Coffee Time in Chikmagalur

 After a long wait, it finally happened. I have visited several tea growing regions, but hardly any coffee growing ones. This last weekend, I made up, ticking one more box on my Bucket List. Very interesting place, Chikmagalur. A Sufi saint is supposed to have brought the coffee seed here, the legend goes. Believable, because Monks are supposed to have invented Beer too.

Anyway, amazing scenery, simple and clean living in a two-street town, and a 4-5 hour run from Bangalore are some of the attractions. You can stay a couple of nights, and soak in nature's bounty. My guess is monsoons should give you more greenery, but less clear views. So take your pick, or do both seasons. Some pics- 

Picnicking Around Indore

Picnic spots abound around Indore- not too far from here are many day-trips, which can be educational, fun or relaxing, or all three. One such spot and some pics. The waterfall is around 25 kms. from Indore via Mhow. A cute metre gauge railway line is an added attraction. The bhutta (corn, rosted) sellers can take care of small hunger pangs. The scenery is best viewed at this time (monsoons- July till September).

Adventures of Bahu Bali Part 2- Tegenungan Falls

Bali Adventures- Tegenungan Falls

I have been a fan of Jog Falls, which I have visited four to five times. Pataalpani near Indore is another interesting one. But the beauty of this fall is unique. Among lush greenery, the water jumps forth in joy, and is a joy to behold. You can go for a dip in it, and enjoy the cool waters first-hand. It is safe, and lots of people take a dip coz it’s irresistible! It is again in the Ubud area, and you can combine it with a trip to the Batuan temple, and an old palace, part of which is open to visitors. We did these three, and it was great fun.

If you can spot me in any of the pics, you get a free trip to the nearest waterfall :)

A Visit to Pataal

Actually, Pataalpani's the place we went to. A waterfall near Indore, it's in its element when it rains a lot. So this is how it looked in 2018 August-

A train also happened to pass by running on the metre-gauge line that is the Indore-Khandwa section, now under conversion to broad gauge in parts.

 Preventing each other from jumping off :)

Pics From Outdoors

Indore and Outdoor are both to be enjoyed with equal attention. So it was in a spirit of exploration that we, a band of Indoreans set out last weekend. We managed to take in two major sights, one a religious shrine on the banks of river Narmada (Omkareshwar) and the second, a waterfall called Patalpaani, which has a railway line running opposite itself (like Dudhsagar near Goa, except that this one is below the track level). Some pics of the explorers, mostly colleagues at IIMI. There is this suspension bridge like the one in Rishikesh that you can walk across to reach the temple. Some dhaba food and a terrific shower thumping the roof of it while we ate were other highlights. There was some 'monkey business' at Patalpani too, but we came out unscathed.