I rattled off the details of our trip at break neck speed for fear of forgetting the sequence of events but there are several other revealing things about this trip. For example the chai-coffee-icecream n tid bits shop at the entrance of Nisargadhama at the heart of coffee country (and I mean filter coffee of the strong aroma and fresh coffee bean kind) serves only nescafe instant coffee, from those typical machines! Stranger than the beef at the monastery! Everywhere else we found the refreshing filter coffee in small steel glasses. But the best coffee according to us was at Eka a restaurent which is on the road leading from our hotel to the Raja's Seat side which claims to serve 'traditional kodagu' fare. The food was good too, but the jaggery coffee there was out of this world. The Mr and I had two cups each just before boarding the night bus because we found the place on the last evening. We would have to stay awake in any case in the bus! But I did catch my forty winks after all!
I first say the flowering coffee plants on the way to Bhagamandala. My children and I were sitting on the long seat next to the diver. A couple with their two children were sitting with us. I first got the sweet smell and wondered in my mind what it could be. Then I saw orchard after orchard of these bushes full of white flowers hanging in clusters. "This must be a mulberry bush and they must be breeding silk worms here" thought I in my ignorance. Then my daughter asked me "what flowering plant is that" I said grandly "these are mulberry bushes, the silk worm lives there," after a pause I said, "silk worm rearing is called seri-culture" when my daughter said " May I sing 'here we go round the mulberry bush'?" the gentleman sitting next to me could not stand it any longer and said-" these are coffee bushes and it is springtime now and those are coffee flowers which flower in spring and then turn into coffee beans"... there was shocked silence after that speech, and it all started coming back to me--'Madikeri, coffee country...strong coffee... coffee plantations 'etc read in the traveller's guide books. OOps goof up! I reminded myself of the lady in Delhi zoo who saying to her son in front of the rhino's cage- "beta ye dekh hippopotamus"- and when they came to the hippo's cage I heard the lady enquire "ae ki hai?"
Anyhow ,humiliation over we became quite friendly with the family. A young relative of their's had boarded the bus from a plantation. She smiled when we said that the coffee flowers smelt very sweet, she said after sometime they give you a headache. I realised that too much of a good thing may not be good.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Mesmerising Madikeri
We are back folks...guys?...anybody out there?...anyhow no time for all that, even 2b's mom seems to have ditched me after the tag fiasco! Well have to record the absolutely fabulous time we had at Madikeri so on I plod or spring should I say? We took the KSTC volvo bus Thursday afternoon and after a pleasant ride, through Mysore (which is half way between Bangalore and our destination) We caught a glipmse of the grand Mysore palace from the bus.We reached Madikeri at 8.45 pm. It was raining. The hotel Kauvery was walking distance from the bus stop.We had a light dinner and turned in early so that we could explore the place as early as possible.
The mite was the first to get up the next morning and he and I went off in search of breakfast. Thankfully the rain had stopped by then. We set off for Thalakauvery the birth place of the Kauvery river. It took us an hour and a half on a bus to get to Bhagamandala which is the confluence of the Kauvery and two other rivers. This spot has a temple complex and a small ghat. The view of the surrounding hills from the temple is breathtaking. A grand gateway is being constructed in front of the pristine temple, I wish they didn't make such a grand gateway to attract the tourists, doubtless, it robs the temple of its simplicity and hence its charm. When we enquired about the sangam we were told in an off hand manner-"waha toh pani hi nahin hai"-it is commonly held, and it is the truth to some extent that tourists are only interested in grand shows from nature. if it is the sangam they expect swirling waters and dancing rapids, why can't they give nature a break. Anyhow the sangam area was a quaint stream in which a family was splashing about in knee deep water. My children and I immediately lowered our feet into the cool waters and proceeded to splash a lot of water about. We spotted a fish swim calmly by on the other bank. It felt good.
We took an auto from Bhagamandala to Thalakauvery. A grand gateway was being built there too but the temple here was also quite grand all marble flooring and a huge terrece with benches to watch the sprawling mountains and picturesque valley below. They have constructed a tank at the source. We also walked up the four hundred steps to the top of Brahmagiri to another astounding view. I found people panting more at the foot of the stairs in anticipation of the 400 steps but slowly ones breathing became normal as one got used to the climbing. After the exercise we had a wholesome Kodagu meal at Bhagamandala before taking the bus back to Madikeri. rains spoilt our chance of enjoying the sunset at Raja's Seat a view point at Madikeri town.
On Saturday the heavens opened up. The Mr bought two umbrellas and we set off for Dubare Elephant Camp in a Kushal Nagar bus. It is an hour's bus ride from Madikeri via Sunti koppa where a shop was selling something called 'Gopi Manjooran' (gobi manchurian anyone?) and I have noticed this all over India there is nothing called cold drinks all the roadside eateries and paan shops serve 'cool drinks'. The elephants at Dubare had taken shelter because of the rains but the Kauvery was flowing in all its glory. We crossed the river in a ferry boat only to learn that the elephants had taken cover and it was just a joyride across the river, we sat for sometime at the bank and headed towards the 'Golden Temple' or the Tibetan monastry undeterred by the incessant rains. We reached the grand monastery soggy feet and wet backs to be greeted by a majestic Buddha. The mite generally sreams in terror to see huge figures (he made a hilarious spectacle at the Bull Temple at Bangalore), however the serene expression on Gautama Buddha's face calmed him down and he pulled a cushion and sat on it gazing at the three enormous idols of Gautama, and two other Llamas. We had an excellent lunch of noodles and thupka. Interestingly only beef was available other than eggs in the non-veg platter. In the time of the Buddha the cow was not as sacred among Hindus as it later came to be. Gautama preached non-violence and urged his disciples not to harm the cow and irony of ironies a grand temple of the Buddha with an eatery that sertves nothing but beef. It is the cheapest of meats and easily available so it figures. I am no advocate for vegetarianism after all we destroy forests to farm the land we harvest crops to produce grains, we are killing to eat all the time unless you do not consider plants as living beings whose lives are worth living. In this scenario one must opt for the stuff that is more easily found and easy on the pocket, that is practical and reasonable as long as one is not eating moniter lizards and rare birds and animals on the verge of extinction! Then we headed for hotel Kauvery, however we had to give the sun set a miss yet again as both the children were soaking wet and had to be given a warm bath.
In the evening we went for a walk in the nearby market and had a scrumptious dinner at 'Bangalore Tiffins' nearby. We could have a filling meal for as little as 39Rs in the towns of South India, in Bangalore too the 20Rs thali still exists and a filling set dosa is only Rs 10. Thalis are unlimited so we piled on the rasam and sambar. In other hill stations we have spent upwards of 200Rs for a meal for two-so I am talking really cheap here and the meals elsewhere are of dubious quality whereas in the south standards are high, if you can withstand the chillies you are through, for idli and dosas even that consideration is not there.
On Sunday we thought of devoting ourselves only to Madikeri town. The day dawned bright and shining and we heaved a sigh of relief. First stop was Onkareshwara temple, the unique feature of which is that it can be passed off as a mosque complete with small mineret like structures, however the bull sitting on the top gives it away. The fishes in the tank in this temple enthralled the kids and us. Then on to the Government museum in the Madikeri fort. The small but interesting museum houses statues of Mahavira, Shiva and other deities along witha striking stuffed leapard. It also had a small etching of Rabindranath Tagore. Next was Raja's Seat an beautiful park cum mountain view. Then the awe inspiring Abbi falls and the coffee plantation through which we walked to it. Lastly the tombs of the Wodeyar kings. All covered before lunchtime. After lunch we set off towards Kushal Nagar yet again to catch Nisargadhama, a picnic spot we had missed the other day. Here we found the river Kauvery again and this time in all her swirling glory. The park had sprawling bamboo groves, tree houses, swings, rabbits and deer (in captivity) and a hanging bridge from which to enter. We spent a joyful afternoon exploring nisargadhama. We returned to Madekeri satiated and content. We caught the night bus back and a bumpy ride brought us back home at five in the morning( we could not get the volvo in the return journey). Well it was a weekend well spent!
The mite was the first to get up the next morning and he and I went off in search of breakfast. Thankfully the rain had stopped by then. We set off for Thalakauvery the birth place of the Kauvery river. It took us an hour and a half on a bus to get to Bhagamandala which is the confluence of the Kauvery and two other rivers. This spot has a temple complex and a small ghat. The view of the surrounding hills from the temple is breathtaking. A grand gateway is being constructed in front of the pristine temple, I wish they didn't make such a grand gateway to attract the tourists, doubtless, it robs the temple of its simplicity and hence its charm. When we enquired about the sangam we were told in an off hand manner-"waha toh pani hi nahin hai"-it is commonly held, and it is the truth to some extent that tourists are only interested in grand shows from nature. if it is the sangam they expect swirling waters and dancing rapids, why can't they give nature a break. Anyhow the sangam area was a quaint stream in which a family was splashing about in knee deep water. My children and I immediately lowered our feet into the cool waters and proceeded to splash a lot of water about. We spotted a fish swim calmly by on the other bank. It felt good.
We took an auto from Bhagamandala to Thalakauvery. A grand gateway was being built there too but the temple here was also quite grand all marble flooring and a huge terrece with benches to watch the sprawling mountains and picturesque valley below. They have constructed a tank at the source. We also walked up the four hundred steps to the top of Brahmagiri to another astounding view. I found people panting more at the foot of the stairs in anticipation of the 400 steps but slowly ones breathing became normal as one got used to the climbing. After the exercise we had a wholesome Kodagu meal at Bhagamandala before taking the bus back to Madikeri. rains spoilt our chance of enjoying the sunset at Raja's Seat a view point at Madikeri town.
On Saturday the heavens opened up. The Mr bought two umbrellas and we set off for Dubare Elephant Camp in a Kushal Nagar bus. It is an hour's bus ride from Madikeri via Sunti koppa where a shop was selling something called 'Gopi Manjooran' (gobi manchurian anyone?) and I have noticed this all over India there is nothing called cold drinks all the roadside eateries and paan shops serve 'cool drinks'. The elephants at Dubare had taken shelter because of the rains but the Kauvery was flowing in all its glory. We crossed the river in a ferry boat only to learn that the elephants had taken cover and it was just a joyride across the river, we sat for sometime at the bank and headed towards the 'Golden Temple' or the Tibetan monastry undeterred by the incessant rains. We reached the grand monastery soggy feet and wet backs to be greeted by a majestic Buddha. The mite generally sreams in terror to see huge figures (he made a hilarious spectacle at the Bull Temple at Bangalore), however the serene expression on Gautama Buddha's face calmed him down and he pulled a cushion and sat on it gazing at the three enormous idols of Gautama, and two other Llamas. We had an excellent lunch of noodles and thupka. Interestingly only beef was available other than eggs in the non-veg platter. In the time of the Buddha the cow was not as sacred among Hindus as it later came to be. Gautama preached non-violence and urged his disciples not to harm the cow and irony of ironies a grand temple of the Buddha with an eatery that sertves nothing but beef. It is the cheapest of meats and easily available so it figures. I am no advocate for vegetarianism after all we destroy forests to farm the land we harvest crops to produce grains, we are killing to eat all the time unless you do not consider plants as living beings whose lives are worth living. In this scenario one must opt for the stuff that is more easily found and easy on the pocket, that is practical and reasonable as long as one is not eating moniter lizards and rare birds and animals on the verge of extinction! Then we headed for hotel Kauvery, however we had to give the sun set a miss yet again as both the children were soaking wet and had to be given a warm bath.
In the evening we went for a walk in the nearby market and had a scrumptious dinner at 'Bangalore Tiffins' nearby. We could have a filling meal for as little as 39Rs in the towns of South India, in Bangalore too the 20Rs thali still exists and a filling set dosa is only Rs 10. Thalis are unlimited so we piled on the rasam and sambar. In other hill stations we have spent upwards of 200Rs for a meal for two-so I am talking really cheap here and the meals elsewhere are of dubious quality whereas in the south standards are high, if you can withstand the chillies you are through, for idli and dosas even that consideration is not there.
On Sunday we thought of devoting ourselves only to Madikeri town. The day dawned bright and shining and we heaved a sigh of relief. First stop was Onkareshwara temple, the unique feature of which is that it can be passed off as a mosque complete with small mineret like structures, however the bull sitting on the top gives it away. The fishes in the tank in this temple enthralled the kids and us. Then on to the Government museum in the Madikeri fort. The small but interesting museum houses statues of Mahavira, Shiva and other deities along witha striking stuffed leapard. It also had a small etching of Rabindranath Tagore. Next was Raja's Seat an beautiful park cum mountain view. Then the awe inspiring Abbi falls and the coffee plantation through which we walked to it. Lastly the tombs of the Wodeyar kings. All covered before lunchtime. After lunch we set off towards Kushal Nagar yet again to catch Nisargadhama, a picnic spot we had missed the other day. Here we found the river Kauvery again and this time in all her swirling glory. The park had sprawling bamboo groves, tree houses, swings, rabbits and deer (in captivity) and a hanging bridge from which to enter. We spent a joyful afternoon exploring nisargadhama. We returned to Madekeri satiated and content. We caught the night bus back and a bumpy ride brought us back home at five in the morning( we could not get the volvo in the return journey). Well it was a weekend well spent!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Wandering Around Bangalore two kids in tow
2b's momma's tag weighed so heavily on me that i suspended my writing for sometime to learn some blogging skills. Well after failing miserably in the skill learning department I somehow managed to honour the tag and here I am a load off my shoulder, a welcome load nonetheless for how else will I learn the tricks?
Meanwhile I have been about the town quite a bit. Weekend outings with the Mr apart I have also been speeding off with the kids to various places (not too far from our house, but not near either). Our favourite destination is ofcourse Lal Bagh where we have been quite a few times. Yesterday we went to JC Road which is the furniture hub of Bangalore to pick up cushions for our cane sofas, the trip was a success.
We are also taking off for the weekend so there is much to look forward to.
Holi is very subdued here in fact there is no mention of holi in the calendar so we can safely go off at this time. The mite's behaviour during our outings is however causing some concern. He will not stop at shops and he hates waiting while we make purchases. He does not like to go to people's houses either.We are waiting for him to grow out of the habit of screaming and crying at public places but it is a strain. TodayI tried to reason with him when he was more calm (I had gone to LalBagh with him to buy some flower pots and he had screamed all the time that the purchases were being made). I told him about the trauma we both went through due to his behaviour and I asked him not to do it again. I do not know whether our talk will have any permanent effect we will find out when we go out next. I do not think that he will have a problem while going out sightseeing. But he also does not act up when we go to the corner store for our daily needs and he actually likes shopping for vegetables and fish. I cannot figure out why he goes beserk on our weekend outings and that too while going into shops. There was not a sound from him when we went boating on the Ulsoor Lake or when we visited the aquarium near Cubbon Park and the joy rides there.
He is the most irritating when we go to the houses of friends and relatives. He cannot stand it when I chat with people whom he thinks are strangers. If I am chatting with Nimmi our neighbour he does not mind but if I visit my friend's house for a chat he will bring the roof down screaming! Nita, my friend says that she has the diagnosis for his behaviour and it is too much attention from me! I think she's right, he is so used to having me at his beck and call that he cannot take it when I seem to be defying his orders. Ah well, these are the terrible twos so I cannot expect the going to be smooth.
The other day I was reading in the newspaper an article on how the need for 'space' in human relationships which was of prime importance a decade ago has given way to the increasing feeling of togetherness in all relationships where people are spending more time with each other and enjoying each other's company. My family is going through the 'need for space' phase. my daughter wants to do her own thing, I want to live my own life, my son wants to get his own way, and the husband wants to get away from it all!But we still want to enjoy our weekend getaway, in that we are united in our desires, so see you after the trip guys, unless I decide to jot somethings tomorrow too!
Meanwhile I have been about the town quite a bit. Weekend outings with the Mr apart I have also been speeding off with the kids to various places (not too far from our house, but not near either). Our favourite destination is ofcourse Lal Bagh where we have been quite a few times. Yesterday we went to JC Road which is the furniture hub of Bangalore to pick up cushions for our cane sofas, the trip was a success.
We are also taking off for the weekend so there is much to look forward to.
Holi is very subdued here in fact there is no mention of holi in the calendar so we can safely go off at this time. The mite's behaviour during our outings is however causing some concern. He will not stop at shops and he hates waiting while we make purchases. He does not like to go to people's houses either.We are waiting for him to grow out of the habit of screaming and crying at public places but it is a strain. TodayI tried to reason with him when he was more calm (I had gone to LalBagh with him to buy some flower pots and he had screamed all the time that the purchases were being made). I told him about the trauma we both went through due to his behaviour and I asked him not to do it again. I do not know whether our talk will have any permanent effect we will find out when we go out next. I do not think that he will have a problem while going out sightseeing. But he also does not act up when we go to the corner store for our daily needs and he actually likes shopping for vegetables and fish. I cannot figure out why he goes beserk on our weekend outings and that too while going into shops. There was not a sound from him when we went boating on the Ulsoor Lake or when we visited the aquarium near Cubbon Park and the joy rides there.
He is the most irritating when we go to the houses of friends and relatives. He cannot stand it when I chat with people whom he thinks are strangers. If I am chatting with Nimmi our neighbour he does not mind but if I visit my friend's house for a chat he will bring the roof down screaming! Nita, my friend says that she has the diagnosis for his behaviour and it is too much attention from me! I think she's right, he is so used to having me at his beck and call that he cannot take it when I seem to be defying his orders. Ah well, these are the terrible twos so I cannot expect the going to be smooth.
The other day I was reading in the newspaper an article on how the need for 'space' in human relationships which was of prime importance a decade ago has given way to the increasing feeling of togetherness in all relationships where people are spending more time with each other and enjoying each other's company. My family is going through the 'need for space' phase. my daughter wants to do her own thing, I want to live my own life, my son wants to get his own way, and the husband wants to get away from it all!But we still want to enjoy our weekend getaway, in that we are united in our desires, so see you after the trip guys, unless I decide to jot somethings tomorrow too!
musings: Cars for Boys and Dolls for Girls
musings: Cars for Boys and Dolls for Girls
I feel strongly about gender stereotyping and when my daughter turns out to be very girlish and my son shows interest in a 'boy' thing then it is time for some hard thinking on my part- I can't say I like that but in this post I try to laugh at myself and my feminist leanings-I like it!
musings: Jealous Husbands, Missed Nonetheless
musings: Jealous Husbands, Missed Nonetheless
This talks of the love-hate relationship that I share with my other half and shows that love need not be all sweet and sugary it can have a bitter-sweet taste!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)