Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Closer home









The route from Goa to Pune was awesome, rain and mist playing havoc with the hills and cascades of the grand Western Ghats, whipping up a stunningly beautiful landscape. The pictures would say it all I guess. Monsoon again, though was on the wane, so got to feast on some steaming hot corns and delicious vada paavs, enroute.

Meeting old friends with lots of catching up to do (both for us and kids), visiting our usual haunts, observing the growing changes, were all part of the short trip. Getting back to your old friends is such a lovely experience, its like getting back to your own self; where one’s thoughts, aspirations, fears and triumphs are voiced out, only to be totally understood and empathised with, and the huge gap of time and distance becomes, as good as non-existent. I would think maintaining and keeping alive old friendships, is such an important and special chore, in one’s life, that gives such a fulfilling and an enriching dimension to our otherwise routine life.

My train trip from Pune was like experiencing a slice of India indeed, in its true sense and spirit. Be it the change in terrain, the shades of the soil, the flora and fauna, the village scenes - they are all so different, as you cross the so called borders (of states); but each one of them be it the brightly painted yellow ‘lorries’, or the ambling, rattling six-seaters, the eclectic crowd thronging the countless stations strewn all over the country, the language or the dialect, each bursting with its individual identity and pride. The entire experience offers such a diverse, exciting adventure of sorts, to say the least. And this being the scene outside the metal windows, what one can expect on the inside is your own guess! Never a dull moment, nothing like a train ride, as it whistles and rattles past, the much worn tracks traversing huge sections of our homeland. Was constantly reminded of the lovely lovely, 'From a railway carriage’ by RLStevenson. This was an interesting link on the net - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jCoigg77Y4


Trichy, my dear home town, where we had a family meet, was a memorable experience. And so was left with not much time to do our usual shopping, restaurant and cinema hall hunts! There was this slight and sometime not so slight showers that played spoil sport too. Anyhow family did get to visit the famous ‘Ucchi pillayar koil’ the Rockfort Temple as its called, sans me. So have some lovely pictures of Trichy/Tiruchirapalli from atop, not a bird's view, more like a goat's view!! The splendid Cauvery weaving its way in the background, the imposing structure of Srirangam (temple), and a portion of the Pillayar koil where there is a small connection with the inroads.

Looking back,it was a terrific trip, and now loaded with pictures and memories to last for a while, frozen and preserved.



9 comments:

aMus said...

did you drive from Goa to pune?...wow...that indeed must have been beautiful...

Vaidegi J said...

@ suma

Have done it before, not this time around. It was a sleeper coach, and so early morning view was just great!

WannabeWriter said...

Wow..loved the post and the pictures... I agree totally about meeting old friends. I also met some old friends this time and couldn't get enough of it... :) And you belong to Trichy? I just LOVE Trichy. I did my college there...the best 3 years of my life...I'm still in love with Trichy and its temples!!!

Vaidegi J said...

WoW! Small world indeed! Ofcourse i am from Trichy. And so which college? which year? Glad our quaint little town could offer you wonderful memories.

WannabeWriter said...

REC... some 10 years back :)

Vaidegi J said...

OK!! 10 yrs isnt all that long back! :>) We do have (more) common ground now!

Maddy said...

Thanks for your visit to my blog. You made me nostalgic with mention of Trichy.

As you said, it is small world indeed. "Wannabewriter" and me studied in the same college,but in my case another decade earlier.

Any plans of Starting "Trichy Club" here!!LOL

Vaidegi J said...

@ maddy

thanks for dropping by. OK! So a Trichy Club wont be a bad idea at all!! ;>)

Reflections said...

Hellloooo. where's the TAG????.....ur net still giving u problems.