Of People and Places

One of the perks of having friends who study in Manipal is that you get to visit beautiful beaches and lush green backwaters in and around Udupi. We decided one day to go to Mattu beach, a beach I fell in love with. A place worth staying in forever, to take walks at sunrise and sunset, to hear the waves crash and allow ideas to churn in the mind. We rode on two wheelers and the ride to Mattu is fantastic.  There are quaint shoreside benches and hammocks. A picnic should be on the works! (Mattu is also famous for the Mattu Gulla - An indigenous variety of brinjal, so don't forget to buy some when you visit.)

There are paddleboats that we could go on but they are uncovered and just too hot. We walk to the edge of the rafter bridge and peer into the water. We see glints of silver swirling in the waters. On a closer look, they are a swarm of little guppies so close together – if we cup our hands and plunge them into the water – at least twenty of them would sift through before plopping back into the river – that is how tiny they are. We can see the Vayalapra Park as we drive to it. About two metres or so from the road is the lake. The unique feature about the Vayalapra park is that it is built on the lake like a floating bridge – snaking a good way until it reaches another piece of land on the other side. Across narrow roads with the backwaters peeking in between, we see this little portion of the lake that makes us gasp and stop the van. A lake full of water lilies blooming  – It is like a studio ghibli background.These white water lilies mimic lotuses and I want to tell them,

Aliens from outer space? A peculiar illness? Nope. A week after holi, you will see people hurrying to work in spotless shirts, trousers, uniforms and formal clothes, with faces the color of tomatoes, roses and turnips. I am imagining a boardroom or meeting full of pink and purple faces talking seriously about meeting targets and deadlines.  So droll!

A brook in Kathotiya forest, close to Bhopal. We catch a fantastic sunrise, have a packed breakfast of ( yes, you guessed it right!) poha and jalebi on the dry rocks near Kolar dam, the sweetish, slightly fishy whiff of algae giving it a different feel, spot many beautiful birds -  which my knowledgeable friend tells me are a hornbill, treepie ( I would say cutiepie),bee eater and Black Ibis. A family of wild boars tumble across the road from our bike. This is tiger country too. The last stretch that we visit is the most breathtaking of all. Wheat fields roll over the vast expanse and you get to see different shades of green with tiny shanties and homes that are too perfect for words! And in the backdrop , the mountains that are characteristic here, with sharp jagged edges, but flat tops. Thanks to my generous friends for including me in their plans :) It was really worth it. My only regret is that I missed the rock shelters and cave paintings famous in this area. I he