Fast Facts:
Date: 25, 26, 27 28 October 2008
Car: Hyundai Santro LP, 2003
Who: Me, Wife and Child.
Route: Bangalore-mysore-Nanjangud-Gundlupet-SultanBathery-Kalpetta-Mananthavady-Thirunelly
Total Distance: 893 Km
Stay: The woodlands, Kalpetta.
For a change, this trip was planned well in advance and to the last detail. But it looks like a twist was inevitable. We were all set for the much anticipated wayanad trip during the Diwali long week-end, extending that for one more day. My in-laws in calicut calls in on friday to inform, the skies have opened up like never before, and calicut had a record rainfall for a 24hr period, and parts of the city is under water. It should almost be similar in wayanad too, so consider post-poning or cancelling. I had a few numbers of the hotels in wayanad, so decided to check with them about the rains. They said its raining, but nothing like land-slides or road blocks. All of our activities are planned ourdoors, and rain can spoil the fun entirely. The hotel we booked is no-resort, so nothing much for indoors. Also, moving around with a 5 yr old toddler in rain is no good. I was on for the trip 50% in view of the driving on hills/forest during rain, but your companion's irritation can be contageous and spoil the show. Friday ended with 50-50 of go/no-go status and Wife also got busy at at work in view of 2 days off. There was no news of her till 10 pm in the night. I went to sleep early, very much unusual for a friday night.
I woke up in the night, and looked at the clock: 4 AM. In an instant the 50-50 was changed to 100-0 for a GO. Shook my wife up, and told her, lets go to wayanad ! She took some time to come to senses and we started packing our bags. Took a quick shower, got our little one ready, had a quick review of car and papers and we hit the road at 7 AM. Touched the mysore road, via richmond circle, KR market flyover, and filled up the tank at the first indianoil pertrol pump on mysore road. Mysore road was crowded at that time, with company vehicles and holiday goers from bangalore. We stopped at Kamat Lokaruchi for breakfast. The place was too crowded with tourists going out from Bangalore. We found it even difficult to park. It took us around 1 hr to finish the b/f and resume travelling.
In mysore as suggested by some in t-bhp, we did'nt take any of the two bypasses, and went straight in. Took a left in front of the palace, and without any confusion got onto the Nanjangud road. The initial few km from Mysore to Nanjangud is strictly two-lane and with lots of potholes. Once you pass Nanjangud, the road becomes quite good. Light rain started at this point, and I was feeling little disappointed about the impending heavy rains when we approach kerala. But the rain just kept to a light drizzle. I took the first major right turn, after gundlupet, and confirmed the route by asking some people on the road.Stopped at the roadside shop for a tea, just before the Bandipur WLS starts. Met some guys coming from the opposite direction, from bathery, and they confirmed that the rains are not much. Once we enter the forest section, roads've become amazingly well. The traffic was significantly reduced after the turn to calicut at gundlupet. Whenever we stopped by someone to ask the route they would start telling the route to ooty. Apparently lots of people were travelling to ooty. We went very slow, just in case we could spot some wild life. We could'nt spot any except deers seen running at the distance, and some monkeys, all through the section. To my big releif, no rains !!
We stopped at the Muthanga WLS entrance, and enquired about the safari. We were told that due to rain, the safari covers only very short distance, and also it being lunch time by then, we dumped the idea of safari and left.
We reached kalpetta by 2.15, and checked into the room. The room was a good one, with decent facilities, but no luxuries to boast about. We freshened up and went downstairs for lunch. True to the many comments in T-bhp, the food at the woodlands was good. Met some others who stay at other hotels, and they come to woodlands for food. Quite understandable. We left for pookot lake after our lunch. On the calicut route, 15-16 km from woodlands, we need to take a right turn to reach pookot lake. Many thanks to that BHP-ian who rightly posted the photo of the turn. There is no sign board indicating the direction to the lake and I could recognise the turn instantly. Crowd was very less because of the news of the rains, but luckily for us, on that day the rains stayed away. Its an amazing place to be, and our little one really enjoyed the pedal-boating. We took a round in the boat, and also took a round, outside the lake as well.
Road while going to pookot lake
At the lake:
Did some shopping at the handicrafts shop at the lake, and tasted the Amla (Nellikka in malayalam) soaked in honey. Rain started just at that time, and we had to drop the idea to go upto Lakkidi valley view point. I did'nt want to drive on unfamiliar roads with darkness and rains setting in. It was 6pm by that time, and we turned back to our hotel. Back in the hotel room we ordered some tea and relaxed watching the TV for sometime. We had an early dinner that day, and went sleep early as well, to start things early the next day so as to utilize daytime to the maximum.
Woke up at 6 am and planned to start off by 8 am after breakfast. The hotel offers buffet breakfast as part of the deal, and that was good enough. Breakfast offered a variety of choices, idly, dosa, appam, bread, omlet, etc. A small glitch happened after this: I started the car, and while engine is running, just went out to clean my wind-shield. After getting out I gently pushed to close the door, as we usually do, and can you guess what happened? My car has a central locking, and while the engine is running and doors are closed, it will automatically lock all the doors !We were left outside the car with all doors locked and engine running. I regrettfully remembered the thread on 'Essentials of long distance driving" in which someone mentioning the need to have a duplicate keys to be kept with someone else, outside the car. Cool, I thought, here is the live example. I asked the hotel guys for help, and luckily they brought one guy, who inserted a scale through the gap in the beeding, and that door unlocked with a jerk. He saved my day ! We started off by 9 am.
The first target was Lakkidi valley view point, which is 2 km further from the turn for pookot lake.
Roads leading to the point:
You'll see an arch marking the starting/ending of the wayanad district and the point is just after that. Boy, that is some view not to be missed. We can see the entire valley downwards, and the road from calicut climbing up the the Thamarassery churam. We could see a thick balnket of fog inching from far below towards us, and within a few mnutes the entire place was covered with fog. The view of the fog en-gulfing the entire place was indeed a breath-taking one. The visibility was fallen to a few feet in this fog, and people started to leave the place as it was point-less to stand there in thick fog. I had a feeling that the fog should clear just like the way it came and decided to wait for some time, to see the wonderful sight of the valley once again. The fog cleared in around 15-20 mins of time and we enjoyed the view, much more clearer now.
Valley views:
To be continued....