Campfire chronicles

We went trekking and hiking to the Yosemite park and the Sequoia national parks over the last two weekends. I will be putting up a post or two with the photos and description of the magic soon --- right now I'm just trying to organize the photos and all. For now, let me describe to you an evening by the campfire at the Sequoia national park which we spent this weekend.


The trek that day had been about 5 mile long each way. Steep and narrow roads like these had exhausted some of us, and it was getting darker every minute. The temperature was predicted to drop to -6 degrees Centigrade, and so the fire was necessary very soon.

I took up the charge. Yes, I specialize in starting fires, and besides like being in control of situations. :) Soon, firewood was gathered, savagely cut into pieces, charcoals were lit and we had a fire blooming. And with the creeping cold, sprouting fire, warmth of buddies... beers weren't too far behind. Out came a box full of 8% alcohol Steel Reserve, and the mood for the drink just set in. So while I was busy tending to the fire to get it to eat the largest block of wood, almost everybody busied themselves with their own cans.

Soon enough, someone was drunk. While everyone else was lazing around the fire trying to keep warm, up he sprung and proclaimed, "Hey, I got a poem... I got one!!". We were game for a poem, of course... and this is what came out:

"Dumaru dumaru dum
The king has come
Lets take a gum
Plug it up his bum
Dumaru dumaru dum"

We had a good laugh at this the first time. "Oh man, he's drunk" was the general comment. He kind of got into a hazy phase then and settled in a corner. But the mood was just building up. Someone started singing songs, and then we decided to dance. And what better dance around a fire than "jhingalala ho.. hurrr hurrr!!". We were 8 guys going round and round the fire with beer cans in our hands, everyone singing at completely different tunes, "Hum bewafa... jhingalala ho... hargis na the...", no care of the world at all. The poet was also in the circle, but he was kind-of quiet. There was a lull in the singing, kind-of when you are deciding which song to sing next, when suddenly the poet came alive. Drooping eyes were suddenly shining bright, and he spoke, "Hey I got one, I got one...". We looked up expectantly at him, when he began again,

"Dumaru dumaru dum
The king has come...".

All we could do was laugh then. It took a little convincing on our part to calm him down and tell him that he was repeating stuff.

Very soon, the best topic of drunken conversations got in --- love lives or the lack thereof. Someone was a bit coy, someone got sentimental and sat alone, and suddenly I found myself to be the target. Now, one golden rule I've learnt is, you must always play along. I began, "Yeah so there was this hot chick I met who came to me in a bikini asking for help, and things took off from there". Drunk guy wasn't convinced, though. While he was protesting, someone took my side: "Why can't that happen, dude? I totttallly believe him". The debate was almost settled, when drunk dude suddenly remembered a song. Yeah you guessed it right --- "Dumaru dumaru dum!!".

After dinner and all, everyone gradually settled into the tents. But the parting comment from one guy took the cake. He said, "You know, since we all held hands and walked around the fire, we're all married to each other now". I don't need to explain why he was made to sleep in the car at night. :D