My Transformation into a Loving Soul

When I started cycling further and covering longer distance, I used to lose my way so many times. But the people whom I met in the villages were warm, loving, greeted me with a smile, offered me water and then showed me the way. I sill remember one time when a farmer walked till the end of his other field to take us through a short cut to reach gadaikal! And I remember once I fell off my bike and my trousers were torn. So, I went to a house, where lived a very friendly couple, their young 12 year old girl and their elder son. It was early in the morning and I stood there watching the lady kneel down and stitch it for me. It is people like them who showed me how loving you can be to strangers and what it is actually to give your time to others. So many times people would be so happy to see us, and offer us water. It was new for them to see a lady on her cycle in the interior areas but they we were thrilled and always welcoming.

Yes, when I left Ujire I realized I had become beautiful, because mother nature nurtured me with fresh air, lots of love from children and loving people around me, warm smiles, touch of the animals and their love. Before leaving Ujire I had promised myself to plant at least 50 trees, because I felt I enjoyed so much during my treks, it was the nature that gave me so much pleasure and I had give her back something in return and that why I chose to plant the trees. Yes, it was never possible to plant the 30 trees without my friend and also Anand who offered to let us plant 5 saplings in his farm, and the lovely forest officers who understood our intentions and offered to help us.

Once me and my friend Sushmitha had gone to the nearby forest nursery to take some 10 saplings. It was the place where you could not hire an auto immediately nor a bus stop to take the bus. The forest officer offered to take the saplings in his tempo and we cramped and sat in the front seat of the tempo. On the way, I came to know for the first time in my life that forest officers plant trees every rainy season. I thought it was such a beautiful job and it convinced me that world is not so bad, we have at least some people planting the trees. I was so thrilled to know that trees were being planted by the forest department.

One of our planting sessions. We were planting a sapling on the roadside.

It was always my dream to see Ujire from the top of the mountain, to see how beautiful it looks from the above. So on 4th May 2014, me and my friend went up to Ballarayanadurga. Going to this place early in the morning was one of the best moments of my life. It was serene, beautiful and the nature beyond my words came explain. 

Landscape like I had never seen before

This was also the first trek where I saw the skin shed by a snake.

Next was the time for the monsoon trek, where we had got leech bites like never before and this time it was to Amedikallu. I don't remember any other trek where all of us lost so much blood!! Haha.

One thing we found out during this trek was that it echos from a particular point and you can hear the echo for three times. It was a beautiful experience climbing the mountains with the leeches. Special indeed !!

Next task on our list was cycle-trek-cycle, like the triathletes who combine swim, cycle and run. And this time, the destination was Kudremukha. Yes, it was a task that was crazy yet the dream that needed to be accomplished. So, me and my dear friend, set out in our cycles. Well, please note we adhere to the safety standards and always have our helmets on ! ;) Well my dream again was to see Ujire from the top, but since it was early June, it was the rainy season and from the peak we could see nothing but thick cover of clouds. Haha :D But during this trek I had one of my best lessons in geography that even my school couldn't make me understand. 'Seeing is believing' and that is when I saw the majestic mountains of the Western Ghats that stopped the clouds from moving further and brought so much rain to Ujire!! It showed me for the first time in my life, what mountains are capable of doing. I might read a thousand paragraphs about mountains and their role in shaping the climate and topography and blah blah. But this sheer experience of standing there and watching the clouds go back after hitting the mountains, oh god, thats when I realized how these beautiful mountains let me enjoy the rain. 

This is how the mountains brought the rains !!

This trek was so special because it was for the first time that two dogs had accompanied us for the trek and I had never felt so safe and happy. The company of the dogs as we climbed the hill is a memory that still resonates in my mind.

The two dogs - Kalu and Bellu who came with us. Look Kalu seems to be happy posing for the picture and bellu seems phased out ;)

These experiences in nature, and the loving people, and children - little did I know they touched me all in a way and has helped me transform to an individual more beautiful and loving. I take you to my next blog as I share my ever growing stories about transformation.