Out from the reporting outburst - A different travel experience.
I badly wanted to get rid of this itch and I have taken the measures now to do the same. It has been quite a while since I have written. The thing is I always have written about the major events that I have been a part of, this way, I was only reporting. After having realized this monotony, it is time now to get creative and start observing deep inside the skin.
Okay, before I indulge myself into a reporting outburst let me take a cautious look at things and start off with the brief introduction to the facts. That way I will not be swimming in the same waters again and again.
Ahhh…Fine I will cut the crap out for now and begin.
Reporting-
18th of June 2011 I had been to kodachadri with 10 others from BMSCE and my friend Kumara. It was supposed to be a monsoon trek and so it was. It was fun trekking. The leeches had a feast, like the one I had yesterday at a marriage reception. It was raining cats and dogs.
Discussions and relationships—
I was the only one who had the experience of this terrain and those slimy little blood sucking creatures. It felt good at certain points, you know, the feeling of leading a small group of people into the forest. This responsibility at first sounds very exciting. It had got into me in all craziness. The way I was showing off the experiences of my previous love life with kodachadri amongst my fellow trekkers made me feel a bit low when some of these guys were quicker and swifter during the climb.
Anyway, life should go on. And it did brilliantly. The discussions that Amar, Arvind Bhatta and I had; in a conference room that was filled with clouds as the small rain droplets wetted our already wet clothes, was truly memorable. With the peak only a few distances away, we found more time to get out of this amazingly, naturally air cooled conference room and take a small quiet walk into a playground where the clouds were at play, playing hide and seek. The cool breeze that never stopped blowing across this belt almost pushed me to aesthetically go nude and enjoy every bit of what nature had to offer. And with Amar and Arvind Bhatta who were standing right next to me totally masked out by the clouds; it was definitely encouraging. Anyway it did not happen as the rain got heavier, the fog started to clear out. We took cover back at Bhattara mane; the house of Seetharam Jogi Bhatta, a resting place for trekkers.
Seetharam Jogi Bhatta was one cheerful person and an amazingly cool person to hang out with. Let me first get back in time and try to understand his status and living conditions up there, afresh. He was living with 1.5 kw of electricity that was powering one CFL bulb! There were some people moving in and out of the house, and there was a lot of conversation between these guys. He had also managed to maintain a cell phone, by switching it ‘on’ only when it was required. The house was always in dark when compared with the facilities that we enjoy down here in the city. He had his two daughters moved to ‘sagara’ for their education. He was visiting them occasionally and all the time hoping for their well being. He was an amazing chef.
Nobody has to develop a gauge to measure the appetite of the trekkers after a tiresome climb through the forests and grasslands. Seetharam Jogi Bhatta knows it in and out. He has a measuring device in himself. The satisfaction you get after the minute gap in your stomach is filled, cannot be explained, it must be experienced. And BhaTTru gives you that experience. For the second time, this time, I was not walking out to wash my hands hungry. At the end of a brilliant lunch, you are nothing but just contented.
I then started to compare our lives with that of the bhaTTru’s, in an effort to understand how different it is. One most important thing that struck me was the concept of social networking. I was pulled down to the definition of it at that stage. What do we mean by a social network? Was the basic question that struck me next, as there were two contrasting answers to the question or rather two different interpretations of the same answer!
He was so cheerful and was enjoying every bit of the life he had got up there. The 1.5 kw of electricity was never a bother. How happily he was communicating with us! and as we indulged ourselves into the conversation with him, we never realized that he had become one of us already. That is the sense of closeness, comfort and security he provides. It was for the first time that we met him (of course it was second time for me, but it was not a big count to get so close so early). He shared all his family stories with us and also introduced some of the young family members of his. It was the amazing trust he had developed in us that brought us and him close. I still am searching for the source of that trust.
There was no television for “entertainment”. There was no internet for “awareness”, as we interpret it. Living in the middle of the forest with a few trekkers climbing now and then what social networking one can expect. After all this he was still happy, cheerful and amazingly welcoming.
I have seen so many people back here in the city enjoying all the facilities. I myself am a part of this group of people. Back here “entertainment” and “awareness” is just one click of a button far. There is an amazingly fast connectivity. You can reach people quickly and easily. But for most of the time in a day people are not happy. They are complaining. They are disturbed. They are not at peace. You know at this point I felt that there was an urgent requirement of drawing a thick line between our needs and wants.
Anyway amar, Arvind Bhatta and I moved out again onto the playground. The discussions continued. The present political state of Karnataka, Sri Sri Ravishankar’s quest in bringing a peace between the Hindu’s and the Muslim’s, mallu’s conquering strategies, UNESCO’s effort to mark certain areas in western ghats as the world heritage sites, kudremukh forest belt disaster, the forest, and tejaswi’s love for the forest were all brought onto the table for discussion.
It is very sad to see that our own politicians are curbing the efforts of UNESCO and coming in their way to avoid the marking of certain areas in Western Ghats as the world heritage sites. Undoubtedly there are pressures on them from certain big shot business men who are into smuggling. The vast resources that are available at Western Ghats for free are being smuggled as I am writing this piece. It is an open secret. And if UNESCO succeeds in its effort, all these black listed activities cannot be continued and thus the revolt by our own people against the marking of these areas as world heritage sites.
In this drama, we are losing the economy generated from tourism and most importantly the wide varieties of flora and fauna and other useful resources that Western Ghats has. The kudremukh region of Western Ghats has already lost 400 hectares of its belt! Extensive mining at this place is the main cause for it. It really hurts to let these things to get away so easily. But also what can we do at our individual levels to protect the forests. Vote for the right candidate? Now, after the entire political scene in Karnataka which seems to never end, to whom will you vote for? This discussion went on with a lot of pain in heart and also a glimmer of hope that we can do something to protect our forests. This scenario is visible not just in Karnataka but throughout the world. How can one forget the atrocious deforestation in china for building dams? It is there, everywhere. People involved should be aware. At this stage that is all I can hope for.
It was time to scale the peak by then. After having a wonderful time out at the playground and the fog filled conference room we headed towards the “sarvajna peetha”. The walk was brilliant. The pineapples, nuts and the two nuts in our group Vivek and Harsha entertaining us all through it was one amazing trek. The leeches had their own story. The rock salt and limestone stick that we had prepared to counter those blood sucking creatures made sure it was a bad day at office for them.
After all it turned out to be a trek to remember for my lifetime. And as we were planning for our next trek inside the jeep, the suspensions of which had a beating all the way, we were at the base of this amazing mountain. At that stage we bid adios to this beautiful journey and most of us promised to return back except for ravi, with whom the leeches shared their love life.
Okay, before I indulge myself into a reporting outburst let me take a cautious look at things and start off with the brief introduction to the facts. That way I will not be swimming in the same waters again and again.
Ahhh…Fine I will cut the crap out for now and begin.
Reporting-
18th of June 2011 I had been to kodachadri with 10 others from BMSCE and my friend Kumara. It was supposed to be a monsoon trek and so it was. It was fun trekking. The leeches had a feast, like the one I had yesterday at a marriage reception. It was raining cats and dogs.
Discussions and relationships—
I was the only one who had the experience of this terrain and those slimy little blood sucking creatures. It felt good at certain points, you know, the feeling of leading a small group of people into the forest. This responsibility at first sounds very exciting. It had got into me in all craziness. The way I was showing off the experiences of my previous love life with kodachadri amongst my fellow trekkers made me feel a bit low when some of these guys were quicker and swifter during the climb.
Anyway, life should go on. And it did brilliantly. The discussions that Amar, Arvind Bhatta and I had; in a conference room that was filled with clouds as the small rain droplets wetted our already wet clothes, was truly memorable. With the peak only a few distances away, we found more time to get out of this amazingly, naturally air cooled conference room and take a small quiet walk into a playground where the clouds were at play, playing hide and seek. The cool breeze that never stopped blowing across this belt almost pushed me to aesthetically go nude and enjoy every bit of what nature had to offer. And with Amar and Arvind Bhatta who were standing right next to me totally masked out by the clouds; it was definitely encouraging. Anyway it did not happen as the rain got heavier, the fog started to clear out. We took cover back at Bhattara mane; the house of Seetharam Jogi Bhatta, a resting place for trekkers.
Seetharam Jogi Bhatta was one cheerful person and an amazingly cool person to hang out with. Let me first get back in time and try to understand his status and living conditions up there, afresh. He was living with 1.5 kw of electricity that was powering one CFL bulb! There were some people moving in and out of the house, and there was a lot of conversation between these guys. He had also managed to maintain a cell phone, by switching it ‘on’ only when it was required. The house was always in dark when compared with the facilities that we enjoy down here in the city. He had his two daughters moved to ‘sagara’ for their education. He was visiting them occasionally and all the time hoping for their well being. He was an amazing chef.
Nobody has to develop a gauge to measure the appetite of the trekkers after a tiresome climb through the forests and grasslands. Seetharam Jogi Bhatta knows it in and out. He has a measuring device in himself. The satisfaction you get after the minute gap in your stomach is filled, cannot be explained, it must be experienced. And BhaTTru gives you that experience. For the second time, this time, I was not walking out to wash my hands hungry. At the end of a brilliant lunch, you are nothing but just contented.
I then started to compare our lives with that of the bhaTTru’s, in an effort to understand how different it is. One most important thing that struck me was the concept of social networking. I was pulled down to the definition of it at that stage. What do we mean by a social network? Was the basic question that struck me next, as there were two contrasting answers to the question or rather two different interpretations of the same answer!
He was so cheerful and was enjoying every bit of the life he had got up there. The 1.5 kw of electricity was never a bother. How happily he was communicating with us! and as we indulged ourselves into the conversation with him, we never realized that he had become one of us already. That is the sense of closeness, comfort and security he provides. It was for the first time that we met him (of course it was second time for me, but it was not a big count to get so close so early). He shared all his family stories with us and also introduced some of the young family members of his. It was the amazing trust he had developed in us that brought us and him close. I still am searching for the source of that trust.
There was no television for “entertainment”. There was no internet for “awareness”, as we interpret it. Living in the middle of the forest with a few trekkers climbing now and then what social networking one can expect. After all this he was still happy, cheerful and amazingly welcoming.
I have seen so many people back here in the city enjoying all the facilities. I myself am a part of this group of people. Back here “entertainment” and “awareness” is just one click of a button far. There is an amazingly fast connectivity. You can reach people quickly and easily. But for most of the time in a day people are not happy. They are complaining. They are disturbed. They are not at peace. You know at this point I felt that there was an urgent requirement of drawing a thick line between our needs and wants.
Anyway amar, Arvind Bhatta and I moved out again onto the playground. The discussions continued. The present political state of Karnataka, Sri Sri Ravishankar’s quest in bringing a peace between the Hindu’s and the Muslim’s, mallu’s conquering strategies, UNESCO’s effort to mark certain areas in western ghats as the world heritage sites, kudremukh forest belt disaster, the forest, and tejaswi’s love for the forest were all brought onto the table for discussion.
It is very sad to see that our own politicians are curbing the efforts of UNESCO and coming in their way to avoid the marking of certain areas in Western Ghats as the world heritage sites. Undoubtedly there are pressures on them from certain big shot business men who are into smuggling. The vast resources that are available at Western Ghats for free are being smuggled as I am writing this piece. It is an open secret. And if UNESCO succeeds in its effort, all these black listed activities cannot be continued and thus the revolt by our own people against the marking of these areas as world heritage sites.
In this drama, we are losing the economy generated from tourism and most importantly the wide varieties of flora and fauna and other useful resources that Western Ghats has. The kudremukh region of Western Ghats has already lost 400 hectares of its belt! Extensive mining at this place is the main cause for it. It really hurts to let these things to get away so easily. But also what can we do at our individual levels to protect the forests. Vote for the right candidate? Now, after the entire political scene in Karnataka which seems to never end, to whom will you vote for? This discussion went on with a lot of pain in heart and also a glimmer of hope that we can do something to protect our forests. This scenario is visible not just in Karnataka but throughout the world. How can one forget the atrocious deforestation in china for building dams? It is there, everywhere. People involved should be aware. At this stage that is all I can hope for.
It was time to scale the peak by then. After having a wonderful time out at the playground and the fog filled conference room we headed towards the “sarvajna peetha”. The walk was brilliant. The pineapples, nuts and the two nuts in our group Vivek and Harsha entertaining us all through it was one amazing trek. The leeches had their own story. The rock salt and limestone stick that we had prepared to counter those blood sucking creatures made sure it was a bad day at office for them.
After all it turned out to be a trek to remember for my lifetime. And as we were planning for our next trek inside the jeep, the suspensions of which had a beating all the way, we were at the base of this amazing mountain. At that stage we bid adios to this beautiful journey and most of us promised to return back except for ravi, with whom the leeches shared their love life.
Comments
Good writing!