Thursday, May 24, 2007
checking
This is just a check message. Just to see how the photo upload from picasa works. Seems like good!
Wayanad-Bike-Car-Trip
Just like that, 11 of us from our office started on our bikes and car to Wayanad, an adventurous trip. We took 6 bikes and my car. The most unbelievable part was that we planned leave Bangalore on Sat. morning by 4:00 am, and really left at 4:30 am itself. We reached Mysore by 7:15 itself. Most of the way, the speedometer showed over 100 kmph. Had breakfast in mysore and Reached Gundulupet around 10:30 am and reached the initial destination Sultan Battery around 12 noon. Ok, I should not say "destination" as there was none such. We were always on the road travelling from one place to another. While going from Gundulupet to Sultan Battery, the jungle stretch is too good.
In all we visited 5 places in Wayanad
1. Jain temple
2. Edakal caves
3. Another dilapidated temple (on the way from Panamaram to Kuruva islands)
4. Kuruva islands
5. Muthunga wildlife sanctuary.
Edakkal cave is amazing. It is believed to have formed out of earthquake before some 6000 years and inside you will find inscriptions by stone-age people. It is like two big rocks on either sides balancing another one on the top. It is very chill inside the caves. Just to experience that, you wont repent trekking for about 1.5 kms.
One more thing worthy to mention is the road to Kalpetta (the one that you see on the image). On either sides, you see the tea plantations and the road is excellently maintained. It is like you love driving and driving in those roads.
One more experience which had taken me in amazement is when a middle aged lady residing in one of no-so-high-profile houses near the roadside exchanged "welcome" when I said "thank-you" for her voluntary-offering of a bottle of paana-thanni (mud-ka water)
In all we visited 5 places in Wayanad
1. Jain temple
2. Edakal caves
3. Another dilapidated temple (on the way from Panamaram to Kuruva islands)
4. Kuruva islands
5. Muthunga wildlife sanctuary.
Edakkal cave is amazing. It is believed to have formed out of earthquake before some 6000 years and inside you will find inscriptions by stone-age people. It is like two big rocks on either sides balancing another one on the top. It is very chill inside the caves. Just to experience that, you wont repent trekking for about 1.5 kms.
One more thing worthy to mention is the road to Kalpetta (the one that you see on the image). On either sides, you see the tea plantations and the road is excellently maintained. It is like you love driving and driving in those roads.
One more experience which had taken me in amazement is when a middle aged lady residing in one of no-so-high-profile houses near the roadside exchanged "welcome" when I said "thank-you" for her voluntary-offering of a bottle of paana-thanni (mud-ka water)
Kodaikanal - Place for Summer
This summer, surprisingly visited the cool location. The most interesting part was my car driving up and down the Kodaikanal hill. Got some expertise in the hill driving too. Actually it is more thrilling to drive down hill than to climb.
There are some good places to visit in Kodaikanal like Pine forest, Guna cave(but it is properly fenced and you will not get the same picture as you saw in Guna movie), Pillar rocks etc. We missed something called cocus walk. Boating would have been a fun, had the rain not played the spoilsport. You get bi-cycle for Rs10/hour and can go around the lake, downhill and enjoy riding. I did feel difficulties in riding a bicycle almost after 3 years. The last time I was regularly using it was when I had Hero Impact in college. Seems like I have become a full time software engineer.
It is an approx 20 km ride around the hills where you can cover all the above places. And near the lake, there is Bryant Park which is full of different colorful flowers. Nice place to spend time. There is Silver Cascade on the way uphill to Kodaikanal
Best strategy would be to reach Kodaikanal in the evening(around 3), go around for boating and Bryant park, have some shopping of spices/oils if you need, towards the night and start the next day early, take a guided tour. You can get more information in the hotels about the tour plan and places to visit.
Before buying anything, it is always better to ask in atleast 4 different shops. In our general experience, we found that the woolen blankets, oils were cheaper in Kodaikanal. But for getting oils and spices, it is better to go to the government outlets.
There are some good places to visit in Kodaikanal like Pine forest, Guna cave(but it is properly fenced and you will not get the same picture as you saw in Guna movie), Pillar rocks etc. We missed something called cocus walk. Boating would have been a fun, had the rain not played the spoilsport. You get bi-cycle for Rs10/hour and can go around the lake, downhill and enjoy riding. I did feel difficulties in riding a bicycle almost after 3 years. The last time I was regularly using it was when I had Hero Impact in college. Seems like I have become a full time software engineer.
It is an approx 20 km ride around the hills where you can cover all the above places. And near the lake, there is Bryant Park which is full of different colorful flowers. Nice place to spend time. There is Silver Cascade on the way uphill to Kodaikanal
Best strategy would be to reach Kodaikanal in the evening(around 3), go around for boating and Bryant park, have some shopping of spices/oils if you need, towards the night and start the next day early, take a guided tour. You can get more information in the hotels about the tour plan and places to visit.
Before buying anything, it is always better to ask in atleast 4 different shops. In our general experience, we found that the woolen blankets, oils were cheaper in Kodaikanal. But for getting oils and spices, it is better to go to the government outlets.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Potential Yeman
I was on the National Highway 7 driving my Santro from Bangalore to Rasipuram on Friday night, when the water bottle that I kept on my dashboard slipped suddenly due to some turn or bump on the road. It went under the pedals. I noticed when it fell, but for a minute, I did not actually care. Then I thought what if it goes under the brake pedal and blocks it from pressing against. I decided to take that out, applied brakes, lowered the speed, tried lowering the gears that's when I realized I could not apply clutch. But somehow managed to bring it to neutral and stopped the car on the road-side. If it had got under the brake-pedal instead of clutch, probably I would not have posted this now.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Srirangapatna
Planned a visit to Mysore last saturday. Due to time and health constraints, after visiting Srirangapatna, came back home. But, Srirangapatna alone is worth one full-day visit. What you see is Dhariya Doulat Bagh which was Tipu's Summer place now converted to a museum.
First I should say about the road from Bangalore, except for some 5 km stretch scattered in-between, the road is very good. Srirangapatna is on the Bangalore-Mysore highway, roughly 10 km before Mysore. On the way, there is a Kamat hotel at Lokkurichi(at about 50th km from Bangalore) after crossing Bidadi and Ramanagara. A good choice for break-fast. Otherwise, I heard there are some good eating places in Maddur.
Here is a list of places to see in and around Mysore and Srirangapatna.
Srirangapatna Temple
Very similar to our Srirangam temple in Trichy. Infact Srirangapatna itself is an island in Cauvery river just like Srirangam.
Timings : 7:00 am to 1:00 pm and from evening 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm (Car parking : Rs 20)
Dariya Daulat Bagh
Timings : 9:30 am to 5:00 pm (Free car parking). Has lush green fields and shadowy trees.
Tipu's Gumbaz
Timings : 8:30 am to 6:30 pm (Car parking : Rs 20). Again a huge place, nice gardens. The buildings are proofs for excellent Mughal architecture. Built by Tipu himself for his mother, seems he also had deserved and reserved a place for him too.
Sangam
Timings : till 7:30 pm. This is a place Cauvery meets two other rivers, whose names I forgot. Not a great place in the non-season if there is less water.
Ranganthittu
Speciality : Birds. Season : June to October. Boating is also available here. Timings : 8:00 am to 1:00 pm and 2:30 pm to 5:00 pm. This is at a distance of about 5 km from Srirangapatna.
Palmuri falls - 6km from Ranganthittu. Timinsg might be in line with others.
Brindavan Gardens
Everyone knows what it is famous for. But it is closed temporarily due to Kavei-issue. Best time to enter is evening 5:00 o'clock. Entry is not allowed beyond 6:00 pm.
At Mysore, one can visit the Palace and the Zoo, both open between 9:30 am and 5:30 pm. If you get hold of any person in Infosys Mysore, the campus there should be in your must-see list.
Chamundi hills
About 16 km from Mysore in a different route (not the one towards Bangalore or Brindavan gardens). Speciality : Devi Temple, Timings : Morning 8:00 to Evening 8:00
More photos
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