gathering at Arohas Eco Hill resort - 2

..continued from gathering at Arohas Eco Hill resort - 1.

The gathering of friends commenced around midday. Everyone received their tee-shirt specially made for the event. Lunch, nap break, pool session and tea time happened until now. Our group had vacated the pool except for two still enjoying the cool water in the warm weather.

The upcoming activity was zip-lining. A steel wire ran across this pond starting midway up the tree and ended at the base of another tree on the opposite side.

Srini was the first to try the zip line. I'd seen a zip line at Deccan Trails (near Hyderabad) which was much longer and inclined. That line started on a hillock and ended at the base.. around 150 meters. That was purely on dry land. The zip line here ends with a splash. I felt this was much safer in a way because of the water. Anyhow, I'm not the type to ever try this.

Next on the line was Girish.. what a splash he made! His smile tells its all! It was quite a while since I spent time with people who enjoyed like children :)

That's Srinath.. looks as though he's sliding on the water. For some reason, riders turned 180 degrees as they approached the half-way mark and faced backwards when they hit water. I think it was done purposely so that resistance is least while braking.

That's Nagaraj braking with a huge splash. Wish I'd changed direction so that the riders front was seen rather than just the backs.

Swarup sailing down like an expert. He hardly changed direction until he hot water. Guessing that his horizontal posture helped keep his direction.

Girish, Vasanth and Venky. All of them had two rides t least. Like I said in earlier, there's too much energy n this group. Happy to see be part of an energetic group :)

Every ride involves two steps - wearing the harness and taking it off. Activity co-coordinators at both ends of the line helped riders with that. Wearing it was easy but taking it off was different, required little effort by the rider. During Nagaraj's two rides he was uncooperative, this poor guy had a tough time unhooking Nagaraj off the line. Instead of lifting himself up, he would lean back so much that he would be horizontal. I had a good laugh watching the duo struggle! On the second  instance, Vasanth came to rescue and the scene was even more amusing. How much I laughed at the trio.. oh man!!

With Nagaraj's second ride, zip line session ended. Sun had set minutes ago, the evening had just begun. Tables were setup for us on the volleyball court, just behind one of our cottages. We had another round of tea and snacks. The planning committee made an announcement that the event sponsors would be felicitated.. a token of appreciation for their special support.

 The sponsors Rajesh, Balu, Venky, Vijay, Daya, Anil, and Naveen were awarded a special souvenir each, a navy blue cap. A little formal ceremony amidst a casual gathering. Have to admire the planning team once again.

Srini felicitating Balu the banker.

With the honoring ceremony done, happy hours for the evening was officially announced.

The seven Samurai..

Daya, Naveen, Vijay, Anil, Balu, Rajesh and Venky

Weather was getting cooler by the minute, it actually got chilly. The resort guys lit a fire next to our tables. It was nice to feel the warmness in the chill jungle air. At some point, everyone was required to change into yellow tees, time for the group photo. In the given conditions, we shot several pictures, this one being the best, its blurred at places but not too bad either.

Just as the photo session came to its end, we had another member join us.. that's Vasudev. Wonderful of him to make it to the gathering.. better late than miss it altogether.

The session went on until about 10 PM after which we had dinner. I was tired, needed to hit the sack, recharge for the morning trek. By 11 most of us retired to their respective cottages while some carried on with late into the night. The pool, in artificial light looks mesmerizing. The resort guys are responsible enough, they have a sense of balance, a sense of limit. The lighting is for adding to the ambiance of the place, for the guests to enjoy. Promptly at 11 PM, the pool lights were switched off.

The bonfire continued to burn, probably as long as our group celebrated their meeting.

Back at my cottage, my bed was on the first floor, right next to a large window facing the valley. It was cool and silent, no bothersome insects flying around, perfect condition for a good night sleep.

will continue in gathering at Arohas Eco Hill resort - 3.
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