It was such exciting news when Rajagopal Sir said that Navgathi was planning an outbound trip on 18th March 2016. The trip was finalised at a place named ‘Paniyeli Poru’. Anu and Rajagopal sir made all arrangements for the trip.
I barely slept the previous day due to excitement and experiences we were going to have the next day. Though the scheduled time was fixed at 8 am, Sindhu who was supposed to bring food was a bit late. We were about 35 members including our CEO Sandith sir and his son Manu. Chilled in AC bus we started happily from Kalamassery, collecting Rahul from Perumbavoor. Behind me I could hear Vinay urging someone to sing a song. Samson was in the front and managed to get a mike from driver’s cabin and started cracking jokes. It was nice listening to Rajagopal sir singing “Aane waala pal, jaane wala hai….”Later Ratheesh started “Anthakshari as he had a nice tone to his voice. The fun continued till we reached our destination.
At Paniyeli, we came together for tea and a big ‘Parippuvada’. Sushama madam bought tickets and walked towards the entrance. A security person briefed us the dangers of drowning before touring around. The location which was under Kerala State Forest Department was a walking distance from the gate.
‘The river Periyar which flows between Malayatoor in the north and Paniyeli in the south, the place obtained name from the routine fight of rafts men with the wild waves of the river. ’ says the website about Paniyeli. Walking towards it was all enchanting. We walked merrily and was attracted to the sight of a ‘tree swing ‘. “A swing can be an entertaining activity both of children and the adult who is young at heart”. said the lady guide. Cool shade inside the jungle was very comfortable. We walked along the way towards the river. The path was quiet uneven and often we had to cross the treacherous water. Tall trees stood wrapped and finally we reached a clearing where an immense water turned up. We enjoyed the beauty of the river and the panoramic view with fascination. The Sun was bright and clear. Soon everyone was engaged themselves in taking selfies with the beautiful river behind.
Sandith sir and Manu could not resist from taking a bath in the shallow water; others joined them later on. They spent more than an hour in the water. It was fun having food together. Afternoon, Sandith sir joined the boys to play cricket. Bhavya and Anila was also included in the team. I enjoyed watching them. Later, I saw the boys returning to the river for a dip the second time. On our way back we stopped by a village shop for a tea and ‘pazhamporichathu’. We spent some time there and posed for a group photo. Eccentric dancer Samson’s ‘snake’ style was worth laughing. We reached safely at Kalamassery office around 8 o’clock and the memories of our trip became a fantasy.
By Mruthula Xavier