[DaiusPitar]

Originally Posted by PearlJam

Extremely well written travelogue and nice pics too! Waiting for more!

I think a shorter route would have been the more standard Ooty-Coonoor-Mettupalayam-Coimbatore bypass-Palakkad-Thrissur-Cochin route.

Thanks a lot PearlJam.

You are absolutely right. The route you have suggested would have been much shorter. But I definitely wanted to do the Gudalur-Nilambur route because I had heard so much about it. Actually everythin along the route was great except for the absolute pain of a NH47 from Thrissur to EKM. Pattambi to Thrissur was a lesser irritation.

[DaiusPitar]

8: Alleppey Houseboat trip - 29th Aug '09 - I

We rested on 28th. In fact I was so impressed by the Abhyangham at Kabini that both me and my wife went for a repeat at one of the 'reputed' one on MG Road in Cochin. Probably its because it was Onam season and they were short of their experienced staff, but this was the absolute opposite of our exeperience of the Kottakkal people at Kabini. Less said the better

The next day, we headed off to Alleppey for a morning to evening houseboat trip in a big gang of 12 people.

On our way we stopped for breakfast at BTH Sarovaram. Nice place, an interesting mural at their entrance. I am told they are traditional Kerala murals. Didnt get an opportunity during this trip to find more examples of the same. But I have promised my wife a more cultural and less historic trip during some future Onam season to Kerala.


A particularly misted shot on hot morning. Well, my lenses were all fogged up due to the AC in the Safari.


All the houseboats lined up awaiting customers




Our boat


And random snaps

[DaiusPitar]

8: Alleppey Houseboat trip - 29th Aug '09 - II

A re-fueling halt


More random snaps















And finally what they call R-Block I believe. Sorry, need focal length. These paddy fields run adjacent to the waterways.

[MX6]

Photos were really good. Shows your modesty! I loved the elephant one! Nothing looks as majestic as an elephant in the wild! Great post!

[maddy42]

@Daiuspitar: Brilliant write up on Belur-Halebeid man. This is really refreshing that you make an effort to find out where your going.
Well about the guides part i believe there are still some good guides at th eless visited places with good knowledge. Encountered one in Talakad who bore with 12 boys antics and showed us around. Waited for us to finish having fun in the water and then took us home for lunch. Left a very good taste in our heart(well the food was delicious too)

The pics of the carvings are mind blowing. The eductaion one was really good. Pity that our ancestors were more modern than we are

[Majic]

Diauspitar, nice photos of Alleppey, looking out for more,keep it coming !

[DaiusPitar]

9: Cochin trip - 30th Aug '09

The following day after a lazy morning we took a boat ride from the GCDA Marine Drive complex hopefully with a view to possibly see a few dolphins. That we did, but thank my lack of zoom for not capturing a shot of the same.

Making way through the boats to ours.




My attempts at capturing sunset with the entrance in to Cochin harbour (between Vypeen Island and Fort Cochin)










Trying out my ISO settings to capture Willingdon Island in pitch darkness






A particularly enthusiastic pre-Onam Mahabali at the GCDA.

[Majic]

DaiusPitar, the travelogue is shaping nicely, good photos! Do continue with the good work!

[DaiusPitar]

Originally Posted by MX6

Photos were really good. Shows your modesty! I loved the elephant one! Nothing looks as majestic as an elephant in the wild! Great post!

Uhhmmmm

Thanks MX6, looking forward to more interesting travelogues from you.

Originally Posted by maddy42

@Daiuspitar: Brilliant write up on Belur-Halebeid man. This is really refreshing that you make an effort to find out where your going.
Well about the guides part i believe there are still some good guides at th eless visited places with good knowledge. Encountered one in Talakad who bore with 12 boys antics and showed us around. Waited for us to finish having fun in the water and then took us home for lunch. Left a very good taste in our heart(well the food was delicious too)

The pics of the carvings are mind blowing. The eductaion one was really good. Pity that our ancestors were more modern than we are

Thats nice maddy42. I wanted to cover Talakad but didnt have the time this time around. Guess it has to wait till my next trip through karnataka.

But I didnt find any guide at halebid who was half as good as the one at Belur. Thats sad because Halebid is much bigger, more intricate and grander.

Yeah, those educative friezes really took me by surprise. None of the sites I had read up on had any reference to this. Save for a reference in the interesting interview in The Hindu with a historian.

Yeah, butI agree with you in our regression to extreme conservatism and stuck-up'ness' currently. After all its a fact of life isnt it? Might after all do it properly with more variety and fun

Originally Posted by Majic

Diauspitar, nice photos of Alleppey, looking out for more,keep it coming !

Originally Posted by Majic

DaiusPitar, the travelogue is shaping nicely, good photos! Do continue with the good work!

Thank You Majic. Your posts are a great encouragement indeed.

I have been slacking for a while with work and the long diwali weekend as an excuse. I will get around to finishing my travelogue with the Wayanad trip, Edakkal Caves and the return trip to Mumbai via NH17.

[Wolfheart]

Very good narration Daiuspitar! The temple part was especially good, reading it was almost like being there in person.

BTW did you guys manage to spot any leopards at Kabini? I heard that leopard sightings are very frequent there.

[Majic]

Originally Posted by DaiusPitar

Uhhmmmm

I will get around to finishing my travelogue with the Wayanad trip, Edakkal Caves and the return trip to Mumbai via NH17.

Thanks Daiuspitar, looking forward to the remaining part of the trip, Edakkal caves information would be new, probably i would be inspired by your work to go there and Wayanad.

[Wolfheart]

Nice narration man! I was mesmerised with the temple bit, you narrated it in such a fluid manner I actually reached there in my mind. Two Thumbs up!

[JackSparrow]

Excellent Travelogue.

[DaiusPitar]

The next few days were spent in Wayanad where we stayed at this homestay in a pepper plantation, "Moutain Mist". Great place, excellent service, fantastic food by the cook and very efficient staff.
A bit rustic on the creature comforts but who's asking for them in Wayanad eh?

A welcoming pookkalam at the home stay when we reached in the evening.


The path leading up to the home stay


The main building


with our ride to wayanad


Our room/cottage was at the edge or outpost of the plantation. Bordering our side of the plantation was a national park. forget the name. However, huge trenches were dug to prevent elephants from crossing over.
The view from within our cottage

[DaiusPitar]

And how does one know when elephants have crossed over in to the plantation? The staff has come to rely on Tiger informing them, the plantation dog who is seen only at meal times or when new visitors arrive (human or elephantine). One very independent mutt


Our cottage


and the path leading to it



The homestay staff making a pookkalam on Onam day






And all the staff..


The guy in the centre is the manager. Very smart, efficient and couteous dude. The one in the veshti is the cook. Fantastic i say, the guy has got culinary magic in his hands. He used to run a small hotel in nelamangala before calling it quits and returning to Calicut. Was brought over from there by the home stay owner.