Munnar, Travel in Brief

The entire travel (from Nov 26 to Dec 2) has been really cool and comfort and except couple of sunshine moments, the travel was indeed cloudy, misty and rainy. Thanks to the low pressure and cyclone Ockhi, though it created a great destruction in Kanyakumari/Kerala and blocking certain views during my travel, the sun got total holiday from the sky. The weather was very pleasant when we started our journey from home early in morning and was drizzling though hazy just out of the city. We took OMR to reach the highway and being Sunday roads are bare enough and we felt quick transit entirely and reached our destination (Udumalpet) earlier by 4 pm and settled in the room in about an hour.

Man driving cows in drizzling rain near Udumalpet

Following dinner, we also took our breakfast from Hotel Ariya Bhavan (which was really tasteful) on Munnar-Udumalpet Rd before move into the mountains of Munnar, via Anamalai Tiger Reserve and Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary. Munnar is about 85km from Udumalpet, though it was slightly drizzling all the way to the town, we passed through heavy mist that blocked the sights of certain places including the chance of closely watching the Anamudi, the highest peak after Himalayas in India. But it wasn’t disappointed me anyway since the mist and rain has put us in sheer delight of watching number of waterfalls from the fresh mountain streams. We reached Munnar by noon, and after buying lunch we moved to the cottage (Tea Drops plantation) we have already booked.

Driving through the mist and rain in Munnar

It was really a wonderful place (nestled 7 km away from Munnar) to stay rest and relax among the coffee and cardamom plantations, and its owner Lijo is a friendly person and helps in any other ways. Except the three steps to get into the cottage, it wasn’t difficult to stay around, though it was an old house renovated into a cottage the owner has made things simply neat and hygiene. But the only thing bothered us was the way leading to the cottage. It was about 200 meters down from the main road with a narrow steep road, which at glance felt impossible to climb down or up, but we made it using our SUV which is quite difficult for any other cars.  They provide Jeep support for those come by car to be parked at their Pvt. Parking, but we took risk as I wouldn’t be comfy at their Jeep.

Night effect in Tea Drops plantation cottage

Staying there we visited various places and sightseeing from the two day and three nights. We missed many views as most viewpoints are covered in mist by the time we check, which is perhaps because of the storm but glad there wasn’t heavy rain alike we travelled to Ramakkalmedu, before climbing down the hills. The highway was like a gushing river and the muddy waters were running down the road/hillside and once rain over, mist over take. We couldn’t see anything at the Ramakkalmedu, popular for high blowing wind and viewpoint and shooting spot. The grass mound here has a huge statue of Kuravan Kurathy, a tribal couple, to mark the Sangam landscape and period.

A pleasant view on mountains and tea slopes of Munnar,  and there's a falls beneath, which u could  see in further post

Actually we planned to stay at Cumbum or Theni before taking the long back journey to home, but took a day rest at my uncle’s woodhouse in the mountains of Kodaikanal. We climbed down via Cumbum valley and took the scenic highway, which is my favourite route that travels along the Western Ghats and reached Kodai Ghats section by evening. I thoroughly enjoyed the travel between Cumbum and Kodai and the mountains covered in clouds and lush green fields, along drizzling weather was awesome feel. I also took a short detour to stop at my favourite spot (which u saw in my previous post) to take some shots, but I was disappointed a bit to see two big banners blocking the view.

Breathtaking view on the beauty of Theni, and mountains covered in clouds

We reached the woodhouse by late evening, but it was a real challenge than the entire trip because the road to woodhouse (in Thandikudi) from the Kodaikanal main road was quite lost in mist. The visibility was very very low and we couldn’t see anything beyond two or three feet and the road was a single lane, though there wasn’t a vehicle opposite finding the road and bends were challenging. I open the Google map and using the GPS I kept telling my cousin the curves ahead and  it was really tremble passing the deep valleys. Our entire stay at the woodhouse was under mist, cold and heavy rain. Even Munnar wasn’t cold enough, but this is first time I experience heavy mist and cold in Thandikudi, where it is rainy season. And we returned home on Saturday  (Dec 2) evening.

On a dream travel

Been sometime took a long journey and explore places for the first and Munnar is one of my dream destination I have planned to visit next week and I’m so excited to take the travel through Anamalai Tiger Reserve and Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary instead the national highways. I have prepared my own route map that travel through the interiors (small cities and towns) that get me glimpses of many places which I miss a lot traveling on National Highways. I have been trying to achieve this trip for last few years, only this year things came closer. Actually I want to be there last month, as soon the southwest monsoon end but for some reasons it was postponed and I really don’t want to delay future so thus leaving off on Sunday.

During my stay at the woodhouse in Kodaikanal in July, I went up to the foothills of Munnar while took a drive to Kurangani aka Bottom Station in the Bodi valley. It was a former tram station where goods are transported from the mountains via Top Station in Munnar before loaded into Lorries. It’s time for explore the above - Munnar and I will leave you with a view on the mountains of Munnar, I shot long back on my way to cloud mountain. This is one of my favourite locations on the road to Cumbum valley near Veerapandi, but this spot hides away since the highway take detour. Hope to take many lovely photos from the travel and you all take care

Fence and Flowers – Pinto Premium White to Rose

During my visit to Kodaikanal, staying from uncle’s woodhouse in Thandikudi, in July, I come across some fence and pretty flowers around the star shaped Kodaikanal Lake. Spending time on the Kodai lake/road in evenings have been my favourite pastime whenever I was in Kodai, and sipping hot tea/coffee from the roadside shop while embracing the cold mountain weather produce a soothe feeling. There’s something always to watch out being around the lake, either people pedalling boats or riding horses or cycling around the lake and reflection of trees, colourful shops and fences and gates of houses around the lake road. And here’s a fence around a corner of the lake road, with pretty flowers bloomed from inside. My Google search revealed the bunch of pink flowers bloomed inside the fence was Pinto Premium White to Rose Geranium.

Pinto Premium White to Rose offers a unique coloration of giant 5-inch flower heads, with petals start out white turn deepen to rose-pink as flowers mature gives an pretty bicolour effect. The plants sport deep green leaves with darker zones that contrast beautifully with the light colored flowers.

Pinto Premium is a great choice for carefree, colourful summer garden beds or patio containers, bloom from the end of April until October. It prefers full to partial sun and regular deadheading for best appearance and flower production. 

Linking this post for  Good Fences by Gosia and Floral  Friday Foto 

Beautiful Lights/Lamps

I like capturing beautiful lamps from the rooms where I stay during my travel. Though I capture anything that attracts me in a room, the lamps and their lights take my attention as soon I enter. Though I’m always open to windows, sometime it’s the light and lamps create beautiful ambiance and mood to stay in the room.  The elegant lights and lamps here were shot from the room where I stayed in Ooty, in April, and I find it delicate to produce a flimsy effect to stay within. For the light blue coloured walls the lamps are ornate. 

Cute lil Squirrel

A squirrel shrilling from the backyard in the morning, reminds me it’s Saturday. I’m still wondering what’s the connection between Saturday and squirrels, since childhood I hear to squirrels shrill mostly in the Saturday mornings. Usually it takes me back in memories about certain moments connected with squirrels and Saturday, but this time it remind me the little squirrel I found in the backyard of my uncle’s woodhouse, in the Kodai hills, aka Thandikudi. The woodhouse has a wonderful balcony at the rear open to the woods and vegetation, where I bird watch when I was there, I also find squirrels on the tree. Last time I found a little squirrel which seems to be residing on the jackfruit tree because rather jerking it doesn’t move anywhere or know how to climb down. While busy with other activates, I forget to check the squirrel other day whether it still perched over, but he was a cute little one where I found him even sleep on the branches and quick respond to any sound as a sign of alert. I found two more squirrels there and will share those photos in another post. 

 

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

Monsoon and Cold

Rain has come down after more than a week of heavy to moderate rainfall, since the beginning of northeast monsoon the weather is awesome cool. Last Thursday (Nov 2) the rain touched its peak of 300mm, creating a feel/fear of flooding, though the suburbs witnessed floodwater due to low-lying landscape, the city recedes to normal in a day or two. Marina Beach, which has been the downpour at core, continued to lie under flood water for and we received water up to our doorstep but glad the water doesn’t enter the home. Though not fully, the corporation had done a bit by cleaning at least around the manholes of stormwater drain to let in water and the ramp we built at the entrance of the house prevented the entry of street water. It was one of the long lasted rains for Chennai after long time and the rains of Monday (Oct 30) and Thursday was heaviest to create temporary pools.

The weather doesn’t turn only cooler but also caught cold in me. It’s giving immense trouble lately and I’m on medicine for a week now, but still couldn’t come out clearly. I haven’t caught cold in last two years and I took pride about it, but the recent change in weather and other causes has put down the grade! Lol... Spitting and snuffling continue to irritate me and kept me away from online activities including blogging. I read no blog all these days and obviously no update too… but was on Facebook for rain updates and news relevant to same. Glad the rain decided to take break which sure will help water recede in the suburbs or aid authorities to take further steps, and really need to say the govt. worked better than previous flooding, but still it wasn’t enough. Wish they make certain all the channels are clear so that it won’t be a disaster monsoon.  No doubt that we need rains, and draining/storing the water properly is quite important. 

Reflection in rainwater: Picture captured through the stagnant water into our courtyard and it was shot when the water receded almost... on  the bottom of the compound wall in left, you could see a line which marks  the water level rises inside.