DNA Tower, King's Park

I was eager to visit the DNA Tower in King’s Park for quite some time; myself and Ram made it last weekend. It was not as difficult to reach the tower as reviewed by some people. We just had to follow our humble TomTom navigator. We scurried through the city, crossed the fantastic Mounts Bay road and took the Forrest Drive. This route is a sight for those sore eyes!

The beautiful tower loomed to our right. There is a small car park near the base of the tower and we parked our car. The tower has 101 steps (did not count them; the info panel had that info!) and is 15m high, resembling the DNA double helix structure. I thought it would be a tough climb to the top but I figured it is a cinch for anyone who can easily scale a three storey (approx!) apartment.

The tower has three small viewing platforms and a bit larger fourth platform at the very top. It is not quite large; only a max of 6 or 7 people can stand there comfortably. 

Bang on the centre of the platform is a compass that points to all the famous places around. I squeaked when I saw Rottnest island—a thin strip of land if you really squeeze your eyes a tad hard. It felt good!

It boasts a decent view of the Swan River and the Perth City Centre.

Leave aside the views and the climb up the tower; they are definitely for the thrills! The best part of this place, for me, was the Broadwalk to Synergy Parkland. The Broadwalk from the tower is bliss. I would compare it to looking out from the balcony of some English palace and feasting our eyes on the wide palace grounds below and beyond. It was stunning!

Here is a dismally bad take of the Broadwalk; curse my mobile cam for that! 

The Broadwalk stretched for as far as the eyes could see with wild bushland on both sides. Of course, I would not have ventured out there had I not seen at least a few people walking out from the other side. We took the walk and man was I chuffed. As you walk you notice that the ground level faintly slopes down making it quite easy to cover the 1.5km to the park on the other side. We reached a beautiful road that curved graciously on either side, crossed it and had a decent view of the park, some 100m or so beyond. We were quite surprised by the crowd that greeted us.

In contrast to the few aboard the tower, those playing, chatting, lying down or simply watching their kids play on the park were quite high. The park itself is a beauty. There is a small pond with a fountain, a small island and a boardwalk around it. To be a hit with kids, there are a lot of play things around and the park is based on prehistoric eras. So yes, I spotted one dinosaur with a few eggs around her and some other prehistoric creatures were around. I am positive every kid on earth would totally adore it. We took the boardwalk past an enchanting weeping willow and learnt about stromatolites and lycopods. Many ducks were wading through the pond. We took a few snaps, here, there and everywhere. It was exquisite!

We sat on the island and took in the ravishing beauty of the place and promised ourselves that we would make it again sometime soon. We just had some 20 minutes before sunset and had to take the Broadwalk for the car. And mind you, there are no lights throughout the Broadwalk. It is you, the moon (if your are lucky!) and yeah, the thick forest sandwiching you. At one point, I imagined a huge T-rex or a pack of velociraptors to confront us. Am I so glad we are past that era!

It was a totally awesome experience that visitors or natives of Perth should take. I vouch for the eventual enjoyment!

Visit to Mangammapet village, Arakkonam

I recently took part in a Health Awareness Program held in Mangammapet, Arakonnam. Organised by Boanerges Welfare Trust, it was a first-timer for myself and my two friends. We invited a pastor and a nurse to come along with us. There started our 3 hour journey from Velachery to Park followed by Central to Arakonnam. It was indeed tedious but we were excited and looking forward to the program. 

We reached Arakonnam by around 10:30 hrs, took a share auto and directly went to the church. I liked the village. There were a good number of people at the periphery but as we ventured into the village the count dwindled - it showed. We did not see more than 4 or 5 men; obviously they had gone to work. Groups of women sat under huge trees gossiping, with children goofing around. Most of them lived in huts amidst a sparse sprinkling of solid brick buildings.We reached the church - it was small, cosy and neat. Empty plots all around, a cemetery some 100m away, fresh green trees, cows grazing nearby and rocks heaped at random to lay the road - it was every bit the rural scene.

A women crowd of around 20 assembled in the church and we started the program. It was basic and simple. One of my friends educated them about daily hygiene and fielded questions. We came to know that there was a bout of viral fever around and women expected some medical relief. Our nurse was very helpful and she patiently checked those who were ill and prescribed medicines. Alongside, women who had woes poured them out to the pastor who ever so soothingly prayed for them, giving them advice. I was happy to see an old man (the only man!) with a crop of silver hair come in for a checkup. I was a bit gutted because we expected to spread awareness of chewing tobacco, consuming alcohol and smoking cigars to men and we just had one old man that day. Nevertheless, it was fruitful. We visited two families and prayed for them. 

There was a train to catch and we bid the villagers adieu. Promising to visit them again, we left Arakkonam with warm hearts.

We made good friends; young and old. It was enlightening for all of us. Having experienced the innocence of villagers and their living conditions, I honestly wish that every human reaches out to the under-privileged and offers them intellectual support.