The Siruvattukombai trip was a great experience and something that will remain with me for a long time. Personally, I love being involved in activities that have meaning and depth in them, and Siruvattukombai was definitely worth it. It started with a never-ending hike, and even though that sounds intimidating, it was amazing to feel out of breathe for those few seconds. It was like a hurdle that you must pass, to an incredible journey.

Once we had gotten there, the first thing that had caught my eye was a rock that was shaped like a hammock facing the sun, which I soon had planned to claim as my territory, so that I could relax. On a more dreadful note, I was horrified at the sight of the “Indian style” bathroom, considering I had never used one before. But I’m a fast learner, so it worked out well. We had started off by eating a number of Tamarinds that Dr. Mathew had collected, and had saved some for later. But the real fun had begun after our short hike to a small waterslide. It was the ice breaker for some of us, to become more comfortable and appreciative of the environment we were in. From that point onwards, there was no turning back. Each one of us had turned into a Tarzan or Jane, as we slid down the waterfall with great excitement and looked forward to having more and more ticks stuck to our skin, as this was a way of symbolizing the number of times we had ridden the slide. From eating tree roots, to any random berries we had found in the bushes around us (not to mention fire ants), we had all become aware and extremely respectful of the little gifts that life had to offer (especially the ones that bite back).

Considering that I am the type of person with a wandering mind, I had noticed that the world around us at that point ran parallel to the lives we lead on a daily basis. By this I mean, that we as individuals are all beautiful and unpredictable, and that beauty is only seen when we are at our simplest and most relaxed form. Even so, we choose to wear high-fashioned clothes and live luxurious lives which hide our true nature in return. In the same way, the atmosphere around us was pure, and beautiful. It gave us a sense of reality, but in modern days we choose to construct more and more buildings and skyscrapers to show off our development, where as it does not stand a chance against the beauty of nature by itself.

Regardless of the long, strenuous hikes and vicious bruises, we had learnt about appreciation and respect. We had great respect for the territories of the animals around us and we had also been very appreciative of everything that the trip had to offer. It will be incredibly hard to forget the “touch me not” plants, or as I like to call them the “shy” plants and the sight of the silver moon that reminded us of how stunning life truly is, as we sat around a fire and sang to our hearts fulfillment. It truly was a fairytale, that each of us was fortunate enough to be a part of. So thank you to everyone in the trip, simply for being the person they were.

Hope to go back soon!