How often
do we plan for trips and implement it?!
How often
does the term LOL – Laugh Out Loud come true nowadays?!
How often
do we think we have the right friends alongside us?!
I must say,
I have been blessed with the right set of friends.
This is
about a trip I took with two of my friends to Mudumalai.
“Mudumalai, meaning
'old hills' is not only one of the first wildlife sanctuaries in the country
but also one of the most beautiful.”
Mudumalai is also a popular habitat of the Bengal Tiger and the Indian
elephant.
So, with our bags packed, we set off to
Mudumalai on a fine Saturday morning, about 4:30AM, driving through some
amazing roads and chilly breeze.
We directly went to a resort in ‘Masinagudi’. This is where
we had booked our stay for the weekend. Since we had a little time left to
check-in, the resort coordinator suggested we take a drive to ‘Needle View Point,’ which was about an
hour’s ride away.
With no other plans on hand, we decided to go and drove
along the ghat section to reach Needle View Point. The sun was shining bright,
when out from of nowhere the weather changed from sunny side up to just the
reverse of it.
There was only fog as far as the eyes could see. In no time
we found ourselves between clouds and huge pine trees, befitting the title.
With that amazing image, we returned to the resort, crossing
over Bandipur (yet another National reserve park in the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu
border). The long drive through the forest, brought to us a fascinating view of
flora and fauna. We felt a palpable excitement due to the occasional sighting
of elephants and deer, and the prospect of spotting tiger(s).
The next item on the agenda was a jeep safari and another
viewpoint. The path to the view point was hidden by two big bushes and only the
guide could have spotted it. It was steep, narrow, and terribly bumpy. Anyone
with a weak back would surely be thinking of getting hospitalised.
However, all of that was worth this stunning view we were
guided to.
Like they say, ‘Small paths lead to bigger hill’.
Getting
back to room early night (around 7), nights are darker early in Mudumalai, and
had a horromovie time with great dinner.
Next morning around 6 AM, our guide took us for
a walk in the lush, green forest speckled by the sun’s rays absolute silence
and mist making up for the sleep we sacrificed. We got a closer views of deer
elephant, wild pigs messing around at a far distance. We also spotted a tiger’s
paw print! (Nope, we still didn’t see any tiger).
After all
this, we drove back home.
Like Barney
Stinson said, ‘Whatever you do in this
life it’s not L-E-G-E-N-D-A-R-Y unless your friends are there to see it’. 😊
