After a gruelling two weeks of exams, and after having the satisfaction of having completed yet another step in the long flight of stairs to becoming an engineer, I took a break from studies and normal life into the relatively slow paced life of a coffee estate in Chickmagalur. I made two trips this time around to my uncle's; once alone and the second time with Anuj and Rhea ( My bro and sis )
Reaching this town that is quite separated from the rest of the modern world takes a long drive of about 250 kms. I say long because the road in parts is quite pathetic, allowing us to do an average of about 20kmph. On the brighter side the portions of the road that have been mettled are really amazingly designed. ( I did 150 kmph too...My new record)
After getting there, it's like being in a total new world all together. The world of pollution and hustle-bustle was chucked out and a peaceful and scerene atmosphere came upon me. ( This happens every time! ) The biggest challenge in the beginning was making Rhea feel at home. It was a completely new environment for her and we needed to help her there. She was quite apprenhensive in the beginning but she got used to the other dogs.
Oh! I should have told you in the beginning that my uncle is such a lover of animals that he has a small zoo in the estate. That would include 2 horses, 6 dogs, 2 pups, 6 geese, 20 ducks, 25 rabbits, love birds, parrots, and..... Have I said enough? Well, that should give you a rough idea! And his interest in animals doesn't stop there! He saw that all his nephews learnt horse riding!!! So, I too know how to ride a horse...... even gallop.
I saw there, the amount of work that actually goes into the running of an estate. Most people see only the
glamour on the outside, but little do they know the constant vigilance required for its proper functioning. Labour management is one major aspect that one has to learn, to be able to control the large employed force. Languages: the more the better. My uncle would invariably get up earlier than his nephews, [Anu and I] for the roll call in the morning at 7:30, stay awake and as busy as a bee till the end of the day. Still not satisfied with his performance, he might even get up in the night and take random walks in the estate to check for any suspicious activity. I'm not joking! At more than 50 he is more active and has more stamina than me. [a shame]* In the pic he's inspecting the irrigation going on.......
A lesson to be learned and a habit to be treasured: HARDWORK is the shortcut to success.
And ya! We also went fishing! In the huge tanks the estates usually have for irrigation, we went fishing. Not my cup-o-tea though! I have never caught even one fish till now. Anuj always manages to catch the biggest of them all. Life's not fair!
And my new found interest in photography did have a lot of scope in the vast and beautiful surrounding and the magnificent views that can be seen from many estates in Chickmagalur. That kept occupied for quite some time and also allowed me to capture some shots that are worth treasuring. All this, thanks to another uncle of mine who did buy me an awesome camera: with 12x optical zoom and 5 Megs, that give it almost limitless capability.Let me leave you with some pictures that I think you might enjoy.....
Anuj and Rhea....Rather Rhea and Anu
How's my model?
Gerry Mama's ( My Unlce) pet: Aliah
My Pet : Rhea
The Horses: Coldplay and Majestic Boy
It's easy to comment about others, but I can't do that for myself.
The Majesty of the Western Ghats
