Joining us on our weekend trek into the wilderness was five of our friends: Sriharsha, his wife Gowri, Ramesh, Rakshith, and his girlfriend Sushma. Credit is due to Sriharsha for doing most of the leg-work putting this excursion together. Between the seven of us we lodged in a stone cabin and two well-equipped tents. Our dining area was a homemade wooden platform shaded by a parachute roof. The white parachute was the only visible landmark of our campground seen from a distance.
Bumping along in the back of a Suzuki Gypsy 4x4: we grip tightly to the roll cage, laugh from a place of uncertainty and pray that our spines are not thrown completely out of whack by the rutted jungle path. Our wild entry into the Western Ghats of India heralded the ruggedness and breathtaking beauty that would hallmark our weekend getaway. Almost completely hidden by the mountainous jungle growth our rustic resort, Hulivana, was a most serene escape from the bustle of Bangalore. Finally Megan and I experienced a place in India where the trees outnumbered the people. Joining us on our weekend trek into the wilderness was five of our friends: Sriharsha, his wife Gowri, Ramesh, Rakshith, and his girlfriend Sushma. Credit is due to Sriharsha for doing most of the leg-work putting this excursion together. Between the seven of us we lodged in a stone cabin and two well-equipped tents. Our dining area was a homemade wooden platform shaded by a parachute roof. The white parachute was the only visible landmark of our campground seen from a distance. Hiking in the Western Ghats challenged all of our fitness levels but the view from the top was worth the sweat. At night we gathered around a campfire, ate, drank, and shared many stories. Ghost stories were told with zeal to frighten the former Mr. Bangalore (Ramesh) who apparently has a healthy fear of the supernatural. Before leaving the rain-forest we had the chance to try our hands at a little archery. It was a scary day out at the range as arrows flew in every direction and the bow was used in some very interesting styles. When Megan and I were the only ones to score hits on the target I explained that "Viking Blood" (not the purple and yellow kind) ran through our veins. We then piled back in the Suzuki and rocked and rolled our way out of the forest. On the way back to Bangalore in our rented mini-bus we stopped at the Belur Temple. The temple was constructed between the 12th and 13th centuries and is one of the most well-preserved temples we have seen as of yet. Outside of the temple we all snacked on some goodies being served from street carts before loading back up for the final push home. Here's a fun example of travel through India for the folks back home. The distance from the Ghats to Bangalore is roughly 160 miles, almost the same mileage that separates Minneapolis from Duluth and it took us 10 hours to cover that distance. That would make a day trip to Lake Superior kind of out of the question. At the end of it all we were happy to have filled our lungs with clean mountain air and we our now planning other trips with this great group of people.
6 Comments
Beverly Blumenshine
1/29/2015 12:40:11 am
All I can say is Wow! What an amazing weekend! You are grabbing every opportunity and embracing it! Wonderful blog and pics!
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Kathryn Engel-Terasaki
1/29/2015 12:53:09 am
You both are getting to experience something above and beyond. God is leading and you are following. Makes me smile. You couldn't have imagined an experience like this on your own; God is good. K
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Maya
1/29/2015 02:58:00 am
You are really making the most of your time in India. I'm so glad you've found friends who enjoy adventures.
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Rakshith
1/29/2015 03:56:22 am
Wow wow and wow ! This is awesome . Bo & Megan to be honest we have done this before and taken photos like this .but can't write a blog like this remembering from the day we started and go back home thanks once again Bo&megan for sharing .This is "AWESOME"
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Judith Gabriel
2/1/2015 03:17:06 am
Love sharing your adventures! Thanks. Enjoy following along on your trails. Never know what delight will be sent next :) .
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Barry
2/18/2015 10:04:43 pm
The joy in your faces speaks volumes. Thanks for taking us along!
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September 2016
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