funkyoptimist

“The sea does not like to be restrained. ”

― Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief

Just as the days got themselves turn more chaotic, the books waxed afar & the excel sheets wantonly closer, liberation rolls in as it means in itself, and its gratifying, the kind that coerces you to ask for more, only to realize that tomorrow is all but a weekday. For any soul permeating in Bhubaneswar (Odisha), aka Bhonsar (that’s what we call Bhubaneswar :-D) , Puri is the go-to weekend destination.

You get vibes in multitude, long drives to soothe your mind, Vitamin Sea in abundance, Culinary delights spread over vast choices to give you boisterous foodgasms, and something which has no parlance in any descriptive mention, it the home of the Lord of the Universe, such is the divine coincidence, that you dont get to Puri unless the Lord wants you to.

Thus, One fine Thursday, after wrapping up my day’s work, I started gathering my emotions & of course the exacting process of convincing my better half for the as impromptu as it sounds trip to Puri, out of nowhere. (imagine her precarious situation when she arrives from her office only to find a duffle bag ready, and me talking with some random guy for getting the best deal on hotels.) Much cajoling later, there we were hitting the road from Bhubaneswar towards Puri, post crossing the Tollgate just a little after Bhubaneswar, my Scross started opening up, the more I hit the throttle, the smoother it roared to life, no surprises, just pure bliss, thanks to the Suzuki Smart Studio (& Apple Car Play), my spotify playlist kept us as betrothed as did the planate road & reliable handling of the Scross (even at triple-digit speeds).

1.5 Hours later, we were at a decent hotel around 1 km from the Golden Beach, although we don’t recommend for the want of proper parking, a decent googling can provide lots of hotels on prudent budgets at locations closer to the beaches in Puri. Post a sprinted check-in, we started for the Golden Beach. The advantages of the coveted Blue Fag tag are indubitably visible in the manner in which cleanliness has been maintained, and that exemplifies the beauty of the place. Kudos, to travelers, hawkers & the local populace for their efforts. Such practices of sustainable tourism must be emulated in other tourist places across the country.

We then went to the Golden Beach, and as they say, a stroll on the beach stands incomplete without some Jhal-Muri, Tea and the list goes on. A quick Kuppa by the roaring sea & the cool winds to the company, I couldn’t control my taste buds from not satiating on the sea-food, a plate of fried prawns for a quick eat before some more strolls together, hand in hand, staring at the vast openness of the sea & the hustle-bustle of the world close by.

Post a sumptuous dinner at Song-Of-Bengal restaurant right at the Golden Beach (Pulin Hotel), we were greeted with light drizzles, further aiding in a pleasant drop of the mercury levels, and also acting as a clarion call for ending the day. Thus we ended the first half of our dash & rush sojourn.

Alarmingly alarmed & woken up to clock precision timings, we headed up yet again on an early Friday morning to catch the sunrise, alongside some beautiful memories & a welcoming cup of tea. Though the clouds shrouded the morning sun, we managed to enjoy the calm of the sunrise. The positive energy that reverberated provided us with enough energy to sustain the hot sun that awaited us on our return.
A quick dash to our stay, and 30 mins later, there we were, checked out & back on the road biding adieu to the seas & inching closer to the chaos of the city life in Bhubaneswar.