From Fumble to Flop

Greetings! I hail from Krishnagiri, and I am thrilled to share my escapade to Yercaurd with you. Although it was intended to be a honeymoon trip, it ended up being a little more than that - but you'll have to read on to decide.

To surprise my beloved, I told her we were heading to Palani. Even my folks were under the same impression. But I had a little trick up my sleeve - I contacted an old friend from Salem a week before and asked him to reserve a room in Yercaurd for us. Before we embarked on our journey, I made sure to confirm the date with him.

Slow and Steady Bus Ride: Annoying Passengers and Nagging Wives

After relishing a delicious lunch, we proceeded to the bus station. As it was our first lengthy excursion together, I was feeling apprehensive. When we reached the bus station, two buses arrived - a private bus and a government bus. My wife suggested we take the private one, but I opted for the government bus, assuming it would be a speedy express ride. I couldn't have been more mistaken. The driver seemed to be in no rush, and the pace of the journey was agonizingly slow. As a result, the passengers were all irritable and agitated. My wife, in particular, had a plethora of inquiries.

"I told you not to pick this bus. Look how sluggish it's moving. What time will we arrive?" she quizzed.

I was dumbfounded. I had no idea the bus would crawl at such a snail's pace. To try and cheer her up, I revealed our true destination - Yercaurd. Initially taken aback, my wife quickly inquired whether I had made any arrangements for our stay.

"I asked my friend in Salem to book a room for us. We are headed to his house now," I replied.

"Did you inform him we're coming?" she asked, her eyes glancing suspiciously at me.

Only then did I realize my error - I had forgotten to notify my friend before we departed. I was astounded at how perceptive my wife was. Despite my mistake, I maintained my composure.

"I informed him a week before, don't worry," I said nonchalantly.

"What do you mean a week ago? You didn't inform him before leaving? What if they're out of town? You need to tell him now at least. It's impolite to visit someone's home without prior notice," she lectured.

Locked Out and Left Hanging: Our Chaotic Arrival at a Friend's House

"I don't need any advice!" I exclaimed, frustrated with the constant unsolicited suggestions.

As we arrived at Salem bus stand at 7 PM, I tried to reach my friend but couldn't get any signal. We took an auto to his house and when we arrived, the door was locked. I called my friend again and he assured me that he was on his way. Within minutes, he arrived on his bike with his family and invited us in after explaining they had been at the temple.

Boating, Buddies, and Bites: A Hungry Adventure in Yercaud

It all started with a simple question, "You booked room?" I asked my friend. Little did I know, it would turn into a comedy of errors.

My friend replied, "Hey, you didn't tell the exact date of your arrival. How can I book it?" And just like that, my plan for a smooth vacation was crumbling.

I felt defeated and didn't even dare to look at my wife, who was clearly upset with me.

Seeing our worried faces, my friend promised to help us find a room after dinner. We finished our meal but I couldn't shake off the anxiety. My friend's car came in handy as we drove around, searching for a place to stay. It was already 9 PM, the night was dark and chilly, and the road to Yercaud was winding and steep

But my friend didn't give up. "OK wait, let's try to get the room," he said. And so, we set out on a wild goose chase, searching for a room in the dark and cool Yercaud night. My wife, exhausted from the long day, fell asleep in the car.

We searched high and low, but all the rooms were filled. Until we stumbled upon the Hotel Odyssey, where one room was available, but very costly. I had no choice but to book it, much to my wife's dismay and, woke up my wife to tell her it was already 12:30 AM. My friend wished us well and headed back to Salem alone, leaving me feeling guilty for all the trouble.

Knock Knock Who is there…?

After settling in our room, we were finally able to rest. But in the middle of the night, I heard a knocking sound in my dream, only to be woken up by my wife shaking me and shouting, "Someone's knocking on the door, wake up!"

The clock struck 3:30 AM and I struggled to open my heavy eyelids, only to catch a glimpse of my watch. My wife, too, was wide awake, her nerves on edge in our unfamiliar surroundings. A sudden knock on the door left us both paralyzed with fear, but the sound ceased just as abruptly as it began. I mustered up the courage to open the door, but to our relief, no one was there. Maybe it was just the Yercaud ghosts playing a prank on us. We finally settled back into our beds, drifting off to sleep once again.

As the sun rose, we got dressed and headed downstairs, where the hotel staff kindly offered us breakfast. However, I declined, hoping to explore the area and discover some local cuisine. Stepping outside, we were met with a breath-taking view - the hotel was situated a top a small hill, offering a stunning sit-out area. As we made our way towards the nearby lake, we were excited to uncover the treasures that Yercaud had in store for us.

Hailing a taxi, we embarked on a journey to discover the hidden gems of this tourist town. Our first stop was the Anan Park - a picturesque park adorned with lush green gardens and blooming flowers. We wandered around the greenhouses and marveled at the rose garden, while learning about the famed Kurunji flower that blooms once every twelve years. Inside the park, we stumbled upon a Guava tree, and like mischievous children, we couldn't resist climbing it to pluck some juicy fruits. Afterward, we spent some time in the fruit shops outside, where we sampled a unique oval-shaped, green fruit, which was grated and served with sugar. The refreshing, icy taste was perfect for the cool weather.

Our next stop was the Pyramid point, followed by a visit to the ancient Sri Raja Rajeswari Temple. As we wandered around the temple, we learned that it was built by the tribal community, who still gather every year to worship together. It was a humbling experience to witness the temple's rich history and culture, and we felt privileged to be in the presence of such a sacred place. We continued our journey to the Shevarayan Temple, where we purchased some Siddha oil - a product used in traditional Indian medicine. My wife found solace in the temple's peaceful atmosphere, and I felt a sense of joy knowing that we had discovered another hidden treasure in this beautiful town.

Finally, we reached the Big Lake, where we had the opportunity to go boating. It was the perfect way to end our adventure, as we floated along the serene waters, taking in the breath-taking views of the surrounding hills. As the day came to a close, we were grateful for the opportunity to explore this magnificent town and uncover its secrets. It was truly an adventure we will always cherish.

Lost and Ego-tripped

Oh boy, let me tell you about my latest adventure with my wife! We were starving and couldn't find a single restaurant nearby, so I asked the driver to drop us off at any decent hotel. But my wife, being the clever one, interrupted and said, "Hold on, let's find out when the boating starts so we can time our lunch accordingly."

After a satisfying meal, we decided to walk to the nearby lake for some boating fun. But being the know-it-all husband that I am, I refused to ask for directions and ended up leading us on a wild goose chase for over half an hour! My wife was not impressed, to say the least.

But the real kicker was when we finally made it to the boat house, only to find out that they closed the ticket counter before 5 PM! My wife started giving me a piece of her mind, and I couldn't help but wonder how many times I can get things wrong in a day.

To make matters worse, we missed the dinner cut-off at our hotel and had to go out searching for food. And of course, every single restaurant was closed except for one, which only had two dosas left. I mean, come on!

But hey, at least we got some bananas to munch on. And now we're off to the Palani Temple, where I'm sure we'll have a perfectly smooth and uneventful day... right?

It was a dark and stormy night when the adventure began. At 3am, there was a loud knocking on the door, and I heard someone calling out in Hindi. I groggily got up, opened the door, and to my surprise, there was nobody there. This occurrence left me quite restless and sleepless, but I was determined to get to the bottom of it. Just as I was starting to drift off, I was rudely awoken by the same knocking sound at 4am. I was irritated and tense as I opened the door, but my anger turned to confusion when I saw an old man standing there.

I asked him, “What do you want? Why are you knocking on doors in the middle of the night?”

He looked startled and said, “I'm sorry, I got the wrong room. I’m searching for my room and I forgot the number.”

His North Indian accent was evident in his speech, and I wasn't sure I believed him. I asked, “What about yesterday, who knocked then?”

He replied sheepishly, “That was also me. I missed my family and forgot my room number, so I thought it might be this one.”

I was just about to lose my cool and hit him when a hotel boy rushed over urgently.

“Sir, I’m sorry, but he has some mental issues. He’s knocked on many doors,” he said.

“Why on earth would you let someone with mental problems enter the restaurant?” I shouted.

“Wow, what a great hotel,” my wife teased me.

After all that commotion, I went back to sleep to calm down. However, my sleep was short-lived as my wife woke me up at 8.30am and told me to get ready to leave. We had to vacate the room, finish breakfast, and catch a bus to Salem at 10am. We had both slept poorly due to the previous night's disturbance. Once we got on the bus, we both fell asleep. When we woke up, we were the only ones left on the bus, and the conductor had to shout at us to get off at Salem.

We had to find the bus to Palani, but we didn't know where to go or which bus to take. We got on a bus without thinking, and to our dismay, we realized that it would take seven hours to get to Palani. My wife was worried that our whole day would be wasted, but I was determined to visit Palani and offer prayers without fail.

We stopped for lunch at a dingy hotel where the bus took a break. We reached Palani at 7pm and had to trek up a mountain to reach the temple. We were tired, so my wife suggested we take the rope train up, but it was under repair. We had no choice but to climb the stairs, and our pace slowed down as our energy waned. However, seeing young children walking confidently gave us a boost, and we finally made it to the temple at 7pm.

We were thrilled to learn that there was a Golden Chariot event that day, and we felt blessed to witness Lord Muruga in all his glory. We bought some Prasadam and started to head down.

We reached the bus stand at 9:30pm and had dinner at a hotel nearby. Unfortunately, all the buses were full, and we didn't know which one to take or which route to follow. I didn't want to ask for directions, as I didn't want to appear vulnerable or inexperienced. My wife suggested we ask someone, but I was too proud to admit I didn't know the way.

Whether you are going to ask the way or else I will ask my father or brother the right route,” she shouted at me. It was like getting a free motivational speech to start the day.

“No need, come, let’s check any private bus,” I replied, pretending to be confident. I didn't want to risk getting lost and ruining the trip.

From the bus stand to the private bus stop, we walked, and I silently prayed that a divine power would show us the way. I was like a ninja, avoiding any eye contact or conversation with strangers. My wife, on the other hand, was like a social butterfly, asking everyone for directions.

“Go and ask if any seat is available, all are having reservation tickets,” my wife kept reminding me. I felt like a helpless child who couldn't do anything on his own.

Finally, I decided to take matters into my own hands and went into the office. But it was like the universe was conspiring against me, as they only allowed reservation tickets, and no seats were vacant. I came back empty-handed, and my wife looked at me with a mix of sympathy and frustration.

Then, the Bangalore bus Sharma arrived, and we got our chance. We boarded the bus, and I slept like a baby, completely unaware of the chaos that was about to ensue.

The bus conductor, driver, and passengers all woke me up with their shouts, and my wife had to come all the way from the front to wake me up. It was like a scene from a comedy movie.

“You are nicely sleeping, you forget to get down,” the conductor joked, making me feel like a complete idiot.

After getting down, we realized that we had left the Prasatham bag on the bus, and all the Panjamerutham went with it. I felt like I had let down my wife and our entire family.

But it was a lesson learned, and I promised myself to always gather information about a place before traveling there. It was a hilarious experience, and even after many trips, my wife still enjoys teasing me about it.

So, my friends, always be prepared and gather information before traveling to avoid any mishaps. Until next time, stay safe and happy traveling!