My Tea Travel

Tea and rain are often combined to create an ideal time for a tea break! 

Tea has become inevitable in our daily lives, and many of us have become obsessed with its flavor and the refreshment it offers with every cup. The monsoon we are going through (right now) has become a favorite time and reason to have some hot cups of tea.

The weather in Chennai is unusually cool for the last few days, thanks to a depression in the sea that's moving slowly, and it's impossible not to compare it to the weather in hill stations or highlands; I'm mildly shivering in the open. I turn off the ceiling fans, something I rarely do in Chennai unless the weather is cool enough. A cup of hot tea would feel great. 

Actually, I was and still am a coffee enthusiast; tea came into my life in 2013 when I was bedridden for nearly two months owing to a femur fracture and cast. I sipped tea and coffee between breakfast and lunch and also took that as an advantage to sit on the bed -   I hate lying down for a long. Tea became my regular beverage.

Not that I hadn't sipped tea before, and I shouldn't forget that I'd been traveling with tea since childhood because my grandfather owned a tea shop, and my first tea may have been at his stall. I remember drinking tea solely to dip butter biscuits in; however, I liked tea when my grandfather made it personal. Tea and butter biscuits are my favorite combo.

I'm always looking for good tea, but that doesn't imply home-brewed tea is poor. When I travel, I prefer to explore different tea shops to acquire a varied taste of tea since I believe the flavor of tea varies from person to person, perhaps which is why someone who brews good tea is called a tea master. But if I see Kumbakonam degree coffee, I would land there!  

The Kumbakonam-degree coffee and Filter coffee are my favorites. If I were given a choice between tea and coffee - of the type mentioned above, I would go for coffee.

I attempted to recall some of my favorite teas, but I could think of a couple. The tea at the Waterfall Estate outlet in Valparai was one of them. Among the three journeys I took to Valparai, south India, no trip is complete without tea at the outlet. I also enjoyed a tea I drank in the Nilgiris village of Yedappalli, and the Chamraj Tea Estate outlet has the best tea. 

(Waterfall Estate's cute little hut tea outlet.)

More than a month ago, I only drank milk-made tea, which is still the same I enjoy most of the time. I'm always looking for the finest tea and the best among them. My parents drink a specific brand of tea, but I used to switch brands to taste something better and better, but after a few cups, the taste returns to the same, regardless of the brand. 

When I visited Munnar in Kerala, I made it a point to visit the Tata Tea Museum and factory - which I will write about in a separate post. I tried a different tea at their store and bought a couple of packets of KannanDevan Tea, but what I tasted there was not the same as what I tasted at home. So I understand that the method of brewing tea makes a difference. 

Some time ago, I  tried Assam Masala Tea, or Chai as it is known in other regions of India. I enjoyed the aroma of the tea, which had a little spicy flavor. And we don't make it daily because it takes time to brew, unlike the traditional approach of tea powder dropped in boiling milk. I recently bought Darjeeling tea, which I had been planning to taste for quite some time. 

I learned Darjeeling tea is the finest tea in the world, and it was even a favorite of the late Queen of England, the great Elizabeth. Darjeeling tea is organic and hand-picked to be distinct for its label, and it tastes best when made with hot water rather than milk. I ordered Darjeeling black tea from Amazon, and because it was my first time, I chose tea bags over tea leaves.

I looked for an excellent Darjeeling tea on Amazon and chose Typhoo Darjeeling Black Tea Bags, whose price seemed reasonable and dependable after reading the reviews. I'm not sure which varieties are the best because this is my first time tasting this type of tea, but I'm happy with the flavor. I always want to taste the true essence of tea, and Typho's Black Tea is delivered on that front within a few minutes of dipping the tea bag.  

Typhoo Darjeeling Black Tea Bags came with an offer of two boxes of tea bags, each containing 25 tea bags. I was hesitant to buy it at first, but after taking a sip, I couldn't think of anything else except savor. 

Sign2

 

A beautiful sign points the way to an identical bungalow in Ooty, the queen of hill stations. I found this sign outside the cottage we stayed in Ooty during a visit some years ago. 

The sign (fixed to the rear bumper of the car) is the emblem of the State Government of Tamil Nadu, and the temple in the center (of the emblem) was the Srivilliputhur Andal Temple. The temple tower is one of the tallest among the temples of Tamil Nadu. The stamp on the cars means they belong to the state officials, and this one belongs to the collector of the CBE. I shot this during a visit to Valparai.

RGB Monday

Here is a kind of line houses in Valparai, what is just a piece of what was washed off in the recent landslides and flash flood in the high mountain ranges of Munnar; killing nearly 50 people belong to the families of tea labourers. The southwest monsoon is smashing around the Western Ghats Mountains of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and many a places are flooded and Munnar, a beautiful hill station in the Idukki district of Kerala is one of the top producers of tea and many a labours work here are from the plains of Tamil Nadu.

The landslide turned into a major disaster, where rescue operations are still underway as people are being dug out of the mud. The disaster location being close to the Anamudi, the highest peak of south India and the popular tourist spot (Eravikulam National Park) for Thar goat sighting, exposed to cold winds and rain to extend the rescue operation. Valparai is nothing less to Munnar, and these two places are bordered by a valley that separates the two states. And their living conditions were also similar and the workers were all settlers from the plains to work in the tea plantations. It’s the workers of Rajamalai tea estate went to grave before buried really. While the covid eradicating away the lives in plenty, the plane crash and landslides were doing their better half. Nature has its own plans and no one can predict its move and we could only mourn for those died.  

Thoovanam Waterfalls

During my travel to Munnar, through Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, we got to see this awesome waterfall from the road we are traveling between Udumalpet and Marayoor and it was flowing gracefully down the valley covered in dense forest. Thoovanam, meaning drizzling sky, is one of the beautiful waterfalls I have seen and though it flows far from where we stood watching its majesty, we could hear the rushing water cascading from a height of 82 feet.

Thoovanam could not stop us from thinking about Athirapally, the largest waterfall in Kerala on the Chalakudy River, which we checked while staying from Valparai in 2008. Though Thoovanam isn’t big as Athirapally, the way it looks resembles. Actually we missed a stop earlier on road, where we would have got a whole view of the waterfalls, but I was truly content from the location we stopped to watch and take photos as it gave a bit near view.

Thoovanam waterfalls from on the Pambar River that run down along the valley between the hills and dense forest, and the highway between Udumalapet and Munnar travels along the river which supposed to be originated at Anaimudi, the tallest peak of  South India. The Chinnar wildlife sanctuary offers trekking to the waterfall and the forest guided trek takes about 2-3 hours to cover 4km of stretch through wild forest and hills.

The valley view where the Pambar river winding through thick forest after magnificently fall as Thoovanam

Apt. to the name of waterfalls (Thoovanam) the weather was drizzling sky as we passed the mountain Ghats. Though our entire trip to Munnar in November was drizzling, rainy and foggy for the most gave far refreshing sight of many waterfalls and cool weather along our travel, Thoovanam as it flows through a pristine cover of forest green is spectacular to be watched again and again.

Travel through Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

A continuation of travel to Munnar…

Following Anamalai Tiger Reserve, we entered the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary as well as the state of Kerala crossing the border check posts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is facilitated with ecotourism where tourist can stay and enjoy wildlife from their rest houses and take safaris and hiking through forest. The Chinnar got its name from the river Chinnar, meaning small river, which travels long the northern edge of the sanctuary defining the state boundary of Tamil Nadu/Kerala by East-West.

(the monkey leaped on our car bonnet and we're force to roll up the windows)

It continues to be cloudy and slightly drizzle to keep environment wet as we travel for about 13km through the sanctuary and few kms from check post the Pambar River joins for company along the left side of the road and as we continue to elevate through hills the river travelled against us as gorge. We stopped at few places to watch the river flowing amid the wild forest and hills and at some places making beautiful waterfalls. Near the check post of the Sanctuary we are attracted to the handing bridges made for monkeys to cross the road, and we find couple of monkeys using the bridges, which remind me Valparai, where I saw the bridges made for same to the endangered Lion tailed macaques.  

With Eravikulam National Park to the south and Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary (Anamalai Tiger Reserve) to north and Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary to east, Chinnar forms an integral part of 1187 sq. km of protected forests. The road from Udumalpet-Munnar passes though the sanctuary, divides it into nearly equal portions and the Chinnar and Pambar rivers being a perennial of the sanctuary leads to Amaravati Dam after merging at the interstate boundary. The Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is home to 34 species of mammals including Tigers, Panthers, Elephants and Nilgiri Tahr and Indian star tortoise and mugger crocodiles live largely in the sanctuary.

A forest camp site is down the valley and close to the Pambar river

The Ecoregion of the sanctuary comprises mostly grassland and wet grasslands vegetation with 965 species of flowering plants and some South Western Ghats montane rain forest and moist deciduous forest and high sholas. The Maraoor sandalwood forest or reserve is located close to the sanctuary and Thoovanam waterfalls is a must watch for anyone on this route. More on later…

Pambar river creating little falls like flow

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Anamalai Tiger Reserve, Amaravathi division

Back on my travel experience to Munnar, and like I told in my earlier post on same it was drizzling or slowly showering as we moved out of the Udumalapet guest house. As we loved the taste of the dinner from Hotel Ariya Bhavan there, we hadn’t anything to choose for breakfast and as I want to be around the Tiger Reserve as early possible we took parcel from the hotel and ate before we enter the forest area. The Anamalai Tiger Reserve here comes under Amaravathi division, which is a part of the Anamalai Hills, a range of mountains in the southern part of Western Ghats.

I have been to the other parts of Anamalai Tiger Reserve, including the tourist attracts Topslip and Valparai and I have even went to Amaravathi Dam and Crocodile park adjoining the Tiger Reserve. A ranger whom we met here took us on a brief ride into the forest when checking Amaravathi Nagar in 2008, but since I know the road from here goes to Munnar, I wanted to take this road when I travel to same. Actually it become a dream for me to take this road, as it passes through two wildlife sanctuaries, it would be a great opportunity to see wild animals at their abode.

Herd of deer staring at us through bushes (all pics can be enlarged)

I want to be there early in morning so that more animals could be sighted, but we couldn’t make up before 9 am, the time we reached the forest check post. While dad went to sign the register, the guard who came checking the car protested for taking our pet dog into the tiger reserve and he insist for veterinary certificate to give permit. We are told that allowing outside animals have a risk of spreading disease to other wild animals, if the one have any and the veterinary certificate is must to ensure the dog is healthy. But his higher officer just instructed to not let down the dog anywhere until moved out of the tiger reserve.

The traffic free forest road though Anamalai Tiger Reserve, and the border check post near Chinnar wildlife sanctuary

We could understand why they are strict with outside animals but we haven’t faced anything like this earlier even though we have stayed in Topslip (one of the core area), Valparai and Cloud Mountain with high fauna. We aren’t complaining anyway but rather happy that forest department is conscious in preserving the wild animals and this would help us be cautious in future travels with dog. The entire stretch of tiger reserve was wet and drizzling with haze, though the weather was pleasant it don’t give hand in spotting wild animals, perhaps they too don’t like dampness or hideaway in absence  of sunlight.

They told only in evening animals come into sight mostly or should be early in morning, but this unusual weather of showering and fog kept away the little opportunities. We encountered only couple of vehicles in opposite and few overtaking us, as we drove slowly, the road was far empty. The Anamalai Tiger Reserve is a blend of wet evergreen forest, marshes and grass lands covering a total area of 1479 sq. km includes a core area of 958. Sq. km and Amaravathi cover 172.5 sq. km.

Within few kms into the forest we saw a herd of Chital, aka spotted deer, staying and staring from the thicket. My cousin has keen eyes for deer, and alike many a time; he spotted the deer which could be easily missed. It looked like a family of deer, from fawns to well gown with big antlers. They stared at us for few seconds before turn their attention somewhere and marched forward. Where there’s lot of deer means a favourable circumstance for tigers, while deer’s are there favourite prey and according to the census the tiger reserve is home to 32-36 tigers. 

Few kms from there the backwaters of Amaravathi reservoir come to sight. Perhaps due to less water, it looked like swamp and guess animals would come visiting this place to drink water or feed on vegetation.

Vultures on prey

Our next stop was an encounter of vultures prey on some flesh at distance. First thought it was peahens but they haven’t look alike and this is the first time seeing vultures in wild. As we near the border check post (between Tamil Nadu and Kerala) found some peahens around grazing buffaloes, which we though was wild ones but realized soon it should belong to the people around check post. The Chinnar River that crosses here marks the border between the two states, from where the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary begins – which could be my later post. 

Hideout

After checking Lovedale railway station, near Ooty, on the 3^rd day of our travel to Nilgiris we encountered a Bison while looking for a place to have lunch. Driving further on the isolated Lovedale road adjoining the backyard of the Lawrence School we come to halt on the roadside to have lunch, but we unnoticed there was a Bison (Indian Gaur) standing at a height of about 15 foot vertically from where we stood.

We almost decided to get down but heard the rustle sound in the bushes above and it was a bison grazing and hiding among the bushes. Though it isn’t a huge one and standing on the edge of the vertically down, it’s impossible for it to climb down or leap off but parents were not willing to stop there so we move on to another spot. Before doing so, tried to capture the Indian gaur hiding in the bushes and what you see here were visible then.

The Indian Bison or Indian Gaur is a strong and massively built species, the largest extant bovine, native to South Asia. Gaurs are black in color while females are brown, but both the hide of male and female Gaurs is white below the knee of each leg. I have seen Indian gaurs in the mountains of Kodaikanal and Valparai, but it continues to excite seeing in wild.  

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Gonna miss you, Achu!

Just a year back Achu’s family shifted to the house behind us (as we reside in row house) and within a couple of months we become familiar and friends later. Though Achu become my best friend, I really wonder how I miss writing or sharing photos (except on Instagram) of him here, but I think we become too close to write something specific about him and he was there even at times unexpected. He’s very special to me in many ways and he’s someone always knock at the door with pristine love and he becomes so attached to me only lately but now he’s supposed to move on L

Achu’s father was transferred to Bangalore and he will be leaving us in a week or some time. For about a year I have been watching him (and now he’s 2 ½ age), he’s been growing though best parenting I could say for sure. He’s very quiet and approach things at easy and patience. I really amaze at his attitude even at this little age, which is indeed comes from his parents who has been friendly and down to earth. He never took anything from others and even as friends he refuses to take anything from us unless showing it to his mom and we never discouraged him on this front.

His parent’s trust us, as well as Achu agree to be carried away only by mom. He developed an attachment very soon with mom and even our puppy Maya become familiar with his sounds and smell; almost maintain silence whenever he enters our home freely.  We even unlock the little gate when Maya is tied so that he don’t find difficult in opening and  he is fearless coming close to Maya and she’s also forceless. Achu is a great observer and watches things patiently and try to apply it through his innocent pace. Even my relative’s kids who has the rights to call me mama (uncle) doesn’t calling or visiting me but each time he utter the word,  with sheer innocent, I quite feel connected and content. I actually feel Achu’s approach fills the crave for a kid at home and we treat him as our own kid and he keeps calling mom (as grandma) and take her to his house and ask to sit-down.

The entire scene used to be sweet and his parents watch his attitude with admiration, and if my wheelchair ramp is laid at the doorstep he call me to come down to play with him. He likes seeing me coming up/down the ramp (and he calls this swwing, the sound of sliding) and then he used to bring his cycle and try the same. He note how I put into the wheelchair and how footrest and board is placed and try to do same. He likes bison (Indian guar) which he had seen during his trip to Valparai and he wants me to show bison on laptop and leaning on me he keeps asking for other animals and birds. The way he takes rights on me truly make me feel happy and thinking now, that he will be away soon I would really miss him, as well as my family.

On  his  little bike

His innocent giggle, smile and cry for silly things make me watch light-hearted. And something very sweet about his cry was he sound like a newly born.  Absolutely he’s a gifted child and I am really glad to share his giftedness though their stay as next door resident. Like I said above, Achu’s parents are very friendly and used to share their happiness and grief with us and only because of their pressure (to the landlords) a ramp was built in front of the house to prevent water entering the house. It was an unexpected move even for them and they too feel unhappy for gonna be parted. I know nothing is stable in this world; and this move too will have something better for both. Let’s hope. 

Achu's  sketching around mom's kolam

Church and Fence

Valparai, near Coimbatore, is a green carpet of Tamil Nadu due to its abundant tea plantation and rolling grasslands.  Each tea estate there has a small settlement that provides basic amenities to their employers including places of religious worship like temples and churches.

Each estate has a temple and church built in simple yet beautiful and colorful structure to capture our attention. But the church above stood opposite to our relative’s house in Valparai town at the residential area of the same. Named as St. Luke's R.C. Syrian Church, has a beautiful architecture that slightly lookalike crown and interesting steeple design beside the bell tower.

My first time visit to Valparai happened during Christmas time and this church was decorated by serial lights that continued to illuminate throughout the nights. They had also built a birth of Christ that was wonderful checking out… but accidentally all the photos taken that night was erased from camera and I even lost my DVD that hold my initial trip to Valparai in 2008. The above ones are shot in 2014 and I also liked the fence (with flowers) built upon the compound wall around the church. 

Linking this post for Good Fences by Run a Round Ranch

From this moment on...

There are innumerable moments in life but remembering one particular moment where I took oath to do or not something is pretty hard to recollect. I haven’t took anything serious to remember a moment but there are certain places, in the journey of life, the collection of phases from different time moment converts me to be like this and that. I love traveling from the beginning and I could not sleep well (in the excitement) whenever I know I’m going to travel by next day but until 2006 or before started bogging I wasn’t passionate on traveling. I bought internet connection in 2003-04 mainly for learning about places and checking it virtually as I could not go to see all the places due to my immobility, at least let me explore the places online.

Pic by Jeevan

In Dec 2005, we bought an apartment flat and moved out of our native house, and during that event my uncle captured some photos with his digital camera which I uploaded in my computer and shared on the blog. This was the turning point and the feel I got by sharing photos and friend’s feedback inspired me to show more interest on photography. Then on I kept looking forward for a camera to shoot and share. At this moment, understanding my interest, my cousin’s conveyed my desire to his father who in return giveaway his camera to me and thus began the journey, the inspiration for the travel. The May 2006 Kodaikanal vacation ignites both the interest and rather taking portraits and group photos my passion for nature shoot began there.

But the real excitement of photography and traveling begin in year 2008, when I upgraded to 8 megapixel camera from the mere 3 mp and the micro mode in that makes feel delight shooting items on close distance and getting enriched detail. The Valparai visit on the same year was my first adventure travel and wild shooting. And writing about my experience and narrating the stories of traveling was another exciting phase I always look forward to relive the moments through words and photos. To say from this moment on, photography and traveling has transformed my intention of living and my blogging style also become different from just knowledge and facts based posts. And to say from this moment on, blogging has changed me so much and gave some hope to look forward in life. 

For A Week for Writing: Prompt 97 - From this moment on

Grandfather passed away…

The year had end for us with greater destruction and sorrow sent down to heart. Missing someone who’s dear, when we’re looking forward with hope and improvement in health is something painful to bear.  Although my grandfather wasn’t well for last few months, he continue to show hope through his little gestures and when the force inside him decides to stop, no one could do anything and at least he exhale at peace (just like his desire to go home) is consoling. As you all know my grandfather has been with us until three months back, though it was for a short term, the time spent with him and grandmother was precious and never going to replace anything. He’s someone great at expressing through his eyes and I always see a yearning in his eyes for me. His affection and care is something very special for me and is always evident through his eyes. Though he couldn’t’ speak more and make gestures easily, I understand him quite well (I guess) but I can’t explain how much I loved him and mean to me. He’s been our great well-wisher and what and where we are today is only because of his chief intention and selfless being provided us so many advantages in life.

With my grandparents, during one of our traveling to Valparai

He had been a hard worker and active being until he decides to retire from his dairy business. But what brought him more down was the demise of my uncle in 2001 and just being idle draws greater setback at his health and a cardiac arrest in later years and expose to Parkinson’s put him out of action. We never expected him to become so infirmity as early as 70s (though he died at the age of about 77), while many older than him were progressing well. I’m one of his concerns to feel regret and many a time he had felt sorrow for my state of unable. Though the memories of him are immense and certain things are impossible to forget, and during the days of school, he used to pick me in his bicycle if I received none. Putting the bags on the handlebar, he used to pedal me to home taking on pillion since my latter school was nearby his house. In later days he used to drive me daily to a clinic in T. Nagar here, where I took Ayurveda treatment for some time. Driving through the heavy morning traffic is a true venture in his way of driving, and he managed it only because of the eagerness to see me as a normal being.

He had scolded me and also embraced at same, as he always had a special attention towards me. Until 2012 he had been traveled with me for many places, as I love doing so, he and granny had been great companions for us and moreover I enjoyed taking them along and I also thought they deserve going out, as they spent most of their lifetime for others comfort and prevented to be outside. Though his bad health condition is the cause for his loss of life, he has been emotionally disturbed by others or changes in their attitudes, forgetting whatever he had done and just for the brief of ego and updating their fake statues, made him feel anguished. If there’s something to exhibit purity, I think grandparents love and affection has a large space to accommodate. What the old age people anticipate from their children, as well as the grand ones was to make feel comfort, which I think, exists only by reflecting what we receive from them and that happens through sharing. Though my grandpa’s demise left a deep sadness and hollow in our lives, the consoling thing was that we had been around him and also got to spent time back at home (when he was staying with us) before the unexpected blow.

I know he lived a content life and his death was also peaceful and concluded without pain. But grandma’s state really makes us all worry. She has broken down quite when let know grandfather is no more and also become fragile weeping all the time from the moment doctor declared his death. Grandfather got a severe heart attack on 30^th night and become unconscious when transferring to hospital where they told he has died on the way or at home. After years I visited my grandparent’s house to pay my respect for the grandfather, who was kept at his newly built home, which was constructed mainly for his comfort of living and grandparent’s moved to this house only 3 months back. Grandma couldn’t console the loss and the struggles she took to make certain he’s well and his needs are addressed to become nothing now make her feel lost. I don’t know how to console her and seeing me she burst into emotions as she knew how much I love him and they petted me. Wondering what would have been filled in his mind during the last moment of breath, which I believe, perhaps, how granny going to accept his destiny? I know it’s impossible to anticipate feeling better soon from granny, but I do hope she come up from his loss and lead her remaining life at peace in the embrace of his dear ones like us. 

RGB Monday (doors and frames)

Red door frame of a Christian shrine in Mamallapuram.

Green door and window of a house in village near Thandikudi, on the lower Palani hills (Kodai hills)

Bluely painted door and windows of an incomplete home in Valparai... though unfinished I find the sight very pretty to photo shoot. The house was neatly arranged with flowerbed on both sides of the blue frame.

Grandpa at Home

After 10 days of hospitalized mygrandpa (maternal) returned to our home rather going to his. He was going through age related problems and also a patient of Parkinson found very difficult in walking and standing lately and with sore knee and foot on day other he was forced to move to the hospital when his condition becomes worse. He was staying (along with grandma and uncle’s family) in the 1^st floor of their home and shifting to the hospital was very difficult and only with the help of ambulance we were able to do the transfer when he refused to stand.

Grandma and grandpa going through newspapers during a vacation in Valparai

He had a higher blood sugar (levelled nearly 450) when tested at the hospital which seems to be the main cause of unhealed wound and increased knee pain that put him immobile. Once at hospital with medication and a small surgery on the sore heel makes his condition much better and he also shows good improvement on his mobility by doing physiotherapy. Although he regains certain actions and good at pace, he couldn’t obtain the ability to climb steps which prevented him from going back to his home in 1^st floor.

It’s been a long time dream for me staying with my grandparents; we are so glad about their move since we are staying at a ground floor house, accommodating my grandfather is quite easy. But the only thing that bothers us was his health condition; although we feel happy for sharing/staying with them I wished he was good enough to celebrate the moments we were longing for. My grandparents usually refuse to stay with us – perhaps because not to give we trouble anyways – except the moment while travelling or going on vacations.

Our grandparents have done a lot for us and for the comfort of living their sacrifices were immense. I think it’s our right/duty to take care of them when they can’t do things on their own. I know it is a temporary stay for them until their new home (which is under construction right now next to their current house) in ground floor is ready in 2-3 months. But I cherish the moment being with them and sharing things together. After we lost our great grandmother (paternal) 7 years back, they are the only elderly people in our family (who love us unconditionally) whom we really need to protect. 

A brief on my early vacation come travel to Thandikudi and Cloud Mountain!

Usually we go for vacation in midsummer to keep ourselves away from hot weather and chill sometime in pretty cool mountains/hill stations while visiting places in and around the destination. Although I have visited almost hill stations/mountains within the state of Tamil Nadu, I still believe there is a lot to be explored and experienced. Each time I plan to visit mountains or any other place, I look forward to go beyond tourism and take roads that less traveled and places explored at least.  This time too, though, went to the places that I have been already, I tried to explore things that missed last time and observing more the nature and environment and experience things leisurely.

After a gap of two years, I visited the mountains of Kodaikanal and stayed at Thandikudi followed by Cloud Mountain’s – which are a part of Western Ghats, from March 20-25. I was looking forward for a break/change from regular life since it’s been nearly a year I had vacation (in Ooty-Valparai) or traveled long, I decided to be earlier mainly to prevent the season’s crowd and easy accommodation at less fare/tariff. Being a month ahead to midsummer, it’s already terrific hot here and as we began the journey the sun was almost up in the sky shimmering bright, which is one of unusual with this travel as we always begin our journey early morning so that could easily get out of the city before it get congested and lesser heat.

One of the cottage we stayed at Thandikudi

Our drive from home till the foothill of Thandikudi/Kodaikanal was under scorching sun, which we felt heavily on the national highways in lack of trees and the A/C in the car also went frozen to block the blowers. The heat was able to make feel even driving upon the mountains and being unseasoned to rain there wasn't a piece of cloud to hold umbrella. The coldness on the mountains was also not so high and bearable with plain blankets at night and only in the morning the chillness is felt. We had booked rooms in the Panchayat Union’s Narumana Kudil (fragrant hut/cottage), which we early stayed and it is one of the very few accommodates available at Thandikudi apart couple of high fee resorts.

And it is a wonderful place to stay and watch birds alongside. But this time it wasn't fair enough to allow me to wander its premises, encompassed by coffee plantations and canopy of trees, because of lack of maintenance and unclean of fallen leaves gives a strange look across to move around. Moreover I didn't get the room I was looking for, which would ease my access through wheelchair so that I could come in and out of the room without much difficult. While booking in, itself we stressed for that particular room but those communicated hadn't conveyed it clearly to the management who had rented the room to some other. So I had to be transferred to a chair before getting in and out of the room to overcome a huge step and then back to wheelchair/car to move around.

The beauty of Kodaikanal Lake, illuminates in eventide sunlight

I expected to spent much time outside the room looking for birds i.e. it is a bird paradise in itself with many distinct bird species, even though I listen to their chirrups in various tones, I find only few birds with capable to shoot while others were tiny ones which treats me with sweet tweets.  We stayed there for three nights and two days, which was spent mostly on drive and discovering new places/routes that I wanted to do for some time – will write more about it in detail later. I hope my future visits/stay at Thandikudi would be fine due to my uncle’s (mom’s sister husband) construction of guesthouse there, beside the coffee and orange plantations he bought two years back.

During my stay, I visited Kodaikanal only for a brief moment and took a leisure ride around the lake while capturing some photos and having a cup of coffee, we head back to room by late evening after purchasing some homemade chocolates. We haven’t planned to visit Kodaikanal that day as we are intended to stay there later; it was our car that forced us to check the princess of hills as it refused to start suddenly we are either to go to Vathalagundu (at the foothill) or Kodaikanal to rectify, we chose Kodai so that we don’t need to get down the hills. While the day went like that and the other spent on exploring some Ghats sections, the real excitement of the entire vacation was the chance to visit Cloud Mountain aka Megamalai!

The place where we stayed in backdrop of Highwavys dam at Cloud Mountain

I have been to this part of Western Ghats Mountains in 2009, but I haven’t done a post or write a piece on the pristine mountains that guard the Cumbum Valley from the east. It is one of the few places where nature exists at its best/pristine stage and human intervention is at least. I avoided writing about this place and posting pictures then to do a bit on preserving and preventing exposure as I never want it to be seen as another spoiled hill station. I think it is a place not for tourist activities but to admire and experience nature. At about 1500 meter, the cloud mountain is dedicated to tea plantations and it comes under the High Wavy Township which is one among the three major tea estates who leased the land for 99 years.

Getting there is not an easy task and one really needs a high ground clearance vehicle to venture the road that almost an off-road journey. One can drive up to High Wavy (there is also bus service) somehow, but trying to go beyond is painful. We haven’t planned to visit Cloud Mountain but it came as an offer from my cousin brother, whom we sought for booking rooms in Kodaikanal, and upon our willingness he booked rooms for us in the High Ways IB (inspection bungalow). I was telling to my dad, very lately, that we should go to Cloud Mountain once again, a place I visited as a day travel in 2009, I couldn't say no when someone offered such an opportunity. I was quite delighted to spend two days stood between dense forest, tea gardens and dams/lake in front and rear.

More for later... 

Short coconut palms

Pollachi (near Coimbatore) is very popular for coconuts and also called as coconut country, contributes two third of totally productivity in Tamil Nadu. I have been to Pollachi more than couple of times, while on my ways to Valparai and Topslip; I come across number of coconut groves or road traveled amid them.

The trees stands tall all make wonderful sight across the region but during my drive to Topslip, we were surprise to see short coconut palms with bunch of coconuts hanging very close to ground at the village called Sethumadai. The coconut grove was neatly fenced in thorn wires and stone poles painted in white. But actually the fence doesn’t fascinate me then, like the short coconut palms.

I link the post for Run A Round Ranch's Good Fences

A brief account on my vacation (to Ooty and Valparai)

I skipped last week’s intense summer heat by going on chill vacation to Ooty and nature’s paradise Valparai. I was in need of a break from the routine, as well for a change (since a year I traveled anywhere long) and as an alternate route to keep away the misery haunted lifelong; the hot weather wants me to drive somewhere to keep sometime cool enough. Ooty wasn’t so cold and surprisingly it had a best climate I ever experienced there and the sun was shining so bright over the Blue Mountains, enhances the spirit rather being laze inside the clouded atmosphere.

First time I took a night travel to Ooty from Chennai and it is also the first time for me to take an overnight travel to any other destination. I hesitated when my parents decided to take night ride to avoid traveling in day hot weather and to adjust room rent, but later convinced to take since it is first time for me, I decided to experience it. I doesn't find any difficult during the journey and we traveled at limited speed covering Vellor, Krishnagiri, Mettur and Mettupalayam and the dawn was really enchanting with warm sunlight embracing the cold morning.

Even though it was comfort during the night journey, I felt fainting and sleepiest the whole day getting down in Ooty. Glad we haven’t planned anything that day, and stayed at the cottage and had delicious Biriyani and watching TV and cherished the pleasant cold weather. I was disappointed with few things anticipated over there and one among them was the cottage we stayed in. I looked for cottages in Ooty at Olx.com and few other websites related to Ooty and found a home which would be suitable for 12 of us to stay and esp. a ground floor for my convenience.

Avalanche Lake (click pic for enlarge)

Being a peak season time, getting a suite is also not easy and prices a lot. So we had no other option rather booking the cottage and what I saw on the net weren't we stayed, but it was another one somewhat compact and enough for only 8 members and others were stayed at another place, which they used only for sleeping at night. The cottage was little away from the city center, so it was calm to stay at somehow peace and even it was a little home, looked pretty neat and painted in vibrant yellow and green. Each room had a TV, which is nothing but the free TV sets distributed by govt.

Another disappointment came in different form and for that I can’t blame anybody rather myself, because I put it into a casual mode since I heard or those conveyed me made certain that we need no permission to visit Parson Valley. ‘Just making a note at the forest check post before entering is enough.’  We were close to the Parson Valley Lake or about 1.5 km from the site, the forest officers stopped us denied permitting inside and also warned that coming such long itself need permission. The road to the valley is quite rough and we traveled in two cars, and our SUV has no issue with such roads, but uncle’s Hyundai Accent with bad tyres made a great attempt surviving the road… it feels sad taking such a path with nothing to hold back.

Making it as a more special vacation, I met my dearest friend Andrew who was also on a trip to Ooty while we were. Couple of day before leaving, I casually asked him seeing his photos taken in Ooty at Facebook and he told he’s boarding flight tomorrow to reach there and I also conveyed my visit and we both felt happy and made sure meeting each other. He was staying at his friend’s place that was very close to where we accommodate, and he made a leisure walk to our cottage the next morning, making it more refreshing and cheerful day.  He brought me warmth hug and sweet embrace making quite delight and I really enjoyed the moment even it was brief.

Valparai (click pic for enlarge)

We spent just two days in Ooty and moved to Valparai. Since my uncle and aunt hadn’t been with us during our last two trips to Valparai, we decided to give them a chance to visit. We haven’t really planned to visit Valparai and it was a decision taken only after reaching Ooty and it wasn't the best time of the year to visit Valparai (I always want to be there only at post monsoon when the entire landscape shimmers in green and full-fledged water bodies). Being a month of summer, Valparai was little busy unlike ever, perhaps because both our early visits were during winter.

I have covered almost places in Valparai in my previous visits and this time just revisited few places where people usually go as tourist reaching Valparai. I hear few tourists saying there’s nothing to see in Valparai, but I only thought that they need to develop their mind to grasp the beauty of nature dumped over everywhere there. Valparai isn’t quite a tourist oriented place, but there’s a lot to perceive and it is a place that geographically significant and everyone need to travel with consciousness preserving the   large biodiversity exhibits there.

Valparai is also an engineering marvel with number of water bodies interconnected through tunnels and contour canal, setting an example how rivers could be connected. We traveled to Sholayar Dam, Nirar and Balaji Temple, but I wasn't content with the sights this time except for the visible of wild elephants, Indian Gaurs, Lion-tailed macaque and barking deer. I was excited to encounter these wild animals and riding thought the winding Ghats of Valparai is quite another pleasure I enjoyed through the leisure drive this time.  I had a wonderful time with my family at both the destinations, make quite lovely despite passing various phases of frustrate and surprise. 

Balsam bloomed @ home

First time I saw the balsam in Valparai, on the Western Ghats and it was bloomed in gorgeous red! Impressed in its beautiful and colorful flowers, my grandmother collected some seeds from there and sowed at our flower pots and in her backyard. The plant grows very fast and looked like small trees grown in pots, but they haven’t flowered and we also stopped watering the plant and later cleared the pots to plant other.

The balsam plant, which is native to the Himalayas has colorful blossoms and also sweet scented. Just look like an orchid growing in the wild, the balsam plant grows in hilly regions and does not require much watering. The plant grows in large numbers and sometimes the whole mountainous region where the plant is seen is covered with pink or red. The balsam plant has a unique way of propagation, which develops seed pods that burst and spreads the seeds far away.

The flap of a petal which looks like a helmet and this plant is also called the policeman’s helmet. The plant grows for two to three feet and flowers profusely, have leaves bright green in color growing in central arrangement and have wavy edges. The balsam blooms almost similar to rose flowers, look like roses from far and only the fact that they don’t have thorns.

The balsam grows and blooms during summers and beginning of rains, has shown blossom now at home and not from our pot, but the tenants who share our house in upstairs. They have kept their flower pots in front of our house, which we water daily since they haven’t occupied quite yet.