Wanderlust

It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey..

 

Our journey of a five hundred miles was about to begin, from the Western coast to the Eastern. Less than six months ago, we had travelled on the opposite route from Chennai to Nileswar. Our little champ was all too excited to hit the road again. Not that she relished the road journey, just that she was more prepared for the extended siesta this time around. As the rest of the family woke up early to see us off, the 6-year-old descended in her comfy palazzos carrying her Barbie, pillow and blanket. "We should have bought the XUV 700," she commented casually, leaving us parents dumbfounded. As we bid adieu and slowly rolled out onto the highway, the sun was beginning its ascent.

It was a cool August day, so we kept the windows down allowing the cool breeze in. As we passed the Karyamkod river, the still green water surrounded by coconut trees offered a magnificent sight. Taking advantage of the lean traffic in the early hours, we reached the Maakootam border in two hours. The border was adjacent to the Kootupuzha bridge that stood between two parallel roads, one each in Kerala and Karnataka divided by a stream in between. In line with the words 'Karnatakakke Svagata' , the Karnataka police allowed us a smooth entry after checking our Covid test reports. The sunshine filtered in through the thick forest and the chill breeze touched my cheeks. The drive through the Keriti forest reserve was refreshing; we could hear the gentle sound of water flowing in the backdrop. A group of monkeys including tiny baby monkeys were swinging around chattering loudly as they waited for us to stop and were happy to share our breakfast.

As we crossed the stretch across the Bannerghatta National Park, the sparkling African Tulip trees that were in full bloom with their bright red-orange flowers welcomed us, it was indeed a visual treat. The little zoologist woke up from her slumber with a hope of getting a glimpse of wild animals that apparently cross the road, but none turned up. The invigorating drive through the forests kept our  batteries charged. We explored the charming city of Mysore before we wound up for the day. 

After a sumptuous breakfast the next day, we set out on the next leg of our journey. The Bangalore-Chennai highway was a neatly laid out path spanning across NH 275 and NH 48. Nature kept us fascinated on the Kerala-Karnataka leg of the journey; it was the infrastructure that captivated us in the Karnataka-Tamilnadu leg! The wide and well-maintained roads made our homecoming smooth and tireless. We passed through small towns and roadside vendors selling local fruits and delicacies. 

‘No road is long with good company,’ they say. (With a little music and some soul talk I would add!).  
While the pandemic coupled with the consequent lock-down and travel restrictions have brought forth hurdles in various forms, it has also opened up a world of opportunities that we failed to explore previously. I see this road journey as one such opportunity, which served as a need of the hour to rejuvenate and lift our spirits.