Trekking, nature and much more!

Early morning waking in a bus, among a group of nature enthusiasts. Fun, singing and a short break later; I took my first step into the jungles of Brahmagiri. “It starts here,” I told myself; a promise that this is one among the many trips into nature.

And it was an important first one. The best of the trekking group, middle of the jungle with special permission, waterfall, scenery, campfire, zip lining, tents and photography.

Thinking back, life couldn't be better and life couldn't be more hopeful. I managed squeezing in my love for trekking and jungle between my kids, writing, job, husband and the haunting purpose of life. Yes, I squeezed in three days of serene jungle, pure air and water and camaraderie at the campfire. But I squeezed out a lot.  Fulfilling one wish, which was tucked away in some corner of my heart; I opened up a world of possibilities.  Yes, it was possible to break away and get three days for myself.

“But you have two children!”, was the steady query from anyone with whom I shared my jungle diaries not to mention my zooooooooooooin zip lining adventure. And I simply smiled, “Yes, I do. Two adorable children and my husband takes care of them when I go trekking.”

So what does this jungle experience give you? A lot of jungle (if you go during the right time of the year), lots of greenery, cool shadows, shrubs -twines-trees, colourful flowers, berries you've never seen before, different insects, pristine waters, beautiful good earth and different shades of the sun. If lucky, you’ll get a spider wrapping a fly in its web, snake skin left behind, some foot prints, which only the guide can recognize. But it leaves you with much more. The amazing jungle photographs, may be the materialistic souvenirs in your hands but the entire outdoor experience calms you as you experience nature is its best raw form. Moreover, life just seems simpler. Living in the wilderness, without the paraphernalia that we otherwise think we can’t live without. And not the cottage/tent kind of a luxurious outdoor holiday but a real basic one-with- mother nature kind.

As we left the next day, singing and laughing all our way back, we took turns to say our bit to the gang. Well, what could I say, “It was great? “I’ll come back for more?” Or that “nothing is better that being so close to nature”? All this and to that I added, “I want my children to trek, to see nature as it is and care about it in the future.” What a thought, Touch Wood!