A Day at Gatlinburg

Touchwood! This year had a lot of ups, a lot of downs and numerous beautiful moments to last a lifetime. It had a few moments of absolutely devastating news but I met some wonderful people too, made some new friends, been to places where I had never thought I could go and honestly, was left with relatively lesser regrets than many more I know (and I don't). Very lucky indeed. The last craving I had was... to give this year a nice little end. A last trip which I will know as the last of the year. And came Gatlinburg, TN, into our plan.

Thankfully, Soumen, Moumita, Ranjan, Deboshree, Suman and Subarata di gladly accepted me in the trip.

This was Soumen's fourth visit to this little town. Naturally, he was our tour guide. We did not have any particular day long plan with us and since the town was easily cover-able on foot, we figured nothing can be very far. Out first stop was at the Ober Ski Resort. Made to replicate a scenic slope from Switzerland, this resort has its own skiing area. There is a certain entry fee to this place and you need to ride a wire tram for more than 2 miles to reach there (something like a size of a small bus hanging from wires, carrying you across valleys and over the tree tops and mountain roads). Had there been some snow showers that day, it surely would have appeared like the music video of Last Christmas (George Micheal). We only took the tram tickets and did not chose to learn skiing on rented gear and do some practice of self-embarrassment even trying to stand. Something truly embarrassing to witness was that kids of only quarter of our ages were giving it a shot, and getting success, while we chose to stand behind the safe railings!

After some more time, we went in to have a walk around the mall. It had small food court, a bakery, a small shooting range and a nice ice skating rink in the middle. I am not sure, if they are told so, but everybody in the rink seem to be skating in the same direction (in this case, anti-clockwise). This part, again reminded me of one of those initial scenes of the movie Serendipity (ya! I know... another screen example, but its true). It was again delightful and self loathing to see kids (this time even less than a fifth of our ages) to wear blades and skating. But on the whole, it was rather pleasant to be in the midst of the season's crowd in a place decorated with smiles. 

After some lunch and the ride back on the same hanging tram, Soumen took us to experience the Sky Lift (and it was very generous of him to stand in the ticket line, here also). In the Sky Lift, you sit on a bench, secured by only a metal rod in front of you and which is again hanging from one cable. But this time, it is no bus like anything, it is just a hanging bench where you are sitting, holding your camera in one hand and clutching that metal rod with the other. It takes you to the top of a hill, where you can see your super-sad-looking photo taken on your way up, and then ride the same bench down.

The next fun spot was the Mirror Maze. And what a devil's work is it. One moment you see your partner beside you. Then you look around a pillar and puff!! He is gone! You see someone walking straight at you, happily waving, but the moment you are about to grab that persons hand, bamm! you hit a mirror and the person emerges from a nowhere to your right side! In my mind, it is only a single multiple curve way from start to end, but the angularity of the mirrors make it so much more fun than pain of physics and mathematics.

By the time we were done and were out of the maze (twice) it had started to rain. With no other "activity" thing to do, we went to the Moonshine distillery - for some free sampling of the country liquor called Ole Smokey Moonshine (12 samples). Trust me guys, when its cold and there is a light rain, have faith on some alcohol to warm you up to the perfect mood. By the time we were in the sixth of the samples, we knew that getting a little wet in this cold was necessary for this ecstasy.

And once the mood was set, we came out into the surrounded but open roof porch of the distillery and guess what - live pure country music was waiting for us. A local band named Firewater Junction was playing in the shade. There were gas heaters and wooden rocking chairs and some total redneck air. To tell you the truth, I was this close to lock elbows with a stranger out there and get on the floor myself! After staying in a southern state for more than a year now, the sound of the banjo and violin and the accented songs about barns and trucks and bourbons have started to sound like signatures of merriment. With nothing else planned for the rest of the evening, we simply sat on those chairs, rocked them, tapped our foot and clapped our hands. We had the entire sundown left and no hurry to get anywhere. I guess this is where I can say - Y'all ain't getting no fun more 'an this newhere else.

When the band took a break, we got up too. But it was still raining, only a little harder now. We were already a little more wet than we could carry. So, a hot cup of coffee seemed like the idea for the moment. Steaming cups of hot mocha and some chicken nuggets beside a rain drop dotted window in McD with only one table and seven chairs around it. What more can you want! 

The evening could not have been more happening, and strangely, it was so in the laziest way possible. We chatted and laughed in that corner table for long after sundown. When, to everyone's delight, the rain almost stopped, there was still a little irritation left in me to be short height person (there are chances that can make one climb up a wall just beside the street and stand on it in full public view for just one click, that too without his six other folks around!).

Then, it was the souvenir time. Soumen, Moumita, Ranjan, Deboshree and Subarata di went inside a jewelary shop and me and Suman decided to explore those interior brick streets a little more. And we found more than we looked for. An English pub (the name delighted me to madness!), a Red Indian souvenir shop (both of us got some hand made stuff from there), more village like colonies with more and more shops, each having a personal charm, each one with dedicated and different decorations. It was raining only that much amount where I simply had to take off my spec. But it was adding so much of magic to the cold and the surroundings. We kept walking, kept crossing streets in pure Indian styles (Everytime. Long live democracy!), and above all, continued being struck with the loveliness of the decoration Gatlinburg had in each of its establishment.

The day trip was almost over after we had a strange dinner (food was good, but there were a few laughable matter in the service) and we were out for one final look at the town. From the moment we had set foot (rolled in our car tyres, actually) in the town, I had a feeling that this is probably the most adorable little town around. And I was so damn right. It is just a pleasure to walk and simply look around. I had seen photographs of Gatlinburg clad in white snow and that is exactly how I had portrayed Christmas and New Year. Except for the fact the snow was not there that day but it suited nicely into my idea of a small but sweet and warm place with the spirit of season.

"Every time those imperfect spirals I see,

The honest sculpting of your hands I want to be.

The infant magic of the nightly peace,

I wish time had chosen itself to freeze.

My body gives up to the wave of time,

But my heart refuses to this crime.

Growing up has to wait as it seems

Coz, ma'am, you come straight out of my dreams."

(O... Shhut Upp!)

Well,

See you on the flip side,

Cheers!