First Solo Trip

Day 1.

22nd July 2016 Kochi

"Where are you off to ?! Its 12:15 am !", asked Sharfu.

I was hastily packing my backpack.

"I have a bus at 12:30am", i replied while stuffing my jacket inside and then pulling it out.

It was December.

"Home ?", asked him again.

"No. I haven't decided yet. I booked to Coimbatore, and will decide on the way."

I hadn't thought much about it to be honest. It was rather an impulsive decision.

She had told me that she was going home for the holidays. So it was either sitting at home bored or something else.

Well what was the something else? I didn't know ..I just wanted to go somewhere.

So i decided to go to Coimbatore because then i could go to Mysore from there.

"Wow! Solo trip ? Nice bro !" He sounded more excited than me. " I'll drop you off".

I got into the bus and stayed awake for sometime.

KSRTC drivers are reckless. They are also notoriously fast.

The wind was strong and cold.

Day 2.

23rd July 2016 Coimbatore

I woke up to the jerking of the bus. It had reached Coimbatore bus stand and it was 6 am in the morning. I badly wanted to unload the Appam and beef from yesterday.

Finally i found the common toilet. One of the dingiest places i have been to in my life. I couldn't see half of the place because of the darkness. I saw some half naked gentlemen heedlessly pouring the water from the common tank onto their heads and wiping their body. I was reluctant but my butt wouldn't allow anymore pressure. I got into a toilet and fortunately it didn't take much time.

After getting out i found a tea shop and asked around for the first bus to Mysore. Luckily, i was 20 minutes early.
I found the bus empty and got into the front passenger seat on the left side. This would give me the best view i thought. The bus started on time and i sat patiently as we drove through the town and into the highway from there to the Sathyamangalam range. We climbed mountains one after the other. I started admiring the TNSRTC drivers too for the first time. The beauty of northern Tamil Nadu started unraveling before me. The western ghats doesn't disappoint i, thought to myself. As sat there i started thinking of the forests in Kerala. They were much greener i thought, and wetter.

Sathyamangalam Range

23rd July 2016 Mysore

It was nearly a 6 hour journey to Mysore and we reached by around 12 pm. I just wanted to get out of my clothes and take a bath. My face was covered in dust and hair was in dreadlocks.

Suddenly my phone rang, Amma does have the perfect timing. I had told her i was going to stay back at Kochi and not coming home for Puja Holidays.

"Where are you ?", She asked.

"Ernakulam" I couldn't contain the guilt. It wasn't the first time either.

"Well Doctor wants to do a biopsy now. Asked us to come one Monday. So come this weekend."

Fuck..I felt more miserable that i felt disappointed rather than feeling concerned. It was dad's prostate. Its not fatal. I told myself ..so relax. Lousy bastard, i cursed myself."I'll come by Monday morning. I am too tired to travel." At least i wouldn't have to go back right now.

I took a room and showered, changed and decided to have lunch first. I was starving and hadn't eaten breakfast. There was vegetarian hotel below the hotel i had booked. I went in there and had Chappathi. I don't like white rice.

Mysore Palace

Hallways

The road leading to the Palace

Engineering college IVs are never involved with actual industries. In fact our trip was Bangalore - Mysore - Malampuzha Dam - Veegaland ( Now Wonder-La). The dam was included as the only excuse to call it an IV. I can vouch for Private colleges because our Mechanical branch friends went for a week in Goa.Fuckers! We were so jealous.

Anyway, here I was in front of the same old palace. Only a bit more crowded than last time

I wanted to buy that tiny umbrella skeleton which they call the 'Massager'. I couldn't find the guys selling it though. What a disappointment. !

I chose to visit the palace instead. Last time we just posed in front and never went inside because some genius said that was better.
The palace was exquisite and so grand. The gold and gem plated throne and the beds, chairs and other furniture. Fuck these guys were rich ! I walked around following a queue because i didn't have a group with me. I went on walking through the Gold and Teel colored hall ways and rooms with decorative chandeliers, paintings of the kings and depicting ceremonies from the life of the palace royalty. I was more interested in the weaponry. I imagined soldiers cutting through enemies with those swords and spears. These babies have seen serious shit.

I got out out of the Palace bored and demotivated, and started walking through the pathway in the compound through which tourists were lead out. On the way out i saw an old elephant which was being used as an amusement ride for kids. I felt like kicking those kids from above her. She looked so weak and demoralized like me. Imagine walking up and down the same road from morning to evening with a bunch of noisy kids on your back. No one would last 5 mins.

I walked out of the palace compound unable to bear the sight of the elephant being abused and started walking through the sidewalk. It lead to an ancient building that looked as if it wouldn't survive the first earthquake. The grills had rusted and paint worn out. It was the post office.

I sat at the bus stop near the post office and looked at the building. It had the beauty of an colonial era palace or bungalow. The dilapidated state of the building gave it an aura of abandonment. Some people were working inside not bothered about the mold or the worn out paint.

I started reading a book. I'll have to think of a place to go next i thought, as i got up. It was almost 6:30pm. First i need to find a place to eat. So i started walking down the road, to reach a place called Mughal Durbar. I had some grilled chicken and chappathi. As i said, i don't like white rice.

24th July 2016 Kushalnagar

I had decided to go to the Golden Temple or the The Namdroling Nyingmapa Monastery in Bylakuppe because of an article i read about it in papers some time back. I was astonished to read that many Tibetans lived there. I got into the bus to Kushalnagar which is the nearest bus station to the monastery. I was as early as usual and sat in the front row on the left side.
Rural Karnataka is cleaner and less dusty. It reminded me of the occasional bus ride from Perinthalmanna to Cherpulassery during school days. I don't visit that often these days, relatives aren't pleasant to talk to as a grown up.

Anyway we were crossing tobacco fields now. I haven't seen those before. We passed fields of sugarcane and pineapple. Fields of tobacco and chilly too started jumping in and out of the picture.
At some point a Tibetan boarded and occupied the seat next to me. He was well dressed and looked nothing like a monk. I started talking to him because that's what you do on solo trips. You create experiences. Now this one had a twist.

So he talked to me about how he came to India as a child with his father. His Mother was back in Tibet and now either of them couldn't visit each other.It was sad. I see my parents every weekend.
I thought about the Biopsy. I felt sorry for him. We talked about the politics of the Tibetan refugees and how they are lead by their Lama. He told me that he worked as an accountant in Kushal Nagar.

I didn't know they were allowed to work here. Ah what the fuck.. maybe they are. He was looking outside most of the time gazing at the fields while we talked. I wondered if he morosely contemplating the freedom of his country or if he was actually bored with my constant questioning. Either way i stopped. We got down before the bus stand because advised me to get an auto from there. He called an Auto and inquired the rate for me. He said the driver gave the standard rate. I felt happy for meeting him. What a nice guy!

I reached the Namdroling monastery by about 12:30pm. It was exactly like in the pictures. Accurate to every millionth colour. I kept thinking about the fate of the painters who were tasked with painting the monastery. The details and the brilliance is astounding. As i walked in through the gates there was a humming sound from the distance. I could say that the prayer time had begun. The prayer chants went in a hysterical rhythm. You could listen to it immediately feel mystified. I thought of the loudspeakers which played lousy music from the nearby temple. Perhaps they are trying to reach the heavens with the loud sound.

I walked inside the temple. I was surprised that the chanting came from a nearby prayer room. We weren't allowed there. Well i sneaked through the back to get a view inside. But a lady monk came to me and shooed me away to the other side. Behind that building were the quarters for the lady monks.

I entered the temple finally. It was peaceful and serene. Some people sat on the red oxide laid floor. There were a few mats. I looked forward and saw huge statues of Buddha covered in golden paint. One statue was wearing a crown and dressed elegantly. The walls around were adorned with paintings from the stories.I sat there for sometime.