Welcome drink of ginger wine was only a faint hint at the warmth of hospitality coming our way from Prasad family, the owners of coffee garden homestay, a breath-takingly quaint abode set amid lush coffee plantations of Coorg, in Southern Karnataka.
Spread over a sprawling estate the living quarters featured a lot of greenery, an open front yard for drying ripe coffee beans after harvest and a large backyard allotted to organic farming of vegetables. A deep pond lay close by from where irrigation water was sourced.
A pack of guard dogs ensured security to the master,as did a skein of ducks, no less threatening than the dogs themselves. The birds would charge trespassers to the estate with a shared fury – a show of loyalty to the estate owner. Heads pointed low in a stubborn threat and a high pitched chuckle would make strangers run to avoid an assault .
We started the night before from Karwar, a sea side picturesque town known for exquisite beaches, the distant Western Ghat mountains and a lot of fresh catch of marine fauna ready for the market. It was an overnight journey to Mangalore, where we boarded another bus to Madikeri , a hill station not far from Coorg , the principle coffee belt of India.
It was spring and the forest was in full bloom. Its indigenous vegetation included a wide array of familiar trees and some were completely new to us. Teak , Sal , Panas( a type of jackfruit, the leaves shredded around midriff) , beetle nuts and a lot more. Among outlandish varieties, rubber , cardamom, black pepper and vanilla were the ones on which I set my eyes for the first time.
This part of the country is quite unfamiliar save for a knowledge that people are hospitable and brave. They contribute a substantial support to the country’s armed forces. Soft rays of the early morning sun shot through drifting smudge of clouds and the foliage high up.
The green canopy had started to thin out pouring a shower of old leaves. Fresh new sprouts replaced them heralding the onset of Spring. It was mid February and nature started to look up bright and blooming. We reached Madikeri, the nearest outpost to Coorg coffee plantations by 10 in the morning .
This was a place of rain forests receiving a heavy spell of annual showers . We took a cab to the homestay located in the middle of coffee farm. Half an hour’s drive and we were in the Estate. The cottage was impressive, the interiors well furnished. In consultation with our hosts we drew up our travel plans.
It was a brief three days vacation with an intent to cover as much ground as feasible. First day would be spent in Dubare Elephant Camp and Tibetan Monastery at Bylakuppe, ending the days trip with the sunset viewing over river Tala Cauveri and Raja’s seat.
The second day was to be completely devoted to Iruppu waterfalls and Nagarhole wildlife sanctuary.
Mr and Mrs Prasad were a wonderful host. Days were spent in sightseeing and nights over rounds of coffee with interesting conversation on subtle crafts of coffee farming, local culture and places of interest.
We were served the local cuisine where pork formed the principal meat. A second meat that was popular was lamb. In fact the number of pig butcheries’ in Coorg reminded me of pork stalls set along Guwahati – Shillong road.
Our first stop was Dubare . Drive was along a stretch of silt strewn with boulders, undulations and dense woods closing in on either side. It was a reserve forest known for spectacular range of avian fauna. An elephant ride point and training camp on the banks of river Cauvery had made this place a popular tourist haunt.
Unfortunately the giant pachyderms’ were out on business carrying tourists atop their backs. Huge mounds of poop marked a trail of movement and were finally lost behind rock and bush. Angling buffs focused efforts on harvest from the river. Mahaseer is found in plenty .
They are big and tasty and prized throughout the region. License from Coorg wildlife association is mandatory for fishing in Cauvery. Limited time frame and tight budget kept us away from the tempting opportunity for water rafting.
Cauvery Nishargadhama was our next stop. It was an amazing place to visit especially those with kids. We had our 6 year old with us . He was bubbling with enthusiasm and there were strong reasons for him to be jumpy and frolicking with fun. The place was predominantly occupied by bamboo grove.
Enclosed within, were separate enclosures for deer , rabbit and peacock parks. What we couldn’t get in Dubare was achieved here. We had an elephant ride though the span was only for a short 10 minutes covering about 400 meters of parkland. A lake was cut across the park through center and a bridge hung over it running end to end.
Half an hours’ boating at the lake was an amusing experience.Water was far from crystal clear and mostly covered with floating reeds. We felt hungry and exhausted from boating but our flesh and mind was pepped up craving for more.
Next destination was Namdroling Tibetan Monastery at Bylakuppe that took around one hour ride along fast roads with a splendid backdrop. The abrupt and dramatic presence of stubby coffee bushes and sight of tall trees interlaced with pepper vines was jaw dropping.
The monastery has an imposing structure. This place is the second largest settlement of Tibetans in India after Dharamsala. The temple complex is immense with a 40 feet high gilded statues of Buddha Sakyamuni and Guru Rinpoche. Temple tower is richly decorated and walls are painted with elaborate murals taken from Jataka lore.
Depictions of Deities and Demons from Tibetan mythology added to the temple frippery. Here we relished vegetarian lunch , hot and fresh and insanely tasty. At the outskirts of the monastery we encountered rhesus macaques. Deceitfully harmless the harlequin in these cart-wheeling primates is too dangerous to be funny. A large portion of their thought process is committed to shenanigans. We warily avoided the troop keeping safe distance.
The sun had now inclined to the West and the temperature dropped by a few degrees Celsius. Wrapped in light woolens we moved ahead in the direction of Raja’s seat , the point from where some amazing sunset viewing was guaranteed.
The seat is perched on an elevated platform from where the evening sky looked surreal. The sun was a massive burning ball and had shot in its fury, the color of fire. It was doozy, holding a kind of rendezvous between us and the divine.
Mellow rays of the setting sun had drenched the cliffs and valleys in fiery red clearly explaining the reason for this being a favorite haunt for kings of Coorg. We reached homestay late that night and were treated to a sumptuous dinner of ghee rice and lamb curry , rounding up with some yummy home made desserts.
Post dinner conversation break with the hosts and other guests was concise as we called it a day to an amazing evening. Excitement of visiting the Nagarhole national park next day was blinking inside us. Next morning, the second day of our Coorg vacation, we started early, our first destination being the Irupu Falls.
We parked our car half a kilometre away from the cascading falls and continued on foot. The place was all immaculate beauty with rocks , boulders and thriving greenery being the primary elements, needs of civilization were secondary.
Nature has sculpted the place with a creative zeal and what has come up was of incomparable artistry. Steps ran up to the source of the waterfalls. It was quite a trek, climbing around 130 rocky steps slippery from moss.
The environment was too scenic to be captured within the limits of a 5*3 digital screen. As we approached the source, thunderous rattle was deafening. Having spent some time up there, we managed to capture some dimmed yet wonderful moments through our lens and started on downhill trek. Needless to say, that trek left us very hungry.
Lunch was simple and quick, keeping in mind Nagarhole visit. Rushed towards Nagarhole, driving past enchanting scenery of rivers, streams, green dales, hills and forests. The cabbie took off at full throttle as he dragged hard on his cigar.
We reached the Nagarhole entrance around 11 am. The path into backwoods was edged out with tall trees. Beyond the first line of trees lay open grassy plains that was again fringed by a second layer of vegetation. This was thicker and possibly sheltered wildlife. One could smell thrill in the air with all eyes narrowed and focused on dense undergrowth to catch a glimpse of our evasive wild hosts.
Our ride wasn’t allowed beyond a point blocked by a gate barrier. We walked up about fifty meters to a ticket counter for boarding safari bus. Booking counter was shut and it was a long wait on a sun drenched spacious ground covered with trimmed grass. The counter opened shortly to a rush for tickets.
Ride started and bus moved deeper into the jungle. 15 minutes have passed and a herd of chitals came into view. They were busy feeding,unmindful of the tourists. This was a sanctuary not to expect threat from visitors. Bus stopped and cameras clicked.
Trees were huge and creepers ran up clinging to the thick trunks.Grey langurs in large tribes swung in boughs. You like or not Langurs are in abundance and you fail to spot your favourite animal in the wild despite your best efforts and expectations. A bad stroke of luck is your companion.
Forest cover grew tightly packed and a sodden bed of rotting leaves and stumps of fallen trees made the ground squishy. Decaying fronds collected on the forest floor had an overgrowth of mushrooms and moss. On the putrid twigs and slippery foliage fresh dry leaves dropped setting up an eternal cycle of ecosystem monitored by nature.
As we traveled further, dense woodlands had receded to a scanty chaparral. We stopped by a lake, its water green from algae. Sight we expected the least was of three tortoises cuddled peacefully around a dead tree stub partly submerged in water.
A philharmonic of melody around us sounded exotic. Warble of birds,ceaseless chirp of crickets and screeching of macaques had set up a jungle symphony that wasn’t too bad on our ears. The bus moved ahead occasionally stopping at breath taking landscapes for photo session.
We rode past a compressed growth of bamboo orchard and the green lake came into view again. Far in the distance at the bank of the lake stood a lone tusker. Bus stopped and shutters clicked. The elephant was frozen in time like a despotic monarch caring a fig for bus load of tourists. Only a stroke of luck can give you a glimpse of a tiger in an Indian jungle and Nagarhole was no exception. Nevertheless, the ride couldn’t be more exciting.
Pristine nature was a welcome break from bustling city life. By the time our Nagarhole trip was over it was 4-15 in the evening. We were back to the homestay after sun down. Our hosts had cooked pulav with a lot of garnishing and vegetable side dishes. Home made sweets were a hell of a treat ! Next morning was programmed to show us the coffee plantation before departure. Estate owner had promised to drop us at Madikeri in his jeep.
The day of departure was no different, being misty as usual. A little later fog cleared and sunlight beamed in. Our guide to the plantation was a lad Ganesh, the garden supervisor. And along came one of those guard dogs . We froze in place but Ganesh assured us of no threat patting the dog gently.
Plantation was up on a slightly higher terrain flanking the homestay resort backyard. Coorg coffee is excellent in taste . It is mild and grows in shade of Rosewood, wild fig and panas trees. The trees keep soil intact and anchored firm, setting up the nitrogen cycle as well.
The atmosphere was laden with a very pleasant fragrance given off by white coffee flowers that blossom in February. November is the plucking season when ripe red beans are harvested for drying. “The basic strains are Arabica and Robusta ” the supervisor rode on a lengthy sermon finding his comfort zone in technicalities of coffee farming, its history, prospects and current issues.
For an honest opinion I was more engrossed with wonderful vista around me. The sweet fragrance was everywhere. Not only the coffee blossoms, it could be the vanilla too, contributing towards a feel good ambiance.
We finished our round of plantation trip hastily, keeping in mind Mangalore bound bus from Madikeri left at 11. After a reluctant farewell we sped towards the Madikeri bus terminus putting as much miles as possible between the estate and our speeding jeep.
simplyroam 