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Waterfalls and a pet tortoise

Tucked away in Araku Valley, Dumbriguda waterfalls is a perfect haunt for some peace and quiet, finds K. Sachidanand Menon

BREATH TAKING VIEW The green expanse of Dumbriguda waterfalls

What: Dumbriguda waterfalls

Where: 90 km from Visakhapatnam

>How to get there: Catch a train from Vizag to Araku. Besides the Yatri Nivas run by APTDC, there are a few other lodges. Autos and jeeps from these lodges take you around. The rates are open to bargain, so get the tongue wagging.

It's not often that a beggar shuffles up to you and asks for money to feed his pet tortoise. Another begging trick, who knows? But when the wizened man offered his reptile for a bit of prodding and took it back with a kiss on the shell, the cynic in me faltered and the tramp got richer by two bucks.

Looking around, I took in the beauty of Dumbriguda waterfalls. It was a picture of serenity with row upon row of Silverwood trees stacked up the coffee-brown slopes of a valley. The gurgle of flowing water was just about the only noise I could make out. The silence was almost overwhelming on ears used to the din of rush-hour traffic.

My journey to this corner of the world began after a trip to Borra caves. Holed up at a guesthouse in Araku Valley and a couple of hours to go before sunset, here was an opportunity to explore. An autowallah offered to take me to the waterfalls. The pleasantly bumpy ride quite revealed the beauty that lay ahead. I had never imagined there could be so many different shades of green in one square mile of countryside. When I reached the place, the "fall" turned out to be more of a "flow", little snaky streams fed by an underground source.

At 3,215 feet above sea level, there was a hint of chill in the air. The view rings little bells in my memory. As I stood there trying to figure out why it all looked so familiar, the beggar chipped in with details. Apparently, Dumbriguda is a popular haunt for Telugu film producers. And you thought snowy Swiss sceneries were the only song `n' dance backdrops that tinsel-towners had a thing for!

Taking off my sandals, I waded into the water. The rocks felt slimy as I moved across gingerly to the Silverwood grove. A vague thought of tortoises ambling effortlessly across streams passed my mind and I looked back to see the beggar flashing a toothless grin. Up close, the trees looked even more beautiful. The ground beneath the green canopy smelt of fresh soil and looked perfect for a stopover. I plugged on my Walkman and looked idly at a group of tourists frolicking in the waters. To say that I was caught in time warp would not be exaggeration. The seconds and minutes ticked away in slow motion. Like all good things, this experience too came to an end with the sun dipping down the horizon. Trudging up the steps leading to the road, I glanced back and got the full import of Robert Frost's wistful lines: "The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep... "

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