Beautiful places have people visiting them and may be even more than once. The Telunas Island is a place like that for me. Like one family friend commented, “Its in the middle of nowhere!” Another called it “A different experience”. Yet others said that it had “So much nature”!
This time it was a big group with kids and adults. The place to me had everything and yet I know it had nothing but water all around!
The men indulged in Frisbee and the women in fashion parade of sorts. It seemed forever that the men had the cameras slanged around their necks clicking their ‘rubies’J(the lady Ruby asked for copyright!) Thinking back, it was the most hilarious part of the trip.
A lion’s share of the time there was taken up by the jetti jumping. Everyone making a positive effect on the other by merely doing their small part. It was the heart of the trip I must say. There were 2 levels of jumping-upper deck jetti jumping that could be done only when the tide was high enough and the lower jetti jumping that gave beginners like my man a challenge still! This trip had him overcome one of his biggest fears-water!! Whatever may be the case, it kept our minds filled with excitement. The kids ran ransom to see their parents behave like big kids! Truly woke up the child in all of us!! It brought to the table a deep sense of achievement and an amazing experience of feeling the air and water, like never before!
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| a major fun factor of the trip and one of the kids prefaced with "In my whole life it was the best experience....."(As though they have lived a 60 already!!:):) |
Another aspect of the trip was the attempt to be with a crowd in its temperament and while doing so enjoying the spirit of the activity. Dancing had never been my cup of tea and to us (my man and me) the whole activity was about not being a wet blanket. For the first time, we moved our hands in violent imitation of some pro dancers among us. Two ladies took the cake for the bonfire dancing and rest of us did something close to a high fi exercise!! Grace in its very rudimentary sense too didn’t exist.
The 10 km forest trail through the tropical mangroves was an enervating experience! And yet the boat ride to the place with the wet and cool air blowing as we meandered through the backwaters is still my biggest take away!! I earned the Haldiram’s samosa for it!!! Haldiram’s aloo bujjia and moong dhal will always be remembered with this experience, as it fueled the whole trail in its low energy points. The waterfall itself was the attraction and the wash in it was the challenge for some. Not to forget my innovative footwear (put together by well meaning friends)back as one of the shoes got quite literally washed away in the fast moving stream! Not to forget the moments when we recollected the old songs. It was not about the voice or the pitch or funnily not even about the lyrics(as many who didn’t know Tamil also sang something remotely(J) Tamil- Kamban twitched in his grave I heard)….it was about connecting with that genre of songs one remembered to share and how the rest of us just synced with the taste and even had goose bumps that we connected that way!! These sessions that happened after dinner too were unstoppable. It evoked a sense of belonging and gave my all time favorite pass time a complete facelift!
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| Simply the BEST for me! Awesomeness personified! Thanks to the pro photographer! |
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| The lonely boat that still stays in my mind's eye! |
The sunrise and sunset pictures may fade with memory, the feel of the air may cease to excite us, the lonely boat may not cast a spell for us anymore, the warmth of the bonfire may die soon, the sound of laughter may get lost in the noise that engulfs our busy schedules these days but what will remain will be the spirit of togetherness and freshness that the whole idea of this trip to Telunas will always bring!
