"Friends are as companions on a journey, who ought to aid each other to persevere in the road to a happier life."- Pythagoras
For all my insanely CRAZY friends without whom I probably would have been much saner.
Most of us would agree that the college going phase is the best phase of our lives. We had no responsibilities whatsoever. All we had to do was pass a few exams. And if we don't, there's always a make-up exam!
It's my personal belief, that no matter how dull your college is, if you have the right group of people, fun, frolic and excursions are inevitable. I am fortunate enough to have found people who are as weirdly enthusiastic as me. I call them my FRIENDS.
Flash Back - "The National Institute of Engineering, Mysore" year: 2011-2015
Initially, our "trips" were more like hangout sessions. We would ride away from the heart of the city to unwind after exams or after monotonous classes. And then came the 3 rd year of college, when we actually began wandering.
Here are some places we visited.
Chikmagalur
Bandipur
Bekal
Mangalore
And a number of other small bike rides and car drives.
It's hard to pick the best among these trips. Every trip was equally amusing and special.
We began with Chikmagalur. Chickmagalur must and should be on your bucket list for a quiet and de-stressing weekend getaway. As it was a class trip, the journey was very lively and noisy with everyone singing, dancing and playing in the bus.
All I have to say about Chikmagalur is, if u ever happen to visit here-
Baba Budan giri, Mullayan giri and Shakir Ahmad falls are must visits
You can also stay at Hunkal Woods resort. It completely disconnects you from the chaos of the world and surrounds you with serene landscape. You don't get any network there except for a BSNL connectivity. You can lie in the hammocks, listen to the birds sing, the young can play a sport or two and the old can just lay back and relax!
Our next stop was Bandipur. One of my friend's father was a range officer there, now he's transferred elsewhere I believe. We were really excited for this trip. We caught a bus, and reached there in just one and a half hour.
We were put up in a cottage to freshen up. The cottage was right in the heart of the forest. After freshening up, we needed some entertainment. So, just outside the cottage we played around and danced for a while. It was fun indeed!
From there we headed to Gopalswamy betta. The hill is most of the time coved in fog and is picture perfect. There is a temple on the top dedicated to Lord Krishna. We spent some time there looking around and clicking photos and then went downhill, back to the cottage where lunch was served.
What was next? Yes, a Safari. How can one not go on a safari in the forest? A Safari, from an exotic resort will cost you approximately 300 per head, but we got it for free!
Nothing is more thrilling than touring a forest. A bit deep into the jungle we spotted wild elephants, deer (a very common sight in Bandipur), and some rare species of birds. We were eager to catch a glimpse of a tiger or two, unfortunately we didn't.
Back from the safari we were treated with juice and snacks and then we were greeted by the Ivory tusked animal, the elephant. Thetamed elephant was brought in front of the cottage. The elephant was quite a poser so we got some good clicks with this majestic animal.
That was the end of our Bandipur trip. Free food, free shelter and free safari, what more could we ask for. This amazing trip is one I'll never forget! Wish we could go there once again.
Tour number 3. Bekal - a small town in Kasargod district of Kerala. Not many people know how beautiful this place is. In fact, not many people have even heard about Bekal.
Our first stop was at The Bekal fort. It is so grand and mighty. The classic fort overlooks the beach. We took a walk around the fort and felt calm and relaxed after the long journey.
After spending some time at the fort we made our way to the adjoining beach. It is one of the cleanest beaches I've visited in India. We left all our exam anxieties out and took a dip in the Arabian Sea. We enjoyed ourselves, watched the sun go down and the stars come up, got some excellent and interesting pictures clicked and left the place with a lot of memories.
Next, we landed up in Mangalore. Mangalore was a joke. We had been to there to write an exam. We were free to choose the examination centre. One of the centres was Bangalore (the closest to Mysore). But no, we chose Mangalore. Why? Because we wanted to explore a new place. The exam was a huge fail but the "Trip" on the whole was fun. We were starving after the exam so we decided to have lunch before anything else. Lunch was not very impressive. But now with a satisfied stomach we headed towards Panambur beach. This beach is so crowded, that it agitates you after sometime. To get a more relaxed atmosphere we moved towards a less crowded part of the beach. We took a speed boat ride as well. It is a great feeling to sit in the corner and touch the waters with your hand. After some time, it began thundering and lightening. It was about to rain, so we had some light snacks on the beach and went back to the city centre.
If you ever plan to visit Mangalore, do yourselves a favour and do go to Pabbas ice cream parlour. The parlour is so packed that you have to wait a minimum half an hour to get a table. Their ice cream sundaes are totally worth the wait and weight! Do try the tiramisu and chocolate dad. Every sundae of theirs is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth! I would however avoid savoury and stick to desserts at Pabbas.
The other small bike and car rides were to Gopalswamy betta again, Kunti betta, the lesser known Bam Bam Ashram near Mysore and frequent long rides on various National Highways.
I would like close by thanking all my friends, who took trips with me for giving me so many memories in such a short time. Looking forward to taking many more trips with you guys. Thanks for being there.
I just want to tell you guys, "I'll be there for you!"
"So long as the memory of certain beloved friends lives in my heart, I shall say that life is good." - Helen Keller
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This blog was originally published on 'Beers and Backpacks'