We dipped our feet in the ice-cold water of a stream and munched away on soft chapathis with three different sabjis. All in the middle of a forest in the Nilgiris. An idyllic scenario, more so since it was a holiday from work for Pongal and we did not have to worry about deadlines, schedules and so on. So, nine of us headed to the hills to celebrate.
The toughest bit was the start to the trek — getting up early. We planned to set out at 5.30 a.m. but finally started only around 7 a.m. after furious calls from those who had come early. Still groggy-eyed, we wolfed down idlis and vadas at Mettupalayam before we reached our destination — Mamaram, a sleepy hamlet near Kothagiri.
After ensuring the tea-stall owner was thoroughly confused with our order – lemon tea and ordinary tea, with sugar, without sugar, black coffee and strong coffee…we began the trek to Vellarikambai, an Irula settlement.
Our guide was Shiva Ayyadurai, a 30-year-old local, who kept our spirits up by recounting interesting information. He pointed out bunches of what the locals call ‘soap’ fruit, hanging on trees. Before consumerism reached the hills, the fruit was used for bathing and washing clothes.
Half an hour into our trek through tea and coffee plantations, we came across the first breath-taking sight — a viewpoint that showed Kallar near Mettupalayam. Our timing was perfect as the fog was just lifting.
Dozens of snaps and selfies later, the gang made its way downhill. After another hour-and-a-half of an arduous trek that left us huffing and puffing, we came across our second view point, near another Irula settlement.
From here, Shiva showed us a cliff on the opposite side of the valley, which is home to the ‘Ezhuthu Parai,’ a rock with ancient carvings. However, he cautioned us that a trip there called for a fitter group of trekkers.
We decided then and there that that would be us, on our next trek.
After resting a while, we made our way past Kozhikarai settlement to the stream. Tempted by its pristine waters, some of us dived in, braving the freezing cold. Others chose to nap on the rocks along the banks. After an hour or so, we opened up our lunch we had brought along from Coimbatore and hungrily ate the food that tasted wonderful.
As the skies began to darken, we made our way back to Coimbatore. The return journey too had its fair share of drama with one of the cars having a close shave with Lord Yama while overtaking a bus!
It was a great trip for the group. For me, it also marked a personal milestone. I achieved my target of doubling my ‘walking distance’ on a fitness app. That helped shoo away the guilt as I cheated on my diet and tucked into several crisp bajjis for the first time in months.
