A Tranquil Holiday

This post was long pending and finally it emerges from my drafts folder to limelight. Probably, this was to be part of a travel blog...So, you are free to question the highly disorganised state of my blog.

The train screeched to a halt and the recorded voice in it’s own drawl announced the arrival of the train. I could see no pestering porters waiting to pick up the luggage. When I finally spotted one and showed him the luggage, I was mentally making calculation about the price to bargain for. When asked he said, “10 rupees amma”, all I could say was “ok”. In Hyderabad, it’s as if the porters charge for every step they take.

I stepped out of the station and a chill, but pleasant air waited to greet me. The breeze played naughtily around with my hair. I breathed in a lung full and was recharged.

A familiar face beamed a smile at me and mouthed a “be right there” to me, from across the parking lot. My cousin veered his car towards me and after dumping the luggage in the vehicle we started homeward. Upon my asking he said it would be a fifteen minute drive home. So, I expected his home to be not more that 2-3km from the station. Surprisingly, I was wrong in my estimates. Well, I would have been justified if it were Hyderabad roads and it’s mindless traffic, but Vizag was different world all together, where we cover about 9-10km in 15min. We drove by the R.K. beach. With many of the morning joggers, hawkers with health drinks, coconut water, mineral water and “phalli”, the beach looked habited and beneath it’s sands it hid, not shells, but chocolate wrappers, dried chewing gum which has lost all it’s adhesive powers, lots of shit – human or dog difficult to say, a singleton slipper and if you are lucky enough, a coin.

Showered and grabbed some breakfast fast, to save all the time for Vizag. Drove over to Rishikonda beach. Not as commercial as RK beach, but yes, definitely visited by Gitam engineering students. The college faces the beach. Wow! I wished I studied there. Stayed in the beach for almost 4 hours and I didn’t feel the time ticking away. The sea has always amazed me with both it’s fury and stillness. When I was at the shore, the huge waves died down as they reached me and simply tickled my feet like a playful child. I walked further in when I met waves which splashed salty water all over me, drenching me waist deep. I ventured further, with sand slipping away beneath my feet. As I groped for firm ground, the waves almost drowned me for trespassing, I guess. The Bimli beach was the next halt. This was amazing in it’s own way. The aqua blue waters turning into white foam, kissing the sands and hitting hard on the rocks was a feast to the eyes. Later in the day, visited a submarine turned into a museum. I loath wars and modern history, so, it was a blah for me.

The next day, visited arakku valley, an embodiment of nature’s glory. I looked at the marvelous creation with awe. Each curve and bend was a new chapter, in nature’s book. As our car negotiated a bend, it presented a vista of sheer beauty. The Borra caves have the natural formations of rocks and limestone into various shapes ranging from a carrot to a human brain. It’s better you take a guide here, lest you want your imagination to wander and see monalisa and yourself in the rocks too. Frankly, I was tired and a wee bit disappointed with the Borra Caves. Probably, because I expected some nice sculpture’s art work.

The next day’s plan was to cover Annavaram and Errada beach. The Satynarayana swamy temple is a nice location and maintained very neatly. Be prepared to let your money bag string loose in Annavaram. The priest keep chanting matras and offering flowers to the deity in one hand and the other hand ready for dakshina. The other workers also don’t fall short of these skills. We ate the prasadam, which was simply super tasty. Drove down to Errada beach, which stands proud with several cinema shootings to it’s claim. A calm landscape flanking the beach to one side, the huge ships looking like a speck of dust in the horizon, the constant hum of waves of the sea as heard in a conch made this place unparalleled.

My three day escapade was done and now homeward we head.

Then the wind will set me racing as my journey nears its
end.
And the path I’ll be retracing when I’m homeward bound
again.