As a rule, most events start at least 15 minutes later than schedule. Hoping against hope, this journalist stuck to the ‘better late than never’ philosophy – arriving late and living to tell the (hilarious) tale! With a majority of the participants already at the designated location, a few stragglers, including yours truly, were left to find their way. 

Fortunately, an OTA official, who was supposed to guide the way through the maze, was also with this the group. However, due to the tricky nature of the terrain, the small group found itself facing a fork in the road. And, we chose a path – the wrong one that led us through a stony trail (literally, made from hundreds of loose broken stones), dotted by thorny shrubs, under the harsh sun. Then, a tiny hedge had to be negotiated to land on the paved road, still far away our destination, before being ‘rescued’ by officials who knew their way around in a four-wheel drive. 

Incidentally, while the most exciting part of the event – a tactical training display – was already over, this group could find relief in having got some field training in tackling a difficult terrain.