Skywatch Friday...French War memorial, Pondicherry

It would be an understatement if I said this year was off to a not so great start. It has been an amazing one so far. And the 1st trip was to a town I quite love, Pondicherry. Saturday night a friend messaged asking for info on Pondicherry- things to see, where to stay etc and thus formed a plan in my head. I quickly messaged another friend who has been wanting to visit Pondicherry before she moved out of Chennai and asked if she was upto it. She replied "yes, lets go, ask others too". I asked few others but none could come since it was a weekday trip and they all had commitments. So, Sunday evening I booked us tickets on the bus and rooms in a hotel in Pondicherry. 

Monday morning both of us were on the bus on our way to Pondicherry... Yayy!!  We reached around 9.30, checked in, grabbed a bite to eat at La Cafe on the beach and wandered up and down while waiting for our other friends to arrive. 

And that is where I clicked a shot of the French War Memorial. It is located on Goubert Avenue [beach road] and  is a monument erected in memory of all the soldiers who lost their lives in the First World War. Every year on 14th july an annual commemoration is celebrated  when the monument is lit up.  

We spent a few minutes there and moved down the road where I pointed out the Joan of Arc and other monuments along the road. 

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday

Adios Kumbakonam

"Boom" I hear a cracker burst, beyond that I hear a dog howl and a child wail (am sure they were scared of the sound). Next door, a man in a worn out lungi sits with his legs stretched out. Probably home for lunch and resting his feet a bit. Few door away 2 girls are playing hop scotch with n old frail woman watching them from the verandah. The minute they hear the horn of the bus, they stop playing and wave.. I wave back at them and they grin, from ear to ear..

Oh,look there's a man sculpting a shivalinga idol, knocking on the stone over and over again till it breaks away. A lily pond with nothing but bright green moss covering its surface

A bus drives past, nearly brushing past my window jolting me out of my revere. The bus winds through the roads, honking at other trucks and cars ahead. Celine dione sings "beauty & the beast" - feels like she is talking about what am feeling now- leaving the beauty of the small town heading back to the big bad world called city life.

It has been 2days of sheer bliss, not just the sights and sounds, but being able to spend time with myself.. I am in a new town, a place I have been wanting to visit, but just dint seem to happen.. I guess it was "Time" or "destiny". And now am heading back, not sad, well little sad,but with the smile I had as I hopped on the bus on saturday morning in Chennai .

A loudspeaker plays a tamil movie song as the bus moves along.. 2men walk pushing a motorbike along...cool breeze sweeps my face...

I arrive in Kumbakonam

After a long journey, a bus ride of nearly 10hours i have finally arrived. This is a destination that has been on my radar for over 3yrs and looks like the time has finally come. Today, i woke up with an itch so heavy that i turned on my laptop and started looking for Bus tickets on Redbus.in even before i had my morning cup of coffee. I knew i wanted to get away, and i knew it had to be either Pondicherry  or Tanjore side. There were no buses available to Pondicherry and so i started looking for Tanjore, alas, none there. And then it struck me, i could check for Kumbakonam and voila, i found the one last ticket. But wait, it was for 10.15am, and the time was already 8am. Could i make it? Was i being foolhardy? I put aside my crazy thoughts and went ahead with the booking. Booked both onward and return and then went and told the family. They were flumoxed, usually i give announcements days in advance. 

Anyways, in their true style, grandparents started offering suggestions of places to see, while mom and dad asked me to be careful, and have fun. Mom's added advice "dont tire yourself out, you come back and are exhausted usually".. haha... 

So, here i am, sitting in the hotel room, typing this post. Just had a good cup of hot Kumbakonam Filter kaapi and ready for some dinner. I havent had a morsel to eat all day [ if you overlook the packet of biscuit and juice i guzzled down], but heck, 10hours and just that? you feel bad for me, right? 

Alrighty, time to sign off and head out..

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Skywatch Friday... Bridge over the Indian Ocean

I have been wanting to visit Rameswaram for as long as i can remember. But it just dint seem to happen. Gramma told me "Rameswaram & Kasi are places you should not annouce your desire to visit, it will not happen"... Hmm, i dint know if this was true or a myth, but i took a vow not to tell anyone of my desire to visit the place. And lo behold, towards 2nd half of the year, a friend called saying she was planning a trip to Rameswaram and if i would wanna come along... :-)

Imagine my surprise and joy!! I immediately said yes, even though she was going with her aunt-uncle, and few other family members. It dint matter, i knew her and they were ok with me coming along. 

Tickets were booked, plans were made and within a month, i was there, in Rameswaram. We had driven down from Madurai in a cab, stayed over at ISCON guest house and spent 2 days finishing off all that she had been advised to do at the temple. From there, we drove back to Madurai, stopping over for a few minutes on the Pamban bridge to soak in its beauty. The railway track runs parallel to the ocean, and we promised each other to do another trip to Rameswaram via rail. From the bridge, the ocean looked turquoise, shimmering against the afternoon sky, crystal clear. There were a few boats bobbing in the water and a small group of buildings afar. 

Within minutes we heard the tinkle of a cycle bell and spotted a vendor selling raw mango with spice powder. What a treat those were, we gobbled them up like hungry kids and kept running from one side of the bridge to the other to see there was any difference. 

Alas, we realised we had to get back on the road as we had a train to catch that night from Madurai. But the bridge, the ocean, the destination remain in my mind fresh, even today.

 

Do you see what we saw??? 

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday

Talacauvery, where Cauvery is born

The journey to Coorg was very special, it was happening after years of dreaming and a few cancelled plans as well. We were 3 friends, one from Bangalore and us from Chennai, driving down to Coorg from Mysore. We had booked ourselves for 3 nights at a homestay- CoorgHallimane, in Kushal nagar. As we reached, we discovered the place was quaint, quiet and perfect. They have about 8 rooms in the main building and a few cottages scattered around, and we got to stay in one of those. On opening the window all we saw were mountains on one side and green fields on the other. There was also a swimming pool in the homestay with a small mushroom style fountain in the center. What fun we had playing around in it unwinding after the long drive to Coorg. 

We dint have any set agenda, but knew there were a few places we would visit for sure. Talacauvery was one of them. It is a good 4500 ft above sea level, and this the where the River Cauvery is born. It is said that the river disappears underground before surfacing again at Naga theertha near Bhagamandala.  Infact, Bhagamandala, about 8kms ahead of Talacauvery is where one witnesses the confluence of three rivers, Cauvery, Sujyothi and Kanike.  

During the drive from Madikeri, cloudy skies and mist was all we saw outside. There was the occasional light drizzle sneaking in through the window.  Drizzle turned to rains and it kept up with us through the journey. We had reached Talacauvery as rains lashed away. We braved the rain and walked on, freezing and soaked to the bone, looking for hot tea or any sign of shelter. The only thing we had were the akki rotis and chutney that the staff had insisted we carry along when we left the homestay. What a godsend it was, especially since we had been on the road long and not had a bite since morning.   

We were so glad to have chosen a Homestay in Coorg instead of a resort, as this experience was so much more homely and comfortable...   And like many destinations there are many Coorg Homestays that one is spoilt for choice..!!

 Rain did subside as we walked towards the shrine and the big tank near the Gundike, where I noticed many visitors taking a quick dip. From there, it was up another set of stairs to visit the temple of Lord Agasthyeshwara [Lord Shiva] and Lord Ganesha.

Taking shelter from the rain, we walked along the mandap surrounding the temple, when towards the end I thought I saw a flight of stairs leading to heaven. Well, that’s what I thought till my friend brought me to down to reality. Those steps were to go up Brahmagiri Hill, from where one got a panoramic view of Talacauvery and the city beyond. A lady passing by told us the story of how a special yagna was performed by the Saptha Maharishis up in the hills. Had it not been for the rain, we would have made our way up there.  What an experience this had been. On the drive back to Kushal nagar to the homestay, there was silence in the car, with all of us still lost in the beauty of Talacauvery.

Skywatch Friday Cones in the sky

During our brief visit to Kochi, we travelled to a nearby town called Thirupunithura, where we discovered an entire maze of lanes filled with palaces.. Some of them were simply called Palace 1, Palace 13, while others had names- Lakshmi Thopu Palace and Bungalow Palace. As we walked around, while trying to capture a sneak peek into the palaces, i managed to see only the roofs.. They looked like Cones against the sky... 

The palaces were not majestic or grand, but were palatial houses. Some of which have become wedding halls, while others are occupied by descendants from the Royal families...We see swanky cars, kids clad in T shirts and jeans running about, and modern life seems to have taken over these traditional palaces.... 

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday

Off i go...

Phew.. Finally, i get an opportunity to pack my bags and disappear for a few days... Albeti, there was a bit of chaos and drama involved, but a journey to a place i havent visited in over a decade, or has it been more? Oh well, not bothered!

Am looking fwd to tomorrow morning... Landing in the destination, exploring what little is possible!

This picture is of a plcae from the destination!! keep guessing! :)

Travel in 2010

Every year i pray for Good health, progress/focus in Work, and ofcourse Travel.. 2010 was no different, as Jan 1st dawned these were the things on my "to do" list... And now, 12 months have flown by with me sailing along in various directions... 

A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.” – Lao Tzu

January

The first trip i made in 2010 was to Bangalore.. A week filled with meetings and making plans for the months to come..I also managed to meet up with friends i had made in the recent past.. Bangalore, almost like my 2nd home is one city where i find something new every time i visit... 

February

Hmmm, i was once again visiting Bangalore... more for work than personal... but i did manage to sneak out time to meet friends!! 

A friend who was taking photography classes managed to lure me to Lal Bagh Gardens a beautiful saturday morning to enjoy the love showered by nature. 

Within a few days, i also visited Hebbal lake for the 1st time with Lakshmi for a spot of birding...

March

Spent the 2nd half of the Month in Bangalore, work!! The highlight of this trip was A dream of mine coming true, Thanks to a friend of mine, K... bugged him so much that he gave in, and one saturday morning we were off to the Butterfly park in Bannerghatta national park. 

What a day it was.. Not only was the park beautiful, we also spent the day visiting some other friends of his , hopping from one place to the other... :-)

April

 

Packed my bags and got back to Chennai  wondering where i was going to head next, hoping it was somewhere interesting... it was 14th April, tamil new year and i was back on the road with my uncle and aunt to Singaperumal Lakshmi narasimhar temple near Chengelpet .

May

A surprise project took me to Ooty to cover the Dog & Horse Show..A good 4day trip, i spent not only attending the shows, but wandering around exploring the town. 

Since my uncle was visiting from the USA, we also did a packed day trip to Pondicherry. Gave him a 1st hand experience of our Buses,  and i dont think he enjoyed it too much, especially the return journey where we had to battle our way through the crowds to grab a few seats.

 June

The month i was looking forward to.... I was finally going to realise another dream of mine- going to Rameswaram.. A friend of mine from pune called to say she and her family were doing a Madurai- Rameswaram trip following advice by an astrologer... Without a second thought, i jumped and the rest as they say is history...

Visiting Madurai was special as i spent the 1st few years of my life there, started School there and had fond memories.... Rameswaram was beautiful, more than i had imagined! Along with friend and her family, i did 24dips in the ocean-Samudra Snanam, enjoyed a bucketful of water from 22wells-Theertha Snanam [ each containing water from a different river source], each of them tasted different..

July

By far one of the most exciting travels was in July. Though i dint pack any bags, or book tickets, it was a day of fun and adventure ... With the help of Arvind from Poetryinstone, Lakshmi and i set out to explore a few Pallava Caves around Chennai...

1. Seeyamangalam-- Thirumalpadi
2. Kilmavilangai
3. Dalavanur
4. Mandagapattu

Driving near Gingee Fort, catching a glimpse of the towering fort, we grunted at the harsh Sun, and yet managed to enjoy the day, as if on a treasure hunt... 

Following this, we also did a small weekend trip to Bikode, a bus ride from Bangalore.. 

It was a low budget, high on birding, and nature kind of a getaway.. Stayed at our uncle's Coffee plantations, and spent hours walking around with a binocular and camera looking for birds, soaking in the gentle drizzle... We also discovered quite a few hidden temples from Hoysala Dynasty..

August

Even though work was busy, one Saturday, i up and dragged mom & gramma to the beautiful pristine Puri Jagannath Temple in ECR, just beyond the toll booth. Untouched and quiet, this temple was refreshing and a sight for sore eyes. No loud crowds, or priests who were busy trying to grab all that we carried in our wallets..

September

Ah, the month that brought my birthday along was always special.... It was 10days since my bday and i was wound up, excited and looking forward to Hampi, with Lakshmi. The 2days we spent there were magical.. 

1. Sloth bears at Daroji, sitting within a foot from them, watching them savour the sweet licks, fight with each other; 
2. Vittala Temple; 
3. The Royal Enclosures; 
4. The Queen's bath- The Pushkarni, 
5. Lotus Mahal, 
6. Birding along the River Tunga, 
7. Coracle ride to Anegund
8. The hunt for cave paintings up a hillock and
9. ofcourse the Matanga hills

Giving me a taste of what Hampi was all about, this trip has made me want to revisit this destination once again, and explore some more!

November

“A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles.” – Tim Cahill 

Diwali came and went, adrelin was rushing for there was a vacation in the offing.... 4 of us High school friends, all gals [plus a friend's almost 2yr old son] had planned a trip, a reunion of sorts.. The bookings were done, tickets were sorted out and bags were packed... It was the 1st time the 4 of us were travelling together... Destination was Kerala, 1st stop at Coir Village Resort, about 45kms from Allepey, followed by a quick trip to Varkala, Kovalam, and Trivandrum before heading back to Chennai.  

The 5 days were filled with interesting experiences, loving the Kerala waters and hospitality. As the trip drew to a close, we knew there would be one every year, for as long as possible!! 

And now, its 2011, time for me to make new plans... visit unexplored destinations.... here's to more travels for me and for you all... Have a Lovely Adventurous Year Ahead!!

[Mosaic Monday] Burst of colours

Today, while going through my google reader, came upon a blog post titled Mosaic Monday, looked interesting and so decided to take it up and do a post of my own!!

Over the past few months, the roads have taken me in many different directions, the most memorable being the one to Madurai and Rameswaram... Madurai has many memories from my childhood days, while Rameswaram had been on my "Must visit" list for over 2yrs now!!

The temples, the beach, the place -Beautiful experience!! 

The other vacation i took was most recent, absolutely inexpensive, but most fun!! It was to my uncle's Coffee plantations in Biccode... A comfortable bus journey from Bangalore to Belur, and then a 4 wheel drive into the plantations..All we did was walk amidst tall trees, look for the elusive birds, and capture some interesting flowers and sights....

Click here for more Mosaic Monday posts!!

Day 7 - Hello there

It amazes me to no end watching people - i can do this for hours and not go bored.. NO, i am not stalking them or being creepy crawly... While sitting in the station waiting for the train, or at the airport to pick up my uncle or friend, there are times when we are early or the vehicle is late...

There are some who keep moving their feet, prancing about, while staring on either side , at times i wonder if they have to "go" :P

Few others keep fidgiting with their bags, maybe they have some bombs or people hidden inside that need some space..;-)

The elderly people who i've seen at the station are usually most calm, they come with a porter, stand right next to their bags, get the porter to wait so he is there when the train arrives.. They dont look around, dont talk loud or give wierd glares to others... 

The kids are the most fun... some will just sit like good kids on the bags, while others will keep tugging at their dad's shirt or mom's handbag/duptatta asking them to buy a chocolate or a drink... the little ones are adorable, they are full of life, so many questions and never ending curiosity to know more... But am amazed at the parents who patiently answer and help the child kill time... 

College kids and teen gals are always so hyper, giggling, talking amidst themselves, anxious and excited... sometimes they jump and other times they just seem to want to disappear.... 

In the airport, i've noticed people keep walking up and down, either to the Arrival or Departure notice board to see when the flight lands/departs... This they do every few seconds like its gonna make a big difference... 

The first timers will keep checking their bags, wallets, asking each other if they packed this and that... :-) 

I love watching kids sitting on suitcases which are loaded on trolleys and wheeled about... What fun it must be for them... :D 

The minute a person sees their friend/family/etc arriving, they start waving through the glass, all the way across the airport... sometimes the other waves back, and other times they just walk along, totally oblivious to the excitement waiting to receive them outside... 

Infact, the 1st time my cousin came visiting, me my sister and uncle had gone to the airport... After about 2hrs of waiting, we spotted the lanky 6foot brat walking down to the baggage conveyor... We texted him and my sister started franctically waving, hoping to catch his eye.. Did he? nope, kept walking around.... but a random guy waved towards us... "Ahem, do we know you ? or are you randomly waving ?" but what the heck.. my sister got all excited that someone waved back..... 

I get so touched when i see families sending off loved ones and shedding a tear... I am so used to travelling alone, going to airport/station/bus stand on my own and finding my way home that i miss the bye and hi i used to look forward to when i was small ...

The one thing that AMUSES me the most has to be people rushing to get into the train/flight/bus and get off it.. like as if the vehicle is going to disappear or vanish into thin air if they dont wait... The destination would be the LAST one, but still the rush you see happening inside is mind boggling.. "where's my bag, which exit do we go to.. is this the last stop....and best of all is -How long does it stop here?" [hullo, it aint going anywhere after this... maybe to the shed...!! i wanna say, but smile and politely reply]

Deja vu - Singaperumal koil

On April 14th, Tamil New Years Day, uncle came home and exclaimed - your manni wants to go to a Lakshmi narasimha temple today.. She is talking of a temple in Sholingur, can you find out about it or other temples? After a quick on my ipod touch, i read out some facts about that temple, distance etc... Given the heat, uncle said -no way, thats too far off and climbing a hillock in this blazing sun is just out of the question.. Any other options?  

 The hillock on which the temple sits

[Ding Dong ]Thats when it hit me..  Singaperumal koil, near Chengelpet.. I had been there with Lakshmi about 7months back and it was a Narasimha temple, and i was very sure we saw a Lakshmi narasimha idol there.. Narrated in detail to uncle and then to aunt about the temple, how far it was, and how it was built inside a mountain, and the giri valam or pradakshanam was done around the temple, on the hillock... Managed to find the number and found out that the temple is open till 12noon and then 4pm onwards.. 

The tree where people worship and leave something on - pile of stones[homes], cradle[babies], thread[marriage]

Post lunch, we hit the road around 2.30pm and as we were driving along, aunt wanted a detailed version of  what i had spoken on the phone earlier.. I went on to describe our journey, starting with the time we left home to where all we visited .. She was fascinated and had a gleam in her eye, but uncle clearly cut her off saying - today you want to go to this temple, we do only this and get back home!! :)

We reached the temple at 4pm, but the priest came to open the doors only around 4.30pm. Aunt had a bit of doubt if there was an idol of Lakshmi narasimha, but that was put to rest as we proceeded towards the main sanctum... I quite like that temple, there is soemthing peaceful and powerful about the place!!! 

A sense of Deja vu hit me as we passed along familiar places and paths... Kept remember bits and pieces of conversation Lakshmi and i had had earlier... the car, AC not working, all of it came flooding like as if it was a trip taken few days ago!! 

Its beautiful how a visit to the same place with different people can add to our experiences!  For more pictures from our earlier trip, click here

Untill next time!!

 

Mysore to Chennai.. Coorg Part 4 Finale!!

Read about how it all started and the journey till now ....

• Cauvery on the go.. Coorg Part 3
• Tibet comes to town..Coorg Part 2
• Kodava land, here we come- Coorg Part 1

After that all fun, driving around, visit to talacauvery, we chilled the  last day at Coorg Hallimane... Woke up, lazed about, discovered the place had rabbits, A jr had a ball feeding them grass, and we freaked out taking pictures of the bunnies... That day, since the place was full, we had buffet style breakfast at the main building.... After stuffing ourselves, and some photo shoots... hehe... we settled the dues, packed our bags and bid adieu... but that was not the end..

 

Got a call from Hallimane saying we'd once again forgotten our umbrella.. so another here we go round the Kushal nagar roads, we found one of the guys holding the umbrella waiting for us near the tree that was the landmark !! ;)

This time, the road took us back to Mysore... and to the jam packed Hotel Siddhartha, but not before a mini stop at Ginger to see if they had a room [ just maybe...:)].. Just couldnt find parking at Siddhartha, apparently its a favourite spot for travellers/tourists for lunch/eats.. Parked the car across the road and went in to check on the rooms we had blocked!!! Surveyed the room offered[ nice big spacious room, with a sofa, huge bathroom and all at a very decent fare, it is much cheaper than Ginger], decided it was good and

waited for our bags to land before ordering room service lunch...

A jr wasnt feeling too well, so we let him rest up.. Towards evening, connected with another Blog friend- Imp's mom[she was also the guide for cake, which was yummilicous] in Mysore, and realised we better check out the zoo, for there was no time the next day.. What should have taken 5mins, took over 15mkins[was what i deduced going by all the turns we took] cos of all the diversions on the road ... Got tickets and off we went into the zoo to be greeted by the adorable tall Giraffes..

The walk around the zoo is about 2kms,but there are electric tram kinda vehicles as well that ply frequently... We took our time, taking pictures, admiring some of the animals/birds, feeling sorry for some of the others [ actually most of them were in bad shape.. looke like they hadnt eaten in days and their cages hadnt been cleaned in forever].. The bear, hyene, elephants, vulture all looked like they were dead n gone... saw a white tiger lounging on a rock, was it doped, i wondered.. Towards the end of the walk, we reached the reptile cages, and i must say the snakes i think are DEAD indeed... they were just lying there on top of a branch like someone had dropped a rag cloth... Sad indeed.... :(

Here's a slideshow of the zoo and the Palace~!!

Imp's mom called and invited us over to a hotel for some tiffin and hot coffee. That was the 1st time i was meeting her and her adorable daughter, we hit it off instantly... Bonded over dosa n coffee and decided to go check out the Mysore Palace which was lit for an hour or so in the evenings..

Thanks to the crazy traffic, we caught glimpses of the palace while on the move, untill the plan of driving up Chamundi Hills happened... Drove to a view point, and armed with cameras we clicked away to glory!!!  Good fun!!! That was how the day ended.... :)

4th Nov dawned too soon, it was the day we had to get back to Blore and then to Chennai...It was fun till the minute we hopped on the train..no doubts of that!! . Time sure flies when you are having fun!!  and this is one trip i know i shall never forget... vivid as if it happened yesterday!!! :) Thanks guys for an awesome trip....

Adios.. Until we meet again...

Tibet comes to town..Coorg Part 2

After a bit of rest, we were raring to go.. Wanted to make the most of our time in Coorg.. Up and off we went.. hit the road that led to  the Namdroling Tibetan Monastery,  popularly known as the Golden Temple in Bylakuppe.  It is  very well maintained and one feels at peace with this world.  It is a very big monastry, with very well laid out buildings  and fully landscaped. After parking the car, we walked towards the Monastery..

As you enter, there are these huge apartment complexes, which are the monk's home.. Past that is the entry into the overwhelming monastery.. The vibrant colours, large towering structures and beautiful surroundings had us mesmerised... We saw a couple of funny looking birds pecking at a pair of slippers, swans running away and a duck or two straying in the grass.. 

 In front of these statues sat multiple rows of Monks chanting, the words we could not make out but the rhythm resonates in my ears even now..  

The walls were adorned with colorful murals, each depicting different eras and some were about how good reigns over evil... Its a photographer's delight to feast on each of these art works.. 

one of the paintings on the walls 

The pillars loom large, almost reaching to the skies, there were some decorated wtih what looked like huge ties, absolutely breath taking... There were dragons, devil, angels, monks, and so much more filling every inch of space here...  :)

Door handle... beautiful and huge

The Ngagyur Nyingma University is the name of the building... Inside are more majestic statues that are towering high... There were 2 other buildings near it... One had a whole collection of mini Buddha's in it, all placed inside a glass case... 

The other one is a few steps away, with a huge bell right in the middle.. we wanted to ring it, but dint want to be the only odd ones doing it... :) 

The bell

The main building- Zangdok Palri Temple, houses 3 huge statues, all made with intricate gold cladding- Buddha in the center, Guru Rinpoche on his left and Buddha Amitayus on his right.  It just blows you away as you step in through the beaded curtains... Again here too we saw Monks sitting and praying, huge gongs hanging everywhere, walls adorned with paintings and art work... There was also a box with what looked like a giant horn, but we dint know what it exactly was... 

Along the way we kept seeing monks and everytime we saw one i had a quirky phrase --
Monk on a bike
Monk wearing sneakers
Monk outside the theater
Monk riding a bike with keys hanging from his back pocket
Monk at a restaurant
Monk wearing a watch

Monks heading out of the temple

This was driving my friends up the wall, but there was little they could do, finally they too joined in and started reciting more phrases as and when we spotted Monks around Coorg....  :-) 



After spending few more mins walking around the monestary campus, we headed out to the shopping arcade just down the road. Rows of shops selling tibetian ware- pretty mugs, hand fans, toys, stoles and outfits in true cantonese style, and various other knick knacks... It was then time to bid adieu to the place and make our way back to the homestay... however, we did stop enroute at Hotel Kannika International for a cuppa coffee and some light eats.. An incident i cant forget is that we ordered Chai, and ended up pushing it away cos it tasted of curry leaves... But the baby corn manchurian and french fries[atleast the 1st plate] was good... Settled for coffee, enjoyed the cosy warmth inside the hotel till it was time to hit the road... 


What i realised while at the monestary was - the place seemed so pure and it was almost like we were ruining its purity by walking and taking pictures... Infact Apar said the exact same thing... Its truly a magical place.. one must visit... Am glad we chose to stay at Kushal Nagar, its def closer to all these hot spots... Otherwise Kr would have gotten tired just getting from one point to the other... :)


Phew, we were tired by the time we reached Hallimane... Walked to our cottage, and crashed for a bit before thinking about dinner... We did manage to get the guys there  to bring us the Carrom board they had and played quite a few games.. which A jr also played, and some games he played quite well... :) 


Yawn... see ya tomorrow... !!! :)