The Sun was not up when I set out. The sleepy police were still round the corner doing their rounds. But I was excited as I caught the first bus to Panjim. An hour and a brisk walk later, I saw a cheerful group of adventurous souls at the foot of the Panjim Church. After a few early morning yawns, everybody was there. We set off in a bus that would take us past the river banks of Mandovi, through Old Goa and Ponda to finally stop at the Mollem forest office two hours later. All the way, the bus was filled with chatter, people from all over, all talking about the same thing…..Dudhsagar!

After Harvey and Neil finished with the formalities with the Forest Guards at Mollem, we proceeded to Collem, where we all alighted. As we prepared ourselves for the long trek ahead, we heard Neil say “No thrash to be thrown in the sanctuary” followed by Harvey saying “This isn’t a picnic…so no singing either”. With that, and a few last minute adjustments, we all set out…walking by the tracks. It was exactly 9.30 am. The rain was out, but almost all had come prepared with raincoats. Harvey and Neil both sported a couple of sacks….contents unknown to all of us of course! We had hardly lost sight of Collem town when we saw the first Butterfly…the Blue Mormon.

10 minutes into the trek, Neil stopped and put down his sack…we all crowded around to see the mysterious contents when out slithered a Python! Cameras flashed, as the beautiful reptile slithered into the forest. The rain had stopped and the butterflies were out…and by the dozen! There was so much to see, so little time! The organizers had a tough time trying to answer all questions and still keep walking. At times some of us lagged behind to see the lush environs, the mini waterfalls, the butterflies, the insects, the birds, the jungle calls….everything!!! But we kept on moving….talking and making new friends. An occasional train or two roared past us reminding us that we were still walking on a railway. A little further and we spotted a male Peacock perched on the rails ahead. We stepped off the tracks taking a mud trail that was shorter. Harvey took the opportunity to release the second snake, a venomous Russell’s viper. This guy was not in a hurry at all and took all the time he could to slither away much to the delight of some of us with cameras!

We came across the first stream; it was a small one so I gingerly crossed the stream by skillfully hopping on some stepping stones. But before I could yell out “My feet are still dry!!” we had to cross a larger stream with no stepping stones!! Well from that point, we all had soggy shoes all the way! Harvey surprised us with another snake…a bronzeback…a beautiful slender non-poisonous snake….we all had a feel of it in our hands before letting it in the stream to swim off to a new home. Harvey spotted a coral centipede but in his enthusiasm to show it to the others, the centipede bit him. The pain was written all over his face, and his hand began to swell! It subsided only a week later! We had crossed the last of the few streams when somebody in the crowd noticed a leach on her leg! It was pretty interesting to watch the leach sucking for blood. Later in the trip, I put the same leach on my hand and had the experience of it sucking on my blood! Wasn’t painful at all…felt like a mosquito bite! As we walked on, we arrived at a Temple at Sonaulim, were we rested and drank some fresh spring water.

All through the trek, the weather changed at the drop of a hat. It rained…and by the time you put on your raincoat…the rain was gone…and the sun was out….and when you took it off…the rain came back! After walking past Sonaulim station, we walked through tunnels, navigating our way in the darkness with the help of the glistening rails. We knew we were getting close…there were more tunnels and more mini waterfalls. But we were also tiring out after walking so much. As we crossed a tunnel we arrived at a point from where we could see the falls opposite us. Everybody stopped for a moment to look at the beautiful sight and with renewed vigor, and enthusiasm, walked on….and after the last tunnel…we were finally there!!

‘Dudhsagar Water Falls’ read the station board. The roar of the water and the spray overwhelmed us! The spray was like a constant drizzle of rain and wherever you went, the spray was there! The sight of the falls was overwhelming…and at times even scary! So much of water pouring though and down the jagged rocks. White, foamy and fast flowing. The falls were in three stages and looked the best at this time of the year. I could just stare at the falls and get mesmerized by it. I looked around me…everyone was doing the same thing! It was 1.45pm and so we had our lunch at the falls. Anybody who was careless enough to look in another direction would have their lunch taken away by the monkeys who made their presence known with the squabbling on the trees and rocks around.

After some lunch, a few tales and some rest, everyone gathered in front of the falls for a group photograph. As we began to walk we were surprised to see Neil pull out the last of the snakes….a baby Rat Snake. After its release, we walked on past the falls to the station, hoping to get a train home. If we did not, we would have to walk back! We crossed a long dark tunnel and to the other side to see this breathtaking view of the countryside below. It was then that we realized the height that we had climbed all morning! We had to wait for a train, and so we all sat by the tracks, flinging stones to pass time. A few of the trekkers who hadn’t brought along raincoats made the most of it by showering and having fun in some mini waterfalls much to everyone’s envy! Before long we heard the familiar sound of an engine.

Everybody was ready to hop on…but then….there came just an engine! Nevertheless, we all clambered on…holding on to the guard rails all around the engine. The gangway was broad enough for all of us, but by the time the engine departed, there were 45 people on the engine! It was a sight to see, and an experience to experience! With a long hoot, the engine slowly rolled past the falls and we bid Dudhsagar our final farewells. The journey back to Collem was one of the best train rides I’ve ever had….on an Engine! In the tunnels the Diesel locomotive sounded so loud, it was almost deafening, and outside, we saw the beautiful forest cover close up. As the engine arrived in Collem station at 5.20pm, we all got off, and said our farewells. The bus ride back was generally quiet with a lot of the hikers knocked out cold. Panjim city greeted us at 7.30pm…and with a final group picture we said our byes, sad yet happy, we exchanged e-mail addresses and promised to keep in touch before each one of us going our own ways….home!