I see Critical thoughts as a forum where I get to talk with some of the most special minds, just like I speak on a dinner table. An opportunity to share our thoughts and experiences as much as possible. It has helped me get to know you all better than before!

In the process I forgot how much am I supposed to write! I never felt that I am writing, I thought I was talking as much as I always do

Anil bhai thanks for your idea of opening a new blog for myself! My purpose of getting you all know is already getting fulfilled in Critical thoughts! I don’t see a need for it, may be that’s stopping me from thinking about it!

@ Anil – Actually, anyone can have a blog. If you can speak, you should be able to write as well. How much other like your writing is secondary. If any of you need help in creating a blog let me know. I have this thing called experience.

@ilbrutto – I can’t imagine doing a long bike-travel anymore. Simply impossible!

It was very well narrated, felt that I was also part of the whole trip. Felt like you went on triples with me behind your cousin I have had couple of such instances in my life time. I understand how you felt when you reached back the busy roads of Chennai after an heck of a travel.

Reminds me of my childhood stint when we went for ‘Girivalam’ in Thiruvanamalai. It was the auspicious ‘Kaarthigai deepam’ day. We started in a van as a family (Actually a big family, 26 members). Reached the holy place by 6 in the evening believing that we could have Girivalam in early morning breeze and dharsan in the morning. One could never imagine such a huge crowd ever in life time and absolutely no place to park our van & no rooms even if you pay a lakh. We parked our van atleast a couple of KMs away from the temple & realised it’s going to take more than a day and hence planned to start our Girivalam by 8 that night.

I was 14 years old that time and very less experienced to understand the environment. As we started to move away from our van by walk to start our Girivalam I started noting down the exact location of my van, the street name, Cinema posters in the street, shop names throughout my journey, anything that might help us reach back to the van. Well! Why I did that? Only God knows

The path of Girivalam is so very crowded and it was like a bazaar throughout with closely packed footpath shops and temples. The crowd was moving very fast like an ‘Australian current’ of ‘Finding Nemo’ and all that you have to do is step inside the current and you will get moved along! We moved as a gang of three. Children with my uncle in batch 1, aunts, me with my mom and grannies in the middle and Dad with my grandpa at the last. We would have crossed 6 KMs now, so very peacefully!

Then this unexpected happened. Santy decided to join the children gang in the front rather than the boring ladies gang. Informed Mom and made a move to catch the batch 1. Well without realising where batch 1 is! I was so very excited that after some 10 steps I realised that I missed batch 1 in the front and my mom and aunts at the back. Can you imagine what I did? I AM LOST!

Well it was 9′o clock (I had a wrist watch) in the night and it started raining as well. Mobiles weren’t invented in Tamil Nadu that time! Well landlines are of no use as they are all at home locked safely when you are out on a trip! Noone could listen even if you scream. Only option left is to sit somewhere peacefully by the roadside and ensure you are visible and someone might possibly find you! After couple of hours of desperate waiting I felt there is no hope!

The people current was moving in rapid pace as it was raining and no way I could find back my family. Then I asked someone near me, ‘How long to go?’ He replied, ‘8 more KMs’. With sheer guts and determination I started my journey of 8 KMs all alone hoping to reach my van. I certainly know that the van will not leave Thiruvanamali without me, that’s my only answer and hope!

I think roughly it took 3 hours to cross 8 KMs, I was literally running! No stop what so ever! Checking with my trespassers, ‘How far to go? and How far to go?’ They say it is good to watch the Anamalai, the mountain peak in Girivalam as you walk! I did that very well. There was someone on the peak guiding me all along! Hope, hope & hope like Tom Hanks of ‘Cast Away’!

Well the fact that I noted every single clue on the route to my van it helped me a lot in reaching back to the van by 3 early morning! By then the van was locked! This time I was confidently waiting for someone to check for me in the van!

Waiting, waiting & waiting! standing near the van, well sleeping on the van as well! By 8 in the morning finally the gang returned, most of them tired of crying, well my sister in an auto fainted in shock! Dad and Mom literally out of all hopes!

Have you ever surprised someone to the core? Well I managed to surprise 25 of them in one shot!
They all were stunned to see me in the van! Well after seeing me they………………………………………(Leave it your guess

The whole post reminded me the movie “Motor Cycle Diaries”

It reminds me of my bike trip to Kancheepuram …

P.S – Vijay, your simplicity in writing, is fast becoming legend.I liked it.