe kuttaen darthe hain"

"Kya?? She's a cat"

"Haan, I took her to the vet the other day and she was threatening a dog. Bilkul kutta jaise behave karti hai."

Waah, like owner like pet (tiny but ferocious - he he he... ask vivek - he got so many punches from her in the trip)

Walking makes a man hungry and rose cookies taste extra nice when you're hungry. Now, both raju and I were hungry but neither knew that rose cookies are called that .... Rose cookie - kya naam hai.

After getting confused whether to put the bags up the cab (a Qualis) or in the boot, the driver decided that we'll put the bags up. All set. Gaadi started.

"Guru,  reading note kar lena yaar"- Arvind said.

Dianne brought our her cell and recorded 159485.

One thing we learned from last trip was to charge the lappy before starting. Arvind - the responsible, got out the lappy and made an entry into Book1.xlsx for the reading - too much u think? Well no, it turned out to be useful - you'll know why later.

Gaana bajao...... After some time. Arvind the DJ, started composing DVD part 2  - vivek having been bambooed for the DVD he had made. Little did we know that we had to listen to the DVD that Vivek had made over and over and over again later. (I still feel like Rock on is playing in the background). One thing that Vivek did not tell was that burning a DVD via copy paste makes it unreadable in a cab's DVD player. Thanks Guru :@ .

Arvind started explaining how closely connected alphabets and geography are. Yeah... get this, after koramangala comes jaya nagar, eventually leading to Padmanabanagar - all the places are in alphabetical order. Damn, i thought i was good with alphabets - shouldn't i be with geo also then? hmm... stuff for later contemplation. And guys its Padmanabanagar not badnaam nagar 8-)

We were just riding past jaya nagar when Dianne the cartographer gave directions in jaya nagar 4 th block. Here was a girl who took a bus to KR market when she had to take a bus to majestic giving directions - we had a good laugh. Not 2 minutes later she asked whether we are there yet - this my friend, brought out the biggest laugh that we had had.

Evee has gotten heavier - i guess we are not the only one who D asks "chahiye??" after taking one bite from her food. We couldn't keep her on our lap and she rolled off somewhere between the back seat and the middle one. After driving for what seemed like an hour (but was actually 20 minutes), we reached at Vivek's sis's place. We dropped off evee and waited for the cab - it had been taken by the driver for some repair to the garage. Dianne knows Kannada - dont laugh - seriously :D!!! She and Sandy were our official spokespeople for the entire journey with the driver. She demonstrated her excellent kannada skills by speaking to the cabbie and telling us that he would be there in 5 minutes.

Once the cab was back we got on and decided to go via the tumkur route. We went via nice road. In some time, raju started singing along with the disc in a very very wierd voice. Vivek wasn't far behind - he also joined in. Being the only back bencher who wasn't doing so, I also joined in - we sang merrily and i guess the driver must have wanted to run out of the vehicle right then :D .

After some time riding and singing, we started searching for some bar to pick up booze. Arvind went down to pick up some bottles and we cracked open first of many many drinks of the trip. Cheers!!! I hate beer and KF strong wasn't tasting any good. Then started the NHs and their tolls - we must've crossed like a million tolls on our way to goa. One thing we started observing was the Toofans - they were an extended version of the police jeep types. They looked very comfortable. Then began the discussion about cars, leg spaces, models and they lost me :) - i know zilch about cars. Dianne and Arvind competed on the company that makes toofan. Arvind won.

We were now cruising around Tumkur and decided to stop for dinner. I was high on just one KF strong and it was a very funny kind of a high *hic* ... On finishing dinner, Arvind and Vivek had smokes and were bambooed by Neha and Dianne respectively :D ... i really enjoyed them getting kicked.

We started the journey again and in no time the ladies zonked off... the guys decided to stay up all night since we didn't want the driver to feel lonely. The driver was not crossing 60-70 and it was looking like we'll reach Goa in a year.. We stopped around 1 in a chai ka dookan and drank hot water (yes, if i call what we had tea - the farmers in tea growing regions around the world will want me to be hung). After resting, we got onto the cab. Then started the remix DVD - i swear to God that there were atleast 5 remixes of a song that already sucked and at the very least 2 remixes of every song. The songs were from films like blue - do i need to say more? The CD went on for like 4 hours before we could take no more of the remixes. We reverted to Vivek's DVD. After some time Raju said that he wanted to see the sunrise sitting in a beach - this was enough for us to badger him for the next hour about how the sun sets into the Arabian sea in Goa.

Around morning we were near Dharwad - this area has red soil and the air itself seems to be a little red. The sun that rose at time was a brilliant red matching with the soil's color. The sight was to say the least fantastic. Then it was the guys turn to zonk away. But, Sandy remained up the entire journey and the whole of the next day - kudos sandy. The journey then went through the ghats. At one place we were going via a cloud - it was a very nice experience. There were so many vehicles that had toppled down and i had a quick prayer to reach Goa safely - there was atleast one accident in one km. We stopped in one of the hills to have breakfast at around 10 - i guess they were not expecting people so late for breakfast - we had two choices : dosa or upma. That narrowed down our need to think a lot about what we wanted to eat. The driver told us that the meter had been stuck for atleast 100 kms here. We started the journey again after breakfast. There was slight salty smell to the air - we were happy that the beaches were close - that meant Goa is gonna be here !!! I was reminded of the road side fish mongers in Pondy... We soon saw our first beach/harbor in karwar. Karwar is also a navy outpost - we got to see some military buildings on the way.

Few kms out of karwar, we stopped (were stopped) at the checkpost between karnataka and goa and saw the first of many many bars in goa :) ... vivek demonstrated his shopping abilities by getting water when we were waiting for the negotiation between police guys and driver. Then we moved into Goa...

Obituary to depression

When i got out of college i had a dream. Yes, for people who know me in the latter years it would be a surprise seeing the depressed soul that i had become, but trust me people like martin luther king I had a dream though nothing that noble. I had a dream of being happy. And ... like most ambitious people, i had figured that money was proportionate to happiness.

But surprise... life had a lot of bouncers and real life wasn't exactly nice... well, lets just say that it was a little too real. One thing led to another and there i found myself deep in depression. Its amazing how late one realizes that one's in a depression. But lucky for me, i had friends around... and soon enough after being depressed for more than a year, i now know that nothing is important if it ruins your happiness.

This may sound corny but we know what exactly makes us happy. I'm no philosopher but trust me people happiness lies not in tangibles. Seem as it may to be important, the pursuit after tangibles never end.

There's one more dimension to this - Happiness lies not only in the destination but also in the journey towards it. To quote someone (i don't know who said this, go sue me :P) "Live in the present. You've a power to bring joy here and now". We all pursue happiness why not make the pursuit happy ;) i mean it sounds logical to me... if your pursuit is happy you wont fail in your pursuit :) right?

If God gives me three boons concerning myself (i'll ask for world peace if it was general :P) , it will be like this : loads of love, lots of friends to share with and a healthy body to enjoy all this.

And sure as hell i'm gonna work on these.

God, I'm sounding like all managers ... (pulling my hair out in dread)... no more motivational speeches... if you've read till here, u seriously haven't got the point.... SHUT DOWN the system go live people or find and smash me up :D

Remembering anne frank

Anne frank was teenage jew at the time holocaust. She and her family had taken refuge in their father's office attic fearing the Nazi. In these troubling times, she had written notes about how her life had changed because of the invasion. Its a nice read - Shows how a simple life can be so shattered by war. Its a remainder to the world that hate brings about only pain and suffering - in forgiveness lies peace and prosperity.

Check out the article at CNN

The Blog Title

The Title

Alright the first question that come to my mind and possibly anyone reading this blog is about the title. Its 2 AM and trust me when i say i spent 10 minutes to cook up a nice little title for the blog but then no ideas were forthcoming so settled on telling the world about the truth. Hence the title. The plan is to write on any and every topic that i feel is worth putting in a blog (which is just about everything).

more to come. soon..