A Trip To Heaven!

Its been quite a while since we had been planning a trip together. Whatever the destination ,the fun of being with my besties is what mattered. But when everything came out so well , it became a wonderful one to add to my list of memories.

Idukki, a paradise in God’s own country, blessed with hills, greeneries and streams was waiting to be explored. Our eleven membered group started off in the morning in two cars. On our way while climbing the hill, we had to stop the cars at several points as she kept alluring us.

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A view from the hilltop

The stroll through a small forest, so peaceful ,with birds chirping, stream flowing and the cool breeze blowing took my soul to a peaceful home that I always yearn for.

In the evening , we went onto see the waterfalls which resembled streams of milk flowing down the rock.  We clicked photos to our hearts content.

Next one was an adventurous drive to another hill top which nestled an awesome homestay. The lookalike of a traditional Kerala home .Staying here in the chilling climate was the best part of the trip. The hosts were so loving and the food served was delicious.

After dinner, we had a campfire, the one time we all crooned to our heart’s joy.

As the sun came out to greet us, we got  ready for boating , as we moved through the Periyar river, several elephant herds, monkeys  and exotic birds could be spotted on the banks  . We also spend sometime at a  charming resort located amidst the river.

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An elephant herd

On the way to our next destination, a beautiful vineyard at Cumbum valley , we  enjoyed watching many farms cultivating flowers,fruits and vegetables . The vines had bunches of grapes hanging from them . The grapes were really tempting  but thanks to the pesticides sprayed all over them, none of us dared to pluck them.

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A chrysanthemum cultivation
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A cabbage farm
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Grapes hanging from lush green vine

Since Idukki  is known for forests and wildlife, we visited a tribal museum which threw light upon mother forest and her children and why their protection is the need of the hour.

Driving our way back through the mountains covered with beautiful tea gardens, we bid bye to Idukki.

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My Most Beautiful College Days – A Memoire

As five fantabulous  years of my  college life is coming to a close, suddenly all the beautiful moments that happened from the day I set foot on the campus are rushing into my mind. Looking back at the freshers we were , all have grown up at mental, physical and emotional levels. I remember the first time I came to visit my college and how much I adored the beautiful garden and the pond inside the building.

Once the classes began, it did not take much of a time for everyone to become thick close. The hostel was like a home away from home. Hostel life taught us how to take care of ourselves without dad and mom around. Initial days were ruled by the fear of being ragged by our seniors which made us stay away from walking alone. From then to now, the five years passed so quickly….

The wonderful friends I made here, all the laughter and fun we had together, playing pranks on each other, those lovely cum terrible birthday parties, , watching ghost movies at midnight , one single home packed lunch box and a hundred hands to finish it off, late night hostel games and never waking up on lazy Sunday mornings, those nerve wrecking days when I had to take seminars and my best friend would silently mouth my sentences sitting amidst the audience, those fun hours in the lab and the one time when me and my friend accidently broke a petridish and ran away stealthily , pestering that one friend who accidently scored high marks in the exam , whiling away the time gossiping and listening to my best friend grumble about her boyfriend. Thanks to those brainy ones who helped us in studies and did all the assignments while the rest of the class copied theirs. Our super- duper college tour where we enjoyed to the maximum, the castles in the air we made together,singing and dancing to our favourite songs, dressing up and clicking funny and stylish group photos on College Day and awaiting to upload it on facebook . Listening to those plethora of advice from professors to become all the more better in studies. The most beautiful books I got to read from the rarest collection in our library. Those post-lunch classes where everyone mastered the art of sleeping with open eyes. The stage shows we aired at our college and the hilarious practice sessions .

Not to forget our beloved professors who are the best anyone could get but most importantly very humble and always with a smile on their faces.

As I sit in my library and write this down, I closed my eyes to take myself all through these five years… A drop of tear unintentionally rolled down from my eyes…
A bundle of beautiful moments to treasure!The scent of these memories would remain afresh in my mind forever…..Ahh…..Dear College Days…Miss u Soon!!

We didn’t realize we were making memories, we just knew we were having fun!

College years are the best part of a person’s life. With the aim of making our final semester the best-est of all , we decided to go for a four day tour. Discussions and plannings had been going on from the beginning of the semester.Finally we chose the spots to visit and booked the bus. Everyone excitedly waited for the day to arrive and it came…

Unaware that the best moments of our college life would be made, we got into the bus.The journey started off with howls and cheers.Thanks to the music maniacs who played shake and move music, we all danced like never before. There was maximum joy in the air.As midnight arrived, we cut a big cake and celebrated the bus birthday party of three of our friends.

By morning we reached Pondicherry, known for its French heritage, great food and fine wine. I loved strolling through the peaceful French colony. The homes and their wooden windows with blooms hanging were so lovely. The Paradise beach was packed with foreigners. That land had a totally different vibe.

Later we started off to Mahabalipuram , the land of cave temples , situated in the Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu. The beautiful carvings all around the caves were stupendous. History was not much of an interest to any of us but clicking umpteen number of photos were.

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As we were busy posing in front of the caves, a monkey snatched away my friend’s drink.

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Cave sculptures at Mahabalipuram

The next morning we went to see the hill stations of Yercaud in the Salem district of Tamil Nadu. The hill stations were obviously very cool and refreshing. With lots of vendors selling food , we got to eat grilled corn and a variety of pickles.We additionally visited the Sri Chakra Maha Meru Devi temple. Visiting the temple was a treat to the mind as well as the eye.The place was so calm with beautiful gardens around.

The third day was to explore the northern part of God’s own country. The Wayanad district known as the “Green paradise” of Kerala welcomed us with cool air.The mountains were wrapped in fog. We climbed a steep mountain to reach the Edakkal caves. The scribblings and rock art by ancient men took me back in centuries when man use to live close with nature.

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Centuries old rock art at Edakkal caves of Wayanad

In the evening we visited the Wayanad wildlife sanctuary. An adorable peackock  greeted us with her magnificent feathers. There were deer herds all around. I pondered whether they would be friends or relatives. An elephant and his girlfriend popped out from some place and disappeared into the woods.

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Deer herd at Wayanad Wildlife Sanctury

On the last day we went for trekking the Paithalmala Hills in Kannore district.Singing or I would rather say trying to emulate the traditional tribal calls and songs and clicking photographs we reached the top of the hill. While relishing the pristine beauty of Mother Nature , the clouds drizzled and the cool breeze caressed us.My joy knew no bound then.

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A click from Paithalmala hills

None of us had any idea about how the days passed so quickly. The fun we had while on the bus was unforgettable…Dancing , singing, cracking jokes, making fun, clicking endless selfies.

We didn’t know we were making the best of memories… The heaven part of our lives that we would always look back to….

Featured image courtesy : Google