We headed off to Kerala with a great big smile and warm hearts on a cold Bangalore morning . All of our tiny enthusiastic hearts were enough to keep the cold away. Our dorm parent made us delicious sandwiches and baked apple cake to start up our day. I must say we had the best of time even during the journey; watching movies, discussing about the adventure we were about to have and most of all deepening the bonds of our Candor family. It was a 7 hour journey and we made numerous stops to keep our tummies filled to our hearts content. We watched South-Indian movies for a change and laughed till we went breathless. We reached our destination Wayanad, in the afternoon and planned to relax and spend our time shopping and bonding with each other. We were accompanied by a gentleman who told us about the area we were staying at. He would never get fed up of our endless questions and we would never cease to stop enquiring. We had to wake up early in the morning the next day so we could go trekking to the Eddekal caves and then go to waterfall. The trekking was really tiring as it was a trek up the hills and then had to climb another 400 steps to witness a breathtaking view. The caves were high up in the hills. We had several photo sessions throughout the trek, and us kids, belonging to the 21st century loved that part the most. We were exhausted after the climbing up and getting down the hill. We had another event that day , the waterfalls ! I must 
say , that was the best part of the trip. We had to walk another 4 kilometers to reach the waterfalls, and then we realised that all the work was worth it. We hopped into the cold waters and added new memories to our travel diary. We helped each other get into the waterfall; the rocks were sharp and slippery. To our good luck no one was harmed, Our dorm parents took great care of us. After exhausting the remaining energy in our bodies, we headed back to the hotel where we ate till we could no longer swallon. The food was amazing and we were also given a choice to select our menu for the meals.On the third day of our trip, we visited the wildlife sanctuary for an early morning safari. We spotted deers, mongooses, bisons, peacocks and elephants. We also visited the Banasura dam later that day which was a two hour journey from where we were stayed. The dam was truly beautiful and the water, crystal clear. We could see the fish scurrying away as the boats dashed across the lake. The guide organised boat rides for us which would take us around several small islands located amidst the lake. The cool refreshing breeze kissed our faces and the sprinkles of water poured back life into us. This trip brought us closer to mother nature and reminded us that the world is beautiful and needs the appreciation it deserves. We headed back to Bangalore with loads full of memories and a stronger bond of friendship; of love.
Komal Khosla – Grade 11
