All roads lead to Kodai!

(Abilash, Dinesh, Praveen and Mouli)

Actually it all started like this. It was during the ayudha pooja holidays! We were supposed to attend a friend’s wedding in yealgiri. We were in a going mood but not for his wedding. We got in the car on a Saturday afternoon and left in search of friends who can give us company to a trip to kodai our favourite destination. I and mouli were discussing about this for quite some time. Dinesh, wanted to attend our friends wedding. So till that time we were only three in numbers. We contacted abilash, who was attending the “ayudha pooja in his office” and told about the sudden trip to kodai. A any time any where guy! He somehow used all his conning skills and escaped from home just to join us for the trip. Then the count became four. We still had one empty seat in our swift. We called up our favourite lucky charm Praveen. He tried all his skills to not join us for the trip. But his luck ran out soon after the heavy brainwashing session done by mouli and abilash(they are actually good in doing that and i am one of the victim) finally he ended up saying to his wife that a friend of us from erode has met with an accident and we have to see him at the earliest. Poor girl believed his words and let him go. Now the car was full and the trip started taking shape in real.

We hit the road to kodaikanal. The roads were new, beautiful, long and broad with no traffic and a pleasant weather for a lovely company. Oooohhhhhh sorry I forgot to introduce my friends. Mouli is a amateur photographer, trekker and a car freak, comes out often with a crazy trip to kodai and finally make it happen with his convincing and brainwashing skills. Dinesh is a trekker and an adventure enthusiast, Abilash is a wan a be photographer, a trekking enthusiast and a person to count on for fun 24 X 7, basically a tripper. Then our lucky charm Praveen. Why lucky charm? If u need adventure better take him along, you are sure of having some. A driving freak who don’t disturb and don’t liked to be disturbed. He is a solitary tripper.

Before reaching viridhunagar some one picked up the scent of chicken briyani from “Burma kadai”. We followed the trail and ended up having briyani, kadai roast, chicken 65, varuval, omelette and ended it with some sweet beda. Now that our stomach was full our mouth started the talking job just to ease digestion. The drive was quick and fantastic with few pit stops in between for attending natures call and for a cup of tea. We reached kodai around 7pm.

We went straight to buy some steamed & fried chicken momos, special chilly chicken from the tibetian restaurant. We also bought some fresh chicken, curry powder and other necessary things for the barbeque. We already brought some coal, kerosene, camphor and wood from home. The roads were dark and deserted. We reached our cottage and hit the terrace immediately to prepare for the barbeque. The night has just begun. I and dinesh trying to lit the fire, Praveen grazing stars, mouli and abilash trying out their photographic skills. It was a fantastic company.

Finally the fire was lit and golden flames started reaching heights. The wind stood by us and made our job easy. Soon we added more coal over it to create the barbeque bed. The golden flames solely disappeared giving way to the blue and kept the coal burning all night long for the barbeque. Meanwhile the photographers were in action, we two were their only victims. They took photos of the moon, street lights, neighbouring buildings, trying some funny stuff with L.E.D lights.

The smell of the nice burnt chicken invited us. Discussions were on about astronomy, trekking, wildlife, photography, books and movies round and round along with momos and barbeque’s. Then the action started. Mouli and abilash were trying to take photos applying all their skills. Dinesh was their first victim. After the fire we had a bottle of kerosene left, so they wanted to create fire in star shape with dinesh sitting in the middle. Poor guy did not realise that he was getting burnt most of the time. The photo came out well, but he might not have lived the next day to see the snap. They tried marking boundaries of different objects with L.E.D lights and taking photos.
Then the second victim, that’ myself was brought to the scene. With the half bottle of kerosene still left with us they wanted me to try some fire spitting. Which, I humbly obliged without realizing the worst part of it. I might have done that twenty to thirty times to get the photo right. The photos came out well but my t-shirt and my mouth smelt with kerosene spill over’s all night till the next day. I remember brushing my teeth again and again for more than five times in a single night. I ended up losing my taste sensors of my toung. The time was three by then. The apt time for some adventure. Yes some “bison watching".

Bison’s come only in early morning when there is no human and vehicular traffic to disturb them. We took the road crossing the golf links via guna point towards the dam and then drive down to upper lake view. We had tried many times and were very unlucky. So, the thrill was on. It was 3.30am, chilling weather, cold wind, pitch darkness, scary sky, deep woods, empty roads, no sounds all good signs for an adventure. Our bright lights shining straight from the car, our eyes locked on the sides in between the woods searching for some movement or reflecting eyes. The momentum was building up, but it was short lived. We were stopped by some stranger’s telling us that the roads are closed in the other end and we have to turn back. We were disappointed, lost hope and turned our vehicle.

The moment we were trying to take a blind curve there stood a majestic bison grazing peacefully head down. It did not bother about our presence. Our bright lights did not irritate its vision. But the passing strangers did. And it just held its head high gave a stare and a glance before stepping inside the deep steep woods and disappears all at once. All happened because of some strange mad *@#$%&! Passing by from no were, who honked and shouted and disappeared. Any way we called it a day!

We woke up with the beautiful images of the bison still lingering in our memory. We refreshed ourselves and went to have our breakfast at Astoria the only decent hotel in town. Then we took a drive to the dam passing some bus loads of tourist’s giving tough competition to the scavenging monkeys on road. Shouting, howling and competing with the local wild life. We quietly parked our car well away from the madding crowd and the toll gate.
Took a shot walk exploring the woods and insects on the way to the dam. Spotted footprints of wild boar. Sat for a while, took some pictures, enjoyed the calm serene and the greenery and decided to head back home.

Went to the cottage, slept for a while, took some rest, packed our bags and hit the road to home. We stopped in between in a viewing point just to see the setting sun, and bit adios for the lovely and memorable kodai trip!