Trip to Coorg

It was the best trip I ever had so had to write few lines about it with some pic. Though I am not a blogger but tried to write few lines about it. This essay does not even provide 1% of the fun, enjoyment & blast we had in this trip but is a mere a details of the trip.

Its 21-Oct-2011 at 10:15 PM, Nikhil, Runai and Me are waiting in Kengeri Mysore Road Satellite Bus Station, Bangalore for other Done Family members to come. At 11:00 PM there come Pieee Pieeee Akshata Pie (Prime Mister of DONE Family). At 11:30 PM final members, Megha and Ram come into the picture and we board the bus to head towards Madikeri Bus Stand a.k.a COORG.
Oh I did not speak of our family right? We are dones of done family and everybody is related to each others, but it such a complicated relation that I am confused. Recently we have created an organization known as Kunti Armory.
Frankly speaking road is a bit bumpy and we reached Madikeri Bus stand at 6:30 AM. Near the bus stand we had hot coffee along with steaming kasseri bath and Nikhil got a bottle of Maaza. After that we asked for the direction and headed towards our home stay MISTY HIGHTS

Misty Heights

(The best home stay I have ever stayed. Ok will talk about it later though it’s very important topic because it also adds up to make this trip my best trip ever).
We walked all the way in Coorg and finally could locate Misty Heights from far. It was an awesome place. We could see a single house on top of a hill and no other houses around. It was a quiet place and lush greenery. There was a steep road from main road to get in the house. As we were climbing we were greeted by a very very friendly dog. Initially we didn’t know his name so kept the name as “Brownie”. Later we followed him and reached the house. It was such a wonderful place. It was very beautiful place. We roamed around the house for some time and after half an hour the owner came to the place. We have taken a dormitory in the attic of the building with 8 beds. We quickly called the cab driver to come here at 10:00 AM and in the mean time we freshened up. She made coffee for us and then served idli, vada, sambar and chutney in coorgy style and taste.
We got in the car and headed towards Triveni Sangam

Triveni Sangam

which is around 35 KM at 10:30 AM. On the way, we stopped and had a coffee. After 2 hours we reached here and it was a very nice please. It’s a junction of 3 rivers Cauveri, Kannike and mythical river Sujyoti. We went near the ghat and spent some time sinking our bare feet in the cold water. It is told that a dip in this holy Sangam completes the Hindu Shraddha rites for the deprived soul. Later we went to the Bhagandeshwara temple

Bhagandeshwara temple

which is just opposite to the ghat. According to the Skandapurana the Bhagandeshwara Temple is named after Bhaganda Muni who installed the Shivalinga here. It attracted the devotion of many royal dynasties of Karnataka. Raja Doddaveerarajendra, who renovated the temple after it was damaged in a battle in A.D. 1790. AMO it was a unique style temple because the temple is in Karnataka but the architecture is like Kerala.
We got in the car and in the same road we headed further 10 KM to reach Talacauvery.

Talacauvery

It’s the birth place of Cauveri river which flows for 500 KM. It amazing to see how a small pond like place can turn up to such a big river. Devotes walk over the water and remove their sins and then heads toward the temple. From there we climbed 600 steps to go to the top of the hill to get the glimpse of the valley. Its again wonderful view. After climbing we literally became like a dog toung outside. We were dead tired. While climbing down it was misty and again it was great feeling. We could not see each other who are just 10 feet away from us due to the mist. We got in the car at 2:30 PM and in the mid way got in a KSRTC restaurant. We ordered for some normal veg. food. It was ok, nothing to complain. On the way there was a police checking and then came back at our lovely home stay at around 4:30 PM. In the town we got some snacks for evening while returning back home. The cab driver dropped Akshata again back to town who wanted to meet few of her relatives who stays in Coorg.
We ordered for you dinner to the owner lady for a kg of chicken masala and World Famous in Coorg, The Pandi Curry a.k.a Pork Masala with Aki Roti. We went for a chit chat at 7:30 PM till late night. In middle Akshata also came up and joined us. You won’t believe it was awesome dish that she prepared for us. At night we even ended up asking her how she prepared those dishes.
Next day I was the first to get up from bed at 6:30 AM and we quickly settled ourselves for the trip. This time we had a different car which is a jeep because where we are heading today does not have a good road and is very steep. We had a very tipical breakfast in one of the restaurant in town. Its pathaal (puri made out of rice powder)  and veg / chicken gravy and coffee. We headed toward Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary

Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary

which is approximately 20 KM but takes nearly 2 hours to reach there. One of the most challenging road I have ever seen more because monsoon season is just over. On the way we ordered for lunch to one of the 3 huts available. We fixed our self we roti, rice and chicken curry.
We reached the sanctuary around 12:00 PM. Just before reaching the parking lot, we got down and started walking. It was a very peaceful place with hardly anybody seen around and awesome landscape beauty. We walked everywhere wherever we could get a good picture of our self and background of the beautiful landscape. After sometime we could hear some running water stream so walked toward that. Finally after couple of meters, we saw the stream and walked towards the stream. We also tasted the water and won’t belive it was so sweet. We wanted to go a little further, but suddenly we saw something crawling in our shoe and it is not one or two, rather many of them. Looking at them, I just realized that they are none but letches. We ran away from the stream and climbed up toward the road instantly. May be we have taken 10 min to go down toward the stream but we just took a min to come up to the road. We opened our shoe and socks and started checking ever places in our leg. Finally after getting rid of letches, we started walking toward the sanctuary counter and then started climbing on top of the hill to get the view of entire surrounding. Local people was telling us that the parking area is actually resting place for all grazing animals and normally every month couple of them misses  because tiger eats them up if by dark they don’t return to this place.
On our way back, we stopped to the hut where we ordered for our lunch at 2:30 PM. It was a awesome restaurant with awesome ambience and services. There was a vast empty flat land on a hill top and a small hut. Every side of the ground had a steep fall except the road side. In between there were 4 wooden poles and a plastic sheet on top under which a medium size table with 6 chairs. We were provided with plates, serving pools, 6 plastic cups, chicken gravy, rasam, tomato gravy, roti, rice and unlimited cool breeze from all around.
We started at 3:00 PM towards Abby Falls

Abby Falls

which is in the same road down which is 10 KM from here. Once we reached Abby falls, we had coffee and majega a.k.a butter milk. The Madikeri stream also called Mutharmuttu Falls 21.3 m between huge boulders to a deep rocky valley to from this picturesque waterfall called Abbi Fall. Then we went walking towards the fall and we have to see the falls standing in the hanging bridge. We are not suppose to go to the streams. We have taken our group instant photo for all of us. We started from there and reached our home at 4:00 PM.
Ram had to leave because he had to catch a train. We went to town along with him and he boarded a bus and we went to Omkareshwara Temple

Omkareshwara Temple

where we have spent an hour. The architecture of the temple was really unique.
Then we went to Raja seat where we can see a amazing view of the valley. Basically what I guess is that Raja of Madikeri used to seat and watched the beauty of the hills. It’s a small amusement park with a toy train and every evening there is a musical fountain.

Musical Fountain in Raja Seat

It’s a good one just like Mysore one. We have spent some time before Musical fountain starts. It started raining quite heavily when we were waiting the show, so all started running out the park and we too did. It was already dark, so wanted to get our dinner packed for us. We went to one of the restaurant recommended by the lady, but they were off on Sunday. On the way we also got in a shopping complex where we found a really nice bakery. We got our selfs some eatables. When we came out it was raining heavily, so got in a auto and headed toward another recommended restaurant. They too disappointed us by saying that they prepare food only for their guests and not outsiders. So we called up Anu B.T.W she is the owner for the Home Stay where we are staying. We told her that we are not able to manage Pandi Curry and Aki Roti anywhere, she helped us. She told that she will make Pandi Curry and we have to manage roti by our self and which is very easy to do and we agreed. We headed back and on our way, we got freshly baked breads and got in an auto. We reached home at 7:30 PM and she sent us the dinner at 8:30 PM. We had the delicious dinner and found out that outside it is raining heavily. We told Anu that our bus is at 11:00 PM and will be any possibility to get two autos at 10:00 PM. She told that it is difficult to get, so her husband will drop us to the bus station. We reached the bus station and our bus left Madikeri Bus Station at 11:15 PM when it is still raining and I had a sound sleep. Next day I got up at 5:30 AM and I am in Kengeri Mysore Road Satellite Bus Station.
I stayed in Misty Heights Home Stay for last 2 days and it was awesome experience. What I liked here are below points.
1.    Location – It’s on top of the hill where there are nobody else except you and your group.
2.    Huge area for each thing like dining area, bon fire, hammock and all are well maintained.
3.    A very very friendly dog (Jimmy) but we can call him with any name (Like Brownie, Jack) and he will always be with you.
4.    Food – OMG! Its another awesome thing she gets it done at home for you. Whether its chicken, pork or any veg food. We have literally licked all the casserole clean.
5.    Last but not the least – Very reasonably priced and very very helpful person.

Other places to visit in Coorg are
1.    Irppu Falls – 90 KM
2.    Nagarahole – 95 KM
3.    Dubare – 32 KM
4.    Thadiyandamol Hills – 47 KM
5.    Igguthappa Temple – 33 KM
6.    Golden Temple – 33 KM
7.    Gaddigey – 0 KM
8.    Nisargadhama – 26 KM
9.    Nalknad Palace -53 KM
10.    Harangi – 32 KM
11.    Fort – 0 KM

Jimmy

View from our window

Bon Fire

Dining Room

First day Breakfast

Evening View from Misty Stay

Cauvery River in Triveni Sangam

Talacauvery

Misty view in Talacauvery

Talacauvery after climbing 600 stairs

Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary

Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary

Roads towards Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary

We know what it is :-)

View Larger Map