It was a long time since my friends and I were planning for a trip. After hours of midnight discussions we decided to go to some place different. Not usual stuff like Goa, Pondicherry, Leh, Ladakh etc, not because they are not great but because we wanted something low key. And finally, a trip to Ooty was fixed.
I had never been to a hill station. I am a beach person and love to soak myself in the sun. At the same time, i look forward to change and therefore, was excited for Ooty.
I and one of my besties, reached Bangalore, where we met our third musketeer. We slept that night and were excited to start our journey the next day, early morning.
We reached Mysore first and stayed for a night. Next morning, we headed our way to Ooty. The road to Ooty goes through one of the largest forests in India. On our way we saw tigers, deer, elephants and peacocks. The trip was already worth it.
The road to the Ooty is carved on a mountain and the bus goes round and round to the top of the hill. It was scary and exciting at the same time.
At last, we reached the top to experience a blissful garden beside the Ooty lake. It was beautiful, just like we used to see in old horror movies like Raaz. Tall trees, chilled weather, chocolate pudding and beautiful boats welcomed us to Ooty. And damn, it was serene.
The highlight of our first day might sound funny, but it was actually great for me. I rode a huge horse all by myself. It cost ₹200 and its pretty great of an experience.
The best thing i liked about Ooty was the weather. It was September and the cold breeze was swaying us off our routine corporate life. But the best part was yet to come. It was a lovely day tour to Coonoor. We started off with the famous tea garden. It was nothing but acres of tea plantation and mist which was unlike anything i had experienced till then. The dew drops on the tea leaves added purity and picturesqueness to the already beautiful landscape. I may sound overwhelmed, but don't you travel some where you wish time could stop for a while. It was exactly the same feeling when I stood on top of a cliff engrossed in the calmness and beauty of the valley.
Trips like these fuel the traveler inside me. Different people travel to seek different things. I travel to keep the human part alive in me. To remind me that a 9 to 5 job does not define me. There is a whole big planet to travel, to meet new people, witness nature and bring back a ton of memories. Like George Clooney said in the movie 'Up in the air', "Life is like a backpack. You got to fill it with memories, friends and family, because they are the lightest to carry." Wish to bring in more of my ordinary travel stories about extraordinary places.