OUR WANDERINGS IN WAYANAD
This report starts off from
the day after we finished our Conquest of Chembra Peak.
We both had a good sleep after
the tiring trek , got up at around 7 in the morning.
Our plan for the day was to
finish off the remaining spots in wayanad so that we can head back to Bangalore the next day.
Finished our breakfast at “Everglades”
and started towards out first destination for the day – “The Kanthapara Falls “. We took the same road which
passes thru Mepadi and went past it . Then came across a signboard indicating we have to take a right turn there.
One thing I would like to mention
at this point here is , the effort by the Tourism department of Kerala is worth appreciating as each spot is clearly identified
by a sign board ( In English , of course ) with the distance clearly indicated.
So after about 3-4 kms we reached
a dead-end and we able to see some stream flowing and could hear the sound of the waterfalls.
Stopped the bike , walked for
some distance and we could clearly see the Kanthapara falls to our right . Could not get very close as the water was in full
flow and the place around was very much slippery. Had a photo session for some minutes and later headed back to our next destination
– “ The Meenumutty Falls “.
After seeing the Kanthapara
, we guessed that Meenumutty would also be a cake walk , but in no time we were proven wrong !!
We headed still further up
towards the road from where we took a right , and after traveling for about 10-12
kms we again were greeted by a sign board which said Meenumutty was some 4kms to the right.
We promptly took a right and
to our horror found that the road was no more that a muddy path strewn with rocks !!.
( At this point I have to mention
one more thing that this is the first and only BAD road we encountered after we entered KERALA border
2 days back !!.)
Suhas suggested that we stop
the bike over here and walk , which I readily agreed for the last thing I wanted was a flat tyre. After walking for some 10mins
we entered a Coffee Estate and there was no soul around . Luckly we spotted a middle aged man who was walking towards us .
He said that we have to trek further down for about 3-4 kms in the dense forest before we could reach the falls. We nodded
to what ever he said and proceeded further.
Just at this point the man
yelled back at us and asked us if we want him to accompany us.
At this point I feel we made
a very very sensible decision and requested him to guide us .
( This was one of the best
this that could have happened , as later we found out that its almost impossible to trek to Meenumutty without a guide , for
first timers though ).
We started descending deep
into the Dense forest. Sunlight hardly reached the ground ,and even though it was November and the mist was all around , we
were sweating like hell due to the humidity factor. This was my first experience in such a dense forest. The path was almost
non-existent and only the experience of our “Guide” was letting us move ahead.We could hear the sound of water
thundering down but could not spot the actual falls.
At this point our guide dropped
another bombshell , he told us that the Meenumutty was a big waterfall about 600ft and it dropped in three stages. He asked
us which one would we like to see as the full waterfalls was not visible at one go due to the forest cover.
Me and Suhas had a little discussion
and decided to see all the “Parts” .
So we headed to the “Lower
Part” .
The path was full of leeches
and really did not bother to check how many bites we got as the previous day we were fed up of counting the leech bites enroute
Chembra Peak.
The Lower part was very wide
and water was spraying all around and we could click some photos just in time before the ground beneath stated to slip more
and more.
At this point our guide said
that the same water flows towards scoochipara falls , which we had visited the day before , and we could trek till that point from here !!!.
We started the climb upwards
and it was more tasking due to the humidity factor.
The Top part of the Falls was
more visible and here also we could not get anywhere near the water due to the thick growth. Had a photo session here as well
and started our climb back to civilization.
The climb was really tough
given the fact that we had just trekked the whole day before and had only a night’s rest.
Finally reached back at the
top , has some water , cleaned up our shoes which were in a mess and paid our
guide handsomely . And we did not forget to thank him because without his help we would had got lost in the dense forest !!!.
We reached the point where
we had parked our bike and started for our
next destination --- “
Edakal Caves “
By now the time was around
1.30 and we decided to have lunch at a small hotel enroute to Edkal. We traveled for about 25-30 kms after taking a deviation
, on the road to sulthan Battery . Reached Edkal by 3.00 and found that one has to climb for about 1hr to reach the cave !!!!.
But lucky one more mode of transport was available in the form of a jeep.
We decided to take the jeep
up and it was one hell of a ride and we almost felt that we were about to crash many times during the journey. Only the jeeps
by DTPC wayanad are allowed to go up on the concrete road , or else one has the option to walk.
Got down a point where the jeep could not travel any further and started to climb again for some 20mins before we
reached the ticket counter.
This is a “No Plastic
Zone” , so no plastic covers are allowed beyond this point.
We took the tickets for ourselves
and for our camera and started climbing up the stairs.
The stairs are made of stone
and sometimes Iron Ladders are also placed to hike up to the entrance of the Main Cave.
There is a guide of Archeology
department here who explained to us that the stone Carvings inside the caves are the 3rd Oldest in the world !!!.
I did not know this fact and was amazed by the fact that we were looking at something so old
which were created by our Ancesistors many centuries ago.
Here we came to know that one
old Kannada movie “ Edakalu Guddada Mele “ , which was directed by one of the great Kannada Directors Mr.Puttana
Kanagal , was picturised at the place !!! . I was really amazed by this fact because the movie itself was very old one ( some
15-20 yrs old ) and I wondered how at that time a man could ever find out a place such as this and think of shooting a scene
here !!!
After all this, we were given
one more “shock “. The guide told that the hill where the cave stood was at the middle and we have to trek further
up to reach the top.
We decided to trek to the top
( even though after doing so much climbing in the past 48 hrs ) .
Here I would like to say a
word of caution . The climb beyond the Main Cave is little bit tough and may not be possible for small children , old men/women
and of course for the Faint hearted.
We trekked to the top, had
the uaual photo session , trekked back to the Jeep point and headed downwards. We reached the spot where the bike was parked
and started back to Kalapetta via Sulthan Bathery . We drove back some 40-45 kms on the very good roads and reached back kalpetta
.
We spotted a UDUPI hotel at
the entrance to Kalpetta . This was a welcome sign for the two of us as we were pure vegetarians and the only vegetarian hotel
in kalpetta was closed down for renovation. I wondered how I missed this while we first entered kalpetta 2 days before.
The UDUPI hotel served only
Dosas ( 14 Varieties if I am correct ) , and we had some till we were full .
Got back to our hotel room , informed the man at the reception that we would leave very early in the morning and hence settled
the bills and had a sound sleep that night after all the climbs we did that day .
Early next morning , we got
up around 5 and started around 6.30 and headed towards a place called Manathavady . We had planned to visit Kuruwa Dweep on
our way back.
The roads as usual were wonderful
and we reached Manathavady by around 8-8.30.
Again found a UPUPI hotel there
and had a good breakfast there.
Upon enquiring with the hotel
owner he said that we may have to miss Kuruwa Dweep as the water levels are high and the boat would not be available.
Kuruwa Dweep is a big cluster
of untouched islands which lies on the backwaters of the Kabini Dam. It is one of the Ecological spots of Wayanad and we did
not want to miss it .
There is a route to Mysore
via HeggadaDevana Kote from Kuruwa Dweep .So we decided to take a chance as it was enroute our way back.
After about 15kms from Manathavady
, we reached Kuruwa Dweep . The boat facility was there contrary to what was told to us by the hotel owner at Manathawady.
We paid the necessary entrance
fees and the boat fees and got to the Island . The environment was very Pristine and seemed that it was a very good place
to just laze off without much to do .
We started back our journey
towards the Kerala – Karnataka Border . At this point the road passed thru
some very thick forest with the grass growing to almost 12feet on either side of the roads. Just when I was thinking of some
wildlife , an elephant just appeared out of the grass and stood right in the middle of the road. Thanks to Suhas for being
so vigilant while driving , and applying the brakes just in time , else we would have had a head on collision with the giant
mammal !!!!.
We just stood there some 6feet
from the elephant and did not move a muscle. It gazed around and gently walked in the other side of the forest . That’s
when I realized why the elephant is called the “Gentle Giant “ !!
After this unwarned adventure
we reached the Kerala – Karnataka border and another adventure was about to beign. The road on the Karnataka side was
almost non – exsistant and we wondered where the road was. The local guys told us the this was indeed the road and was
in such a bad condition because no developmental works were carried out because it was the border area.
At this point we were in a
dilemma as to what to do . The bad road ahead was for another 25-30 kms till HeggadaDevana Kote . The other option was to
travel all the way back to Manathavady , from there to Kalpetta / Sulthan Bathery and back to mysore . It would be around
90-100kms ring route else 30-40 kms of bad road which would directly take us to Mysore.
Here I decided that we take
to Bad road as time was a factor as we had to reach bangalore by nightfall.
We headed towards HeggadaDevana
Kote or Kakana Kote and the road became from Bad to worst. There was not a soul in this stretch of road and had the bike faultered
or if we had a flat tyre , then we were done for….
Even though Suhas hesitantly
rode slowly , I kept on egging him telling him that it was just 30kms more. Suddenly we saw one more elephant !!!!…Thank
got this time a mahout was riding on it !!!!…had a snap of the big fellow and as we reached Kote the road became normal
and we headed towards mysore.
Had a late but good lunch at
Mysore and zoomed past the Mysore-Bangalore Highway and reached our own Bangalore by Nightfall.
This was one hell of a trip/
trek with its own twist and turns but in the end was a very very good trek which will be etched in our memories for a lifetime
!!!
For pics visit http://anilsuhas.fotopic.net
