Last weekend was important to all of us here – it would be the last weekend that we’d be free, as after that, the stress sets in with grueling 10-day JAVA modules. So we planned to get away for those 2 precious days and go to some nice place, in fact – any place other than our campus.

And so it was decided that we’d go to Ooty. We booked a car and left early morning. The weather was awesome. We reached Ooty in around 3 hours. Some of the guys had to draw money from the ATM and so we had to halt. A friend and I stepped into a chocolate shop to buy some for special people. My friend started a conversation with the guy who owned the shop and it turned out that he was much into adventure like trekking and fishing. So we asked him for a very less-known place in Ooty, and he suggested “Avalanche”, promising us of great sights.

So we convinced our reluctant driver to take us there. On the way, we saw elephants and deer as we passed through the heart of the Mudhumalai forest. One more hour and we reached a fish farm – not just any fish farm! It was a “trout hatchery”. The government was capturing trout (a rare fish variety that is sold for around 600 to 700 bucks a kilo!) and breeding those using scientific methods. The caretaker, after being suitably remunerated (ahem), agreed to show us around the place and explain the process. We were even allowed to feed the fish ourselves!

And then, he directed us to a secret tunnel through which the fish are trapped. It was a scenic place, a small tunnel with water flowing and also a small stream of water that flowed slowly through slippery rocks. And with no one around, it was such a romantic spot. I hated myself for being there with only guys all around me. And after the customary photo session, we were off to Avalanche.

Soon after, we reached the place. We were directed to a Forest reserve area, where outsiders were actually not allowed. Some haggling and a lighter wallet later, we were let in to this valley. From the outside, people could be easily be fooled into believing that all of Avalanche is only bushes. But walk into a small path cut across the bushes and you’ll see a sight closest to the likes of those foreign locations in which our movie heroes and heroines go for song sequences. It was a valley, a lake in the center and surrounded by hills all around. We spent a good amount of time there, chatting and running around crazy and of course taking pictures. And then, on the way back, we paid a quickfire visit to the Emerald Dam. It was quite a memorable day, and now we can’t stop talking about the place. Check out the pictures.