Damn I really take a long time to make these. But hey there, this is a 4 parter. If you’ve not read the previous two here’s the link:
I’ve also been working on a few posts on Instagram, film reviews among other things. If you’re interested check them out: https://www.instagram.com/p/C8AjZr7S5ww/?igsh=MTVoNjVzOTkyaGl6eQ==
PS: If you guys read this in your mail, can you click on it and open it completely (it helps with engagement, thank you?)
And getting back to the story of the final day (sorta), to give you a recap, we were supposed to either go kayaking or trekking and since I was someone who had gone trekking before during my time in panchgani I was sure that trekking would be safer (and hence the better thing to do). However I might have forgotten that not every trek is through a plateau or a table top like pathway.
We woke up early and got in the car for a long journey from Betim all the way towards Morjim. More specifically we were going to a cliff side near one of the beaches. It was such that it consisted of a quick incline from the beach, through the jungle, then a nice plateau-like straight walk, then a harsher jungle type decline, onto the beach and then an incline back up to get to the origin point all the way again. Obviously I didn’t know this, I sat wide eyed looking at the variation in terrain as we sat in the car.
I’m not completely sure but I think we started off from Querim Beach, then moved into the wilderness reaching Kalacha Beach and then climbed back up to get to Querim Beach again. I am not sure if I’m correct though and Mr J if reading this can verify the information in the comments.
The Incline & Plateau
Anyway, continuing with the story. We met the instructor who was going to help us out with the trek, he was dressed in camo shorts with a red folding backpack and a hat, along with two crocs of different types on each foot. We began very quickly, the nine of us, our incline, it wasn’t steep per se but it definitely took a toll on my out of shape self. I could feel my heart as I pushed upwards. Three dogs also joined us, breathing heavily and moving up. It was very arduous but it was short as an incline so it was manageable. As I breathed heavily, the instructor looked at me and was like “Don’t worry, the hardest part of the trek is over” (haha, false hope is what I live on).
Initially I thought he was being honest though, because the moment we got up after the incline, we came upon this beautiful view of a plateau that stretched so far. Orange-brownish sand with little wilderness, but quite a few mini-ponds and critters could be spotted. There were shrubs, minor bushes etc.
The instructor was talking about the various types of flora and fauna while my brain had deactivated so that it could focus on running the more important body parts. I tried to soak in the view, and we took a few pictures as we rested upon a camp-like thing straight out of uncharted 2.
So as I walked with a hydrating salts straw đŸ§ƒ in my mouth, my brain running on low capacity mode, I could hear the instructor talking about something. From what I remember he was talking about some grass seeds, and had them in his hands and was asking us also to take it in our hands. I put my hand forward in peer pressure and took those seed looking things on my palm. Mr K also put his hand forward to take it from my hand, right then the instructor announced, more clearly this time, that this was rabbit seeds i.e rabbit poop. We had been on this trek for 30 minutes and I had already made contact with rabbit poop. Mr K pulled his hand back immediately. I dropped the droppings on the shrub and tried to clean my hands by rubbing it on some leaves.
I think Mr Instructor was a little obsessed with poop. Because this wasn’t gonna be the last time he would encourage us to touch the fecal matter of an animal (not kidding).
The Forest
After a nice exploration of the plateau with beautiful pictures (and an embarrassing video that the instructor peer pressured us into taking – he made us jump at the same time close to the edge of a drop-) we were off to the decline, it was a nice decline, through the forest.
I think this was easily the most well paced part of the entire trek because despite a lack of any real path, traversing the forest wasn’t all that bad. There were minor dangers like the sounds of distant hissing, bugs and thorny bushes (one I held by mistake as I was tripping and then a thorn pierced my pinky). However, it was very scenic and pretty. We came across a white guy just chilling in the forest, sleeping in a bag with clothes hanging for drying which made me wonder if people actually lived here.
Then came the point where our instructor just attacked a wild dog’s poop with his croc (I think he said it was a leopard or a mountain lion but come on, no way they’ll be here?). Then came a point where we reached a Kokum tree with leaves. He quickly plucked one out and asked us to try, I don’t know what I was high on but I decided that I should lead the trek in my head so I was always up front with him. So naturally he plucked one leaf and gave it to me to put it in my mouth, I took it but I didn’t want to eat it (for obvious reasons) so when he was looking away I yeeted it away. He then looked at me and asked, “How does it taste?”
I gulped down my anxiety and very confidently responded ‘It is bitter.’ I should’ve just stayed silent because he responded immediately with ‘What? What’s wrong with your taste buds, it is supposed to be sour. Here HAVE ANOTHER”, he said that and plucked another and handed it to me and stared at my face.
Somehow it has been easier to turn down alcohol than a leaf. I took it in and I wondered if I would die. But If I knew what was coming next I would’ve realised this wasn’t anything.
Oh wait. Time’s up actually. See, the thing is I can’t fit enough in this because it would get too long, and my love I know you guys don’t have an attention span of more than a whole page. So I’ll not harass you too long and continue what happened after, in the next one. I’m not stretching this I just feel brevity is the soul of wit and one thing I’ve been told by a certain someone is that I might not be funny but I am witty. So see y’all in the next one where I talk about the most Uncharted-esque sequence of our trek. Till then keep smiling.
Sam Is A Critic 