After a 90-minute ride in the back-seat of a Qualis and a sore bottom, finally i got down to behold the vast Godavari, stretching from end to end, dividing two districts. So we were about to enter no man's land (rather both districts', or whatever). I thought i could see almost a thousand people at that place, around ten boats, each carrying not less than a 100-odd number. What a roaring business. No wonder, all over Rajahmundry, i found boards with "Papi Hills Vihari Trip"( try translating that) etc. It wasn't only them, the vendors too, because everyone wanted to carry some fruit/snacks onto the boat. They came just for about one hour everyday, the hour before the boats were about to set-off. I saw baskets after baskets empty out within minutes. Anyways, after the initial shakiness experienced when one has to climb on with the help of just a four-inch-wide plank, I finally took my place on the terrace of the boat, and took in the rolling river as she flowed with all her grace. It was to be an eight-hour trip, along the river. After the first one hour, having crossed most of the villages dotted on the banks, what came up nearly swept me off balance. I expected something good but this was so lovely, so beautiful. Virgin. That's the only way to describe it. Untouched by the clawing hand of the metropolitan man, grasping at everything within reach, literally raping mountains, and calling it quarrying. Untouched by the gnawing teeth of urbanisation gnashing away, biting off more than it can chew. Like a series of immaculate landscape paintings being unravelled in front of my eyes, dotted with just the right colours at just the right places. I could stare at these for the rest of my life, i felt. Beauty so refined (I'm out of words right now, just thinking about it again). Resorts on one of the banks, thought I'd love to spend a night there. No signal in cellphones, and probably only insects to keep you company (I'm reconsidering now). Villages, some which didnt even know the value of money! That really got me thinking for a good one hour. What a life! Barter system was what we read about in history books, about cavemen, literally. Stagnant, having no system of education, generation after generation following the same pattern of living. Yet, so simple, free from the many entanglements and ensnarements of our world. What's it to them if the price of petrol is reduced by a rupee? Or if someone committed a multi-million dollar fraud? Here we are, grappling with relationships, waiting for movies to release, trying to cram in a thousand things into 24 hours, meeting deadlines, heaving and sighing with every rise and fall in the stock market, worrying about sem results, worrying about what would blow up next, worrying whether our loved ones would come back safe when they step out of the house, looking forward to meeting our boyfriend/girlfriend again, looking forward to the many things good or bad, that the future might bring. And beholding an entirely different world, so complacent, probably very happy, for progress comes with a desire for more, a longing for a better life. No roadway, once in a while traders come with goods, and sell them in exchange for something else. Day after day, the same routine, with no expectations, probably not knowing that something could be expected. Their source of water is the Godavari, and the rains. Anyways, with the proposed Polavaram Project, these trips would come to an end, and these villages would develop too i guess, with beter employment opportunities, and of course, the need to make it a better place for the employees to reside in, more facilities, improved transportation would act as a bridge between both worlds. 

The sunset left everyone overwhelmed, and told us that it was time, to disembark onto temporal soil again, and that the ephemeral excursion had ended. 

I didn't look forward to the ride back home in the Qualis very much.