A trekker for once…

Sid, is one of the unique personalities I have met so far, an unexplainable phenomenon, a simple yet complex down-to-earth person and a good friend. He is probably the only competitor I have had over these years in being ‘lean’ and mean and just being inches shorter than me. Routine work and an occasional visit to his native is all his life about.

On a trek I had planned, I invited him to join and having no inclination, he refused to undertake such strenuous activity and after being constantly pursued, he agreed reluctantly. As the days got closer, the excitement of this challenges and relishing it no end for once kept him occupied.

Well, he almost missed the entire plan by missing the bus and luckily hopped on in the middle to be received gleefully by us, a firm decision that would change him and challenge him over the next couple of days. With the initial stuffing’s and preparations, we started off slowly on the almost level gradient path and within walking a little distance, I turned around hearing a thud and he was on the ground, a slip and a fall.

(a trekker for once...)

Getting him up, we moved ahead and he was always in between some of us, not to lose sight of him and lest he has a fall again and as I was thinking of the same, he dropped once more now slipping on a stone with another thud. Offloading some of the weight from his back, we moved ahead in conquest of the peak we had set our sights on. The breakfast had fast disappeared and with the sun rising up, the hungry demons in our stomach had started squealing no end.

After the break, we pursued further and now the gradient became a little more steep and we were trekking right out in the open under the mercy of the sun god and it was an all out effort to keep ourselves cool and balanced carrying all the weight along. We passed this and entered a forest patch and then out into an open green meadow, Sid started to hop and jog in a way to get ahead of us and yet again landed on his back with a thud. Now, instead of the moans, he started laughing and everyone joined in (well, we were holding it back for a long time now) and the teasing started and in the process he was challenged to be stable and not fall for the rest of the trek.

Being a confident fellow, he instantly hit upon it and accepted the challenge and got lost in thoughts of the alive is awesome moments once he would have defeated us and the thought of a further fall free trek kept us going.

(a sunset view of a lifetime...)

We reached the top without any more falls as Sid was relishing the challenge and had been more careful stepping in the right places and avoiding slippery stones and carefully moving ahead balancing himself well. Tired bodies and with a little rest, we moved to a nearby hilltop for an amazing sunset view, probably one of the best so far.

Time flew as we spent our time amongst the clouds and clean, fresh air and soon we had to head back the way we came. Now betting had started on Sid’s challenge and he was to gain a lot of praises / favors if he would win the challenge, he surely was now relishing the challenge more and all the more determined.

(trekking in the mist...)

Trekking down a hill is faster but more painful as your legs have to have more balance and lot of pressure is exerted on them. It’s always advised to trek downhill in a cross manner as that helps you balance better and good shoes/sandals that do not slide also help. 3/4th of the way, Sid was just perfect and looked all set in winning the accolades, way to go.
After a small break as we resumed on a fairly even path, over a heated conversation, I cursed him to fall and in the next 10 steps, he slid and fell with a thud again and this time all of us almost fell down laughing and rolling. He had braved all the slopes and slides but had this fall on a flat surface when anybody least expected. Cursing me back, he too joined the laughter and it became so loud that our stomachs started to ache no end. Gosh, that was some wonderful moments in those days!

 (a long walk back...)

From there till the end, he had two more falls and with each fall, the laughter’s became louder and the fun part was that it was from everybody including him. All of us had relished the challenge and enjoyed it to the hilt and he almost soaked in his glorified alive is awesome moments, just missing it by a whisker.

Nevertheless, keeping aside the challenges, we all soaked in our successful completion of the trek, conquering one of the mighty beautiful peaks in the Western Ghats infused with a lot of determination, pride, laughter and team bonding. We surely relished all of this and were soaking in our own alive is awesome moments.

Drive-o-phobia

Guru, in his late twenties, small and stout, non-stop talkative person is one of the core members of my team, inseparable from the group. It’s all lively and active when he’s around and no dearth for jokes and humor. A person who believes in today and lives for today.

He knew driving and had mastered it recently just after I had done the same. For me driving was just like a fish taking to the waters, picking up the skills instantaneously. He was through the basics and was at peace driving in the city to an extent.

As a team member, we have always seen him being confident and with loads of ‘let’s do it attitude’ whatever be the situation or the challenge, as a team we have relished many challenges together as they have come.

With my driving skills now fit for the highway, we embarked on a long road journey through the nook and corner of the state, day and night, traveling through the wonderful countryside, braving the rains and cold and soaking in the clean pure air and the majestic sights that we were to witness.

As Guru knew driving, he was keen to help me out with the part and there lay our and his biggest challenge in accomplishing that as we soon realized. Behind the steering wheel, his confident voice started to jarrr, sweat brows visible on the always ‘cool as a cucumber’ face, the never stopping talkative throat became dry, slight shiver in the hands, agile reflexes getting mixed up, we soon realized this was some ‘block’ or rather ‘a fear’ enveloping him while driving on the highway.

We were a little taken aback by this, but recovering soon, we knew he had all the abilities to do it, probably just needed to come out of his shell, throw the fears away and be confident. This was a challenge for him to prove himself and a challenge for us to help our friend accomplish it and we were very sure it could be done and all of us together could soak in the alive is awesome moments.

(misty dawn break well before the ghats)

We stopped instantaneously, offered him water, spoke to him distracting from the topic, tried infusing him with confidence, egged him on and resumed our journey when he was ready. The terrain had now turned into ghats (hair pin bends and zig-zags) and the roads filled with good number of potholes, the challenge ahead of us had doubled!

He showed no signs of giving up and we made our progress slowly and steadily negotiating the potholes and the heavy truck traffic on the road. He was tense and so were we when we approached the passing trucks closer than expected but our man held his nerve and there were shouts of oohs! aahs! from the backseat, we were relishing the challenge.

Always egging him on and giving him tips to stay calm and guiding him in averting the traffic/potholes and constantly encouraging him, we were making him feel comfortable and relaxed and he was responding well trying to outdo his fears and drive confidently.

Slowly but steadily, he showed signs of coming back to his self, appearing much more relaxed than ever and the last stretch of ghats were covered in a jiffy. Soon, we stopped after the ghats were conquered and instantly he let out a wild scream, and with exchange of hi-fi, we knew his fears were now out and he would be much more confident driving in the future. A challenge for him, a challenge for us, both ending successful relishing the stiff challenge no end and soaking ourselves in the alive is awesome moments of glory and success.

(waterfalls break on the way...)

Note: Drive safe, be safe!
Speed thrills but kills!

You can challenge Virat too... here!

Lone Traveler

I started traveling in a group, a group of my friends and always preferred to travel as a group with friends or like minded people. It was fun all the way and you never knew how time flew with people around be it either the long journeys or mid-day time when you rest or the long chats in the night. I was so used to travel with others that the thought of traveling alone would push me back a bit or rather postpone or cancel the trip itself. I used to do this to accommodate people to join me.

Solo traveling was something that I never dreamt of doing nor wished for it to happen for 2 reasons, one being I didn’t want my friends to miss out on places I visit and the other reason being that I would be bored to death.

Traveling alone was a challenge to relish for me that well was being avoided by me by a safe distance for many years. Well, as the years passed by, things change and you have to step out of your comfort zone if you have to do something. Sometimes, nobody would be ready to travel along with you even with the best of their attempts and you are left to travel alone and one such instance came up when I had a fortnight long trip that had been planned for months in advance and none were available to accompany me.

Desperation soon turned into frustration and frustration into a challenge, let me do it myself in my own way, let me explore on my own, let me show the path to others, let me infuse confidence in others, let me do something new.

With the bookings done and preparations ready, there were days when butterflies were creating havoc in my stomach with thoughts of missing trains, losing valuables, getting lost bothering me no end and overcoming them was a relishing challenge in itself. I used to get myself back on track with the thought of being done with that successfully and enjoying the success and savoring the alive is awesome moments.

Overcoming all hiccups I took off with a high degree of confidence, pepping up my spirits now and then, keeping myself occupied reading books, watching movies and indulging into my camera when on field and never letting myself to be bogged down even for a while.

I let myself free, relishing the challenges that came by, may be the lost wallet incident, or may be the breakdown of the jeep in the middle of nowhere, or rushing through traffic to catch my train, or facing intimidating people.

On the positive front, I met lot of new people, made many friends, built contacts, savored local delicacies, traveled by various modes of transport, met interesting people during train journeys, was humbled by the generosity of the villagers, taken aback by shrewd business minded people and importantly relished each and every alive is awesome moment of my solo travel. Back home, I’m still relishing under the success of my maiden solo travel, I tough challenge that I had to face and pleased that I could do it, a true blue alive is awesome moment for me.

Relishing Challenges!

Relishing challenges... my way!

Being of a mild frame to look at, I’ve always been the topic for jokes and inadvertently for humor amongst people; In a way, I never bothered but relished them with glee and also housed a secret wish of achieving things that I was supposed to be not fit of…

Yezdi’s, Java’s, Bullet’s are the cult bikes that I have grown up seeing and always used to look at them with amazement and I could feel my inner thump resonate with the machine’s. But alas, owing to my slender frame, I was never given an opportunity to ride these in spite of me knowing biking! The wish soon turned into a challenge and the seed of fulfilling, relishing the challenge grew over the years secluded deep in my veins.

After years of patient wait, an impulse decision and next thing was the booking of an 350cc Royal Enfield bike done and grinning at everybody. The reason of happiness was evident but none knew the background behind it. Now, I was getting a bullet all for myself, no more asking and no more being pushed around.. but I had to wait for at least 8 months to downrun all the talkers and challengers, for that 'alive is awesome moment', for more challenges that lay ahead.

The day arrived, I was all excited right through and I could feel the instant connect with the thump pounding away instantly in my heart. As I lay my hands on the bike, the grin became wider and bigger and as the beauty came to life roaring all its might, it sure would be the beginning of a new journey together relishing challenges and enjoying alive is awesome moments.

An answer to all my detractors to say so was when I successfully completed my solo ride of 1000kms on my Thunderbird in the rains, an alive is awesome moment to say the least and a ride that would not erase out of my memory soon...

Being the adventure junkie, I’m relishing challenges and looking forward for more.

Awesome Waterfall locations for that awesome adventure

Location: Unknown falls located in the Sakleshpur area of the W.Ghats, Karnataka

(a hidden falls, photo by the author)

A falls located close to a motored road yet not known to many, the falls that is all about serene and serendipity yet not many travelers are aware of it, the falls where you can get lost for hours together yet not many to disturb your peaceful stay, the falls whose clear, pure waters can fill you with freshness and life, yet many people don’t take a dip, an adventure missed by many, an adventure experienced by many, an exotic adventure bathing location that makes you quiver alive is awesome.

Location: Unknown falls nestled deep in Coorg, Karnataka

(the estate falls, photo by the author)

Coorg is one of the most preferred destinations to visit for a relaxing holiday, for that hill station getaway, for an adventure weekend, for river rafting, for virgin forests and lush green estates, for that rich wildlife and colorful birdlife, for those trekking trails and for more alive is awesome experiences.

A remote falls located within a lush green coffee estate in Coorg - aptly called the Scotland of India that can be visited any time of the year and reaching here needs a mild trek worth all the effort and time. The falls gorge down from a decent height and located in Coorg, the waters are chill enough to send shivers down your spine and bathing / swimming here is sure an adventure in itself. Standing below the plunging falls, soaked in the creamy white waters, exhaling those roars of joy; the pains and pangs vanish with the flow of water infusing you with freshness, energy and life every time you take a plunge making it an alive is awesome experience none the less.

Location: Sangama and Mekedatu, Karnataka

(the wide river before narrowing, photo by the author)

This cannot be classified as a waterfall location but merely a flowing stream at Sangama that becomes wild and adventurous as it reaches Mekedatu making it a destination for adventure here. While the river Kaveri flows wide enough for bathing and swimming at Sangama, the river shortens to flow through a deep narrow 10 meter wide gorge thereby increasing the force and intensity of the flow and it flows through a deep ravine of hard granite rock making it an extremely dangerous place to get down into.

Adventure, when in limits and with safety measures is a thrill and memorable but when done without the concern of safety leads to loss of life and this exactly happens here. But nevertheless, for all the people who take care of themselves and stretch to their adventurous limits, it’s an awesome location that is a true example of having an alive is awesome experience. Watch the video to live the alive is awesome moments from Mekedatu.

Also do have a look at these amazing alive is awesome videos from Cinthol:

1. The Polar Plunge Bath

2. The Geyser Bath

3. The Desert Shower Bath

4. The Ocean Bath

5. The Deep Cave Bath

6. The Elephant Bath

7. The Waterfall Bath

8. The Village Bath

Tube Rafting – Staying Alive!

Rafting is very popular and considered an adventure activity. Over the years as it has become popular, so have the safety measures to ensure the safety of the rafter. How about rafting all alone... on a tube... on a rousing stream... with just a stick... with nobody to help... you survive to live... you turn turtle to drench... the adventure is all about the mini version of the rafting, if you can call it!

Place: Deep in Western Ghats near Sakleshpur

Setup: Flowing water (river, canal or a full stream)

What you need: A tube, lifejacket and a stick and loads of guts

Wear the life jacket and enter the flowing stream (the cold water makes you scream…). Place the tube and hop on to it in a sitting position so as not to fall till you are comfortably seated. That’s it! The stream or the river takes it from there and it’s up to you to decide to live or not to, all of your energy needs to be utilized to move ahead and not spin off or turn turtle and keep praying the tube does not burst hitting the rocks or any sharp branches, the only spirit of being alive keeps you moving and conquering the challenging hurdles as you wanna shriek aloud being ‘Alive is Awesome’ – you need to fight each turn, each, hurdle, each obstacle, each rock that comes in your way to stay afloat and keep moving forward.

By this time, you would be drenched in the cold waters to the core and to the last bit of clothing you have, to unnerve each and every nerve of yours, to the last strand of hair on you that has been spooked, to the last teeth in you that has been unable to stop chattering, to the last drop of water that is oozing out from your ears, eyes and the nostrils, to those shivering hands that are fighting to control the movement of the tube with the stick, to those legs that are been savaged hitting the rocks in all directions, to that moment when you are praying to stay afloat and alive, to the moment you realize being alive is awesome, cursing your friend who pushed you in deep shaky waters and as you surge ahead fighting like a warrior, a wry smile, a moment of glory, the sings of courage, the happiness of being alive, the pride of doing it, the moment of feeling alive is awesome engulfs you as you come to a standstill on placid waters and try to get off the riveting adventure you had and recollecting those moments when you barely ‘lived’.

Now with confidence oozing out from everywhere, you stride ahead with big steps, chest beating and ready for another saga of the adventure to live it, do it, come out alive and feel alive is awesome again and again…

Beach bath – awesome experience

Location: Bekal fort shores, Kerala

On our visit to the Bekal fort, we were captivated by the shores on the far end, never ending Arabian sea till your eyes can see, the lone ship in the middle of nowhere, the dark clouds hovering threatening to open up anytime, the mighty sea eagle swooning over for a prey, lovely couples posing for the shutters, little kids playing around, a lone man sitting on the rocks and drenching in the waves, fishermen and their huts on the far end, it just goes on and on… you just can’t describe all you see and feel in words, you have to be there for that experience, for that awesome feel.

(the bathing waves, photo by the author)

I rarely visit sea shores and if done avoid the salty waters, it sticks and the after cleansing and changing is a lot of worry for me. I stand at a distance, watch those mighty waves crashing on to the rocks and the shore, enjoy the beautiful sunset over the horizon, watch the birds hurrying home, envy/pity the sailors who live on the waters; I ‘feel’ every moment of being there, I ‘get lost’ in that feel that makes me happy and alive.

As always, we were on the rocks at the shore, off the fort watching those incredibly mighty waves crashing on and retreating back, coming again and hitting, coming and going; they never give up, they keep coming and going tirelessly be it day or night and once they get wild, tsunami’s happen J The waves hitting our feet was cool and so relaxing that we forgot that those were salty waters. Whenever you are in good waters, the feet come alive and glow after being cleansed by them and it’s so soothing and healing. As we were busy shooting, the fun moments started with huge wave after waves rising up, up and in an instant showering upon us mercilessly, leaving us zombied and yelling at each other, a moment of fear, a moment of awesomeness, a moment of happiness, a moment of being alive, the alive is awesome moments.

The waves rose so high and came on us unexpectedly that we had no option but to get drenched along with our cameras (see the video to feel it…), we started enjoying the moments, the feel of goodness and freshness engulfing us, I would have shrieked aloud awesome, alive is awesome!

Unknown falls: for that awesome adventure

Place: Unknown falls

Located deep in the Western Ghats, near Yellapur town, Karnataka

(lovely inviting streams...photo by the author)

It’s quite common for people to visit known locations and famous tourist spots, but how common is it to go to an unexplored place, deep in the jungle, miles away from civilization, on the quest of an unknown falls, for that thrilling adventure, to explore the uncharted territories, to unravel the hidden secrets, for that alive is awesome epic!

(off we go for those awesome moments, photo by the author)

On our adventurous visit to a remote hamlet deep in the Western Ghats, after a mammoth river crossing and trekking through the jungles in the night, we reached the remote hamlet Shivapura with barely few settlements here and there and their plantations and fields in between. Almost an island surrounded by water on 3 sides and delicate connectivity on the 4^th primarily as the hamlet being in the backwaters of a major dam nearby.

(enjoying the cherished moment, photo by the author)

We had a local guy who would be our guide in the quest to the unknown falls. Rains had just stopped and the lush green cover all around made us nostalgic and with no vehicles at all, it was ‘pure’ air that we were inhaling that tickled our senses too. The trek was a fairly long one as we crossed multiple streams, made our way through dense forests, being bitten by numerous blood sucking leeches, chartering through the rocky terrain, climbing uphill and sliding downhill, treading on non-existent paths in many places, a real adventure in real life.

(A flip-flop somersault dive, photo by the author)

As we reached the falls after all the adventure in getting there, we were greeted by crystal clear cold water and the sun lashing out in full glow but the breeze being still pleasant. The real adventure had just begun, a few somersaults, dives, flip-flops, thrills of energetic activities and all the fatigue and tiredness was washed away and the pure natural spring infusing us with freshness and loads of energy, a real alive is awesome moment to cherish. Sitting under the falls, the cool water engulfing you all over, those slippery rocks and sudden shivers, with a no-care attitude in the world, with the only idea of ‘living the moment’, with friends to share and friends to live for, life couldn’t be more adventurous, more bliss, more awesome, surely alive is awesome. The thrills of adventure bathing filled us with life and laughter and what better way than not to 'live' the alive is awesome moments with your friends :)

Awesome waterfall bath destinations – Coorg and Kudremukh

Place: Scotland of India – Coorg

Irpu / Irupu falls

Well, nestled in the pristine Western Ghats of Karnataka and home to some rich evergreen forests and an amazing climate, rich in biodiversity – be it summer, winter or the monsoon, the land of aromatic coffee and the estates, the birthplace of river Kaveri, the terrain of undulating mountain peaks, the land of shola forests and barren hillocks, the land of mesmerizing greenery, the land of the beautiful Kodava tribes, the land of warriors and the place not to be missed is Coorg. Coorg is home to some of the finest waterfalls located amidst thick jungles and some of them thrive round the year and some prosper particularly during the monsoons.

(Photograph by the author)

On one such casual visit to Coorg, we happened to visit the Irpu falls after obtaining permissions from the forest department as it’s located in a wildlife sanctuary. There was dew in the air and chillness in the breeze as we made our way on the moss infested concrete steps laid out for easier access to the falls. Songs of the birds and the roars of the river were the only sounds we could hear as we moved on feasting upon the rich green covered hillocks in the surroundings that we could see. Irpu looked ravishing from the viewpoint and as we moved ahead, we reached a place much closer where actually the little pellets of water were splashing on to us. Getting drenched slowly by those numerous little pellets, we needed no further invitation to get in right away and within minutes the ice cold water had us soaked and chilled our spines with no mercy and all that we could hear was the continuous chattering of our teeth. Slowly as we moved towards the base of the majestic falls, the thundering splash made us quiver for an instant but later turned out to be a awesome massage relieving us of all the fatigue and filling us with some energy and loads of freshness, we went in tired and came out quivering with freshness and joy, a true blue alive is awesome bathing moment.

Place: Kudremukha, Karnataka

Hanumangundi falls

(Photograph by the author)

Kudremukha is a well known tourist destination located in the lap of Western Ghats in Karnataka, an earlier iron-ore mining area now rich with wildlife after the mining has ceased. It’s a major trekking destination and home to thick dense forests making its terrain pretty difficult to navigate. Kudremukha shines in the finest of glory when it rains and sends shivers down your spine in the winters and attracts huge crowds to its folds and not to the mention it has a lot of hidden treasures in the form of streams, valleys and waterfalls. Hanumangundi falls is pretty well known and visited by many people and easily accessible. The water here is bone-chilling and a dip refreshes the senses no end and a shower beneath the thundering falls makes you forget your pain and misery and fills you up with enthusiasm, freshness and life, its an testimony for being an alive is awesome moment.

(Video by the author)

Both the above mentioned falls have similar characteristics and makes you forget your pain, fatigue and fills you with freshness and life. You may ask why?

Let me tell you both of the river sources originate in dense forests and travels through untouched, pristine nature filling themselves with rich mineral properties and are pretty much clean and thankfully away from pollution. The pain and fatigue that we carry along are removed when the thundering falls roar upon you cleaning you with the pristine crystal clear waters rich in minerals and natural elements and in the process filling you with freshness and energy making you cherish those alive is awesome moments for a lifetime.

More videos of "Alive is Awesome" here - www.youtube.com/cinthol

Rafting - the feeling of being alive

Continuing the posts on ‘Alive is Awesome’, let me take you on a new set this time, a new journey, new adventures, new thrill, new excitement that left me gasping, an adventure that filled me with a breath of new life, confidence and increased my quest for more.

Rafting: Rafting is an adventurous, challenging outdoor water sports activity using a inflatable raft to negotiate a river or other water bodies with varying rapids.

When I first heard about an opportunity to go river rafting, I was pretty excited and equally scared, scared of the phobia of water, a feel of drowning every time I’m in a water body. Putting up a confident face in front of my friends to convince them to go rafting with me, all along I being nervous and timid. After certain years, the question still haunts me, why? What made you do it?

Probably now after seeing the series of ‘crazy’ adverts of Cinthol advocating the concept of ‘Alive is Awesome’, the answer is pretty much clear and the adverts showcase them in a brilliant manner.

Now you may still ask me why? I would just reply, to experience life, for extreme adventure, to feel the feeling of being alive, to do something different, for the thrill, for an awesome experience, to survive, to pacify your crazy adventure gene, to live, to get over the phobia, to quiver ‘alive is awesome’.

On board the raft with a nervous feel and more nervous friends for company, with the heart rate soaring each passing second, following the instructions of the guide, the raft moves ahead slowly amidst placid waters, flowing wide and silent, life around me comes to a standstill when I hear “Guys, Jump off the raft now!!!”

2 minutes of silence…!!!

Now death sounds imminent when I next hear the words “Jump now or be thrown!!!”

With closed eyes and shivering souls, the next moment all that I hear is a loud splash (my heavenly body falling into the water) and blank…blank…

The life jacket propels me up and I rise to keep my neck afloat, a sigh of relief engulfs me, the shivering souls calm down, my senses make a slow comeback, the joy of being alive erupts and I quiver deep inside with the shrillest of voices “Alive is Awesome” and then its fun, gala, joy and happiness :)

Rafting not only helps you as an individual, it helps you grow team skills, to work in tandem with the others, with efficiency, co-ordination, trust and the joy of togetherness.

I would love to recommend these new Alive is Awesome video’s of Cinthol to be seen, felt and lived.

1. The Deep Cave Bath - here

2. The Elephant Bath - here

Meenmutty waterfalls

Going through the new set of ‘Alive is Awesome’ concept ads on the Television and the Internet, I’m overwhelmed with a sense of déjà vu as fond memories of our similar experiences are bought alive again, true blue moments of adventure, craziness, excitement and friendship.

I will post a series of such ‘Alive is Awesome’ real life bathing adventures that would enable you to decipher the déjà vu feeling I’m going through.

Enjoy and have a blast :)

On an unexpected detour to a less visited waterfall nestled in Kerala,

traversing on a foot track that never existed;

negotiating slippery slides and withstanding numerous bruises that we took;

with no souls around and in midst of lush green forest;

with the sun rapidly going down and the winter chillness setting in;

only sounds but no signs of any waterfall nearby and the never ending downhill climb;

meeting a lone group advising us to backtrack;

fearful minds and wanting hearts;

all for the desire of been there-done that;

all for that adventure gene hyperactive in our self;

all for that sense of déjà vu that is just ‘priceless’.

Finally after negotiating all hurdles and the steep downhill climb, a valley view with a pristine virgin waterfall appears in sight out of nowhere offering itself in complete to you with no other souls around to be seen or heard, the only company you have is the roar of the intimidating falls and the distant music churned out by the birds around.

Haunting us the familiar question in a familiar situation: We plunge in or not?

The adventure gene is back in action and in an instant we are in the crystal clear, cool waters wading away to glory splashing around every ounce of water we can. As we near the thundering shower (where the water jettisons upon you with a thundering roar from the top), the heartbeat pumps up, unable to open the eyes, hands held together and with loud shrieks we take the plunge below the drop, we are jettisoned with water that seems being pumped out of a canon, we are lost in the moment…, we take a while to be back, to feel the aura of alive is awesome, we live to tell the tale, we live to say ‘Alive is Awesome’.

(Photograph by the author)

Just before departing, standing in the cool waters, all drenched and after the alive is awesome moments, with the cool breeze hitting you hard, we look back in awe at the intimidating falls that keeps on plunging, that brings a smile upon you, that makes you evoke, that was a Alive is Awesome bathing experience we had, a natural pressure bath that makes you feel lighter, better and happier.

Location: Meenmutty waterfalls, Wayanad, Kerala, India.

Hope you enjoyed reading this, I will be back with more such moments…, in the meanwhile have a look at this Alive is Awesome waterfall bathing video here.

Alive is Awesome - A new concept

Alive is Awesome

When I first heard those words, I could directly relate to them; alive and awesome are part of our adventures and I know personally what ‘alive’ means to be and what that ‘awesome’ feeling is…

Ah! Now to the topic why am I suddenly writing about alive, awesome that is a daily part of my adventures. If you are curious to know more, see the below videos and subsequently my first impressions of them. The videos are based on a new concept of ‘Alive is Awesome’ bathing experience from one of the leading FMCG brands in the market.

Whenever we are out on any adventure, a flowing rivulet or a jaw dropping waterfall or those little beautiful hidden streams invite us no end to have a dip, an adventure bath in the midst of nowhere, in short we too exclaim Alive is Awesome!

1. The Waterfall Bath

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZibuxYvLCo&feature=plcp

Exhilarating – the location – Skogafoss waterfalls in the Iceland and when I say Iceland, you can imagine how the temperatures would be…! The poetic lines are an added attraction here –

"When I feel the thrill of water spraying and the chill, I feel awesome."

The entire ad carries the spirit of Alive is Awesome very well.

2. The Village Bath

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzkSgWGUigE&feature=plcp

“When I’m splashing about, and I just want to shout, I feel awesome.”

A unique way of an adventure bath in front of an entire village with their eyes peeled on you. Never knew this kind of a tribal bath ritual existed.

Nice, Innovative and captures extreme adventures that carrier the spirit of ‘Alive of Awesome’ right through.

Wait – there are more to come :)