[procrj]

“As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy”
- A Movable Feast, Earnest Hemmingway



Mountains are permanent. Old earthy solid and ever present. All you have to do is understand the slopes and learn to appreciate the silence. The mountains have always been my muse. I am yet to experience the deciduous embrace of the Siwaliks and Himachals but my imagination has nurtured the words of Ruskin Bond, Rudyard Kipling, Jim Corbett and many others who have had the luxury to soak in the place. Mist, Clouds and rain have been constant companions in my journey through various hill stations in the south. Like a shadow they follow and one can only enjoy their cold embrace.

My better half has never really appreciated the stoic calm of the hills. The woman in her prefers the ever changing mistress – the sea.



The sea is probably something that the creator commissioned when he was really angry. Whitecaps and surging waves that make your bloodless knuckles clutch at the railing while your eyes burn through the distance and anchor onto the shore. But then his wife must have politely twisted his hands and ensured that he makes it a little more bearable for everyone. Gentle waves that caress your body as you float along, enjoying the warmth of the sun on your face and the relative cold of the salt spray.

Duality – as a concept is as old as old can be. Hence it’s not surprising that something as old as the sea is not just a random series of transient waves born in this moment of wind and tide and surging ahead without a destination. But the big question is what is it all about? I don’t have an answer to that question as the sea has only just become a friend. It’s like an acquired taste that you first tentatively test, then slowly consume a little more and then finally accept as a close second.


Like a thirsty man drawn to the mirage of water, the waves now draw me to the shores. The recent trip to Sai Vishram beach resort at Byndoor was my third beach trip in the last six months and I must say that my better half was right. Sun Sand & Sea create a chaotic harmony that is seldom matched by the silent vigilance of snow covered peaks. Having said that, my heart still aches for the solitude of the mountains.

clean beach and calm sea


Reception Entrance


Small but Beautiful Atrium


Tents - The best place to stay!


Early Morning drive to Kollur


Its not about how big you are


Its all about how vast the world is!



Beach Bench Book & Brew


Parting Shot


Thanks for reading

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues Section. Thanks for sharing!

[dhanushmenon]

Lovely write up procrj.
Quite gripping and you have a beautiful penchant to play with words. Loved the way you portrayed the contrasts of the surfing waves and the sanity of the beach.

Appreciate much.
Good photographs too.

Is there more to come or is it just my mind wishing for more

[Samurai]

When I saw the first photo itself, I thought I know this beach. It was confirmed by the 3rd photo. Looks like you are poet. You must visit this beach during monsoon, the fury of the sea must be seen to be believed. The entire beach will be under water, the high tide line will be at the fence.

[phamilyman]

The recent trip to Sai Vishram beach resort at Byndoor was my third beach trip in the last six months

Oi! Hey! Beautiful write up. Why'd you stop. Talk about the first. Or the second. Pray continue. Write Something. Goddamn it. Write Anything

You really have your way with words and pictures. Thanks for enriching the forum with your images and words.

[bsdbsd]

Are you poet by profession? For a brief moment, I was remembered of my high school English books while reading your post :-). Thanks for sharing your thoughts and those beautiful photos. A crisp post, I must say.

[procrj]

Originally Posted by dhanushmenon

Is there more to come or is it just my mind wishing for more

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Pray continue. Write Something. Goddamn it. Write Anything

Struggling with words and thoughts. Will try to put up another post this weekend

Originally Posted by Samurai

Looks like you are poet. You must visit this beach during monsoon, the fury of the sea must be seen to be believed. The entire beach will be under water, the high tide line will be at the fence.

Would love to visit during the monsoons but I doubt my boss will agree

Originally Posted by bsdbsd

Are you poet by profession?

Quiet the opposite. I am a number cruncher but yes I used to write poems and short stories when I was studying

[bsdbsd]

Crunch all the numbers you want, but we want another post by this weekend! Dont make me hit F5 every now and then this Sunday ;-).

The previous post was very well written and brief.

[Jeroen]

Nice write up and very nice photographs. Thanks for sharing.

If I could make suggestion, I think your pictures would look even better if you manage to get the horizons level. Sometimes it can be difficult to get that accomplished whilst shooting. Just about any very basic photo edit program or app will allow you to straighten that out

Jeroen

[TheLizardKing]

Originally Posted by procrj

Struggling with words and thoughts. Will try to put up another post this weekend

Lovely post, and lovelier pictures. Hope to see more posts from you .

Originally Posted by Jeroen

If I could make suggestion, I think your pictures would look even better if you manage to get the horizons level.

You have really sharp eyes. Call me a nonconformist, but I wonder if NOT having the horizon, um, horizontal won't add its own charm to the picture...

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by TheLizardKing

Lovely post, and lovelier pictures. Hope to see more posts from you .



You have really sharp eyes. Call me a nonconformist, but I wonder if NOT having the horizon, um, horizontal won't add its own charm to the picture...

Definitely, could be the case, but usually it is obvious that it was done intentional and its very obvious it is part of the composition. Ive taken hundreds if not thousands of pictures wheren the horizon is not level, but it was intentional. To me, your horizons look uneven by chance, i.e. You did not keep the camera level. Thats different, but again very personal what you like etc. i think for these pictures the overall composition would improve if you keep the horizon level. Just my opinion, nothing else. The interesting aspect of photography is that there are no rights or wrong, its all done to preference.

Enjoy, jeroen

[TheLizardKing]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Ive taken hundreds if not thousands of pictures wheren the horizon is not level, but it was intentional.

I'd love to see a few such pictures if you could upload them here. The art of photography has always interested me, but I haven't taken it up seriously so far. Someday...

[Jeroen]

Originally Posted by TheLizardKing

I'd love to see a few such pictures if you could upload them here. The art of photography has always interested me, but I haven't taken it up seriously so far. Someday...

Have a look

http://www.india.jeroendorrestein.co...a/Welcome.html

Jeroen

[procrj]

We often forget the power that nature can unleash. In our pursuit of happiness and our eternal quest to modularize the world, we begin to buy in into our illusion of control. Like a bird on the shore, we believe that we are in total control.



We spread our wings and think that nothing can go wrong as we gently glide along with the breeze, drifting and turning, dipping and rising. Little do we realize that control is nothing but an illusion. The muted strength behind the wind and the waves erodes everything that stands in its way. Relentless power that might wax and wane, but still continues to strip the shores without a second thought.



The hills always stay true. Mountain mists and clouds might play hide and seek with the wanderer but do not deceive. Peace Quiet and Solitude seep into your bones and you can feel your legs, planting themselves like roots, wanting to stay and reach deep into the heart of stone.



The mesmerizing blue and green of the sea lulls you into a false sense of calm. She conspires with the universe to hold everything still. The deceptive calm entices you into her soft embrace. The gentle rocking of the boat and the soft swish of the waves makes one forget the harsh mistress. She calls to the feral nature hidden deep inside a human being. That burning desire to conquer, to brave all odds and return with riches stolen from her depths.



Sunrise in the hills is magical. You walk out into the cold and feel silver tendrils of mist caress your skin. With goose pimples on your arms you hope for a glimpse of the golden orb rising above the peaks and casting about its orange hue. Sunsets on the beach can never match the magic of sunrise in the hills. It’s like watching a solemn ceremony with heavy breath and silent expectation. Chaos of the waves quietens down and you almost feel that the sun will plunge into the water with infinite force and the sea will turn red and swallow up the shores. Meanwhile the sun, like a corpulent king of an erstwhile princely state, slowly disappears from the horizon, leaving behind the golden hues of a bygone era.



In my dreams she calls, promising me a silent tide where I can stare into her depths and watch the day go by. But as I wake up my eyes are drawn to the majestic hills that offer nothing but a chance to stand still and watch time go by.

[procrj]

"My soul is full of longing
for the secret of the sea,
and the heart of the great ocean
sends a thrilling pulse through me"
- H.W. Longfellow



Coming up - a small write up on yet another sea side journey. Looks like 2014 is year of the sun sand & surf