The railway rail disappears inward the darkness of the menacing tunnel carved into the pump of the sordid mountain. Tiny streams garland the rugged opening threading their agency through dark-green grass, moss together with lichen. The vibrant colours of the twenty-four hours are swallowed past times the seemingly endless void of dark inward the tunnel every bit the eyes strain to ascertain the side past times side step. Water trickles from the indifferent dark ceiling every bit a trekker ambles on the mutual frigidity steel of the railway rail barely visible inward the low-cal of a torch. The boom of a horn drowns the audio of H2O gushing inward the drains with the track. The deafening roar echoes every bit the rails rattle signaling an impatient prepare rushing to hold out embraced past times the tunnel. The trekker swiftly clears the rail together with braces against the slippery walls every bit the darkness wrestles with the low-cal of the howling engine. Spitting smoke together with burn downwardly together with screaming the engine roars past times the pinned trekker hauling the rusty compartments of a goods train. The clattering of the rails conk insufferable every bit the prepare slithers through the tunnel searching for the light; together with and then every bit the train’s bring upward fades inward the distance the darkness returns complimented with a deathly silence. The trekker wipes the grime off his appear upward together with resumes his walk, fighting the grasp of the darkness, towards the light.
Castle Rock is a tiny short town nestled inward the Western Ghats on the border of Karnataka together with Goa. In the monsoon it is battered past times incessant rains together with is wrapped inward a cocoon of dark-green fog. Abandoned buildings covered inward moss together with lichen point the landscape around the railway station, a reminder of the days when Castle Rock served every bit the frontier betwixt Portuguese Goa together with British Bharat together with was milling with travelers going through custom together with document checks. And it is from hither a beautiful trek commences to ane of the highest waterfalls inward India, the Dudhsagar Falls. Clinging to the railway rail it snakes through mountains laden with dense forests which flirt with the fickle air current courting the hurrying streams eager to accomplish the broad expanse of the plains. Along the agency the rail plays sheepishly with the contours of the state – sometimes it curves behind playful hills, sometimes it teases perilous drops, sometimes it hides inward the shadow of the tunnels together with sometimes it runs unabated for miles. Like a cherub it rejoices inward the liberty offered past times nature, running wild with excitement together with joy.
Rain is a constant companion during the monsoon months – sometimes it falls gently caressing the trekker with a motherly honey together with sometimes it pours furiously punishing the outsider who treads inward her realm. Fog dances on the dark-green mount tops together with inward the belly of greener valleys, wandering at volition together with enveloping everything inward its path. Streams along the railway rail bully with foamy white H2O together with practise a ruckus drowning the audio of the birds chattering inward the jungle. The railway rail leaps over scary drops together with skirts steep rocky ledges enticing the trekker for an adventure. En road the sleepy railway station of Caranzol cowers inward the unforgiving rain; railway workers inward paste boots inspect the railway tracks unmindful of the rain. Every in ane lawsuit inward a spell the horn of a prepare reverberates inward the hills together with and then the rail comes hold out shuddering with anticipation. The drenched compartments of the prepare race over the icy rails beholding the magical views around them each vying for a gamble to soak inward this bliss. The Dudhsagar Falls, a kilometer beyond the Dudhsagar railway station, aptly grade the climax to this tryst with nature – the delicious dessert complimenting a fulfilling meal.
The conflict inward nature is almost evident inward the graciousness of a waterfall. To behold H2O strive against stone for years together with years together with ultimately teach out an impression on the seemingly stoic mount is a humbling experience. This is a contender betwixt ii stalwarts of nature – the resilient river together with the impregnable mountain. During the monsoon months the forcefulness exuded past times these falls tin hold out felt past times simply attempting to cross the erstwhile railway span across the river – ane is literally blown off his feet. To appreciate their elegance, however, ane must trek some other kilometer along the rail to a sentiment cry for from where the river tin hold out seen descending downwardly the appear upward of the mount similar a spilt tumbler of pure milk. The sight of a prepare passing with the waterfalls inward the backdrop is a process for the observer, the prepare appearing to hold out a child’s toy inward the presence of the regal falls.
Tents point the camping ground infinite unopen to the falls with huddled trekkers who desperately crave to experience this camaraderie with nature. As the twenty-four hours turns into nighttime the roar of the waterfall grows fearsome occasionally punctuated with the penetrating wail of the horn of a goods train. The rhythmic audio of the wheels hugging the Fe inward conjunction with the pitter patter of the pelting is a lullaby for tired souls. For this ane nighttime the trekker tin aspire to hold out the courageous H2O rushing to the border of the mount together with taking a outflow to the depths below – unfazed past times its fate together with destiny riding the wings of unadulterated freedom!
Text together with Photos past times Deeptangan Pant