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Coorg – walk in the clouds! Part 2
We got a decent off-season discount on rooms, which most people don’t ask for. The room was just Rs 400 per day…and the only thing we could see outside the window was thick fog.

We had a decent lunch with HOT rasam as a welcome drink. After food, we started driving towards Abby’s falls, which is one of the places to be seen in Madikeri (Coorg). I have been to Courtalam (kutralam) before, and was expecting the same kinda falls here. I was carrying MAN’s best invention so far - a Sony Handycam - and wanted to record all that nature had to offer.

The falls was not visible - all we could notice was a small narrow passage. The air started filling up with the sound of the waterfall, and as we moved forward the sound started increasing. And there it was - a wild waterfall hidden in the midst of the thick forest. It was indeed a visual treat, and makes one wonder if these kinda places are still accessible in India! The best part was the absence of people, and I would pray to God that let these places remain untouched by Coke & Pepsi bottles, Haldiram’s packets, and polythene carry bags.

There was no way that we could reach the falls - it was damn rough. All you could do is stand on the wire bridge near it and feel the water droplets brushing your presence – a multiple orgasm I should say.

The weather was pleasant, and the whole of Coorg was filled with misty clouds. It wasn’t raining but we could see water molecules settling on the glasses. We stopped at a small hill – just to explore how beautiful the world could be without people, and without modern gadgets and inventions, and we agreed it would be a much better place to live in.

Silence filled the air, and we felt as if our lungs were getting a real cleaning. We inhaled as much as possible so that the freshness could last for at least a year.

From here we had to go to the natural golf course. We approached a pretty girl to guide us with the direction. She was very friendly, and she helped us out. Thank God she didn’t have the slightest idea about what kinda of animals we were from inside. To be honest she was gorgeous!

I don’t know the basics of Golfing, but then looking at the Golf court I decided to learn it someday. The court ran into acres, and all you could see is greenery. There were no signs of people, houses, and settlement for miles together. The breeze was heavy, and clouds touched every cell of our body. It was a bit ghostly too. You could become invisible in the mist if you walk for 100 metres, and there were lot of chances of getting lost in the clouds. Suraj had been to UK and US and one thing he agreed about this place was– he has never seen a place like this before – jannath hai jannath – (it is heaven, it is heaven) was what he had to say!

Thank God neither Suraj nor I were gays. Or else am sure we would have ended up making love in the cozy room. Suraj had Bacardi, and the best part was the way he asked the room boy – if we can get a Coorgi babe for an one night stay! The room boy panicked, and said you need to go to Bangalore for that. Thankfully nothing of that sort materialized.

It was only Sunday morning, and we had enough time and enough petrol in our car. Hence we thought we would also visit Bellur, Hallibed and Saravana Bellogola on the way. It was time for a spiritual trip now, which started from the Omkareshwar temple of Coorg.

Bellur is some 18 kms from Hallibed, and Hallibed is about 180 kms from Coorg. It was a long drive, and we had not seen the sun for a couple of days.

Bellur temple was built in the 13th Century and it seems it took 103 years to complete building it. We engaged a guide for Rs 75 to take us through beautiful carvings of the temple. He was OK with his explanations, but then quite boring at times. It was a Lord Narayana’s temple and the best part about the management was they didn’t charge us anything for carrying the handycam. In fact we could take the cam even to shoot the deity.

Hallibed is similar to the Bellur temple, just that the main deity here is Lord Shiva. Both of us prayed for a better tomorrow. Suraj left a message of a quick abroad trip and I asked Nandi to use me as a divine tool for the betterment of the people around me.

To be continued…..

Coorg – walk in the clouds! Part 1
One thing I have never tried my hands at is writing a travelogue. I somehow hate it. It is one thing where the writer bores his readers with all the great experiences he had during his trip. It probably is like watching James Bond having sex with Hollywood star Halle Berry in 007 movies, which in no way could provide any pleasure to the watcher – unless he goes home and helps himself fantasizing about the black beauty.

Few things in the world can only be experienced and not explained. Philosophers have failed miserably explaining about nirvana or enlightenment. You simply cannot make the person understand about love, beauty and the experience of feeling one with the nature – and the trip to Coorg was one among them.

Suraj was a bit vexed with his mundane life as any other software developer is, and I as usual had differences with everyone around me. Corporate offices, and its politics could drain you so much so that you wouldn’t mind going to the wildest jungle and start living like an ape again. We didn’t plan much, and decided to take a break and visit a place that is far from the maddening crowd, and Coorg - the Scotland of India, seemed to be the best option.

I reached Bangalore by train on July 2nd, and as usual I never had a single girl traveling in my compartment. I wonder why no girls travel with me ever. That is one of the first thing I look in the reservation chart and all I find is – Ramamurthy 47 M, Singaravelan 52 m…why don’t these buggers stay home and ask their daughters to travel for a change. Well when naseed hai g….to kya karega pandu!

I stayed in B’lore, and we planned to leave to Coorg (some 250 kms) on Saturday morning. Thankfully Manoj (of Sify.com) advised us about the places that are a must see in Coorg, he suggested Khushalnagar and Nisargadhama.

Two people in a new Ford Ikon traveling at a speed of 120 Kms/hour, the weather outside being cloudy, no vehicle or people seen for kilometers together, clean roads surrounded by greenery till landscape meets the horizon, and the songs of Hindi singer Kishor Kumar on the background. What more can a person expect? The drive was great, and thanks to the 100s of people we inquired about the directions – elli, ekkada, rightU, leftU, hogi, gottila, maadi were few Kannada words we managed with.

Khushalnagar comes some 37 kms before Madikeri (Coorg), and I didn’t believe when Manoj explained about the place. It is a small Tibetan settlement, which has some interesting pagodas, and huge prayer/meditation room. You can watch the cheerful Tibetan monks clad in maroon robes moving around with contentment hoping to reach Buddhahood someday. It indeed is a out of the world experience..

We started moving towards Madikeri, and on the way we stopped at Nisargadhama. It was drizzling a bit now, and the air was filled with the noise of some water body nearby. We got our tickets, and got in. There was a huge wire bridge, which shook when someone crossed it - and a wild river flowing below the bridge. It was a thick jungle, and you can find cottages on top of the trees! I should say it is the best place for a newly married couple to have some great fun in the wilderness of the nature.

From here Madikeri was quite close, and we started driving. Our car moved into the misty clouds and it started raining, or should I say the clouds started condensing on our car. There were no people for miles together, and the road was surrounded by thick jungle. Suraj was enjoying the drive till he saw a board that said – Beware of wild elephants! We didn’t even have a matchbox to scare away the elephants if they walked across.

There were no curves, and no hairpin bends. We finally reached Madieri – a small town known for its beauty, coffee estates and pretty girls! (Incidentally someone told me that Miss World Aishwarya Rai is from Coorg!) I dunno about her, but we of course found few really great looking girls with sexy figures and piercing eyes. I am sure even a saint could have problem controlling his adrenaline such beautiful girls around, in such a sexy weather.

We booked a room, and thought would do some sight seeing before we took rest…

I am sure I didn’t bore you till now….

Abby’s falls, Natural Golf Club, Bellur, & Hallibed…to be continued in the next blog….