10 Things To Do In Coorg - Reason 1

Ever visited Coorg?

If not, then you have to read this and ask yourself why not, and if yes, even then you have to read this and ask yourself or let me know what is missed out.

I have heard a lot of people say there is nothing in Coorg other than the same old coffee estates and I hope this write up changes that mindset. So here come the 10 reasons for missing Coorg every weekend (in parts due to a hectic schedule),

1. Following Kaveri

The land and life of Kodavas is incomplete without Kaveri. For those of you who are interested in mythology, geography, art, architecture or history, Kaveri is one topic that can keep you engaged for days or even years together. Traversing the path taken by Kaveri from its origin at Talakaveri to its end at Puhar (Poompuhar) in Tamil Nadu is one journey I personally want to complete in my lifetime. Here are some interesting myths and facts about Kaveri to trigger your interest,

Kaveri is a reincarnated form of Lopamudra, daughter of King Kavera. Lopamudra was created by Sage Agastya out of the most beautiful parts (mudra) of all animals, where 'Lopa' means loss suffered by the animals by giving away their most beautiful parts to Lopamudra. Lopamudra was brought up by King Kavera, and when she grew up Sage Agastya asked for her hand. She agreed on the condition that he would not leave her alone. But one day when Agastya left the house without informing her, she transformed herself into a river and disappeared from Agastya's view only to appear again at Bhagamandala.

The distinctive way of draping saree by the Kodavas is also related to river Kaveri. When Kaveri tried to flee, Agastya caught hold of one end of her saree and she swiftly turned to her right (this place where she turned right is known as Balamuri, where 'bala' means right and 'muri' means turn). This swift movement caused the pleats of her saree to move back and to this day the Kodavas wear their saree in this way.


On its journey, Kaveri is joined by its many tributaries like Harangi, Shimsa, Hemavathi, Honnuhole, Arkavathi, Kapila, Lakshmana Theertha, Kabini, Lokapavani, Bhavani, Noyil and Amaravathy. The world's largest congregation of Asiatic elephants happens at Kabini backwaters and is one of the most spectacular sights to see.

The village 'Kokkare Bellur' along Shimsa is one of the oldest examples of conservation, a step taken much before the current trend of conservation as a style statement. Spot billed pelicans, painted storks and black headed ibis which breed here between October to December are strongly guarded by the villagers.
A village called Kootli along the banks of Arkavathi is now underwater after the construction of a dam, and the nearby area Tippagondahalli (T.G. Halli) had no water for years as the water from the reservoir was fed to the city of Bangalore!!!

Many such interesting stories contribute to the places on the banks of river Kaveri and its tributaries.
To know more, Just Follow Kaveri...

To be continued...

Susegad Goa

It was a hot Sunday afternoon, I was lying down on the sofa and watching some crazy dubbed movie on television where the hero kicked 2 hefty guys in the air, knocked out many more on the way, sent a few flying left, right and center and walked back in slow motion....

Then all of a sudden I find myself lying on a brightly lit beach with a straw hat covering my face from the rays of the coastal sun, the light breeze in the humid air caressing my body in a cooling way, the sound of the waves gliding across the sandy shore soothing my ears, the smell of fried mackerel in recheado masala tempted me to walk down to the nearby shack to grab a fish and some chilled beer. As soon as I got up from my lazy horizontal position I saw Mr. Pinto sitting at the shack counter with his huge belly covered by the over-sized floral half sleeved shirt accompanied by a white "i 'heart' Goa" bermuda shorts waving at me. I smiled and got up to proceed towards the shack, I slipped and fell and kept going down like a free falling skydiver. I was scared and sweating profusely, suddenly 'Thud' came the sound, I had hit rock bottom which felt cold on my skin, I opened my eyes only to find the same hero on screen with the huge moustache still walking back in slow motion to the 2 guys stuck in mid air and pushed them like soft dolls hanging around in a baby shop.

Oh my!, it was such a relief as it was only a dream and i had fallen on the cold granite floor from the sofa. But wait, where was i before that scary free fall?

The sea, the beaches, chilled beer, coconut trees, music, yummy cuisine, intoxicating fenni, the hippies and the colorful markets filled my mind.

Gouri said 'lets go', even before i uttered 'Go..A' and the coming Tuesday at 3pm we were on the Yeshwantpur-Madgao express all excited.

[There are other trains from Bangalore but we prefer this one because of its timing. It leaves Bangalore at 3.30pm and reaches Madgao at 6pm]

As the train crossed Londa and entered castle rock we were all eyes on our left and were spellbound by the beauty of the milky waters splashing down from a height lit by the lovely moonlight.

[Don't miss the hot and yummy uppit/upma and idli at Londa, and be awake to witness the amazingly beautiful Dudhsagar. Trekking at Dudhsagar and admiring the falls from its head to toe with the railway track like a belt around its waist is an unforgettable experience]

After a couple of railway chai we were in Goa with high spirits. We took a taxi from Madgao to Colva and checked-in into one of the many hotels/resorts around the beach.

[prepaid taxis are easily available outside railway station at Madgao or you can share the open air buses with the locals for experiencing Goa. Apart from the low, medium, high and very high budget hotels, a little effort may reward you with a very low cost high on hospitality homely stays with the always cheerful Goan family and remember google search may not help you with this]

After a nice cold shower and good breakfast of omelette-pav we were ready to explore 'Goa' once again. This beautiful land with its sea, river and mangroves entices you back again and again. We took an Activa on rent and started our journey towards Panaji where we roamed the streets of the capital city and felt one with the place on seeing the very familiar Church at the center of the city. We had a delicious seafood meal cooked in authentic Goan style at Ritz Classic and drove back to our room. The next couple of days and nights were spent exploring the interiors of Goa on the Activa enjoying chilled beer with fish, crab, prawns, lobster in true Goan style.

[2 wheelers are a very good option for traveling around especially Activa which may cost you just around 150 per day, but you can also get a bullet or even a gypsy if you want to]

"When in Rome be a Roman, when in Goa be a Goan!!!"

The best thing about Goa is the freedom one gets to experience, its unique cuisine which is a mix of Konkani and Portuguese culture and off course the beer. Four full days was spent roaming around in bermuda shorts, a loose tee and the sunglasses, eating fresh seafood with beer or just lying down on the beach watching the sunset or jump around in the waves to our hearts content.

If one afternoon was spent pampering our taste buds with the best seafood at Martin's Corner in Salcette then the other was spent para-sailing and biking in Baga. If one night we ended up at a nightclub at 9.30 pm with not a single soul around another night we were in a crowded cruise all lit up with dance and music. By the way on enquiry at the night club we got to know 'In Goa party starts late (night) and ends early (morning)', so we planned to return back after a couple of hours but ended up having beer and saucy spicy red snapper at a nearby restaurant with some interesting Goan friends.

The good time at Goa was nearing to an end, and as we silently sat on the beach in Majorda watching the sunset and sulking at the thought of leaving this lovely place, we saw a couple sway to the tunes of Goa and slowly disappear with the setting sun, Gouri smiled and said 'Hoyth!!!'.

As we boarded the train at Madgao station we looked back and promised to return soon.

 Some more images here

Hoyth!!! - A Journey...

And out again I curve and flow,

To join the brimming river,

For men may come and men may go,

But i go on forever ...

The murmur and chatter of Alfred Lord Tennyson's brook lingers in my wandering mind when little Anika says, 'Hoyth!!!' looking at those birds flying away or at the mongrel running out of sight, dejected by the music that has stopped or at losing track of the rhythmic cry of the vegetable vendor moving down the lane, amazed at the disappearance of the moon behind the dark clouds or by the sudden halt of rain drops, excited at the deer jumping across the highway to vanish inside the woods or at moving away from those ever smiling children waving at every car that passes by.

'Hoyth!!!' is what she says in a very innocent tone that only she can with her unadulterated innocence and then she continues with her other activities as cheerful and enthusiastic as always.

'Hoyth!!!' is her version of 'Hoythu', a Kannada word for 'Gone'. But for me, more than the literal meaning it is the myriad thoughts it triggers.

'Hoyth!!!', for me is a reminder of those beautiful incidents of our life which we mutely watched passing by. We must have experienced happiness, sorrow, anger or joy at that point of time but now when we remember those moments, we have a good laugh at the bad experiences and badly miss the good ones. That is Life!

This page is to cherish those nostalgic memories or share a few unforgettable moments which are or will be lost in the maze of our busy lifestyle but are still ready to light up when rekindled because we had just said, 'Hoyth!!!' but never a 'Good-Bye'.