How to make the most of Airbnb experiences

Aren’t the best hotels and resorts the same all over the world? Why stay in places that pile on comforts instead of warm human experiences?

Pablo Neruda writes in his famous poem ‘Die slowly’ (Italics mine)

He who becomes the slave of habit,

who follows the same routes every day,

who never changes pace,

who does not risk and change the color of his clothes,

who does not speak and does not experience,

dies slowly.

He who does not travel, who does not read,
who does not listen to music,
who does not find grace in himself,
she who does not find grace in herself,
dies slowly.

He who slowly destroys his own self-esteem,
who does not allow himself to be helped,
who spends days on end complaining about his own bad luck, about the rain that never stops,
dies slowly.

Staying in homestays and Airbnbs requires a small leap of faith – enough to entrust a few hours of every day you spend in a foreign land to a stranger’s warmth. It can give a sense of adrenaline rush – what experience are we in for? Will the place look the same as what we saw in those pictures? Will there be pets? Will the hosts understand us?

The first time I stayed at an Airbnb was in Galle, Srilanka and it was a memorable experience. Thereafter, whenever we (I travel with my wife) travel, we have been lucky to experience the love and care of strangers and more often than not, have left their homes with beautiful memories.

This post is an attempt to capture some common sense practices that I have followed when using Airbnb and which have held me in good stead so far.

Plan in advance and choose well–

The best places to stay in are often the first ones to get booked. So, always, try to book well in advance. As an example, when we recently visited Portugal and Madrid, I made the bookings more than 2 months in advance.

When making a booking, spend time reading the ratings and reviews left by other travelers. There are 6 parameters (listed below) on which other guests would have left ratings.

Rating parameters

As a traveler, you are lucky if you get to enjoy the hospitality of a host who has great ratings across all the 6 parameters and if you plan in advance, you have more chances of getting lucky. If you are not very lucky, prioritize which parameters are more important to you. Is location more important than cleanliness? Is value more important than location? Preferences vary, so decide what would be yours, clearly.

Go through the photos of the place posted by the host – do they inspire you?

Kitchen at the place we stayed in Nazare, Portugal

Read the house amenities and the house manual – Are you someone who prefers breakfast included in your stays or would you rather explore the nearby cafes? Would you like to cook yourself and are you permitted to use the host’s kitchen? Are there any specific check-in and check-out timings listed and do they align with your travel plans?

What are some things that other travelers have liked about the host? Read the reviews carefully and form a mental picture. Do you like the picture? J Sample this for a review –

Really glad to have found such a great place to stay! The location is brilliant and the place very comfortable, but as for so many great places what makes it great is the host. [Host name] was flexible on checkin/out, knowledgeable on both contemporary and historic Lisbon, and even called me while I was traveling to give extra helpful tips. Plus, of you are relaxing in the apartment in between sightseeing, you can't help but find a great book (in a selection of languages) in his overflowing shelves.

View from the breakfast table of our host in Lisbon

Tip – Opt for hosts who serve/arrange breakfast – you get to taste local home-made food.

String hoppers for breakfast at Galle

Communicate honestly –

Communicate with the hosts before making a booking. This is not necessary, but good to do. You understand how promptly they reply and can rely on this promptness when you need help. Check with them if you have any specific queries –

How close/far are they located from a metro station or a bus stop?

Can they accommodate a check-in that is slightly earlier?

Notify your hosts when you reach the airport/train station/bus stop so they are aware when they can exactly expect you. Leave a SMS or a message on Airbnb. Call them if you think you are getting lost. 

Tip - Be polite and specific in your communication and always try to reply promptly so you signal your earnestness.

Engage warmly –

If you are booking on Airbnb, like us you probably want to get to know the hosts a little. Don’t be prejudiced and never force your presence on their time. If you know there would be pets around, don't book unless you are comfortable. While it is perfectly reasonable for you to expect their guidance in a new place, it is not wise to expect them to hand-hold you. Do your homework and give them a sense of what you like so they can suggest the right sights and attractions. If they are not conversant in English, speak slowly and clearly.

Charlotte, the pet dog of our hosts at Porto, Portugal

Our hosts have dropped us at a shikara (boat) point near Vembanad lake in Kerala, left us near the Galle fort on a beautiful morning and accompanied us for a walk to the Praha de Comercio in Lisbon.  

Shikara ride in the backwaters near Vembanad lake, Kerala

Tip : If you find that they are private people, don’t intrude on their privacy and avoid personal questions unless they are forthcoming.

Stay responsibly –

Remember that you are staying at someone’s home and act responsibly through your stay. Respect the house rules you have read and ask for how to use a certain kitchen appliance if you don’t know. While using common areas, respect the hosts’ privacy.

Common breakfast/relaxing area in Mysore

Tip : Try to leave the place as clean as possible when you check-out.

We were happy to have a host write this review for us after our stay in Nazare, Portugal.

“Great guests who took great care of my place, I would gladly host them again.”

Leave a review –

When you check-out, write a thank you note in the guests’ book if your host has one. Leave honest reviews on Airbnb and write a private thank you note if you think your hosts merit one. Doing this makes it easy for other travelers to make wise choices and for your hosts to improve.

I wrote this for our host in Pondy. 

“[Host name] was as good as a host can get, responding promptly to our queries before we traveled and even guiding us to rent a two wheeler. The room was comfortable on the 2nd floor in a street quite close to both the rail station and the beach. Would recommend her place to people who want to stay close to the beach/French quarters in pondy."

Enjoy using Airbnb and leave your Airbnb experiences in the comments.

Of backwaters, houseboats and beaches

Day one, on board, Gloria -

A sofa, a dining table, a television, two compact rooms with toilets and a kitchen, name: Gloria. Yes, Gloria was where we enjoyed the serene calmness of the backwaters near Allapey. She glided smoothly on the backwaters, so smoothly that we felt we were part of a performance where the scenery around us changed, albeit only in different shades of beauty.

A lone middle aged woman rowing a small yacht, another houseboat speeding away, overtaking us, a family having lunch aboard, a window being opened to reveal a pale yawning face, a group of kids waving enthusiastically to us, these scenes made our hearts flutter. We talked, mostly random things, not a care in the world restraining our expression, not a thought polished before utterance.

We clicked pictures, of heartfelt smiles, of unstifled yawns, of shy kids, of bemused houseboat steerers, of tall swaying coconut trees, of their reflections in the calm waters, of the Sun illuminating and bringing to sudden focus, a chameleon, of white beautiful birds, lone and in groups and of gorgeous houseboats moored to trees.

Just when we thought we must be dreaming, it grew dark. When the Sun emerged again, peeping demurely from behind clouds, she brought along in her wake, a rainbow with gentle shades of VIBGYOR.

We anchored at ~quarter to 17.00 at a busy marketplace. Shops sold soft drinks, coconut water, trinkets and sundry other snacks. We alighted, sauntered along the peninsula boundary and watched the Sun begin her slow descent. The clouds gathered and the sky darkened but the rains never came. It nevertheless kept the heat in check and lent the breeze a gentle coolness.

At half past six, Gloria was moored for the day. The moon lay as a thin crescent and darkness engulfed us in no time. I searched for the stars but couldn’t penetrate the thick layer of clouds. A lizard fell down and appeared to gaze for a few seconds at the television screen.

We were seeing Farhan trying to charm Katrina in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Sarayu, ever mysterious, settled farthest from the television screen. Vidhya and Shruti continued their romance. Bragadeesh aka Brags was lost in reverie and I was trying my best to find a comfortable position that could afford me a view of my friends and the movie at the same time.

Most of us were meeting each other for the first time that day but a sense of bonhomie prevailed bringing us closer.  As the night darkened and dinner was getting ready, like ants slowly and patiently making their way around things, working ceaselessly and diligently, we indulged in the tireless endeavor of knowing each other a little more. The art of open and honest conversation is under threat by constantly evolving sophisticated messaging applications and social media.  Perhaps the biggest victim of these applications is simple banter in a group with each person making eye contact and exhibiting a genuine interest in the lives of the others.

Day two, Kondai Lip -

In the morning, the Sun bathed the backwaters in a gentle light. An entirely new world was getting busy to face the day - families and workers rowing to nearby villages, houseboats unmoored, engines cranked up and occupants coming out to breakfast, birds chirping and young men diving into the waters for a quick dip.  We had a simple breakfast of Idlis and Sambar and before we realized, our short houseboat sojourn was over.

A smiling Sujith was waiting to take us to Kondai Lip, a backwaters resort.  Listening to Palash Sen croon Dhoom pichuk dhoom and the occasional Tamil gaana song, our spirits were high. Kondai Lip was like an apparition out of the blue. A lanky boatman took us across a narrow canal to the entrance of the resort in a country boat.

After browsing through the food menu and ordering for lunch, we came to our cottage. The rooms were spacious and cozy with appealing woodwork. The sit out area at the entrance to the rooms of our cottage faced a large pond, one boundary of which was lined with tall palm trees. At the other end of the pond, two small boats were tied to a tree with rope. The reddish brick color of the cottages and the sloping roof also played their part in the slowing of time. The quietness of the place, the greenery interspersing the cottages and lining the paths, in the afternoon heat, this scenery was an apt textbook picture to illustrate solitude.

Shruti hovered, in communion with her thoughts. Sarayu and Vidhya indulged in fishing. To a hook, a hotel staff taught us to attach small wheat balls. Brags and I pedal boated the perimeter of the pond clicking pictures of the cottages and the girls waiting for the elusive fishes to fall for the humble bait.

Lunch was dal, vegetable curry, tomato rice, curd rice and ice cream. We ate slowly relishing each morsel. At 15.30, the resort staff knocked at our doors. Along with the other guests in the resort, we hit the backwaters in a boat. Sitting under the boat’s roof in the waning afternoon heat, passing by slumbering hamlets, we couldn’t help but contrast this pace of life with the pointless madness of the city folk.

At ~16.30, we reached a beautiful stretch of the Arabian Sea coast, Mararikulam beach. Shruti let her feet be kissed by the waves, wore a broad smile, turned to wave to us, cried in delight at the sight of a bigger wave, gathered her skirt around her ankles and gave her being over to the present moment.

A view of the Sea never fails to calm my nerves. I felt lighter, closed my eyes for a few minutes. We walked along the shore. The waves played pranks by constantly deceiving us with their strength. Brags got a couple of really good shots of our footprints on the shore.

On our way back to the resort, the sky opened up and it poured heavily for a good 20 minutes. Fishermen raised their catches by bringing up the huge Chinese fishing nets. Small boats rowed faster. Some kids waved to us unmindful of the rain. Even as it rained outside, inside our boat, a cute little encounter was underway. Shruti played with a little girl and both of them talked animatedly much to the amusement of the girl’s family.

Back at Kondai lip, thanks to the rain, the green cover looked greener. We had banana fry and coffee. A quick bath and some time at the sit out later, we had a simple dinner of rotis and curry. Post dinner, we gathered in one room and even as CSK and KKR battled it out in the IPL, we talked. After the match, we came out to the sit out area and resumed until my eyelids started drooping.


Earlier in the evening, I decided to chuck my original plan and leave for Madurai only the next day. I learnt in the morning that Sarayu, Vidhya and Brags had slept only in the early morning.

Day three, Cherai beach -

We woke up to a beautiful morning in Kondai Lip. The resort's beauty was multiplied manifold in the light of the early morning Sun. After clicking some good pictures, we left the resort with a heavy heart. 

It was a long journey to Cherai beach. We passed by a few towns before going through the city of Cochin. Despite it being a Saturday, the roads were busy.

It was close to 13.00 when we reached the blue waters hotel opposite Cherai beach. Since lunch was only at 13.30, we utilized the time to explore the rear side of the hotel. A small swimming pool and a large lawn area formed the boundary beyond which stretched a large water body. Post a sumptuous buffet lunch, Brags, Sarayu and Vidhya headed for a massage while Shruti and I talked. Conversation was easy.

The Cherai beach was a little crowded. We were happy to catch a beautiful sunset. What was a large hazy light in quick time became a reddish orange ball that steadily climbed down and moved farther until it was no longer seen.

 It was time for me to bid goodbye to the group. If not for the engagement of my friends the next say in Madurai, I would have gladly stayed back in Cherai. The goodbye moment was not easy especially because, in a span of 3 days, we were no longer strangers! As I settled comfortably in the bus that took me to Thrissur, I was pretty sure that I had made a few friends for life and I was carrying loads of good memories.

Sometimes, A stroll is all one needs to feel lighter...

Man is a funny animal. Whatever he does, he has the ability to come up with a justification. I have seen this happen with myself so many times that I have come to terms with it. Excuse, justification, defensive behavior, lack of will, call it whatever you will, as we get older, we begin to accumulate this and over time, it weighs us down.

Life is like a journey and the lighter we travel, the better we can move around and take in different sights. A traveler who makes the mistake of packing too much along his journey will eventually grow tired of traveling. He would want to stay put at a place so that he can arrange all around him, the accoutrements that he has gotten used to. Our excuses for our mistakes are in a sense like the unnecessary baggage a traveler carries. The more we pile them up, the more crippled we become.

I was pondering this when I realized that I had been rushing like a mad man even though I was only returning from work. The long steps I was taking were tiring my legs and the peak hour noise was taking a toll on my nerves. When I slowed down, it felt as if I had suddenly entered the world of slow-motion cinema! I consciously slowed my pace and to my amusement, it was difficult to slow down...

The effect of my slowing down was quite dramatic. Suddenly, I could feel the cool breeze. I reached home, changed, went to the terrace to get the clothes I had put out to dry after washing. The crescent moon in the far distance appeared out of place after all the commotion, jostling, noise and the unceasing throng of people on the streets. In no mood to return to the apartment soon, I took in the breeze and continued to gaze at the moon.

Visions of all the treks and cycling I have enjoyed in the nature came in spurts and within a few moments, I felt lighter. A wave of happiness surged through my veins and I resolved not to forget this experience. An incoherent stream of thoughts, one inexplicably leading to the next had sparked this.

In life, no matter what the circumstances are, no matter what adversities we get subjected to and subject ourselves to, no matter who lends us a hand and who does not, no matter what quirks of fate await us, it is important to live lighter. To experience what I mean, get out of the cities, get out of the confining walls of your living spaces, get out of your routine, however meaningful your work is, get out of all that is chaining you to noise. Escape to the vast expanse of nature, escape to the mountains, forests and seashores. Subject your senses to the purest of pleasures that only nature can offer. The soul will automatically disentangle itself from all the baggage that is holding it down and soar...!

Why I love traveling..!

It was around 10 AM on a Sunday morning in the city of Strasbourg. I was sitting near a souvenir shop in the neighborhood of Little France. One of the most beautiful neighborhoods I have ever had the fortune to be in...a slight drizzle made the view more romantic. I remember the scene in vivid detail because something was intensely pure and genuine about the emotion I felt at that point. I cannot name it but I'd not be exaggerating if I say, I felt completely aware and at the same time as light as a feather. I have experienced similar feelings while biking down the slopes of western ghats back home, while commuting by the coal field express from Dhanbad to Howrah and whilst walking along the marine drive in Bombay.

Whenever I pack my stuff and step out, I do so with an open mind and a spring in my step. When I travel alone, I seek to engage my fellow travelers in trivial conversations, for I have discovered over time that good people are omnipresent. Last weekend, I was lucky to have breakfast and coffee with a girl from Brazil. Having completed her advertising course in London, she was on a tour of Europe. We talked about social media, advertising mix, traveling alone and traveling in groups, multinational companies from Brazil, Indian mythology and entrepreneurship.It was probably just 30 minutes but then two strangers from two different continents meeting in a third continent and talking about certain topics close to their hearts...well, I suppose only traveling can make this possible!

The night before, I arrived at the hostel to find an eclectic crowd at the reception bar. Even though I was alone and I knew nobody in that crowd, the jovial manner was infectious. I smiled and greeted a couple of people and was greeted back with equal warmth. That very morning, my first one in a new city, a young Brit had guided me to the nearest metro station and had offered his mobile number so that I can call him if I lost my way. Many a time, this genuine goodness of spirit makes me recollect what F Dostoevsky famously remarked "I do not want to and I cannot believe that evil is man’s normal state"

Traveling also, by virtue of the experiences it provides, inculcates a heightened degree of sensitivity. An ability to accommodate fellow human beings in our happiness and sometimes, experiencing an irrational joy in the presence of a total stranger...thanks to traveling I have experienced this often. A few weeks back, I overheard a conversation between two guys on the way back from work whilst they were making plans for the weekend. One guy said, "Traveling is perhaps the only thing that makes you richer without increasing your bank balance" He was spot on!

A puff to the good old days!

Fiery Elias entering the platform at Korntal

A Puff to the good old days – well, thinking of a name for this post was tough, adjectives to choose from were many! Finally, decided on this one because of the faces I remember from the ride – There was this old gentleman for example, bespectacled and pale; he sat looking wistful, but with a slight hint of a smile on his face. Never once did I see him move during the entire length of the ride; he was admiring the landscape but it was something more than that – Yearning? Nostalgia? I know not. What I did realize was, some events by sheer dint of circumstances bring back good times…this ride certainly did! 

Chugging along

The ride is organized by the by the GES on the first Sunday of every month from Korntal till Weissach in the Stuttgart region. Thanks to the efforts of the society, tourists and natives alike get to experience a rich flavour from the past. We boarded the first service of the day at 9.05 AM from Korntal. A schedule of all the services with the travel fare is available here. The stretch spanning 25 kms takes 1 hour by the train. 

A charming machine

The chugging of the engine was a black and white melody, the whistles and the steam it breathed out while evoking many a movie scene also had a soothing effect. Perhaps, it made us all long for a world where things moved slowly and surely, nerves were less frayed, people were more content with whatever little they had and grittiness of character was given its due. 

There were scores of kids with their grandfathers and grandmothers. The way two generations -which seem to have little in common at first sight – connected made for quite a sight! It was drizzling all through the brief journey till Weissach adding to the beauty of the landscape. People leaned on the rails between carriages clicking pictures, smoking or cuddling their children. One hour went by in a jiffy and we were in Weissach. 

Carriages at the rear

It took nearly 40 minutes before we were all set for the return journey. We had a peep into the engine and people from this charming town gathered around the train to click more pictures. On the way back, the carriages were more silent. Perhaps, nobody wants good things to come to an end!

Zugspitze - Journey to the top of Germany!

No extent of imagination can prepare someone when reality strikes! Consumption of so many movies, songs and documentaries showing landscapes covered in snow as far as the camera lens could capture- yet, when one confronts reality, it is always different. Imagine yourself closing your eyelid on pure white - yes, that "movable fold of skin and muscle", when it opens and closes on pure white, can you imagine that? If you find yourself struggling, you should travel to Zugspitze!

Sometimes, in surrendering oneself completely to the simple joys of life, one gets to live life to the fullest. It is like sipping cool lemonade during a pleasant evening by the beach side with your favorite book beside! Can anyone plan for such an evening? To some extent, one can answer yes, but really? No way! However, this Saturday, in choosing to relish every moment of the day with my fellow travel companions, I experienced something special! No wonder, Shailesh remarked, "Siva is cool today, you ask him to get down from a train, he gets down, you ask him to hop back on, he is OK with that too, no questions..." :-)

A small group of 5 - myself, Shailesh and his wife, Suhas and Vaishnavi - went to Zugspitze, the highest peak in Germany. We started early on Saturday morning, our connections being Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof -> Ulm Hbf  -> München-Pasing -> Garmisch-Partenkirchen starting at 7 from Stuttgart and reaching Garmisch-Partenkirchen at 12PM.

View from the train windows..

Snow capped mountains in the distance

In the first connection till Ulm, the majority of the compartment was occupied by Indians and one could hear bits and pieces of all languages - Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi to name a few I can tell the difference between. With a clear weather, the view outside the window varied only in the degrees of beauty from being just positive to the truly superlative! At München-Pasing, while others grabbed coffee, I peered into the news stands and tried to make sense of the headlines in Deutsch.

Cyclists enjoying a ride..

We alighted at Garmisch-Partenkirchen on time and in our eagerness to get "tourist information" missed the 12.15 Bahn. With an hour to kill, we speculated whether such a long journey to reach until there would be worth it if we don't get to spend quality time at the peak - We'd laugh about it later in the day! At 1.15 PM, we were in the train that chugged its way up. We narrowly missed going back to Garmisch-Partenkirchen in an otherwise empty train when, oblivious to us, people were alighting to switch trains to go on to Eibsee.

At Eibsee, we took the Eibsee cable car to get to the peak. As the car with its swaying rhythm made its way up, the views were a feast for the eyes. As we moved up, the lake slowly came into view and became a large dot of beautiful blue surrounded by greenery all around - it looked like a blue giant was sleeping peacefully flanked on all sides by protective cover. On the other side, we could see the sides of shorter peaks with a spattering of pure white here and there.

View from the peak

Snow Panorama

At the peak, the views only got better. One could behold stunning vistas of snow. In no time, we were taking aims at each other with balls of snow. Since I was always with the camera, I escaped :-) In the distance, a dog was rolling over and over in the snow. It was so delighted and enjoyed itself for a complete 2 minutes until there was some pressure on the leash. We took a cable car from the peak to the glacier below. Minutes later, Shailesh scanned the copy of the map he was holding and quizzically spoke aloud, "Yeh glacier ko inhone yahan kyun rakha hai". That had us in splits...

Our small group

Snowman

We walked, jumped, hopped and sauntered. Vaishnavi even built a snowman with the help of Suhas. Lying down in the snow, albeit briefly was bliss. Probably, there is no lighter, softer and whiter canopy! At one point, I looked around and found nobody...the silence was all pervasive, in that moment, my memory raced and I remembered another such moment nearly a year and a half back that was equally magical! Beaches or snow covered mountains - nature, when splendidly beautiful, has the same effect perhaps.

Tikka Puri at that height tasted awesome! Close to 4 o clock, we went to the open air restaurant for a drink and then proceeded to the waiting cogwheel train (Zahnradbahn) which took us until Garmisch-Partenkirchen directly. Perhaps, if we had left a little earlier, we could have spent some time at the lake in Eibsee. But then, we had had our share of fun and good time...so, it did not really matter.

During the journey back, we had our share of excitement when we suddenly found that the connection we were sitting in would not go to Ulm. Thanks to Vaishnavi's memory, we however realized, we can still make it to Stuttgart for the night :D Until München-Pasing, it had been an amusing journey to see three hyper excited kids playing with a sportive guy who laughingly indulged their every whim. In the train to Aalen, we played Antaakshari - old songs ruled the roost.

At 12 AM sharp, I was back in the hotel room at Ludwigsburg with a lot of happy memories of the day. To feel close to nature and to take a sojourn in its lap is perhaps, the closest mankind can come to experiencing life in heaven while still being on earth!

For those more interested, this link is a wealth of information

Kodachadri trek - 24, 25 Sept 2011

Different moments during the trek 

A vast expanse of blue, dotted with slithering flakes of white and embellished all across with shades of the purest orange; Greenery as far as the eye can see, with clouds sweeping across, as if white curtains are billowing in tandem with the direction of the wind, allowing very little sunlight to seep through - just some examples of the treat that nature bestowed on 25 odd trekkers at Kodachadri over the last weekend. For this treat, all the 25 of us are indeed indebted.

Organized by the Bangalore Mountaineering club, this trek would take its place rightfully among the best travel experiences in my life. What does a nature traveler or a trekker for that matter, seek? An escape and a communion; escape from monotony, dullness, vulgarity, trivial obsessions, watches and the whole paraphernalia that exemplifies madness; communion with beauty, clean air, variety and all the little sounds and faint smells that only the all-embracing generosity of silence can help manifest. 

Kodachadri, 380 kms from Bangalore, in Shimoga district, is 1343 meters above sea level. We left Bangalore on Friday night, a little after 10 in two tempo travelers. As one by one, people boarded the tempo, my mind was engaged in feverish activity, heightened by a curiosity that every new face provoked - a curiosity that can only be fed by free flowing conversations entailing an uninhibited exchange of thoughts and carrying the instantly recognizable tone of sincerity and genuineness!

We reached Shimoga at 3.30 AM and stopped to stretch our legs; some people were in deep slumber while some others gathered outside the tempo to sip hot tea. The second tempo joined us much later and after a nearly 45 min break, we resumed. The winds had become chilly and the road ahead, winding and narrow. 

We reached hallimane home stay a little before 7 AM. We had just enough time to complete our morning ablutions. Homemade coffee and rice bath awaited us for breakfast. Willem, our fellow trekker from South Africa relished the simple food and was keen to know the ingredients of every item served. I am sure he would end up finding food unpalatable back home, having had a taste of the spices here. He admitted as much.

The home stay, in typical old fashion, had a certain charm to it. The rooms with simple flooring were cozy after the long tempo journey. But soon, it was time to start the trek. Kiran, one of our two guides, briefed us. I remember Abhinav, the 6 year old kid (this was his 15^th trek!) examining all our faces during that small briefing with a scientist-like expression.

Idlumane falls - Water has never tasted so pure and so sweet or looked so welcoming before!

At the sight of Idlumane falls, like 10 year olds with no qualms and shame, almost all the guys were frolicking carelessly in the water with gay abandon in no time at all. The water was chilly but soon our bodies got acclimatized. This also gave some time for all of us to reflect on our blood donation to the leeches until then. After an exact 30 mins, as if there was a wall clock chiming somewhere nearby to remind us of the journey ahead, we changed into fresh clothes and resumed.

 

With fellow trekkers 

To trek is to breathe clean air, cherish every step towards the horizon, share camaraderie with fellow trekkers, test the endurance levels of one's bones and muscles and above all experience a wave of thrill running through one's veins. One crosses logs, steps aside blood thirsty leeches, clears branches obstructing the path, feels pricking thorns, encounters gushing streams and listens to numerous stories from fellow trekkers. I doubt if there is a better alternative to building bonhomie and breaking ice. These extractions on the physique heightens all our senses and mentally, results in a stimulation that is hard to describe.  

Nature toying with mother earth and draping herself in different attires

 

The trek was challenging as the terrain was unforgiving and slippery in patches. One can never predict with certainty, the flora and fauna, the next 100 meters in a typical trek would reveal and this one was no different. This readiness to embrace uncertainty and endure a pleasant hardship, perhaps, prepares the mind to be receptive unleashing creativity in the process.

As late afternoon approached, we hit the jeep track. The forest department guest house was visible in the far distance and we were surrounded on all sides by mountains draped in lush green. I found myself walking alongside fellow trekkers in groups of twos and threes, catching nuggets of conversations, sneaking in and out of them, pitching in with a few remarks, but mostly happy just listening in. 


We reached the guest house around 4 PM and had a late lunch of sambar rice, rasam rice and butter milk. The facilities were basic but none of us were looking for comforts anyway. After tea, armed with torches and decked in warm clothes, we climbed further towards the sunset point. Alas, mist did not let us take in the complete beauty of the surroundings. Adi Shankaracharya is believed to have meditated at the temple near the sunset point. Philosophically and quite poignantly, the temple had a certain disquieting eeriness about it, with gentle winds ringing in darkness and dangerously plunging depths just a few feet from its perimeter.

The sole of my shoe gave away and I was beginning to get worried about the rest of  the trek, but fortunately, I was able to pull on. With the torches lighting our way down to the guest house, we descended. We had more than an hour to go before dinner and so we listened to a few songs, fooled around pointing torches at one another and at the sky to spot constellations and planets. 

Even in the absence of electricity, we felt perfectly happy admiring all the stars which appeared to suddenly advertise their huge numbers. In the city, one rarely has time to pause and admire the night sky and moon light, but here, far removed from the hustle and bustle, we realized how powerful even reflected light could be! 

Stepping into the house, we found Pravin narrating stories of snakes, cobras in particular. In rapt attention, we listened.  The room was lit by two wicks with the flames flickering slowly to the gentle breeze. 

Post dinner, some chose to sleep indoors while some others (including yours truly) opted for tents. Snuggling inside the tent, loving the warmth and coziness, I listened to Hemacharan talking about work, love and the broader challenges of everyday existence. Before I realized, it was 4.45 AM and I could hear sounds outside the tent. People were waking up to catch the sunrise. 

                                     Sunrise - To catch sight of this is to experience bliss


The sunrise I was fortunate enough to behold that morning is one of the most beautiful things I have laid my eyes on. As layers of white clouds on the horizon arranged and rearranged themselves against subtle shades of blue, an orange ball propped itself up from behind the brown and green vegetation of the mountains. Such a powerful and revered thing, it looked so insignificant and powerless for a few moments! We clicked numerous pictures, unable to believe our good fortune! 


Back at the base camp, we got ready for the day ahead. By 7.30 AM, we started the climb down via the jeep track. At regular intervals, we stopped to munch sundry things that each of us had. Dry fruits, buns, biscuits, energy drinks, chocolate bars, Glucon - D packets - we shared them all. Abhilash and I found ourselves interviewing Rakesh, the city editor of Bangalore mirror. He patiently answered all our questions, in the process, giving us a sneak preview into the behind-the-scenes happenings of the media industry. Reporters, stories, deadlines, common sense, networking, page 3, civic issues - the more we talked, the more I came to envy Rakesh! 


As we neared our destination, We found a stream just a km before the home stay and gladly jumped in again to cavort a second time in as many days. 

Shivvapanika fort @ Nagara

On the way back to Bangalore, after a late breakfast at the home stay, we reached Shivvapanika fort around 1 PM. At the entrance to the fort, we spotted a cobra and soon, we were milling around it trying to capture its each and every move on lens. Pravin patiently held it for us to click and touch. With Willem's help, we thought, he almost trapped it inside a sleeping bag but the next second, it emerged out slithering rapidly towards the village kids who had gathered about. The drama reached its zenith when Pravin ran behind it and in a flash, had it again in his control! 

Tryst with a cobra at the entrance to the fort

The fort, massive in its expanse, was every bit picturesque, with a view of a lake, dense greenery, grazing cows and distant villages. 

Our tempo driver drove as if there was no tomorrow and for a good 10 minutes, we raced with a two wheeler. 

After a heavy lunch at Shimoga, Abhilash suggested that we play Antakshari. Sindhu kicked off the fun with her sweet rendition of a classic. Sathya, Sandeep and Sundeep, along with Kiran pitched in while Yousuf and Shantanu took part too adding to the fun quotient. When we exhausted all the typical Antakshari songs, Abhilash, Sandeep and Rakesh talked about affairs of the heart. As the others gathered around them, the tempo with its yellow light provided a perfect poetic backdrop. 


A brief drama ensued with a technical problem in one of the tempos.  It gave an opportunity for all of us to come together one last time to tell our goodbyes. Most of us got emotional for it is certainly rare when an intense and warm bonding in a large and diverse group develops just in 2 days.  

Hoping that I keep running into all these wonderful people I met for the first time in these two days. In a socially connected world, it is quite possible for most of us to go on to become good friends...!