tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33854547977075112182024-03-12T16:55:46.923-07:00Traveller's QuillA travel blog from a passionate writer with very big feet. Explore the nooks and corners of Karnataka and the rest of local South India, in my very big footsteps. Just "follow me".Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-30155997651898275202015-01-15T11:16:00.001-08:002015-01-16T10:31:26.416-08:00Big Foot's Big Walkathon <div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There are sportspeople, there are fit people, there are
outdoorsy people, and then there’s me. Happy that I wasn’t crushed to death in
a near-stampede (There are no tracks in a nature trail, I learnt), I almost
forgot I was supposed to join the horde! Like I said: <a href="http://travellersquill.blogspot.in/2015/01/big-foots-big-escapade-or-escapeade.html" target="_blank">Big Foot's Big Escapade or 'Escape'ade?</a> Then, as if I ruled that trail, I
simply walked my way through, along with a few other aunties, uncles and kids.
I was going to make it a cakewalk… well, a walk, anyway. I am pretty sure, I
heard my Puma running shoes groaning in disgust.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Nonchalant to the fact that this is a “run”, I simply put
one big foot in front of the other, walking as slowly as you could possibly
imagine. I looked right to see a rivulet gurgling past pebbles and stones. I
looked left to see acres and acres of coffee plantations. I looked straight
ahead and saw no participants (thanks to my amazing speed). I looked back and
saw, much to my amusement, that I was on par with oldies and kids.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYsz1Iv18NxoCotbkcqFj1FKe3OIuksU_f5fjJvuZmUiNbX4gEvIRo00dKvtpz0N9JNW1aE93fTU6pJG584oATYpQGpFHTMudN61R6g9lEb2SE3hH362K-djIQHiWrmO8u0KXP1fpsdY/s1600/The+Coorg+Escapade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRYsz1Iv18NxoCotbkcqFj1FKe3OIuksU_f5fjJvuZmUiNbX4gEvIRo00dKvtpz0N9JNW1aE93fTU6pJG584oATYpQGpFHTMudN61R6g9lEb2SE3hH362K-djIQHiWrmO8u0KXP1fpsdY/s1600/The+Coorg+Escapade.jpg" height="247" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It was as I paused at the rivulet to watch it slithering
past, gurgling away like a happy baby, that I remembered why I had signed up
for that trail run at all. It was as I walked past plantations after plantations
that I remembered why I had let go of my introversive instincts in the first
place. It was as I let my shoes and socks get wet in a stream we were to cross,
that I remembered why I had chosen to let Mother Nature get the better of me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">About forty minutes into the trail, a while before I had to
climb a steep hill, a few crew members of the organisers handed out glucose
packets and water. When a foodie says glucose tastes like manna from the
heaven, you can imagine the extent to which their body must have dried out!
Well… I don’t know about the others, but it certainly had a great impact on my
energy, at least until it began wearing off as I climbed, slipping every now
and then, one of the Chomakundu Hills. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpX6jmnhy_RogQNGY7PWwDNlqF8z5fICx-pI1bq7Xd9Ic7YhRGj3tWTY7J4Pea7DI5f8VSDdK9w1CBNwu55sOr7RqpgCiJ8buw-JVmhyXq6iMXffSeI8-qhPNRMPdcGPQ_SnyNKiGtUA/s1600/The+Coorg+Escapade+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdpX6jmnhy_RogQNGY7PWwDNlqF8z5fICx-pI1bq7Xd9Ic7YhRGj3tWTY7J4Pea7DI5f8VSDdK9w1CBNwu55sOr7RqpgCiJ8buw-JVmhyXq6iMXffSeI8-qhPNRMPdcGPQ_SnyNKiGtUA/s1600/The+Coorg+Escapade+8.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I wondered if I would get to the top and back alive at all;
my sweat-beads had long turned into sweat-sea. But I guess I had a writer’s
gumption then: I was there in pursuit of my favourite muse – Mother Nature, and
I was going to get all of her, one way or another! At the back of my mind, even
as I climbed like a snail, almost on all fours, I wondered how I would describe
the walk, the crawl, and the hilltop view. I had no clue; only a small voice uttered
(with as much difficulty as I climbed) “breathless”. I stifled a laugh; I didn’t
want the aunties and uncles around me to think the trail had unhinged me!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Once atop the hill, though, the Bilbo in me stirred and
took full flight. The ‘Misty Mountains’ track, from <i>The Hobbit</i> movie, played in my mind. My big, ugly feet tingled, as
I set my eyes upon the landscape: there she was in all her lush beauty, my Mother
Nature, the one who is the ink in the pen, the rhyme in the poem, the word for
this smith…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Photo credit: Sindhu Rao & Flash Bulbzz Photography</span></div>
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Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com1Chomakundu Hills, Kodagu, Karnataka, India12.3374942 75.80690819999995311.3449327 74.516014699999957 13.3300557 77.097801699999948tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-48087779661190902222015-01-13T06:35:00.000-08:002015-01-13T06:35:06.032-08:00Big Foot's Big 'Escapade' or... 'Escape'ade?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Every time I force-open
my eyes from a slumber, I feel like I am destined to die from lack of sleep.
Every bone in my body protests and my feet, mysteriously, become extra heavy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The morning of the big
run was no different. When I looked into the mirror while brushing, I might as
well have been a puffy-eyed corpse that had slept the night in King’s Cottage,
a homestay in Kakkabe, Coorg. </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Even 7AM does no good to my sanity, let alone
5AM!</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But the run would start
at 7.30 from near Chelavara Falls, and participants were to report at 6.
Naturally, my body had to give in to the trauma of waking up at 5. And so, I
dragged my corpse-like body along and sat, mum as a graveyard, in the </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">taxi as
the driver drove me to the starting point of The Coorg </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Escapade. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When the trigger on the gun was finally pulled as </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">an indication to
start, I merely stood out of harm’s way as a </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">horde of eager, well-toned-bodied,
sportspeople made their way, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">rushing into the trail... </span></div>
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Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-65256662107466253382014-11-01T07:15:00.000-07:002014-11-01T07:19:19.458-07:00Big Foot's Big Love for Nature<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_cUl7l5uVC3fkqakXqEOJpUdW6Wz0LVcUS8xVV8OepQbpsuecRAmaEwYbp3RzMg_WDEA2pw4Qv_wofZnhNOpReso3A6JIhuXBGTk86zil6wvae8dUWkbLjHkWSmRkti9ap99jHIq9Q4/s1600/509033613.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_cUl7l5uVC3fkqakXqEOJpUdW6Wz0LVcUS8xVV8OepQbpsuecRAmaEwYbp3RzMg_WDEA2pw4Qv_wofZnhNOpReso3A6JIhuXBGTk86zil6wvae8dUWkbLjHkWSmRkti9ap99jHIq9Q4/s1600/509033613.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I may have big feet,
but they don’t really bring out the sportsperson in me…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I may travel, but I
never really get outdoorsy…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When I make a trip, I
have only two purposes – one to go in search of myths, legends, folklores, just
about any kind of stories, another to gather my thoughts while I bask in the
beauty of nature. In fact, those purposes are so strong in me, that when I
travel for mere fun, it is oddly unfulfilling! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So when I told my
parents I was taking off to Coorg, yet again, merely a week after I was back
from my first solo trip, and that too, to run a trail of sorts, they were
dumfounded. Here I was, their
never-a-sports-girl-always-locked-up-in-her-room-writing-something daughter,
suddenly announcing my interest in wanting to “run a 10K nature trail” </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">that
Amway Nutrilite was conducting in Coorg on a Sunday. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You see, my interest in
this activity all rested on the ‘nature trail’ part of it. The ‘run’ part
barely mattered. But just in case, I did practise a one hour walk-and-jog (more
walk than jog) exercise in the night in the preceding week. And my muse for
this unexpected enthusiasm for a 10K run? The trail that was to be run: amidst
coffee plantations, past waterfalls, crossing rivulets, climbing steep and
rocky hills… And no, none of these brought out any kind of sportsmanship in me;
they simply teased the writer in me, making my eyes yearn to see them all.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">After my <a href="http://travellersquill.blogspot.in/2014/09/big-foot-and-big-bore.html" target="_blank">Big Foot and Big Bore</a> episode and my <a href="http://travellersquill.blogspot.in/2014/09/the-big-foot-spirit.html" target="_blank">Big Foot Spirit</a> episode, I didn’t quite know where to
place Coorg as I had barely seen it. But with this nature trail run dangling, tantalisingly,
like a carrot, in front of my eyes, it seemed like Coorg wasn’t done with me, after
all…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-84505832555905016322014-10-24T09:46:00.000-07:002014-10-24T09:46:04.396-07:00The Big Foot Review I - Coorg O Farm Homestay <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wKzimDo-CbfJbgwuefcm-oPROZSAKqJPcHysw4pP_pmrPMl6OybPkudG4dzyzCYln6WN0bGuWicA_RXmDUpRW8IXqh1uZLjsaMYc2XHP44dMAT_PV54K7eIFkx3FLk3lJEKjbMXxcP4/s1600/DSC09594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wKzimDo-CbfJbgwuefcm-oPROZSAKqJPcHysw4pP_pmrPMl6OybPkudG4dzyzCYln6WN0bGuWicA_RXmDUpRW8IXqh1uZLjsaMYc2XHP44dMAT_PV54K7eIFkx3FLk3lJEKjbMXxcP4/s1600/DSC09594.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of one of the cottages at the homestay</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Some places are meant
to bring out the explorer in you. Some places are meant to bring out the leisurely
creature in you. And Coorg O Farm Homestay belonged to the latter category. Far
far away from the humdrum of metro living, nestled amidst a coffee plantation
in Coorg, this homestay is for those who want to catch up with their reading, writing,
eating, walking, smelling the incessant rain and other small pleasures of life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Room:
4/5<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKwf-JNAkqIEk3ctIwgXwlKM-TrLY-InRDTB2ipqeefukOcA83rRXBbpULiGyGWL4R7NhGixJhznV6WFlaEA3p6ZGoUtbTRH8j_y-FvE2AE08GVqJfJ0XhhJ3TTTlOtz0e3Rx7Ex9DNA0/s1600/DSC09608.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKwf-JNAkqIEk3ctIwgXwlKM-TrLY-InRDTB2ipqeefukOcA83rRXBbpULiGyGWL4R7NhGixJhznV6WFlaEA3p6ZGoUtbTRH8j_y-FvE2AE08GVqJfJ0XhhJ3TTTlOtz0e3Rx7Ex9DNA0/s1600/DSC09608.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Interiors of a room </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Basic, clean, neat.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With TV, large double
bed, dressing mirror, attached bathroom, torch, and mosquito coil.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Food:
3/5<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWY8KgeTzsFW9qsEXoTjUaSq2JZiDhx_ZnEQB0Grbz9UhFySsTWXoBj3Zh_wD_lwzSHgruM9q55ujbIIvietrCmZp2xfDmTy-iQUO4-An2nXP81zFFjCHftOd28ass3Yh8qzZ1uHn8qE/s1600/DSC09598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeWY8KgeTzsFW9qsEXoTjUaSq2JZiDhx_ZnEQB0Grbz9UhFySsTWXoBj3Zh_wD_lwzSHgruM9q55ujbIIvietrCmZp2xfDmTy-iQUO4-An2nXP81zFFjCHftOd28ass3Yh8qzZ1uHn8qE/s1600/DSC09598.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The homestay's dining quarters</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Basic, hygienic, well-cooked.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tomato soup, coffee and
tea, and dosa are great. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b><br /><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ambience:
3.5/5</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAlPvVIZiziNm_HsBBcKdLOV-iJREJ8ZU2WAN4Ytf1s6xIjL8uDIlAggr2K9_RsVQah-OP5ocyhjcPUPMo1BEq_T7tGRT0jHTr644sVBUGa9UonBAEApkpAII-ug10qekgWRHfBwchJ4/s1600/DSC09607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiAlPvVIZiziNm_HsBBcKdLOV-iJREJ8ZU2WAN4Ytf1s6xIjL8uDIlAggr2K9_RsVQah-OP5ocyhjcPUPMo1BEq_T7tGRT0jHTr644sVBUGa9UonBAEApkpAII-ug10qekgWRHfBwchJ4/s1600/DSC09607.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view from the porch at the room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Coffee plantation,
small agricultural land.</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Great for sipping on
coffee and reading your favourite novel at your room’s porch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Location:
1/5<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzJ1rFEqLtvea8zjxDLK-neXk2b7P2LZtkQK-nsrQplK1w0Yn4oRj2gvyrFK4pBOM1GamADi6Vn1WMhd7sDJ60wOhenpOVtRiD03dBcf5eza-EY4LQqejQ7llmhJaVwldyNvSPeULraA/s1600/DSC09601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzJ1rFEqLtvea8zjxDLK-neXk2b7P2LZtkQK-nsrQplK1w0Yn4oRj2gvyrFK4pBOM1GamADi6Vn1WMhd7sDJ60wOhenpOVtRiD03dBcf5eza-EY4LQqejQ7llmhJaVwldyNvSPeULraA/s1600/DSC09601.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two attached cottages with a common porch</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><i>Not very conveniently
located; most tourist places and trekking areas are far away.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If you are looking for
absolute cut-off from the rest of the world, this place can be your silent
haven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Value
for money: 3.5/5<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJW3BA3-S6_9IGJmvfLWgrnjq6M2XYZ0O4-v5dBAuBCn91ekiTL6g4BgKtJk6qCxlMmlGWcGyisZCHCz_f9JeOl3ByxGSwYgWZVyDPaHKLC3BYSsxTI2ywsoGFfjuae0rfz4tJK0VgOds/s1600/DSC09599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJW3BA3-S6_9IGJmvfLWgrnjq6M2XYZ0O4-v5dBAuBCn91ekiTL6g4BgKtJk6qCxlMmlGWcGyisZCHCz_f9JeOl3ByxGSwYgWZVyDPaHKLC3BYSsxTI2ywsoGFfjuae0rfz4tJK0VgOds/s1600/DSC09599.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the plantation from the homestay's dining quarters</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A room costs Rs.2,500
for a couple, and about Rs.1,700 for a solo traveller, and includes breakfast
and unlimited coffee and tea. The room is very well-kept, with a good TV
connection, and the bathroom has 24X7 hot water. Moreover, the porch makes for
your own tranquil space at your room, with a view of the coffee plantation and
the agricultural land. So, it is reasonably priced. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">A vegetarian meal costs
Rs. 250, and a non-vegetarian one Rs. 300. While the food is basic at its best
and well-cooked, it is a tad over-priced as the “meal” doesn’t really feel
complete. Also, there is no ingenuity in the cooking; all that fresh produce
from the plantation (guava and jackfruit grow in abundance at this place) is
going to waste. The cooking need not be extravagant, but it can easily be </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">special:
using that produce and making some local delicacy would be </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">a good start.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Overall
rating: 3/5</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbS4V9UV25CuviBB7pgJFwS_Mk7iG54ZnTiMbunDbs-hWUgslEvZcj5MtgbR824OTm4_bXgfm-sP8d_L8ud6FFw3U5d_kt50MltpJYoal9h4vpKkEeyveBINYt0YaqxeVR4_R1P-oIDU/s1600/3ee9988f1f20fd5b43133376f5303e65f037c577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbS4V9UV25CuviBB7pgJFwS_Mk7iG54ZnTiMbunDbs-hWUgslEvZcj5MtgbR824OTm4_bXgfm-sP8d_L8ud6FFw3U5d_kt50MltpJYoal9h4vpKkEeyveBINYt0YaqxeVR4_R1P-oIDU/s1600/3ee9988f1f20fd5b43133376f5303e65f037c577.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The homestay is decent,
with a very amicable host, Deepak, and his cooks and helping boys follow suit.
It is only because of the average food and inconvenient location that I have
given this homestay 3 out of 5 points. Otherwise, if the food were better, it can
easily score a 4.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">RELATED POSTS:</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 21.4666652679443px;"><a href="http://travellersquill.blogspot.in/2014/05/big-foot-and-big-step.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Big Foot and Big Step</span></a></span></div>
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<a href="http://travellersquill.blogspot.in/2014/06/the-big-foot-blank-page.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Big Foot Blank Page</span></a></div>
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Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com3Coorg O Farm Homestay, Chembebeloor, Kodagu, Karnataka, India12.3374942 75.80690819999995311.3449327 74.516014699999957 13.3300557 77.097801699999948tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-13797140380817681732014-10-20T07:51:00.000-07:002014-10-20T07:51:54.984-07:00The Big Foot Solitude - II<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The
experience of going solo is sometimes mightier and more important than the
destination itself. It does not even matter if you got around to doing
everything on your bucket list while at the destination; the fact that you managed
a solo trip in itself can feel like a huge achievement. The top most benefit of
a solo holiday is finding out that you can do it! You will find that you are
stronger and more capable than you think. <o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_biduSTll8M409tbgHst55IVSegskHJ1g5L_cKlT0JuqTgrozCtXBjeuBgrMNuk47nVMihKxEwpgKZtfgE3gTKvLMYB304-XzOCjQngbeCEkOhBAMBXRxq-xXnZ5TVeWc1KhyschVOM/s1600/200292204-001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_biduSTll8M409tbgHst55IVSegskHJ1g5L_cKlT0JuqTgrozCtXBjeuBgrMNuk47nVMihKxEwpgKZtfgE3gTKvLMYB304-XzOCjQngbeCEkOhBAMBXRxq-xXnZ5TVeWc1KhyschVOM/s1600/200292204-001.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It’s what one of my
freelance writers (I work as a sub-editor for an English daily) wrote in an
article about the joys of solo travel. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It has struck a chord
with me. I might not have made an epic journey. I might not have made a holiday
worth being carried in travel magazines. I might not have made an adventurous
trip. Just because I went solo, it didn’t make it a grand escapade. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But I learnt a lot from
this trip. Things that I probably knew deep down, but never really considered.
Things that I probably never expected to learn. Things that I probably snubbed
as pish-posh, previously…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I
am not afraid of being alone<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Well, I have always
been someone who loves solitude, as you may have gathered from my <a href="http://travellersquill.blogspot.in/2014/05/the-big-foot-solitude.html" target="_blank">Big Foot Solitude</a> post. But spending three nights and four days in an
unfamiliar place, all alone, called for a whole new set of solitude dynamics.
It meant I had to be on guard all the time. It meant I had to find something to
do when I wasn’t exploring the place. It meant I was solely responsible for the
schedule and planning of the trip. It meant that I was mostly in control of the
outcome of the trip.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I
am not afraid of the dark<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Well, I knew I was
never scared to walk around in the dark even when no one was home. But I never
knew I wasn’t scared being alone in a room at a homestay in Coorg, even when
the power was gone! I never knew I would just switch on a torch and continue
reading a novel in the dead of night, when power was gone, and I could hear
insects chirping away to glory amidst a coffee plantation. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I
gel well with the opposite sex<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Well, I have never had
many guy friends and I had no clue I could actually be comfortable talking to
guys while on a solo trip! It was as I sat in my short shorts and drank a
couple of Breezers with the homestay host, Deepak, discussing the <i>Game Of Thrones</i> series, that I realised
I can be friendly and unawkwardly with male acquaintances, too. I, who hides in
my room when relatives come home. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I
cannot afford too many solo trips</span></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Well, following your
passion means, more often than not, you don’t get to make much money. Being a
writer and editor, even if it is at a leading English daily, is no way to fund
your solo trips, especially when you are a compulsive money-saving freak. The
room tariffs that are usually aimed at couples or groups are not very
solo-travel friendly, and even when you strike a bargain, it’s not
budget-friendly. And you’ve just got to eat like a pauper for fear of having no
one to share your food with, and spending a bomb on it anyway!</span></div>
Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com2Coorg O Farm Homestay, Kodagu, Karnataka, India12.3374942 75.80690819999995311.3449327 74.516014699999957 13.3300557 77.097801699999948tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-22420035681816471152014-09-17T08:30:00.000-07:002014-09-17T08:30:23.077-07:00The Big Foot Spirit<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The non-stop chiming of
Nagavalli’s anklets in my mind should have been a foreshadowing of what was to come,
but the fantasy-loving fool that I am, I assumed it was my mind conjuring her
up for my entertainment. So, I just let her dance away the 45 minutes’ drive,
all the way from Gaddige Fort to Mandalpatti. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My tour-guide-cum-homestay-host,
Deepak, was playing the driver for me again (isn’t he a gracious host?), and even
bought the tickets, for us and his teen nephew who had accompanied us, from a
small make-shift ticket counter at the foot of the hills. We were to take a jeep with a driver and ascend the winding slopes of
Mandalpatti. The jeep we were to hop into was, to put it politely, antique, and the road was, to put it understatedly, bumpy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZ1QJKFa3kthLjy_PyCYAkKiQw3vB7yT-q81GcFWjQAhHUFV1tUzfNvGjPE8o7KiOl5Q2wn-cxhJNGPmt82IEvw7R97hqOyKfc91xAyLZLodPE9OEd148_a6cXbZhiEGCUH00d9BXE1Y/s1600/Mandalpatti+Jeep+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZ1QJKFa3kthLjy_PyCYAkKiQw3vB7yT-q81GcFWjQAhHUFV1tUzfNvGjPE8o7KiOl5Q2wn-cxhJNGPmt82IEvw7R97hqOyKfc91xAyLZLodPE9OEd148_a6cXbZhiEGCUH00d9BXE1Y/s1600/Mandalpatti+Jeep+2.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Only as the guards opened
the gate to the hills and the jeep tried to speed up, did I notice that I could
no longer hear anklets. But before I could so much as ponder over the dancer’s
sudden disappearance, the jeep threw me up and down, left and right, all in a fast and non-stop sequence. My shoulder bumped into the front seat on the right
side, my head bobbed onto the metal body of the jeep’s top, and my legs swept the
floor of the jeep in apparently lifeless movements. Have you watched the movie <i>The Exorcist</i>? I pretty much felt a ghoul
had entered my body and was throwing me around with vengeance! <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Perhaps I was paying
the price for pursing my lips at the boring tomb. Perhaps I was being
challenged for turning my back on it and paying my attention to the carvings on
the walls that protected it instead (not that the royal bones and dust under
the concrete floor ‘tomb’ needed protecting). Perhaps I was being taught a
lesson for planning to title my blog post <a href="http://travellersquill.blogspot.in/2014/09/big-foot-and-big-bore.html" target="_blank">‘Big Foot and Big Bore’</a> in honour of
the King’s mortal remains. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRnd146BqWVa1DSSkxCV0ITGRHxwcRoKkIdHrojrz9S2ITZzW5A_qpfrPfs1V1t86MzFRMmf2kDYFOFxKVBUUeE7SiOU-BvCIQLbtDzgz_S38uBbHHcC7biYgnQI_CsOAkGDLTzLIYrQ/s1600/Mandalpatti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRnd146BqWVa1DSSkxCV0ITGRHxwcRoKkIdHrojrz9S2ITZzW5A_qpfrPfs1V1t86MzFRMmf2kDYFOFxKVBUUeE7SiOU-BvCIQLbtDzgz_S38uBbHHcC7biYgnQI_CsOAkGDLTzLIYrQ/s1600/Mandalpatti.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Well, it was surely
exciting, albeit bruising to various parts of my body, and oh my… what a scenic
view… even as the ghoul threw the jeep to the very edges of the unprotected
hills, I couldn’t help but gape in awe of this partially cloudy, partially green,
partially muddy vista. On reaching the top of the hills, the howling of the
wind seemed to confirm my doubts that it was indeed a ghoul that threw me
about. Anyway, without a doubt, I could see that Mandalpatti is every
picnicker’s paradise, not counting the ghoul I carried there. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And just as I was
planning on trekking a trail on the opposite hillock, the heavens gave way and
the clouds grumbled in agreement. The skeletal face of Doddaveerarajendra,
under</span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Raja’s Tomb, seemed to be smirking in my direction…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com0Mandalpatti, Madikeri, Karnataka, India12.4244205 75.73818559999995212.362395 75.657504599999953 12.486446 75.81886659999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-45191890939125017052014-09-15T08:05:00.000-07:002014-09-16T12:17:01.109-07:00Big Foot and Big Bore<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I had never visited any
tomb or monument [courtesy: my parents who barely ever made trips], as a child.
So when I finally took off as a solo traveller to Coorg, I decided I should go
see one. An hour’s drive from the Coorg O Farm Homestay in Chembebeloor later, I
landed my big feet at the Gaddige Fort (Raja’s Tomb) in Mahadevpet. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAr54BGsR1gPPcDEC1WIO5bFCi4238_qlMMKLcgvYnwixD6B9dMtj3IKLvZHGvwJh2noXidX82DygW-U_hMNnz4qn_90WHJrsT_HPcUdnF_iQ_fkyUOsdsLOtKzaYVYucGhnVeMLfM9g/s1600/DSC09615.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiAr54BGsR1gPPcDEC1WIO5bFCi4238_qlMMKLcgvYnwixD6B9dMtj3IKLvZHGvwJh2noXidX82DygW-U_hMNnz4qn_90WHJrsT_HPcUdnF_iQ_fkyUOsdsLOtKzaYVYucGhnVeMLfM9g/s1600/DSC09615.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I really hadn’t seen
any other tombs to compare this nondescript place with. The old, yet, kind of
pretty yellow buildings were rather common place, although I did note that they
were built in the Indo-Saracenic or Hindu-Gothic style. Well, they certainly
looked gothic, alright; I could almost hear Nagavalli’s haunting anklets to the
male vocalist’s <i>tha-jum-tha-jum</i> beats,
from the famed <i>Ra Ra</i> track of the Kannada film, <i>Apthamithra</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Wondering where to start,
I just walked on and found the main building (I figured that out because that
was the only one with open doors; the others seemed locked away for good). Leaving
my slippers outside, I walked up the few stairs and into the sanctum of ‘Raja’s
Tomb’. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">A black granite stone tablet lay resting against the wall, next to an
archway leading to the heart of the tomb that lay in darkness and abandon; it contained
the history of the tomb – nothing of much interest though. </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">It just said that the
19</span><sup style="line-height: 115%;">th</sup><span style="line-height: 115%;"> century King Doddveerarajendra lay buried there, as bones and
dust, along with his wife (unnamed; shows the lack of importance and respect
placed on women, back then), and his son, Chikkaveerarajendra. The two other
buildings, that were on either side of this one, held the mortal remains of the
king’s royal priest, Rudrappa, and the royal official Biddanda Bopu, who had
died fighting Tipu Sultan, and Biddanda’s son, Biddanda Somiah. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNmFwKvZ5dNDNvXfS3m2v97gb9lunrxrrQvmuYLYCv0zbPzEJoziaMp4k1ji0TkmANP4D_LkpnQNf9vb8txlqKuqaVQXsDM0f5KMskKb20iF2ljFKXha44aFK2imRAqoc2hUkJVm-I7g/s1600/DSC09648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNmFwKvZ5dNDNvXfS3m2v97gb9lunrxrrQvmuYLYCv0zbPzEJoziaMp4k1ji0TkmANP4D_LkpnQNf9vb8txlqKuqaVQXsDM0f5KMskKb20iF2ljFKXha44aFK2imRAqoc2hUkJVm-I7g/s1600/DSC09648.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The “tomb” was merely a
concrete floor with an ornate lamp hanging over it from the ceiling. And that
was it. That was the tomb. I realised that my mind playing the <i>Ra ra, sarasaku ra ra </i>track was more
interesting than these “royal” remains. But when I got out of the building, I
noticed a symbol etched at the top of the doorway. It was the Kannada letter for
‘v’. Apparently, this happened to be the King’s signature, something he had had
inscribed on all the royal properties to mark his rule – an ancient logo, if
you will. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGVvom3oFtCFQyxqLsFti4MySjkly39adPfmdiDRKCG0om7K54z_6J9gY6WuJOBsrfs0BZAF1bCeht4AhoD0_pjNy1gCJAZKoWNT8K4p3NpRKtlLg0uA0Z9tYfqhN0CzilN826nG6Phc/s1600/DSC09627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiGVvom3oFtCFQyxqLsFti4MySjkly39adPfmdiDRKCG0om7K54z_6J9gY6WuJOBsrfs0BZAF1bCeht4AhoD0_pjNy1gCJAZKoWNT8K4p3NpRKtlLg0uA0Z9tYfqhN0CzilN826nG6Phc/s1600/DSC09627.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The carvings made on
this building were more interesting than the King’s royal remains. These certainly
weren’t as refined as the famous temple carvings we have known, but they were
kind of fantasy-oriented. Whether or not they depicted some mythical story, I
do not know, but they sure got the attention of </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">the crazy fantasy fiction fan
in me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Of all the things I
have seen and done (and I’m quite a boring person, really), this “royal” tomb,
perhaps, deserves “the most boring” crown. As for the haunting danseuse, Nagavalli…
she didn’t stop dancing in my mind that whole day…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com2Gaddige Fort (Rajas Tomb), Madikeri, Karnataka, India12.4244205 75.73818559999995212.362395 75.657504599999953 12.486446 75.81886659999995tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-63757092526503458502014-06-07T10:38:00.001-07:002014-09-16T12:27:59.651-07:00The Big Foot Blank Page<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">All my life, I
had believed, staunchly, that solitude is the Holy Mecca for a writer. That
solitude is the Messiah of all writing prompts. That solitude is the Holy Grail
for that much elusive muse. But the only thing I felt, upon placing my big feet
on Coorg lands, was "blank".<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJbPZZdZegvTifOzsovoCsWvMCXiSi_VLtSbWF6yJyhAsyxLm6U7SKAos929dHAjWNX3OcPZeyHLg56rUci13mRQT2GbxPcT5QOQakOQLrcMfOZ9lSkzxHPod8rs4Rg9UB0SWMad9eYs/s1600/3ee9988f1f20fd5b43133376f5303e65f037c577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUJbPZZdZegvTifOzsovoCsWvMCXiSi_VLtSbWF6yJyhAsyxLm6U7SKAos929dHAjWNX3OcPZeyHLg56rUci13mRQT2GbxPcT5QOQakOQLrcMfOZ9lSkzxHPod8rs4Rg9UB0SWMad9eYs/s1600/3ee9988f1f20fd5b43133376f5303e65f037c577.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I had pondered
over several homestays for weeks, and had finally zeroed in on “Coorg Farm” in
some area of Madikeri, called Chembebeloor. The host, himself, had offered to
drive me all the way from the Mercara KSRTC Bus Station to his homestay, and I
had, more than gladly, obliged. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p>It was only as I
slided onto his car seat, that I realised not only was I alone in an unfamiliar
place, but also alone with a stranger. Oddly, I wasn’t nervous at all. I still
felt only one thing: blank. And to be fair, Deepak seemed like a happy-go-lucky
fellow and could have easily put any lone lady at ease with him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">As we drove past
the lush fields, dense coffee plantations, and ever-winding roads, all I felt
was still just that: blank. He made some friendly banter; I replied, I joked, I
smiled. But within me, I was just blank. Some tiny part of my brain registered
that something had changed about me in the last one week. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDU6ZsQDx91r9xRO0n0b_AuAToc9Rh4HQ_bxCaxvElPYPkm-HPRADUjDNByayKBcCXcwqV-2OPwbQO-PrIJIk3J2t5WTVbFQrHkcKhMmqo40FCeRxHOklcFOHbZZ_OIKhI-FUvd37DYbU/s1600/DSC09607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDU6ZsQDx91r9xRO0n0b_AuAToc9Rh4HQ_bxCaxvElPYPkm-HPRADUjDNByayKBcCXcwqV-2OPwbQO-PrIJIk3J2t5WTVbFQrHkcKhMmqo40FCeRxHOklcFOHbZZ_OIKhI-FUvd37DYbU/s1600/DSC09607.JPG" height="300" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A silent and
introvert Cancerian seemed to have put her head outside her shell suddenly, and
had decided to sniff about. She sniffed about, but couldn’t quite comprehend
the unfamiliarity. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">At least, not yet. For now, she felt blank. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">She had no urge
to retreat into her shell though. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Her Cancerian
senses were tingling. Not from some kind of sixth sense, but from the depths of
her tummy, rumbling with hunger. She wondered if the blankness was actually the
emptiness of her stomach.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Upon reaching the
homestay, however, the blankness took on a whole new meaning. It seemed as if
Mother Nature had simply emptied my mind (and stomach) just so I could take in
her splendour… Well, she certainly did make an empty page out of this writer.
And so, I’m now an empty page, awaiting beautiful lines to adorn me...</span></span></div>
Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com0Coorg O Farm Homestay, Chembebeloor, Coorg, Karnataka, India12.447304850701258 75.7397460937511.454743350701257 74.44885259375 13.439866350701259 77.03063959375tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-66981060547361319732014-05-28T10:39:00.000-07:002014-05-29T10:40:48.352-07:00Big Foot and Big Burp<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My <a href="http://travellersquill.blogspot.in/2014/05/big-foot-and-big-step.html" target="_blank">Big Foot and Big Step</a> episode went just as I had expected it to. I broke the news of my solo
trip to my parents. Mum searched my face for possible guilt of lying; she
seemed to find none, so she was okay. Dad arched his eyebrows so high, I
thought they might join the top of his almost-bald head. Mildly heated
arguments and some grunting from my father later, I retired to my bedroom. Flushed
with my success, I had a vindictive spark in my eyes and a Grinch-like smile on
my lips. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The day of my departure
finally arrived, and I looked like a dreary zombie boarding the bus at 7AM. A long
bus ride, as all of us know, makes most people throw-up left, right, and
centre. But no, not me. I have a heart of gold, a tummy of steel, and a mind of
brass. All my life, neither bus, nor car, nor even ghat-sections could make me
retch, no matter how curvy or bumpy or fast a ride got. I’m the queen of
travels. Or so I thought until this one solo trip I took to Madikeri, by bus…</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">For the first half an
hour, I tossed and turned in my seat, unable to sleep and unable to stay awake.
I was stuck in a dreary limbo of sorts. In the next half an hour, I wondered if
the weird feeling in my chest was the reason for my state of limbo. And just as
that thought hit me, my eyes snapped wide open, my back straightened up, my
hands flew to my mouth as my tongue forced itself out. My teary eyes searched
for the conductor, to motion to him for the “black cover” he was supposed to
distribute, but my buttocks seemed glued to the chair!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The lady beside me
asked gently, “Do you need a cover?” and I simply nodded. She got up and went
to the front of the bus to ask the conductor for covers, and came back and
handed one to me. I put my mouth inside it, but I didn’t retch. I burped.
Burped loud enough for the whole silent bus to hear. Luckily, the two men on
the other side seemed fast asleep, and the rest of the bus couldn’t see my
face, but for this sweet, helpful lady. But embarrassment seemed to have
abandoned me, and I almost smiled with relief, happy that I didn’t have to keep
a cover full of puke in front of me.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And rather with too
much bravado for someone who had almost thrown up, and just burped loudly, I
extended my hand and introduced myself to the lady next to me. The cordial, and
really sweet person that she was, Shalini didn’t so much as recoil from my hand
of friendship. There are some things that just can’t help but foster
friendships. And in my case, burping loudly, apparently, was one such thing.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-10043969824343714842014-05-10T11:18:00.001-07:002014-05-14T07:58:37.753-07:00Big Foot and Big Step<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4f-acJtOnVcKQlIk5Wf8UFD3hVkok68JnbiZhWgm0NrRFH6X2ai8kjMa3nejNZPuzhK-ws8ateELB9l2gF8J2rHuaIk_ZVApllxCFm1pi11qc-9mVqEcCs8rdLd2yQHnYs4dczo610g/s1600/3ee9988f1f20fd5b43133376f5303e65f037c577.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs4f-acJtOnVcKQlIk5Wf8UFD3hVkok68JnbiZhWgm0NrRFH6X2ai8kjMa3nejNZPuzhK-ws8ateELB9l2gF8J2rHuaIk_ZVApllxCFm1pi11qc-9mVqEcCs8rdLd2yQHnYs4dczo610g/s1600/3ee9988f1f20fd5b43133376f5303e65f037c577.jpg" /></span></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I’ve said this before,
and I will say it again: Indian parents are an epitome of sexism and intense
drama. In their eyes, a daughter is supposed to stay put at home. If
she so much as goes out with her girlfriends, they have only one fear – <i>What
if she has a boyfriend and what if she’s going out with him instead? </i><o:p></o:p></span><i style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Alright, maybe not ALL
Indian parents. But mine are an epitome of the sexist and dramatic type, in
epic proportions! Everytime I say I am going out, my mother’s hair stands up in
a frizzy shock, and my father’s fat moustache gets ready to crackle with
electricity. And then they slaughter me with innumerable number of questions <i>(Where
are you going? Who’re you going with? What time will you reach there? Will all
three of your friends be there? What time will you be back? How are you going –
auto or bus or two-wheeler?)</i>. No kidding. Some </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">severe headache and dry
mouth later (from </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">answering all the questions separately to my </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">father, mother,
and granny </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">twice or thrice each), </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">I bolt from the house…</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Today, I told my
mother I am going for a lunch tomorrow with my girlfriends. The look on her
face… You would think I kissed some ‘roadside-Romeo’ right in front her!
Anyway, the last time I went on a trip with my girlies to Chikmagalur, my
parents decided they should get me ‘married away’ after I came back (nice try, <i>parents</i>!).
Well, as to what they might have assumed I was doing there, I will leave that
to your imagination…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Now think of my torment
if I’ve got to tell them that I’m going off on a solo trip to Coorg next
weekend! Don’t you worry, I am gonna put my Big Foot down, and stand my ground,
like I always have. You see, my choices, decisions, and actions in life ("big steps") have
never been short of <a href="http://travellersquill.blogspot.in/2013/06/the-big-foot-battle.html" target="_blank">The Big Foot Battle</a>. As for the encounter ahead...
Well, let’s just say George Martin’s <i>Westeros</i> seems like a fairytale land to me
right now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-7343898977818153932014-05-01T12:11:00.000-07:002014-05-14T07:56:25.481-07:00The Big Foot Solitude<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XyAAijNSpZhlc-8pKxJRu3KenDyMpdbNM_3rUkVq2Nvfap6P9cdRAV2fpMDOqQjChbtjKlel6z-wip7VsUjaIITVsx4Ql0YDfYAsmJO0z61mE47tGeMyMQVnLo3ah0wALkUaH_sq5AI/s1600/182096187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2XyAAijNSpZhlc-8pKxJRu3KenDyMpdbNM_3rUkVq2Nvfap6P9cdRAV2fpMDOqQjChbtjKlel6z-wip7VsUjaIITVsx4Ql0YDfYAsmJO0z61mE47tGeMyMQVnLo3ah0wALkUaH_sq5AI/s1600/182096187.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">My <a href="http://travellersquill.blogspot.in/2013/06/the-big-foot-dream.html" target="_blank">Big Foot Dreams</a> are
aplenty. My eyes know no bounds when it comes to that genre of life. Maybe it’s
got to do with being a writer… Maybe it’s got to do with being a cancerian… Maybe
it’s got to do with being both (yeah, I take pride in being both)… I’ve always
loved solitude. And for what seems like ages, I’ve always wanted to travel as a
writer. Oh and not just travel as a writer, but travel <i>alone</i> as a writer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Soaking in every moment…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Indulging in every
movement…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;">The thoughts in my head
pamper me the moment I’m all theirs and theirs alone. Then, my big feet notwithstanding,
small and slow steps pave way </span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">for </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">a symphonic rhythm of hazy ideas. And then that </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">rhythm just eludes me </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">until </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">such time that it sees fit </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">to return, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">when I’m
solitary again. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"><br /></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When your passion is
god, and work worship, it possesses you. If your passion is writing, you are a
writer at every moment, at every instance. A travel then is the Muse that
possesses you, not wanting to let go until you love, adore, and worship Her in
all Her grandeur. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">What matters then is only
that chair in the corner claiming your presence. What matters then is only the
travel reining your ink. What matters then are only the words blinding your worldly
eyes. You don’t claim your writing; it claims you!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">And in the buzz of all
these grandiose feelings inside of you, those around you turn into mere blurry
visions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">And you know you’ve just got to let your feet, big or small, take you alone. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">And you
know you’ve just got to travel alone, and soon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">And you know you’ve just got to write to </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">please the Muse… </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span></span></div>
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Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-91701107147031470052013-11-29T22:33:00.001-08:002014-05-14T07:52:51.798-07:00Big Foot and Bicylce 'Bum'ps<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIbc7TscB804o_8qHuDB42r-6_6zREpDtoJVfRzcSQCB4EVOXLar6QvuLbTkSzack_j8izCbMlmEby_De08X_CTl3iJ0Emh5gKiYOHyRIqOLKSvs_uCYGqa0_afJHLTkWjFC7LCJAZ_E/s1600/Cycling+on+the+river+banks.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIIbc7TscB804o_8qHuDB42r-6_6zREpDtoJVfRzcSQCB4EVOXLar6QvuLbTkSzack_j8izCbMlmEby_De08X_CTl3iJ0Emh5gKiYOHyRIqOLKSvs_uCYGqa0_afJHLTkWjFC7LCJAZ_E/s640/Cycling+on+the+river+banks.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The banks of the Kabini river is a gorgeous landscape to behold. You would think <i>Oh, what a lovely feeling it must be to cycle along the riverside...</i> Hold your horses! If you've been out of touch with your active side, you better tread that peddle with caution!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I saw that landscape cycling was on my itinerary and I headed out donning my sports shoe to show the cycle who's boss. I made my way to the bicycle rack, and requested the keeper to lend me one. And soon I was off happily peddling down the concrete slope, past the gates, and onto the mud track. I did my best to keep my feet on the peddles as the bicycle </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">bumped my bottoms hard against the hard seat. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Calling it a bumpy ride would be an understatement; the stone-ridden path to the river bank was nothing short of a spank-sport! But if I thought that was the difficult part of it, I was only being a pea-brain... A mere ten minutes along the banks and I was huffing and puffing as if I had delivered an obese baby! And to think I'm young... Never mind... </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I stopped at the edge of the river to enjoy the view of gazillion birds happily chirping and preening one another on the rocks amid the river. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Some more huffing and puffing later, I decided the bicycle was the better boss after all, and made my way back. Uphill! Alright, "uphill" might be an exaggeration. But atleast it was up'land'. </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91GW8GjdPZfnjCIRtq080AKhJ19G62M2LA8aM4iiBGKlprhM7je3sldWjxXyVQ1LqTCrLcqKJZ8XQNHT05fRRt_EKJRQiR2dip4kVVk6oMiUcc3FIve5u-9RS-CiS8KWerOkz5VOkb0k/s1600/Private+Pool.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj91GW8GjdPZfnjCIRtq080AKhJ19G62M2LA8aM4iiBGKlprhM7je3sldWjxXyVQ1LqTCrLcqKJZ8XQNHT05fRRt_EKJRQiR2dip4kVVk6oMiUcc3FIve5u-9RS-CiS8KWerOkz5VOkb0k/s640/Private+Pool.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So what seemed like rivers of sweat and a near-wheezing syndrome later, I approached another part of the river banks where I set off the <a href="http://travellersquill.blogspot.in/2013/07/big-foot-versus-angry-birds.html" target="_blank">Big Foot versus Angry Birds</a> battle yet again. Their indignant cawing and "did-you-do-its" didn't really help my love handles speed the cycle up. And that meant I would carry my heart in my mouth until I passed their territory safely. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It took all the cholesterol in my body to keep myself peddling; sadly I didn't feel any lighter afterwards though. Some uneven tanning, near-breathlessness, and severe junk-craving later, I returned the bicycle to the keeper (who looked </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">amused at my state), looking dead on my feet. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I simply dragged my feet to the room and submerged </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">in my private pool like a hippo.</span></div>
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Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com3Orange County Kabini Resort, Karnataka, India15.3172775 75.7138883999999737.4877734999999994 65.386739899999981 23.1467815 86.041036899999966tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-61032997209336603852013-11-18T07:19:00.000-08:002014-05-14T07:48:21.891-07:00Big Foot and Big Trunk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4IYcAv9IJijm-EYCBUY2Rp6ccwnfXJqcvVpEUR2jmDb0IugdxGqp6BabM1icKZVgdGXBqFt2z0TETurxU16bV2MRAOSt2GKCMaldmG948-Ki_SzHz8BxelQQUAdtQaH_Ded5LbekSzM4/s1600/Meenakshi+Bathing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4IYcAv9IJijm-EYCBUY2Rp6ccwnfXJqcvVpEUR2jmDb0IugdxGqp6BabM1icKZVgdGXBqFt2z0TETurxU16bV2MRAOSt2GKCMaldmG948-Ki_SzHz8BxelQQUAdtQaH_Ded5LbekSzM4/s640/Meenakshi+Bathing.JPG" height="305" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The ripples of the Kabini river made it look like a muddy red skirt playing to the gentle breeze blowing about. As I walked the path to the river, I could hear indignant cawing and "Did you do it"s. Oh dear... Not again... Seemed like the <a href="http://travellersquill.blogspot.in/2013/07/big-foot-versus-angry-birds.html">Big Foot Versus Angry Birds</a> battle was still on... I faked a calmness I didn't feel and simply walked on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">A little further down the banks, and I could see Meenakshi – The Majestic. She lay in the shallow part of the river, with her mahout beside her, both patiently waiting for me to sit on her back. I entered the water, strutting. Queen like. Atleast until the water became too cold and deep for comfortable strutting.</span></div>
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Hesitantly, this scaredy queen approached Meenakshi closer. I slowly stretched a hand to pet her back and my, was she warm even in the coool breeze! Her face looked calm and gentle. Her mouth seemed to be curved in a smile, her trunk resting in the water. The light spots on her ears and trunk were a sign of her age and wisdom, and she was completely at ease with the river, the breeze, the mahout, the many people and animals watching her. Now who's the queen!</div>
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The mahout asked me to sit on Meenakshi's back for "a bath" and I hastily replied, "No, that's fine. I'm alright just petting her, see?" patting her hairy and warm back to prove it. The mahout insisted, lifting me bodily off the riverbed, and placing me on Meenakshi. For half a heart beat I thought I would hear her trumpet indignantly. Instead she simply flapped her ears more graciously. She is a lady, indeed.</div>
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"Madam, ready?" the mahout asked. But before I could so much as nod or open my mouth in answer, I heard him utter something very tongue twisty at Meenakshi. Some tiny part of my brain guessed it was perhaps Malayalam. Lady Meenu hailed from Kerala, apparently. At his request, she sucked in a trunkful of the muddy red Kabini water, threw her trunk backward at me and splashed a huge amount of it, enough to soak me wet in an instant. I squealed in delight, all my lady-like dignity forgotten. Meenakshi too seemed to be enjoying it, for she flapped her ears vigourously in acknowledgement and splashed another trunkful at me. So she went on for another three trunkfuls until her mahout requested her to stop. With some difficulty, I jumped off her back and pet her forehead. It was ever so satisfying to see her close her eyes at my touch.</div>
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It was her time to get a real pampering bath now, and her mahout obliged. I pet her one last time and then it was time for me to warm up quickly. The queen-like strutting lady smiled to herself as she walked back to her room. She happily smiled to herself at the spa-like treatment she had received in all its natural goodness. But that was only until she passed by the Did-You-Do-It birds again...</div>
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Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com2Orange County Resort, Kabini, Karnataka 57130212.1228656 76.69360460000007212.107341100000001 76.673434600000078 12.1383901 76.713774600000065tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-48656900976407002712013-07-13T11:01:00.000-07:002014-05-14T07:45:22.001-07:00Big Foot versus Angry Birds<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">If you thought that
sighting carnivores is the ultimate thrill you can get amid nature, think
again. If you thought bird-watching is all about gluing binoculars to your eyes
and speaking in hushed voices as you watch a bird nipping at a worm peacefully
with its beak, you’ve only been bird-watching on television! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">After a good night’s
rest in nature’s lap, I signed up for a bird watching tour the next morning,
and it turned out to be an adventure of sorts. As I and my co-travellers,
guided by our OCK Naturalist, walked along the banks of the Kabini River, he
pointed out to a certain bird at a distance and educated us that it was a
red-wattled lapwing, commonly known as the “Did-you-do-it” bird. Now, there is
no need to think too much, dirty mind! It is a mere reference to what their
calls actually sound like. </span></div>
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<span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2mfUlT8CQOJpitrs66SdIJy8Z6N_I7RofVphyphenhyphen3OpSDM7lleW3mc5IGIS_Td6-ukdNRhh5OaWCy7kdq4c3MpPn-dz-hT7YQIGZ8Kp8OupHYGf9PS9XBro-PgEtBtvlOlt9jJDbjJMa7wE/s640/Did+you+do+it+bird.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="line-height: 115%;">As we moved forward to
get a closer look, we heard its “did-you-do-its” getting louder, and lo and
behold, there were atleast four more of its kind chirping hysterically. What I
saw next made my eyes pop, jaws drop, and heart almost stop: the birds were
closing in above us at about 10 feet distance, in a closed circle formation. This,
our Naturalist informed us, was what these birds did when someone was nearby
their eggs. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Their paranoid
“did-you-do-its” have a strange way of inducing guilt-like fear in your heart,
trust me. I had half a mind to take cover and screech back “I didn’t do
anything” at them! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Just then, our naturalist mentioned that these birds were
even known to peck humans if we strayed too close to their eggs. That did it. I
walked my ugly big feet away from there, lest I be pecked by half a dozen
real-life Angry Birds and turn a comic character in the eyes of Mother Nature!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">After that action
packed “bird-watching” session, we headed back to our “hut”, to luxuriate in
our private pools before we went to have lunch. Little did we know we weren’t
by ourselves; we had a visitor... A crow sat on a reclined chair overlooking
our pool, happily nibbling a packet of roasted cashewnuts straight from the
cover! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">We had forgotten to
shut the doors at our porch and living room, and nature had got the better of
us! The crow had flown in, whether from the porch or from near the pool we do
not know, and carried away one of the two complimentary packets of roasted
cashews that was placed on the table in the living room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Even as I decided to
just let it be (in honour of my <a href="http://travellersquill.blogspot.in/2013/06/the-big-foot-muse.html" target="_blank">Big Foot Muse</a>), the crow tilted its head, looked me in the eye and croaked. I
do not know if or not it was thanking me for my so-called sharing, but I took
that look to mean “snatch this packet and I’ll peck you!”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Delicious cashews they
might be, but I had had enough experience with birds for one morning! I didn’t
bother with shooing. I just let the crow nibble our cashews peacefully, as
(s)he enjoyed the pool view, sitting on our reclined chair. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com9Orange County Resort, Kabini, Karnataka 571302, India12.1479466 76.69901720000007112.023765599999999 76.537655700000073 12.2721276 76.860378700000069tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-40240562901105440582013-06-26T11:49:00.000-07:002014-05-14T07:43:26.187-07:00The Big Foot Muse<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Years of living in a
city that was deemed “pensioners paradise” two decades ago, only to be doomed
as “IT-ridden vice” today, I’ve not had much of a relationship with nature. Ofcourse,
I always wrote under the influence of the greenery on the empty site next to my
house. More precisely, the parthenium weeds, visible from my window, were the
best muse I could find. And if it rained, the droplets trickling off this wilderness
was all the imagery I needed to get the ink flowing from my pen.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdbrMTJp33SQgGddNBKNoRUpfabXnHyeX7D0fGGt2vSlINxFFi4rmPcxklqAkOac8abcXGVo7S3HTrxqcDjQLpyb9-rZWjiffW3ovduNma3lbMv3ajvhKJIWA26zAKsqvjD29DDYa9Lo/s1600/Infinity+pool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdbrMTJp33SQgGddNBKNoRUpfabXnHyeX7D0fGGt2vSlINxFFi4rmPcxklqAkOac8abcXGVo7S3HTrxqcDjQLpyb9-rZWjiffW3ovduNma3lbMv3ajvhKJIWA26zAKsqvjD29DDYa9Lo/s640/Infinity+pool.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">What happens when this
writer heads to a blissful resort such as Orange County, Kabini that is nestled
on the banks of the Kabini River? She sits on the porch of her luxury “hut” and
soaks in all the nature she can.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The river brimming and swishing along the
banks like a soaked muddy red skirt… </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The breeze tickling the layers of the
infinity pool to evoke ripples… </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The trees rustling relentlessly, as if to
whisper some long-kept secrets… </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The birds cooing,chirping, and
cawing at various notes, an art, that perhaps no singer can imbibe… </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A gentle
drizzling from the heavens…</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">An overjoyed red earth soaking it all in… <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 115%;">The breeze courts the
pool. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The trees whisper sweet nothings to </span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">the breeze.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The sky showers his </span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">love
to the earth.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The earth soaks it all in </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">with a soft pleasure.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The birds </span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">set the
tune for the </span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">romance.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">A singer’s melody… </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">A dancer’s grace… A painter’s
masterpiece… A writer’s muse…</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEK8QHzrkjRTE_FKpZAPDcpN7KHzRlYYrXc8cDs4VHdO3H2p20YEBbmKSks7nS-1i0zLWE4VX0zyPYS_dp-jIw5pwegNkakyEKwklffWWikr0OVB_7sBoqCdf_ablnIaDV-fC4gcgIpbA/s1600/Writer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEK8QHzrkjRTE_FKpZAPDcpN7KHzRlYYrXc8cDs4VHdO3H2p20YEBbmKSks7nS-1i0zLWE4VX0zyPYS_dp-jIw5pwegNkakyEKwklffWWikr0OVB_7sBoqCdf_ablnIaDV-fC4gcgIpbA/s640/Writer.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They say being a travel
writer is a dream job. I believe it’s a dreamer’s job. If, in the past, I
feared that my <a href="http://travellersquill.blogspot.in/2013/06/the-big-foot-dream.html" target="_blank">Big Foot Dream</a> would nestle in my eyes and rest there as a twinkle
forever, I was only being a cynic. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">An acquaintance once told me, “If you are
worthy of nature, she will invite you. But she will invite you only when she
believes you are ready. That is the way of nature.” </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">And today, I truly
understand what he meant. I know better than to question the ways of nature.
She’s the muse – I’m only her ink. </span></span></div>
Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com7Orange County Resort, Kabini, Karnataka 571302, India12.1479466 76.69901720000007112.023765599999999 76.537655700000073 12.2721276 76.860378700000069tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-37216745122443522512013-06-23T10:51:00.001-07:002014-05-14T07:35:42.598-07:00The Big Foot Dream<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">It’s almost a cliché when
someone says s(he) dreams of being a writer someday. And I am one of those clichés. </span><span style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;">Only difference is… I’ve just begun to live that clichéd dream!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="line-height: 115%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I have always known I’m
a writer; I simply yearned to pass the rite of passage in the professional
circle. When I had my <a href="http://travellersquill.blogspot.in/2013/06/the-big-foot-revelation.html" target="_blank">Big Foot Revelation</a>, I realised I’m just
another novice in line to the Big Throne of a kingdom of travel wordsmiths; I wondered if my
words would be taken seriously at all!</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRPTy4G17BdKUfO3ZXj_Loal_Fw6Rx9j-RR27Ze6UoqDhU5OMH397mgaAFiQGWmdqEqxIRayIYrMFxd4iVhf72s8ULqWYS8n2kkBhEN8QtIPt-BBoPZDoG41yAduQ5iP5RuiAquKr78w/s1600/Envelope.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKRPTy4G17BdKUfO3ZXj_Loal_Fw6Rx9j-RR27Ze6UoqDhU5OMH397mgaAFiQGWmdqEqxIRayIYrMFxd4iVhf72s8ULqWYS8n2kkBhEN8QtIPt-BBoPZDoG41yAduQ5iP5RuiAquKr78w/s640/Envelope.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">It was only as I was handed the keys to our Pool Hut in Orange </span></span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">County, that I observed an envelope
addressed to me. It lay there, hand-made, exotic looking, sophisticated even in
its rustic and earthy style. It lay there on a tastefully picked southern
wooden table. It lay there patiently waiting for me to unfold more than a
decade’s worth of passion nurtured in the deepest depths of my heart. I held it
in my hands and realised one of my long-craved dreams had just been fulfilled.
I had attempted a professional holiday deal on my own and it had just materialised,
the envelope in my hands a testament to that reality. </span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I hadn’t yet opened
what lay inside the envelope; I was engulfed by the mere mention of my name on
it. Nothing else mattered at that moment. I did open the letter a few minutes
later, and it was a simple gracious welcome from the Orange County, Kabini management.
A formal gesture. But it was the name on the envelope that stole my senses –
just that – Ms. Anusha Shashidhar. There it was. One of the leading luxury
resorts in the state, welcoming a travel writer, a professional welcome at long
last.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOWq1fBsDyPLXmcgIN5_jc__V8pNw6stRYj_OQirr7MbRDeLwKlRC9SX5Le-c4ejDkQ_N6fGp-qVhWDxRIJRNuHhR0n5rROEEfHr062UD49ZYVD_NVpc265lGFSOk87liv-2J6BkKoAj8/s1600/Big+Foot+in+Orange+County.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOWq1fBsDyPLXmcgIN5_jc__V8pNw6stRYj_OQirr7MbRDeLwKlRC9SX5Le-c4ejDkQ_N6fGp-qVhWDxRIJRNuHhR0n5rROEEfHr062UD49ZYVD_NVpc265lGFSOk87liv-2J6BkKoAj8/s640/Big+Foot+in+Orange+County.jpg" height="640" width="425" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was mildly nudged out
of my trance by the wind kissing my hair and cheeks softly. I pulled my gaze
from the envelope to the porch on my right. The hut had a porch that overlooked
the Kabini river at half a kilometres distance on one side and an infinity pool
on the other. There was a pair of jute slippers and an umbrella at the porch’s
opening. I slipped into them and carried the umbrella. I stepped onto the porch
and realised it was drizzling… as gentle as a playful sprinkle from a lover’s
hands… <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I slipped into the
reclining chair and took deep and calm breaths… I let my eyelashes meet… I
could hear some birds chirping in the distance… </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Under my eyelids, I saw a
little girl fantasising drenching in the rains amid some fancy greenery. As she
watched Bollywood actors running around trees to express their undying love for each other on the television, she silently romanced the rain, the greenery, the
lush nature onscreen behind them. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">The girl grew big in my eyes, moving on to
hold an envelope addressed to her in her hands, she then slipped into jute
slippers, carried an umbrella, and stepped onto a porch. She slipped into a
reclining chair, closed her eyes, and her eyes held a fancy dream that lay
twinkling for over a decade. </span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">A fancy dream that spun many a tales in her mind,
a fancy dream that spun many a tales from her pen, a fancy dream that spun many
a tales that writ her life alive…</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">
</span></div>
Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-55984388978154508352013-06-16T11:27:00.001-07:002014-05-14T08:11:31.235-07:00The Big Foot Battle<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkB8SuM3kpq6bVn7LfCJSIrIe64dPpqAP6bgz4CsJEXQNR8O4sstzmAs515ohW1HR9ox8R0pao5DZtz0Rd_CHh_zQ6NYJiu2zPgo-8sd8hPkXf0I7f_zmTzxw6bv9HiezwdohMZz_mSU/s1600/Peacock+FIghting+@+Ranthambore+--+Rajasthan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUkB8SuM3kpq6bVn7LfCJSIrIe64dPpqAP6bgz4CsJEXQNR8O4sstzmAs515ohW1HR9ox8R0pao5DZtz0Rd_CHh_zQ6NYJiu2zPgo-8sd8hPkXf0I7f_zmTzxw6bv9HiezwdohMZz_mSU/s1600/Peacock+FIghting+@+Ranthambore+--+Rajasthan.jpg" height="400" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><i><b>Pic courtesy: Ramu M, my colleague and favourite graphic designer</b></i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">For the last time, I’m
informing you. I don’t ASK my father for permission! I TELL him.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Wars always call for
being prepared for the unexpected, no matter how good a war strategist you are.
You always need to go the extra mile. With my parents, let’s just say it takes
going the extra big foot!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I intended to announce my big foot intentions to them
ceremoniously and expected a grand scale dramatics of Kathakali-like
expressions and Yakshagaana-like howlings debating the safety and security of
girls.</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">So, I told them that I
was going on an “official” tour as a travel writer (with two of my soulmates as
photographers). Now, there you go… “official” simply did the trick, turning
their roar into a feeble meow!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Well, I had misanalysed the warzone. It wasn’t a
warzone; it was a battlefield! A very lukewarm battlefield at that for a
hot-blooded proud peacock with superior complexity issues… </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">But I’m not
complaining, I’m just plain shocked – my feathers were quite hackled, I might
say, but there didn’t seem any need for biting each other’s beaks off…</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">
</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Well, that’s that.
Battle won (there was no opponent, really – only pseudo opponent – I do not
need a jetpack to fly – I’m a peacock, remember?). I just have my <a href="http://travellersquill.blogspot.in/2013/06/the-big-foot-revelation.html" target="_blank">Big Foot Revelation</a> and </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">pack my bags! </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large; line-height: 27.600000381469727px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Oh, and
before I forget to tell you, I’m headed to Orange County, Kabini.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">
</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFU_8osw80KnoSMicej00wjFtt3Uytgz5imG0wqEeptqc9-OX5RgLq2MuFU2eZyYPjvStmsGq77F42xu4zPgHK5z7wOULiIyjiVA3C76xJDQPqXF68wNUMv4fcbiM9zpOFydSInrmWWW4/s1600/orange-county-kabini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFU_8osw80KnoSMicej00wjFtt3Uytgz5imG0wqEeptqc9-OX5RgLq2MuFU2eZyYPjvStmsGq77F42xu4zPgHK5z7wOULiIyjiVA3C76xJDQPqXF68wNUMv4fcbiM9zpOFydSInrmWWW4/s640/orange-county-kabini.jpg" height="236" width="400" /></span></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">South Indians are no
novice to Kabini, the ultimate southern beauty with her dense forests,
and gushing rivers. No doubt every other traveller steps into its territory
hoping to eye atleast one carnivore before s/he turns back. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Well, looking at
my primitive feet, I might get lucky. But I’m really interested to see what
other treasures this southern beauty hides.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">
</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">So, Kabini… Here I come…
I’m sure my peacock-ugly feet will fit in pretty well with your natural
backdrop…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3385454797707511218.post-85759983004461666102013-06-02T10:14:00.000-07:002014-05-14T07:17:40.019-07:00The Big Foot Revelation<div class="MsoNormalCxSpFirst" style="line-height: 12.0pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5PzuoMNnw2w0iGJPX6YGkhcPmf_-WOMJ9PEEq7wtvV-eBBI9e68W_8H8S6ZS68s_xqqn2QLNRfXgPiVRbdXc1p0E3M-gPuRBgQGxH42bsbKSA4oaWpQQl72Y6Oo8eoXol5d7xfpF_D4/s1600/160883375+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-5PzuoMNnw2w0iGJPX6YGkhcPmf_-WOMJ9PEEq7wtvV-eBBI9e68W_8H8S6ZS68s_xqqn2QLNRfXgPiVRbdXc1p0E3M-gPuRBgQGxH42bsbKSA4oaWpQQl72Y6Oo8eoXol5d7xfpF_D4/s640/160883375+(1).jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Unnaturally
long, terribly wide at the front, with crooked toes, but for loads of hair, my
feet could give hobbits a severe complex! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">[Rewinding to my
childhood]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I remember that
as a small kid, whenever I needed new shoes or slippers, my mother always
looked like her soul had been sucked out of her! My feet were dementors that no
shoe shop salesman had a patronus charm for! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Pretty
slippers? What are those? Flats? But my feet touch the ground on either side of
the slipper; what’s the point of wearing them? Floaters? Do I look like a man
to you?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A weak patronus
charm conjured… Ugly wedges with extremely wide straps to “hide those wide feet
and crooked toes”! <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">School
shoes shopping. Hmmm… Should be fun… Black shoes? Size 8? Like EIGHT? Yes. E.I.G.H.T.
Size seven is last, your wide feet will enlargen it, don’t worry. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Wow,
what a ray of sunshine.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">White
shoes? Oh no problem! The boys section has size 8 and above all the time.
Anyway white shoes are the same for boys and girls. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">*Poker
face*<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">[Fast forwarding
to my teenage and adulthood]<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Yes,
this is a pretty design (smiles, showing bedazzling yellow teeth). I’ll get
your size, madam. You there, get me a size 6 in this one. Yes madam, what?
Bigger size? Really? 7? No? 8? Like EIGHT? Er… Show your feet, madam. Oh
(smiling painfully now).<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">*Facepalm*
<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">[Presently]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Some
realizations kick in pretty late. In my case, I failed to understand the hidden
agenda behind my humongous feet. Twenty two years thus, and here's the moment
of revelation, almost Bilbo Baggins style!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">*Mindbulb*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I’m a peacock! A
peacock is so beautiful, and it’s feet so ugly. But who cares! It’s a peacock!
I just need to open my plumage, shake off some dirt, and then take flight!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">*Slapface*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I just plan a
trip and get my big feet there. And so I shall… Unknown place, here I come –
may your lands bask in my very big footsteps…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">*Patback*<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">So here comes the
peacock with hobbit feet and superiority complex issues and Bilbo Baggins-like
thirst for adventure, shaking the dirt off its royal plumage...</span></div>
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Big Foothttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00516895832584292574noreply@blogger.com4