College Trip 2k16

Every college life will have many cancelled plans. But there will always be one successful trip which everyone won't forget till their last breath and this is one among them.!Myself, along with my college mate augustin was planning for a trip to God's Own Paradise, KERALA. 

It was around 5th semester end, when we (a team of 6) started analyzing about kerala and the plan got ready after almost 6 months in the 6th Semester. 

We booked train ticket’s prior advance for 5 member’s. The 6th person was TURBO RANGER of our gang VIGNESH, when we booked tatkal jus a day before for him. 

Just FYI,

It was 6th May 2016, when 2 trains got collided each other (A Local Train and Chennai - Trivandrum Mail). Jus after two days, our travel got kicked-off @ Chennai Central Railway Station (now it is M.G.R Central Railway Station). 

The day, 8th May 2016 has finally arrived. 

We caught our train well on-time (in fact even far before around 2pm itself), as we all we’re so excited about our first and foremost trip in our college life. We caught 12697-Chennai to Trivandrum Weekly SuperFast Express by 03:15pm. It was a 15 hours train travel journey. 

3 of my friend’s family came to the railway station for send-off. There’s also one of our classmate, who came for the same. Un fortunately the TURBO Guy (Vignesh), who we booked ticket at last minute, didn't get berth in the same coach. The train started moving and when it was nearly reaching our 2nd stop, Katpadi / Vellore, we got stuck with a level-crossing signal jus aside of VIT University. 

All of a sudden, rain started to pour down and it was a chill climate outside. 

After 20mins of signal delay, we reached Vellore Railway Station. Vellore Railway Station is famous for Samosa (1pc Rs.10). It’s filled with full of carrot’s. We heard that this is famous @ Vellore RS from one of our college classmate Vicky, who resides in Vellore. Even he visited railway station , for sending-off us. 

When the train started, we all pulled him inside our coach, forcing him too to accompany us for the trip. It’s full of fun and he got down in running, saying BuByee..!!! ;-)  

Post 11pm, Turbo, went to his allotted coach for sleeping. In this whole train journey to Trivandrum, there was no any TTR checking. We 6 were gossiping about our college life, also something outside college, having fun.etc. 

We all brought dinner from our home itself. Also bought many snacks like biscuits, chips.etc. After having our dinner, we all sat @ Upper Berth, (3 on one side and 3 on another), took a bedsheet, opened it, and hold the bedsheet from each ends. We made it to look like a table and started playing cards. It was not permitted though, but there wasn’t TTR or any other Railway Police the whole journey. We too didn’t disturb anyother co-passengers in the same coach. But had full fun and enjoyed a lot. 

We, a team of 6, where everybody has their unique characters and behaviours. But when we 6 joined together, it’s always like watching 3-Idiots 2 times (which is 6 Idiot’s ;-p). Cool. I’ll jus list down our names with unique character’s. 
1. Giri  : The President. 
2. Arun Kumar  : Treasurer.
3. Prasanna  : Person who never gets satisfied while taking photography.
4. Dhatchana Moorthy  : Lover Boy
5. Vignesh alise Turbo  : Kumbhakarna.
6. Augustin  : Bathroom Boy.

Though it sounds disgusting, It’s my priviledge as a friend to mention this. During mid-night, the bathroom guy Augustin went for nearly 3-4 rounds to and fro to toilet. We forgot to take mug from the checklist. So he used the chapathi kuruma box as mug for the rest of this train journey. 

9/5/2016

We all slept at night, its nearly early morning 2AM, when we all woke-up. The train was nearing Ernakulam. The climate was chill outside. We all got down the station, walked till the engine and came back to our coach. The train stopped here for almost 15mins. 

Then we’re back to our train, started gossiping. The SLEEPER Turbo is the only guy sleeping. Finally we reached the destination, Trivandrum probably around 6:30am.
We all started to walk towards K.S.T.R.C Terminal Bus stand, Trivandrum., to book tickets for Munnar for that night. Since it’s Kerala, no one in our team knows malayalam. On reaching the Bus Terminus,  we booked bus ticket’s for Munnar Hills Station. It was around Rs.250 per head. 

After booking the tickets, I was enquiring every passer about where to get the bus for Vazhavandhool Waterfalls. No one understands my language (English and Tamil). We lost our energy, started to lie-down  in the bus terminus itself. Almost after loosing all our energy, I met a bus conductor. I was explaining him in english, asking him the bus route for Vazhavandhool Waterfalls for around 2mins. After hearning my english, he simply answer in my month tougue angue itself, Tamil. It was a #ThugLife moment for me. But we got the route instructions from him, got the bus for the falls, reached the falls almost after 2.5 hours of travel. 

After reaching the bus stop at the forest checkpost of Vazhavandhol Falls, we had our breakfast. We brought some extra chapathies along with jam. We sat near a road side, had chapathi’s, then entered the checkpost. 

Once entering, the forest range officers didn’t allow us. He asked for Rs.1000 per head for the falls visit. It was very cheap behaviour from them. It wasn’t required to do so. But they demanded us. We argued a lot. But that range officer didn’t allow us. But we enterest the Forest road, had some fun. 

With some good memories, we came back to Trivandrum in the same bus again. On reaching trivandrum bus terminus, we took bathing in common bathroom itself and walked for 2kms. 

While on the way, we had our lunch in a decent road-side restaurant. It was around 3pm, when we reach Trivandrum Shri Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple. Through the temple was open, we stayed along the canal side. Changed our costumes to traditional kerala style and entered the temple. 

The temple was unique and not much crowded as it was a Monday Evening. Once after visiting the temple, we sat near the canal for 2 reasons. One is the wind was chill over there and the other is, we got free open Wi-Fi from GRT Jewellery Shop. Also we had quite more time to take some rest as the bus to munnar was 10pm only. 

Post 8pm, we started vacating the place, had dinner in the same road-side shop where we had in the afternoon, then got bus to munnar. Within 20mins of depature, we can feel the climate change. The bus was travelling at it’s max speed in curvy roads. The wind was blowing so chill. We all 6 were sitting in the last row of the bus, except 1 person who was sitting jus a set front, in a window side. Guess that person.? He is our TURBO RANGER. He can’t able to withstand the travel, and kept vomiting.  

10 May, 2016 :
The next day morning, it was around 4:45am, when I woke up. The climate was superb and our bus was climbing top the hill, munnar. I wake up all the rest of 5 members, we all were watching this beautiful sceneries. Finally around 6am, we landed Munnar. The bus stopped 2kms outside the munnar center. So, we need to walk that distance. On landing munnar, we all got excited on seeing one thing. All our breathing exhale came as fog like manner. We expected some cold weather @Munnar, but not this much. All felt very cold and we can’t even feel our hand fingers, while walking, carrying luggages. While we all exhaling fog, there is one guy who exhales vomit, the same Turbo Vignesh 😜. He managed to vomit all, drank some spirit (without brushing) and started walking.

We reached the Hotel Minervaa Holidays, which we pre-booked via my dad, who had prior contact with that hotel in the past. We paid jus 1.8k for 36hrs stay for 6 members, which is very less compared to other hotels nearby. It was a big room, a 4 bedded with sofa, television, Wi-Fi, Heater.etc. Generally there won’t be fan’s present in hotels stay in hummar because of the climate. 

We are got freshen up and ready for visiting places. We’re travelling by forest Jeep, driven by Mr.Sathish. We spoke 1.5k, for visiting Lakkam Waterfalls and Eravikulam National Park. The Jeep had a good collection’s of Tamil Rock Songs and it was a great feel hearing and singing those songs while travelling in such hilly roads in Jeep. 

Reached Lakkam Waterfalls at first, which was around 25kms away from munnar center, the entry ticket was Rs.20 per head. We’ve to walk for some 200meters to reach the falls. It was looking gigantic, cold, slippery and wonderful waterfalls to visit. There are big spaces available for swimming. Many fishes were present, where we can also clean our legs in that crystal-clear water. We walked over the water, fixed a big rock stay and safeguard our belongings, then we spitted ourselves with 3 for the first round,and 3 on next. Turbo Vignesh got slipped. While slipping, he caught Prasanna’s Leg. Prasanna got slipped and he caught Augustin’s leg.  All 3 were slipped and riding from up to down the waterfalls. But there was nothing to worry much as it didn’t cause any major impact for anybody. Turbo decided to take rest, safe-guarding our belongings. So, we all 5 went up the falls, took superb bath in that forcy chill water. After waterfalls, we had some snacks in that spot, where many small shops were present. In that location, Porotta with Egg Curry Masalla was very famous, which was jus 30rs. There are also other food items like Maggi Noodles, Bread Omlette available in that location. It was soo good to taste.

Then, we got the same jeep, visited Eravikulam National Park. 

Entry Ticket is Rs.90. They will be taking us in a separate van, which was 40mins travel. The sceneries were unbelievable and unimaginable. Eravikulam National Park is famous for spotting Nilgiri tahr. We spotted many while travelling. We came across rare animals and species. 

After arriving the topmost point @ the Eravikulam National Park, we've to walk in a zigzag road for a mile. The sceneries will be too beautiful and the view from the top will be massive 😍..

There is a bakery present at the top of the hill, which tastes good. Also there is a small museum present nearby, about that place and Nilgiri Tahr.

We actually had a plan of walking from Eravikulam National Park to Munnar Hotel where we’re staying. The location is jus 5kms. It was around 3:15pm noon, where all of a sudden, it has been much darken and rain started ouring down. We even cut our jeep, once on arriving the national park. We didn’t have any other options, but one kerala govt.bus came along the way. We caught the bus and reached munnar hotel. We all got fully wet. We changed our cloths, got freshen-up and started playing cards, except TURBO, who fall asleep. We also spend some time in managing our expenses, listing and noting down. Then we went outside to munnar market, done some shopping, had our dinner slept. DhatdhanaMoorthy didn't brought his blanket. In stead, he came with his lover's thupatta. The lover guy was putting full of nuts, lying on the sofa the whole night, tightly covering with thupatta. 😝

10/5/2016

Next day morning, we all were ready for visiting the places on the top station route. 

I washed my cloths and hanged them in the hotel itself for drying. we had our breakfast @ MahaLakshmi Cafe, where I use to have usually while visiting munnar. Finishing our breakfast, we had a nice lemon tea, which is very famous in munnar. We spoke to the hotel reception for jeep arrangements and also for taking care of our belongings, as we checked-out the room. They guided and helped us really well in getting a jeep for Rs.1.5k for this top-station visit. 
Finishing our breakfast, we had a nice lemon tea, which is very famous in munnar. Then, we took the Jeep got the road to top station. On the way towards top station, there are many, many and many places to visit for.!

At first, we come across the photo point, where people use to take pictures standing inside tea gardens.

The next stop is Rose Garden. @ Rose Garden, we came across natural, unique flowers and move forward.

The next is Honey Bee Tree, where 100's of Honey Bee Nest's will be present in a big tree which is almost 35+ years old.

Next is the great Mattupatty Dam, which is the main Reservoir for Munnar. We got down from the Jeep before the dam itself, walked from one end to another, had some available snacks over there like nuts, corn, especially mangos were superb for that chill climate.

The Jeep had a collection of All Indian Languages Rock Songs and it was a great feel singing those songs while travelling in such roads in Jeep.

The next spot is echo point, where the entry ticket price is Rs.10 per head. The location was surrounded by a small market with huge collection of jewels, handmade crafts, tea, food shops and all. Echo point was divided by the river stream which was from Kundala Dam towards Mattupatty Dam. On the other side of the river stream, there is a small hill with bunch of some pine trees. On shouting anything which pops in our mind, we can hear the echo of it. We're making fun by shouting every Indian Actresses Name like Shruthi Hassan, Kajal Agarwal etc and hearing the echo of it. Especially Augustin is a Shruthi Hassan Fan..🤪😍😝❤️ It's was a different experience and almost easily we can witness, hear the echo. It's a go to place in munnar.!!

The next spot is Kundala Dam. It's almost similar to Mattupatty Dam, but it's season is ON only during monsoon, when Mattupatty Dam is full. So, there wasn’t any water maintained here. But the surroundings were superbly maintained. There were full of tall trees around the dam bank, which were almost looking like 50+ years old.

At last, we reached top station. Here we had good views from the top towards Theni District (Tamil Nadu) side. There are also presence of tea gardens over there.

After having a good visit and a small photo session @ the top station, we started back towards munnar. While returning back (34kms drive), we stopped in the mid of the hill near echo point for shopping some munnar famous items like tea, spicies.etc. 

Then we noticed we’re running out of time. We noticed the bus for Ernakulam, which wil depart from munnar by 3pm. It started raining again. We chased the bus, reached the hotel, took our luggages and got the bus at last minute. We all got wet, but it was full of fun. We reached Ernakulam probably by 6:30pm. We got down @Ernakulam Railway Station to get the train to Guruvayur. We had our dinner @ Railway Station itself, then got the train by 8pm. The train journey again resumed with playing cards. It was a 4hr journey. 

11/5/2016

The train reached Guruvayur around 12 mid-night. When we got down @ Guruvayur, it washed fully darken and we can’t even able to see what’s present 10meters before us. Then we’re guided by 2 Railway Police Men to the temple. It was lightning over there and it was a 20mins walk to the temple.

On reaching the temple, it was crowded and all the shops were surprisingly open. We fixed Mandapam, a spot. 2 of us don’t want to strain much as they were tired. We, the rest of 4 took bath i@ the temple provided refreshing place itself, got ready once again in traditional kerala way and started to stand in queue around 2am onwards. To our surprise, the queue started to move from 3:15am. We had good dharshan around 3:50am and came out of the temple by 4am itself. The other 2 persons fall asleep and we surprised them by waking up around 4:30am. 

We purchased kerala special banana chips, also I got a Kerala Saree to my mom. After completing our shopping, we started to march towards Guruvayur Railway Station. 

We got Trichur Passenger Train around 6am. Reaching Trichur by 7am, we completed our breakfast @Trichur Railway Station itself. Myself and Augustin went for a walk outside railway station in search of kerala soda. Then we got the train to Coimbatore around 8:30pm. The train was fully crowded. Half of our 6 members got place to sit in upper berth and myself, along with other 2, was standing near the door of the same coach. 
Finally we reached the Coimbatore railway station around 12 noon. We, had lunch @ Annaporna Restaurant. We had Tamil Nadu Meals. The price per meals is jus Rs.80. I also purchased a shirt for my close friend who resides in Chennai as his birthday was nearing. We walked towards Hotel Tamil Nadu. Took some rest, and in the late evening, we checked-out the room and moved forward towards Coimbatore Railway Station. 

We had dinner along the way towards Railway Station and finally got our train 12674 - Coimbatore to Chennai Central Cheran Express by 10:15pm. In journey, I was been torchered by the guy Prasanna as he was requesting me photo’s. Unfortunately, I deleted the Photo’s Folder from my mobile, instead of deleting some other folder. Then, we started playing cards in the same way, holding the blankets at each end. In the middle, Railway Police Officer came and warned us not to play. We stopped and started discussing about the trip, which we succeed to another level.

12/5/2016

At last, I can taste my home food. That was one and only best feel when we landed Chennai. It was our first and the best trip ever we went.! We reached Chennai by next day morning around 5.30 am. Thank you and bye with sweet memories along with all of our team-mates.

A Poem by one of my friend and co-traveller about this trip, which is first in our college life..

நண்பர்களுடன் ஓர் பயணம்.!

அறுவராக சென்ற முதல் பயணம்..!

அன்போடு வழியனுப்பிய நல்உள்ளங்கள்..!

அன்று பொன்மாலைப் பொழுதில் தொடங்கிய ரயில் பயணம்..!

காட்பாடி ரயில் நிலைய “சமோசா” உடன் தோழன் காத்திருக்க...

வானம் மாரியால் ஆசிர்வதித்து இனிதே தொடங்கியது இப்பயணம்..!

கேளிக்கைகள், விளையாட்டு என தொடர்ந்து பயணம்..!

இயற்கை, கடவுளின் தேசத்தை அடைந்து ரயில்...

அருவிக்கு தொடங்கிய பேருந்து பயணம்... சாலை எங்கும் மரங்கள்...

புகைப்படங்களாக சேகரித்த நினைவுகள்...

பொழுது சாய்ந்து, பத்மநாம சுவாமி ஆலய தரிசனம் முடிந்தது...

மண்வாசனையுடனும் சில்லென்று காற்றுடனும் மூணாறு நோக்கி பேருந்து பயணம் தொடர்ந்தது...!

பனி மற்றும் குளிரான காலை நேரம் அழகான மேற்கு தொடர்ச்சி மலைப்பகுதி (மூணாறு) அன்போடு அழைத்து...

மீண்டும் அருவி, தேசிய பூங்கா என பல இடங்கள் பொறி வண்டியில் பயணம்..!

மகிழ்ச்சியாக தொடங்கி பல தருணங்களை நினைவாக சுமந்து முடிந்தது பயணம்...!

அகவைகள் பல கடந்தும் இன்றும், என்றும் நிலைத்து இருக்கும் அந்த அழகிய நினைவுகள்..!

 - தட்சணாமூர்த்தி கோபி

About Munnar : 

Munnar a hill station on the Western Ghats; The name Munnar is believed to mean "three rivers", referring to the town's strategic location at the confluence of the Madhurapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundaly rivers. The town is surrounded by the country's highest tea gardens. Layers and layers of tea estates, mountain mist, waterfalls and wildlife sanctuaries make Munnar almost surrealistically beautiful. The lofty mountain ranges with misty peaks, sprawling tea estates and serene climate provides a quiet and peaceful resort. Panoramic views of low-lying clouds and mist filled valleys make it a pretty little heaven with a cool, bracing climate and is also famous for the wild orchids locally called Neelakurinchi which blooms once in 12 years. Munnar is famous as Honeymoon destination and Romantic getaway, has a variety of attractions to feast your eyes like placid lakes, meandering streams, misty mountain peaks, sylvan valleys, rare orchids and wildlife. Plantation visits, treks, tea factory visits, cycling, boating, paragliding, day tours to the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary etc add to the excitement of exploring the truly unique destination.

Photo Credit: Augustin Rajkumar

      

Destination Facts:

Location : Idukki District in Kerala

Altitude : 5000-8000 ft above sea level.

Area : 26.2 sq. km.

Temperature : (Summer: 15.2°C - 25°C) & (Winter : 0°C - 10° C )

Languages spoken : Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi and English.