Friends, Falls and Fun!

The beginning of July marked the end of the torturous exams of engineering students. Vacations started and we were home for a month. Family, friends, old hangout spots and unlimited fun! Though my parents have moved to Mysore, my home is still in Shimoga! So, after finishing my exams and spending a few days with Mom and Dad, I landed in Shimoga.
Everyone has friends, but none can match the friends from school. They've seen us grow up, they've grown up with us. People know me for what I am, but friends from school know why I am for what I am! I too have one set of such friends and this time, they planned something awesome to spend the holidays. A trip to a famous falls, a falls that had attracted many tourists in the recent past, thanks to the shooting of a superstar starring Bollywood flick, the Dudhsagar falls. The falls is on the border of Karnataka and Goa and has only one route, the Indian Railways. But, we had different plans. We decided to walk all the way, a distance of 14 km on the railway tracks!
We started from Shimoga on a sunny afternoon and reached the Hubli station. After refreshing ourselves and changing into something comfortable, we started towards the small, yet beautiful railway station of Castle Rock on the border of the state. Train journeys with your best buddies are always memorable and this time too, was no different! The night was sleepless but not tiring. We reached Castle Rock at around 4 in the morning. The weather was cold and we were wrapped up in sweaters and jackets. After spending some time, waiting for the sun to rise and getting our food for the way packed, we started. Along the tracks and into the arms of nature. The walk started with our backpacks loaded with biscuits, chocolates, chips and other eatables and we ourselves loaded with high spirits! 

At Castle Rock, before we started.

The tracks went on and so did we!

The walk was painful, but it was definitely memorable. The music, the conversations, the breathtaking views and good company made sure that the tiredness of the sleepless night and the long walk was overshadowed! The photos added the much required spice and the funny poses and faces enhanced the fun! The 14 km walk was 6 hours long but seemed much shorter! Our walk was accompanied by showers from the skies at random times and made us bring out the jackets and raincoats that we had stacked up in our rucksacks. Finally, at noontime, we were at our destination. The beautiful falls whose name translates to a "Sea of Milk", was mesmerizing!

The walk in the rains!

The beautiful falls *__*

 We had to wait for the train that would take us back to Castle Rock, as none of us had the strength to walk back another 14 km! We were all looking for a way to kill 3 hours, when one of our group members came up with a "brilliant" plan. He said that we board a goods train and go to the next station. That would pass our time and as well increase our chances of getting a seat on the train. We convinced the driver of a goods train and he agreed to board us. The ride started and so did the rains! The girls were lucky enough as the driver let them into the chamber. It was we guys, the tough ones, who had to cling on to the bars in the pouring rain. By the time we reached the Kulem station in Goa, we had gone numb! The train, which we had to board to reach home, was already overflowing! Somehow squeezing ourselves in, we were on our way back. The train was crowded and we were dripping, the perfect combination to create discomfort. Standing and hanging, we reached the station at Hubli and relieved ourselves, as well as our co-passengers. With lost appetite and tired bodies, it was time we headed back home and ended the adventurous and one of the most memorable journeys of my life. 

The Epic Engine Ride

Dudhsagar falls was just a destination. The journey and the company was what made the trip awesome! 15 people covering a distance of 15 km with each other could not have been better. This was the first of the many trips to come. To quote Barney Stinson, "That trip was Legen.....Wait-for-it...Dary!".                                                                                                           

The FACEPALM group of Shimoga!