[scorched_earth]

The main intention was to see some geological sites and also experience the drive through the ghats and coastal roads of Karnataka. My plan was to go through Agumbe and return via Charmady Ghat (NH 73 and NH 75). I was also hoping to see the endangered Lion-Tailed Macaque, an ancient resident of the Western Ghats.

The route while going


The route while returning


We prefer leaving home by 0530 hours, even if it's as close as Kodagu. The reasons are to avoid the traffic and also experience the terrain. I remember leaving for Bhadra Tiger Reserve at 0530 hours and having to drive very slowly to ensure that we didn't reach before check in time. My preferred stop on the Hassan highway (NH 75) is Swathi Delicacy around Kunigal. Their food is excellent, with impeccable flavour be it the dosa, sheera, chitranna, idli, or vada. Their coffee is highly recommended, and service is fast.

After over two decades in Karnataka, we believe coffee is a drink and kappi is an emotional experience.

By the way, my Scorpio was still in the ICU undergoing organ transplant, so I had to travel in my Alto K10, and even on uneven ghat roads, it gave a mileage of around 26 kmpl. I didn't cross 80 kmph on the highways, and in the ghats and on village roads, speeds were anywhere between 30 and 50 kmph. While climbing Agumbe switched off the A/C, and then the ascent was smooth. By the way, that day after reaching Udupi, I got a call from Anant Cars announcing that my Scorpio was ready. I told them that I will collect it after Balipadyami, and till then they can keep testing it so that I don't have to return halfway from a road trip, that too a few hours after starting the trip. You can read more about it here https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/stree...l-failure.html (Bundelkhand Road Trip | A successful-failure).

While going, we took the route through Belur, Balehonnur, Srigeri, and Agumbe, and while returning, we took the usual route through Charmady (NH 75). We were lucky to see a troupe of lion-tailed macaques (along with the dominant alpha male). The first visual similarity between them and lions is the mane. I'm curious why they're called the Lion-Tailed Macaque rather than the Lion-Maned Macaque. They generally sit next to the road waiting for travellers to feed them, and the moment one stops, they stand on two feet to peek into the car. It's an amazing thing that we see in the evolution of species: everybody looks for a path where there's least resistance. The jungles provide enough food for the animals, but still they prefer to take the easy route of being fed, and who else can spoil them than we humans? We have been kind to the marmots in Ladakh; they are grass eaters, and that's the only food they can digest with their evolutionary enzymes, but we have extended our generosity by feeding them anything from fried potato chips to cup cakes. Last year, I read in the newspapers that the Karnataka Forest Department started imposing fines if it found people feeding local wildlife, but it's not possible to guard the roads of Mookambika Reserve Forest, in which Agumbe lies. Next time I will spend some time in the Seethanadi Forest Camp (Jungles Lodges) near Hebri, it's a nice place to experience the low elevation rain forests of the Western Ghats, and I certainly will plan this in the non monsoon months to avoid the leeches.

A troupe of Lion-Tailed Macauques


We reached Malpe by 1630 hours, and we stayed at the Paradise Isle Beach Resort in Malpe. It's directly across the street from Malpe Beach, and they have their own private parking inside their premises, so there's no need to go treasure hunting for a 5-by-8-foot plot of land. Please note that the Malpe Beach Development Authority charges Rs. 30 per day for vehicles entering Malpe Beach; if you are staying in this hotel, you can reimburse the parking fees while checking out. Just keep the parking slips as you would need to submit them as proof. The hotel is just opposite to the beach, and one can opt for sea-facing first floor rooms. The tariff is inclusive of breakfast, and the breakfast spread as well as the taste are very good. I liked my stay there.

Nature's Geometry
From the balcony, the first thing I did was zoom in on St. Mary's Island with my binoculars. Legend has it that Senhora Vasco da Gama had landed there before heading off to Kozhikode and had named this island O Padrao de Santa Maria, and that's how it got the name St. Mary's Island. The archipelago consists of four islands, and only St. Mary's is open to tourists. Interestingly, early Catholic explorers from Southern Europe sought the blessings of Mother Mary in their explorations and exploits. Even one of Christopher Columbus' three ships was named Santa Maria.
As a bit of trivia, if you ever go to Lisbon, do visit the Monument of Discoveries dedicated to Vasco da Gama. The whole courtyard of that monument by the sea has a map of the world (as it was during the time of Vasco da Gama), and the route of his first journey to the East Indies is engraved in the courtyard. I wonder how important and strategic that discovery must have been to the monarchy of that time.
Anyway, the reason for my visit to St. Mary's was to see the basaltic columnar joints caused by the lava's super slow cooling. St. Mary's is one of the 34 geological monuments in India declared by the Geological Survey of India. I was spellbound to see the perfectly even and odd-sided (each side measuring between 15 and 20 cm) three dimensional polygons crafted by nature over millions of years. I studied the rocks for some time before exploring the rest of the island accessible to the public. It appears that in April, a group of students in search of perfect selfies slipped and died while climbing those rocks, resulting in the closure of 60% of the island for tourists where the rocks are at their best. The rocks are indeed very slippery due to their continuous exposure to sea water. We admired whatever was within our reach. The sea is pristine, with shades of emerald and light blue interlaced with the black and brown basaltic rocks. I told my daughter that when she reaches my age and if global warming continues at this rate, then half of these islands will be under the sea. She will thank me for bringing her here today.

Nimbus passing by (St. Mary's Island at the bottom right)


St. Mary's Island from the boat


One of the archipelago


The various columnar joints at St. Mary's Island





A couple of things to bear in mind, try visiting the island either early in the morning or in the late afternoon because the rocks become very hot during the day, and don't bring along any plastic bottles as that's banned on the island, they won't allow it to be carried inside the island. Surprisingly, mineral water in plastic bottles can be purchased on the island. Initially, we went for the boat service offered by the government for Rs. 300 per person from the sea walk area, but it had a long queue, and the wait time for the next boat was over 20 minutes. As it was already 1630 hours, we decided to take the private service for Rs. 400 per person, they have frequent trips to the island, and it's equally safe. One can avail of the private service from the Malpe main beach. The island does not have a jetty, so whether it's private or government boat service, you need to wade through knee deep water to reach the shore, so wear something that can be folded up to the knees. The boat operators make certain that everyone departs by evening, eliminating the possibility of a Robinson Crusoe moments. It was already dark when we returned to the mainland, and the experience of sailing in the sea with darkness all around was humbling and eerie. This time the sea was black, and the motor boat was bouncing towards the shore over the huge waves.

Sri Krishna Matha
On Diwali morning, we went to the Sri Krishna Temple in Udupi. It was not very crowded, we had to stand in the queue for around 20 minutes and then have darshan through the Navagruha Kindi (peephole or small opening in Kannada). This is an interesting fact about the temple: that the Lord is seen through a window and not a door. There's also Kanakana Kindi, the window through which Kanaka Dasa used to see Sri Krishna. One can search the internet to learn about the origin and evolution of these windows. The custom is to see the Lord through Kanakana Kindi first, but given the queue, we went straight inside and saw the Lord from the Navagruha Kindi (Navagruha because the window is a 3 by 3 grid signifying the 9 planets). On our way out we bought some ghee ladoos from the temple counter.

NH 66 in Maravanthe
Don't miss the NH 66 through Maravanthe; the highway has the Souparnika and Kollur rivers on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other. We reached there around 1630 and stayed there till sundown. If you are ever in that area, do make a visit to that place around sunset. While the sun's rays reflect on the sea, the calm and quiet ambience is ideal for some self reflection.
The Asian Development Bank in 2018 funded the Maravanthe Shoreline Protection and Management project. The effort was to save the 2.5 kms shoreline from the rising sea levels by constructing groynes to manage the sand distribution and arrest erosion by the sea. Groynes are T shaped structures that run perpendicular to the shoreline, their purpose is to manage sedimentation and arrest erosion by the sea. This is a very good initiative by the government; further, the groynes are constructed using granite boulders instead of full concrete embankments, allowing water to percolate. We are seeing disaster in the Sundarbans due to the erosion of the banks by the sea.

Souparnika/Kollur river on the left and the Arabian Sea on the right, NH 66, Maravanthe


Wallpaper content


Maravanthe Beach



Imprints of the receding waves on the sands of time


A washed up jelly fish on the Malpe shores


Charmady Ghat section (NH 75)


Somewhere between the border of Dakshin Kannada and Chikmagalur district


This is what I like about India, the discoveries one can make is endless. After a few hundred kilometers, one will be face to face with a new culture, new flavours, and mesmerising landscapes.

The Deep bearing the brunt of deep sea trawling, oil and natural gas explorations, mining, acidification and micro plastics


A Digression
A few days back while going for my morning walk I found this gecko standing in middle of the pavement plunged in deep thought.

"Where's my tree?"

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[rajshenoy]

Beautiful shots and loved the humor. Love to see the pic of your Alto which made the trip possible.

[deepak_misra]

Nice and interesting travelogue. I am traveling there on Sunday retracing your route
I have sent you a DM in this regard. Please check

[scorched_earth]

Originally Posted by rajshenoy

Beautiful shots and loved the humor. Love to see the pic of your Alto which made the trip possible.

Thank you for your appreciation.

Originally Posted by deepak_misra

Nice and interesting travelogue. I am traveling there on Sunday retracing your route
I have sent you a DM in this regard. Please check

Thank you for your appreciation, have a safe and refreshing trip.

[drivingyogi]

After over two decades in Karnataka, we believe coffee is a drink and kappi is an emotional experience.

Copying your quote, especially "Emotional Experience". By the way, your travelogue was much needed one.

Can you list down good staying options in Malpe?

[deepak_misra]

Originally Posted by drivingyogi

After over two decades in Karnataka, we believe coffee is a drink and kappi is an emotional experience.

Copying your quote, especially "Emotional Experience". By the way, your travelogue was much needed one.

Can you list down good staying options in Malpe?

I just returned from Malpe day before yesterday. @scorched_earth was there a bit before and I had consulted him on route etc.

The most notable place in Malpe is Paradise Island. This is a slightly higher 3 star hotel with 4 star + prices. The location is superb bangon the beach. You can read my review on tripadvisor at https://www.tripadvisor.in/Hotel_Rev...Karnataka.html

Now if you are not particular about staying on the beach, I would suggest looking at options nearby such as Udupi.
If you are particular about staying on the beach this is a good overpriced option. HOwever you might get airbnb in Kaup on the beach.
At the end of the day, this is the only hotel right on the beach mviz a viz other places which are airbnb or maybe guesthouses