8th March 2018, 22:03
| #16 |
| Senior - BHPian  Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore
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| re: S-Cross'd : Meghamalai (via Yercaud) Day 01 : 16th November 2017 : Thursday Bangalore - Danishpet - Kanavaipudur - Nagaloor - Yercaud By 14:00hours we reached the resort, and checked in. Got our rooms allotted and parked Kungfu Panda for the day, near to our room. . No more drive today, rest time for Kungfu Panda  Parked near to our rooms   The Bus from Bangalore with the associates reached just after us, and the bus from Coimbatore reached by 14:30. Some 70 colleagues in total. We all immediately went for lunch and then towards starting the workshop activities. Some activities going on  The team workshop went on late into night followed by a bonfire and dinner. I retired for the day around 22:00 hours. Nice day with Kungfu Panda and a drive for 250Kms  |
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9th March 2018, 11:09
| #17 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 6,552
Thanked: 16,397 Times
| Re: S-Cross'd : Meghamalai (via Yercaud) Day 02 : 17th November 2017 : Friday Yercaud - Salem - Dindigul - Theni Had a good nights sleep and woke up to the undeniable need of having a coffee. By 05:30 in the morning I am already searching for a coffee. I was told some team mates would be going to the falls nearby by 06:00 and tea/coffee would be available early. But I did not see any one outside. So took a walk around the resort. Kungfu Panda still enjoying the rest    By 07:00 a few team mates came to the front gate, thereby prompting the resort to serve tea/coffee finally. After a nice cup of coffee I took Kungfu Panda and drove to the falls nearby. The others took the minibus they got from Coimbatore and joined in. Team mates trekking down to the water fall  This place has some memories. It was under this stone 10 years ago Sr. PPG cried that she was not able to trek down the slippery slope. Now thankfully they have made steps.  Steps all the way down till the falls  The thrill of the trek is gone, but still steps are welcome  By 07:30 we get the first glimpse of the waterfall  continued... |
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9th March 2018, 11:23
| #18 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 6,552
Thanked: 16,397 Times
| Re: S-Cross'd : Meghamalai (via Yercaud) Day 02 : 17th November 2017 : Friday Yercaud - Salem - Dindigul - Theni Some more pictures from Kiliyur Falls, Yercaud            A small video of Kiliyur Falls, Yercaud By 08:30 we decided to get back to the resort for breakfast and rest of the workshop activities. There you can see the minibus dwarfing Kungfu Panda parked in front  continued... |
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9th March 2018, 12:36
| #19 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 6,552
Thanked: 16,397 Times
| Re: S-Cross'd : Meghamalai (via Yercaud) Day 02 : 17th November 2017 : Friday Yercaud - Salem - Dindigul - Theni Kungfu Panda Enjoying the scenery and breeze  In between the workshop I sneaked out to click some pictures of Kungfu Panda  Kungfu Panda all alone waiting    Here I get a click for introducing Kungfu Panda to the world  Some scenery from the resort     Kungfu Panda waiting for me to get back  By 12:00 noon, workshop activities got over. Lunch seemed to be delayed. So I left for Theni immediately. Bye Bye Yercaud for now. continued... |
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9th March 2018, 14:07
| #20 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 6,552
Thanked: 16,397 Times
| Re: S-Cross'd : Meghamalai (via Yercaud) Day 02 : 17th November 2017 : Friday Yercaud - Salem - Dindigul - Theni By 13:00 hours I reached Salem and stopped for lunch at Saravana Residency. After a good vegetarian meal, started the onward journey to Theni. Another friend came all the way from Bangalore to Salem to join me in my test trip to Meghamalai. He owns a Creta, so healthy debates were on. By 15:00 hours we started rolling. Madurai another 245KMs, we go in that direction  A click of the 4 lane NH  Kungfu Panda nearing a milestone  First Milestone of Kungfu Panda, nearly 400Kms away from home  We drove on, mostly uneventful in a 4 Lane highway  By 19:00 hours we reached Theni. Went to a nearby Petrol Bunk and filled up Kungfu Panda. This stretch of 575 Kms saw Kungfu Panda giving a mileage of 17.18Kmpl after high speed runs, and hill climb. By 19:15 we reached our hotel TN Deputy CM OPS was having coffee at the reception  Clean and Well maintained hotel, we were allotted our rooms very quick.  After a nice hot shower, settled for the day and ordered some refreshments and hot food. Tandoori chicken to start the evening  By 23:00 hours we called it a day and retired. Next day is for the real test, a drive to Meghamalai. |
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9th March 2018, 14:47
| #21 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 6,552
Thanked: 16,397 Times
| Re: S-Cross'd : Meghamalai (via Yercaud) Day 03 : 18th November 2017 : Saturday Theni - Meghamalai Since we wanted to maximize the day at disposal for our drive to Meghamalai, we got up early and got into the car by 06:00. Parking lot at the hotel, enough space for many cars  Kungfu Panda on a busy small street in Theni  Windmills  Wow, that's the road leading to Meghamalai  A click with Kungfu Panda   Kungfu Panda all of 1200Kms, and raring to go for the test  Road ahead looked exciting  Setting up our gadgets, checking the camera, etc etc...  And we roll to Meghamalai    continued... |
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9th March 2018, 15:11
| #22 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 6,552
Thanked: 16,397 Times
| Re: S-Cross'd : Meghamalai (via Yercaud) Day 03 : 18th November 2017 : Saturday Theni - Meghamalai A little further road conditions changed. Looks like a new road is being laid to Meghamalai   Grape wines?  By 07:00 we reached the checkpost. We need to enter our details here before we proceed. Very nice fellows at the CP  Forest Checkpost, Chinnamanur range  Kungfu Panda patiently waiting for permission to go ahead    But only after a thorough check, we did not carry anything offensive, so no issues   We got the go ahead, and by 07:15 we rolled towards Meghamalai  continued... |
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9th March 2018, 15:15
| #23 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore
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| Re: S-Cross'd : Meghamalai (via Yercaud) Day 03 : 18th November 2017 : Saturday Theni - Meghamalai Road conditions ahead of the check post. New road laying is progressing well.             continued... |
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9th March 2018, 15:41
| #24 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 6,552
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| Re: S-Cross'd : Meghamalai (via Yercaud) Day 03 : 18th November 2017 : Saturday Theni - Meghamalai A little bit on to the drive I realized that I had not put an sd card on to my Gopro  . Stopped enroute. Views of the valley from there   We continued after GoPro was started   Soon we were in Tea County    We see a waterbody   continued... |
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9th March 2018, 15:48
| #25 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 6,552
Thanked: 16,397 Times
| Re: S-Cross'd : Meghamalai (via Yercaud) Day 03 : 18th November 2017 : Saturday Theni - Meghamalai We stopped to enjoy the beauty and take some pictures           This is one side of HighWavys reservoir. Roads continuously were getting bad. Drive till here continued... Last edited by laluks : 9th March 2018 at 15:53. |
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9th March 2018, 16:12
| #26 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 6,552
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| Re: S-Cross'd : Meghamalai (via Yercaud) Day 03 : 18th November 2017 : Saturday Theni - Meghamalai We reached Highwavys Panchayat by 08:30AM  There is a guest house, a hospital, a temple and a tea shop here  Panchayat Guest House  The tea shop is famously known as Murugan's Tea shop and is the only possibility for you to get some food here. Panchayat Guest house gives you accommodation, but food is from Murugan's tea shop with prior information. Waiting for our dosas from Murugan's tea shop  Probably it would have been our costliest dosa at such a place, but there is no other place for food. Highwavys reservoir as seen from there    While I was clicking my friend told me there is a dead body floating in the reservoir. On inquiring with the localites, we came to know that one of the youngsters who stayed in the guest house after drinks went to the water and got drowned. The localites warned us not to go to the water as it is very cold and hard. Once in they say we might not be able to swim due to the hardness and also due to the cold our muscles could stop responding. Anyways bathing in this waters was not our game, so we took the advise and decided never to venture into the waters. You can see an ambulance in front of the hospital, in the video and the picture, waiting for the dead body to be taken out Drive till Highwavys Panchayat Video speeds are advanced to shorten the duration of playback By 09:00 we had a good breakfast of dosas and we were on our way further ahead. continued... Last edited by laluks : 9th March 2018 at 16:15. |
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9th March 2018, 20:24
| #27 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 6,552
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| Re: S-Cross'd : Meghamalai (via Yercaud) Day 03 : 18th November 2017 : Saturday Theni - Meghamalai A little further the other side of HighWavys became visible    We stopped for some Photo session   Caught in action   Pano shots   Behind the tea plantation it looks like its a forest  Time to move on  continued... |
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9th March 2018, 21:07
| #28 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 6,552
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| Re: S-Cross'd : Meghamalai (via Yercaud) Day 03 : 18th November 2017 : Saturday Theni - Meghamalai The roads then on started deteriorating too fast         Route bus got stuck in slush, and was quite a jam for other buses to ply    Kungfu Panda slowly rolled on unperturbed by the road conditions continued... |
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9th March 2018, 21:24
| #29 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore
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| Re: S-Cross'd : Meghamalai (via Yercaud) Day 03 : 18th November 2017 : Saturday Theni - Meghamalai Drive from Pancahayat Guest house till our Photo Stop (Video speeds are advanced to shorten duration of playback) We saw some settlement, that's the cottages where workers of Manalar estate stays  That bridge takes you to Venniar, another 10+ kms of pure torture   Drive till the bridge (Video speeds are advanced to shorten duration of playback) We see a sign board   The road to the left of the bridge goes to upper Manalar. Its a private road, its only accessible if you stay with Briars in their bungalows. Oothuparai falls and Vattaparai is in this route. Upper Manalar is 5Kms to the left, before entering the bridge, Venniar Dam is another 10Kms from here  Towards Venniar Dam and our Bungalows  We crossed the bridge and drove on towards Venniar Dam. continued... Last edited by laluks : 9th March 2018 at 21:25. |
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9th March 2018, 22:22
| #30 |
| Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bangalore
Posts: 6,552
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| Re: S-Cross'd : Meghamalai (via Yercaud) Day 03 : 18th November 2017 : Saturday Theni - Meghamalai We started our drive towards Venniar Dam. Road conditions turned from bad to worse. We started seeing Manalar      We reached a junction. The green roof you see is the cottage belonging to Briar. Left of that is Cloud Bungalow, where our stay was booked.  We continued on  At this junction left takes you to Venniar Dam and right a few 100 meters to our bungalow. If you stay in the Bungalow they will arrange a Sumo towards Venniar, since the roads are treacherous. But we wanted to test Kungfu panda. We were here at 10:30 hours  The path to our Bungalow  Lush tea estates  But we drove towards Venniar Dam  A pano shot  continued... |
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