| The old saying goes ‘an apple a day keeps the doctor away’. But is the apple sufficient today for people living in over populated, polluted cities? Don’t you just yearn to be in the lap of Mother Nature? And where better to breathe clean fresh air than in the hills of Goa? Goa, the land of fields orchards and forests wears an almost regal green cloak with slivers of shimmer after the onset of the monsoons.
The longing to enjoy Goa in this state combined with the spirit of adventure brought 79 ‘young at heart’ enthusiasts together on the 29th of June 2008. A day on which we all experienced much more than one had ever imagined.
On this day, the Youth Hostel of India, Margao Unit had organized a trek to Kuskem Waterfalls, nestled in the hills of the Cotigao Reserved Forests. The excitement was such that none of realized that the approx capacity (50 people) of the KTC bus that was hired for the trip was overruled and we were nearly double the number of people. Yes we were infact, 80 people in total. Anyway, we started off and after an hour and a half, disembarked at the scheduled starting point of the trek After the initial round of introductions and each of us getting a ‘roll’ number (just as in school), we were informed of the plan for the day. We were to trek for a 14 km stretch to reach the waterfall and the entire distance was to be covered by 3:30 pm or latest 4:00 pm.
Full of enthusiasm and bubbling with energy we commenced our trek by plodding through fields and through a small village. The amateur photographers kept clicking away whilst the serpentine line of trekkers went ahead slowly and surely. The first heavy shower did not deter us a bit and after pausing for a bit to don our raingear, we splashed on. A guide from Youth Hostel lead the line and one brought up the rear with the 79 nature lovers and four local guides sandwiched between.
The first couple of hours went well as the enthusiasm was on. We trekked and trekked uphill and down, crossing streams of various widths, admiring nature’s beauty with awe. It was enjoyable! Though we were forewarned of the leeches, none had anticipated the large numbers that greeted us. Packets and tubs of salt were passed back and forth to ward off the ever-hungry creatures. And yet we trekked on.
We realized it was way past lunch time only thanks to our rumbling tummies. 3 hours and time kept ticking and there was no sign of a halt. We longed to rest our tired feet and fill our tummies. It was only after 3:00pm that we got out of the forest and into bright sunshine. We were close to a tiny village tucked away between forests. A tiny spring gushing out clear water enabled us to freshen up before tucking into our lunch. It was more than four hours into the trek and more than eight hours since we had left home. We were already tired and longing to see the waterfall to relax and then head back home.
‘When in doubt, ask’ is a phrase that is often repeated!!! So we asked our guides ‘how much longer?’ Another 30 to 45 minutes was the prompt answer they gave us. We believed them and were relieved that we had finally reached the destination and that too on schedule. Despite our tiredness, we trekked on after lunch with the thought that we were nearly done for the day. After about twenty minutes or so, the local guide leading us made us stop. He then took off for a bit and on returning made us all retrace our steps and then detour on another route. We were apparently being led the wrong way. Hoping that we were now on the right path, we plodded on. All we could do was follow the guide. We had considered that the organizers knew the path, so none of us had carried a compass or had even bothered to ask which direction we were heading in.
We knew that we would now be delayed in reaching the falls, but when even at 5:30pm there was no sign of the falls, we realized WE WERE LOST!!! By now, because of varying degrees of tiredness, the group was already in three or four parts. None of us were sure of where we were going, how many groups we were nor whether anyone had reached the falls. The question that we kept asking ourselves was ‘will we get out before dark?’ No such luck. Time ticked on and by 7:00 we were straining to see the path we tread. The hills we were ascending and descending were steep and the rain had made the path slushy. We just kept pushing ahead, dragging our feet over rock and root and through the streams. We couldn’t be bothered about the leeches. They must have been having a feast. Our feet were too numb to know. The guides kept us going by saying that we would be out in fifteen minutes.
The scheduled time that we were to reach Margao was 6:00 pm. More than an hour later and we were still in the forest. Anticipating worried folks at home and being fortunate enough to get range at that point, a few of us made quick calls just to reassure those back home that we were okay. A little before eight o’clock we found the group ahead of us waiting in a clearing in the forest. They had decided to wait for the rest so that the group would be together. We were truly LOST! All we could do was pray! From this point on, the entire group walked in a single file holding hands so that none would get separated. The few who had cell phones used those to light up the path and instructions of the presence of rocks and roots were passed on verbally. Yes it was good team spirit that held us together and ensured no major casualties.
Thanks to some brave young guys who came back in search of us that we all made it back. Till we came across them we were all plodding along not knowing where we were going. Yes, we finally did get out of the forest at 9:00 pm. I guess it was a classic case of ‘Better late than never’ and we were all indeed thankful that the trek was finally over.
This particular incident in our lives sure taught us a lot about team spirit, endurance and helping one another. We also learned that for a summer trek, long trousers are good, but for a monsoon trek, shorts are the best. We presume shorts are the best as after wading through the seasonal streams, one is not left with clingy trousers. The shorts also leave bare skin on which it is easier to spot equally clingy leeches. But at the end of the day ‘Prevention is better than cure’. Perhaps oil or salt applied around the ankles may have helped in keeping the leeches at bay.
It was only on reaching Margao we got to know that instead of a 14-15 km stretch as originally planned, we had in fact done a 22 km trek. An additional 7 kilometres was no child’s play.
The irony of the entire trek was we traveled for nearly three hours by bus each way to walk 22 kilometres amidst nature. We walked through fields, over hills, rocks and roots and through streams in anticipation of a waterfall which we ultimately never set eyes on. | comments: 3 comments or Leave a comment   |
| A trip that was being thought of for months…from Goa to Kerala to Rajasthan…the locale kept changing. At one time it even went as far as Singapore. The first two were ruled out because of the natives, whilst the third is not the best holiday spot during summer. Singapore was a good option and favoured by all, but dwindling funds ruled it out.
And then, thanks to work and completion of projects and commencement of new ones, the entire trip was put on the back burner. Till one bright Monday morning, Arun woke up on the best side of his bed, for when he entered the office he suggested a trip to one of the jungle lodges. And despite the load of work and empty pockets we all geared up and took off on 21st September 2006 at 6:00 in the morning.
The time to leave was 5:00 am, but like every other working day, when people stroll in an hour after official starting time, the regular late comers came in late. Arun had stayed in the office and promptly woke my roomie and me at 4:30, so two of us were ready by 5:00 and had to twiddle thumbs and check mail at that odd hour in the morning. By the time every one gathered at the office and we piled our luggage in the van, it was 6:00 and pretty bright outside. It was a bit of a squeeze in the bus as it was a 12 seater bus with 16 people and a couple of them do take place for two, which totals to 18. As we wanted to reach the lodge as quickly as possible we didn’t stop for breakfast and instead munched on potato wafers… the only snack available.
We reached the lodge around 10:30 and though it was way past breakfast time, they gladly obliged us with a scrumptious spread of omelette, toast, butter, jam, puris and potato bhaji. After breakfast, every one had their cups of hot coffee and was sitting closer to the river and enjoying the view. As I dislike coffee I had nothing else to do and thus attempted going onto the acrobat net (a huge hammock, on which 16 of us later sat and played). For a person who fears heights, I climbed up pretty easily and with a little egging on from Arun I rolled onto the net. Ah that was relaxing. A little later Deepti joined me and after the coffee was done with, one by one a number of the others came up too. And we played ‘Catch’. It was good fun coz if we fell then we’d go rolling to the centre of the hammock.
After a filled tummy and around a couple of hours of playing ‘catch’ it was time to go for lunch. Lunch too was a pretty good spread. In fact, all the meals were really nice, but breakfast was undoubtedly the best. After a content tummy it was time to go to our rooms and explore the place.
The place was simply amazing. To relax, all I had to do was lie on a hammock and close my eyes. The tall trees with wide canopies ensured no dazzling sunlight to wake me up from a blissful slumber. Considering I was really short on sleep (5 hours on 19th-20th night n 2 hours on 20th-21st night), I’d doze off anywhere and had much more than 40 winks on one of the hammocks.
I still don’t know what woke me up, but eventually I did, only to find all the rest playing cricket. As I was still groggy, I stayed away from the game. At tea time there were a few biscuits to munch on and then we were going on the coracles. Tyag (Arun’s friend) who had accompanied us drove Biju’s disciples upstream. And after some help with our life vests, we got into 6 different coracles and coracled all the way back to camp. The coracle is a saucer shaped raft made of bamboo, and the base is covered with an impermeable sheet. The ride was loads of fun as besides going up and down with the waves, we also kept spinning around. After touching camp we all sat on the small stretch of sand and were chatting with Tyag as our Guru was still asleep…apparently. After sunset we all went back to our rooms to shower and get ready for dinner. And that’s when we got the surprise of our lives. There was no electricity and thus no light. All we had were two kerosene lamps (one at the front of the cottage and one at the back) and we had no choice but to use those whilst in the shower. After we showered, we all went and gather around the bonfire and we were served hot pakodas and chicken tikka. As we were eating, we played a game called ‘Ducky Fuzz’. (For those who haven’t played it before, the details are at the end of this post).
None of us realized that the barbecue was just a snack and so when dinner was served we were quite stuffed and couldn’t do justice. All I could manage was a bowl of soup and the fruit salad for dessert. After dinner, we all gathered outside Arun’s tent and were chatting till around midnight. Once everyone went back to their tens, I scrambled into bed and in a few seconds I was off in dreamland.
We had all set our alarms for 6:00 in the morning to go on a trek, but not one of us could pull ourselves out of bed till 7:00. After a quick cup of hot coffee and arming ourselves with a bottle of water and a stick, we set off trekking. As we are a very over-enthusiastic bunch of kids, the previous night when discussing about the trek, all of us jumped with joy at the thought of doing the tough trail. Then on listening to Tyag’s advice we chose to do the easier trail. And that was a blessing in disguise. Hardly five minutes on the trail and all we could hear was our own breath. Our guide was as nimble as a goat and just ran up the entire hill. He had to pause just because we were trudging our way up. We climbed the entire hill in around 20 minutes with a 20 minutes break at one of the flat areas. Despite our breathlessness (which went off in a few minutes) we were all unanimous in the thought that the view was worth the climb. After spending another fifteen odd minutes clicking snaps and just enjoying the breeze and view, we set off on a different route to get back to camp. This side of the hill had more grass and was more slippery and steep. Some parts were easy going and some scary, especially when I could see rocks go hurtling down to the foot of the hill. Slowly and steadily all of us made our way back down and we sure were glad to finally touch flat ground. We reached back to camp only at 11:20…3 hours after starting our trek. We were all famished and another delicious breakfast did all of us a lot of good. The people running the place are very thoughtful and had kept a huge vessel of refreshing lime juice for us trekkers.
After breakfast we had to pack our things as we were to return back to B’lore. But all of us loved the place so much, so we pleaded with Arun and Tyag to let us stay for another day. We had to move out of our rooms as they were already booked by another group. But luckily there were two other rooms vacant so we quickly moved all our gear. We then all piled into the big hammock and played ‘Catch’ once again. The other group was a group of managers from some software firm. Whilst we played one of the most unruly and hilarious games of ‘Catch’ like kids, they were all playing some very organized game conducted by an event manager.
After our lunch I made myself comfy on one of the hammocks and went off into deep slumber. Anyone would have thought I hadn’t slept for days on end. I woke up to find not a soul in sight. I later got to know that they had all gone to a small stretch of sand at one end of the camp…they called it a beach- well they aren’t from Goa anyways, so who can blame them? ….hehehehe. They had played the ‘Ducky Fuzz’ game again with the condition that the first one to make a mistake would be buried in the sand. And it turned out to be no one else than ‘maadu the mermaid’. That night again was a barbecue, which we enjoyed sitting in the balcao of one of the tents. And as usual we sang a whole lot of old numbers thanks to Tyag’s ipod
When it came to bedtime, there was a small problem as 16 of us cannot possibly fit into two tents. Five of us had no place, so we put our sleeping bags (thanks ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) premshree sabiokap and bluesmoon…considering the hands it went through) on the balcao of one of the tents and went off to dreamland. The morning was refreshing as I woke up and heard the sound of the water….and then I heard this roar or it sounded like that. It was coming from my right…and then….i realized it was Arun snoring.
The part of the morning till breakfast was very pleasant. Brunda got her face painted like a cat for smearing toothpaste on Arun ….hehehahaha.
Breakfast was awesome as usual. After that we had a spree of photo sessions. Then there were some happenings which I’d prefer forgetting. And all too soon it was time to leave. We all bundled into the bus and ‘doctor’ Ayesha very happily distributed tablets to those who suffer from bus sickness. And only after everyone had washed down the tablets with water, did she realize that all she had had with her were anti-allergic tablets…which would be of no use. Miraculously though no one felt sick through the journey. We stopped for lunch at a dhaba on the way back and by the time we touched office it was 5:30.
I had slept quite a bit through the two days and was one of the only ones who reached back all fresh and wide awake. Being the ‘Monica’ that I am, one of the first things I had to do was shower and wash some of my clothes. I then settled down to reading. By the time it was 8:30 tiredness had set in. Roger, Pampa and sabiokap were kind enough to come to ‘The Village’ to have dinner. By the time I was done with dinner I could barely keep my eyes open. Given a chance I would have slept at the table. As soon as Roger had finished he dropped me home and in a few minutes I was in dreamland.
The two days at Galibore were really amazing and an experience worth treasuring. I hope to make it to another of the jungle lodges sometime in the near future. | | comments: 11 comments or Leave a comment |
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