A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and a Wanna-be Lady - Hunnasgiriya

Once upon a time there was a boy. He was very Adventurous, and constantly on the look-out for an opportunity to vent-out his prowess. One fine day, he encountered a like-minded individual, a Voyager… raised in the hills, and equalling his thirst for a quest.

Tired of their boring and humdrum life in the city, together, these two quickly developed a mind-boggling idea to ‘get away’ to the hills… away from civilisation, and be ‘one with the wilderness’… if only for a few days.

Thus a plan was devised to go camping in the hills…

Realising that it was not only the two of them that actually wanted to ‘get away’, they quickly rallied the troops… First came the Master Planner, then the Fetching ‘Ever-ready’ Camper and his cousin… oops! I meant ‘Sidekick’.

Hmmm… but something was amiss, decided the Master Planner. A female!

And so, before long, this league of extraordinary gentleman was complete with the presence of a (Wanna-Be) Lady – ahem!

Oh, but what is this? Yet another addition… Oh, what trip is complete without a Joker?!

Thus this legion, now complete, soon made its way to the hills country – albeit without the Master Planner.

Leaving the dull city life behind at 0700 hours, on the 30th day of the seventh month on the (1009) Intercity Express, they reached their destination at around 1115 hours… drawn and dusty, yet exhilarated!

Pitching their tent on the edge of a mountain range, The Six then went about setting up the camp, making themselves comfortable in their ‘home away from home’.

After a quick meal to satisfy grumbling tummies, they then decided to explore further… and hiked towards a pine forest in a distance. Entering the pine forest was akin to being transported into the famous ‘Twilight’ saga, as the whistling of the wind through the trees made it sound as if it were raining, and evoked the feeling that werewolves wound pounce out at any moment… (although the Wanna-Be Lady wished they would!)

Hiking along, they even encountered yet another ‘World’s End’, in this part of town… although the ruins of an old horse stable was nowhere to be found. Thus our hopes of seeing a headless horseman were dashed!

Making their way back to camp, it was soon time to prepare for dinner. Albeit being in the middle of nowhere, they had come prepared for a feast… Dinner consisted of roast chicken, in a batter of cheese seasoning, and french-fries… topped off with chocolate for dessert.

Needless to say, each one held their end of the bargain, as these six cooks did not spoil the food!

As night-time fell, and the only source of light was the glow from their hand-made rock stove, The Six prepared for bed… only to realise that none of them really wanted to sleep! However, due to the cold weather, they were confined to the inner sanctum of the tent…Uno was the saviour in a time of need… as the game kept everyone in fits of giggles, counting many hilarious episodes.

Finally passing out close to 0200 hours, The Six were awake by approximately 0620 hours, and soon began their day… so as not to waste a precious moment. Washing in the icy cold stream that ran past us, to changing in the semi-private abode that was made available to them through a friend, every experience was one to be treasured…

Following a hearty breakfast of ‘bread pizzas’ and baked beans (later realised as a fatal mistake!), they were soon introduced to their tracker for the day.

Lunch and a change of clothes in hand, they then began a long and ruthless journey to the top of the Hunnasgiriya mountain. The steep climb up the mountain was strenuous and exhausting (for some more than others), but following the example of the Fetching Camper, the constant encouragement provided by the Adventurer and the non-stop chatter of the Sidekick… and of course the random Joker moments and the back support of the Silent Voyager… they finally made it to the top – top of the waterfall, that is! And oh, the sight before them! Too indescribable for words… too wonderful to comprehend… the magnificent creation of God.

Through the KU-infested land, onto more daring landscapes, they fought each battle (which showed in their battle wounds) with vigour and zest, eager to soar higher!

After this three-hour long walk up, and back down, the mountain – albeit stopping every now and then to capture these momentous moments on film – they finally reached their camp again, weary but ecstatic!

The Six then made their way to their watering hole (in this case, bathing hole), to enjoy the coolness of the icy cold water on their now-sweltering bodies.

Soon, it was time to prepare dinner once more, with noodles on the menu. Of course the last night was not complete without a sugar rush, as The Six dug into roasted marshmallows and chocolate…

Back inside the tent again, spirits were high as The Six indulged in Uno, Cheat (at the request of ‘cheaters’) and ‘I have never’… This was soon followed by a heart-to-heart chat, dipping deep (some deeper than others!) into their secret vaults and revealing innermost secrets… thus bonding them to each other for life!

Note – All said inside the tent, will always remain inside the tent… Exposé of any data may result in serious consequences!

Our fatal food mistake also came to light (…or air!) at this time, as moths and butterflies filled the tent, sending many into a daze… until awoken by the strong scent of the Sidekick’s whiff!

Rising once again 0620 hours(!), it was soon time to return back to civilisation – much to the dislike of The Six. However, fuelling on Samaposha (for breakfast), they soon packed up their belongings, and made their way back down the hill.

Hitch hiking their way to their destination, The Six soon boarded a bus that brought them back to the city… only with solemn promises to reunite again soon for yet another adventure!