Live the Fantasy

It's after long hibernation...... almost 10 months.

There had been so many things all around; it had been quite a time.

After a long hiatus, I took my family out for a vacation, albeit for three days. The destination was Coorg or Kodagu in Karnataka. This time it was with families of two other friends; so it was more of a fun trip. Three members of younger generation, three wives and we three husbands on tight leashes.

Call of the Nature

At the end of a lot of planning, lots and lots of phone calls and hyperactive conversations our journey started on a Christmas morning or should I say dawn. Everyone of us had different dreams and plans. I know of mine and it was quite something, lot of imaginations about the place.... mysterious dawns engulfed in fog, dimming evening lights on undulated mountains, provocatively dangerous curves around deep gorges etc. etc.

It is rightly said, the spirit of holiday is in the planning... with a little extrapolation... in the dreaming.

Colours of Fantasy

Nestled in the deep greens of Western Ghats, Coorg was nothing less than my dream. The gentle sound of a stream greeted us as soon we checked in. I had fallen for it instantly. The sound was coming from the rear end of our resort and in the pitch dark night it was quite intoxicating to provoke many fantasies. Mystery of a dark night in an unknown place is always like a new bride in veil; enjoy the beauty with the power of imagination and fantasy; don't open the veil and break your dream.

Coorg in dawn

Proving this popular belief wrong, the bride looked quite beautiful and sensual even in the morning lights. Her beauty was so breathtaking in the early morning that I almost leaped out of the window had my friend not pulled me back by my jacket.

The Nilgiris (Blue Mountains)

The stream turned out to be a cute one, bordering our resort from the neighbouring village in foot hills of the mountains. For the city dwellers like us Nature generally comes in limited edition formats, no other choice. I didn't know, this time, my limited edition model was packed with so much of surprises.  It was the colours of Nature that just started to unfold.....

Paddy fields in the golden sunlight

I spent my first few years in a remote village. Although it never had a big impact, at least I know that rice doesn't grow in a big tree. What is knowledge if not shared, such was my belief. But a trial proved quite challenging; even after lot of persuasion two members of our next generation denied to sacrifice their morning sleep for Nature. However, my daughter came with us for her first ever stroll in a paddy field. I am sure, she did enjoy the experience.

Moods of early morning

In a family holiday, you are supposed to be with family and not with Nature only. Following this wise advice I redirected myself to more meaningful sites. But while in Coorg you can never be away from Nature. Even the young ones finally slipped into the groove. It was nice to hear their voices across the calmness, sometimes in soft hisses and sometimes in louder pitches.

Enjoy the Nature

At different points of time all of us become Philosopher. Mostly we remember the days we left behind.. the days of happiness, the days of romantic hallucinations; how the bubble bursted and came out the rude life, so inconvenient and painful. If only we could access a time machine. But it is a rare sight to see the kids in similar mood. May be they think of the future, a bright and more colourful one.

The Philosophers

When everything had just started to become so nice and enjoyable, a small bird came and announced "ONE MORE DAY TO GO"; Everyone jumped out of their dreams. Why the hell the first day had gone so fast? How can we complete the list of seven points? So it was decided that the second day had to be in a fast forward mode.

With the hectic sight seeing trips, we tried to gulp the best of everything, 

in quickest possible time... 

Who knows when we can be back in nature for the next time?

Abbey Falls

But in the process....... 

We missed a beautiful butterfly 

and a colourful bird so shy.

We also forgot to notice the fragrance so rare

which comes only from the wild flowers grow there.

In the lap of Nature

At the end of the fastest day of my life when I tell that two days in Coorg is not sufficient at all, it should be minimum four.. five or more; my Friends don't agree, they laugh. I can't find enough words to explain that the colours can never satisfy a soul if it is not dipped and soaked in those colours upto the saturation.

A painting by the Almighty with colours of Nature

On the third morning also I wake up to the chirping of birds. I come out in the balcony to feel the cold air of Coorg for the last time. A couple of birds suddenly come too close, may be to bid goodbye in their own way. It was time I had to draw an end to the dream I painted over two months but could live only for two days. A gross injustice by all means. 

Why we are not allowed to do what we love to? why we have to carry on this tasteless life doing the mundane tasks, day in & day out? Nice questions.. more rightly, nice philosophical questions..... may be I can find the answers in my next trip.