Trekking ! Yeah Right !!

I am a novice to this very concept of having a "get away" weekend and will always remain one. What are we trying to get away from? Peaceful nights of sleep? Sumptuous food at home (or anywhere for guys like me!)? Entertainment in movies? Shopping? Are you kidding me! Well this is why I am perplexed at the very thought of walking around in the woods where creatures are hell bent at making your lives miserable and the sheer physical exhaustion of the entire episode....

Ok, now that I have your attention, let me try to put things in perspective. People are different.. Period! their mood swings are like a pendulum whose oscillatory motion can never be expressed as a simple equation. Nah ... not by any scientist. Well then, what is it that drives people crazy enough to leave behind all luxuries of technology and wander about in jungles? I guess "monotony" is what kills them. Yeah this is a fair assumption don't you think? Drrrrrrrring.... Wrong Answer! its just that during the very process of existence they just lose it.

It is at this point that someone told me... "you'll never know till you try it". Oh, ok... Being the Egotist that I am, I couldn't handle this... So I decided to go for a "Trek". Well I got my first chance to visit Kemmangundi water falls which is about 100Km from Chickmangloor, Karnataka. Voila, I was there and ready for my first treking experience. I was in a huge group (20 odd) and they had come prepared with stuff like antiseptics, bandages, salt? and other first-aid stuff. I just thought to myself "Are these guys goin for a war or somethin?" Well, I just kept my thoughts to myself cos these guys were serious trekking enthusiasts and I didn't want to mess around being a minority in the group.

So, it happened. We embarked on a trek which was supposed to be a 9Km trek one way. I just said to myself 1hr or so... thats ok.. Well it turned out in the end that it was a really bad assumption. The start was great.. We walked through the woods in a man-made trail. I already started to feel good about my decision. The view was great. Gives you a feeling that you are bonding with nature. The view was something like this.

All said and done, really I couldn't accept the passion these guys had for this ominous journey. Well I was already half way there so I couldn't back out. We reached a small stream where the water was just ankle deep and it was about 5m wide. the group halted and everyone was asked to apply antiseptics on their legs by the head of the group! Well he was the head cos he had been on more of such nutty adventures than anyone else. Well, being the engineer that I am, I immediately began interrogating him on the reasons for this pristinely unnecessary act. He simply said "Do you want the leeches to suck all your blood?" Man... Leeches... what sort of trip was this with slimy creatures sucking the life out of you? Well, I just did as I was told. Cool... no leeches when I had crossed..

Some of them had one or two sticking in their feet and they just put some salt on them and the leeches fell off... "Wow that explains the salt". I began thinking how you would feel if a sack of salt is poured on you...poor leeches they had my sympathy. The experienced person asked us to save our salt cos the best was yet to come... I was just reminded... " The battle of Helm's deep is over... The battle for Middle Earth is yet to begin" (from the Lord of the Rings). Wow...my trek was beginning to feel like an epic now..Just when we walked a few yards, the sheer contrast of some of the shrubs were really amazing... They had these cute little chilly like thingies...

After some time, we came to a hill which we had to climb. I was impressed with the view we had. It was almost like the clouds were a silky blanket for the entire hill...

Then the battle for middle earth began. An entire strech of marshy paths infested with leeches... We fought relentlessly with all the salt we had and Hoorah! we were victorious. Mankind was saved by the wrath of leeches. Well after all this we got a glimpse of our destination! Wow, it was worth a sight. Lightning flashes entered my head as if punishing me for not having done this earlier....

I believe the sheer feeling of fighting all odds makes trekking special. After we got back, I slept like a log and didn't budge an inch. I guess it was worth it! Now I understand why these guys lose all their sanity and embark on these trips. I guess they just want to end victorious and the reward is sheer beauty of nature! Well, I got my explanation but I really would rather watch National Geographic on a huge TV! Now, if anyone raves about their trekking experience, I can always say ..

"Been There... Done That..." Cheers.

A story

Hey guys... I came accross this story in a time when I was down mentally...This gave me a lot to think about... About why we perform? What is performance anxiety and stuff...Even if it doesnt make revelations for you, I hope this would atleast get a smile to your face.

This teenager lived alone with his mother, and the two of them had a very special relationship. Even though the son was always on the bench, his mother was always in the stands cheering. She never missed a game. This young man was still the smallest of the class when he entered high school. But his mother continued to encourage him but also made it very clear that he did not have to play football if he didn't want to.But the young man loved football and decided to hang in there.

He was determined to try his best at every practice, and perhaps he'd get to play when he became a senior. All through high school he never missed a practice nor a game, but remained a bench warmer all four years. His faithful mother was always in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him. When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team as a "walk-on." Everyone was sure he could never make the cut, but he did. The coach admitted that he kept him on the roster because he always puts his heart and soul into every practice, and at the same time, provided the other members with the spirit and hustle they badly needed. The news that he had survived the cut thrilled him so much that he rushed to the nearest phone and called his mother. His mother shared his excitement and was sent season tickets for all the college games.

This persistent young athlete never missed practice during his four years at college, but he never got to play in the game. It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before the big play-off game, the coach met him with a telegram. The young man read the telegram and he became deathly silent. Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, "My mother died this morning. Is it all right if I miss practice today?" The coach put his arm gently around his shoulder and said,"Take the rest of the week off, son. And don't even plan to come back to the game on Saturday. Saturday arrived, and the game was not going well. In the third quarter, when the team was ten points behind, a silent young man quietlyslipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear.

As he ran onto the sidelines, the coach and his players were astounded to see their faithful teammate back soon. "Coach, please let me play. I've just got to play today," said the young man. The coach pretended not to hear him.There was no way he wanted his worst player in this close play-off game. But the young man persisted, and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in. "All right," he said. "You can go in." Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes. This little unknown, who had never played before was doing everything right.

The opposing team could not stop him. He ran, blocked and tackled like a star. His team began to triumph. The core was soon tied. In the closing seconds of the game, this kid intercepted a pass and ran all the way for the winning touchdown. The fans broke loose. His teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders. Such cheering you've never heard! Finally, after the stands had emptied and the team had showered and left the locker room, the coach noticed that the young man was sitting quietly in the corner all alone.

The coach came to him and said, "Kid, I can't believe it.You were fantastic Tell me what got into you? How did you do it?" He looked at the coach, with tears in his eyes, and said, "Well, you knew my mom died, but did you know that my mom was blind?" The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile, "Mom came to all my games, but today was the first time she could see me play, and I wanted to show her I could do it!"

Always Remember This:
Somebody is very proud of you.
Somebody is thinking of you.
Somebody is caring about you.
Somebody wants to talk to you.
Somebody wants to be with you.
Somebody hopes you are not in trouble.
Somebody hopes everything turns out all right.
Somebody wants you to be happy.
Somebody can't wait to see you.
Somebody loves you for who you are.
Some body is glad that you are their friend.
Somebody wants you to know they are there for you.
Somebody needs your support.
Somebody will cry when they read this.
Somebody needs you to have faith in them.
Somebody hears a song that reminds them of you.

Hang in there my dear friend, there will always be that somebody who believes in you and never give up. God bless.