Way back some twenty years ago I was on my way to a sightseeing trip to Thekkady from Madurai. Those days we rely on public transport for our travel pleasures. The bus I travelled stopped at a wayside hotel in a highway nearer to Thekkady for breakfast for its crew. The hotel was a thatched hut with an improvised wooden table and chairs. The hut was surrounded by beautiful trees and glimpses’ of Western Ghats, visible as backdrop scenery, added to its charm. No other building was nearby and it was isolated from the rest of civilization. They served hot idlies accompanied by coconut chutni and Pooris. I was little hesitant in the beginning to have my breakfast there. I still have not come across a restaurant that served such steamy hot idlies and delightful chutni that I encountered in that little beautiful thatched hut. The restaurant was clean and they served in a dry leaf. Even star hotels that I frequent (courtesy my son and daughter} have not matched that taste.
Recently I had an occasion to undertake a trip again to Thekkadi in a private taxi. (So much my travel preferences changed from public to private]. I stopped again at the same spot. Everything has changed. Instead of thatched hut a stone building was there. Laminate chair and tables sprung up. Loud music was blaring from a CD player. No of shops have been sprung up besides that hotel. The eatery was fully crowded and I was unable to find a place to sit and enjoy the food. Even the quality of the food was poor and not at all tasty. The trees once added to its beauty yielded its place to make room for more buildings and shops. What to call that? Development or progress. More no of cars and buses now stop there. More business was generated. But at what cost?
I longed for that lonely isolated hut far from the madding crowd that served hot idlies and tasty chatnies.
Recently I had an occasion to undertake a trip again to Thekkadi in a private taxi. (So much my travel preferences changed from public to private]. I stopped again at the same spot. Everything has changed. Instead of thatched hut a stone building was there. Laminate chair and tables sprung up. Loud music was blaring from a CD player. No of shops have been sprung up besides that hotel. The eatery was fully crowded and I was unable to find a place to sit and enjoy the food. Even the quality of the food was poor and not at all tasty. The trees once added to its beauty yielded its place to make room for more buildings and shops. What to call that? Development or progress. More no of cars and buses now stop there. More business was generated. But at what cost?
I longed for that lonely isolated hut far from the madding crowd that served hot idlies and tasty chatnies.
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