Tour de Coorg! | My experiences |

There is a quote in ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ a Short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald. It goes like:

“For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.”

This short story is dear to me. I re-read it in good times and bad times. I love the way Eric Roth in the story shows you an unique angle of looking at your life.

I have tried live these words. All those choices has made me. Words “I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of.” that’s what has made me to do things which very few would dare to think of.

I have traveled almost half of India. Alone! I keep saying “Alone” because that’s something very special for me. I have a dream of travelling whole world alone as well!

Alone, I have met my worst fears. I have seen my extreme strengths and weaknesses. To travel alone is something beyond world of words. Say it’s mystic experience. 🙂 Yes, a spiritual process! Solitude is like mirror. It shows your true self. Best thing about my solo trips is that – it has made me different person every-time. My spirit has got more life during all my travels.

All the philosophies aside, I want to share some memories of my Tour de coorg!

My budget was fixed. It was 3000/-

I booked a simple non-AC bus from Bangalore to Kogadu (Coorg) district. In morning bus left me at Madikeri.  Madikeri is main city of North Coorg. This city holds one of the most beautiful places i have ever seen!

Well, I had no pre-plans. I wanted to surrender to every moment this trip throws to me. I wanted uncertainty take hold of all my choices.

It did!

I did morning toilet & brush in one municipal toilet. Then went to Raja Seat, a highest point of city.

This is a view from there.

Plus:

King’s garden

Plus:

Same garden 😉

There is the hill where I sat for 2 hours!

Plus:

Clouds!

I went on one hill. Sat there for 2 hours. Wrote few things in my diary, and then left the city for Abbey falls.

This is Abbey falls. Water is accumulation of small water outlets all hills

There is one hanging bridge in front of the falls. If you stand there then you will be showered with water particles. It’s unique experience in itself. 🙂

Then I went to Madikeri again. Searched for a cheap room being my Budget of 3K.

This is what I got in 500/- for 24 hours! A lodge named ‘Sadhnaa’:D

From outside it looked like this :

From inside the room looked like this!

The bathroom was looking like this!

This toilet had no lights! That’s the beauty of it!

And my Bed was like this!

I had a writing table as well!

At this Lodge I found one guy who was travelling alone. He was also from Bangalore. We both decided to go towards jungle of Barapole.

In the afternoon a local guy at bus-stand guided us. He was a Gypsy driver. Next plan was to go for Kaveri river rafting at  Barapole. Barapole is a jungle where Kaveri is in all her madness.

In 1000/- per person me and  Himashu went for this trip.

It was a hell of a journey.

It was Soo-Soo time in middle of road 😉

Here is Himanshu:

He works in Cisco @ Bangalore

Here is the good driver guy. I call him Anna!

Anna showed me Coffee plants, Pepper plants, silver oak trees, and many plants on the way.

Rafting was like this!

This is image from google.

I made many friends over there. We all did 300 meter swimming in Kaveri river. It was tiresome. They needed beer, so did I 😉

Dont worry. I am Gujju. This is Gujju’s Beer 😉 A Coorg coffee!

After again returning to the city, I spent lot of time wandering here and there:

Beauty of Madikeri

I went inside that home. No one was there!

This city is scheduled to rain on every 2 minutes!

Can you see a hut there? It’s scary. Seriously.

And then there was night! Cold, erotic, and full of life.

Day 2:

In morning I went to bus-stand. Took a bus for Talakaveri. Its 1276 meter above see level. A birthplace of river Kaveri.

A road towards Mangalore

At Bhagamandala village

There is one school inside this!

Bus starts for highest point of Kaveri

This is the birth place of Kaveri- Talakaveri

and this:

Air is full of moisture here.

On returning back to the city, I decided to stay at village Bag-mangala.

This village plays a local sports named: Kesaru gadde ota!

In this sports all kids and youth takes part. Theme is : TO RUN IN THE FARMS FULL OF WATER!

Live commentary as well!

These are farms inside which kids run!

Claps! Girls are taking parts in such a hard runs. Faster then boys.

Future Milkhasingh!

I also joined a process of Honey gathering in jungle. I brought honey with me as well.

A local shop for Honey and Coorg Spices

I found one farm in the village. I sat there till evening, and took last bus to city.

After returning to Madikeri, It was little Shopping time.

See!

And

Nadaan Parindey 😉

There are many things I haven’t shared with you. Those are memories I made. We live here to make memories right? Or say, To tell our stories.

But what if your story is a journey itself? What if your journey is story itself?

Last lines of Charles Dickens book ‘Tale of two cities’ says:

“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known.”

Well, it seems true for all the journeys. 🙂