Day1:The day began frantically with a massive security check as all the
airports were on high terrorist alert on the 65 th anniversary of our Independence Day after receiving a tip off from the
security agencies. A surprising moment was when a huge platoon of
sum 100 policemen accosted a group of some 20 sad looking girls/women from
the flight to the airport through a glass passage. Because of the oncoming Id festival was the cause of a our flight being overcrowded by Muslim sect people with humongous and plenty of baggage...and so 1 and half hour and some brownie with tasteless
puffy bread later we reach our destination....the coastal town of Mangalore.
Situated some 100 kms from our destination- Manipal..the international education hub of South India.The drive along a beautiful smooth road, decorated with wet green-leaved trees and dark grey clouds waiting to burst looming over them, so we arrive after a few wrong turns. My cousin manages to get us to the villa where my sister wearing a huge toothy smile waiting to welcome us.It is her first very 'own' house, she can't wait to play host.
The hello's n introductions are done with and we take a house tour. A huge house with a garden, is what every city dweller craves for, I am already in love with the pretty house. In the evening we make plans to tour around the city and stroll across to a place called the 'End point', where the view is scintillating to say the least! Let me paint the picture walking uphill, on our left was a lake some miles away and huge dark clouds playing hide and seek with the sun, on the right lush green dewy football fields, then suddenly whoosh..the sly winds blow those clouds right over our heads and we are caught amidst a downpour...5 people and 1 umbrella..you do the math! Ayurvedic rain wets us and everything feels so fresh and alive!
Day 2: The vacation day began late. We could get out of bed from under the covers only after 11, and then the stomach growled for some yum food. So aubergine in garlic sauce with some egg fried rice was the meal of the day. The lazy day got even more lazier after walking around the town picking things for the dinner party at night, and so we headed for a siesta. Then came evening and I set out with what seems like a mountain bike over the not-so-even terrain of Udipi...cycling around the town called for some huge effort but was the quicker and fun way to get around. My next destination was 'old tapani building' as the students fondly refer to for a movie screening of the 'A Single Man'. After a quick round of introductions we headed to the lecture room where a crowd of 20 something awaited the start of the film. It was a heartwarming movie on a gay college professor who is contemplating suicide after his boyfriend's death though it got slow mid-way and my mind began wandering to how the gay mans tastes in men were similar to mine meaning physical attributes of leanness, soft hair etc. Once we got done some 2 hours later, I headed straight to our home-for-the -next-4-days. The menu for the get-together read Bombay pav bhajji, fried breadfruit and fruit salad with ice cream for desert and chattering's and bickering's about college-life and imitations of their professors for accompaniment. The end of another satisfying day.
Day 3: Now my determination for mentioning the entire details have been afflicted by the weather, cold is creeping up my shoulders...brrr..but the summary of the day read as follows- A delicious lunch of a South Indian meal at the famous Woodland hotel..complete with the mouth-watering hot and tangy rasam, sambar and rice balls and some coconut gravy, followed by a temple visit to the Krishna temple at the centre of the small bustling town of 'Odipi' which is more than 1500 years old. The inside walls were adorned with pictures of Hindu mythological tales. A lake with moss colored water surrounded it, showing a pretty picture. At this auspicious moment the rain gods choose to shower their blessings on us. We were caught without any cover. So after searching around for one we separate ways after buying a bright red umbrella from a local shop. I decide to go exploring the town. After looking around the town , walking aimlessly catching a few eyes along the way because of my bright red umbrella and city girl walk. I decide to head to the nearest beach 'Malpe'. The weather is nice and cozy. I jump into the first auto I find and utter Malpe. Though I have heard its close by I have no idea where exactly it is. But a nod by the rickshaw man convinces me it may not be really that far. So after 20 minutes and 100 rupees poorer I reach the coast. The first sight of the waters, feels nice staying in Mumbai one is always starved for a good beach with clean waters and white-sands. After smiling at a few random kids who were standing at the edge of the shore I head for a walk along the coast. Strolling on the soft sands layered with shells is a peaceful feeling. On the way I bump into 2 fishermen and their boats who stare at me and my camera suspiciously..which signaled me not to attempt to start a conversation. From there I could see the now inapproachable famous Mary island known for its basaltic lava rock formations which were formed from the days Madagascar were joined to the mainland India! Just sitting on the sands sieving sands with your hands makes you feel more connected to the earth and as a Buddhist would say 'in one with the universe'. Snowy, a white-haired dog followed me as I made my way back to the bus point and so with the sunset behind the dark clouds, it was time to set back home for a home-cooked dinner with company of the university students of humanities awaited me. The day ended amidst chatter and some insider jokes and good-humored ribbing.
Day 4: Our schedule for the day read lots of food, sleep and visit to the beautiful Kaup beach. A spontaneous walk around the manipal lake under dark clouds working up an appetite in the morning was the only unplanned part of the day. The rest of the day was as planned, Kaup beach is one of the scenic beaches on the coastline, with a lighthouse overlooking huge black boulders around it. It was right out of the adventure Famous Five series book on Five at the Demons Rocks! We climbed right atop, from where the panoramic view of the blue waters white sands, stretches of trees and a stream that ran parallel to the sea held our gaze. We couldn't help but gasp at this beautiful view. Down on the sands a sense of exploring took over me I crossed the stream after poking around for hints of quick sand and reassurance from a local that the stream was only knee-deep. I gave him a thumbs-up when I crossed across to which he couldn't stop grinning. However, the moss covered rocks made my climb slippery and dangerous so I headed back across to the more approachable stretch. The similarity of shell-layered sands remained but here one could find more of the conch-shaped smaller shells. As an ex-shell collector I admired their beauty before heading along. The dark clouds above made various kaleidoscopic patterns in the open skies. a lonely old man sat on the a rock tried to grab my attention. I didn't notice it at first but then when I glanced his way I was surprised he made gestures of 'you are looking pretty' with his eyes and hands. I being alone with noone for at least a mile got a little flighty and headed right back. On the way I met at least 6 dogs out of which 2 I petted till they sighed. Few of these dogs just followed me without any invitation other than a kind glance towards them, now I'm beginning to believe that dogs for one, have a sense of intuition and somehow can sense a animal-lover when they see one. Then to fast-forward the rest of the day, it was roasted corn, ripe banana fritters, the very special 'gadbad' and a 'lighthouse' ice -cream just to go along with the theme of the day, was all we could gobble-up before we headed back home. And so ended our wonderful trip to the student town of Manipal. The next day was our travel back to Mangalore and a meet up with relatives and cousins before catching our flight back home.
Bye dear Readers now. Seahorsesojourns will be back with more tales, soon. Adios:)
Situated some 100 kms from our destination- Manipal..the international education hub of South India.The drive along a beautiful smooth road, decorated with wet green-leaved trees and dark grey clouds waiting to burst looming over them, so we arrive after a few wrong turns. My cousin manages to get us to the villa where my sister wearing a huge toothy smile waiting to welcome us.It is her first very 'own' house, she can't wait to play host.
The hello's n introductions are done with and we take a house tour. A huge house with a garden, is what every city dweller craves for, I am already in love with the pretty house. In the evening we make plans to tour around the city and stroll across to a place called the 'End point', where the view is scintillating to say the least! Let me paint the picture walking uphill, on our left was a lake some miles away and huge dark clouds playing hide and seek with the sun, on the right lush green dewy football fields, then suddenly whoosh..the sly winds blow those clouds right over our heads and we are caught amidst a downpour...5 people and 1 umbrella..you do the math! Ayurvedic rain wets us and everything feels so fresh and alive!
Day 2: The vacation day began late. We could get out of bed from under the covers only after 11, and then the stomach growled for some yum food. So aubergine in garlic sauce with some egg fried rice was the meal of the day. The lazy day got even more lazier after walking around the town picking things for the dinner party at night, and so we headed for a siesta. Then came evening and I set out with what seems like a mountain bike over the not-so-even terrain of Udipi...cycling around the town called for some huge effort but was the quicker and fun way to get around. My next destination was 'old tapani building' as the students fondly refer to for a movie screening of the 'A Single Man'. After a quick round of introductions we headed to the lecture room where a crowd of 20 something awaited the start of the film. It was a heartwarming movie on a gay college professor who is contemplating suicide after his boyfriend's death though it got slow mid-way and my mind began wandering to how the gay mans tastes in men were similar to mine meaning physical attributes of leanness, soft hair etc. Once we got done some 2 hours later, I headed straight to our home-for-the -next-4-days. The menu for the get-together read Bombay pav bhajji, fried breadfruit and fruit salad with ice cream for desert and chattering's and bickering's about college-life and imitations of their professors for accompaniment. The end of another satisfying day.
Day 3: Now my determination for mentioning the entire details have been afflicted by the weather, cold is creeping up my shoulders...brrr..but the summary of the day read as follows- A delicious lunch of a South Indian meal at the famous Woodland hotel..complete with the mouth-watering hot and tangy rasam, sambar and rice balls and some coconut gravy, followed by a temple visit to the Krishna temple at the centre of the small bustling town of 'Odipi' which is more than 1500 years old. The inside walls were adorned with pictures of Hindu mythological tales. A lake with moss colored water surrounded it, showing a pretty picture. At this auspicious moment the rain gods choose to shower their blessings on us. We were caught without any cover. So after searching around for one we separate ways after buying a bright red umbrella from a local shop. I decide to go exploring the town. After looking around the town , walking aimlessly catching a few eyes along the way because of my bright red umbrella and city girl walk. I decide to head to the nearest beach 'Malpe'. The weather is nice and cozy. I jump into the first auto I find and utter Malpe. Though I have heard its close by I have no idea where exactly it is. But a nod by the rickshaw man convinces me it may not be really that far. So after 20 minutes and 100 rupees poorer I reach the coast. The first sight of the waters, feels nice staying in Mumbai one is always starved for a good beach with clean waters and white-sands. After smiling at a few random kids who were standing at the edge of the shore I head for a walk along the coast. Strolling on the soft sands layered with shells is a peaceful feeling. On the way I bump into 2 fishermen and their boats who stare at me and my camera suspiciously..which signaled me not to attempt to start a conversation. From there I could see the now inapproachable famous Mary island known for its basaltic lava rock formations which were formed from the days Madagascar were joined to the mainland India! Just sitting on the sands sieving sands with your hands makes you feel more connected to the earth and as a Buddhist would say 'in one with the universe'. Snowy, a white-haired dog followed me as I made my way back to the bus point and so with the sunset behind the dark clouds, it was time to set back home for a home-cooked dinner with company of the university students of humanities awaited me. The day ended amidst chatter and some insider jokes and good-humored ribbing.
Day 4: Our schedule for the day read lots of food, sleep and visit to the beautiful Kaup beach. A spontaneous walk around the manipal lake under dark clouds working up an appetite in the morning was the only unplanned part of the day. The rest of the day was as planned, Kaup beach is one of the scenic beaches on the coastline, with a lighthouse overlooking huge black boulders around it. It was right out of the adventure Famous Five series book on Five at the Demons Rocks! We climbed right atop, from where the panoramic view of the blue waters white sands, stretches of trees and a stream that ran parallel to the sea held our gaze. We couldn't help but gasp at this beautiful view. Down on the sands a sense of exploring took over me I crossed the stream after poking around for hints of quick sand and reassurance from a local that the stream was only knee-deep. I gave him a thumbs-up when I crossed across to which he couldn't stop grinning. However, the moss covered rocks made my climb slippery and dangerous so I headed back across to the more approachable stretch. The similarity of shell-layered sands remained but here one could find more of the conch-shaped smaller shells. As an ex-shell collector I admired their beauty before heading along. The dark clouds above made various kaleidoscopic patterns in the open skies. a lonely old man sat on the a rock tried to grab my attention. I didn't notice it at first but then when I glanced his way I was surprised he made gestures of 'you are looking pretty' with his eyes and hands. I being alone with noone for at least a mile got a little flighty and headed right back. On the way I met at least 6 dogs out of which 2 I petted till they sighed. Few of these dogs just followed me without any invitation other than a kind glance towards them, now I'm beginning to believe that dogs for one, have a sense of intuition and somehow can sense a animal-lover when they see one. Then to fast-forward the rest of the day, it was roasted corn, ripe banana fritters, the very special 'gadbad' and a 'lighthouse' ice -cream just to go along with the theme of the day, was all we could gobble-up before we headed back home. And so ended our wonderful trip to the student town of Manipal. The next day was our travel back to Mangalore and a meet up with relatives and cousins before catching our flight back home.
Bye dear Readers now. Seahorsesojourns will be back with more tales, soon. Adios:)
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