Many a trip continues long after the moment in time and space have ceased said Joseph Steinback and I couldn’t agree more.
I still struggle to come out of the memories of the mystic mountain and beach town replete with serene beaches, magnificent museums and some delicious and delectable cuisine which seem to linger in my tastebuds for eternity. I never resist the temptation of being part of any travel plan by my team consisting of my erstwhile women colleagues since I truly believe that exploration is definitely the essence of human spirit and mind. As it is mine has become the case of “ I travel a lot and I hate being disrupted by routine”. Another aspect I love about travel is that all mysterious aches seem to disappear when you want to travel to destinations unknown and your mind stays focussed on completing some arduous climbs and treacherous treks. In a way whatever may be the place you travel it leaves your soul refreshed. Vizag and Orissa still seemed little off beat destinations to begin with for me and a far cry from the more fancied places but still decided to give it a go.
As we got the first glimpse of the city of Vizag my immediate thought was that smaller cities had less noise and pollution and there was no wild honking as we negotiated our way out of the airport and the lush green trees lining the pavement infused a sense of calmness in us. The hotel we stayed was very near the Ramakrishna Beach popularly known as the RK beach and being from a city which was devoid of any beaches we just couldn’t wait to get our feet wet. As we nonchalantly strolled out in the evening we were truly fascinated by the long flood lit road with the glistening, gleaming and pristine white sand beach on one side and some majestic hotel buildings and iconic museums on the other side. We were quite ecstatic that not much vendors and hawkers were around to disturb our peace and we could just soak in the ambience totally unobstructed. The city being the headquarters for the eastern naval command, it was not surprising that we could see several men from the coast guards rigidly and firmly walk around in their starched attire and it was incredible to see air force and army personnel as well rehearsing for the “Milan Show”. It was also exhilarating to listen to the noise made by the fighter jets and the helicopters hovering around with the army personnel engaging in some daring rescue acts. Your sense of nationalism is on a crescendo when you look upward to see the fighter jets whizz past piercing the clear skies leaving a trail of smoke behind. Also felt that the organised gathering of the people in the beach road was akin to people in European cities revelling and rejoicing in the common square.
After witnessing some phenomenal scenes in the area around the breathtaking beach we headed to Kailasagiri to see some spectacular view points in an area spread more than 300 Acres. We skipped the cable car and reached the top by road and as the day was getting darker we saw the magnificient Shiva and Parvathi statues seated splendidly and sure we were also edging others to take selfies with the divine. Then we slowly descended down and came to the view point. Made sure I paused for a moment and stood still and in silence to witness nature at its incredible best. It was an unbelievable view from the top to see the majestic mountain with lush green topping on one side and the spectacular sight of the vast expanse of the ocean with the waves recurrently touching the shore was pure bliss without doubt and gave us a very heartening and enriching feel.
As the skies began to darken we went to the Submarine museum which in fact was a decommissioned Submarine itself. The first time in my life I got into a Submarine and was bemused and befuddled by all the technical equipments it had and the amazing bunker beds and utility rooms in such miniscule spaces and couldn’t help but ponder how grim the conditions were, when they were fighting the 1971 war against Pak. As we came out of the Submarine we promptly clicked pictures of the mammoth and massive Russian built INS Kurusura and the unbelievable surface experience of a submarine was definitely entrancing and captivating. As the day came to a close we were hosted by my classmate Rama in her exquisitely decorated and sprawling apartment and headed straight to the Waltair Club for dinner. I was thrilled to see this colonial, ornate and lavish venue also famed for its grand wedding halls. It always helps to take the right guidance from the people living in the city so that you don’t miss out on the specialities the city has to offer.
We headed to the Araku Valley the next day which is situated at an altitude of 3200 ft and located in the eastern ghats. We first stopped at the Borra Caves. I hadn’t heard or read about it before and dint have a clue about the structure and form of the Caves. When I entered the cave the huge structure sort of bewildered and puzzled me and was astonished and rather frightened to see the never ending steps precariously and narrowly placed and sincerely doubted my ability to reach to the bottom. There were numerous innumerable descending and ascending stairs to conquer. My friend sort of motivated me to take the plunge literally and lo and behold in some bold spirit I started my descent. Came to know that this cave was formed due to the flow of Gosthani river on the limestone deposits. These caves are known for the breathtaking stalactite and stalagmite formations. The caves were intrinsically lit and as you negotiate your way through the spiralling steps you have a sense of excitement that is hard to explain. I beamed with a sense of pride that I took the steps to literally the rock bottom and in a lighter vein even to reach rock bottom in life you needed some motivation. Had to thank William King George of the Geological Survey of India for discovering these caves which is supposed to be one million year old now and attracts several tourists but till that date I was blissfully unaware of its existence even.
The rest of Araku Valley was more about the tribal museum which I felt definitely needed better maintenance though it boasted of some fantastic paintings. The Galikonda view point and the Padmavaram garden we visited was nothing out of the world in the season we went. Headed to the chocolate factory next and one should never miss to taste the coffee there. The moment I tasted it I literally felt heavenly and quickly headed to a bench obviously designed in the shape of a chocolate and slowly started sipping the coffee bit by bit and a romantic Telugu song playing in the background was a perfect setting and it dint matter that I couldn’t decipher the meaning of the lyrics.
The next day we had visited the Varahalakshmi Narasimha Temple situated on the Simhachalam Hill range built amidst picturesque settings. The deity of Vishnu is covered with sandal paste entirely and resembled a linga and the architecture of the temple is a mixture of Kalinga, Chola, Kakatiyas and the chalukyas. This Vaishnavite temple sure resembles a fortress with three outer courtyards and five gateways. We also visited the Venkateshwara swamy Konda temple located on top of a hill built in 1866 and as in every other place the view from the ancient temple is magnificent and it was phenomenal to see the ships and hordes of fishermen throwing their net into the sea from a distance and the gentle sea breeze sweeping all over you. What elevates the mood and experience in all the places you visit is the extraordinary views of the scenic hills and serene seas and the mammoth vessels that lays still in the gigantic ocean. Despite the scorching sun we did manage to spend few minutes at the Rushkonda beach and quickly enjoyed the scenic beach set amidst a mountainous backdrop.
We winded our trip of Vizag with the visit of the iconic and the newly inducted Sea Harrier Museum. After the Indian Navy de inducted the Sea Harrier Fighters in 2016, one of the Sea Harriers was given to VMRDA and it has been hung from the ceiling inside the Rajiv Smruthi Bhavan on the RK beach road in glassed surroundings as if it was flying and ready to take off. I was stunned by the display in truly international standards and felt amazing to see and read the rich maritime history India boasted. To add to Vizag’s illustrious history of iconic museums, ethereal beaches and historic temples you need to taste the local cuisine and I had the finest lunch I had ever tasted in my life till date in hotel Subbaiyya Gari with more than 40 varieties of vegetarian dishes on offer. Sure I devoured it in no time as if there was no tomorrow and definitely without bothering much about the effect it is going to have on my weighing scales As shopaholics we did squeeze in some time to buy some Kankatala Sarees despite the ever overflowing wardrobes.
Wherever I go, I go with all heart and Vizag definitely seemed a must see place during pleasant weather conditions and truly believe in the saying that the real voyage of discovery consists not only in seeking innovative landscapes but in having a new and discerning eye to explore and experience the vagaries of travel.
