After the extreme monsoon, driving, accidents and late night the teams started off humbled and determined to get to the evening’s hotel with as few breakdowns and problems as possible. Thankfully the weather and the roads seemed to hold out. Waterfalls made regular appearances and so did troops of monkeys. Close to the final destination the route took us past some of the largest mango plantations on the planet, but in the heavy greenery of the season, it was hard to make out what could have been a mango tree and what was part of the kaleidoscope of green that covered the earth. To consider that only in a few months time the whole scene should change to fire tones of yellows, oranges and reds seem almost incomprehensible. Though there may not be active nightlife in the villages, it’s easy to see that the seasonal cycles provide enough distraction to remain fascinating.
In happy contrast to the day before, everyone made it to the Flag down on time. Several participants rushed out to the pool with a huge twisted red slide and a hot tub that overlooked epic cliffs and the beach view from the Hotel Kohinoor Samudhra. The storm clouds gathered again and most made it back to the nice hotel rooms or dining hall while a few stayed back to experience sitting in a hot tub on a cliff in monsoon rains, which is different than sitting in an autorickshaw.
