The road to Kodai..

Finally, we went on with the Kodaikanal plan which we were trying to make feasible for a very long time. After several hurdles, we made sure our parents are quite okay with the plan and they had some fear about our safety since it would be just four of us who will be going on the tour. It was pretty hard to convince one of my friends' dad with the plan because he wanted to make sure his son had won the chance of making his step into the world of professionalism before we left leave for Kodaikanal, popularly known as the Queen of hill stations in India. We took a train from Chennai Egmore and were supposed to reach Madurai, which is the closest city to Kodai, pretty early in the morning. Fortunately, the train slowed down at a station called Kodai Road that was midway between Madurai and Kodaikanal and in fact closer to Kodai than Madurai. It was almost 3 in the morning when we reached this place and nothing else other than a small tea shop was found nearby. We were informed by a person in the station that the first bus to Kodai would start from the place at 5A.M. We had ample time in our hands and we had a cup of tea. In the next couple of hours, we had already completed some 2 rounds of tea. We couldn't find any place illuminated at this time of the new day except for an ATM. We spent sometime at the entrance to the ATM and when saw a bus taking a halt on the roadside, we immediately confirmed its destination. It was 5.30A.M when the bus started its 4 hour long journey to Kodaikanal. As the vehicle moved up the elegant curves and took the beautiful twists and turns with scenic view, we enjoyed the chillness that settled in the atmosphere. And finally, when we reached Kodaikanal, I was excited because now I was sure it isn't a dream!

Way to Kodai..

Something very common about Kodaikanal is the way people describe the place as 'The Queen of hill stations'. I wondered what Kodai has got with it to be referred so high. I've been to this place twice in my life and last Friday, I successfully turned the number to 3 with 3 of my school friends. Sampark Kranti was the train that took us to Kodai road, which is located 95KM away from 'The Queen'. It was 3.30 A.M when we reached the place and the atmosphere was heavy with darkness. But, the road seemed to be pretty busy with buses and load trucks killing the silence of the atmosphere. We found a small hotel and were surprised to find one at such an odd hour of the day. Each of us had a cup of tea which tasted really good. We were not surprised by the taste because Kodaikanal is known for vegetables, tea estates, herbs and other natural products that are widely used. We came to know from the shop owner that the first bus of the day to Kodaikanal from this place would start at 5.40A.M and reach the destination at 8A.M approximately. So, we had ample amount of time to take rest but no place to do that. We had almost 2 full hours in hand and were not in any kind of hurry. Within the next 2 hours, each of us had already completed two cups of tea. We still felt we can have one more. But, it was already 5.30A.M and anytime, the bus might start its journey along the curvaceous mountains. This was where the first part of our journey to Kodai ended and a new episode began very soon after we boarded the bus.

Closing in on Kodai plan..

Finally, the day is about to come. In another 20 hours, if everything goes as planned, we would be in the train exactly at this time tomorrow on our way to Madurai. This Kodaikanal plan is something that is pending for a really long time now. Last year, we went to Kodaikanal as soon as I came back from my Kullu-Manali tour with college friends. When it comes to striking a balance between the importance I attach to school friends and college friends, I think I am a pro. I managed to plan a couple of tours with my college friends and my school friends as well. We had to come across so many hurdles to reach the position we are in now. We have got the train tickets to Madurai, which is the closest city to Kodai. First, it was one of my friends' parents who said they want their son to get employed before going on a fun trip. We tried everything within our scope to get him into the world of profession. Unfortunately, the company which recruited this guy put him on hold for four months to release the results of the four rounds of interviews my friend faced. At last, he received a call from the I.T firm and they said he has been selected to work for them. That was when the plan got back its life once again. Now, the atmosphere looks so jubilant because we are about to execute a plan that has been in the bag for a very long time now. We have been waiting for almost 8 months now to set things right for this plan to workout well. Hey my dear fellow bloggers and my most respectful followers and readers, I won't be seen here for the next 4 days. I'll join you in the blog league very soon! Have a great time blogging around!