Weekend Trips From Bangalore

Travelogue || Paddy's Wedding Trip - Kumbhakonam

2005-11-01T08:38:00.000-08:00

After meeting up witrh Karthik, who had accompanied Paddy from Chennai , and Koushik, who had arrived in the morning by bus, our thoughts turned towards some much needed fuel. And off we went to the dining room to partake of the sumptuous snacks.
Our lodgings were arranged at the Hotel Sri Selli, a km or so away from the mandapam and in the bustling bazaar area. Karthik volunteered to come with us to the hotel room, and we went meandering through the cycles, cows, carts, scooters and motorcycles that constitute Kumbhakonam traffic.
The remainder of the evening was spent in viewing the wedding ceremonies, and numerous trips to the bridge across the river 'Kwai'ry nearby, an old bridge that rumbled every time a vehicle crossed it. Mom's instructions were top of the mind, and Nagul, Koushik and me successfully located the Vijayendra swami matha, where Raghavendra swami was supposed to have studied.
Another heavy meal later, we went back to the hotel room, after having been reminded many times that the ceremonies were due to begin by 4, and that the muhurtham was between 6 and 6.30.

Monday 5th September
Wonder of wonders, I was up by 3.30 AM, even after sleeping at a latish 12.30. By 4 AM the five of us had bathed and we were in the mandapam by 4.15, just as the Kashi yatra got over.
The rest of the morning was spent witnessing the wedding ceremonies, and before the clock struck 6.30, our Paddy was a married man. A visit to the matha, some breakfast , and we felt the lack of sleep catching up on us. Dropped Karthik and Koushik to the railway station where they wanted to make booking for their return that evening, and back we came to Sri selli for some much needed shuteye.
Had another heavy lunch, and bade our good byes and good lucks before proceeding on with the rest of the trip. With Gultu at the helm, we made good speed as we zipped across the state towards our next destination, Kodai. The vegetation changed from luch green in the Cauvery delta to sparse shrubbery as we crossed Kadur on our way towards Dindigul, the scheduled night halt. We were in Dindigul by 8 PM and then began the search for a hotel room.
Dindigul is a decent sized town, and from the looks of it is a focal point for healthcare services in the region. There are innumerable hospitals and nursing homes all around, and not one clean decent and reasonably priced hotel room. After a long and exhaustive search we settled for hotel Ananda, the cleanest place we could find.

Travelogue || Paddy's Wedding Trip - To Kumbhakonam

2005-10-29T11:15:00.000-07:00

Trip Trivia
Dates: September 3rd 2005 - September 9th 2005
On Trip: Gultu, Sumo, Nagul and Pawan
Tripmeter reading: 1657 km

The D day was approaching. Fellow Pythagonal Paddy was about to enter into the realm of matrimony, and what best way for the Pythagonals to celebrate this than by organizing a trip to coincide with the wedding. In this, we were joined by our Delhi corrospondent Gultu, who landed into a rainy Bangalore evening on the 2nd. Our man arrived with goodies, including a copy of Russel Peter's stand up comedy show, tidbits of which were to leave immemorable imprints on the trip.
The original plan was 2 cars, but Koushik had to regretfully drop out due to an emergency at work. This left the 4 of us.

Saturday 3rd September 2005
Saturday the 3rd dawned bright and clear (we DID wake up by 6.30) and off we were on the road after picking up Sumo from Silk Board Junction. Made good time at the wheel and soon crossed the 4 lane section till Krishnagiri and onto the more mundane 2 laner from then on. Gultu at the helm got a taste of the craters that go by the name of potholes in our part of the country, which was to have a sobering effect on him (Refer Goa Travelogue). A detour from Dharmapuri and we were soon at our first spot: Hoggenakal.
Hoggenakal is the spot where the Cauvery leaves Karnataka and enters Tamil Nadu with huge rapids spread over many kilometers. With all the rain this part of the country was receiving, the river was swollen , and we had to wade through almost waist deep water overflowing some of the bridges. A very scenic place, though in places the water had a thin film of oil on it, courtesy the hunderds of locals offering oil massages to the visitors. With the sun beating down on us, we soon made a hasty retreat to the relatively comfortable A/C confines of the car.
A late lunch at Dharmapuri and we were off towards our night halt Kadur via Salem and Namakkal. We were on NH 7 right through, one of the roads that make up the 'North South' national road corridor. As such, the road was four laned in most parts, and apart from a few stretches, the roads were wonderful through the trip.
The entry into Kadur was slightly dramatic, as we wandered into sections of the town with extremely narrow roads, and then had a harrowing time trying to extricate ourselves from there. However, soon we were safely esconsced into the Hotel Perry International.

September 4th 2005
We now broke away from NH 7 and onto the highway towards Trichy and Tanjore. The road for the most part ran along the swollen Cauvery, a gorgeous sight. Trichy saw us visiting the famed Srirangam temple with its lofty Gopuram. However, the crowds thronging the temple resulted in our dropping plans for darshan in the sanctum sanctorium. The pythagonals were also put off by a sign outside the sanctum which did not allow for entry of non hindus beyond that point.
After getting lost on our way out of town (a regular feature on this trip, which has resulted in our acquiring intimate knowledge of a number of towns in Tamland), we were on our way to Tanjore.
The 'Periyakovil' (Big temple), as the Brihadeshwara temple is known in Tanjore is a world heritage site. It being afternoon, the sanctum was shut , and there were relatively few people around. This gave us the ideal opportunity to explore the famed temple and its Gopuram, of which it is said that it never casts its shadow outside the temple (Sumo has been vigorously contesting this, and as on even date, we have failed to convince him that as our history books said so, it must be true).
Lunch was one component missing, and the idea that there might be some good food awaiting us in the marriage mandapam drove us on towards Kumbhakonam.
The Cauvery splits into many distributaries at Trichy, one of which remains known as the cauvery. Understandably, the delta region is lush with greenery, and while the narrow highway and the traffic was bothering us, the beauty of the surroundings did enough to compensate.
It was around 4 when we entered Kumbhakonam, a town with the skyline peppered with Gopurams. This place has literally hundreds of temples, and most of these are over a Km square in size. With enterprising Native Language Support from Nagul and Gultu, we were able to find our way to the mandapam by 4.30, the estimated time of arrival.

Travelogue || Coorg

2005-07-20T23:34:00.000-07:00

Trip Trivia
Dates: 15th July-17th July 2005
Destination: Coorg
Distance: 738 Km

This was a weekend trip that was as precisely timed as it could get! For once, we were able to predict schedules and arival times well in advance and stick to them with an efficiency that has seldom been achieved, and this was not at the cost of forgoing the groups core ethics: "Relaxation".
But lets start at the very beginning, which, as we have been reminded by that delightful song in 'The Sound of Music' , is a very good place to start. The previous week was spent in deliberating the constituents of the trip, and , of course, the destination. Sumo regretfully opted out, citing work, and Paddy's non involvement in this and future trips was becoming more of a certainity. It was left to old warriors Nagul and your's truly to keep the Pythagonals flag flying, in which worthy cause we were joined ably by the latest enterant Koushik. Considering the increment of the steering committee to two, Coorg won over the other contender Yercaud as the destination of choice.
Friday evening saw the trio leave Bangalore towards the night halt Mysore. Previous experiences of late night hotel hunting prompted us to reserve rooms at Hotel Siddhartha, a cozy , not too expensive hotel bang in the city center.
The drive was mostly non eventful, save some small skirmishes Koushik had with Kanakpura road during his time at the wheel. A road block caused by a procession in Mysore ensured we entered Siddhartha at the stroke of 11 PM, which was the preordained time of arrival. As usual, all eateries and the hotel restaurant had shut down for the day, so we set out to the bus stand for our usual midnight repast at the various thelas. This time , however, the Mysore Bus Stand Canteen provided succour to our famished tummies, and, after the usual games of cards (It was Go Fish Version 2.1this time) it was bed time.

First glimpse of Tibetan architecture

The entrance to the Nyingmapa Monastery

Departure next morning was at an expected 9.30 AM. and a smooth drive later, we entered the first destination of the day: The Golden Temple at the Tibetan Settlement at Bylekuppe.

The main building of the monastery

The three Buddhas: Padmasambhava, Shakyamuni, Amitayus

I have been here quite a few times before, and yet everytime the place takes my breath away. Once into the neat and orderly settlement, it is easy to forget that we are in South India. There were prayer flags fluttering everywhere, and stupas and temples peeped over the trees all around us. The golden temple is truly awe inspiring, and the huge main hall inspires even the most garrulous human to a moment of shocked jaw dropped silence.

The huge gold-plated statues

The 60 ft gold plated statues of the Buddha, Amitayus and Padmasambhava are complemented with 3 sets of magnificient frescos , each a storey high which ring the hall.

The fresco-adorned interiors of the monastery

Some of the many frescos adorning the place

Shutterbug Nagul went beserk here, and we had to pull him away, but not before he had procured the numbrs of the local guest house.

The bridge across Nisargadhama

Turgid waters flowing underneath

The guardian deity

The next halt was Nisargadhama, a lovely , forested man made island in the cauvery, just before it left Coorg to enter Mysore district. Even though it was a Saturday, we were blessed with the absense of crowds, and took a relaxed walk around the island, with the pleasant sound of the Cauvery flowing besides us. The place is , truly , Nisargadhama: Nature place.

The Harangi Reservoir

Just a few kilometers away was Harangi Dam and resevoir, which was our next destination. The reservoir was full to the brim, a sight we have never seen before. The top of the dam offers unparalled views of the landscape around, a truly fulfilling sight.

In and around the dam

Having scored 3/3 for the day, the team left towards Madikeri, the capital of Coorg with a feeling of complete satisfaction albeit a hole in the tummy. We were in Madikeri by 4.45 PM, and, by stroke of luck, had checked to the Hotel Raj Darshan by 5.30 PM.

Raja's Seat

View from Raja's Seat

Mist-laden landscape around Raja's Seat

The lovely hotel is just across the road from Raja Seat, just off the main town and overlooks the rest of the town. A quiet evening was spent in watching the sunset (or imagining it-with the clouds and the mist) at Raja Seat, a delightful viewpoint overlooking rolling hills and the road to Mangalore. Then began the usual game sessions and this time 5-3-2 ruled. A special mention must be made here of Koushik's extraordinary run of luck and my extraordinary lack of it, and only some deft manouvering in conjunction with Nagul ensured I was able to stay on in the game. Thus ended a highly satisfying day.

Long-exposure night-time shot from the Hotel

Mist causing the light to diffuse

All those games had taken their toll, and it was pretty late in the day when we work up next morning. However some quick rearguard action saw us off by 9:30 A.M. towards Talacauvery.

Talacauvery

The landscape from Madikeri to Bhagmandala is quintessential Coorg, with coffee estates on both sidesof the undulating hills punctuated with trees with the pepper creepers all over. The sun, which played hide and seek for quite a while, decided to take a rain check for some time.
Bhagmandala town , some 8 km before Talacauvery, is a quaint one road town with its claim to fame being the Sangam of the Cauvery with Kannike and Sujyothi. From here the road ascends sharply towards Talacauvery, and the vegetation changes to Shola.

Drive up to the temple in near zero visibility

This steep ascent meant that within no time , we were amidst the clouds. Visibility on the curvy ghat road was down to within five feet, and we had to literally inch our way up, at one point having to stop and ask which side the road was!

The temple

Ruins around the temple

The small temple looked surreal in all the mist, and since the weather had ensured that the climbs up the steps to the peak was ruled out, we spent our time pottering around the temple.
Now began the drive across the district to Nagarhole. The route led us through Virajpet, Gonikoppal and Kutta, a good 100+ km from Talacauvery. The scenery was magnificient, the road was not. However, we made good time and managed to enter Nagarhole by 4.30.

Through the drenched forest

The road through nagarhole is narrower than the one through Bandipur, and is hemmed in by the forest. This was one of the few times when we didnt see any wildlife other than the usual spotted deer, but the verdant forest more than made up for it.

On the drive back

A sedate drive back ensured we were back in Bangalore by 10 PM, as planned.

Travelogue || Masinagudi [Day 3]

2005-06-14T01:24:00.000-07:00

Day Three
Forest Hills->Bangalore

Paddy and Sumo woke up an hour before we did, and spent the early morning exploring the place.

Early morning view of the bamboo huts

Deer in front of the huts

The deer group that had graced our hut at night was still around. Both the guys occupied themselves getting some good early morning photographs while we got up and readied ourselves for the morning trek.

Starting off on the trek

We left on the trek at around 9am. Apart from the guide we were joined on the trek by another couple, the ones who had booked the tree-house. It was a nice, bright day and the weather was just right for trekking - neither too warm nor chilly. The initial part was slightly tiring but the path eased out in places making it one of the most enjoyable treks we have been on.

The forest in a riot of colour

On the trek

Almost midway to our destination the guide pointed out fresh dung - that of a tiger - right in the middle of the trekking path. It was very fresh, and we halted there for a minute or two while the guide sniffed around for the animal. Suddenly the normal sounds of the jungle were muted by the low deep-bellied growl of the tiger. We did not sight the tiger but personally speaking the growl was good enough. I had no wish to come face-to-face with the animal, not after the same guide had shown us the bear-inflicted wound on his leg on the previous trip. That had also been on a trekking expedition when a bear suddenly came out in front of the trekking party and the guide had to fight it off while the trekkers made a beeline back to the sanctuary of home. Anyway, we continued without incident to the pool.

In the pool

It is fed by a waterfall that has caused a huge widening of the stream, surrounded as it is by rocky outcrops on three sides. The water level was half that on the previous trip (which was after monsoons last year), but it was still deep enough to wade, and the waterfall was still in good shape.

Following our tradition on water-bodies, Pawan and I went in to the pool and to the base of the waterfall and were soon joined there by Sumo. Paddy wisely kept away from the water due to being sick, in spite of our continuous exhortation to take the plunge. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly in the water (no surprises there) since the couple had graciously declared that even though they didn't intend to get in, they had no problems with staying there for a time while we splashed around.

After getting out of the pool, we turned back home on a different circuitous route that took us to a splendid viewpoint which overlooked the valley below us, giving a panoramic view of the whole place. The forest was a riot of color, with infinite variations of green, brown and golden.

Amidst the greenery

This return route was a walk in the park, and we ambled along merrily till we suddenly were at the clearing to the machan. We didn't even realize that the time was now 11. We popped into the dining room for a sumptuous breakfast. Hungry from the trek, we ate long and hard, till we could have no more.

Back to the huts to freshen up and it was soon time to leave. The cold bath was extremely refreshing but it also brought to the forefront the tiredness from the trek. Thanks to this, we left the place at noon since we didn't want to end up driving through the night on the way back in such a tired state.

Elephants again

Saw another group of three wild elephants on the Bandipur stretch this time. It turned out to be a pretty smooth drive back to Bangalore, with us getting home at a decent hour. End of another refreshing trip, one that was sorely needed. Now to plan for the next one, while there is still sand left in the hourglass.

Other wildlife photos

Travelogue || Masinagudi [Day 1&2]

2005-06-14T01:12:00.000-07:00

Destination: Masinagudi
Dates: 3 June 2005 - 5 June 2005
On trip: Paddy, Pawan, Sumo, Nagul

Day One
Bangalore -> Kanakapura Rd -> Mysore

Lingering memories of last year's solitary summer trip (in which we fried in the car daily and baked outside) meant that the weeks and months were piling up since the last trip (to Munnar). Restlessness was mounting and everybody was itching to get out and away from the monotony of weekends in Bangalore. The heavy rains in the last few weeks were the last straw, the proverbial opening of the floodgates.

After a couple of attempts to get away on weekends, plans that were thwarted by junta's busy schedule, a trip was finally planned for this weekend. The choice narrowed down to either Wayanad or Masinagudi. Following much deliberation and much more vacillating, Masinagudi was decided upon on Friday morning (thanks to it being nearer). Pawan obligingly booked us in at Forest Hills (the site where the Masinagudi Appreciation Programme was originally launched), and we were off in Paddy's car late that evening. Word games helped relieve the monotony of the drive for the first hour. Had a normal drive along Kanakapura Rd, alternately admiring the countryside and cursing the bad stretches and those responsible. Arrived in Mysore half an hour past midnight and spent another weary half hour trying to find a room in an affordable yet decent place. Finally settled down for the night at a good compromise and got busy sleeping. It was 2:30 by then.

Day Two
Mysore->Gundulpet->Masinagudi->Forest Hills

Next day dawned bright and clear. We were out of the place decently early. Had breakfast at Kamat's and got back on the road. Next stop was for lunch at Gundulpet. Soon we were ambling along on the forest road, trying to catch site of any wildlife. For those not in the know, its one large forest, called Bandipur on the Karnataka side, and Mudumalai after crossing into TN.

The sarkari haathis

Our first wildlife sighting was of a pair of elephants by the side of the road. They were presumed to be 'sarkari haathis' on the basis of a bell dangling around their necks. Not really wildlife. Soon after the check post we saw a peahen ambling along near the road.

The peacock

The road was extremely sketchy in parts and we reached Masinagudi town by a respectable 1pm. Saw another tusker on the outskirts of Masinagudi town, being tended to by the mahout.

The tusker

After a small break in town for tea we started off towards our final destination – Forest Hill.

On the way to Forest Hills

On arrival we sauntered off to see the accommodations that were still available - two adjoining houses or two bamboo huts next to each other. We settled upon the bamboo houses and came back to the exquisitely furnished main building (the residence of the Jain family who run the place) to have lunch.

Forest Hills

Post-lunch we hung around for tea, relaxing in the rocking chairs, swings and hammocks present just outside. Afterwards we dumped our bags in one of the bamboo houses and went off to have a look around. Revisited the machan (observation tower cum house) where Pawan and I had spent the night last time we were here. There was a newly built tree-house which wasn't there last time around.

The machan and the tree house

The tree house

Both of them are pretty impressive structures with unobstructed views to the watering-hole nearby. Alas, they had already been booked.

On the machan

View from the machan

After the tour around the place we got back to the hut and took turns freshening up and then relaxing. The bamboo houses are situated at a fair distance from the main buildings, and are placed amidst a pretty large meadow. Paddy and I spent a blissful half hour sleeping on the grass by the shade of a bamboo grove, while Pawan curled up with his book on the verandah of the hut and Sumo pottered around, first taking photographs and then reading his book.

The bamboo huts

Had the evening tea at one end of the meadow beneath a tree. The overcast sky suddenly opened up and the sudden thunderstorm necessitated a quick retreat to the safety of the hut verandah.

View from the bamboo hut

Starting to rain

We took off for a night safari on a jeep along the Bandipur/Masinagudi jungle stretch at around 5:30. We first covered the Bandipur forest. It was all pretty uneventful for the most part, till we came to a place where a number of vehicles were parked along the road with the people from those vehicles gawking at what seemed like a black boulder at a distance, on a cliff-edge. Conversing with the assembled horde revealed that the black boulder was actually a bear's head. Small movements at regular intervals soon confirmed that indeed it was a bear reared up on its hind legs. My first bear sighting! The bear in turn was probably curious about the puny two-legged creatures coming out of bigger four-legged monsters. All attempts at capturing it on film were foiled by the continuous throbbing of the jeep engine. The slight jitter was enough to introduce enough shake at full zoom, and all we have are photographs ranging from the slightly blurred to ones with indecipherable blobs of black. Anyway we count ourselves lucky to have even sighted the bear. It made us marvel yet again at how well animals are camouflaged in their natural environment. They could have been a couple of paces away from us and we still wouldn't notice their presence without a hint of movement and a sharp trained eye to help us along.

The bear

As we made our way away from the spot it started drizzling again and in a matter of minutes was pouring down in torrents. We crossed over to TN again and went exploring the Mudumalai side of the forest. Sighted another solitary elephant along this stretch. There were no more sightings after this and we went back to Masinagudi town.

The nocturnal elephant

After a stop for tea our driver took us on a different path which we thought was a shortcut to Forest Hills, but which turned out to be an outing into a different part of the jungle. The trees were pretty sparse in this part, and it was more like a huge meadow with interspersed trees. The driver took the jeep off the road into the meadows to a part where he said wild animals were a-plenty, even as he was sermonizing that one who loses the way back to the road was very likely to spend the night in the forest. It turned out to be a futile exercise and the only animals we saw were rabbits scampering away as they were framed by the headlights.

We got back to Forest Hills in time for dinner. Had a hearty meal and turned out to the cottages for a game of cards. This didn't last long as all of were tired and Paddy was sick. Paddy dozed off while were finished the last game and me and Pawan lugged our bags back to the second bamboo cottage while Sumo went to join Paddy in grabbing some shut-eye.

Bamboo hut at night

Pawan got back to his reading while I went outside to the verandah to get some night-time photographs. I was busy learning that even long time exposure doesn't work on a moonless night when there suddenly appeared a deer not ten paces from me. It was soon followed by another five, then another five, and so on, till there were around 25-30 deer all standing there gazing at me, completely unperturbed. Pawan came out for a look and still they stayed, not minding the sudden light that flooded the area on opening the cottage door. After hanging around for another ten minutes, they soundlessly melted back into the darkness, as silently as they first appeared. Thereafter the stillness of the night was punctuated with peahen calls and bison grunts at regular intervals, with another 2-3 unidentified animal calls thrown in for good measure.

Travelogue || Down Memory Lane: The Silent Valley Trip

2005-06-06T04:15:00.000-07:00

Dates: April 8th 2004 -April 11th 2004
Destination: Mostly varied, but for convenience sake we shall name it the Silent Valley Trip
Members: Paddy, Nagul, Sumo and Pawan
Trivia: 3 1/4 days, 3 States, 7 Districts, 1100 KM
Moral: Aim for the stars and thou shalt land on the tree.

The intent was never clearer..leave blore at 6.30 so that Target Coimbatore might be achieved. And wonder of wonders..we were off at 6.45 on a lovely thursday evening! But then, man proposes.. blore traffic disposes, and we were able to get out of the mess that goes by the name of traffic management by only 8.30.. so much for leaving early! Which meant that the target as revised at runtime to Sathyamangalam (Sathy)

The drive was straight, uneventful but spectacular... especially the view of Sathyamangalam and the surrounding villages from the top of the ghats... to me it seemed like a complete (and possibly enhanced) reflection of the clear midnight sky.

The halt at Sathy had only 2 salient points:
1. The AC room ensured a night full of 'shiver me timbers' while the outside temperature hovered around 30 degrees with 100% humidity.
2. Paddyking decided that a change of mobile was required and promptly left it behind at the hotel ( personally, i believe that the mobile ended up in the laundry with the other linen)

(Note: Sathyamangalam implies Truth and wellbeing. From informed Classical Tam specialists we have deduced that Sathy is Just the same as Vanthi viz. Vomit. I suspect we now know why the townspeople call this place so.)

Friday was dedicated to reaching Mukkali, via Coimbatore, Palakkad and Mannarkad. Mukkali is an obscure, nondescript hamlet reached by negotiating 19 hairpins from Mannarkad. Mukkali, whose claim to fame is that its the entry point to Silent Valley (SV), has a surprisingly well maintained Forest office rest house, in which we were able to persuade the forest officials to give us a room. The evening was dedicated to the persuit of Multiple Solitare (Oxymoron ppl?)

On the observation tower

The trekking destination

On the trek

Crossing the bridge to the stream

Saturday involved the trip into SV by Jeep. Ok, I shall not go into the details, suffice to say that there is enough material in this trip to fuel the following discussions
1. Bureaucracy in Malluland
2. The wild verdant forests
3. Why the lion tailed Maqaque has a lion tail
4. Paddy and peeping tom: a study of intentions
5. Jo jeeta wohi sikandar.. Jo haara woh lion tailed maqaque:(Environmentralists+ Supreme court) Vs.(Kerala state Electricity board + Indian railways)
6. Towering perspectives: Views from the top of a tower and down below

The crystal clear water of the stream

The observation tower as seen from the stream

Another view of the stream

Moving on from Mukkali, Friday evening held the attaractions of Yakshi (a 30 feet stone statue of a naked woman with legs apart) as seen from the ropeway at Mallampuzha. Paddy, for all his vertigo, could not lift his eyes off her... Basic Instinct!

The night drive to Pollachi was marked by phenomenal egg dosai and plain dosai at a nondescript hamlet on the Kerala Tamil Nadu Border. Pollachi nightlife was further dedicated to persuit of excellence at Multiple-Solitare.

The dam

Sunday dawn bright and clear (actually i should not be commenting on this...woke up at 9 AM.) Southward ho went we towards Valparai, a hill station surrounded by Tea estates. Wordsworth who was worth his words could have gained immensely from the verdant expanse of alternating forest and tea that marked the curvy ride uphill. Alas, the clock ensured we turned back just 9KM short of Valparai (Another example of that fabled adage: There's many a slip betwixt the cup and lip), but not before promising ourselves.. We Shall Return!

Travelogue || B2B From Munnar

2005-04-19T03:48:00.000-07:00

26th March
The ill effects of the minor fracas were somewhat erased by the cut in the final bill presented to us. Somewhat mollified, we took off from FH to begin our long return back to Bangalore.
The route planned was fairly iffy in nature, given the fact that we had two full days of driving time at our disposal. A cursory glance at the map and we had decided to wind our way through Kerala, and have a night halt at either Kalpetta or cut back into Tamland to one of our fave destinations: Masinagudi.
The delay in kickoff meant that our first halt, a bird sanctuary at the base of the munnar hills had to be skipped. However, this did not dampen our spirits one bit and after a quick breakfast at Adimali, we were off again.

Shiny Happy People resting on a road divider in God's Own Country.

This drive was our most extensive one across 5 districts of central Kerala, and we can now justificably claim to have put in many more miles through true blue Malluland than many a Mallu we know. For records sake, here is a partial listing.

-> Kallar (FH) (Munnar)
-> Adimali (Munnar): Had Breakfast here
-> Kothamangalam (Ernakulam)
-> Perumbavur (Ernakulam)
-> Kaladi (Ernakulam): Adi Shankara was born here
-> Angamali (Ernakulam)
-> Ollur (Thrissur): A good "South Indian Meals" lunch with the car parked at the neighbouring cinema hall
-> Thrissur town
-> Vadakancheri (Thrissur)
-> Cheruthuruthi (Thrissur): Here Paddy had some fun with Indian Railways, where he tried his hand at some 'mere sapno ki rani ' type racing. Alas, IR pulled a fast one on him when a level crossing was closed and the train sneaked through
-> Pattambi (Pallakad): Brought about good memories of our Silent Valley trip, almost a year ago to the day
-> Perinthalmanna (Malappuram): Interestingly, Malappuram is one of the few muslim majority districts in India -> Melattur (Malappuram)
-> Nilambur (Malappuram): A "frontier town" in Malluland. This is the last big town on the highway to Ooty. This was where we finally decided to ditch Kalpetta and move on towards the Nilgiris
-> Edakkare (Mallappuram): The final chai halt before venturing into the ghats.

From Eddakare, the road winds through some dense decidious forests and ghats to cross over into the Nilgiris. The setting sun and the absence of vehicular traffic on the road was the perfect setting for a ghat crossing...with shadows lengthening, the forest looked increasingly mysterious as the evening wore on and darkness enveloped everything.
Hit Gudalur town at around 8 in the evening and had some well deserved dosais for dinner. The question arose, is the destination Masinagudi through Mudumalai or do we plough on uphill towards Ooty? Nagul and my previous experience on the Mudumalai road some months ago answered this for us. The road could compete successfully in any contest run by NASA to duplicate martian trerrain on Earth, and so Ooty it was.
The drive to Gudalur had put Paddy out of action, so on we headed up the Niligiris with yours truly at the helm. And what a ride it was! The Gudalur-Ooty road was good enough to give Bannerghatta road a run for its money. An hour and a half's bumpy ride later, we entered the familiar environs of Ooty, knowing pretty well that half the country's population would be here and that it would be difficult to find some place to shack up for the night. A couple of unsuccessful attempts later, we managed to find a pricy cottage tucked away in the hills around Ooty town.

The Ooty hotel's dining room!

The cottage proved to be another of the pleasant surprises that we had been encountering through the trip. A huge living room, with a dining room and a large balcony, and with two bedrooms attached meant another night of 'relaxation'. As usual, Nagul pottered around with his Kodak and came up with some excellent specimens of long exposure photography.

Stars twinking in the Ooty skyline at the witching hour

27th March
The last day of our trip began in as lazy a fashion as the others. The cottage being too comfy, we were loathe to leave without exploiting its comforts to the fullest. It was with great reluctance that all of us managed to get out of Ooty by 1 PM.

On the Ooty descent

The journey downhill was through the shorter but more treacherous Ghat road. This road is shorter by almost 30-40 km, but the sharp hairpins (36 of them) meant the descent had to be on 1st or second gear. In sharp contrast to the lush Kerala countryside, the hills were shorn of all greenery. Even Abid's place, which was covered with trees and underbush, looked dull, dry and deserted.

The Peacock Strut

... and the Langur Crossing

From Masinagudi on, it was as uneventful a drive back as any, with a couple of wildlife sighting on the way.

Elephant in the underbrush

Speculative Stag

We were back in Bangalore by 8 :30 PM, bringing to a close one of our most comfortable trips ever.
Mission 'Relaxation ' accomplished!

Travelogue || @ Munnar [Part Two]

2005-04-11T00:39:00.000-07:00

25th March
Good Friday and the long weekend implied that our solitary occupation of FH might not last, and sure enough there were a couple of Tempo Travellers and a Qualis dwarfing our Zen in the driveway. The silence was broken by the sounds of the new arrivals from, where else, Bangalore!
While these intrusions on 'our turf' were grossly unwelcome (selfish! selfish!! ), that was the least we could hope for, and we were thankful for the time we had spent as the only occupants of FH.
The stream was out of bounds for us at the moment as the new arrivals had made a beeline for it the moment they stepped foot into FH. Instead, we lazed around with innumerable cups of Chai, with our books for company. As usual, it was around 12 by the time we could energize ourself to venture out.
Having decided to leave Thekkady out for another trip, there was much debate on our destination for the day. For the moment, a neat little 'Tea kadai' overlooking the valley was our first halt. And it was here that all the 'gyan' internalised from reading innumerable fantasy trilogies was put in full use. Major strategies were discussed to ward off dragons and other unwanted elements, and after satisfactorily routing all pillaging hordes, we decided to drive on through Lockhardt gap towards Thekkady and Theni (across the border into Tamland).

The Bowl

The road to Lockhardt gap pases via Devikulam and then climbs up through the omnipresent tea estate to cross over through a high mountain pass. The valley just before the pass was like a masive bowl, completely covered by tea, with the odd boulder breaking out to contrast the deep green all around. Breath taking to say the least!
However, Lockhardt Gap soon put a spanner in the works. A rockfall in the gap had closed the road, and all we could do was to turn around and get back to Munnar town for yet another date with Sarvana Bhavan.
Hunger satiated, we decided to simply take it easy and drive back down Ernakulam Road and stop where we felt like.

At the falls

A chance sighting of a notice saying "Waterfall: 3KM", and the poor zen was trundling down an almost nonexistent road down in to the valley. A sharp curve and the magnificient waterfall cam into view, and put paid to all niggling doubts on turning back considering the shape the road was in.

The waterfall

Soon we were at the base of fall. The main body of the fall was hidden by a spur in the mountainside, and the spot where the stream was bridged was strewn with broken boulders, a reminder of the power of the stream when the monsoons arrive and it is in full spate. Once again, the other people around cleared off and we were alone, to get our daily dose of 'nature communion'. Satisfaction Guaranteed!

Nature Communion

That done, just drove around for some more time and got back to FH before dark. This time, it was tough finding a parking spot, and we were greatful for the fact that we were leaving early next morning. We decided to take our chances with the stream one last time, and were overjoyed to find it deserted. Another hour of water games followed.

Crop Circles

The evening was spent in the usual fashion, Uno+Umberto+Multiple Solitare. A special mention needs to be made of the mint. This is Paddy's collection of coins from his wanderings around the globe. And quite a collection it is, for all the sundry coins put together could easily add up to a Thousand Dollars. Not very happy to leave this precious collection lying around, we were lugging it with us everyday. Unfortunately, the lid of the dabba is not very stable, and this resulted Sumo and Nagul spending quite some time searching out the coins friom evey nook and corner of the car.

26th March
The only unpleasant experience in an otherwise flawless trip. We had decided to leave early from FH, and make our way through Kerala to Gudalur/Wayanad , where we had planned our night halt for the day. However, some problems in the water supply the previous evening resulted in dry taps in our bathroom. Bore it with a smile for quite some time, but when the calls of nature became distress calls, Gippy Avatar took over. The attendants (all of them monolingual in Mall) were fired left, right and center, and soon enough, we were given an alternate bathroom. All this resulted in delays, and it was almost 11 AM by the time we cleared out from FH.

Travelogue || @ Munnar [Part One]

2005-04-06T01:55:00.000-07:00

Upon settling down comfortably in the Lotus suite, the packets of cards were out, along with the mint. More on these later.

24th March
The morning dawned bright and clear and late, especially for me. Sumo and Nagul were up just after dawn, and had managed to capture some astounding pics of FH and its surroundings. In keeping with the trips motto: 'relaxation', we just whiled away the time, even though we needed to make a quick departure if we were to be in good time to visit Thekkady.

One of the reasons FH had been selected was its promise of a 'forest stream' with a 'natural pool'. Paddy and me, after much deliberation, ventured out to explore. And for once, the marketing proved to be true to the original. The pool was , for lack of adjectives, mindblowing.

Water Games 2005 Inauguration

It is fed by two streams, a wide, shallow and warm rivulet, and a cold narrow trickle. The pool itself was sandy, with some boulders around. No small sharp stones where the water was deeper. Purrrfect. And out of the window went any plans of Thekkady, for this was just too good to miss.

Ah! The right time and place for some introspection.

An hour of perfect bliss followed. Nagul 'patel' went about his usual activities with his Kodak, while the three of us freaked out on the creative game of 'Jehovah' . A simple game, this basically involved pelting Nagul's sandals with stones until it floated downsteram, whereupon it was flung back and the game commenced again.

Stone him, he's floating. Jehovah!

Post 'Jehovah', Paddy entertained us all with some stunning WWF stunts. In short, much fun was had by all.

It was almost 12 by the time we left FH for our days activities. IndoSwiss-Top Station was to be our first destination. Top Station is further uphill from Munnar, along the old Kodai road.

What a shorn Indo-Swiss meadow looks like

The road meanders through the ubiquitous tea estates, past a scenic dam, a lake that is fast drying out and through the Indo Swiss Project meadows. One of the few places where the rolling hills were covered with grass, lush lovely green all around, with scarcely anybody in view.

Kundala Dam

Lake Placid

The route then led us to Kundala dam and its catchment lake. And if the morning was perfect bliss, then this outdid it many times over.

Pawan and Sumo @ Lake Placid

Sumo and Paddy @ Lake Placid

A large placid lake, ringed by hills, with a tree covered shore provided us the best spot ever to commune with nature. The silence was broken only by the occasional chirping of birds and the faint sounds of the few other folk around pedalling away on their paddle boats. But these too melted into the background, and it was the nearest we've ever come to the perfect moment.

Communing with Nature

An hour later, we reluctantly moved on towards Top station. After a brief meeting with the highly endangered Lion-tailed Macaque* (our third sighting, prompting questions on the endangered status of the monkey)**, crossed over to the leeward side of the Kannan Devan hills (for this is the original name for these hills, where the brand of tea of the same name is grown) into Tamland.

Top Station

Top Station was named so as it was the start of an erstwhile ropeway to transport tea to the plains. Here the vegetation is markedly different from the windward side of the hills, being sparse and decidious. The Ghats end in almost vertical cliffs and the plains are literally a stones throw away.

Taking a break on the way

After a satisfying day, we made our way back to FH, for the usual nightly games of Cards.

Another lake at end of day

All that R&R brought out the creativity from the boys, and the game of Umberto was invented. Umberto is basically Uno in reverse. which means the guy who holds on to his cards till the end is the winner. For more details contact Framer Of Rules Nagul.

* A simian, unlike Macaws who opted out and went with the avian species.
** It has been previously sighted in Silent Valley and Masinagudi***.
*** Globe-Trotter Paddy also had a sighting in Singapore, his home away from home.

Travelogue || To Munnar

2005-04-04T06:56:00.000-07:00

Dates: 22nd March-27th March
On Trip: Paddy, Nagul, Sumo, Pawan

The prospect of a trip after a long time was what was keeping me going through February and March. What with Paddy always away on his interminable sojourn, our trips were really being spaced out. But the long Easter weekend along with a couple of days leave provided the perfect opportunity to get away finally.
This one was probably one of the most well planned trips we have ever undertaken. The internet popped up quite a few possibilities as far as acco was concerned, and by judiciously managing both price and facilities, we booked our acco over a week in advance. Paddy, in keeping with his wanderlust, was to be in Delhi on the day of departure, and the plan was to get everything ready and just pick him up and leave.
And for once things just fell in place. All of us made it to Koramangala on time, Paddy preponed his flight to be in by 7 PM, and wonder of wonders! IA made sure he was in town by 7. And off we were on our way!

22nd March
Having decided to forego the Kanakpura road route to Coimbatore in favour of the circuitous but well laid Salem route, we were out of town immediately. Notwithstanding the usual mixups around the Karnataka TN border at Hosur, we made good time to reach Krishnagiri around 11 PM. After much debate, Krishnagiri was chosen as the night halt over Salem, to further the cause of 'relaxation'. Alas, it was not to be. The marriage season being in full swing , not a single room was available, and after half an our of wasted efforts, off we were on the road to Salem.
Dharmapuri provided the break this time. The folks at good ol' Sarvana Bhavan, after mucho prodding by paddy, opened up and we settled down at around 12.30. Pretty early by our standards!

23rd March
Early Bird Sumo was given the onerous task of waking us up on all mornings; and by mutual consent it was Nagul who would be the second guy to wake up. Surprisingly, we were up and away by 8.30 AM...phenomenal, considering past records!
Zipped across the Salem bypass and then onto the Coimbatore road , where we took the turn towards Tirupur and then towards Udumalaipet via Dharapuram. The sun was beating down mercilessly...however we made it to Udumalaipet before the stipulated time of 2 PM ..all set for lunch. Had a glimpse of the windmills that dot these regions just before Udumalaipet. The region is completely dry with sparse vegetation, and this provides the right setting for harnessing the prwer of the winds. A lovely sight, I must say!
Beyond Udumalaipet the landscape changes dramatically. The Ghats come into view almost immediately. And before we knew it, the first of the innumerable forest and sales checkposts came up.
Lack of conversational capabilities in both Mall and Tam had resulted in me forking out Rs 50 as 'baksheesh' to the checkpost folk the last time I passed through on this road. Not this time. Our man Paddy proved himself equal to the task, and with his mixed Tam-Mal, managed to wiggle us through the checkposts without paying a single paisa. Three Cheers to our Man Gippy!
The drive from there on was a harbringer of things to come. 80 km through the Indira Gandhi National Forest (on the TN side) and then the Chinnar Forest (on the Kerala side) set the scene (literally) for the trip. As we climbed, the vegetation changed form sparse decidious, to evergreen, to alpine in parts and then gave way for rolling hills covered with Tea Gardens...awesome!
Comfortably reached Munnar by 5 PM and had some well deserved snacks at, where else, Sarvana Bhavan! And then we made our way down on the Ernakulam road towards Forest Haven, our base in Munnar.

The ultra-modern Forest Haven

And then we had the shock of our lives.
Forest Haven is some 14 km off Munnar on the Ernakulam road. The road to FH leads off the highway at Kallar, where it is a steep climb of a Km or so to FH. The resort popped up suddenly among the Cardamom plantations, and imagine our surprise, when we found that we were the ONLY residents of the place. Not a soul was around, save the attendents.

Solitary Zen @ FH

The suite was lovely, with two balconies overlooking the driveway and the parking lot and the plantations ahead. The silence was broken only by the sound of crickets, and the occasional moped on to the town up the road. Ah! We were going to enjoy ourselves!

Travelogue || Pondicherry

2005-01-26T10:04:00.000-08:00

Destination: Pondicherry
Date: Friday 21st January 2005 – Sunday 23rd January 2005 (2 days)
On trip: Nagul, Pawan, Paddy

Pawan needed to attend a wedding in Chennai, Paddy needed to get home and I needed to get away. So we drove off to Chennai on Friday evening. We started on Friday evening through the almost deserted roads (thanks to the bandh that had been declared). Except for a small stretch of bad road the road to Chittur was excellent and we were in town by 9 pm. We halted there for the night.

The next day we left very early and again made terrific progress to reach Chennai in the morning. We dropped Paddy off at home and made our way to the marriage hall. Our entry was perfectly timed - the marriage ceremony was just getting underway. Sat through the marriage rites and left after wishing the newly married couple, even as the remaining junta rushed towards the lunch buffet.

We left Chennai after a quick stop at the Landmark bookstore on Spencer plaza to pick up a birthday gift for a friend and got on the East Coast Road to Pondicherry. The scenic road was dotted with relief camps all along the way to Pondicherry, a grim reminder of the tsunami that devastated this coast not too long ago. The roads presented a stark contrast with a host of exceptionally well crafted promotional billboards put by the Pondicherry Tourism Board (“WeekENDs @ Pondicherry”, "www.pondicherry.calm", "Pondicheery" being some of the ones we can still remember) A quick stop on the way to admire the beauteous evening and we were in Pondicherry early evening.

Taken on the ECR

This was my first trip to Pondicherry town, though I technically passed through the Union Territory when we drove through Mahe which lies on the west coast (surrounded by Kerala), during the very first trip. Yessir, the Union Territory of Pondicherry contains three other disjointed locations besides this one – Mahe, Karaikal and Yanam. Weird but true.

We drove through the narrow crowded streets onto the beachfront. The road that runs parallel to the beach was closed to traffic in the evenings, effectively turning it into a promenade made for a leisurely stroll. We did just that, taking in the sights as we moved along.

Gandhiji striding along on the beachfront

The whole area adjoining the beach was French territory and the buildings and layout still reflect that. It has a white clean look about it that’s more in tune with French cities than Indian ones.

A taste of the French part of town

As the day grew older and night gradually took over we turned back and set about finding a place to put up for the night. After two abortive attempts at fairly swanky places (way beyond our reach), we checked into a modest establishment.

We rose pretty early the next day and headed back to the beach. After parking the car we roamed around the French end of town. The clean, nearly empty streets were a treat to walk in. We checked out the Museum there that had plenty of artifacts from nearby areas. The one that really caught our imagination was a scroll written on palm leaves, in Tamil legible enough for me to read! (Understanding what one reads is a completely different matter altogether, and one not to be taken for granted). We also found the Aurobindo museum – his home/ashram turned into a museum. However, there were hordes of people hanging around and we decided against going in. From the looks of the town, Pondicherry runs on the trade provided by the Sri Aurobindo ashram affiliated establishments that abound.

One of the dedication plaques in French

It was time to turn back and head out soon. We got to the hotel room for a quick rest which turned into a short nap. We were well rested and extremely refreshed when we returned from the land of the sleeping and we got on the road back to Bangalore with an enthusiasm not normally found on our return journeys. We had decided at the outset of the drive that we would halt at Krishnagiri for the night, and complete the last 100 km four-laned highway stretch in the morning. However, this was not to be. The roads were so good that we reached Krishnagiri way before time and there was no excuse not to continue onwards.

One part of the Krishnagiri fort (located near the Gingee town) as seen from the road

We were home by 11:30! That was the first time we arrived at any place earlier than we had allowed for, and that says a lot for the connecting roads. A far cry from the nightmarish ride to/from Chennai we experienced last year, when the Golden Quadrangle stretches were just mud vomits masquerading as highways.

Travelogue || Goa [Day Six]

2005-01-15T04:20:00.000-08:00

Day 6
Route: Palolem beach -> Jog falls -> Shimoga -> Tumkur -> Bangalore

We left Goa after breakfast and headed back along the coast, breaking off inwards after Karwar towards Jog Falls, the longest waterfall in India. We reached there after a pretty long drive, with no grand expectations since we’d already been warned that not much water was to be expected there this time of the year. It proved true, for it was a meager trickle compared to what we’d seen in other places.

A higly depleted Jog Falls

Didn’t spend much time there, and headed homewards through Shimoga and Tumkur. About 80 km from Tumkur the easy monotony of the day’s drive was effectively punctured (pun intended) on a crumbly stretch of road. No, it wasn’t an accident, but we spent the next one and a half hour sitting in the car soaking wet, cruising at 20km, with intermittent tyre-changing stops. We finally ended up changing the front left wheel tyre five times (the first time in a drenching downpour).

First tyre change coming up

No more will be said about the incident to avoid awakening painful memories. We finally reached Bangalore at 2:30 in the morning after a most tiring final stretch.

Travelogue || Goa [Day Five]

2005-01-15T04:09:00.000-08:00

Day 5
Route: Palolem beach -> Karwar -> Palolem beach

After another huge breakfast and dollops of resting, we left for Karwar around noon. We had already ascertained that all water activities at Karwar also lay suspended due to the tsunami so we weren’t in any great hurry to get there. Just as well, since we finally didn’t make it to the Devbagh Island.

Devbagh Island at Karwar

After waiting a while for the ferry, left to have lunch and came back just in time to see the next ferry casting off. At this point we decided to go back since it was already 5 pm and we wouldn’t get any time to explore the island even if we got there.

Paddy and Ashish had the traditional dip when we got back, while I contented myself at the shack catching up on my reading and nursing my stomach.

New Years eve at Palolem Beach.

The last dinner of the year was consumed at Ma-Rita’s. Made short work of Calamari again, sitting at the dinner table laid out on the sandy beach, a bit away from the lapping waves. Next we were presented with the Big Fish (listed under Starters!), which even the three of us couldn’t consume, so we never made it to the main course. By the time we were done, it was late in the night and the fireworks had already started. The whole beach was lit up in a riot of colour, basked in a torrent of changing shades as each firework slowly winked out only to be replaced by another. The surreal effect was highlighted by the ones that burst over the ocean, their splendor doubly reflected by the incoming waves.

Slowly the fireworks subsided and a ragged party started in one of the restaurants. We stared a very short while and then skipped back home.

After the spectacle

New Years night was the only time we caught of Indian faces along the beach. All other days it was a predominantly foreign crowd, with hardly an Indian face to be seen all along the beach. Even among the fine foreign crowd Britishers dominated, constituting almost half the foreigners there.

The beach shacks at Palolem

Travelogue || Goa [Day Four]

2005-01-15T03:58:00.000-08:00

Day 4
Route: Palolem beach -> Cabo de Rama fort -> Betal village-> Assolna village -> Margoa city -> Benaulim beach-> Kolva beach -> Palolem beach

Had a huge breakfast in the morning (fruit juice, cornflakes, omlette, toast, tea) while others experimented with British breakfast. It is a very laidback affair, with it taking them almost an hour to prepare the food, and we taking another half hour to plough through it all. Then another quarter to help our digestive systems kick in, and then we got to crafting the plan for the remains of the day. No wonder then that it was almost noon by the time we left the beach to explore the surrounding places.

View from the Cabo de Rama Fort

We went to the nearby Cabo de Rama fort which has a splendid panoramic view of the nearby beach. We climbed down on one side, which took us to a cliff face that dips into the pounding ocean.

Paddy sitting on the cliff face, Ashish down below on the rocks

Ashish was adventurous enough to climb down to the water level while we contented ourselves with sitting on the lower ledge admiring the crashing waters down below and the eagle soaring above our heads.

The eagle soaring by

On the way back, we stopped to make a lunch of simple home-cooked Goan food. Fried fish, fish curry and some rice. It was the most delicious meal I had in Goa, and the cheapest too. Fancy that!

At Betal

We went to the fishing village of Betal where a ferry takes you over the river to Assolna. We couldn’t make it to the other side since there was no way of taking the car across. We then turned back to the main road and went to Margoa, the biggest city down south.

Benaulim Beach

From there we went to Benaulim beach (doesn’t compare to Palolem) and then Kolva (still worse). Had a very unsatisfactory dinner there and headed back to Palolem. It was pretty dark by the time we got back (losing ourselves along the way). Paddy went for another dip in the beach, while we lazed at the shack. I utilized the time productively to finally figure out how to take long-term exposure shots at night.

Travelogue || Goa [Day Three]

2005-01-15T03:47:00.000-08:00

Day 3
Route: Kumta -> Gokarna -> Om Beach -> Karwar -> Palolem beach

The next day took us to Gokarna. There are four beaches here, of which we visited only one – Om beach. Its called so since it looks like an inverted Om from above, and is supposed to be the best of the quartet.

Om Beach

The beach is at a cliffy mountainous region that dips into the sea. It is pretty inaccessible with a 13km torturous dirt track that added another layer of grit to the car and no public transport. It had us wondering at times if the Zen would survive the trip!. However the beach turned out to be worth the effort. It’s a splendid view from up top, and down below was equally good.

Paddy on the descent to Om Beach

Unlike the Goa beaches, this hasn’t developed to bursting. It sported an exclusive firang crowd, mostly lazing on the beach sunbathing.

Nagul at Om Beach

We next stopped by the roadside at Karwar to admire the view. We planned to explore Karwar on the way back, so we pushed on to Palolem, our destination. We crossed over to Goa and immediately stopped to grab a beer each. Ashish soon finished all three, and we covered the last stretch in a more pleasant frame of mind. The day had been pretty hot and grueling.

Palolem Beach

Palolem was crowded (though Ashish assured us this wasn’t a crowd; not when you considered the beaches up North Goa). We found a spot to park the car and found our way to the Ma-Rita establishment to meet our contact Fernandes (through Ashish’s friend). They did not have parking space nor the kind of beach shack we had requested for (with an attached bath and toilet), so Fernades set us up in another beach shack, attached to the Sameer restaurant.

This set up was much more organized and pleasant compared to Ma-Rita’s which was cramped with beach shacks almost on top of each other. Had a much delayed lunch – the first of many meals devoted solely to consuming sea-food. Rested at the shack and waited for the sun to mellow down.

We took a refreshing dip in the ocean at dusk. Palolem beach is a phenomenal place, with such a slight slope that the water reaches only till your chest even after you have waded in pretty deep. It was an amazing experience, standing in so deep where the waves are so strong that they lift you off your feet and push you towards the shore, yet so flat a seabed that you are left safely standing afterwards.

Palolem Beach at night

Trundled along the beach afterwards, taking in the sights(!) and hunting for a nice place to have dinner. Ate at Palolem de Goa – had wine and more sea-food. Tasted Calamari (squid) for the first time – lip-smacking delicious!. Turned in for the night pretty soon after the sumptuous dinner.

Travelogue || Goa [Day One & Two]

2005-01-15T03:13:00.000-08:00

Destination: Goa
Date: Monday 27th December 2004 – Saturday 1st January 2005 (6 days)
On trip: Paddy, Nagul and Ashish

Day 1
Route : Bangalore -> Chanarayapatna -> Hassan -> Sakleshpur -> Mudigeri -> Kalasa

Started off from Bangalore on Monday morning. We made it to Hassan in record time, the road being fine and the traffic being non-existent. From Hassan we sped on towards the ghat section at Sakleshpur where we ventured off the beaten path towards Kudremukh. The ghat road was crumbly and broken in parts. The road was memorable only for the loose red soil ( pink at certain points!) which threatened to layer the car and its occupants.

The first resort we encountered in the vicinity of Kudremukh turned out to be full and the proprietor assured us that similar scenes would greet us at Kudremukh. So we turned back and stopped for the night at Kalasa, a small town just outside of Kudremukh. Had a simple dinner in this sleepy little town and turned in for the night.

Day 2
Route: Kalasa -> Kudremukh -> Lakhya dam -> Bhagavathi nature camp -> Shringeri -> Agumbe -> Udipi -> Malpe Beach -> Maravante beach -> Murudeshwar beach -> Kumta

We started from Kalasa early next morning and headed towards Kudremukh. The drive is a very pleasant one, with scintillating views of the plains breaking through sporadically whenever the foliage on the edge of the road thinned out. However, it is a reserved forest area and you have to be out of the area within two hours, or else pay a fine of Rs 200 when you arrive at the check post. The only rationale we could construct to explain this was that it was to dissuade people from ‘picnicking’ in the forest, leaving behind plastic junk to mark their stay, as they are wont to do so very often.

The cottages at the Nature Camp

We made our way to the Lakhya Dam which turned out to be completely devoid of any water. Further along the route, we came to the Bhagavathi Nature Camp at Kudremukh – constructed along the lines of the remaining Jungle Lodges in Karnataka. This is however the poorer & cheaper cousin. The accommodation is slightly tawdry when compared to the other places we’ve visited, but the price is way cheaper – Rs 300 per cottage. Unbelievable! The place is located well I must say – in the forest, with a stream that flows next to the cottages.

Nagul and Ashish at the stream

We spent some time splashing around and admiring the crystal clear water, brilliant in the reflected sunlight filtering through the clump of overhanging trees on the other side of the stream. Going to the Nature Camp gives you a reprieve of a further two hours on showing the receipt at the check post, so we came out with plenty of time to spare. We stopped at a roadside hotel for lunch immediately, which cost the three of us the pricely sum of Rs 30. We passed through Shringeri and Agumbe, stopping once on the way to admire a rickety rope bridge (people were taking their two-wheelers across on this bridge!).

Nagul and Ashish on the rope bridge

We were in Udipi by evening. Went to the jetty to catch the ferry to St. Mary’s Island, and had to turn back on our heels immediately when we found it closed due to the rough seas (caused by the devastating tsunami that had wreaked such havoc just two days earlier ).

Ashish and Paddy at Malpe Beach

Spent some time at Malpe beach, and then hit the coast road to Goa, taking small breaks at the two other beaches on the way – Maravante and Murudeshwar. It was pretty dark and we couldn’t see much, but both these are supposed to be extremely beautiful during the day. Murudeshwar has a huge statue of Lord Shiva sitting facing the sea. Final stop was Kumta where we halted for the night at a nice hotel. It was surprisingly cheap, which was soon explained when the night train thundered by a mere 50 metres away.

Travelogue || Masinagudi Yet Again!

2005-01-07T10:07:00.000-08:00

Destination:Masinagudi
Date:Friday 24th Dec – Sat 25th December (2 days)
On trip: Paddy, Karthik and Nagul

Paddy recounts the trip:

So it was Wednesday and I was telling Nagul that Ashish would be arriving on Sunday and we would start for our much-awaited long trip late Sunday or on Monday. “SUNDAY?” shouted Nagul “Friday too is a holiday. That means we can go on a short two day trip before the big one”. You can count on Nagul for bright ideas. So we planned to go to Masinagudi, for my sake mostly as Nagul had been there twice already. Karthik too was game.

We started out pretty late on Friday, as Nagul’s stomach started acting up and Karthik took a good amount of time arriving. We started out after some food at our usual Eden Park dhaba on Kanakpura road, and made pretty good time till Mysore. At Nanjangud we made an unscheduled stop to accommodate Nagul’s misbehaving tummy, then headed off to Bandipur along a well-laid road with minimal traffic. We stopped frequently to take some breathtaking photographs. Nagul had this cool new camera you see. [ 10x zoom & wide-angle lens. And no money spent on buying film and getting it developed. – Nagul ]

Saw a few deer in the National Park, and we reached the ghat road just when the last of the twilight faded. Karthik learnt some ‘gyaan’ on maneuvering hairpin curves on our way to the Kalatti Estate in between the 19th and 20th hairpins. Karthik expertly drove through the narrow road to the so-called parking lot, which was in actuality just a widening of the road near a curve, big enough to push the car in.

Now, we were supposed to be in this place latest by 6pm. When we arrived, it was already 8pm and pitch dark. Abid, the manager of the place, had earlier told us that he’d be waiting at the parking lot, and had warned us against walking down from there to the house (a good 5 minute walk) as there were elephants stomping around.

We couldn’t see the cottage either from the parking lot. And not a sound anywhere except the jungle going about its business. We tried flashing the headlights and honking a few times in the hope that Abid or somebody in the cottage would hear come to our aid. After some more minutes of very tensed and silent waiting, we decided to drive down the narrow rutted road. It was little more than a path - a narrow Jeep track between a sheer rock face and a slope. The central gap between the wheels sported undergrowth of over 3 feet high and had huge rocks as decoration. Amid fears of elephants and the car getting damaged and all, we finally reached the cottage without incident.

The campfire was already blazing when we got to the cottage, so we sat around and warmed ourselves while the cook prepared our dinner. Wait. Wait. Wait. Dinner. Sleep.

Karthik and I went for the trek early next morning as Nagul was still incapacitated. Besides Abid and his helper, there were two other tourists who came along for the trek. A Frenchman (who was greatly fascinated by Nagul’s camera) and an Englishwoman, traveling together.

Abid and another helper led the trek. One expects some sort of trail in a trek. Not here though. Abid looked like an expert in Ninja Quick Cut, as he hacked through thick undergrowth to make way for us to pass through. The special attraction in this place was that all the undergrowth flaunted thorns of all sizes. We were scratched all over.

There were some great views though, whenever we had the energy to watch out. We reached the ‘ledge’, which was our turning-back point, where some Elephants and a Bison were spotted. Next we all conducted vigorous exercises in imagination to make out elephants hidden in the thick bushes and trees. All we could see was about one-tenth of an elephant here and there. We spent about half an hour there listening and watching out for elephants and hearing nothing but birds and insects chirping and the Englishwoman munching away at two apples.

Then we headed back, but not by the route originally planned, as it strayed right into the elephant’s path. As the route we came by was too treacherous to go back, we took multiple detours. We had to retrace and go back by different paths in some cases. We reached the stream at last, where the gushing waters cascade into a big waterfall just a few meters below us. We could actually see the elephants moving in the opposite hill sitting there near the stream.

I took that opportunity to wash myself off of all the plant and insect life residing on my face and neck, and as luck would have it, slipped on the moss and had a bum ride for a few meters. Luckily I didn’t roll down the waterfall. With me layered with a coat of moss, we headed back to the cottage. This was the worst part of the journey. We were already two hours late, and there was no proper route back. We ended up trekking through a very narrow thorny treacherous steep (and did I say thorny!) path back. Famished as we were, we finished the entire preparation of breakfast available there and sat around admiring the pristine surroundings there.

As a lot has been already written on the location, we’ll skip that part. Our peaceful reverie was broken by the arrival of the next set of tourists. A boisterous crowd of eight guys who were complete misfits in a forest – shouting and playing carom and disturbing the entire peace of the forest. We escaped from there and headed back.

Reached Bangalore in record time and went early to bed – the incentive being the big Goa trip coming up the next day.

Travelogue || Yelagiri Yet Again!

2004-12-19T23:43:00.000-08:00

Back on the roads for a day trip after a 2 months hiatus, Yelagiri was our destination this time around. A charming, nondescript hill overlooking Jolarpettai Railway station and the leather town of Vaniambadi almost midway between Bangalore and Chennai.Paddy, who of late has been missing out on most outings, was ably replaced by Karthik, for whom this was the 3rd visit to the place, and the second in a fortnight. Not a squeak of complaint from the man, I must say!

For a change, the road to Yelagiri is one of the best that we have ever driven on to any destination. A lovely 4 lane road till Vaniambadi allowed us that rare opportunity to floor the accelerator, notwithstanding the odd grandma with grandson in tow trying to cross the road with eyes closed. The well tarred 2 lane carriageway from Vaniambadi to Yelagiri complements the 4 laner nicely with almost zero traffic.

The Ghat road, offering commanding vistas of the surrounding countryside, was negotiated with ease and we reached the top at around 4 PM, with the sun still blazing high overhead. A quick lunch took care of the rumblings emanating from our tummies and it was time to head for the lake.

Yelagiri is possibly the only hill destination that does not offer a viewpoint. No siree, If anyone is in the market for lovers points , or sunset points, or even a suicide drop, this place is not for them . In fact, once on the top, there is nothing to suggest that one is on top of a hill , as the top is quite broad and there is no suggestion of a slope anywhere. All this place has on offer is a tiny, manmade lake, with a couple of leaky pedal boats and a walkway around the lake.

The walk around the lake was duly completed, with Nagul fiddling with his prized new acquisition, a Kodak digital camera. Mister Patel was in action throughout, having none of the economic compulsions of the SLR like previous times.

The challenge of the pedal boats was taken up next, with a full complement of accompanying sounds of water filling up inside. Most of our allotted half hour was taken up in wondering when we would sink. However, the boat held up, and while we were curious to see if the the boat would stay afloat with the next set of folk, sunset prompted us to retreat, and we were on our way back, looking forward to a lovely and peaceful drive and a good game of poker back home.

Photos || Hickory Dickory Dock

2004-11-19T07:29:00.000-08:00

These pictures were taken near the fag end of the Silent Valley trip, halfway to Pollachi. It was the first trip where, sobered by the previous experiences of driving back to Bangalore in the dead of night with deadbeat occupants, we decided to turn back at a previously decided time, irrespective of where we were and how luring further streches were. Clock strike one, Zen run down.

The first shot shows the trio of Pawan, Paddy and Sumo (l to r) trying their best to commit the vista to memory, and the second is the spectacle they were gawking at.

Photos || Kemmanagudi sunset

2004-11-10T03:06:00.000-08:00

The fading light casts a surreal spell over the landscape as we speed on towards Kemmanagudi.

Photos || Overlooking Silent Valley

2004-11-09T02:45:00.000-08:00

Silent Valley, the last tropical rainforest in India still untouched by man. This verdant expanse of forest was shockingly due to be removed for a proposed hydel power project by the Kerala Government. Quick rearguard action by environmentalists saved the day and the forest.
The Valley was named so by the British, who, when they first visited the area, found it remarkably lacking in the screeching sound of crickets common to most forests in India. That is not so any more, and the jungle resounds with the sounds of the cricket. One of the most beautiful places we have been to ever. Lets hope it stays this way.

Photos || Pelican in flight

2004-11-07T00:20:00.000-08:00

At Vedantangal. the oldest Bird Sanctuary in India, home to a host of migratory birds. As visible from the photo, it resembles a flooded forest with numerous trees rising from under the water. Went there during the Chennai trip. Well worth the drive during the right time of the year.

An interesting tidbit about this sanctuary online:
That this bird sanctuary still exists has a lot to do with the beneficial effect it has on the surrounding farmlands. Thousands of birds produce a lot of guano, and the water from the swamp is channeled to the paddy fields. This water not only contains a natural fertilizer, but it also dispends with the need to use chemical pesticides. The farmers, who enjoy a rich paddy yield at comparatively low costs, convinced the authorities to declare Vedantangal the protected nature reserve area it is today. Bird lovers cannot thank Mother Nature enough for having created this eco-system where man and bird can live together in harmony.

Photos || Great balls of fire

2004-11-05T13:37:00.000-08:00

This shot was taken in Kerala along the coast. It was taken on the road, from the car, which accounts for the electricity pole that cuts across the frame. The ocean lies just beyond the clump of trees that form the silhouette in the picture. From the granddaddy of all trips, the one that started it all. The very first trip that we attempted, meandering through Mysore, Bandipur, Sultanbatteri to touch Wayanad, from there to the Kerala coast, and then all the way up along the coast to Mangalore and Udipi; all this in the space of three days. On the last day we drove down to Mangalore again and then did the last stretch back to Bangalore. It is one of the most cherished trips done, driving through forests the first day, peering down mist-covered mountains sides on the second, frolicking on beaches the third day, and spending the morning of the last day on an island. We were really buoyed by the trip's unmitigated success - wanderlust held us in its iron grip by the time the trip was done and hasn't let go since.

Paddy's endurance was tested on this trip, driving on all four days. His car was also much worn by the time we came back to Bangalore. However, both came out of it with flying colours.

This trip will probably continue to remain as vivid as ever since it encompasses so many firsts, and does it in style. It set the bar for all trips that followed.

Photos || Dusk falling over Hogenakal

2004-11-04T22:12:00.000-08:00

Testing photo uploads. Above photo was taken during the last trip to Yercaud, where we took a diversion to go to Hogenekal on the way back.

Travelogue || Masinagudi Revisited

2004-11-03T05:58:00.000-08:00

Destination: Masinagudi ( en route to Ooty )

Date: Friday 22nd October - Sunday 24th October (3 days)
On trip: Nagul & Pawan

Day One

Wasn't a very promising start to the trip -- stumbled across a work related problem the previous night around 11 pm, and then stayed up till 2 am working. The only good thing to come out of this was that I could use this time to cut a few CDs on the side for the trip -- nostalgic old Hindi film songs lying on my PC's hard disk, ones I listened to as a kid in school, courtesy Vivdh Bharati, the only channel around then.

Started off from Bangalore Saturday morning around 10 am in Pawan's Zen. As usual we took the Kanakapura road (SH-86) to Mysore. Besides being highly scenic, it winds through small towns and numerous villages and has very less traffic as compared to the Bangalore-Mysore highway, which was a nightmare to drive through the last time we had taken that route(almost an year back, before the four-laning efforts turned it into a one-laner for most of the way). The only drawback is the condition of the road that has detoriated majorly after the monsoons.

Had a rear-wheel flat on the way and discovered when we stopped to fix it that the spanner was missing. Luckily, the first Zen that we flagged down stopped and the good samaritan from the car even helped us change the flat. A few minutes after getting on the road we discovered that the flat had left the wheel alignment skewed. The car was dragging to the left. However, there being nothing we could do then we pressed on ahead. Got the flat repaired at the next village and drove into Mysore to get a spanner and fix the wheel alignment.

More than an hour later we were back on the road again with a fresh spanner and no wheel alignment, it being Dussera and all shops being closed. Sheesh! This was a harbinger of further car-related problems to come, though we did not know it at that point.

Anyway, had lunch at Kamat's and got on with it. Passed by a group of tourists gawking over a tusker elephant on the way through the Mudumalai forest, and further along the road came within a whisker of hitting a couple of deer that suddenly appeared out of nowhere and bounded across the road in front of the car. We had informed Abid (who runs the place we were headed for) during our long halt at Mysore of our impending arrival and had secured further instructions to reach his place. Abid’s place is located inside the Kalahatti estate, between the 20th and 19th bend en route to Ooty via the shorter, sharper ghat road. Abid, a couple of helpers and a jeep were waiting for us when we finally got there.

It is a 10 minute steep descent to the house on a dirt track; almost impossible to negotiate on a Zen. Took the vehicle half way down, left it safely parked there in a widening of the dirt track, and covered the remaining distance in Abid's jeep.

It had gotten pretty dark by the time we reached the house. It was a simple jungle dwelling, with a couple of rooms and verandah in front. No electricity - it subsisted solely on candles, and the light from a bonfire right by the side of the house. This was exactly what Abid had promised when we'd called up the day before - that this was a place for nature lovers, that he offered only the basic amenities, and 'touristy' people would find it sorely lacking. Well, it was exactly what we wanted, There was the sound of a stream gurgling down it's path very close to the house - soothing, sublime music.

Some other group that made a booking hadn't turned up and so we got a huge room to ourselves. The place was pretty cold, something we weren't really prepared for. So we spent the next half hour warming ourselves before the bonfire over a beer. By then dinner was ready and we feasted on a simple, tasty preparation of chicken curry and roti.

The pleasures of home cooked food!

Spent some more time after dinner lingering over the bonfire and turned in for the night.

Day Two

Woke up around 6:30 and started on the trek after a cuppa. The destination was a waterfall - one of the biggies that are visible from the road to Ooty. It was one of the most intense treks I have done in recent times, probably the most demanding one since Manali. We clambered up and slithered down wet earth and projecting rocks on narrow paths on the mountain side, shod in floaters. We crossed one stream and passed over yet another waterfall-in-the-making en route to the final destination. Stopped a while at the latter while I contemplated the state of my left knee that I hurt during the Manali trek last year and which had been acting up on the various treks. However it has been steadily getting better and the waterfall we were heading to seemed very promising, so we pressed on ahead.

Another 15 minutes and we were in front of the promised land. The fall was expansive - the best of the many we have seen till date. It fell foaming into a deep wide pool, and the rocks forming the pool's outer edges were moss-covered and extremely slippery due to the constant spray that was drenching us even as we stood there.

It has been anathema to turn away from any waterfall without a bath and we convinced the guide to take us down a bit where the pool metamorphosed into a smaller stream falling over the rock face – a place where could take a dip. The guide hacked us a path and we gleefully took to the waters. It was extremely chilly and very very forceful (imagine a jet sprout :) ). It was understandable since the huge waterfall above seemed to be channeled mainly through this relatively small looking cut in the rock face. Found a couple of places where we could lie in the water and hook our legs and arms over rock edges to wedge ourselves in the stream relatively comfortably without worrying about being sent down over the cliff face. Spent a delightful half an hour taking turns at the spot, lying there under the water until the constant pounding of the jet stream on the shoulders and back became too painful to bear. Rested a while on the exposed rock face above water level, drying off in the blazing sun.

Reluctantly started off from there after a while and mostly slid our way back. It had rained the previous day and the mud under the feet was wet and treacherously slippery. With the flimsy grip provided by the floaters, sliding down was the only safe way to move. :)

We passed by two natural caves on the way - our guide Selva informed us that it was a bear and tiger cave respectively. Found some dried bear dung further along the way.

Returned to the house about noon. Got a first real look at the quaint house and its idyllic surroundings. The stream was clearly visible during the daytime, running almost parallel to the house. The land sloped down away from the house and the stream was right there, not 20 meters from the front verandah. There were steps cut into the ground leading to the stream, over which a sort-of bridge had been made, to allow vehicles to cross over to the other side. There were jeep tracks over the bridge indicating it was still used.

At the level of the stream there was a path leading away from the house and running parallel to the stream. There was a watering hole on the way, where elephant and bison tracks were clearly visible. Continuing further along the path, we shortly came across a treehouse. An honest to goodness treehouse, nestling high up between four equidistant branches of the tree, built entirely of logs. A wooden ladder made by lashing small steps to two long sturdy logs took you right through the floor of the treehouse. The first real treehouse I have come across. Ah! The stuff of childhood imaginings.

It was completely hand crafted by Abid and his helpers. The roof was also made of criss-crossing logs bound together and nailed, over which tarpaulin had been laid. The sides had canvas sheets that were tied up at the top and could be let down if required. The stream rushed along not two steps away from the tree house on the left, and on the right there was a watering hole at a similar distance. This was where we would be spending the night. After the tree house exploration, we returned to a sumptous breakfast of appam with garnished coconut and sugar which we demolished in record time.

Then it was time to make a trip to Ooty to get the wheel alignment fixed, which we finally managed thanks to Abid who knew all the repair shops around. Thankfully one enterprising chap had his computerized wheel alignment shop open. It also made us realize that we were really grateful for where we were -- Ooty was completely run over with Karnataka registered vehicles.

Had another fulfilling lunch of home cooked food on returning. Promptly fell asleep for a refreshing afternoon nap. Woke up around three to another cup of coffee. Shortly afterwards Pawan and Abid left for another trek, this time in the opposing direction, while I begged off, unwilling to submit my knee to further stress. Relaxing on the front verandah with the book I had taken along - 'The Tipping Point', time blurred till I completed the book around 6 pm, minutes before the two trekkers returned.

Pawan recounts his second trek of the day:

Methinks Nagul’s knee connives with the rest of him in mysterious ways. The soft , warm sun and the tea were enough to drag him back to the soporific state that Abid, Selva(our guide on the first trek) and myself had conspired to drag him out of. Whatever be the case, our man opted out of the trip, and Abid and myself took off into the jungle.

This trip was truly path breaking, this time in the literal sense of the term. The paths that Abid was taking me along were originally bison paths, and having been disused over the monsoon, had some serious underbush. With all the experience of trekking with me, I had foolishly ventured into the jungle with a thin T shirt, which consequently resulted in thick, red tiger striped sized welts all over.

But the destination made up for all the discomfort. Abid had led me to a ledge high up on the mountainside, overlooking the forest further down in the valley and the stream, with an astonishing panoramic view of the mountainside facing us. Each tree on the mountainside was distinct from the other, with the underbush thinning out with altitude. Any animal here was sure to be sighted, and Abid repeatedly assured me that he had sighted a leopard not two days back, and peppered the discourse with tales about a tiger sighting a few weeks back.

There was to be no sighting this time around, however. A rock face high up on the hillside looked tantalizingly like an elephant, but as evening drew on, its inaction convinced us that it was nothing more sinister than a rock face.

But this lack of sightings did not take away the charm of the place one bit. The ledge is a place where one can easily spend a whole day, looking across the valley and contemplating, life and the universe.

Sunset and the prospect of getting to the tree house before dark made us trudge back back towards the lodge. Abid decided to get adventurous this time, and began hunting around for fresh bison trails, unused by Man. This further added a generous selection to my already impressive welts. Unfortunately (for Abid , though I’m not sure about myself), huge boulders near the stream put paid to his ambitions and soon we were back on the original trail.

Nagul continues:

After tea and refreshments we hauled off to the treehouse just as it was getting dark, bags and all. We took dinner along, as it would have been dangerous for anybody to walk the intervening jungle path at night. The treehouse was just big enough for three people to stay there, two on one side of the tree trunk and one on the other, with the ladder hole in the middle. We dumped the bags on one side and made ourselves comfortable on the other side, and again sat down to read. Yeah, I had another book with me in case I finished the first one. :) It was raining intermittently, luckily the tarpaulin was well-laid and without holes (it would have been impossible to head back at this time). It was a dream setting: up on a treehouse at night in the middle of a jungle, with a stream drowsily murmuring in the background, reading a book in flashlight :). Very soon we realized the wisdom of having asked Abid for two sets of blankets as it began to get really cold. Had dinner at eight and bedded down pretty soon after. It had been a pretty tiring day. We were comfortably drowsy after the meal, and the allure of the warm blankets was not to be denied.

Within the next quarter hour we heard bison grunts from below us, courtesy the watering hole where Abid had freshly sprinked salt to attract the animals*. Both of us had seen bison before at close quarters and neither was really upto the task of getting up right then and probing the dark night with the flashlight to catch a glimpse of the bison, so we just lay there for the next ten minutes slowly falling asleep, listening to the bison feeding at the hole. The rest of the night was spent in semi-somnolence, being awakened at various hours during the night to various jungle noises and animal grunts and squeals.

* (It seems animals lack salt in their diet, and will do anything to get their tongue on salt. Saw the validity of this assumption in the earlier Masinagudi trip too which had a watering hole appetized with salt, successfully attracting a herd of four mamma and one baby elephant during the night, as well as during the Manali trek where animals came uninvited to fuss over the tent under which food had been cooked earlier on.).

Day Three

Woke up the next morning around six. Pottered about a bit on the tree house, taking photographs, finally managing to get down half an hour later. The watering hole had fresh bison and elephant hoof prints all over, leading towards the stream and away into the jungle on the other side.

Went back to the house for tea and breakfast, and lazed there afterwards, spending an interesting hour chatting with Abid and his wife about their lifestyle and his hopes and plans for the place. It was very heartening to find a person genuinely interested in and concerned about preserving nature and who was channelizing his energies in that direction, according it a higher standing than merely making money from it. I really hope his venture flourishes in the coming years and the raw jungle settings of his setup continue to be preserved. The sum we paid for the two day/night stay there was paltry as compared to the lodging trip expenses for the earlier Masinagudi trip, made just a month before this one. (The trip that made it clear that Masinagudi was a place worth coming to again). That one was very good, but it pales in comparison to this experience.

One other salient point was the presence of families who came in during the time we spent there - there was one from TN, who arrived with small kid and baby in tow on the first night and left next afternoon, and another extended family of two couples (from Kottayam and Cochin respectively) and their three small kids who arrived the second day and left an hour before us on the third day. The concept of the whole family vacationing seems to be catching up really fast in India. I wouldn't have expected to see families in such a setup. And, importantly, they seemed to enjoy their trip. It can be a mixed blessing, and on the bright side this is an ideal way to get kids (especially kids raised in the city) interested in nature. The seductive beauty of nature in its element can be awe-inspiring, and unfortunately it is something that lots of city dwellers have no concept of. Like somebody said, you don't miss what you don't know about. The above trend, if true, gives a faint hope that in time more people might become aware of what this earth once was, and get people to be more sympathetic to environmental causes. The two small girls of the second family were abuzz with excitement exploring the stream and shrubbery nearby and nearly went ballistic on seeing the great horde of monkeys fooling around outside the house. The glimpse of the beautiful giant Malabar squirrel that made an appearance just as they were leaving was the icing on the cake.

We left back for Bangalore around noon, heading back to Masinagudi town and through Mysore from there. We had a couple of minor car-related brushes on the way and an accident in Maddur where a maxi cab without functioning brakes slammed into the back of the car and left it in a not-so-good shape. This soured the trip somewhat, but otherwise it ranks right up there among the best of the lot.

Unfortunately, there aren't photos to post at the moment since they were taken on the SLR and need to be scanned. Hopefully in the near future ...

Let there be more such trips (minus the accident of course)!
Amen.

Trip Information:

Route to take
Bangalore to Mysore via Kanakapura Road (150K.M) - Bad road.
Ooty road from Mysore to Theppakad via Nanjanagud and Bandipur (100 KM approx) -- Road good till Bandipur, abysmal then on.

Take the small road over the bridge on the left at Theppakad. This is the old Ooty Ghat road via Masinagudi (Theppakad-Masinagudi 7KM). Bad road continues till Masinagudi. However, the road from there on has been freshly laid.

Look out for a steep descent on the right between the 20th and 19th hair pin bends. A small, dilapidated board saying “Kalahatti Estate” should help you out if you travel during daylight. (Masinagudi-Kalahatti 15 K.M. approx)

Contacts in Masinagudi
Mr.Abid,
Wild ways,
Masinagudi P.O - 643 223.
The Nilgiris,
South India.

mail-id: wildway@rediff.com
( Abid mentioned during the chat that he checks his mail very sporadically, so depend on it at your peril )

Phone Nos (Abid):
Res: (in Masinagudi town)
(0423) 2526427
(0423) 2526383

Cell: 9443170019

Testing ...

2004-10-31T19:28:00.000-08:00

the new blog setup.