Vacation diary!

Alright folks! I'm baaaaaaaaaaaack! :D
This post has been long overdue by now. My camera didn't have all the required pics and I had to wait until my folks came back. Pic courtesy: me and my bro. I wanted to wait until I had pics from my cousin's camera as well and load them all together... but that might take another week, so thought might as well go ahead with this one for now.
I can make all the other pics into another post if need be.

The pics aren't the best that can be... but these are some of my fav shots in the entire list. It was a peaceful vacation and I am sorry I couldn't stay longer.


Of course, but before the pics, I have to mention how I met The Devil Incarnate himself at Chennai airport :D My flight from Delhi to Trivandrum had been via Chennai and I had a stopover time of 4 hours which I decided to put to good use.
At Delhi airport, the conversation went so:
Vimmuuu: So that's all set. I'll get to the airport by 3.30pm and will wait outside. But (trying to sound innocent) how would I recognise you?
Me (sounding equally innocent): I have a mole on my right elbow. Would that help?
V (grinning): Nahhh I'll recognise you anyway! Will spot you immediately as you come out!
Me: We'll see!!


My flight leaving at 1pm from Delhi was supposed to land by 3.30pm and my connecting flight was at 7.30pm from there. So I figured 4 hours should be good enough.
But, wouldn't you know it... what we plan and what really happens is always a different story. My flight got delayed by an hour and a half and I reached Chennai by 5pm. I had barely stood up from seat and switched on the phone when his call came.
V: Where are you???
Me: I am still INSIDE THE PLANE!
V: Oh!! Ok ok. I am waiting outside the terminal in the arrival area!!
Me (sighing): Yes I know...
V: Er..ok
*Hangs up*
I grinned. This has got to be interesting alright!

Finally after collecting my luggage, I slowly started pushing my trolley to the exit, all the while scanning the crowd for his face. No such luck. I came out, still scanning faces but he was nowhere around. Finally I pushed my way back into the Departure terminal so that I could atleast check-in my luggage and be free of it, when his call came.
V: Where are you???
Me: Idiot! Where were you? I looked all around. Now I walked back into Departure area again. Thought you were here since I didn't spot you there.
V: Heheheh.... oh that! I was sitting to one side since I had been standing for the past 15 mins waiting for you
Me (slapping a hand to my forehead): God! You and your brilliant ideas!
So much for recognising and spotting immediately on arrival!
Me: Fine, come to departure area.
V: Departure area??? You went there already? * grumbles incoherently * OK fine..wait

I waited inside near the doors peeking now and then to spot him. Shortly, The Devil made his appearance swivelling his head in all directions possibe in order not to miss me... or possibly to check out how many goodlooking girls there were around him! I grinned and ducked behind a pillar. His call then came.
V: I'm here. Where are you?
Me: I am inside. And I seeee youuuu!
V: What??
Me: That's a nice t-shirt you are wearing! I can seee youuu!!
V (growling and looking in all directions): Where the hell are you!!!
Me (ROFL): OK OK I am coming!

Finally I walked out. He turned around, spotted me. We approached each other with identical stupid grins. And to my utter surprise, he handed me a boquet of flowers. I blinked, not really digesting it. Then took it anyway.
And then to our excitement we started talking all at once... and walked from one end of the airport... to the other end... and then back again!!! :D
And then we stopped. Finally found a CCD nearby and ducked into it.

In between conversations over nothing, laughter, jokes, loads of picture clicking and the battery conking out after every 3 pictures, him turning his head each time he saw a good looking chick (and later admitting that turned out be an old aunty only), debates over who between us is taller, discussions on his impending engagement 1 week away, two cold coffees and a yummy chocolate cake (which he was gracious enough to get me becoz I am a complete chocoholic :D yay! )... 2 hours flew like 2 minutes. And finally it was time to leave.

Initially I had wondered whether we would have enough to talk about. Boy, was I ever wrong! We couldn't shut our mouths enough.... we babbled so much nonsense that people around us started staring!! :D And then we forced ourselves to tone down our volume.

[ (Edited to add): He bought the second set of batteries when we were on the way back to the departure terminal. Now what to do with the first set? We looked at each other and blinked. Suddenly a light bulb popped over his head (purely imaginary style of course)!
V: What if we leave these batteries in its cover on the ground? Would somebody pick them up?
Me (staring): What??!! Don't tell me you're actually going to do that!!
V: Of course! Watch!
We strolled back to terminal with him humming under his breath and trying to look casual. Then in a flash of a second, he bent down to tie his shoelace. I waited patiently by his side. And then he was up with a wisecrack smile on his face. I blinked, looked up and down and sideways... before I spotted the batteries (dead ones) innocently sitting in their cover right next to his shoes.
V: Buahahah!
Me: What?! You actually left those there? No wonder you were tying your shoelace with so much care!
V (looking innocent): Dum di dum dum di dum...
Laughing at the sheer madness of it, we strolled back to the departure area. ]

And at the departure bay we were still talking talking talking until the last minute and I hurried inside lest I miss the flight. On the way back inside about 30 feet away from him, I decided to be gracious and blew him a flying kiss a-la Aishwarya Rai after winning the Miss World...and then bestowing affection upon an earthworm or a commoner :D I misunderestimated his capacity...poor guy who was standing waving goodbye to me near the railings nearly toppled over it in shock. I shook my head... that one went to waste. Lesson learnt: Never try this on people with weak hearts!! They may think it is A-rated. :D

By the time I reached the security area, they were already announcing my name. I hurried into the plane ... a grin still on my lips. Someday a visit Chennai again...until then, the memories... and the pics... would be good enough.

And I was up, up, and away... air-borne to Kerala....

P.S.: I did reach a call from the devil after I landed...confirming that the batteries he left there had gone missing on his way back!! :D

Pic courtesy: my bro... loved the cloud-covered Sahyadri mountain in the distance. View from Coimbatore.

All the four shots above show the beloved Bharathapuzha river near Ottapalam-Palakkad in Kerala. Loved spending time by the river-bed... or wading through it when it is full.

Love the glorious green open fields...

This one's my handiwork :D The sparrow was thinking: "who's the nutcase clicking my pics?"

Storm clouds gathering in the distance. Nothing beats monsoon in Kerala.

Shots of sun-set at the Shangumugam beach in Trivandrum

If family reunion is close by, then can good food be far away? OK I just made that quote up... but it explains the situation anyway! :D

The modest atha pookalam at my grandmother's place. It rained the night before and the flowers refused to dry up even after being arranged on the ground :D

Unfortunately I had to return before Onam to join work... but my folks stayed on to enjoy this as well. Can't do without putting atleast one pic up! Yummy!

The beloved cloud-covered Sahyadri mountain range on the way back, this time the view from Kerala.

Last shot of the bridge into Coimbatore city as I move to the airport. All good things have to come to an end and so did this. Sigh...