The Monsoon Escapade

Coorg 2020

I was on my scooter in the middle of nowhere, exploring some cool places and spotted a hill. All I wanted to do was get on top of it! This hill was visible from quite far away, so figured the view from the top would be epic!

So I tried talking to locals and figured out it was possible to get up there. But, all this was happening in the dead middle of Monsoon. And Monsoon in Coorg is a lil wild! Especially in these areas. It rains for days non stop sometimes.

Anyway, got one lead which lead me to a narrow private road into an estate! Figured out it was impossible to use that road on a scooter! Yes I tried shredding on a scooter. (as usual)!

Got back to the main road and there I saw this gentleman in his Jeep, a Mahindra M550. He was getting manure unloaded or something.

He spotted this weird creature wearing a motocross helmet with a denim jacket on a 89cc tiny scooter in Monsoon rain.

He stopped me and enquired! I was like! 'bruh! I wanna get on top of that hill and take pictures' !!!!!

He was; I guess a lil impressed and told me he would take me there on the Jeep!

Also I had my film camera and he was fascinated by the fact that I still shoot film! Anyway, we rode on rocks, slush, tree trunks, uphill - yes we used 4x4 lower gears with shit tonne of torque. Yes it was "proper" off-roading I mean we created the path!!

Did I mention it was raining? And there was slush everywhere! Turns out a Mahindra M550 can climb like a monster and we reached the top of this flattish rock.

And the view from there! OMfG! 360° of all green all natural Western Ghats' beauty smack in the middle of Coorg!!

We could see rain clouds smashing places, we could see mist covering lush forest underneath us!

I don't know if I'll have the same experience if I go there again. But what makes this amazing is not just the pictures, or the off-roading or befriending another adventurer. But the ride!! Spending hours on a scooter and a few more on the Jeep and getting fully drenched in slush and rain.

And after all this; when you finally get to see the sun piercing through the clouds and creating this light & shadow pattern on the thick forest below with mist everywhere and then you listen to the sound of nature! You realize,

This is WANDERLUST, this is BLISS this is COORG!

This is MY secret spot!!

-@phalgunkp