The Rustic Encounters - Day 1

It was 3 of us coming from 3 different places and bound for one common destination, The unknown. We spread an AP map before us at the Breakfast place and decided that we head towards the east coast on our first leg of journey. We hitched a bus ride to Tada which was on the border of AP and TN and decided we go up north from along the coast.

3 hours of a rocking bus ride later, some guy mentioned of a good waterfall near Varadiahpalem. It was only later that we came to know that these were the Tada Falls. We hired an auto to take us there for 150Rs To and Fro. After about 4 kms from the point the auto dropped us off, we reached a stream and a Tree House. The actual falls were another 3 kms from here. The tree house was more of a platform to construct a rope way across the trees. We negotiated with the officials to let us stay there and the charge was 150 per head. We spoke with the local watchman for food and that guy agreed to make us some at 50 per head. After all the arrangements for the night stay were made, we set out for the falls.

The route to the Falls was an amazing one. The first 3 kms were through a jungle followed by a km where we had to cross the stream through the boulders. It was quite a risky one as the boulders were slippery and hence the fun. It took us about 45 minutes to trudge the final stretch. The falls were really something of a spectacle. The waterfall was cold, high enough and clear. We stayed there for about an hour. We had a tough time fending off the the monkeys who tried stealing things off. We returned back to the tree house by 6 and it was almost twilight. Dinner was served by 7 and that was one of the best meals we have ever had. All we had was breakfast since morning, So owe to the hunger, tiredness or the taste we ate up like there was no tomorrow!

The night was something else. We arranged for a fire by the night and we sat by it till 9. We had a tough time letting the fire burn as we had to find the appropriate wood. We crept up the tree house and decided to call it a day. Sleeping with the constant rumbling of the stream, looking up to the clearest skies I have ever seen and on a tree 10 meters above the ground is something I can't possibly describe in words.

Do check out the pics at Tour Pics