My Mysuru excursion was almost over, I had already negotiated a good rate with my taxi driver who was ready to take me all over Karnataka for sixteen days, from Coorg to Chikkamagaluru to Nandi Hills and then to Hubli all this for rupees seventy thousand. I was ready for it but not before I bought some sandalwood oil from a local shop this city is famous for its Sandalwood oil which is used for massaging the body and purifying the skin. I also slaved around a few mobile phone shops trying to get my sim card and to work. Then as we were all set to leave for Coorg my hotel called up and informed me that I still had to pay then twelve thousand rupees, we had to turn around to complete that transactions. The afternoon was hot and there was some humidity too in the air.
The journey to Coorg would be a three-hour journey almost hundred and fifty kilometers. I was ready to fall asleep but for the air conditioning inside my taxi that kept me awake. We did stop over at a very local eating joint, it was very traditional and food was served on banana leaves. I gave company to my driver and enjoyed dosa and rice on banana leaves. I ate like a local man and that was fun.
We managed to reach my hotel aptly named the Cocoon in the hill station of Coorg but before that we had to cross a wild life sanctuary, which had elephants and wild buffalo’s roaming around and also ponds and streams. Coorg is known for its coffee and is a chilly growing area. It produces the best chilly powder made in India.
I took my taxi guy along as usual and headed down the coffee plantations of Coorg their is a Tata Coffee factory in one of the plantations here as TATA is a major player in coffee. We drove through small villages and even a dense forest area. Coorg is very green full of tall palm trees and chilly plants. The primary colours of Coorg are green and red mud a texture prevalent in many of the village huts and walls.
We kept driving through and finally arrived at Abbey Falls this is a huge more then fifty meter fall which is situated on a hill. I took my entry ticket of Rs 40 and walked right in. You have to walk quite a distance on steps to get to the fall. It was quite a site but I have seen bigger water falls. Non the less I took pictures of the falls along with the huge splash it made.
Their sheer shops selling Khajur wine and Lassi, it was hot and I gulped a lassi down. The journey back was fun too as I tried not to fall asleep all along. Today was my first big day out into the city. Its peaceful and very green no wonder Sam Manikshaw spent his retired life in this city.
It also has a touch of Islam and Muslim culture as their where two large and splendid mosques in and around the market place and I can hear the azan prayers from my room in the evening. Their are shops and hotels all along and the place can be covered in a bus or an auto rickshaw.
So far I have enjoyed being in Coorg and also the collar weather during the evening and especially the night.