It was a charming cloudy day; the sun was shying behind the clouds, the mountain breeze was pleasingly calm, the melody of the birds was touching me gentle, the reverberating mountains made be humble, and the aroma from the mango farms refreshed me. I realized that even the minutest particle in the forest had a beautiful life and an interesting story – the colorful butterfly flapping its wings, the small green fresh grass, the early morning dew drops, the cute and lovely little birds, that spectacular boulders, the remarkable view of the Venkatagiri hills, I felt life in them – I experienced harmony in them!
Courtesy: Subbu
I quietly stepped into the forests realizing firmly that rain or shine, heat or cold, and good or bad I have decided to live inside this incredible forest, napping on its lap, drinking the juicy water, breathing the fresh air, making the sky as my roof and rock as my bed. I kept my soul open to feel the love, absorb the energy emanating from this treasure trove and here I unfold the soul touching encounters I sensed from these three amusing days
Bat Caves, Wasps and Scorpions – Surprising Encounters
The slippery rocks took me to the bee hive; my notorious loud throat exposed the hidden bats; and the campsite had a scorpion guest. At the very begining of the trek itself I slipped from the ridge and caught hold of a small tree to be kissed by a cute wasp on my ear, while the pain was temporary and the sting is part of me now, I respect the other wasps for sparing me. The usually silent and calm soul within me went out to howl inside a quiet and narrow ridge which had a beautiful waterfall splashing down on the other end exposing the thousands of bats clinching on to the roof of that cave. For a moment my heart feared what will happen if all these bats started hurting me – I should thank my lucky stars, to be spared by the natives and pardoning the intruders. But the sight of the thousand bats flying around me inside a narrow gorge and the flapping sound it emanated – I will treasure it for a lifetime.
Vibrating Rocks and Soothing Water:
Eastern Ghats – the oldest mountain formations in the south Indian peninsula is a dazzling low altitude stretch of mountains along the eastern coast. The stunning rocks formations, the crystal clear water, peaceful atmosphere, scenic ridges, and vibrating valleys, on the whole it’s a wonderful poetry lying on the laps of Mother Nature.
The soothing waters collected direct from the rain bearing clouds and dipping from the rocks and valleys not only quench my bodily thirst but also appeased my inner soul – maybe, now I realize that’s the reason why I slipped on the boulders, into the pools, into the gorge, on the ridges, and even on the grass. I consider being blessed to be in constant touch with nature, slip or slid does not really matter.
The Incredible Venkatagiri Peak:
The stand-alone Venkatagiri peak is the guardian on looking the beautiful Venkatagiri forests. It’s a delight to admire, it’s a beauty to cherish, it’s a pleasure to trek, and certainly it’s a dream place to camp. This wind blown peak is a marvel by creation, amazement by design, powerful by structure, and a miracle by its appearance. I had the good opportunity to admire its beauty for almost two days – from the adjoining ridges, from the valley, and from the nearby peaks. Every time I saw this chef-d’oeuvre I lost myself in admiration, I will certainly cherish the views of this peak for a lifetime.
‘Razor Ridge’ and the Clever Climbs:
The second day of the trek was cleverly stitched to connect two valleys across the ‘Razor Ridge’, the ridge gets is name because of the very narrow passage filled with sharp rocks connecting the valleys. While I was trekking on this ridge I had the ‘high’ of floating on the air, and flying with the eagles – the wind blew me apart and gave me an ‘out of this world’ feeling – maybe this great experience provoked me to jump on that breathtaking cliff to feel the wind on my body and to enjoy the surging adrenaline rush. I trekked rubbing on the bushes, braving the thorns, and climbing the boulders just with a sole hope to reach the peak and appreciate this beautiful forest sitting on the highest point.
At the end of this three days trek, when I sit in silence to recollect from my memory what I encountered, my mind slowly started confessing what my heart was hiding it deep inside – the gentle drizzles that drenched me, the early morning calmness that touched my soul, the steep climbs making my heart pound fast, the melody of the chirping cute birds, the rejuvenating dip in the mountain stream, the energy emanating from the vibrating mountains, and the camaraderie of my 15 fellow nature loving hearts has deeply touched my soul with an absolute sense of blissfulness.
Happy Trekking,
Durai Murugan