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Our tickets were in WaitingList and we arranged for the EmergencyQuota accomodation. We were quite confident of our tickets getting confirmed. However, the time we planned our trip was a long weekend with the republic day falling on a friday. So, the last moment did not get confirmed at all. Hence, we saw our train pull out of the station right in front of our eyes with dismay. It was around 8pm when this happened. So, the train journey is ruled out and the determined guys we are, we decided to look for alternate arrangement. We enquired some of the private carriers nearby and finally decided to board a bus and go to Madurai from where we could go to Tirunelveli and then to Ambasamudram. But all we had was just two days in hand.
To add fuel to the flame, the bus which we took proved to be a disastrous one. The font of the Travels was very much similar to Parveen Travels. Only after we purchased the tickets paying hefty amount did we notice that it was Pradeep Travels (what a gang of losers we were !!). The bus was something like a mini bus with cramped seats, very limited leg room and a rubbish movie running in it. Right in front of our eyes, the travels was still selling out the remaining seats in the bus saying it is pushback (aah.... whose back were they goin to push). Still, undettered by these kinda hurdles, we got into the bus waiting for the time to tick 9:30 PM, the time the travel guys promised that the bus would start. By the time the bus became full, it was around 1 oclk and the bus was still in Tambaram !! and the heights was that the conductor was telling everybody that the bus will reach Madurai by 6am (probably he thought it is a BMW that he was owning !)
Amidst groanings and grumblings and fighting with the front seat wallah for smashing my leg with his "pushback" seat, we reached Madurai around NOON next day ! We realised that going to Manjolai could only be next to impossible and hence planned to go to Kodaikanal which is only about 3hrs travel from Madurai.
We refreshed ourselves, had lunch and had Jikirthanda.. (how could one go to Madurai and not have Jikirthanda)and took a bus to Kodai. Again here, the bus was full and only two of us got seat. We somehow managed to get seat in the steps and near the bus engine. Another gruelling journey it was to sit beside the engine with the sun too coming down quite heavily. By the time we reaced Kodai it was around 5.30PM. We booked a room there, refreshed ourselves and went to have dinner. It was around 8 PM when we came out of the room. Till then the weather was not great as we expected in Kodai. But suddenly we saw balls of smoke gushing in from all sides. We initially thought something is being burnt and lamented to ourselves as to how the people are spoiling the atmosphere of this place. Again our calculation proved wrong, but in a good way. Wat we thought as smoke is infact mist.. and within a couple of minutes, the whole place was covered with mist and we started feeling the chillness. For the first time in the day, our faces wore a real smile and at that moment, all the disappointment and fatigue vanished.... we started enjoying our trip. We couldnt even spot things more than 2 feet away. Finished a good dinner and even had a icecream standing outside the shop in this chilling weather.
Picked some savouries on the way to our room and played cards for a long time where in one of my friends showed mastery in shuffling the cards !! :)
To be continued........ here
Cheers
Dheepa
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