A Transcendental Drive

Back home in Trivandrum, on a lazy saturday afternoon in summer , we decide to take a trip to the misty Ponmudi Hills.Settled here in Adelaide

South Australia ,miles away from home, on summer afternoons we take a trip to the Adelaide Hills , a 20 minute drive from the city.

It is surprising , in a mere span of 20 minutes , we are transported from the hustle of a city to serene farmlands and gently rising mountains. As you drive along the winding road into the wilderness , a buzzing sensation in your ears remind you of the altitude. Apart from its scenic beauty , the Hills are famous for its other attractions such as its vineyards, a town called Hanhndorf, Australia’s oldest surviving German settlement, Mount Barker to name a few.

Here I would like to dwell exclusively on the drive in this region which I like to describe as a “ transcendental” experience in itself. As you cruise through the impeccable roads, the farmlands on either side extend into the horizon. The views are occasionally obstructed by giant trees with fading foliage and shrubbery trying to overpower the wooden fences. I can count the rays of sun filtering through the trees onto the shady road. Alternative patches of animals cows, sheep and horses graze placidly.Some are quenching their thirst in patches of artificial pristine blue water bodies. The sky is a little deep blue, floating lonely clouds , bundles of fluffy white, some of them hitting themselves against the hilltops. The grasslands extending to the hill slopes are cleverly shaded by the clouds, patches of bright green, interspersed with deeper green shades, and the occasional earthy brown thrown in by the dried grass

. They form a rich blend of shades like those on a painter’s palette.