A Traveler's Memoir

Hill stations are the best places to blend in with nature, to be surrounded by a million creatures, living so close to each other in harmony is a happiness many have stopped cherishing. This is the kind of life I need, I told myself.  The bus was slowly climbing the Kodai ghats when my thoughts started haunting me again. What if the given phone number is turned off or if nobody came to pick me? What do I do next? Would I have any cash left to go back home? I even thought of going to Palzhani, shave my head and then go back home if I was left alone. I reached around 3 PM and called Nitesh, Shaju Ettas cousin who was supposed to pick me up. He came in a yellow scooter and took me to a lodge run by them. He showed me to my space where I rested the luggage before going out since he had some work in town. We had to book a horse for photoshoot, then fuel his Honda and later waited for a guest to make a payment. Meanwhile it started raining, as the rain slowed down, he took me to treat so...

It is rare for me to sit pillion on motorcycles, But now I didn't have a choice, and I was starting to like it. It protected me from the cold and allowed me to enjoy the nature around. I even bumped into a wild buffalo in the city center. "Have they lost their way, or have we taken their place?" There was a splendor bike left to rust at the cottage. I wondered If I could get the bike repaired so I can move around. The feeling of being lost is coming back. I am seeing many kinds of people. All have their own stories and struggles. I see old people carrying firewood on the roads. People earning their livelihood with small food joints serving hot meals in this chill climate. I have my respect for them. But I don't want to settle down here, and I need to keep moving. I wondered "how do i reach to the top of the country?" I always thought "What's the fun when you know your next day?" Because When I first started working , I had got very comfortable ...