Travel as Therapy: How I had a soulful sublime trip instead of usual holing up at home.
10...9...8...7…. the signal had only a few seconds to go green. My uber driver was all set to hit the accelerator. I was so tired, like every other weekday evening. I had plugged in my earphones and shut off the traffic to Sufjan Stevens’s Futile Devices. I had almost three assignment deadlines to meet by the then Monday. I could already see myself spending my weekend in a co-working cafe with my laptop, trying to squeeze out all my creative energy to get my work done. The driver couldn’t make it: before we could go past the signal, we were caught up in the traffic again. Sigh… the traffic, the deadlines, never-ending reiterations from clients, the messed up sleep cycle, phone calls I have missed from my family and friends for a while, therapy sessions I have missed - no music, no drinks, no cathartic cinema could take my mind off the realization that life is going downward spiral.
Yes, I loved my job and was very passionate about it but at times you cannot feel the fun of creativity when there is so much pressure on you, be it professional or personal. And it's even worse if past traumas which you had deliberately buried deep in your mind are triggered out and you hit the rock bottom. That’s when my best friend pushed me to go to my therapist. Of everything we talked about, one thing was sure, I had to take a break. She suggested me to travel. I didn’t think it's a good idea. I wanted to be home, curl up with a book or get a pack of chips and binge-watch all the series I had missed. And thus I stayed home, read, relaxed, slept well and cooked for myself.
On one such day, I was googling pork recipes when I came upon the Kodava classic pork curry - Pandi curry. The videos and the detailed description of this tangy spicy curry served with the steaming hot Kadambuttu was indeed mouthwatering. Pandi curry sounded so special with Kachampalli, the signature Coorg vinegar made from Malabar Tamarind being its major ingredient. Looking up restaurants for having this in its classic style I chanced upon Glass House, a restaurant part of the Ayatana resort which was way far away in Coorg. But the distance and being out of my comfort zone didn’t bother me when I saw the visuals of Ayatana; a resort with its own waterfall! I couldn’t recall when was the last time I saw a waterfall; that too one just for you with none to stare or push or to order you the timings. And a beautiful cottage with a balcony offering serene views of the misty and verdant Kodagu land. I couldn’t resist booking when I also saw the infinity pool right in front of the waterfall.
My friends and therapist were equally surprised that craving for a pork curry has made to excitedly plan a solo trip! Neither could I. But when I reached Coorg after about 6 hours journey in train and bus from Bangalore, I knew it was all worth it. The lush landscape of Coorg with the mountains imposed on its sides was truly a wonderland. The beautifully built cottages of Ayatana adorned the green scapes of the resort. After their warm welcome, I stepped into the cottage. I dropped myself on to the cloud-like soft bed and breathed in the fresh air peacefully miles away from the noisy and polluted city. I made myself a coffee and walked into the balcony. The view was mesmerizing, the slight drizzle made the trees sparkle. Once I freshened up, I couldn’t wait for it any more.
I walked into the Ayatana restaurant named Glass House, for its name it was truly a beautiful transparent eatery with a balcony. As I dipped a dumpling of the hot Kadambuttu in the aromatic Pandi curry and relished it with a piece of delicious spicy fleshy piece of pork, I watched the pearls of water drop down from the hard rock of the waterfall. The food was tantalizing than I ever imagined and enchanting was the view. I relaxed in the deck chair afore the waterfall. Peacefully lying there, I reflected on my life, I slowly unwound different troubles which have been bothering me. I returned to my cottage with a clearer mind and fresh thoughts. Meditating in the soothing breeze from the mountains, I sat down in the balcony and wrote in my journal about my triggers and traumas and how this trip meant a significant step in moving forward. I was always conscious of massages as a person who is even hesitant to hug acquaintances but with the newly filled energy and excitement I tried the Wilderness Spa and nothing has been so truly relaxing and de-stressing. Next day began with a trek to one of the peaks and after a long time, I viewed the sun rising up spreading turning the green cover of Coorg, golden. When I returned that evening after an adventurous trip to the nearby dreamy waterfalls of Mallalli, I realized what a loss it would have been if I had just holed up at home. I wouldn’t say that this trip was self-transforming but it was certainly healing and therapeutical. When I boarded my bus back to the city I was determined to return because I had more to try from birdwatching to off-road safari.
