Dandeli 23-24/10/2010

This was one trip i was very eagerly waiting for...reason: SINDHU (my best friend) had signed up for it. I was impatiently counting down days two weeks before 22nd (the day of departure).

22/10 : I thought I was going to be late and the ghac guys would curse me for making them miss the bus ( or worse, I'd be left behind!). i reached Chandan's (the event host) place and the two of us started toward MGBS together. We reached on time (thankfully!), but Sindhu had to wait for long.... anyway, finally, we caught up with our latest developments and chatted on about every damn thing on the face of the planet, not letting anyone have a sound sleep. The icing on the cake that night was Sindhu's seat...it wasn't stretching back! She couldn't really sleep....poor thing! The only reason we were forcing ourselves to sleep was that we had to enjoy the trip that was to start tomorrow. That night was one of the most MEMORABLE nights for the two of us.

23/10 : We reached Hubli in the morning and were told our bus was late. So we waited for the bus at the bus station and then hurled ourselves (and our luggage too) into the bus that was to take us to Dandeli.
A two hour long journey was made very interesting by dumb charades and antakshari that we played in teams. Everyone was an acting talent, when it came to dumb charades! So was everyone a nightingale when it came to antakshari!
two hours flew by, when we reached Dandeli...our destination. It started raining, taking the gilt off the ginger bread : No rafting! Can you believe it! We were all disappointed. I cursed the rains for having caused it all. And so we all settled into the two jeeps that were waiting for us, and in half an hour or so, reached Stanley's farm, our stay for the "sojourn". We had our break fast and then left for Kayaking and Jacuzzi. Kayaking needs a lot of  arm power...which I lacked greatly...so the whole kayaking experience left me with a phantom load on my shoulders... I was imagining I was rowing even after we came back to the farm! After kayaking, we went to the Jacuzzi....no sooner had we stepped into it, that we started splashing water at one another. Everyone was having his version of fun with water. Some including Sindhu, swam too. After we had all got thoroughly wet and exhausted, we went back to the farm, where we had a late LINNER (when a meal at time between breakfast and lunch can be called BRUNCH, why can't we coin a word for a meal between lunch and dinner!). After we had eaten, a bonfire was set up, around which we all sat cozy. Two dogs too were among the beneficieries. We all had great fun playing games around the fire. And then suddenly there was a sudden pause in the game we were playing, when it struck midnight. It was 24th now, Shankar's birthday! Everyone was singing the birthday song. Shankar was given birthday bumps and a bonus BIRTHDAY BATH too! i believe you will never forget the water you bathed in Shankar! After the " celebration", everyone retired to bed, leaving a few nocturnals, who had fun even when they weren't sleeping!

24/10 : Everyone woke up at 4 am and was ready to leave for the Dandeli wildlife sanctuary. It was 6 am by the time we reached the entrance of the sanctaury. After reaching, we all got down the jeeps and started trekking towards the Cavla caves. Little did I know that Dandeli was a spider infested forest...Famous for it arachnid treasure! I, being an arachnophobe, was only wait for a spider to move so i could scream! We trekked for a long time,and climbed 500 steps (people took the pain to count the number! ) down, to reach the Cavla caves. The caves sheltered a temple of Lord Shiva. A few went into the cave,while a few were trying to get rid (which they finally were successful in doing) of the leeches that they had gotten on their feet. After a little break at the caves, we retraced our route back to the jeep, waiting for the rest of the group. After everyone had settled in the jeeps, we started back to the farm, to have our breakfast. After the breakfast, we were in splits: we had to choose from one activity that day- jacuzzi, or river crossing. After quite a few vacillations, a lion's share of the group went for river crossing, while the rest went to the Jacuzzi. Soon the river crossing-group joined the jacuzzi group (river crossing had taken ten minutes or so because the water level of the river was disappointingly low). After this reunion, we all had fun together, until we got exhausted. And then, we returned to the farm, where we had lunch (dessert this time was fruit custard!) and started packing to leave. It was evening when we got our call to settle into the jeeps. We would go to Hubli in the jeeps, fromwhere, we'd catch a bus to Hyderabad. On our way back home, we listened to a love story (I tell you, it could make a record breaking novel, a superhit movie, or an endless daily soap! ), pausing only to have dinner. Then we fell asleep, (this time, the seat Sindhu had taken while coming, was quite flexible! ).

25/10 : We reached Hyderabad at 9 am, where we parted ways, with memories we'd cherish for a lifetime!