Trails

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten, yeah


Sorry, can't get over the song.
But it sure was an inspiration to make that trip into the hills where people go in huge groups to seek solitude and get some so called fresh air in their lungs. I don't really believe it happens that way. The most unplanned trip for me atleast. Was left with nothing to wear but the branded Y! t-shirt which was already worn "two times" before (that's for you A), a sweater (thankfully) and the other basics which I don't think anyone would be interested in reading. Stayed over at "the" place which A calls Hotel California, and then got up atleast twice in a confused state to check time and ensure that I didn't miss the bus. Happens with me, only when the prospects are exciting enough. Up at 6, I reached the pick up point on time, only to realise I was far from being picked, allowing me enough time for an early morning "tea" on the roadside. My cellphone was dying, so I kept memorizing P's number just in case it gave up on me which it eventually did. I realized I'm bad at that too. The idea of being left out in the cold on a weekend morning was bad, more so since I had already woken up early.

Once on the bus, it was catch up time with breakfast providing an ideal time for exchange of status reports and for some to comment on a few local dialects and traditions. Destination 1 was reached with ease with a pit stop for lunch. Rain announced itself and off we hopped into the bus, with plans of the summit looking grim. Reached base camp amidst rain and clouds. Finally the brave few decided to just go out and make the climb and eventually everyone joined in. Not that it was an uncharted trail but it seemed desolate. But worth it was. Somewhere briefly I drifted away from everyone else and thought my mind was audible to me and even a whisper seemed like a shout. I could hear myself breathe. The "ting ting" of cowbells coming from the cloud laden hilltop took me a few years back in time, but I was back in a second when I heard familiar voices which seemed quite recent. We decided to spoil the silence a bit by doing the 1..2...3....oooooo to hear the valley echo back in its full glory. Done with almost 2/3 of the climb...the thought of getting back to the waiting bus made us change our minds and retreat back. Couldn't actually savour the moment, and it was like just there and back. Of course, then it was picture time...how can that not be? But as a few of the unenthusiastic, unintersted discussed other things that eyes could see, the trigger happy carried on.

Coffee at the base camp and a might-fall-off-the-cliff-anytime journey took us to what looked like a perfect setting for a typical movie where friends go out for a trip and in the night one by one all of them go missing. Well, we had our hero-heroine with us who would eventually crack the mystery ;) No power made the otherwise decent cottage look haunted and did we have a choice? Dinner was a quickie in the restaurant on the upper level of the rugged terrain. Settled into the 2 rooms quite snugly we prepared ourselves for the night ahead, not before gathering in the central room. Talks were brief and mostly bordered around issues, situations and people who were not present.

Morning was unusually early and surprisingly everyone was up to the call. Restaurant said no breakfast till 830, but not to be deterred by that we decided to walk across to the non-existent Z-point. What seemed like an enormous walk, got only better with the clouds playing hide and seek along the road which treacherously reduced in width as it went on. I enjoyed watching everyone follow the trail from a higher level. As we scaled greater heights and finally reached the top, a serene sea of clouds seemed to form right below our eyes making each one almost wish they could board the clouds for a joyride. A few of the adventurous ones went that extra mile to the cliff which involved a little climbing off the rocks. I wouldn't call it showing off, but it was good fun to be there. The walk back was, or seemed quite quick and we were back at the bus. Whatever happened after that isn't quite worth the record. And yes the climb to and from Z point also brought with it a lot of leech adventures. I felt "smart" deep inside for having opted for shoes, until one of them decided to drive back with me to Bangalore in my shoe. I was the last victim. One for the road.