The Masterstroke

On the 2^nd floor of the Manhattan City Apartment, Dolores McKinsey frantically typed on her notebook, the epilogue of her new crime novel. She had been working on this book for the past two years, often going sleepless for days as tile by tile she painted a beautiful mosaic of what she thought to be, her masterpiece. This novel was the third and the final part of her trilogy. The first two had been bestsellers worldwide – The Question and The Answer, making her one of the most controversial and read authors of recent times. Her works had created quite a furore among the publishing community since she faced charges of libel, forcing them not to publish her works. But that didn’t deter her from writing the truth. Her perceptive insights into the abuse of power by both individuals and institutions were designed to reach a wider readership, than she could ever have imagined. Fans across the globe had sent her numerous mails asking her as to how she would end her story, but in her heart, only she knew her Masterstroke.

Dolores had ruby red hair and soft brown eyes; she looks as though a lost child in some ways. She never did care how the weather was, or whether she missed a man sometimes or how her parents were doing back in California. When it came to writing, all she cared was her characters and the flow of the story. She totally submerged herself, being critical of every line she typed, into creating her new novel – The Unexplained. Each day in her apartment, she would act out the scenes all by herself. Sometimes, she played the coy blonde, Anne, who did the tables at the “Santiago” restaurant or the roadside blind beggar, who wasn’t actually blind but an informer in disguise while at other times she became both the killer and the killed. She conceived the actors, gave them properties and attributes, played with their strengths and weaknesses and concocted a multilayered drink which she drank every night to quench her famined soul. She did the scenes, wrote them down, thought of something better, and redid them again. It was like she was living multiple characters, each having their own thought processes, within a span of time. She was in two parallel worlds at the same time, and this caused identity crisis and acute memory loss subsequently. She rarely went out, but when she did it was only to buy clothes and makeup for her characters or to visit the apothecary. It really was a strange life she lived. In due course of time the characters became her friends, gave her company, spoke to her for hours over the phone, dined with her, waltzed with her and became a part of her daily life.

Many a men had tried to date her, but she never needed a companion. She was happy with herself and her world. Journalists had to wait for days and sometimes months for an interview, and often described the experience as weird and paranormal, as if she took off completely into a different world. Often in the night, she would stare at the ceiling fan looking at her life gone by. Her past stared brazenly down on her grey silhouette reminding her of that horrific night.The options life gave her, had left her no choice. She had no assistants, no managers to keep her work sorted; she never did it for the money. To her, the imaginative world was far more fascinating than the world in which normal people lived in. It was as if there existed a unknown territory, an abyss of sorts, to which only she had the key.

She had been quite fond of the character of Beth, the protagonist of her story in the first two editions, a mother of two and the wife of the victim. Looking out through the window into the maddening streets of Manhattan, she would often yearn of having children, play with them and raise them up. She could relate to Beth in more ways than one, and that gave her solace. She kept two dolls on the sofa and named them after Beth’s children. Sometimes hours into the night, cuddling the children dolls in her bed, she would talk to Beth of her problems and empathized with her pain. For a long time now though, the pain was getting unbearable. Dolores was sad, sometimes she would have multiple mannerisms, attitudes and beliefs which are not common to each other. She would often have unexplained headaches and other body pains. The sadness engulfed her to such an extent that she kept forgetting things. It started with her parents’ phone numbers, to daily baths, to even her own name, but only one thing kept her going and that was her plot. It was like her soul was waiting for the book to finish before it could leave her body. She had to finish her book, and so actively started acting out scenes.

Dolores sat on the grandfathers’ chair as she typed the last few lines of her novel. Marlboro-lights stood perched between her index and middle finger,billowed over a long, thin streak of smoke that dissipated and engulfed the room. A lot of ash had collected assiduously at the edge of the cigarette and demanded to be stubbed out before it burnt the possessors’ fingers.

“Beth, it’s finally time to make the coffee”, she whispered to herself and made her way to the kitchen.

For the past few days, she was surviving on cigarettes only. She hated cooking, and only got out of her study to make coffee. Her face had turned pale blue giving it a sick look, as if something had been bothering her to death. Her hair had become rough and uncared without bath. The whole thing was rather strange. With each letter she typed, she looked at the screen with a sense of euphoria.She was calm,steady and seemed prepared in contrast to the boiling coffee that broke out into a frenzy effervescence spilling out to put out the flame.

In her novel, Beth was writing her last letter to the FBI, explaining to them the dramatic turn of events and what she intended to do in the next few minutes. She had killed her two children, lest they bequeath her ill fate. She wanted to take them along with her, and so she decided to kill them. One by one, she injected them and put them to sleep. Not a single drop was shed from those soft brown eyes.

The epilogue of the letter….

To the Federal Bureau of Investigation,

I, Beth Mc Kinsey, do hereby state, in the best of my physical and mental condition, and under to obligation or pressure of any sort, that I have killed Henry Jackson, my ex-employer and the chairman of the ABC News on the 28^th of July 2010.I did this, because I could no longer bear the indelible shame he had brought to my existence. He and his friends had raped me 10 years ago, when I was 26, and since then I had nearly made up my mind to eradicate this menace of a thing from the earth. His words ring in my ears even now as I type – “You bitch can make no good in this world”. I would also like to mention here that his friends are also gone along with him to someplace more rotten than hell. Today, I have killed my two children – John and Betty and now intend to take my life. It’s as if I have completed the cycle and my soul is content.

Sincerely,

Dolores Beth McKinsey

….she clicked on the save button, attached this to an e-mail, sent it to her publishers,took out a cigarette and clicked the lighter.

The R.A.C.E.

Something ‘special’ happened that day at the Ohio State Central Stadium. Amanda and I were there to cheer for our son Jimmy,who was participating in the 100-yard dash. Jimmy was a ‘special’ kid. He did his homework, got good grades, played basket ball with the local kids and dreamt of running in the Olympics some day.

Amanda and I often discussed how proud we were to have Jimmy as our son. God had been really kind to us as we had Jimmy after two miscarriages. He didn’t need to win the Olympics gold to make us proud. In our eyes,he was already our hero.

Coming to the Sports event, NMS was hosting it’s 8^th Annual Sports Day at the Ohio State Central Stadium.It was a day full of fun and frolic where the students brimming with enthusiasm, cheered their House participants and spurred them to go beyond their best. Parents,however, were trying their best to catch a glimpse of their li’l one, egging them at every step they took.

The time for Jimmy’s race had come. One by one,the participants assembled at the starting line to take their stance. Amanda held on to my hand tight. We left our seats and made our way to the edge of the Arena to watch Jimmy up and close. For a few seconds, our little Jimmy looked around the gallery to spot us, but he couldn’t. Damn, I can’t tell you the feeling.

All the nine contestants had two things in common.First, all of’em wanted to win this race badly,I could tell that by their faces. And second,they were all ‘special’. Oh I’m so sorry, I forgot to tell you, NMS is a school for the mentally challenged children, that’s how plain and simple I can tell you as a father. But hang on till I finish my story.

At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race to the finish and win. Jimmy just ran and ran hard. Every step he took,our hearts skipped a beat. The crowd went beserk. Half way down the track, it was Jimmy in the lead, followed by Harry and Elba in second place. Seconds later, there was pin drop silence. Amanda’s nails had gone into the skin of my hand, that’s how tightly she had held it. Yes, the worst had happened. Jimmy had tripped, tumbled over a couple of times, and was crying. My heart was pounding against the walls of my chest. If only I could run to him and pick him up, make his crying stop. Amanda, on the other hand, had lost her voice and vision. Things can take such a bad turn sometimes that they only make you wonder, why me?

And then we saw something, that was beyond all normal – having fully functioning brain – human ability. The other eight heard the boy cry. One by one,they slowed down and looked back. Then they all turned around and went back.....every one of’em.One little boy with Down’s syndrome, bent down and gave Jimmy his hand and pulled him up. Every single person in the arena stood up in surprise as whatever was going on, could only have been orchestrated by God. They dusted off Jimmy’s back and then all nine of’em linked arms and ran together to the finish line. The principal Mr. Harold, the teachers, the staff, the parents and the students, everyone cheered for these nine heroes. They sure had done something that normal people couldn’t.Boy O’ boy,Jimmy was sure on top of his world. They all hugged each other and bowed to the roaring applause.Amanda couldn’t stop her tears.Believe me, people who were there are still telling the story.

Why? Because deep down we know this one thing: What matters in this life is more than winning for ourselves, we help others win, even if it means slowing down a bit and changing our course. Life isn’t a race after all.

Every day, each one of us run our own ‘race’ and in this process we fail to enjoy life, as we climb higher, we tend to leave our loved ones behind, our family, our friends, our health, mental peace, everything. It’s like climbing up a mountain and you have a bagpack behind filled up with all the things that matter to you. Everything starting from your family, to your hobbies, to your favourite TV show.Now as you climb higher,the bagpack becomes heavier and more difficult for you to carry.So, what do you do? You slowly start taking things out one by one and leaving them behind.You climb higher and reach the top of the peak.You’re happy that you’ve finally made it and with a lot of pain have conquered the peak. You wanna share your joy…so you look in the bagpack and find it empty.It’s all gone, you’ve left everything behind. And then you look around to see that there are even higher peaks than the one you’ve just conquered.You’ve grown old and tired and have no energy left to go further.You look down the peak and see your life that you’ve left behind.The things in your bagpack meant the world to you, that was life for you, but now, it’s all gone.You realize that you’ve overlooked the magic moments life brought to you, just because you were too fast or too busy in your race.

That day, a bunch of retards (hate to say this) taught us a lesson, that was God’s lesson for us to slow down and stop this mad insane race that we run each day in our lives. Hold on to your loved ones wherever you go on your path to success.Never allow yourself to get discouraged and think that your life is insignificant and cannot make a change. Nobody gets out of it alive anyway.

Children are remarkably perceptive. Their eyes ever observe, their ears ever listen, and their minds ever process the messages they absorb. If they see us patiently provide a happy home atmosphere for family members, they will imitate that attitude for the rest of their lives. The wise parent realizes that every day the building blocks are being laid for the child’s future. Let’s be wise builders and role models.

Life is about people connecting with people, and making a positive difference.Take care of yourself, ... and those you love, ... today, ... and everyday!

Remember, Life is a beautiful journey….It was never meant to be a race !

Travel Diary - Vizag

THE PLAN

It had been 3 months to our Pelling Trip. Roy, Prashant and I were sitting in the open-air amphitheatre in our enclave, and discussing where our next trip should be. Since Prashant is from Bhagalpur, I was trying to persuade him to Puri,just because it's nearby,but Roy, the eternal persuader, convinced us to do a Vizag.

Reason – It has beautiful beaches, a hill-station and a 150 million year old, 800 metre below sea level, underground cave. The atypical combination of a beach and a hill – station thrilled us. Though we weren’t very sure of the latter, we decided to hit it off.

Thus, Vizag trip was born.

Prashant’s roommates – Vikram and Amit readily agreed to join us on the weekend escapade.

We boarded the Yashwantpur Express on Friday, the 20^th Aug, 8:30 PM from Howrah. It was a 14 hour overnight journey, from Bengal to Andhra over Orissa. How the pantry food changed from Aloo Chops and Samosas to Idlis and Upma was only a matter of closing your eyes and opening them again. After a lot of chit-chatting, leg-pulling , and funde’s we reached Vizag station at 10:30 AM sharp. We were happy and surprised that the train was just in time. For a moment, it seemed to us, even the universe wanted us to be in this trip.

DAY 1 : Saturday,21st August,2010

From Vizag station we took an auto to Beach Road which was a 20 minute ride. All of us were amazed to see how clean and maintained the city was. Roads with Ups and Downs, twists and turns, but everything was so well planned.

We checked – in Hotel – Nirala Saikat , straightened our weary backbones a bit and then ran towards the beach. One good thing about a beach is that, no matter tired you are, it always draws you. We were dying to hit the waters while on the train, and now that moment had come.

POINT 1 : RK BEACH

Ramakrishna Beach, popularly known as RK beach, is the closest beach park you can reach from the heart of the city. Of course, the beach is one of the best tourist spots in Vizag.

Spreading through the edge of the sea, the R.K.Beach is a great spot to spend time with your loved ones. Singles of course always get mesmerized in their dreams sitting at the beach shores. People from around the world come here to enjoy the cool breeze. Young Children spend their Sunday and Holiday evenings here playing with sand.

A visit to the beach will surely free your mind of tensions and bring in new energy. Sipping a soft drink or biting corn, you can walk on the beach sands or just lie down and de-stress your mind experiencing the cool breeze, looking at the waves and the ships that appear to be moving as slow as a snail.

My Suggestion – Don’t take a dip here,the water is really contaminated with Puja left – overs. Take a long stroll with your loved ones away from the beach crowd, find a cleaner spot and enjoy your dip there.Get your cabs arranged from the hotel itself, it would cost you less.

Travel Meter – 7/10

We returned to our Hotel, took a quick shower, loaded our cameras and booked an cab for the nearby sightseeing. 5 people, 1000 bucks, 3 sights seemed OK to us and we met our driver cum guide, Mr. Ramana.

POINT 2 : FISHING DOCKS

So our first point was the worst spot any tourist guide can take you to – A fishing dock.

Kilometer long roads, draped with smelly fish (shutki) drying in the sun,literally choked us to hurl abuses and violent expletives. Me and Roy being true bongs, explained the rest that this kinda stuff is not associated with us.

Ramana told us that every day since 4:00 AM in the morning, lakhs worth of fish trading was done there, at the docks.Various types of fish are exported to everywhere in India and abroad. There was also, a boat ride there for tourists, which would give a ride to 20 people at a time. We were just five.

Trust me, people who trade there have been fitted with custom made nostrils by God himself.

Just one word – Unbearable.

My suggestion – NEVER NEVER NEVER go there.

Travel Metre – (minus)10/10

Our lungs soon thanked us when we proceeded further on. It was 2:30 PM and we were damn hungry. Ramana took us to a restaurant named ‘Bombay Lunch’ which was good. Soon after lunch we loaded the ambassador with chilled beer and headed towards the lighthouse.The city was just like any other busy city. Usual hustle and bustle in the markets and roads. The road from Vizag City to the lighthouse is the same as the road to Darjeeling. The only difference here is you get the view of the sea. As you gain altitude, the houses become smaller, and your eyes go wider. Beautiful view from the top!

Ramana told us that these areas are strictly for the Naval Officers. Small but beautiful little enclaves, along with grocery stores, party clubs and hang out areas. Finally, we reached the place, known as the lighthouse.

POINT 3 : THE LIGHTHOUSE

The lighthouse belongs to the Indian Navy and it is a beacon of hope for over 35 kms far and wide into the Bay of Bengal. The view from the lighthouse balcony is simply breathtaking. You can see the Vizag city kissing the sea at three famous beaches – RK, Rishikonda and Yerada.

Standing on top of the lighthouse, looking into the vast mighty ocean, you fail to realize where it merges with the blue sky.

We clicked snaps with all sorts of funny poses, sexy poses and uber cool poses. Leaving the lighthouse we felt what if we could have a home here, waking up in the morning ,sitting in the balcony, sipping in hot coffee; Our eyes would never get bored.

My suggestion – MUST GO.Entry Fee is 10 bucks and camera’s 30 bucks,so carry just one camera.

Travel Meter – 9/10

POINT 5 : YARADA BEACH

Next on our list was the Yarada Beach. Just 2 kms away from the lighthouse, Yarada beach is one of the top 10 beaches in Asia. Beautiful and well maintained by the locals, it truly will take your heart away. A beautiful garden surrounded by Cashew trees, breakout areas, small playgrounds for children and restaurants.

Heading towards the beach we felt like clicking a few pics and so we began jumping,making faces and stuffs like this. We all ran into the water like they do in the movies…couldn't capture that

Roy, getting the escape velocity

A perfect beach to have a holiday out, Yarada beach, offers wonderful scenery with the magnificent greenery around and soft golden sands. The beach is surrounded by picturesque hills on three sides with Bay of Bengal provides the exotic waves from the fourth side. The beach offers a calm and secluded atmosphere to those looking for solitude and mental peace. The beach maintains its cleanliness and majesty, attracting lots of tourists.The water is clear blue, clean, carrying pretty distinct sand particles,that would probably go away after a wash.

People along with their families had come for a picnic. You would see lovers, holding hands and bearing the water a testimony to their love. The tip of the island known as Dolphins nose(Got its name from the shape it resembles, that of a dolphins nose) has huge rocks opening out to the sea.

It’s a macabre of liquid state hitting and smashing the solid state, beating it slowly, nailing it bit by bit. All of us bathed and had a great time at Yarada Beach. Lots of pics, poses, fun, mockery happened there. Most of them cannot be mentioned here.

My suggestion – Be careful of the water as the current is very strong. Also, if you don’t know to swim, do not go deep into the water as there are no life guards. You will miss water sports here. AP govt must do something to make this beach more popular.

Beach closes at 5:00 PM sharp, hurry up with your pics and fun.

Travel Meter – 8/10

It was almost 5, when we decided to return as the beach closes at 5:00 PM sharp. Missed the sunset though as it was on the other side. Drenched, head full of sand particles, drinking chilled beer, we returned to our hotel after a 2 hour ride. We were really tired and dirty, so really needed some time to freshen up. That evening all of us spent at the RK beach, just outside our hotel.

Strolling lazily along the beach pavement, we saw many hawkers selling ‘bhutta’, ’jhaal muri’, ’pakoras’, but we just kept walking along the pavement. You will see people of all ages there at the beachside. College lovers counting stars, Senior citizens talking about their youth, Children playing around making sand castles and tourists like us, squatted lazily, watching the inexorable waves beat the shore, and cherishing the timeless moment. As we walked further on, we came across a beachside stall named ‘Sukh Sagar’. It looked like a fruit shop, selling fruit juices. As we were thirsty, we decided to have some juice. Later, we learnt that the shop specializes in various types of fruit milk shakes – apple, pineapple, grape, guava etc. All of us ordered a different fruit milk shake, so that we could try them all. Sukh Sagar has its own unique way of making milk shakes. The milk is stored in small packets and frozen in a chiller. That milk is then blended with fresh fruits in a mixer and served semi - frozen with a straw. Slowly the frozen shake melts and all you drink is bliss. If you are with a group of friends, sitting on the beach, watching the beautiful waves, as the moon bathes you in its celestial light, and your sipping in Sukh Sagar’s milkshake, you will feel you are in paradise. No alcohol can match that intoxication.

What an end to a beautiful day!

DAY 2: Sunday,22nd August,2010

The next day was a big one for us, as we had to visit Araku and Borra Caves. It was a journey that was to start off as early as 5 AM in the morning. Now let me tell you about the planning. You can either go to Araku via train which leaves from Vizag station at 6:30 AM and takes you to Araku by 11:30 AM or you could use a detour and take a Sumo to Araku, which will obviously take lesser time. Returning options are the same. Since we had to enjoy the scenic beauty through 43 tunnels and the surrounding valleys, we decided to go by train and return by Sumo. The journey was painfully long and boring. There was nothing exciting about it. The scenic beauty won’t impress you especially if you are returning fresh after a Sikkim trip. The occasional screams you hear from fellow passengers as you cross the tunnel will not amuse you to the least.

We finally reached Araku station at 11:00 AM and without much ado, took a Sumo to visit Araku Valley.

POINT # INSIGNIFICANT

1)Botanical Park – Huge park, but nothing exciting if you are single or with friends. A paradise for couples, with plenty of places where you can get lost and stay there for months, make kids and come out.(not that I saw anyone making babies….just assuming)

2)Museum – The museum will always be closed. Inside the premises you will see a man with bow and arrows, charging Rs 5.00 for 5 shots at the target.

3) And that is all that there is to F’Araku.

My suggestions

- Do not opt for the train journey and even if you do, get down at Borra Station at 10:00 AM sharp.

- There is nothing to see at Araku, but people still go there, return and spend time at the Borra Caves. The Sumo wallahs will explain you that this is off season otherwise you would see flowers in the valleys. All bullshit !!!

- I'll kill you if you go there, even after reading this.

Travel Meter – 1/10

POINT 7 : U POINT

We were really disappointed with whoever suggested Araku to us, and got back to our Sumo, swearing and cursing that very person. Sad and dejected, we headed towards Borra Caves. It takes about two hours from Araku to Borra Caves. On the way, nearing Borra, will come a beautiful spot named U spot. Wonder where that name came from ? It’s a beautiful spot guarded by steel railings, from where you can see the entire valley below. The view is breathtaking and awesome for some photography.

From left ( Vikram, Me , Amit, Prashant and Roy )

POINT 8 : COFFEE PLANTATION

Just 15 mins from the U point, is a beautiful Coffee plantation. It’s an amazing uphill walk across the coffee plants, meticulously planted in neat rows. It was great to see where our everyday Nescafe and Bru came from.

You can see the green berries hanging in the tufts.

My Suggestion - Just one word of caution, don’t forget your way up, or you will surely lose your way down. And also, be careful, while you come down, you wouldn’t want a broken leg before Borra.

Outside the coffee plantation, you will see small coffee stalls set up, so don’t miss that. Each one of us tasted 3 different kinds of coffee, and it felt yummy. The coffee plantation is juxtaposed by a similar black pepper trees on the opposite side. Well, don’t try tasting that.

Travel Meter – 6/10

POINT 9 : BORRA CAVES

It was just 10mins from there, we reached the famous and ancient Borra Caves.

Borra(hole in Oriya) Caves are naturally formed and believed to be 150 million years old..The humic acid in the water reacts with Calcium bi Carbonate in limestones, and dissolves the minerals, breaking the rock gradually. The perennial water flow over a period of time resulted in the formation of the caves.

The water percolating on the roofs containing calcium bicarbonate and other minerals form mounds on the ground called “Stalagmites” and spear like hanging structures from the roof called “Stalactites”.

The stalactites and stalagmites acquire different shapes and forms inspiring the imagination of the tourists and locals and earing and eresting names and characters like Shiv Parvati, Mother n Child, Human Brain, Crocodile etc.The formation of brainshaped stalagmite at the central part of the caves can be said to be a gift of nature.

It was absolutely an amazing experience inside the caves. Complete darkness, voices echoing, Prashant and Roy sometimes imitated a dog, a cow, a goat and god knows what, made the experience so funny and creepy at the same time. You just keep descending deeper and deeper into the caves through a fleet of steps.

My Suggestion - Tourists guides are available, but they aren’t of any use. Try to follow a group that has availed a guide and keep your ears open, that’s all. Some portions of the cave have really dangerous terrain and trespassing is strictly prohibited, so don’t act smart there, it may cost you your sweet life. Also, water constantly keeps dripping from above, which makes the steps real slippery, watch each step you take and always be in a group. Lastly, do not disturb the bats, or your trip will be a nightmare.

My rating – 10/10 – You can’t miss this.

A long a tiring day had come to an end, and what a way it ended. As we headed back to our hotel, we kept thinking of the Borra Caves, and the ubiquitous God who created such a marvel. We wished AP government could do something to promote Vizag and Borra Caves.

That night we spent drinking and chatting in our rooms as loud music of a telegu pepe number “Shiv Shambhu” played in the background. It was our last night at Vizag, and we wanted to see its soul.

DAY 3 : Monday,23rd August,2010

The next morning we had just one place planned for our visit and that was Kailashgiri, so we quickly checked out by 9:00 and headed towards Kailashgiri which was about 15 mins from our hotel. On reaching Kailashgiri, we learnt that

- The Gates open at 10:30 AM

- You could either take a ropeway to the top which will cost you Rs 60 per head

- Or you could walk up a fleet of 3000 steps

Since we still had time, we decided to stroll by the RK beach and get a few snaps. There was absolutely no one in the beach that time. So we did all kinds of poses, danced around like jokers, made funny faces and did Baywatch style running. The fun we had for those 45 mins, makes this trip unforgettable.

POINT 10 : KAILASHGIRI

At 10:30 we winded up with the beach madness and headed towards Kailashgiri. There’s a problem if you are travelling with a health freak. No matter how much you want to get away from all the climbing and walking, he will convince you to it. Mr. Prashant , our freako here, made us walk up 3000 steps, when we could have taken the ropeway. Finally after 30 mins of agonizing walk, we reached the gates of Kailashgiri and I could literally see butterflies dancing in front of my eyes.

Kailashgiri is a small little Park cum Temple cum Meteorological cum hangout area. Confused? Let me explain bit by bit.

Anyone who enters the gates of Kailashgiri, goes to a Cold Drink Stall, set up by a very smart businessman, strategically in the best place. Everyone who take the steps, has to go there to buy water and cold drinks. After drinking two bottles of chilled water and 8 Nimbooz, we found an amazing spot for photography. It’s a point from where you can see the entire Vizag City and the deep blue sea, and the clouds in the sky, juxtaposed beautifully, creating a breathtaking panorama. Here are some of the pics we got from there.

After that, we fooled around a bit in the park.

And then we saw something. Two apocalyptic statues of Lord Shiva and Parvati, made of pure white stone and carved to perfection. It was to be seen to be believed. The surrounding trees, the clear blue sky, the God sitting with his Goddess, watching over us, It felt like we were in heaven.

Here are a few pics I got there…

See the jet plane , timed to perfection.

Nearby, there is a small children’s park where kids were playing cricket. Everyone was dressed in school uniforms, which gave us the impression that they had come for an excursion.

Strolling around, we saw a Solar Energy Park and a huge Meteorological Centre (entry denied). We had our lunch there at the cafetria, and headed for the station at 12:00

While returning, I personally thanked Prashant for making us do the steps, cause it really was very dramatic as we found God after a lot of toiling. Trust me, you won’t like Kailashgiri if you go up by the ropeway. If you really want to see God, follow his steps.

My Suggestion – If you are staying around RK beach, take an auto to Kailashgiri, its nearby. We booked a Sumo and paid for a 15 min ride.

Travel Meter – 10/10

Here we are at the Vizag Station bidding a warm Goodbye to the people of Vizag, taking back some beautiful memories with us.

Been there...done that.