All for a GOAT !!!

Don’t blame me for such a weird heading, all credits to my better half. She was the wise crack who came up with this, although I half expected it then to give a good laugh whenever recollected.

Sangz (the real name is Sangeetha, however she preferred being called this way ever since the induction days at ACES) and me got married on Aug 28th after a long 2 year courtship. And we decided Kerala would be the perfect setting for our honeymoon. We got ourselves booked into this exquisite, tailor made honeymoon package which included Chertala, Allepey, Kumarakom and Munnar, all within a time frame of 6 days and 7 nights.

On the fourth day, it was Munnar. Our itinerary announced a stay of 3 days here. Munnar is beautiful and breath-taking in entirety. All along the way uphill, we were greeted with lashing waterfalls, moss strewn rock surfaces, tea estates with the dew drops still fresh and tender on the tea leaves. After an long and arduous drive which extended to 4 long hours (not that I haven’t traveled more than that, but my body is kind of accustomed with me doing the driving every time – in this case we had a dedicated taxi service with the driver being a Mallu who had only a limited collection of Hindi songs which we had exhausted listening to), we finally reached Munnar Woods – tired, desolate and most importantly hungry.

After spending the whole of the evening, doing nothing (which seemed impossible to me at one point of time – but then I reminded myself that this is exactly what we had intended to do all during the honeymoon), we checked in early to bed for a long and warm snooze.

Morning came for us to realize that it had rained the whole of the previous night and the sky promising to continue its showers throughout the day. Munnar was then under the spell of the north east monsoon clouds (as I learnt later from our driver Unni) and this would be the case for the next 3 months. The rains here are unpredictable, every time a passing cloud gets desperate to release and get relieved, it rains.

After a quick shower (we skipped the formalities of applying soap as we hardly sweat in Munnar) we rushed for breakfast. Usually I have a horrendous appetite during the mornings which exponentially decreases as the day progresses (at least that is what I think, but Sangz is positive that my appetite is always a constant). But who cares, the breakfast is complimentary and so we decided to dive in and enjoy. Me made merry with three omelets, two slices of toasted bread richly served with layers if butter to finally wash it down with coffee – a humble meal indeed.

Rains lashed throughout the 26km journey uphill to Rajamalai wildlife sanctuary. This sanctuary boasts of preserving 26000 of the "soon to be extinct species", the Niligiris Tahr. The Tahr is a goat, 4 legged with a short tail, brown in color and with two horns which bleats and consumes green grass. Well that was bad, but then thatz all that I can conjure after having seen the goat in its entirety. But wait, before we go into the details, giving an audience to the goat was by itself an experience.

Rajamalai was wet and slippery at the entrance. We gaped at the long snake like queue (which would have put Anaconda to shame) in front of the ticket counter and had half a mind to turn and head straight for the taxi and do it some other day. But then Unni coaxed us saying that it was worth the wait. Fortunately the resort had provided us with umbrellas which saved us from having a second shower (although it was only half a save). We stood that way for a good half hour with the queue being motionless and with Sangz complaining of the rain making her dress look transparent. I must say that she looked awesome with wet clothes and I was in all moods for starting an erotic duet like Aamir and Sonali in Sarfarosh. But then Sangz has the knack of pinching me at the right time to wake me up from one of those lust lorne dreams.

Anyways, cutting a long story short we decided to call it quits and come back the next day with hopes of a smaller queue. It was then that we realized that it was a Sunday and that most of the local crowd had come to pay their respects to the Tahr. And our hopes paid off. The next day saw us amongst the first ten and after quickly purchasing the entry tickets proceeded to join the set of people getting into the safari bus. These are small Eicher Mitsubishis converted into mini buses for transporting people to the highest point of Rajamalai.

After a 20 minute ride filled with skids, hair raising curves and the driver’s demonstration of superb navigating skills along the narrow lane we finally reached the foothills (imagine?) of yet another hill. The sign read – “This way up”. It was cold all right, but I don’t attempt to disguise in anyway the situation that we faced there. We understood then the need to have got more of woolen clothing but then decided to have fun anyways. Sangz hugged her dupatta closer and in turn pulled me closer to her (oh-how I loved it). I zipped my jacket to the point of strangling myself. And then began the trek.

All along the trek we were greeted with pink tiny tulips which presented a picturesque panorama. No amount of lens work can capture that breath taking beauty as much as the inward eye relished and rejoiced at the spectacle.

And then it happened, the mist cleared and made way to present the much awaited. Actually it was Sangz who first spotted it as I was too busy spying on the young lovers who were walking hand in hand, their bodies huddled together (the weather being an excuse). And then I broke loose, I looked at Sangz and said “Thatz it?” I couldn’t believe that what I was watching was a rare specimen. I guess all my earlier description of the Tahr would have said it enough. There was nothing great in the Tahr. I in fact even started thinking that the wildlife authorities could easily substitute the loss of the Tahr with its local cousin (of course by adding a dash of brown to their coats) and easily duping the crowds and the audience. Frankly there was nothing awesome about it at all.

I was disappointed, no doubt. But then the wisdom in me dawned and I realized that sometimes it’s the journey which pays off more than the end results. Imagination is sometimes better than reality.

And hey, that is when Sangz looked at me and sighed – ALL FOR A GOAT ???.