Solo Sakleshpur

I want to share my experience last week end.
I left office about 6:00 am. Anto dropped me to the bus station. I had 1200 Rs with me.
I had no plans for the trip and also no one also waiting for me at the destination. I am leaving to Sakleshpur.
I got a bus as I reached the Bangalore bus station. I took the bus and started my journey. I took a ticket for 142 Rupees. In the bus as usual I was in my own world thinking, what I can be in future and what I want to do in my life, not expecting anything from the trip.
I reached Sakleshpur at around 11:00 AM and booked a lodge at the bus station. I paid 300 rupees in advance for the Room, but I will be charged only 150, if I leave the room in a day.
I left my bag in my room to one of the Forts in Donikal which was built by Tippu Sultan. It is about 6 to 7 kilometers from the room I was in. The scenery on the way was good but not as much I get to see in future. I saw a shop on the road with good designer tools. I took a nice stool and asked them to get it painted and told them that I will take when I am going back. I continued my path to the fort. The fort was good, with lot of secret passages where one passage was to Mysore and the other was to Srirangapatna. I do not know if that is true, but if it is true, then they deserve to be applauded.
Something was missing, I was getting bored. I had Ipod which helped me pass the time. Now it was around 2:00PM and I wanted to get back to my room sleep as I left directly from office without sleeping. On the way back I wanted to take the stool which I brought. The stool was still wet from the paint which they had just covered with. To spend some time I climbed a small mountain which was lush green and slept for half an hour in the rain. When I got back the stool was ready, I took another wooden duck piece and a bottle of honey. I spend about 550 rupees here and took an auto and got back to my room. I was really tired and hence slept at 4:00 PM. I got up at 7:00PM and thought It was the next day. J
I went out to buy a Tamil Songs CD in the city. I went wandering and found a CD shop and bought the CD with the latest songs. I had 2 plates of Masala puri on the streets. And came back to the room and slept at 9:30. At the end of day, I have 150 rupees with me and as will be leaving the room the next day, I will be getting 150 from the lodge and hence the virtually I had 300. Kept an alarm for 6:00 AM next day and Slept.

Had a sound sleep and the alarm woke me at 6:00 but I got up from the bed only after 6:30. The guys from the lodge provided hot water for bath. I left the room as soon I was ready. People around told me that there is a Railway track on which people trek.
I went to the same fort where I was the other day but this time in the bus. Now I dint go to the fort this time but started walking towards the track asking the directions. I was getting bored and hence I was climbing the Cliffs next to the roads, but still I dint have feel of satisfaction. I saw a truck upside down on the way. I reached a estate which had the railway tracks.

The person at the estate was looking at me with suspicion as I was going alone. I got the track and started my journey. I was scary as there was forest on either sides and I was alone. After a few KMs, I received a message from my dad asking about my health. I called home and assured them I am safe. Anto calls me and at the same time when I came across a bridge of about 60 to 70 meters. I told him how beautiful the bridge was and the water flowing below and dropped off the phone. I crossed few meters and came back, thinking I do not have to do the stunts. I was walking back towards where I came from, but a voice in my head asked me to get back and cross it. I slowly looked at the bridge, I saw at 2 places in between on the bridge where I can stand in case the train comes on the bridge when I am on. I started moving steadily on the bridge moving towards the end and ran when I was close to the end.
As I move forward I was in between the lush forest. I was alone; hence I had a stone ready in my hand, just in case if an animal attacks me. After few KMs I found a station i.e. Donikal station. I met a group of 7 people starting there trek from that point. They had come to that place the previous night and stayed in the tent in the same tent. I moved towards them and introduced myself. Found out that they are engineers recently passed out from Hubli. They were all working in different companies. I just got into their group and we started acting like a team. We crossed few bridges and came to the first tunnel. In this tunnel there is an opening which will take us to the cliff from which we can see a beautiful waterfall. We sat in this place for few minutes and suddenly we hear a train passing through the tunnel, from which we just came out of Window. There is a place at the cliff which is very scary, but can have a nice view from there. They had Krackjack biscuits which were really required as I was very hungry.
Slowly moved out of the tunnel and continued towards their destination, and me without any plan of how to get back to the room just marched forward without a second thought. Like always we had some people slowing the whole group down but when the going gets tough, the tough gets going. Hence after time the speed of the whole team was almost the same. By this team, we had become close that I was lifting there heaviest bag as they were all bragging about who will lift.
We came near a longest bridge so far and we saw a crowd of about 40 people waiting for the train to cross as there was red signal. Two of my friends just started to walk on the bridge. And when they approached towards the 3/4th of the bridge they hear a train. They run towards a place on the bridge to stand until the train passes by. The Train came after 5 minutes and when it has crossed we all crossed the bridge.
The favorite part of the journey for me was now. It started raining heavily and we are all tired and I am carrying a heavy bag and we were moving fast. After 10 KMs from the Donikal station we got another station where we ran to take shelter. I dint have a Jacket neither a shirt to change to. I took of the cloth I was wearing and dried it as much as possible. In the meantime, friends from Hubli started unpacking a stove and boiling water. They had got Ready to eat packets from MTR, which they started heating in the boiling water. They offered me rasam rice. Warm food, when I was very hungry and after getting wet was really a moment of my journey. There were more than 40 people there with us. When the rain reduced most of the groups made a choice of going back as they will not get any means of transport at the place of our destination. We just moved forward toward the destination. I would like to tell those people who went back that “ the beauty of the forest kept increasing , the forest got thicker, rained continuously , longer bridges and tunnels.” I felt like not coming back. Hope I had a chance to be there.
We were losing hope of reaching the destination, as we dint know the exact distance to the Yedakumari. But as we move along we got see people working on the tracks and got to know that it is only 2 more KMs away. I started picking up speed and with another person reached the destination first and we met few people who took two days to trek the distance we did in half day. It was about 6:00 PM in the evening.
I want to remind you guys that I had 150 in hand and will get 150 if I go back to my lodge before 12:00PM. It will take 150 for the ticket to Bangalore and about 50 rupees to get back to my lodge. Hence I need to make it before 12:00.
So when I asked the people at the yedakumari station if I can get a train or bus to Sakleshpur , he told me that there are no trains to Sakleshpur and then showed me a road which was at a distance and told me that there is a thick forest in-between and there are wild elephants. But there is a hope of getting back as there was a Load train which will go to Kukke, and from there I can get a bus to Sakleshpur. We started the stove and had Maggie this time. There was lot of water put into it, it had become a soup. I loved it. They had planned to stay there a night and then trek to Kukke the next day. They were all tired and dint want to continue and hence they wanted to come with me to kukke and take a room.
The load train is scheduled to be there at the station in an hour. I could not stay but stare at the beauty of the Forest. It was thick and all covered with clouds. I feel in love with the freedom which I felt there. I was not able to walk as I had rashes in my legs as my clothes were wet the whole time. But some managed to get on to the train for which I had to walk towards the end of the train. I hoped on to it , but there was twist to the story here, the train’s brakes weren’t applying properly. They got hammer and got it to work. When the train starts it pulls like a rocket is taking off from the ground. I had my heart in my mouth.
But at last the train started moving. I thought the fun was over and I get to go back home safe and sound. The Forest had lots more to offer. The train went passed through the longest tunnels , bridges which were more than a KM. I had my Ipod on and listening to my kuttu songs and feeling at the top of the world. I was feeling my biceps which had become harder. I was feeling fit. I was already planning for next weekend.
Reached the Railway station at Kukke and from the Bus stop was about 10 KMs and hence had to take a jeep. We took a jeep and moved towards the Bus stop. I saw many Mallus there; in fact our driver was also one. We had a good discussion about the place and what he was doing before.
I thought if I can take some money from these guys, I can go home without depending on the money what I was expecting from the lodge.
I promise that asking for something is tougher than giving it away. I made up mind somehow and asked them 100 Rupees, there was a sudden silence there and there was a person at the back who dint hear it and so I asked again and this time also there was complete silence. I really don’t want to comment on this, but this was moment I can remember.
I told good bye and shook hands and took an auto towards the bus station as the jeep was stopped near a lodge where they wanted to stay in Kukke.
I now have 140 rupees and the time is 10:00PM. I need to be in the lodge in Sakleshpur by 12:00 to get the money to go home.
I don’t know what I was thinking , but I was sure that I can be in the lodge by 12:00 and took a packet of Banana chips of 15 rupees.
I got a bus at about a 10:10 expected to be in Sakleshpur by 12:30 maximum, which is Ok as I can argue with the people in the lodge and get my money as it was only half an hour late. Now I have 80 rupees after paying for the bus.
I had figured out everything and everything would be great if thinks happen whatever I wish for. The destiny had been written with some other script already. On the way to Sakleshpur there was a huge truck which was broken down and had stopped the vehicles to pass by on one side. There was traffic for KMs. I dint have a place to sit in the bus to add to the fun. I was sitting on a newspaper when the bus was moving, but when the bus was stopped there the conductor left his seat for me to sit for a while on his chair. We were waiting at a single place for about 2 hours. I got fed up and I wanted to stop the other side so that at least for a while the vehicles can move from our side. Conductor gave me the Umbrella and a whistle and asked me to do whatever I can as he already had tried that. When we got down walking towards the Lorry, the vehicles started moving forward. We hopped on to the bus and suddenly the vehicles started moving on our side. I was not sure if I get the money at the lodge, so I was making alternative plans. But somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew everything will go well.
I reached Sakleshpur at 2:00 AM and the gate of the lodge was locked. I called the lodge no body picked up the phone. I had nothing to do and hence kept calling him. Fourth time was the lucky time, he picked up the phone and I asked him to open up the gates. He came and opened the door. Now is the time for negotiation to get the money from him. I told according to the rules, they don’t have to give anything, but told him my position that I got delayed because of the bus and after a long discussion he agreed to give 100 rupees.
From then there were no twists came back home.
This story is not a life changing scenario but a one which I cannot forget for a long long time.