I’m off to Coorg on Friday . Hence there is a sharp deviation from my posts on the west coast to the green environs of Coorg .
Ive been to Coorg many times..but it was all before the travel bug bit me. Those were days without a digital camera, with friends and families, weekends spent lazing around. But scanned memories do make a couple of trips special and they highlight one feature. That the trips have never been planned.
There is another trip that we made many years ago . We were living in Chennai then . We landed in Bangalore on the weekend and were immediately bored. We are not the partying variety and Bangalore even today tires me… Anyways,on a Saturday evening in late August when the rains had just settled down, we called up some friends and asked if we were game to drive to Mysore. It was 8 pm already as we started and landed in Mysore well past midnight. We all checked into a room and chatted the night away and decided that we will lunch in Madikeri. But as we drove through Nagarhole Forest, we lost track of time. And then we went looking for food and a waterfall. We found both in Irpu .
Located in the Brahmagiri Range , these falls are also known as the Lakshmana Tirtha Falls,the source of the river with the same name. As the name goes, there is a story dated back to the Ramayan days. While Rama and Lakshman were looking for Sita in the hills, Rama was thirsty. Lakshmana in his quest to get his elder brother water shot an arrow into the hills and the river is said to have originated . Crossing a paddy field followed by a forest, the trail led us to the spot which was also a pilgrimage spot. A famous Siva temple, the Rameshwara Temple is situated on the banks of the Lakshmana Tirtha River, en route to the Falls.
We still had not found food. We even found a bar , lots of tea shops in neighbouring Kutta but no place to lunch .So we kept driving around until we came to Ramcad estate and filled our appetite. A great place , I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys a simple whole hearted meal with a great view. We wanted to linger, drive to Madikeri, but had a night train from Bangalore to Chennai . And that brought us to the end of another weekend getaway .
The last visit to Coorg was about a couple of years ago when we woke up one Saturday morning and decided that we wanted to go to Coorg ASAP. This time, friends were not available, and so we just drove .. It was more the drive than the destination that we went after and that phase of time, we were willing to give an arm and a leg, just to get out of Bangalore. Nothing to write home about, except that it was a fantastic weekend .
Coorg is a wonderful place. I have liked irupu falls the best. We even climbed up the falls.
For us from the Konkan coast, Coorg, a much cooler place, was also a respite from the summer heat. Going to Coorg has been like our hobby when we were younger, and as you indicated, sometimes it’s the journey that matters, not the destination.
Nagarahole – I haven’t been there till date. Have you stopped by there anytime?
You have a great trip to Coorg – yet again! Come back with more intriguing pictures.
Ajeya – We climbed up too and man was it awesome…we were the only four people there then and it was a fantastic experience
Celine – You are right..Coorg is like a hobby destination..coming from a coffee background , I was never excited by Coorg , this time, Ive decided to go to Bhagmandala and Talacauvery..Ive been to Nagarhole several times…even in this trip, we stopped by and started walking ..:)
lakshmi
Never been to Coorg myself, but I’ve heard so much about it.
Thanks for the visit and the great comment. I’m so glad I made you smile!
PS: My most recent post pays homage to the ultimate Indian icon – the Ambassador.
Never been to Coorg but from the blogs of fellow travelers have come to know of its beauty. Will definitely visit one day.
Oh my !! how much do you travel ?? 😛
I can not compete with you. 🙂
P.S.-I am back from my traveling, have been reading all your posts but couldn’t come & comment.
Funny how we now are soooo dependant on our digital cameras. These scanned images are very sharp and clear, would not have known.
happy traveling!
hey,
loved ur blog…..
i recently set up a similar travel blog
will b much obliged if u can take a look and tell me ur views
Indeed Coorg is a beautiful place and I bet no one will get bored by going there again and again… and memories attached to such places never fades away 🙂
keep scanning
David – Coorg is no doubt a beautiful place..nature has been extremely kind but its a different country actually-Im more interested in the heritage aspect ..thanks for the visit ..and yes, the ambassador-what a car !
Cuckoo – Good to see you back..arre , I dont travel so much..in fact all of Feb and march, I was cooped up completely
Stephanie – Thanks..I think technology has made a slave of all of us..
Srinath -Glad you liked it..welcome to backpakker..can I have the link please ?
Alok – Memories of any trip dont fade away..thank god for that ..
lakshmi
kya photo kheeecheli hai baap!!!
maza aa gya!!
re living your youth 🙂
Very cool! The scans are of very good quality. It’s been a long time since I went over there.
India is very different from Hungary, it is very exotic.
Such lush greenery!Lovely pics 🙂
Blogrolling you btw!
coorg is one of the places i want to visit…..would love to see pics of the plc..on yuor blog after ur backkk!!!
Nothing like a trip down memory lane! And the photos, unprofessional or non-digital though they might be, are nevertheless beautiful.
Kamini.
Often sudden unplanned outings give the sweetest memories.
Hi Lakshmi! Thanks for having been so kind to comment on Blogtrotter while I was absent! I’m back and trying to catch up with your posts!
Interesting post! I started to post the Revivals when I slowed travelling, but your posting your memories as an «apperitif» for the next travel! Great! Coorg must be a lovely place!
Loved to read the Sunday story. Better find another classmate; what an uncle… ;))
Hope you have a great week!
lakshmi: a lovely post…and a trip down a very leafy memory lane for you…i must say i admire your energy…
Beautiful pictures…looking forward to many more.
FNDG – thanks..good to see old pictures 🙂
Matt – hey, Im still young 🙂
Shantanu – and having come back, I must tell you that its as pristine as ever…do go before it becomes commercial again
Emperor Ropi – welcome to backpakker and thanks ..Yes, india is exotic, I havent travelled to Hungary..so I cannot really compare the two
Sameera -thanks..the pics are so old, really 🙂
SS – yeah..its a beautiful place and I will be posting them soon though..but it would take a while
Kamini – thanks..I agree with you..sometimes the moment explains everything
Indrani – So true…the impulsive feeling is quite inexplicable
Gill – Classmates are like relatives..we cant choose them ..and yes, what an uncle ..:) Coorg is a beautiful place and when you visit South, you must add it to your list
Mark – My energy comes from my passion to travel..otherwise Im very lazy
Sujata – Thanks..More to come, but will be a bit slow 🙂
lakshmi
wow!wounder full piictures
Thanks Aravind
Well written; India has so much to offer. Coorg is certainly a place worth visiting.
Thank you..its my first trip