[Dr.AD]

6.2: Jog Falls (continued)

After about a kilometer and half from that bridge, I reached the main view point.


The parking lot had a lot of vehicles:



And the view point was also pretty crowded:



Much better view of the falls from this side (compared to the first point I went to); however, it was a bit disappointing to see only so much water even in monsoon:



Zooming on towards the bottom of the falls gave mesmerizing views of the water:









The walkway around the falls:



This other side of the walkway was also crowded:



There were these nice looking cottages hidden in the forests, overlooking the falls. Must be a nice place to stay:



Some other cottages/hotel tucked away in the trees:



The other branch of the falls:



A couple of more views of the falls:






Suddenly, clouds came in and the valley got hidden again:



Clouds were playing magic. Just as quickly they came in, they moved out revealing the views again:



A couple of parting shots of the waterfalls, showing the play of clouds:





After Jog Falls, now it was time to go to Shimoga, my last stay on this drive. Drive from Jog Falls to Shimoga was a very straightforward one, quite literally.

By the time I crossed Jog Falls, I had climbed the entire Western Ghats, and now I was on the plateu, which continues all the way till Bangalore. From here till home, there were no more mountains, no more ghats, it was all flat and straight (relatively).


The straight and flat roads from Jog Falls to Shimoga:



The views of the green farms around were still scenic:



Of course, even on such relatively straight road, there were occasional turns:



After a couple of turns, back to straight roads:



Dusty on the penultimate drive of this week-long wandering:



Beautiful green farms around:



Then after a short drive, I reached Shimoga, and checked into Royal Orchid
Central, Shimoga:



My room. The hotel turned out to be quite nice, and the room was indeed very nice, clean and comfortable.





My week-long drive was almost over now. It would have been an understatement to say it was thrilling. It had turned out to be even more exciting and enjoyable than I had thought. Now it was only a relatively short and simple drive back to home next day. I rested and relaxed in my room, recollecting my thoughts and memories from the last few days, which seemed almost magical. After an early dinner, I went to bed.

[Dr.AD]

Day 7: Shimoga - Bangalore

This was the last day of this drive. It was time to go home, after 6 wonderful days of driving and visiting amazing places. I was feeling very happy and satisfied with the drive, with countless memories still overwhelming my mind. And I was now looking forward to go home.

I had a wonderful breakfast in this nice little hotel. Among other things, I had this classic and yummy breakfast food, true to the region I was in:



The roads from Shimoga to Bangalore are all straight and flat. Some scenic sections near Bhadravati Forest Reserves:



Dusty on the last leg of this journey:



This road had its fair share of traffic, with buses and trucks plying on it, as you can see here:



No more thick forests and jungles now, but the farm land surrounding the road was still beautiful:



After wandering aimlessly through forests, beaches, and hills, Dusty on these flat roads now:



"Straight Drive":



Then just around Channarayapattana (C. R. Pattana as it is locally known), I joined NH75 - The Bangalore- Mangalore highway (earlier it was NH48 - I don't know why they changed the highway numbers now; it causes so much confusion).

Now I was on this four-lane highway, reminding me that I was back in the urban area:



A quick break for an early lunch at this place:



Wanted some simple and light lunch. And this yummy curd-rice was perfect:



Back to the picturesque four-lane highway:



Which had its fare share of traffic too:



Dusty on the last lap. Almost home:



When I reached home, the trip meter read 2040.1km:



With this, it was the end of this incredible journey. What fun, what joy! I was lost in my thoughts when I reached home - still overwhelmed by the experiences I just had.

Dusty was an amazing companion on this journey. She handled the conditions perfectly, without even a hint of any problem. Bravo!

And before ending this, I thank you for reading this travelogue, which turned out to be way too long. Thank you very much!

That's all folks.

Thanks,
-AD

[Jaggu]

That is one mother of all travelogues! Thanks for sharing.

cheers
Jaggu

Mod note: Moving thread from Assembly line to Travelogue section.

[Zappo]

Wow!!! This looks like one big and interesting read on a rainy afternoon! Thanks for sharing with us.

[abirnale]

I have not read such thread before, AD. This is epic. Rating well deserved 5 stars.

You were in my backyard actually - literally. I grew up in Kolhapur and seen this flooding situation almost every year. The kind of trouble we used to take to reach our relatives places in this flooding still brings those old memories back and goosebumps too! Glad that you made all the right decisions to choose the route. You had been through the most mesmerising "green" experience!

I have only finished reading this travelogue in rush. Tonight I will read this line by line and word by word!

An awesome trip you had for sure and the best read so far in the travelogue section!

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by Jaggu

That is one mother of all travelogues! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks Jaggu.

Originally Posted by Zappo

Wow!!! This looks like one big and interesting read on a rainy afternoon! Thanks for sharing with us.

Thanks Zappo.

Originally Posted by abirnale

I have not read such thread before, AD. This is epic. Rating well deserved 5 stars.

You were in my backyard actually - literally. I grew up in Kolhapur and seen this flooding situation almost every year. The kind of trouble we used to take to reach our relatives places in this flooding still brings those old memories back and goosebumps too! Glad that you made all the right decisions to choose the route. You had been through the most mesmerising "green" experience!

I have only finished reading this travelogue in rush. Tonight I will read this line by line and word by word!

An awesome trip you had for sure and the best read so far in the travelogue section!

Thanks a lot abirnale. Yes, I was in your backyards. And I must say I was bowled over by the hospitality and the charm I experienced there. It is a lovely land.

[paragsachania]

!

Simply awesome Doc. Nothing can come close to driving solo on the roads that you have taken and in rains.

You have managed to run the show quite brilliantly with good pauses in a relaxed mode over 7 days and that is the best part about this drive. You have touched most of the interesting POIs around your stay too.

Couple of us were here on the weekend of 22nd on a 3 day drive and your photos made me realize it was raining cats and dogs while we drove and the pics that I have give a totally different view of the same sections including that of the Jaigad Ferry point where there was none (Market) but just us and rains pouncing from up above.

Solo and then your own play list, your own driving style, taking those corners in your own way without bothering about the passengers inside, occasional roar from that engine as you almost redline while you upshift, roll down the window for a while and hear the wind noise intrude into the cabin, stop wherever you want, eat whatever you wish & the list just goes on & on......

Undoubtedly this one deserves 5 Stars for the humongous effort taken to document this and that wicked idea of driving solo and going to these places during the best season of the year. Superb!

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by paragsachania

!

Simply awesome Doc. Nothing can come close to driving solo on the roads that you have taken and in rains.

You have managed to run the show quite brilliantly with good pauses in a relaxed mode over 7 days and that is the best part about this drive. You have touched most of the interesting POIs around your stay too.

Thanks a lot! I am a big fan of your own writings and your knowledge about roads is legendary. Therefore, you saying that I took best roads means a lot. Thank you!

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Solo and then your own play list, your own driving style, taking those corners in your own way without bothering about the passengers inside, occasional roar from that engine as you almost redline while you upshift, roll down the window for a while and hear the wind noise intrude into the cabin, stop wherever you want, eat whatever you wish & the list just goes on & on......

Exactly! You summed it very well.

Originally Posted by paragsachania

Undoubtedly this one deserves 5 Stars for the humongous effort taken to document this and that wicked idea of driving solo and going to these places during the best season of the year. Superb!

Thanks. Even I am surprised about how I documented everything. I think this is one of the secrets of solo traveling. Since there is nobody else to share you experience right there, you tend to pay a lot more attention and try to document everything more meticulously. Here is another travel quote that I really like, and that explains this documentation habits in solo travelers:

“When you’re traveling with someone else, you share each discovery, but when you are alone, you have to carry each experience with you like a secret, something you have to write on your heart, because there’s no other way to preserve it.” — Shauna Niequist

[procrj]

Super travelogue AD

The more i see/hear about amba ghat & konkan, the greater the desire to pack a bag and get going. In general I think local roads and SH's tend to be in much better condition than the high traffic NHs - this is based on the roads I have driven in KA over the last few months plus what you have shared here. I am slowly but surely starting to believe that there is always a scenic & less hectic route to any destination - one only needs to look a little and ask the experts

Thanks for sharing details of local eateries where we can sample tasty local food. Now where do I go to satiate my craving for authentic maharashtrian vada/misal pav in north bangalore!

[Dr.AD]

Originally Posted by procrj

Super travelogue AD

Thanks a lot procrj.

Originally Posted by procrj

The more i see/hear about amba ghat & konkan, the greater the desire to pack a bag and get going. In general I think local roads and SH's tend to be in much better condition than the high traffic NHs - this is based on the roads I have driven in KA over the last few months plus what you have shared here. I am slowly but surely starting to believe that there is always a scenic & less hectic route to any destination - one only needs to look a little and ask the experts

Yes, you should go to Amba Ghat and the Konkan in general. I am a fan of your own travelogues, and knowing how you enjoy scenic drives and places, I am sure you will love the roads in Konkan. Amba Ghat is just awesome. And not just the ghat (the actual ghat is not that long anyways), but the road before and after the ghat is also very scenic.

I agree with you in general about the local roads and state highways. I have also seen many beautiful state highways in both Karnataka and Maharashtra. However, it can backfire too. Many such roads are in terrible condition. So one should take such roads only if they know the roads are good or if they are in a mood to experiment (like I was). As you said, checking with experts is the best thing to do.

Originally Posted by procrj

Thanks for sharing details of local eateries where we can sample tasty local food. Now where do I go to satiate my craving for authentic maharashtrian vada/misal pav in north bangalore!

Not sure about North Bangalore, but I know some places in South Bangalore/Koramangala area. Since it would be off-topic here, PM me if you are interested.

[mazda4life]

Amazing travelogue AD, thanks for sharing...
@procrj, if ever you come to south Bangalore side, try Rajvardhan foods in Jayanagar for your misal pav, sabudana kichidi fix.
https://www.zomato.com/bangalore/raj...oods-jayanagar

[AutoAficionado]

Dr AD... I really enjoyed reading each and every line of your travelogue as much as you enjoyed penning them down. I really appreciate your guts for having carried on instead of giving up despite the heavy floods in Kolhapur. Also, kudos to you for having taken your 'Dusty' to the road less travelled and having the enjoyed the solo ride with her.

Even the roads around the Konkan region with lush green surroundings were pleasant to watch from the photos. I wish I could muster the courage to do a round trip along the coast with my family if not alone.

Rating a well deserved 5 star..... Waiting for some more interesting travelogues from you sir.

Cheers!!
Aficionado

[Teesh@BHP]

Amazing travelogue, loved every bit of it! I belong to the same category of people who go in search of divine 'journey' rather a specific destination A smaller yet similar version of my journey coming up soon here.

[fusionbang]

No words to praise this meticulous travelogue Anand Literally it was a virtual drive for me and read the entire travelogue in one go. Rated 5 stars.

Exploring these scenic roads, valleys is truly an adventure by itself and especially when you are driving solo. And IMO no drive is completed and interesting, without facing any challenges during the drive.

I would like to appreciate the mindset you had to overcome the hurdles after Kolhapur and continue towards the destination you had planned for

Will look forward to meet you in person during our Pondy meet and listen to your experiences.

[desiaztec]

Simply Amazing AD. I wish to see the Konkan in monsoons. It was like deja vu for me, you just lived my dream, a self driven journey in the green and soaked Konkan. Unfortunately, I'm never able to plan one since I'm too far away in the chaotic capital city of Delhi.

Edit: Rated 5 Golden Ones.