The weekend came and I was ready for an adventure.
My plans were to head to Munnar.
Anamudi peaks there. It reaches the highest in the Western Ghats. Everything was ready. I had my bag packed, and the bus ticket to Munnar set up for purchase. But just before I bought the ticket, I had an urge to research it a little more than Wikipedia had to offer. I made a phone call to a local inn in Munnar and inquired about the trek. I mainly wondered if it could be completed in a day, or if I would have to camp. That's when I got the news that Anamudi has been placed off-limits, a protected species of goat roams those lands. Taken aback by the sudden news, I paused and then we chatted a bit more, I told him I would take my trekking elsewhere.
Direction less, I headed into town. I thought about where else I could go, I wanted to go now. I had some food and then went over to Kannan's shop. I told him about the trek I had planned, and what happened. We talked about some places to go, which led to reminiscing about somes places we have been. I had not seen him since I got back from Ooty, so I began to tell him about that, he also has trekked there. Still contemplating potential treks, we took to his computer in search. In the midst of this, he showed me pictures of his family's trip to Ooty, while I showed him pictures of my recent adventure there. Some time later, I recalled some waterfalls that I wanted to go to within 150km of Bangalore. I was unsure if they would be flowing, as it has not been raining too much in times of late... but that didn't matter. I asked Kannan where I might find a bus to the town that lies outside of The Falls, he told me, and my direction was set.
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That is when this Adventure starts.
I was ready for this, as I walked toward the bus station, I pleasantly daydreamed that in 2 or 3 hours I would hear the rumble of The Falls. After some deliberation between bus officials, I was pointed in the direction of my bus. When I got on, it looked crowded. I couldn't see any open seats, but sure enough, there was one in the back-left corner of the bus. I saw the back door was in front of the seat, there was a small wooden wall in between the seat and the door.
This wasn't the best seat for a three hour journey, I thought to myself.
Without much room for debate, I put my bag overhead as the engine fired up.
That thought was made ironclad a few minutes later... I didn't fit.
My knees longed to breathe another three inches.
Time went on, and my physical suffocation continued.
I stood up, I put my feet up, I shifted to the right, I shifted to the left.
Nothing worked. I simply did not fit.
I spent the bus ride alternating between a half-standing position and a modified fetal position, as my state of being oscillated gently between rage and anguish.
I counted down the minutes until I got off of that bus.
Three hours later, salvation came. As we approached the town I inquired on the return buses timings. I got a wobbling answer, one or two buses come between 7 and 9. Knowing a time range was good enough for me, I took a step off the bus and toward the nearest corner store for a cup of tea and two masala buns.
As I gained some energy from the food, I searched for a way to travel the remaining 14km I had to the falls. After a short while, a man agreed to take me and a few others in a jeep for 100rupees.
Off we went.
-Moooove... (I had to)
A few kilometers into the ride I saw the upshot of The Falls.
We arrived at the drop point and conversed temporarily, unsuccessfully, I add. He found someone to translate and continued on to say there would be no return vehicles later, he said that he would wait for 30-60 minutes and take me back for another 150rupees. Being that there was no way I was only going to spend an hour here, I politely declined.
We took our different paths, and I drank in the opposing view atop the mountain before heading to The Falls...
The roar beckoned me.
After walking a few hundred yards, I got my first look at The Falls.
Wow.
I set out straight for them.
When I got down to the ground, I realized the rocks were much too slippery for my shoes.
They are worn down, as my Ooty trek confirmed unwaveringly.
I tied my shoes to the back of my bag, and continued on.
I wasn't quite there yet.
In order to get closer, I had to hop-scotch over river-rocks and fallen logs.
This task was not the simplest to begin with, as the rocks were not dry.
It was made more difficult with the top-heavy-pendulum I created by tying my shoes to my bag!
Every time I made a jump, I had to brace for the aftereffect of the swing from the shoes.
Slowly and surely, I made my way...
I approached The Falls and stood for a moment in awe.
The constant avalanche of water. The rush, both heard and infused by.
The first look.
Mist danced in the atmosphere,
Balanced between a mighty thunder and soft trickle.
A beautiful tree came into view.
If there is one thing I love to do, it is climb.
This tree was smooth, it resembled drift wood that has not yet been set adrift.
I thought for a bit, and decided I would love to have a picture of myself in the tree.
I carefully climbed down, and then searched for a good spot to set up my camera.
I found a spot as I discovered the max self-timer I had was 30 seconds.
Meaning, I had 30 seconds from when I push the button on my camera to run to the tree, quickly climb it and sit for a picture.
Well... it didn't come out too shabby.
Feeling full of joy, I took in the waterfall a bit more, and then endeavored to explore a bit more.
I followed the perimeter of the fall until it stopped, and here is where I found a set of rocks that led back into it. I climbed these rocks while holding onto a massive root that hugs the inside of the rock wall. This root was essential, as the footing was as unpredictable as an ice rink.
Soon enough I was engulfed behind a magical screen of water.
I spent some time there. As I came down, my curiosity about the rest of the area went up.
There was an array of flows to the NW, they were smaller in power, but larger in number.
I made my way over to them.
In photographing the area, I noticed brilliant tree vines crawling the steep bluffs.
I explored a bit further and found one that was substantial in size. I gave it a few strong tugs, and then placed my body weight on it. It held firm.
There really wasn't another option.
I placed my right foot on the vertical wall, pulled myself up and then placed my left foot.
Ascending step by step, I soon stood on a new level.
The rocks were beautiful and warm, the told stories of generations of water sliding over them. The climbing was peaceful and smooth, unless I hurried and misplaced a step on a jagged portion of rock. I much enjoyed scaling these, and was rewarded with a great view of where I came from.
I continued on, and came across elegantly weaved waterways throughout the mountain.
After walking a bit longer, a large pool area with a steady flow came into view.
I then encountered a horrid smell. Being in my current direction, I came across a dead monkey!
Ah! This direction was soon rerouted and I came across an opening which showed the prior, larger falls in the SE.
I stared at the flood for quite some while, it was enchanting.
Heading onward, I took an overview of the area.
After trekking a bit farther, I came to the point where the steady flow began it's free fall.
Carefully making my way across the rocks, I stood on the edge.
The sheer power of The Falls was invigorating.
Looking at on the tree I once sat in was a tremendous experience.
Making my way back, fountains of water shot out of the fading daylight.
The trek down was smooth.
I then came to the tree vine.
This is where I put it to the test for the second time.
Considering the vines strength, and that I could potentially resemble water spilling over the edge of the fall, I took a deep breath and a here-goes-nothing attitude.
Grabbing the vine with both hands I swung myself over the edge with my feet readily braced for the rock face. They met sturdily, and I lowered myself to the surface.
Making my way back to my backpack which I had left at the tree, I spent some final minutes at The Falls as darkness soon fell over.
Shiva's Sea is Ethereal.
While venturing back to the place where I had been dropped off, I recalled I had a 14km journey to my future bus ride (which I was fervently looking forward to). When I arrived, I searched for a ride back to the town. A man around my age was loading the back of his auto with supplies from the small stand he had set up for the day. I asked if he could give me a ride back into town, his English was not much, but my Kannada was less. We managed to get through it, and I was soon hanging half out the auto while sitting next to him on the front seat. We stopped at his house, I helped him unload, and then we continued onto the town.
There were no lights on the road, and virtually no lights impeding the darkness in entirety.
This made for a magnificent viewing of the stars. My God, did it ever.
We arrived just after 7. I bought some food and tea from a street stand for us, and he asked the owner what time the bus would be coming. We chatted and ate, the bus came within the half-hour, and I was soon on my way back to Bangalore.
The bus ride back was better than the ride there, but even so, I declared there will be no buses for a few days for me. We pulled in to Bangalore around 11, and being the city shuts down by 1130, and I was 10km away from the area I lived in, I jumped on one of the last buses (haha) toward the general area. I got off a few kilometers away and gladly freed my legs from bondage once again, walking the remaining distance.
“Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless - like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.” Bruce Lee
Until next time,
remember to Smile! :)
☮
&
♥
