Remembering a Christmas!

A few years back a Christmas vacation was spent on a remote location in Coorg.
Coorg is approximately 260 Kms from Bangalore and is sometimes referred to as the Scotland of India, primarily because of its lush green forests, the beautiful coffee estates and the perfectly manicured tea plantations.
We stayed in a homestay which is inside a 36 acres coffee estate. The cottage was surrounded by misty mountains and dense forests where apart from our voices, all we could hear was the chirping of forest birds, the sound of the rocky river as it moved in crests and troughs, the symphony of crickets as the night darkened the evening sky.
We reached the homestay towards late afternoon and all our tiredness disappeared when we saw the estate manager approaching towards our cottage with freshly brewed coffee and fried snacks. Sitting on our verandah, sipping the hot coffee and enjoying the breathtaking surrounding are one of the best moments of my life. The time stood still for me. I closed my eyes to savour the forest sounds when I was jolted to my senses by a sudden laughter of my husband and our usual group of friends who accompanied us on the trip. They were in conversation about how mechanical life in Bangalore was and if given a choice, would anyone want to stay in an idyllic place like Coorg. There were mixed opinions about spending one's life there and leaving the comforts of the city. While a place like Coorg does give one all that nature can offer, the fresh air, natural springs, and the beautiful surroundings. It’s a place where people are content with what they have. The requirements are basic and they are happy with that. A city like Bangalore is well polluted, so much that sometimes one has difficulty in breathing, the eyes burn when the exhaust of the cars pump out more and more smoke to choke the life out of a living being but then again its my city, its us who have the power to change and bring back its old glory, turn back the time when Bangalore used to be tourist destination due to its lovely weather and the beautiful gardens. Remember, it is still known as the Garden City of India. Maybe I am too protective about this city although I have been staying here for just about four years, but somehow this feels like home to me. Maybe I will visit Coorg again in future and would enjoy and be a part of nature during my stay, but my heart will always lie in Bangalore. Like they say, home is where the heart is.
Sitting in the balcony of my apartment I sipped the piping hot coffee I bought from a local shop in Coorg. It reminded me of that beautiful cottage, the misty mountains, the dense forest and the lush green coffee plantations. I smiled and promised myself a visit again sometime soon...