My younger son Tarun loves to go on treks. Each time he returned from a trek, I used to ask him to share his experiences. I am fascinated by the idea of trekking but am unable, being physically unfit to take on such a challenge. This time he obliged and I am sharing below the account of Tarun. He has chosen to focus on the people he interacted with during the hike rather than on the natural beauty and terrain on the way. Maybe next time we can get him to do that. Walls of Jerusalem is located in the heart of world heritage listed wilderness. The hike takes around two to five days to complete. Now over to Tarun.
I have
gone on quite a few interesting and exciting treks in India but had not recorded
the experience in writing. This trek was
different in many ways. After moving to Australia around a year back, this was
my first trek in this country. Unlike my treks in India I did not have friends accompanying
me. A friend who was to join could not
do so due to last minute hitches.
I'm
thankful to have met a lot of Australian citizens who gave me a glimpse into
the lifestyle & culture of the land. In this article I am sharing my
perception about each of the members in our trekking expedition. Knowing them,
and about their lives was an enriching experience.
Scott,
although in his 50s seemed young in terms of his sense of humour . He appeared
to be open minded and having a sensible perspective of life. He spoke proudly of his two children - a boy
and a girl. They love their dad and have a friend-like relationship with him. Scott
is separated from his wife and it appeared to me that he had a bit of regret
about the decision. He also mentioned his girlfriend and happily revealed to me,
an Indian that she loves biriyani! Scot has
made peace with his life experiences and has moved on.
Then
there was Su, short for Susan, a lady
perhaps in her 60s but as young in heart as a 16-year-old. With a navy background,
she has travelled the world, volunteered for many causes and has a rich repertoire
of stories. Sue assumed the role of a
responsible, caring leader during the trek, who is not shy to express her
emotions and bold enough to take charge when the situation demanded it. She is
happily unmarried and is proud of the course of her life thus far and has few
regrets.
Sue said
that she came to the Australian shore via boat with family when she was a 7
year old. She has very few memories of the place she used to call home in the
United Kingdom. However, she does remember the time when her English teacher
embarrassed her by asking her to read in front of the class as she had impeccable
English pronunciation.
Oliver
or Oli as he is lovingly called was the trek trailer (person supervising and
guiding from behind) who is a genuinely
happy person. He appeared to have a lot of love for the Aussy land, especially the
beauty of the nature. He laughs his heart out like a child, without inhibitions.
We shared some genuine conversations and laughs. I got the feeling that he
cared for me. If I had spent more time with him, he would perhaps have made a
good friend.
Then
there was the trek leader - the young, beautiful and elegant Nikky or Nichola
who is in her twenties. She was committed to the role of a leader and was doing
a balancing act between being a pleasant person and an assertive trek
leader. During interactions, she meant
business, but at the same time wanted to be as friendly and acknowledging of
people's opinions.
Nikki
has a lot of experience working with kids and she could give the Disney arts
and craft girl a run for her money. She deals with people like how adults deal
with a restless child. Nikki could be
heard repeating the lines “Yes, very interesting” and “wow" tirelessly! She
also has an adorable habit of fidgeting her feet, perhaps indicative of the
restlessness in her soul.
Nikki’s sound
knowledge of the mountains and the self-confidence to take charge makes her an
excellent leader. My assessment about her was that Nikki was a responsible young
woman, any parent would be proud of.
However, she does not like to be pushed or cornered to make decisions. She likes and values her space.
Rony is
the first person I spoke with on joining the trek. She was a self-assured woman
with a strong opinion about the world around her. She has a wealth of
experience. A mother of three sons, Rony
is proud of each of them and believes that
she has raised them to take care of themselves. Rony appeared to trust and
confide only in a few people. However, she and Jill or Jillian had a unique chemistry
– engaging with each other like best
friends sharing similar ideas about the world. Jill works
in the medical industry. Her high-pitched laugh does attract attention. However
I believe that she enjoys it, and sees it as a part of being who she is. She
also has three children but I couldn’t get to know more about them.
Simone
is the third friend that completes their trio of good friends. She has a very
friendly aura and is invested in her friendship with Rony and Jill . Her
background is that of a nurse associated with the army. A strong woman, Simone has seen some
challenging times in her life. I
understand that the three of them got to know each other well on a marathon
trek called "Lara Pinto", a 260+ Km trek covered over a period of 14
days in the difficult terrains of the Northern Territory.Simone
is 45, unmarried and in love with her dog Rosie. In times of crisis, we saw her
set things aside and jump in to help like a seasoned caretaker. It was clear
that she enjoyed the company of Rony and Jill.
Tom (not
his real name) was the youngster in our trekking group. Although close to my age,
I could see right from the beginning that Tom’s personality was diametrically opposite
to mine and that it would be hard to have a meaningful relationship with him. He
was uptight in manner with strong ideas of what is right or wrong in an
interaction. Tom has some
leadership qualities and is physically fit. Yet, to my mind he is strongly
opinionated, non inclusive and biased for a young person his age. No wonder
then, he seemed to have very few friends. However, Tom had a good relationship
with Rony and Jill – who seemed to enjoy involving him in their conversations.
Finally,
we had Lynda in the group - a retired school principal who used to teach
History and English. She was a calm and composed lady, dignified in appearance.
She maintained a clear, articulate and dignified behaviour at all times, perhaps
a hangover from her former role as a principal. As for instance, Lynda had an
accidental fall and broke her wrist. Although she must have been in
excruciating pain, she handled it with grace and accepted the situation in a
matter of fact manner.
It was
here that we saw the brilliant leadership qualities of Su, Simmone, and Nikky - all of whom jumped
into action to provide support and relief without overreaction. . Simone
climbed up to fetch first aid. Sue then
took charge noting down vital signs and information such as allergies. She also
checked and ensured that there was no
loss in cognition. Nikky gave clear, precise instructions and established
control of the situation.
I would like
to conclude with the thought that trekking is not just about physical exertion,
climbing hills or mountains. It provides a opportunity to understand the lives
of fellow trekkers, develop bond and sometimes make lifelong friends. My first
Australian trek was memorable and will always be cherished for the people whose
lives intermingled with mine albeit briefly for a few days….
Tarun Moothedath
