Trek to Tambdi Surla waterfalls .. 29 July 06.

This is a brief report of the trek of the Nature Club of GEC to Tambdi Surla on 29 July 06.

Are you aware that there is a beautiful waterfall near to Tambdi Surla ?

It was 29 th of July, 2006. Nature Club of Goa Engg College decided to make it to Tambdi Surla this time. Trekking to the nearest waterfall which is at it's best during the monsoon.

The group of 40 nature lovers, Dutta on the wheels, were off at 8.30 am from GEC. On the way at the Farmagudi and Ponda new bus stand we collected more nature lovers. Aditya and gang, the organisers of the trek also got the food from mausi. The ex-BEs about 10 in number added lot of charm to the trek. Total 65 !

When we reached Tambdi Surla at 10.30 am, we made a quick visit to the temple, completed the formalities of ringing etc and came out. There was an arrow on the main road which pointed the way. One of the locals helped us by getting us to the first nallah. He bade bye and we were left to ourselves to find the way to the falls and back ! Oops !!.

The arrows marked in white paint by an earlier trekking group gave us the confidence to go ahead. The climb was a not so steep one, with enough of exictement on the way, LEECHES !! Clinging to the legs, pants, shoes, slippers etc.. Thank God it did not climb higher !

We could hear the roar of the waterfall from a distance but we could never see the majesty of it's fall till we got near. We saw some birds on the way. Being the monsoon, everything waas quiet, except for water dripping from the leaves of the trees. The famed British nature photographer Ray Wilson has setup this site. This link may give some idea to what this place is like in summer. http://www.raywilsonbirdphotography.co.uk/Foreign%20Trips/Goa/Goa10.html

At 12 noon we were truly taken aback to see one of the best sights in our lives, the water descending with foam and spray on the rocks and forcing it's way through the rocks downhill. The wind was very strong near the falls, the spray of water got us drenched. There was no stopping the boys and girls. All got into the water, a little far from the base. Spent almost an hour and a half at the base. Some were taking snaps, but one common pasttime for everyone, was fooling around the place !

It was getting to be 2 PM and hunger set in. Seeing that it was not safe to let anyone be alone near the falls, we climbed back to a safe place. With the waterfalls as company under the drenching rain, all of us had lunch of pulav and chana curry. Mausi gives good and neat food everytime. Very tasty too.

It was time to say bye and we did not want to enter the water again. By 2.30 we started the descent. Quietly we started walking. By 3.30 all had reached got bacl to the base, Tambdi Surla temple. One more visit to the temple and some snaps later we were all seated in the bus. The bus started slowly and inched it's way through the forests before it came to Dharbandora, Tiska, Khandepar and Ponda. The leeches which were caught inside the bus clinging to the bodies gave us enough company on the return journey.

At the bus stand lot many of us trekkers got down to go to Pamjim and margao and the rest in the college.

Each trek is getting better than the earlier ones, one thing we can say for sure is that Goa has many many beautiful places we need to see. The Tambdi Surla waterfalls was a gorgeous sight which we shall remember all our lives. The sheer force of the water falling on the rocks, the spray and sound it created was terrific.

An experience which I would like to relive again ! Hope so with everybody else !

Thanks to all ex-BEs and our present engico friends, you made this trek, the first of the acad year 2006-07, a success.

Long live GEC Nature Club and long live the Engico spirit !

Georeg Easaw, a nature fan !