Dolphin's Nose & Catherine Waterfalls, Coonoor.

Day1. Ooty to Coonoor by Toy Train.

Ogling at Catherine Falls from the Dolphin's Nose has been the numero uno purpose of our short trip to Coonoor. The Dolphin's Nose is located some 16 kms from Coonoor Railway station. There are three ways of reaching Coonoor. First is to reach Coonoor by the World Heritage Monument Nilgiri Mountain Railway Toy Train, then probably hire a car or auto rickshaw and cover the places in a day. Second, you could take a local bus from Ooty to Coonoor and then hire a car/auto rickshaw. Third is to hire a car from Ooty and see the places in Coonoor.
You cannot come to Ooty and not take the world famous toy train ride. Hence we arrived at the station to take the tickets for the journey. To our dismay we found a long queue waiting ahead of us. To make matters worse, we heard that there were minimal tickets sold in each ride. To make matters still worse, the frequency of the trains is pretty low. The next train after the 9:15 ride is at Noon. We were almost resigned to the fact that we will not be getting the tickets and started thinking about Plan B. Luckily we got the tickets, but they were First Class tickets which cost a whopping Rs. 100 compared to Rs 4 for the Unreserved class. But we took it and off we were to Coonoor. The ride to Coonoor if nothing is very lacklustre. The views is amazing at times, but soon you get bored of it. The slow, shaky and creaky ride becomes monotonous and consumes a full one hour before you reach the final Destination.

Coonoor railway station, like the Ooty railway station is characteristically British. Amazingly they have stood the test of times, human exploitation and natural decay. Just as you walk out of the platform a swarm of cab drivers surround you. As a general principle I generally avoid such blood suckers and venture out of the Railway station before I start asking around. Exclusively hiring a cab would cost around Rs 400 for 4 hours (which I felt was a little on the higher side) and I was in no mood to share a cab with others too. Hence after a bit of loitering around, having some hot coffee and buying some Home-made chocolates we finally decided to take an auto rickshaw to see a few places around Coonoor. For Rs. 300 we were to see Catherine Falls from Dolphin's Nose, the Lamb's Rock, Tea Factory and Sim's Park spanning some 3 hours. A bit expensive, but at least we had the auto rickshaw to ourselves.

The ride to Dolphin's Nose is one to die for. Miles and miles of carpeted tea gardens keep you company all the way up. As you keep climbing higher and higher into the mountains, its get mistier and mistier. For most part of the climb the visibility is anywhere from 0 to 1 metre. But visibility is apparently not a handicap for our Auto Raja. He's been zipping through the mountainous terrain like Schumi does in Monaco. He obviously wants to show us Coonoor in 3 hrs.

My travel philosophy has always been "Starting early is starting right". But apparently this philosophy does not hold true all the time. Despite reaching Dolphin's Nose at a leisurely 11 AM we surprised to see that Catherine Falls, for which we had come all the way was blanketed by a thick layer of mist and fog. We could not even tell if there was a waterfall in the designated place or not. A few local vendors and our very Auto Raja pointed out to the general direction of Catherine Falls. But we could never be sure of it. We were already ruing the futility of the trip when suddenly a gust of wind blew over Dolphin's Nose, paving the way for a clear view of Catherine Waterfalls. It truly was a sight to behold. In vast expanse of green, the tiny stream of milky white seemed odd yet very earthly. Though a five second glance was all that was required to retain the image in our heads, the view was available for what looked like an eternity, to seep into every blood vessel of our bodies.After a few minutes of clear view the wall of mist was back. We took this reprieve to shop for some spices and Tea leaves.

Back from spice-shopping, the mist had cleared considerably now to get a more clearer view of not only the Catherine waterfalls but also the neighbouring Mettupalayam. A few Kodak moments later, the fog was back to haunt us (it was around noon by now) and we decided to bade goodbye to Catherine Waterfalls and head to our next destination - Lamb's Rock.

Must-Do: Try to reach here around noon by which time some of the mist clears. Buy spices and different varieties of tea.
Must-Don't: Throw caution to the wind and get adventurous. Littering.
Must-Buy: Tea leaves, Spices, Oils.

My Rating: 6/10

Ooty, Tamil Nadu

Exactly 62 years ago when British Colonists returned India to its rightful citizens, they also surrendered a few remarkable places that they had built from scratch. So prominent was their creation that till today, they stand testimony of time, heritage and a multitude of human exploitation. One such place that has braved years of human pounding is the beautiful and misty Ooty. Beautiful and misty are the two words you'll hear continuously in a series of blogs on Ooty and Coonoor coming up here.

Ooty a.k.a Udagamandalam, to start with is a bag packer's ultimate nightmare. Much of the blame should be attributed to the inadequate public transport system. There's only one train service here - The Nilgiri Mountain Railway - plying between Ooty and Coonoor covering 5 stations including Lovedale, Ketti and Aravankadu. The bus service is minimal, as some of the places-to-visit are not on the route maps of either the State Transport buses or the Private Transport buses. The problem is more evident in Coonoor. The auto rickshaws costs a bomb. Some guys even charge Rs.50 to cover a 1km stretch!!! So the only option left is the private-tours-and-travels services. You can either exclusively hire a vehicle or (thankfully) share the vehicle with others. The downside of such guided tours is the deadlines you need to follow and the nasty stares that you tend to get from co-passengers for causing a delay in coming back, as we found out.

The second spoiler about Ooty is the HUGE number of tourists, almost rendering me say that Ooty has gone past its sell-by date. Huge influx of tourists in itself would not have been much of a botheration had there not been the vast majority howlers among them. Yes, every 500 meters you would hear a howling mob from their Tata Sumos and Toyota Qualis' shattering the peace of this sleepy town. Or worse you may see yourself caught in an ancient jeep with 8 noisy screaming, shouting, howling girls.

Ooty is a perpetual cool (as if that's a surprise) place. The Railway Holiday Home (thanks to an Indian Railway spouse) did not even have a hook for the ceiling fan. The solitary heater and hot water geyser is a life-saver in this place. Its cold and misty in the mornings, afternoons and evenings. The nights are just freezing. I do not want to imagine how its going to be in December.

Ooty is plastic-free zone but the never-ending swarming tourists bring more than their own share of plastic trash and litter the places. Some of the places we visited were so trashy and stinky that we were too tempted to cut short our 3 day trip.

Despite all this, Ooty is a must-visit-once place, especially if you live somewhere in South India. A trip to Coonoor in the World Heritage Monument Toy Train to watch Catherine Falls from Dolphine's Nose, the vast expanse of the Nilgiris from atop the Lamb's Rock, the beautiful shooting locales of Ooty, the breath-taking (literally too, if you are not cautious) Pykara Waterfalls, the perfectly alligned Pine Forests, the drive through Mudumalai Forest Area and to top it all a visit to Katteri Waterfalls makes the whole trip worth the effort. The bad memories and experiences are pushed into the background. What remains in the memory is the beautiful and misty locales of this age-old hill station.

Must-Do: Carry enough warm clothes, shoes, socks, bathroom slippers and the like.
Must-Don't: Take Ooty off the tourists' map by littering the already trashed-up place.

My Rating: 6.5/10 (Down-Rated after second thoughts)

Chunchi Waterfalls, Bangalore

Driving out of Sangam we were exhausted, hungry and thirsty. A nice bath and hitting the bed would have the ideal thing to do. But we had promised ourselves to go to Chunchi Waterfalls on the way back. Its not everyday you drive down 90 kms and not see the major attractions in the area. So we kept our promise and drove towards Chunchi. And ain't we glad we kept the promise!

So Chunchi Falls is nestled in the Chunchi Hills near the Chunchi Village. Luckily its not too far from Sangam. Some 5 kms after Sangam en route Bangalore, you need to take a right and then travel through the Chunchi Village to reach the Falls. I had not done much R&D on Chunchi on the net and had no clue of what to expect from this place. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, since when I first set eyes on the waterfalls I had to hold my breath. The mouth made an extended Wow and the brain stimulated a million neurons. While walking down to the waterfalls I was praying for some water...lots of water. But after scanning the area I was pleased that there wasn't much water there. Tiny stream of water meant, we were able to get to the head of the falls for a breath-taking view. But sadly the pictures doesn't bring out the true breathtaking-ness of the place. You have to be there to believe what Im talking about.

From the head of the Falls its a big drop. Wikipedia tells me that the height of the Falls is 250 feet. The terrain is quite rocky and getting to this place is an adventure in itself. Another amazing sight adding to the view-from-the-top is the rock formations. The formations below your feet look as if somebody just picked up a giant ice-cream scoop and went to work on the rocks. And the side walls are as if the same person took a huge chisel and started hammering away in one direction. These rocky formations have been smoothened to perfection by the gushing waters.

After a while we realised that we could get down one tier and get a look at the Falls. Going down there is again an adventure in itself. But worth the effort in gold. From this lower tier you get a good look at the waterfalls. Looking at the hypnotic water dancing down the rocks makes you want to get up there. If you incredibly stupid you get actually climb one of those rocks and touch the water. But we decided against it and only remained an eager spectator as we saw one of those stupid morons do his thing up there. After literally standing on the edge of the cliff for some time, we deposited ourselves on the rocks at a safe distance from the edge. Now we could really feel the exhaustion creep-in. To fight the fatigue building over us, we lay on our backs for a few minutes in the blazing afternoon sun. The cool breeze kissing our body undermined the sun's vengeful rays. As if on cue, the clouds also took position to block the rays. You couldn't ask for more. Where in Bangalore could you lie on your back facing the sun directly in the blazing afternoon sun?

Like all good things we knew we had to bring this trip to an end. We climbed back the rocks and got to the place where we parked our bikes. By the time we reached there, we had been squeezed of every ounce of energy from our body. The coconut water vendor licked his lips as he saw his prey dragging their feet towards him. Two tender coconuts later our bodies started to show signs of life. As we started the ride back I give Chunchi one last passing glance and promised myself a second visit here, before I die.

Getting-there: 5 kms before Mekedaatu (see previous post) take a left and drive through Chunchi Village. Keep asking the villagers for Chunchi, and they will point their fingers in the right direction.
Must-Do: Take an adventurous trip down to the first tier of the waterfalls.
Must-Dont: Try to be too adventurous and get to the water or try to get to the bottom of the waterfalls. Littering as always.
Caution: Paramount on the agenda. Keep your self hydrated.
Extra-topping: Undertake a trip to an adjacent waterfall about a kilometer away.

My Rating: 7/10

Sangam and Mekedaatu, Bangalore

Mekedaatu has been on my travel plate for more than a month now. After 2 cancellations, I finally seized the opportunity to undertake this trip. As is the case with most water-y places, August is the right time to visit the place. The fiery monsoon ensures there's enough water at such places.
Mekedaatu, meaning Goat's Leap, is where River Cauvery runs through a deep gorge.
Coming to the etymology of the place:
Legend has it that, the ravine is so narrow that a Goat can leap over it.
Folklore has it that, a goat was once chased by a tiger and in sheer desperation to save its life, leapt over the ravine and survived. In reality though, forget about a Goat, no living creature can cross it. Period.
Mythology has it that, The Goat that leapt over the the ravine was none other than Lord Shiva. Its always safer to settle down with a mythological version. There's never an argument on that one!!!

But getting to Mekedaatu is not so simple. You first need to reach Sangam before you make your way to Mekedaatu. Sangam, as the name suggests, is where two rivers meet. Cauvery and Akravathi meet here to make this place look magical. Here you need to take the coracle and get to the other side. Water here is pristine yet dangerous. If you are not a seasonal swimmer, its advisable to curb your instincts of jumping into the water. But yes you can always wet your legs and embrace the river within a safer periphery. The river bed is dotted with huge rocks and boulders and its always advisable to exercise caution when venturing into the waters.

After being at peace with nature for some time we headed for the rickety bus that would take us to Mekedaatu. Rickety is probably an understatement. The bus looked so old and fragile and dilapidated, that we had second thoughts about taking the bus. We could of course walk the distance of 4 kms if we choose too, but decided against it. The Rs.40 we paid for the round-trip was probably the most we spent on a 4km-jumpy-bumpy-rollicky and most uncomfortable ride ever!!!
By the end of ride, an X-Ray of our anatomy at this point of time would have revealed some interesting finds. Mekedaatu is pretty much as it looked like, in the pictures(hmm... as if thats a surprise!). The point of interest, is more like a bottleneck, and because of it the water gushing out of it is ferocious. The fiery nature of the water can be judged by the rock formations all over the place. The curvatures in the rocks is so smooth and refined, only nature could have sculpted this masterpiece.

There are plenty of areas here that one could explore. The only prerequisites being lots of courage and a little bit of agility. Fear is one factor that you would encounter here at close quarters while exploring the place. Along with fear comes exhilaration and mad adrenaline rush. Your moment of bravery lead you to what looks like an unexplored heaven. A cave-like opening with very minimal water gushing in. Its perfectly safe here... if you successfully make it to this place!

We had great fun exploring this place and just sitting there lazily listening to the thunderous roar of the water just a few feet away. Its not just Mekedaatu and Sangam that appeals to your senses. The last 10 km stretch before you reach Sangam is a rider's paradise. Pollution is quite literally non-existent. Try breathing-in the air while riding at 60 kmph and you would know what Im talking about. Since we started by around 6 from Bangalore, we reached Sangam by 8:30 and that included a breakfast stop at Kanakpura. Surprisingly the Tiffin Center at Kanakpura was not only edible but tasty too. The entire length of the ride once you leave Bangalore is very scenic. The roads is bad in patches only. There are also times when you drive through some old-world villages. Its as if time stood still here and only the roads progressed. After spending a couple of hours we finally decided to move on. By the time we climbed back up from where the bus dropped us off, we were half-dead. Luckily we were greeted by a man selling lassi. Quickly gulping three glasses, which were thankfully priced reasonably at Rs.5 a glass, we caught the bus back to Sangam. I say thankfully because both of us were running out of cash, as we made a critical mistake of forgetting to withdraw cash for the trip. What worried us more was the fact that there was one more stop for the day - Chunchi Falls. And that's coming up in the next blog.

Getting-there: Take the Kanakpura road out of Bangalore -> Reach Kanakpura -> At the forked road, take the one on the left -> Follow the road to reach Sangam.

Fares:
Toll Gate: Rs.10.
Sangam Parking: Rs.10 (Bike)
Coracle Ride: Rs.40 (both ways)
Bus Ride: Rs.40 (both ways)

Must-Do: Wet your legs at Sangam. Explore the rocks at Mekedaatu while exercising caution.
Must-Don't: Try to be too adventurous. Extra baggage (including Food, warm clothes, bags) that will make your rock-climbing tedious. Carrying too much food also lead too much littering. So please avoid it.
Caution: Order of the Day.

My Rating: 7/10

Manchinbele Dam and Dodda Alada Mara, Bangalore

Come Sunday and I had to hit the road. We were looking for the closest getaway from Bangalore and so zeroed in on Manchinbele Dam and Dodda Alada Mara. The Big Banyan Tree is a mere 30 kms from Bangalore and Manchinbele Dam another 10 kms further.
We started right by starting early. 6 AM sounded good on the blueprint. While execution though, we found it could have been a little more earlier. There was already a fair bit of traffic by then. The four of us in two different bikes converged at Corporation Circle around 6:15 and then hit the Mysore Road. Good roads - except for a 2 kms stretch (which will be mentioned later) - need a special mention for this trip. The route is pretty straight-forward. Some 15 odd kms on Mysore Road, you would arrive at Sri Rajarajeshwari Dental College Signal. You cannot miss this unless you are flying over!!! Take a right at this signal and follow the road. Taking no diversions, we reached Dodda Alada Mara in pretty good time. But we did not stop here. We wanted to get to the Manchinbele Dam, before the Sun hastens a forced retreat, back to the comfort of our homes. This also turned out to be a wise decision. We are getting good at this travelling stuff ;-)

The route to the Dam from here does not involve rocket science. Talking about rocket science, you could consider the ISRO station here as landmark on the way to the dam. This is where the road takes a low-down. The well-laid roads finally give way to typical village roads. This red-sand-and-concrete-stones road thankfully extend to only about 2-3 kms. From then on till Ground Zero its back to good roads. We were just limbering around driving at a sinfully slow pace soaking the beautiful village atmosphere when the breathtaking sight of the Akravathi river hit us like a bolt from the blue. The Akravathi looked comfortably cuddled between the mountains. Once you reach this place you'll find a forked road. The one on the left leads to the Dam while the other to the right follows a long winding road to the banks of the river. The right looked more exciting and we took it. The road downhill is bad, which makes it a little more adventurous. Driving slowly here, serves two purpose - keeping your head in place from falling off and enjoying the sights and sounds(or the lack of it) of the place. The serenity of the place is in stark contrast to the noisy nuisance of Bangalore. To our surprise we even found a BMTC bus (227A or something like that) drive past us, leaving a storm of dust behind it.

After spending close to an hour at the banks of the Akravathi, we decided to hike the mountain. But rough terrain, slippery rocks and cribbing co-hikers brought the hike to an abrupt end. We decided to drive a little more, but not having found anything more interesting we decided to drive back. On the way back we sighted the Dam a good 5-6 kms away. Thats when we actually remembered that the actualy purpose of the visit was to see the dam and now we were leaving without seeing it. The Manchinbele Dam is a miniature one by any standards. It has only three gates to it and basically it serves as a drinking water reservoir for the neighbouring villages. Having seen enough, we decided to leave the place.

The next stop obviously was the Dodda Alada Mara.
Some quick facts about the Big Banyan Tree:
1. Its very old. About 400-500 years old.
2. Its Big. It covers about 4-5 acres.
3. Its infested with monkeys.
4. It has a temple in its premises. There's always a temple right!!!

Burnt corn, disgusting bhel puri and refreshing tender coconut water marked the end of yet another perfect bangalore getaway weekend.

Getting-there: Take the Mysore Road -> 3 Kms after Kangeri, take right at Sri Rajarajeshwari Dental College -> Dodda Alada Mara in Ramohalli Village -> Left at Chikkapa(or was it Chandrappa) Circle -> ISRO -> Manchinbelle Dam. Best to keep asking for directions though.
Must-Do: Spend lazy hours at the banks of the river. There's boating too for those interested. Take pictures of Dodda Alada Mara for been-there done-that sort of thing.
Must-Don't: Litter of course. The biggest contributor to the litter being alcoholic beverages.
Must-Carry: Ear plugs to protect your eardrums from the blaring noise of the temple loudspeaker.
Caution: Stray dogs getting under your wheels on the Mysore Highway. Monkeys snatching food.

My Rating: 5/10 (Collective Score)