Nature at its best-Ghatikallu!

Another long, hectic semester ended, with the final exams being one of the most terrible ones I’ve written in a long time. All this made me crave for another trip to Mother Nature, where its grandeur would rejuvenate me, and gear me up for the next semester.

The 4 of us, the intelligent one, the manipulative one and the dumb one, and of course me, felt the need to fulfill the adventure cravings within us. This time, we had another addition to the team, and that person’s label has not been established yet, because labeling him dumber, would be an understatement.

We decided on a place called Ghatikallu, a beautiful hill top.Set in the picturesque surroundings of , an overnight bus journey will get you there. The moment I reached Ghatikallu, I was mesmerized by the sights and sounds of its wonderful surroundings. It was as if god had personally come down, and created that place. The mist, the droplets of water falling from the sky that felt like tiny kisses from heaven, the cute puppies playing in our laps was just too much for two eyes to take.

After a quick wash, we had the most filling, the most delicious breakfast EVER! That’s the best part about eating different food. We get bored of eating the same thing over and over again. And once in a while, there comes a welcome change. Our guide, who by far is the best I’ve ever come across, laid out the plan for the day. We were to ride in a 4X4 to 1500 year old temple, and proceed from there to the trek.

After an awesome ride through the woods, and slushy ‘road’, we reached the temple, which stood majestically in the middle of nowhere. Legend has it that the rocks and carvings were first assembled below the mountain, and then brought up and assembled. When one goes there, one can only think as to how on earth the kings of those times ever manage to bring those huge rocks on top. As soon as I entered the temple, I felt this sense of tranquility and peace, which I never had felt before. I just wanted to sit in that temple and close my eyes, and never get up. I was finally in touch with my soul. After a puja, we headed towards the trek.

Words will not describe my feelings about the trek. The English language has not many adjectives to describe the beauty of the place where we went trekking. We climbed to the second highest peak in Karnataka, and it was simply superb. As we stood at the top, we could see the fog, travelling towards us, to engulf us. It was as if there was a nuclear explosion somewhere and the smoke from the explosion was travelling towards us, only it was not harmful. As soon as the fog hit us, it turned into droplets of water, and yet again, we felt the tiny kisses of heaven. It was one of the best moments of my life, standing atop the second highest peak, with my friends, and all of nature's beauty surrounding us. Our guide told us that right below where we stood, was once a fort. It was really difficult to believe what he was telling us, as it was impossible for us to imagine how on earth the people of those times developed methods to cut though hard rock.

The next day, also our last day, we went to a splendid waterfall, which thanks to the rain, was full of crystal clear water. How we played in the water! It was as though we were little kids again. After that wonderful experience, we came back for what I call the 'feasts of feasts', the best lunch we've had in a long time. After that feast, we went to a coffee and tea estate, but since we were running short of time, we did not explore that place completely. Nevertheless, it was a good walk through the estate.

When the time came for our departure, I was overcome with emotion. I longed to stay, and not leave, for who would want to leave all the nature's loveliness and get back the hectic, polluted life in the city. Maybe thats what made the trip so wonderful. Knowing that we would come back here some day, to escape the city life, to let the fog engulf us, and to feel the little kisses from heaven.