Saturday, June 13, 2009

Camping

"Amma - Get up! The sun is setting - SEE?!"

I groggily sat and up and peered out. I had barely had an hour's sleep. I could only manage to fall asleep after I could be reasonably assured that the howling wind around us would not life us and drop somewhere in the pacific ocean. We'd been camping and were spending the night in a tent. It's supposed to be an insulated tent, but it's not shaped like a boat! So it would have been a rough sail (if at all, such a thing sailed)

It was a beautiful morning. I corrected the excited daughter - "It is a sunrise, not a sunset!" As you can see, we aren't one of those who rise before the roosters and wait for the sun to come up. So, the only time, the daughter has seen the sun low, is when it is setting. We had been camping with a bunch of kids (here's proof!)


The whole experience was great fun, and was quite enough to jerk us out of our cubic worlds momentarily. Treks, hot tea, a waterside, excellent company - everything was just perfect. Even the squabbles were fun to watch. The sheer joblessness of a couple of 1-year olds against the perceived-important-but-equally-jobless 7 year olds, the whipping wind against the tea reluctantly holding its warmth, the good food with the chatter.

I was dubious when we started. The car trunk looked like we were moving houses. Sleeping bags, tents, shoes, jackets all jostled for space. Sure though I was, that we wouldn't use half of them, I was unsure of leaving anything behind just in case. It's not like we were taking the moon shuttle to get off in space for a night of camping. We were going to be half-an-hour away from an outlet mall! I seemed to have tired out even before starting!

I had only to reach the spot and inhale the beauty of the place, when all my reluctance vanished with a wisp. In fact, I was thereafter, quite the hearty soul! The only dampener to the exciting trip was the wind. It whipped up with such ferocity - and wouldn't relent. It raged and stomped through the night - till around 4:30 a.m. But any day, another camping trip is welcome.

Ahh- I love camping!

6 comments:

anand said...

Hey

At least you weren't sleeping in an incline, like last time :).

Did you take your parents as well?

[Did I tell you I can't sleep past 5:30 am on weekends?]

Mahalakshmi said...

Oh god! Somehow, week-ends and sleep are meant each other! My parents did not come camping! I don't think their nerves could have taken it. :)

Anonymous said...

Really !! You love camping after sleeping for couple of hours during a weekend.... I know you do value your sleep.

nourish-n-cherish said...

Well. I value the fact that there is no urgency to wake up - let's put it that way:)

AMIT said...

Well post that too with proof.

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BrainWaves said...

Just an interesting info is, the guy hanging upside down is NOT the naughtiest in the group.. now you know what we dealt with.

Overall it was kids friendly camping...parents comfort was optional anyway