Chasing the Sun @ Coorg

It all started when the a random group chat on a well used, and recently in news, mobile messaging application turned into a full blown discussion about places to visit in Karnataka. Before we knew it we were making plans to travel to Coorg. Blessed with beautiful scenery and a stunning landscape, Coorg or Kodagu is dubbed as the Scotland of India and very rightly so. This quaint little town is mostly famous for its natural beauty, lush greenery, coffee plantations and friendly people. The planning as usual was anything but plain sailing. 

Finally the D-Day arrived. After a mini trip around Bangalore to pick up people, and again a few uncertainties, we were finally off. We stopped for quick tea break at Maddur. By the time morning broke, we are near Khushal Nagar.

Now there are plenty of places to visit in Coorg and it’s a nature lover’s paradise. Not wanting to miss out any we made a plan for the next 2 days. We decided to cover the places in and around Kushal Nagar the first day. The first stop was Dubbare, which is an Elephant camp. When we got to Dubbare we found that the Elephant Camp was closed that day due to a strike. Water rafting was another option. But after much deliberation we decided that we won’t be rafting that day as we hadn’t brought change of clothes.

Next on the itinerary was Nisargadhama, which is a picnic spot formed on the river Kaveri. The park does not look much from the outside, but is huge. The best part of the park is the river flowing through it. It is a serene place to sit, relax, put you feet in the water and not to forget Photography. Feeling adventurous, few of the group tried out the Zip-line( more commonly known as the Flying fox), consists of a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on an incline. It is designed to enable a user propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the bottom of the inclined cable by holding on to, or attaching to, the freely moving pulley. It was exhilarating.

After lunch we proceeded towards the “Un-missable” Golden Temple. It is a Buddhist monastery, the largest Tibetan Settlement in Southern India and monastery locally called "Golden Temple". Somehow entering the monastery seemed like stepping into a totally different world. The slience was surreal and the peace had an over-whelming effect. After entering the monastery, the chatter of the group gave way to amazement and then to silence, as if each was lost in their own world of contemplation. The 40 Feet statues of Buddhist gurus left an everlasting image in the minds of everyone.

When we finally made it out of the monastery, we were getting late for our planned Sunset at Medikeri. Little did we know that we were getting into a game of “chase the Sun”. We got to Raja’s Seat in Medikeri, but the sun had already set, but had left us a beautiful and cool twilight. A toy train ride later, which brought out the “bachpan” in all of us, Coorg’s market turned out to be the next destination for us. After a small run through the market, we called it a day.

Since we couldn’t get to the vantage point for sunset, we decided to catch the sunrise. Next day, at sharp 6 AM, we trooped into Raja’s Seat and after a small trek were at the sunrise point. The sun at its prank-iest best and was hiding in the clouds robbing us the opportunity to witness a spell-binding sunrise. The Raja’s Seat is a garden and a picturesque view to the valley. Legend has it that the local Kings(Raja’s) used to watch the sun set and rise from here.

No trip to Coorg is complete without seeing Abbey Falls, which was our next destination. Abbey Falls, the main attraction of Madikeri, is a breathtaking waterfall where the Kaveri River cascades down a rock face from a height of 70 feet. A narrow paved path leads down from the main road to the water fall. A hanging rope bridge is built over the gorge so that visitors can take in the full view of the waterfall and the river.

Next on the agenda was Mandalapatti. The road gets narrower and narrower while going towards

Mandalapatti as if it wants to test the desire of the traveller to reach the peak of the plateau. The view point at the top is worth the drive and the trek upwards. The view takes the breath away and one would wish to sit at the edge of the plateau and take in the serene panoramic view of the Western Ghats and also let the cool air wash over the face.

Talkaveri was a place which was somehow managing to make a lot of in’s and out’s of our agenda. But after Mandalapatti we realised that we had enough and more time to cover Talkaveri too. Talkaveri is the source of the Kaveri river and is considered one of the holiest places in Karnataka. The temple complex is a sight to behold, beautiful at the same time simple. A pond in the centre which holds the water from Kaveri had lot of pilgrims taking the holy dip. The temple is dedicated to Lord Agastheeswara, who is considered to be the link between great Sage Agasthya and river Cauvery. At the right side of the temple is a flight of stairs. 450 steps later you are treated to a uninterrupted view. As you are taking the view, you are interrupted by the buzzing of the mobile. You open it to see a message which reads “Welcome to Kerala….” And you go W.OW. You are standing, almost, on the border of Karnataka and Kerala.

Our Coorg trip was finally reaching its final leg. We were sapped of all energy after an eventful day.

As we were passing through Medikeri, we took a small break. Suddenly it dawned upon us that we could finally catch the Sunset. A hurried rush to Raja’s Seat and, voila, there it was. A huge dot on the horizon, plastered against an orange-ish sky. We had finally managed to catch the Sun, in all its setting glory. Satisfied, we watched as the sun slowly made its way down the horizon again leaving us with a stunning twilight. A fitting end to our 2 day Coorg adventure.

We made our way to our carriage and within 4 hours are back to Bangalore. And I’m sure those who made it to the trip had a good night’s sleep.

Coorg is one of the best destinations for nature lover. Not saying much and as “A picture is worth a thousand words”, so be it.

Route: If you are traveling from Bangalore and take the deviation at Srirangapatna be careful as the road, called the Dam Road, is not that good. Alternate route will be to take the Ring Road in Mysore and look for directions to Hunsur.

Tip: The places to see in Coorg are spread at a distance from each other. So plan carefully.

Stay: There are few good cottages both at Medikeri and Kushal Nagar.

Checklist for next time: Irupu Falls. Try to get behind Abbey Falls. And bike ride to Mandalapatti after the rains.

Chai: There are a few good places near Medikeri bus stand and also at the junction from where you can go to Raja Seat.

Gokarna : A traveller's paradise

We started around 10 pm from home. As always, I was a bit over prepared. Anyways,we reached our friend's place around 10.30. Total 5 of us in a Chevy Spark ( Only later did one tell me that the car was not finalized moments till we walked into the parking lot! I had "dagger" thoughts for a moment but then we were not exactly the planning lot.Our engines  drew its fuel from an infinite renewable supply of  instinct and replenish-able hope, which reminds me of a nice story but i will save it for later)

Long story short we started. And yes,it will be worth mentioning that we love Monsoons. In fact we love it so much ,we often end up chasing it,at times literally. After a while ,we got rid of the frustrating traffic and hit the highway.What happened next I have no idea.I hit the hibernate button. I remember someone complaining over my shoulder about the music whose genre kept changing ever

y once in a while. All I had asked them is not to play some songs from Doors or Audioslave (make no mistake,both are my favourite bands ! ) because some of the songs like "Riders on the storm" and "Show me show to live" pumped in a lot of adrenaline, sometimes a little too much for our own good and for the Captain(someone came up with that horrendous idea of using the nomenclatures Captain and Co-Captain ,but i liked  it anyway) which sent the speedometer flying from 80 to  120.

We stopped for dinner at a Dhaba.A friend had dropped his phone earlier, now I dropped mine and the screen broke(we did not have the slightest idea the worst for our phones was yet to come) and after getting past a few hurdles like a huge trailer blocking the road , a vibrating car at 120 and a few chai breaks we were woken up at dawn by Monsoons. My first reaction - yay !It later changed to how-the-hell-are-gonna-reach-on-time but that was only later. It was beautiful.

Sometimes I thought the rain gods loved us back just as much. At times, it was unclear whether we chased the monsoons or was it chasing us. We were "rain-babies". Wherever we go, rain follows.

That morning. Drizzle with cloudy skies,lush green forest on both sides and a straight road ahead.

I could not help but think of Robert Frost

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,   

But I have promises to keep,   

And miles to go before I sleep,   

And miles to go before I sleep.

The rains and the bad roads stopped a while later and we so pleased to see the sign board point towards a direction only saying "Gokarna" .Finally, we reached around 9. We wanted to go to the beach. Only the blue ocean could heal us. Although when we reached the beach, I wasn't so impressed. It was crowded and not so clean.We decided to go to Om-Beach.And wow,boy i am so glad we did !

Imagine this ,you are traveling down a mountain - down one of those ghat roads and suddenly you peek into this - lush green trees and the majestic ocean underneath- the perfect marriage - mountain and sea.

We got a room at a resort on the beach and then rushed down post breakfast onto the beach. I am not sure why but there is something so poetic ,something so grand and beautiful about seas and oceans. Whether you choose to lie down,detaching yourself from the rest of the world or just choose to take a walk looking eye to eye onto its vastness,the sea/ocean never disappoints. The saltiness in the air,the seashells or the receding waves playing touch-and-go with you, every time I go to a beach it seems so different .

Different kind of same or similar kind of different ,i am not sure.

In the afternoon we hit another beach- The Paradise Beach. I thought it was a funny name for a beach, but only till I reached there. I told myself, I was really stupid. Of course, this beach has to be named Paradise Beach. Nothing else would fit the bill. A part of it was so clear, I thought it was a lagoon, the sea so calm, so aquamarine, I could spend my entire day there doing nothing. Nothing. Just nothing.

They said the God's fear perfection. They are often jealous of it. On such a perfect moment of tranquility when a friend  and I were sitting on the wooden plank by the river talking of life, chaos knocked.The mobile of my mobile-addicted friend(he prefers the term socially connected for some reason i don't understand) fell into the crab infested water.We rushed ,dived called folks whom we found. An hour of beating under the water, breathlessness and keeping hope, we could not find his cell. Hopelessly we climbed back and I felt like laughing. Not on him, on ourselves, not the cruel kinda laughter, the pitiful one, it was a perfect Shakespearean tragedy.

We moved to look forward to the ocean to heal us once again. That sunset I will never forget. It was beautiful, majestic, as the sun set against the lush green mountain and we confused for a moment Gokarna with paradise.

Next morning we started for Murdeshwar, where there was a beautiful Shiva temple.We needed the favour of the Gods. The 20 storied Gopuram(temple gate) and the 123 feet Shiva idol were captivating. After a quick lunch and a drive on the beach we started our journey back home, covering Jog Falls on the way(which sadly had only a stream flowing but I did not expect much).

 

Yeah one thing worth mentioning on our way back would be our escape.We,guided by the Captain's instinct were saved from going over a half constructed bridge. The Co-Captain was not even wearing a seat belt. The song playing in the background was Boondan-Boondan. The tired screeched, as the brakes were applied, as they turned right and we just escaped crashing into a tractor ahead of us. All well that end's well.

We reached that night, without further incidents, around 3.30 am and were greeted by some Finnish chocolates a friend had brought. The journey finished but the memories remained.The journey like any other left us craving for more-more adventure and experience. 

That night, sleeping in my ow bed, I dreamed of the blue ocean.

 

Route: Check the route before you go. There are 2-3 routes. You can take the highway up till Hubli and  take the exit to Ankola. We took a different route via Sirsi thinking it will save time. Sadly that road was under construction and we lost time. The other route will be to take the state highway 206 via Shimoga. The road is good, but its a 2-lane road.

Tip: Try to stay as close to water as possbile. There are places in the town, but then it away the fun of staying close to a beach. 

Steer clear of Cops. and if they do catch you be polite.

Stay: Namaste cafe, Om Beach

Checklist for next time: Trek from Paradise Beach all the way to Gokarna Beach.

Chai: Kudle cafe at Kudle Beach. Sipping tea while watching the sun set. ;)

Drive Safe.

Ooty

2 Dudes. 2 Bikes.. Destination.. Well.. Unknown.. A getting-to-know-the-bikes ride, turned out to be quiet a trip.

We had agreed to ride from Bangalore to Mysore and decide later. The bikes were all set and we started at sharp 4(surprisingly!!). The morning ride was smooth and it made me wish(as always) if Bangalore-Mysore highway could do away with those awful speed breakers which break the flow. We were in Mysore by 7, famished. We found a restaurant open and had a light breakfast. The morning ride had satiated us for a longer ride. Ooty we thought. Lets Ride!!

En-route to Ooty, lies Bandipur. It made sense to take that route. Riding through a National Park is a different experience. Certain calm creeps in and you realise that this is not your territory. Animals rule this place and you got to be careful.

We crossed into Mudhumalai. Take a left as soon as you cross the border, it might save you a lot of kilometres. This route goes through Masinagudi. The road is narrow, but good and straight until you get to the ghat road leading up the hill to Ooty. As soon as we hit the first hair pin bend there was a visible drop in temperature. A welcome relief from the high 30 degrees of Bangalore. 36 Hair pin bends later(Achievement Unlocked wali feeling) we were in Ooty. With the temperature hovering just above 20 degrees, we road to the bus stand took a lodge overlooking the Race course. We found a suitable place for lunch. A full stomach and a 7 hour journey was making us sleepy. We thought a short nap was in order. The nap turned out to be longer than we expected and left us time only to cover a spot nearby. We chose the lake. It is right behind the bus stand and the railway station. Its has a lot of stuff to offer.  

A boat ride is definitely on the cards when you visit the Ooty lake. A long queue, a calorie burning

lake ride, photoshoot on water we are back to hogging calories. We tried the Spring Potato and it was good, a bit oily though. We got onto our bikes and took a ride around the lake taking in the sights. Light was dwindling fast and we were out of places to go. So we decided to walk it out. Bikes were parked back at the lodge and off we went into the night. We had no idea how much we walked, we just kept going. By 9(we had started walking at 6:30), we had no idea where we were. Thankfully our sense of direction was good and we were able to retrace our steps. Back in the lodge, lights out.. zzzzz..

We started early the next day as we had lots to cover. Coonoor would have been a nice trip, but we were short on time, so we left it for next time. First destination was Doddabetta peak. The ride to the peak was lined with trees on both sides and it felt we were riding under a canopy. The roads, though, left much to be desired. Thankfully we started early and we were able to beat the crowd. It is the highest point in the district, making it possibly the best vantage point around Ooty. We left as soon as the crowd started coming in. Next was the Pine forest, also known as the 6^th Mile. It’s a forest on a slope with a beautiful lake at the end. As there was not much crowd, we spent some time here relaxing. We found a log at the edge of the lake, the temperature was in the mid 20s and a cool breeze was blowing, which made it seem like a different world. Next was 9^th Mile, which is a view point. A lot of Bollywood movies are shot here. The view was good, but as the heat was rising and we were running out of time, we didn’t spend much time there. Next was Pykara.

Pykara was half a kilometre from the main road. As we trudged in, we started hearing the sound of water flowing. When we finally got to the source of the sound, we were mesmerised. Pykara is a series of small waterfalls, which feels more like a rapid than a waterfall. The sound was music and the fall captivating, the reward for a 19km trip from Ooty. It just made the trip worth it. Soon we realised we are running out of time and dragged ourselves away from the fall. A quick lunch and we were soon tracing our way back to Bangalore.

We had to cross Mysore on our way back. And from a distance we could see that the famed Mysore Palace was decorated with lights. We just could not leave without seeing it and diverted course to the Palace. We parked our bikes, got through the main gate, were taking in the sights and talking amongst ourselves how we were lucky to be on time, bham, lights out. Suddenly I realised why the guy in the parking lot was saying 10 minutes, 10 minutes. We hung around for a while, admiring the palace and then started on our way back. We were back in Bangalore, without incident, by 10. A trip well worth the effort.

Route:

Tip: Take the Masinagudi Route. It will save you around 50kilometers than the Mudumalai route.

Stay: Divi Lodge, Near the bus stand.

Eat: Take a walk. There are a lot of places.  

Try: Try the Spring Potato by the lake (Warning: Oily)

Checklist for next time: Visit Coonor. Visit a tea plantation. 

Chai: Well again, lot of places. You are at a place where Tea is grown.  

The World Is Yours!!

The Internet is profuse with dotcoms out there who try to persuade you with a reason to travel,a thousand maybe.We would provide you none.Because we want you to find it for yourself. Go out there,into the wild and live your reason,your dream.Travel till its in your genes,because it makes you happy. At the end of the day,you have no one else to please but yourself,no one to answer to ,be truthful to but yourself. Ask yourself :Should I travel? Well, if you do hear a Yes, or even a maybe, we would suggest you make plans as soon as possible.You are running against time.Get out, Get Going !

Like Dr Suess says - You have brains in your head,you have feet in your shoes,you can decide to travel where ever you choose !

Have your your reasons.For some,traveling might be just a break from your monotonous life,for others it might be a way to discover themselves. Sooner or later you will find your own.It does not mean that you have you have to travel to far flung places, make a mockery of your bank balance or even buy new stuff so that you can flood the social network with the photos of your "travel",unless of course that make you happy .Its a lot lot simpler than that. All it requires is the right motivation and to adapt to a situation which is out of your comfort zone.

Once you get bitten by the bug, there is no stopping. The bagpack becomes your best friend, the camera your best companion and the destination your only goal. And sometimes the best plans are laid out from a simple conversation over a round of Tea ;)

Get out of the cage. The world is yours! Go grab it - its waiting for to be discovered !