Now that’s what I call a paradise!

I wanted to bombard you with a photo in order to justify why I took the liberty to call this place a paradise. I do not recall the exact number of times I have been to Heimbach (four, elephants always remember), but every visit was the closest one would get to experience joy and a sense of satisfaction. I really don’t know what draws me to this place, I believe that some things cannot be explained in words (unless you have a strong vocabulary unlike me).

I vividly remember every one of my four visits, witnessing the place under different weather conditions. I would not bore you with every one of my travel details from the start until the end, but highlight the interesting bits. I took the liberty to mismatch the photos along with the different scenarios to keep an element of surprise (oh that was a surprise, but a welcome one). I wanted to attempt writing the four different occasions in the form of a play. From a very young age, I was very encapsulated by theatre, the plays unfolding on the stage along with the musicals was a feast for my eyes.

Back then, I had tonnes of stage fright, and brittle confidence to deliver before a massive audience. As for now, I can write and need not perform in it!

Stage 1

Curtain rises. Wind instruments softly played in the background. The shortest character enters the stage.

Narrator(in a platonic voice): Car-tee, a jovial, happy-go-lucky soon-to-be adult decides to walk through the beautiful expanse of the neatly shredded forest. Only time will tell about any misadventures he might face in this forsaken path.

Car-tee: What a wonderful day to stay alive! Even the always grumpy bus driver has a radiant smile on his face. Perhaps that is the perk of being the only person in the bus.

Narrator: Car-tee doesn’t know the well-known fact that no one starts their hike so early in the morning. The driver chuckles at this insolent fool to wander the woods so early in the morning.

Scene change

Narrator: The protagonist disembarks from the bus, bidding farewell to the lonesome driver to reach a friendly neighbourhood surrounding Einruhr.

Car-tee: Wonderful, now all I have to do is follow the map to get to the start of the trail.

Narrator: Lessons were to be learned henceforth. While downloading the map, Car-tee ignored the walking directions from the bus stop towards the start of our trail. The hero of this tale who has almost never had a data pack in his time here is soon learning to get lost.

Car-tee: Oh no! Never mind, I can ask someone on the way.

Narrator: To his horror, he finds no one on the streets of this “friendly” neighbourhood. After some hapless attempt to find the start, he does something very illogical which works well to his intend.

Car-tee: Oh look, I can see a water body, the trail must be close by.

Narrator: Now that our hero has found the start in effortless time, he looks at the gorgeous river, in captivated by its inherent beauty. To add sparkle to aid the traveller in the most cruel way possible, the temperature soars to reach the higher 30 deg C, but is surprised by the reaction from our hero.

**Take a moment, people. Take a moment.**

Car-tee: Ah! The weather is perfect. Sun smiles so brightly at me, coaxing me with an embrace. This feels just like home with much lesser humidity. Let me set up my camera and take a moment to cherish this sight.

Narrator: And thus starts the misadventure about confused choices and its outcomes. Offline map provided little respite to the indecisiveness of our hero.

Car-tee: There are two paths before me. The map isn’t quite clear in this one. Albus has said that “It is our choices and not our abilities which makes us who we are”. Perhaps it is unto my calling, let me take the more off-beaten track.

Narrator: A wise person would have relied more on his abilities, for a 40 km detour begins from here and ends in a totally unplanned destination.

Car-tee: As I ascend more, lesser am I able to get a clearer view of the river. Wasn’t this trek supposed to be along the river? Ah never mind, the pathway before me looks so beautiful!

Narrator: To the hero’s dismay, he discovers that he is off-track after hiking for about five kilometres. Beauty is as a malicious as its lustre.

Car-tee: Ah ha! In order to reach the ideal path, I must only proceed another four kilometres to get to the meeting point. No big deal. But why isn’t there no one on this particular trail? It is already late in the morning.

Scene change

Narrator: Overlooking a fearful elevation which would guarantee a one way ticket to hell (since we are in paradise already), our hero finally questions his choice.

Car-tee: The paths are surely coinciding but under a different elevation. This mountain does not look like it is driftable enough to reach the surface.

Narrator: It is best that I do not comment about our hero now. While he looks at his map, he smiles, vicariously appreciating his quick thinking.

Car-tee: This place is totally achievable. It looks so close in the map. Has a cool name too, Vogelsang IP. I must check it out, maybe there is a way back to Einruhr from there.

Narrator: An advice for the audience. Always download a topological map of your trek to make rational decisions. Our hero is just a lost cause.

Car-tee: Why does the trek look so barren? Maybe I should sing to myself to keep myself motivated. Since I am getting much closer, let me drink some water.

Narrator: Our hero is not mindful of his water supplies and tenure of his “intended” trek to save necessary energy. While looking at the map, something catches his eye.

Car-tee: Oh, wait! The Eifel national park is so close by, having come this far, a little detour should not hurt, right?!

Scene change

Narrator: Our hero soon realises that national park isn’t what he presumed it to be.

Car-tee: Ah finally, there are some humans here. Wonder how they made it here without taking the same trail. Why would anyone call this a park? I cannot even spot a single wildlife until the range of my eyesight!

Narrator: First of the two questions is answered after a short walk of two kilometres at the sight of four wheeled monsters parked at the crossroads.

Car-tee: Oh yes! People with much money to burn have taken the special services to reach this viewpoint. I wonder if the saying “It is the path and not the destination which matters” holds true. Ah look! There is a pathway leading to Gemuend which is only about 21 kilometres away. That is totally doable, it is just noon now.

Narrator: For once in this whole play, our hero decided against it and proceeded logically towards IP. After guessing some questionable directions, our hero finally arrives at IP.

Scene change

Narrator: Behold the place where chancellor-to-be was trained after the funny moustache man. What a beautiful place indeed!

Car-tee: (gasps) The buildings look cool! No idea what they are for. And an underutilized cannon, must be an artefact or for decorations. Oh look a bridge is close-by. Let me proceed there.

Narrator: Due to our resourcelessness of our hero, he gives little thought to the significance of the place and proceeds downhill.

Car-tee: Now that I have reached the crossroads after crossing this enchanting bridge, should I proceed towards Einruhr or take a “short” detour towards Heimbach?

Narrator: Did our hero reach his goal or did he proceed further for another 20 kilometres with no technological aid. Keep guessing. Until next time!

Curtain closes partially.

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