[asmr]

2020 started off as normal but turned out to be once in a lifetime year, for the wrong reasons.

After a trip to Cochin in early 2020, we had been pretty much cocooned inside the house for months on end. Trips to buy vegetables or groceries became adventures by themselves. The 2 or 3 meetups with office colleagues in coffee shops during the waning phase of the initial lockdowns were like, albeit ephemeral, energy boosters. Tragedies in extended family, bouts of anxiety, bored/irritated children, extended binge watching or gaming to simply cut oneself out of reality for short periods of time – these were all taking a toll on everyone in the family.

We thought 2021 would be different. (Oh, how wrong we were on that!)

Months rolled by. Mid 2021 saw me deciding to change my car finally, a journey that I have documented here (VW Taigun 1.0L Topline AT | Ownership Review). It also saw the lockdown restrictions easing out, office opening up partially, things were showing a shift towards normality (new normal, even) and me moving to a bigger apartment complex for various reasons. Given that the last family vacation was in 2018, we were actually planning for a week-long trip to North India in December. Then, C19 Omicron made itself known.
Plans were scrapped, reluctantly. But I was determined to ensure that the family should spend some time outside of the apartment complex. I was also itching to take my Taigun out on the road. It was then my boss suggested I go to Yercaud. He suggested a place via Airbnb (Water Rock Bungalow. It was well outside of the hill town, on the Kuppanur-Yercaud ghat road) where he had stayed there earlier). I didn’t even think twice to look up on facilities and such. I saw the place was available and I booked it immediately. The countdown to the trip started ticking.

Preparations:
The travel party was 3 adults and 3 kids, with me being the only driver. We saw the weather forecast showing very chilly nights and took it too literally. Also, given the relatively remote location of the bungalow, we were overcautious in taking a few items which were supposed to be fall back options on food. 6 Noodle packets, 2x1L Amul Gold Tetra Pak milk, 2x5L cans of Bisleri water, 2 bottles of soft drinks, biscuits, some savory items. I also got a set of microfiber towels and a large bottle of sanitizer to be kept in the car. All sorts of medicines & bug sprays found their way in to the bags as well.

Day 1:

We were all up and ready by 6AM. The distance to our stay in Yercaud was ~350Kms, and we expected to cover this in ~7hrs including breaks. The car was all set since I had done the first free service (1 month/1000kms) just the day before. We rolled out of the parking lot at 6:17AM sharp.



The first stop was at the IOCL Shanthi Service Station on GST road, next to Trident Hotel. The tank was filled till auto-cut off with XP95. I had to wait there for about 5 minutes since the attendants had not switched on the pump for XP95. Then the tires were topped off to recommended pressure and then we were on our way to the place where we had planned to have breakfast, Hotel Manoj Bhavan at Mamandur which was 50Kms from the petrol station.

The traffic was relatively busy for the morning time, in my opinion. Lots of cars rushing alongside buses and trucks. I had already decided that this trip would be for me to enjoy driving in a relaxed manner. But until we got to the hotel, the traffic didn’t let up much and it was more like a drive inside the city albeit at a higher average speed.

We reached the Manoj Bhavan around an hour later. There was ample parking in front of the hotel, with a security guy to help with parking. The place was crowded but we were able to find seats immediately. Breakfast was the standard fare of hot idlis, dosas, vadas with coffees. Food was really good, esp. the coffee which had a chocolatey flavor and the service was efficiently prompt. After a quick trip to the restrooms (which were clean and maintained well by dedicated staff), we were on the road again, ~40 mins after we had stopped there.

It was basically a leisurely drive over the next 220Kms to our next stop at A2B (Adyar Ananda Bhavan) near Attur. While I have no complaints on the quality of roads, once you make the turn near Ulundurpet towards Salem, the road becomes a mix of 2 and 4 lane sections. The 2 lane stretches had orange (reflector?) sticks equally spaced out in the middle of the road as lane dividers and proved to be a major irritant when we got stuck behind slow moving trucks.

We got in to A2B parking a little after 11AM, if I remember correctly. The place was a huge, and very dusty, parking area lined with other shops of all kinds. We used the restrooms in the nearby building (which were maintained ok) and went in to A2B. Everyone agreed it was too early for lunch. So, we ordered some bhelpuri instead, which turned out to be excellent! We also decided to get packed lunch for everyone since there were no restaurants near our place of stay (except for a home cook, more on this later). After about 45mins, we were back on the road for the final stretch of the journey, the last ~65kms to Water Rock Bungalow

Once we got to a place called Ayodhyapattinam, we had to take a right turn on to the Salem-Harur Road. It was at a railway crossing here that we felt the speed breaker (car breaker of sorts?) scrape the car underneath very briefly. After the crossing, I moved the vehicle to the shoulder and did a quick check under the car. Nothing seemed too off and so we continued driving.

This stretch between Ayodhyapattinam and Kuppanur was a pothole filled, 2 lane nightmare which was beautifully lined with trees. The trees made the drive worse, with the shadows from the canopy & sunlight breaking through their gaps that constantly kept changing on the windshield.
After a grueling short drive for about 10kms or so, we finally made it to the left turn on to the road which would take us up the mountain. There is a toll gate of sorts where we had to pay Rs.40 and got some random receipt (with the correct date rubber stamped). In a few mins, we started the climb up the ghat section.

This is probably the second or third time I drove by myself on a ghat road, but this particular route seemed quite fine. There were some steep stretches, few hairpin bends and bits of horribly damaged road (there had been landslides in this route few weeks earlier) but our fully loaded Taigun traversed it very easily even when I took it slow, since there was very minimum traffic in the entire time that I was driving that section. It was very scenic, with lots of monkeys on parts of the road. We didn’t stop or take any photos, unfortunately.

Soon enough, we got to the small village called Kottachedu and got confused as to where the entrance was to the Water Rock Bungalow. The phones didn’t work well in that area, so I drove a few hundred meters in to the village and then came to know that I had go down an extremely steep incline, just before the village boundary, in to a coffee estate compound below. So, we reversed the car, drove back some distance and down the steep path. There was left turn at the very bottom in to the estate facility, then another stretch of inclined paths (mix of concrete tracks and unpaved ones - right turn, incline, left turn, incline, right turn, incline and a final U turn) in to the parking area of the bungalow right around 1:15PM. Phew!

The place we stayed:

Let’s talk about Water Rock Bungalow a bit here. It is not so much of a bungalow but a large 2 bedroom (1 extra queen bed in the common hall) old estate style house. It looked very serene from the outside and cozy inside. What it missed was a fireplace for looks but you don’t really need one in that climate. It was clean enough, has running water (hot and cold), basic cutlery, beds, sheets, pillows blankets etc. The kitchen area could have been a bit more well maintained but since we were not using it except for the wash basin to wash the utensils, and they have an elderly worker who comes in the morning to wash any dishes and clean the place, it was not a big bother.

While the listing said there were cooking facilities, they had been removed since the caretaker family was taking care of all food requirements. That meant no microwave, but there was a small refrigerator which we had no use for during this trip. We mentioned this to the caretaker, Mrs. Selvi, only when we checking out of the place and she could have given us an induction stove if needed. Then again, we didn’t have a need for it and offered it only as feedback.

Also, there is/was very little mobile connectivity there. Even though I was told that Airtel & BSNL would work, none of the phones really detected any towers but once the Wi-Fi started working (included in package), we could pretty well manage with Whatsapp. The place looks very nice in the greenery, calm, serene and silent. It is a perfect getaway place for anyone who wants to spend time with friends and family or even a few days of not too intense “workacations”. However, elderly people might find the access and the surroundings a bit difficult to traverse.

Back to the story:

We unloaded the luggage, settled ourselves inside the place, resting for 2-3 hours. About 2 days earlier, we had conveyed our food needs to the owner, Mr. Prasanna, who also made the trip to the house from Salem to fix our Wi-Fi. Around 4:30PM, we got coffee delivered to the bungalow. It was brewed from the estate’s produce and tasted fine. I took my sons for a walk outside and took some photos.





The photo does not do enough justice to the steep incline before the compound gate.



Nice pepper and coffee in the grounds, all around you!









At 7:30PM, we got our chappathis and dal fry by Mrs. Selvi. They were HOT and very good, especially in the chilly weather. The temperature hovered around 15 to 17deg. The watchman, a gentleman by the name of Mr. Lakshmanan, came around to set up our bonfire. We finished our dinner, put on some woolens, took the plastic chairs outside to sit around the firepit. It was expertly set up, burning using dry coffee wood (I was told that) and it lasted for an hour.



The place near the fire got so hot that we had to move the chairs a bit back to feel comfortable. We called it a night and were asleep by 10pm.

Day 2:

I woke up around 6AM, found the coffee flasks outside the main door. Finished up the morning stuff, had my coffee and set about cleaning my car. It was dusty from the trip and the glass area had dew all over it. So, with a few micro fiber towels, plain water and Colin, I went to work and was quite satisfied with the end result.

Around 8AM, we got piping HOT Pongal, Idlis, sambar and chutney delivered in hot cases (which had seen quite some action, if I may say). The family liked it and by 9:30AM, we got in to the car to go to Poppy Hills Adventure park.

The map shows the route I took, although there is another longer route.



The first U-Turn from the bungalow on to the concrete tracks saw the car struggling for grip and the wheels were slipping, trying to get through the earthen part of the road and on to the concrete tracks. Just for a couple of seconds, but it felt odd that traction was difficult to get on that terrain. I made my way carefully up the inclines to the main ghat road.

Once I crossed the village and turned left, the climb became steep, the road was very narrow in places but extremely scenic. Once again, apologies for not having taken any photos during the ride itself. The Taigun didn’t have any difficulty here since it was all very nicely paved tar roads and by 10:15AM or so, we were at our destination. There wasn’t much crowd that morning. We had enough parking spots open, so we got out of the vehicle, got the tickets (Rs.10 for entrance and Rs.600 for 4 games per person) and went in.

We had 4 games on the tab. Zipline, ATV ride, Paintball shooting, Water roller for the younger kid, and the finally, the rope challenge, which was the longest and difficult challenge to complete for the me, my wife and 2 kids. My mother was on photo duty. 20-30mins after we started the rope challenge, we got down to terra firma, content with having accomplished something physically strenuous after a long time. That there were muscles, which we didn’t know existed, let us know their presence later that day and in to the next 2 days is a different story.

Some photos of the place:









It was almost close to lunch time when we got done with the place. We decided to go have our food at SkyRocca Diner, which is part of Great Trails Yercaud by GRT Hotels. Only the buffet was available, and while we waited for the setting up to complete, we took a walk outside the diner which offered excellent views of the hilly areas in a light breeze.









We got back to the dining areas after 15mins and had our food. The menu was quite good, the taste was fine as well. Lots of choices for everyone, even vegetarians like us, even on desserts. Feeling satisfied, we paid the hefty bill and got out of the diner, making our way to Peeku park.

At Rs.250 or so per head, I thought the entrance fee was quite high for a place that housed different varieties of chicken, a Husky, a herd of goats, few ostriches but that opinion changed the moment we went inside the aviary! We had to step in to a puddle of Potassium permanganate to disinfect our footwear soles before entering the aviary. Once inside, there are 3 zones filled with different types of birds which are very bold and WILL land anywhere on your person, especially if you don’t have the sunflower seeds in extended out hands! It was super fun and all of us enjoyed the experience very much! Luckily, none of us got any bird droppings on us.











Departing from Peeku park, we went to Pagoda point, which was very nearby. It was a concrete structure meant to be a viewing area for the landscape below but I personally found that a mess. We parked our car on the side of the road some distance away and walked to the viewing area. We were hounded by kids and adults alike for balloon shooting, archery, snacks, sherbet, corn and what not. One enterprising father and son even had set up a telescope over plastic crates in the viewing area, charging folks to take a look via the lenses at 3 landmarks. I took some photos but then didn’t find anything to capture my interest.






And of course, this has too has to be shown.


It was also getting close to coffee time for the folks and so we made our way to Saravana Bhavan Elite hotel. After having hot coffee here, we headed out to the lake area to see if we can get ourselves a boat ride. That boating place was crowded. The parking area was at a walkable distance but apart from the concrete parking area, the surrounding places were horribly maintained.

We took the motor boat ride for Rs.600 and pretty much had the boat for ourselves since we got in to the second boat luckily. The ride itself was pretty underwhelming. 10mins later, we were back on ground. We strolled around for sometime and then decided that we didn’t want to come back to town for dinner.

We drove again to Saravana Bhavan, got a list of food items packed for us as takeaway and started the ride back to Water Rock Bungalow. It was growing dark and I traced back the same route I took in the morning. The entrance to the estate and the paths inside did give me some pause for just a second, but the car handled them very well. We got inside, took hot baths, had our dinner and spent time until 8:45PM or so around the firepit outside. By this time, we were extremely tired and went off to sleep.

Day 3:

The same routine as the day before – got up, freshened up, had coffee which was delivered to us, cleaned the car, took bath and had breakfast (same menu as the previous morning). The family was almost ready and packing stuff by then. We hadn’t planned anything for the day and so decided to checkout early by 10:15AM.

We called up Mrs. Selvi, settled our food bills, handed over the keys, loaded our luggage and pulled out of the parking. I faced the same issue again with wheels slipping on the first inclined U turn but then it was just smooth riding after that, all the way to the foothills.

This time, we took a slight detour by turning left at Valasaiyur, in to village roads (which were actually excellent, compared to the main Salem-Harur road) and joined the highway towards Ulundurpet after a few Kilometers on the village roads. Around 11:15AM or so, I pulled in to a IOCL petrol bunk at Vazhappadi town and filled the tank with XP95 again. A quick calculation – 413Kms driven after last tank full and 29.93L to tank full indicated a 13.8Kmpl mileage. Not bad for a fully loaded car that did close to 60Kms in the ghat section.


Just before 12PM, we rolled in to the same A2B restaurant that we had stopped on the onward journey. Once again, people were not ready for lunch and so we ordered the excellent bhelpuri plates and also got some sweets packed for the road. In 30mins, we were back on the road.
Just like the onward journey, I wanted to keep this relaxed and so used the cruise function liberally, sticking to 80Kmph for the most part. But once we turned towards Chennai on the Chennai-Trichy Highway, it started raining.

We had not bothered to check the weather that day and were astounded to see reports of the downpours in Chennai. The route we were on was no different. Periodic bursts of heavy rains, and constant drizzle kept us company throughout the journey, while I took it easy on the pedal as well. It was pretty uneventful except for few cars zipping past us in the rain causing us to wonder what the hell were those drivers thinking. At around 3:30PM, we pulled in to another branch of Manoj Bhavan hotel for having a late lunch. Around 4:15PM, it had started raining heavily and with the help of umbrellas given by the Hotel security, we got back in to the car and started the final run of 82Kms towards my home in Chennai.

As we neared Chennai, the rains were continuously battering us. The traffic, thankfully, didn’t come to a standstill anywhere except the one place before Tambaram at Perungalathur. Fending off a few over-enthusiastic drivers trying to cut me off took my irritation high for a bit but soon it became just me trying to drive carefully in a rainy night.

The last mile, so to say, to my home was flooded but the Taigun took us through without a hitch, except maybe getting a few curse words from a couple of poor 2-wheeler riders who had to move to the deeper part of the road since their path was obstructed by me, in the correct lane. I tried to accommodate as much as possible but hey, we cannot please everyone all the time.

I had planned to reach home by 5:30PM latest. With the rains, I had managed to get in by 7PM, with 1999Km on the odometer, a family that was glad to have gone outside of home after a long time and also to be back home as well as a contented me on many fronts!

[Aditya]

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