Exploring the Hidden Beauty of River Kollidam: A Kayaking Adventure at Mangrovebay Ecocamp
There she was, in her complete glory. River Kollidam – the little sister of Ponni who had traveled North. The afternoon travel through the heat and dust of the Indian summer was forgotten the minute I heard the babble of the sweet river. The very banks on which Vandhiyathevan performed his many exploits. The events of him rescuing Kundhavai from the crocodile, and his talks with Kandhan Maran literally played before me. In other words, I time traveled to the Chola dynasty.
There was some time before the events of the evening, so I unleashed my kite. Oh my, what a feeling. The cool winds from the river offset the heat from the sun, and with my kite I had so much fun, so much that it was as if nobody else existed but me and my kite.
But Shruti, what were you doing at the banks of river Kollidam in the first place? You see, I had come there for a kayaking session along with camping for the night. This was a part of MangroveBay EcoCamp paddllethefuture.com. Along with my daughter and myself, there was a group of eleven friends who would be my team for the weekend.
My daughter has a knack for making friends with the animals she sees at every place we go. In Mahabalipuram, it was a calf; in Yelagiri, it was two rival dogs; at Kabbaladurga, it was a goat. Here, it was the pet dog Scooby, and although from friends they became frenemies, with her irritating Scooby (the classic Ragini move) and him angrily jumping on her only to be saved at the last moment, they reconciled soon enough.
The evening began with all of us gathering around the river, life jackets on, and posing with our paddles while the instructions given by the instructors went right over our heads. We entered the waters, and there started the pandemonium.
Go left!! The instructor would say. We would sincerely go right. Front paddle!! We would diligently do a reverse paddle. Both paddlers must be in sync with each other. Nope, we not only had a right-left confusion, we also had syncing trouble. Don’t let go of the paddle, it will take you to the shore where you will get stuck amidst the thorny mangroves Did we listen? The scratches, nicks, and cuts from the thorns say otherwise. But our instructor knew how to get back at us.
When we asked Help bro we think we are drifting away, what do we do now? he would say “you tell me!!!” Ragini was in full savage mode – sitting comfortably on the instructor’s stand up paddle board, she openly made fun of my left-right confusion much to my chagrin. However, it was so fun, so very fun, my partner and I made our confusion an inside joke to take a dig at each other.
We paddled through the sunset. It was amazing; we saw the sun set from angles we had never chanced to see before. Paddling to the shore when the sun slowly went down was an experience that felt like that award-winning photograph of the silhouette of fishermen returning from the sea.
Once we reached ashore, hot tea awaited us. Ever wonder why chai always tastes different after you are drenched in salt water? It hits the right spots and gives you the best feels. And yeah, it was the full moon night. Chithirai Pournami. The full moon reminded me of the iconic dialogue from the movie Raja Raja Chozhan, where our titular hero calls out the spy on his treachery. It also reminded me of Agent Jemma Simmons’ rendezvous at Planet Maveth with the twin moons.
The divine sight of the beautiful Kollidam shimmering in the reflection of the full moon above is something that no camera can capture and do justice to. It was absolutely amazing, a sight that will remain in my mind’s eye and which I would fondly revisit from time to time.
We lit a campfire and relaxed for the day, listening to 90s music and pulling each other’s legs. I was a bit disappointed that none of them shared my passion for sci-fi fantasy, but hey, this was kayaking and camping, not Comic-Con. Ragini spent her time coloring, reading her book, and climbing up and down the bunk cot that was in the room. An important lesson I have learned when traveling with my daughter is that the most important thing one must pack is food. Lots of it. They won’t mind getting injured, but they will eat you up and everyone around you if they are hungry.
I flew my kite once again in the moonlight. Somehow, the kite reminds me of myself – I can fly as high as I can, but must remember to take advantage of the winds, and to always be tethered to the roots.
A kite that is let go flies a short while but falls flat, a kite that is tethered can soar to great heights and still be safe. In my life, I’m both the kite and the hand that controls the string, which is my ultimate luxury.
We pitched our tent for the night, and the sound of the gentle waves of the river, interrupted by the chirping of the crickets, lulled us to sleep. But not for long. At around 3 am, the rustling sound of someone putting rain covers on our tents jostled us from sleep. It was raining. Cozily snuggled inside a tent on the banks of a river during the full moon, hearing the rhythmic pitter-patter of the raindrops was an out-of-the-world experience.
The next morning, I awoke before the sun. It was drizzling, and I was lucky to view the magnificent sun come up for a fleeting few minutes before the clouds ensnared her away.
Although we had a slightly later start due to the rains and the shenanigans of the team, the weather was extremely favorable to us. We started paddling, and this time, we knew what to do. It was much easier than we thought, and we could paddle the stretch with ease. My partner from last evening and I laughingly reminisced about our doubles experience while enjoying the single paddling experience. All of us were a bit clearer-headed than the previous evening, so we all had so much fun.
Ragini enjoyed the experience; both times she accompanied the instructor, occasionally waving at me when we crossed paths. We set out on our return lap, and it was amazingly easy.
We reached the other shore, rested our hands, only to try our hand at wading in the waters. Ragini, along with the others, was absolutely enthralled with how the saline waters and the life jacket made her float, and if there was no time limit, she would have never left the place.
Handling the paddle is much like handling the handlebar of a bicycle. You control it and use it to propel you. We quickly learned that paddling meant knowing when to go with the water currents and when to go against them. This reminded me of a veteran sailor’s account of swimming in the seas that I had read long ago, when he knew that if he expended his energy at every stroke, he would very soon run out of it, and so he conserved as much energy as possible when the currents were favorable to him. Nothing like quietly floating on the waters as it takes you to the shore, but occasionally correcting for direction. Mindful relaxation.
A sumptuous breakfast awaited us, and we recharged ourselves, most likely taking in twice the energy we expended while paddling. It was indeed time to say goodbye, and when the soul is satisfied, nothing else matters. I had brought my parents along; staying this close to nature was a totally new experience for them. They loved it as well, taking in the breeze, watching the full moon through the binoculars, and having fun with the others.
The journey back home was surprisingly short, but was well spent excitedly looking at the photos, spotting small pools of water, and capturing scenic landscapes on the wayside.
The real kicker was when we had just arrived, and my daughter asked, “So, when is our next trip? Let’s go on an adventure next time...” Dei dei dei... I need a day off to unpack, do the laundry, and get back to form, while my daughter is gearing up for her next adventure. This is maybe what happens when you are five times older than your travel buddy.
The river has flowed through the centuries, and she will flow for many more to come. We are but a fleeting moment in her lifetime, but that fleeting moment for her is a lifetime for us. Traveling is definitely a way to make a lifetime of many lifetimes...
So until then, see you all!
About the Author of this blog
Shruti - Writer by passion and profession. Lover of science and science fiction. Explorer of this beautiful world and beyond. A forever student.
I write about my travels here: Into the Unknown..
I write about the basics of fitness at First Things First.
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