Day-2:
It was 3:30 in the morning. Everyone was in deep sleep (Right under the sky) after a tiresome trekking and Photo Session around River Saberi, followed by boozing and then an extended gossip session; Noone had even bothered to get into the bamboo huts (Overlooking the Godavari). A tiny drop of rain fell on my face which woke me up. We were quick to take evasive action and move our mattresses inside the bamboo huts. Immediately, we realized that the bamboo huts cannot protect us from heavy rains (In fact they were not good enough for a heavy drizzle also). What we did not realize was the nightmare was coming true within minutes. So, by around 3:45 AM, we were left stranded in the middle of nowhere. It started raining cats and dogs and to top it, there was no electricity, no light, no shelter and we were not sure where to head to. It took us a few minutes to figure out what was happening and what’s the Risk Contingency plan. Finally, we started running with our wet bags towards shelter (Not sure in which direction it actually was). Fortunately, we were in the right direction and now, the only thing we had to do was to climb a few feet of slippery, muddy, wet terrain and then scamper into the Guest House. We somehow managed to scramble through and found a place which could protect us from the incessant rain (for the moment) but not before we got completely drenched in the rain.
For the next couple of hours, we were busy getting rid of the wet clothes, trying to figure out if there was anything in the bags which was not wet and could be worn. But with dawn, what we witnessed left us *awestruck*; arguably one of the best views of nature that man can dream of. We could see The Godavari surrounded by hills from three sides which looked partially green and partially white- Thanks to all the clouds that covered the hills. The rain was the icing on the cake. It was heaven. All the agony and pain that we had gone through in the last couple of hours, all the tiredness owing to sleepless nights and continuous travel disappeared in a flash!!!
It was still drizzling at around 9 AM in the morning when we decided to not give a damn to the rain and let it play spoilsport. We came out and went into Rock- Climbing mode. Rock climbing, after overnight rains can be as scary as facing Shoib Akhtar with a fresh ball in his hand. You never know which part will go away. We managed that to some extent and then went into fishing mode. There were local fishermen who went fishing and we decided to give them company this time and in the process learn some nuances of fishing.
Taking bath in chest-deep free-flowing water, flowing with a decent current is a feeling that you can cherish for a really long time. This feeling is so different from the artificial swimming pools that we are used to. River Saberi (A tributary to Godavari) gave us the best bath in recent memory.
A superb dinner the previous night and a splendid lunch today coupled with snacks and Tea made sure that the trip was worth every penny spent on it. We took a ferry back to Pattiseema and then after a couple of hours drive, we reached Rajahmundry from where we boarded our Train back to Hyderabad. It was truly a refreshing experience from the hustles and bustles of life sans mobile and internet.
Day-1:
We reached Rajahmundry at around 6 in the morning. This is where our plans ended. But as they say-The best planning is when you don’t plan. We had no clue as to what to expect from the trip. We headed out of the Railway station in the drizzling rain searching for a Lodge to get freshen up and get ready for an expedition of Papikondulu. A Sumo took us from the Lodge on an hour drive to Pattiseema from where we took a Ferry to Papikondulu. A ride of 65 kms through one of the widest rivers in the country-Godavari, surrounded by mountains/hills on both sides, a ride where we realized that there are still places which are virgin and without human invasion, a ride that would stay in our memories for some time to come. We reached Kollur (A place surrounded by Papikondulu) at around 3 PM. The very sight of the bamboo huts on the banks of The Godavari and the prospect of spending a night there set my adrenaline pumping. After High-Tea, we set out on trekking along River Saberi and only returned back to the Huts once it was dark and impossible to continue.
Day-0:
I had always heard about the Biriyani at Hotel Alpha but never really got a chance to munch on that. Finally the moment arrived (18th June, 2010). We had a sumptuous meal at Alpha before boarding our Train for Rajahmundry amidst heavy rains. I think GOD gave us an indication of the things to expect in the next 2 days and this set the tone for the journey.
“A thing of beauty is a joy forever”- I guess John Keats must have experienced something similar before making this statement!!!
Cheers-
