Monday, November 8, 2010

Trek to Himalayas - Panchachuli Glacier


Himalayan Village Women
There are few events which you can classify as once in a life time opportunities. In my opinion trekking in Himalayan mountain belongs to this category. So when I had chance of join 25 others for a 10 day long trekking in Himalayas (Panchachuli Base Camp), I didn’t think twice. I signed up for it, not knowing what to expect as it was my maiden journey to Himalayas a well as the longest trekking adventure, I ever undertook with  a new  group of enthusiast trekkers.

Kathgodam, Uttarakhand
All I know, about Panchachuli Base Camp trek is that it goes up to Darma Valley  located near the borders of Nepal and Tibet, It belonged to Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand, and an area of outstanding beauty and of significance to anthropologists. However I was sure about one thing that, it is going to be a memorable trip.

Designated starting point for the trek was Kathgodam Railway Station in Uttarakhand. I started off  from Chennai by Chennai-New Delhi train on 23th April morning  (Rajathani Express) to reach Delhi on 24th afternoon and then another train from Delhi to Kathgodam on 24th April night (Ranikhet Express) to reach Kathgodam  early morning on 25th .

From there our guardian for the next 10 days - Pulse Racer (http://www.pulseracer.com/  - Contact person: Kriti), decided every bit of activity/event. Given below is the schedule which we followed for the next 10 days. Those 10 days were unbelievably true.  As with all happy events, our trek also came to end on 4th May and I took the same Ranikhet Express from Kathgodam to Delhi and on 5th May Rajathani Express to Chennai from Delhi.


Itinerary (Kathgodam to Kathgodam – 10 days)

Day one, a mini bus exclusively hired for our group by Pulse Racer arrived in the early hours.We started our journey after having a nice breakfast at Kathgodam towards Patal Bhuneshwar  located at a distance of  200 km. Reached Patal Bhuneshwar (our first night stay - transit camp) around 4 p.m in evening. At Patal Bhuneshwar,  we visited the sub-terranean shrine of lord Shiva with sprawling interiors   located at 150 Feet below the ground level. Here Limestone rock formations have created various spectacular stalactite and stalagmite figures. The way to the cave temple is by  a long and narrow tunnel.  It was a wonderful experience although  frightening to start with.

Nepal from the Indian Side - Kali River
On day two we  continued our  onward bus journey to Dharchula  located at a distance of 140 km which passes through  Pithogarh/Sheraghat. Reached  at Hotel in Dharchula (our second night stay camp) in the evening. At  Dharchula   we crossed over River Kali to Nepal, did some shopping and was back at hotel overlooking river Kali for the dinner. As India and Nepal has some kind of agreement, there are no visa/passport rituals to go through except the 6 P.M deadline. As the bridge is open only during day time and people  has to wait till next day morning to cross if one ever misses the deadline. After a nice dinner,  I went to bed early as we are told this is the last day to enjoy a good sleep   on  comfortable beds and  noisy  urban surroundings. For the next one week there will  be  no bed, no TV, no news papers or bed coffee and mostly no one else to talk to or smile at, other than your trek mates. You, rucksack and the silence is going to the new world.

Slate stone house in Bogling village
On day three, five chartered Jeeps were arranged by Pulse Racer for onward journey. we started off  after having a nice breakfast at Dharchula towards Sobla/ Dar ,  located at a distance of 32 km. At Dar we  had our first taste of mountain trek to Bogling  located at a distance of 6 km . We have to carry our rucksack (Weigh about 9 kilograms) on our back from now onwards. Night stay at Bogling  was in village houses, which was built using  hard stones and wood. The  roof  has been built using slate stones or grass  or  any other locally available material. Most of the inside walls and floors were made up  of mud. This type of construction seems to be very effective in keeping the cold away and protects one  from wind.

Trek Trail
On day four,  we woke up  at 5 A.M and had the first taste of Himalayan chillness, when we tried to wash our face. Had our breakfast and stared  off our 7 km trek to Sela around 7 A.M. It was on this  day when everyone of us   came to understand  that in mountains, the distances are not measured not in meters but in hours!! This 7 km trek took  5 hours for us. I was ready to hit the bed right away - dame I forgot! - No beds anymore and all I have is sleeping bag & ground mat, which I carried along with the rucksack.

In the evening  we spend time with the locals of Sela village. They make their living raising sheep, cows and yaks for dairy products.  They cultivate rajma and vegetables. Horticulture: walnut and plums. Their story about Kheeda Ghas and a demonstration of spinning rabbit wool amazed me the most. We also visited the village temple. People were predominantly Hindus but highly influenced by Tibetan culture. They worship natural features as abode of God.

View of Himalayas
On day five, Trek to Baling located at a distance of 12 km, was a eventful day on my life . After 6-7 km of trekking, I was totally exhausted and dehydrated. I was on the verge of collapse (literally). It was the  only  time during the entire trip, I felt  that  this Himalayan trekking is not for me.  However with God's grace  I  could manage  the situation with the  timely help offered by Darban Singh, (mighty helper part of Pulse Racer) who carried the racksack thereafter to Baling.  God only knows what happened after dinner as I slept as if there are no more nights. But the next day morning, woke up fresh and was ready as everyone else to roll on.

On day six we  trekked  to Son/Duktu  located at a distance  of  6 km.  This was a pleasant one. I felt that my body got acclimatized well to the new environment. Visited the post office (3260 m above the sea level) on the Indian soil in Duktu, which is the last one on Indian soil. Had  my dinner around the camp fire and that was the thing I remember  last, for the  day.

Panchachuli Glacier
Panchachuli Peak One out of Five
On day seven, at 5.30 A.M we  had  hot tea and biscuits and started off  towards Panchachuli Base Camp & Glacier (our final destination point - Nyalphu  located at 4 km - 3500m above the sea level). Since the location experienced heavy showers on  the previous night,  we decided  to trek as near as possible to the snow-line and did  not set  any fixed destination point. Finally when we saw the Panchachuli the five summit, which was believed to be the  five cooking pots on which the Pandavas cooked their last meal on their way to heaven) we were thrilled. The Panchchuli Peaks in the towering glory is truly majestic.

Trek Trial View
Once  again  when we were back at Duktu village,  had a chance to meet local villagers, who showed a place where they had buried potatoes and other provisions in the winter before moving down to Dharchula. Their family (along with the entire village) has the habit of shifting to Dharchula (November to April) to avoid the freezing climate during winter every year. These potatoes and provisions will be sufficient for them to sustain for a few months, by  which  time they will be able to raise crops and generate income from other sources like  cattle breeding. Though living in a remote Himalayan valley‭ ‬and are migratory by nature,‭ ‬these people,‭ ‬are quite literate and far from being primitive.‭ A‬fter‭ ‬6‭ ‬km trek, returned back to Baling for the night stay.

Family of  Sela village 
On day eight, we trekked back to Sela  passing through  Nagling downhill covering  a distance  of 12 km. Downhill trekking was comparatively easy than the climb. On our way  we met an Army General along with  his patrol team ,who are carrying out their usual rounds. We took time to get to know them. Although it lasted only a few minutes.  We were able to see how hard it is to  perform their duties,   to make us feel safe and secure.

On day nine, we were  back at Dar covering 12 km on foot, followed by trip  to Dharchula by Jeep.  We Spent the night at hotel room once again.


Grass roof house  - Bogling village
The village where we stayed

Entire Trek Group
On day ten, we started our journey around 5 A.M and traveled (320 km)  the entire day  in the mini bus with stops for breakfast and lunch. Reached Kathgodam, had our dinner 7.30 P.M at Udipi Hotel (believe me Udipi vegetarian hotel serving all the south Indian food including idili, sambar, poori and all varieties of dosa is there), before starting  our return journey by Ranikhet express to Delhi at 8.40 PM.

This challenging trek went through the remote border villages giving‭ ‬me‭ ‬an opportunity to observe the lifestyle,‭ ‬customs and culture of the natives.‭ ‬The trek area touched the inner zones inhabited by‭ ‬semi-Mongolian people called Bhutias‭ and ‬offered a panoramic and enchanting beauty. A truly unforgettable experience.



Quick Facts:
Trek: Panchachuli Glacier
Route: The route to the glacier abounds in exotic scenery, snowcapped mountains, gushing streams, alpine meadows and a rich variety of flora and fauna.
Duration: 10 days (Kathgodam to Kathgodam)
Expected Cost: Rupees 10,000 per person (including Houses/Tent and food)
Best Period: May-June & September-October


Trail View: Snow caped Mountains

Monday, September 20, 2010

Visit to Pondicherry and Auroville

Pondicherry (Puducherry)

When my wife and I thought of organizing a family get together trip to Pondicherry, wasn’t sure how pleasant it would be, but at the end, turned out to be a memorable one. The plan was to organize a one day trip to Pondicherry which includes visit to Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Auroville and Mudaliarkuppam.

Family @ Auroville
On Sep 18, 2010, we hired an 8 seater cab and set out early morning around 7 A.M from Chennai. We decided to drive through East Coast Road, (commonly called ECR) a scenic highway. Pondicherry is about 160 KM and normal journey would take about three hours. We stopped for our breakfast at Motel Mamalla on the ECR near Mahabalipuram (60 KM from Chennai). I would recommend this place for anyone who loves authentic South Indian breakfast.

Ready to go in high-speed aqua scooter
Our first official stop was at Mudaliarkuppam (35 KM from Mahabalipuram). This place has a beautiful backwater area - a 4 km stretch, where Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) has its boat bay. They offer row boats, pedal boats, kayak and motor boats for rent. We hired the eight seater motor boat for our backwater ride. The rides took us to through the canal to a white sandy Island where we could see both sea shore and the backwater. It is an ideal place for hangouts and for outdoor games.  Once back at boat bay, my son wants to try the recently launched water sport bike. TTDC charges 460 rupees (little pricey in my opinion) for 5 minutes ride, but it was unforgettable experience for him.


Our next stop, 60 KM drive from Mudaliarkuppam, was at Auroville, a universal township near Pondicherry.  Founded in 1968 by Mirra Alfassa (spiritual collaborator of Sri Aurobindo) and designed by architect Roger Anger. It is meant to be a universal town where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, politics, religion and nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realize human unity.

At Auroville's Visitors' Centre we obtained our free passes to Matrimandir Viewing Point and watched a short introductory video about Auroville (http://www.auroville.org/). The Visitors Centre also has a small exhibit about Auroville and a number of stores that sell craft, handmade items like 100% natural soaps, perfumes, candles, books, clothes etc. It also has an excellent vegetarian restaurant.


Auroville Charter
A shaded footpath, about 1km long, leads us from the Visitors' Centre to the Viewing Point. An electric shuttle service is also available for those who may find it difficult to walk.  The walk to the Matrimandir is worth as it took us to through nice shady trees to the awesome architectural structure.  I am told, inside the Matrimandir a spiraling ramp leads upwards to an air-conditioned chamber of polished white marble.  At its centre, a 70 cm crystal ball glow with a single ray of sunlight that is directed on it from the top of structure. A perfect ambience to find one's consciousness; Matrimandir is a must see place for anyone who plans to visit Auroville.

Auroville Charter: Auroville belongs to nobody in particular. Auroville belongs to humanity as a whole ...

Auroville
Auroville Visitor Centre

Sri Aurobindo Ashram

6 KM drive from Auroville took us to our final destination Pondicherry; former French colony with a remarkable degree of French influence to this date.  The best way to move around in Pondicherry is by walk or by bicycle. You can even hire geared motorbike or no geared scooters.  There are quite a few motorcycle rent shop and the most of hotels also facilitate motorbike rent arrangements. All that is required is some form of identification document and advance for collateral. We decided to walk around Pondicherry after our lunch at Hotel Surguru (http://www.hotelsurguru.com/).  A good value for money hotel, which features an impressive selection of multi-cuisine fare.  Our trip came to fine conclusion after our visit to Sri Aurobindo Ashram, (http://www.sriaurobindoashram.org/) Manakula Vinayagar Temple and the beach. At 10:30 P.M, we were all back in Chennai with lot of memorable moments which we would cherish forever.

Matrimandir @ Auroville
Manakula Vinayagar Temple
Hotel Surguru near Aurobindo Ashram
If you prefer to stay in a place which closely resembles gracious old Tamil home(one with thinnai, open to sky mutram and oonjal) than in a boutique hotel, check out the Maison Perumal at No. 44 (old No 58) Perumal Koil Street, Puducherry. www.cghearth.com/maison_perumal . Cost around Rupees 6500 per night.


Friday, September 10, 2010

Yelagiri, Tamil Nadu

As a group of 8, we decided to spend a weekend (14th & 15th of June, 2008) in Yelagiri. Since most of the members were alien to trekking, it was decided to grab this opportunity and go for a mini trek during our visit. We make up a short schedule and followed it for most part.

From left: Bose, Arun, Murugan, Chitanya, Subru, Kadir, Hari



Yelagiri schedule
June 14th of 2008 Start from Chennai (6:30 A.M)
Breakfast in a Vegetarian Restaurant – Vellore, which is on the way to Yelagiri (8:30 A.M)
Visit to Jalagamparai Waterfalls (11.30 A.M to 12:30 P.M.)
Lunch at Yelagiri (1:30 P.M)
Punganoor Artificial Lake-cum-Park ( 3 :00 P.M to 5:00 P.M)
  • Boating & Park visit
Play Time ( 6:00 P.M to 7.00 P.M)
  • Cricket
Dinner (8:30 P.M)
June 15th of 2008 Breakfast provided at Cottage (7.00 A.M)
Trekking (8 A.M to 12.00 Noon)
Lunch in a hotel at Ambur, which specializes for Biryani and which is on the way to Chennai (1.30 P.M)
Back to Chennai (7:00 P.M)

Place where we stayed : Hotel 'O' Nila
Yelagiri is about 250 km from Chennai. We travelled in 2 cars (thanks to Mr.Hariharan V.G and Mr. Murugan Poornachandran) and reached Jalagamparai Waterfalls as planned. The drive from Chennai through Poonamalee High Road followed by Bangalore highway in the early morning hours was a pleasant one. The last leg of the drive which leads to Jalagamparai waterfall deserves special mention as it takes you through small villages, dirt roads and corn fields, which compensated our disappointments (not a drop of water in the waterfall).

After our lunch, we checked ourselves in the cottage, we have booked at Hotel 'O' Nila (http://www.onilayelagiri.com/), a decent place but the food and service was just OK. Not good but not bad either. The place also has a swimming pool, playground for adults to play cricket/badminton and separate play area for children.

Trek Trail
The scenic trek along a muddy path on the second day to Swamy malai was really shot but filled with fun. With few breaks, we reached the top of the hill after an hour. There is a small temple, which the locals visit during special occasions and some few rocks to sit and relax. (Remember to bring your own water bottles and don’t expect any other facilities) After spending few hours enjoying the breeze and the view of Yelagi hills, we headed back to cottage. Drove to Ambur (about 40 K.M away from Yelagiri which is famous for Biryani) for lunch before heading back to Chennai.



Few points to consider if you have plans to visit Yelagiri
  • If you are planning to drive to Yelagiri in your own car/bike, make sure to fill your tank at the foot of the hill itself. There is no gas station uphill.
  • The water at the Jalagamparai falls depends largely on Yelagiri’s rainfall. So enquire first before heading off for the waterfalls

  • For lovers of jackfruit, this area has plenty of it especially in the summer months, and the fruit here is considered very good.

    In front of Jalagamparai waterfall ??

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Kiliyur Falls – Yercaud, Tamil Nadu

Veiw of Yercaud Hill
If you plan to spend vacation in a peaceful and a quite environment, yet in a well known tourist hill station, Yercaud in Shevaroy Hills, Tamil Nadu (on the Eastern Ghats) is a place to consider.

Trek Team (from top left) Jagan, Kadir, Ram and Baskar,
(in the front) Chitanya and Subru
Yercaud is just 33 Km from Salem and takes only 30 to 40 minutes of drive. Salem to Yercaud is well serviced by regular state run buses, private buses and taxis; It is an ideal and less expensive place to spend a weekend away from the busy life.

On 25th July 2008, I along with my trekking group, traveled from Chennai to Salem by Yercaud Express train. Since we have booked our accommodation at Hotel Tamil Nadu, near Lake Yercaud, we took the state run bus to Yercaud as soon as we arrived in Salem and was able to check in to the hotel well before 7 A.M on 26th.

Kiliyur sign board
The first activity of the day was to trek to Kiliyur Falls. We were pleasantly surprised to know from the locals that the narrow road which will lead to the Kiliyur Fall is only a few meters away from the Lake Yercaud. With the sign board confirming that it is only 3 Kilometers, we filled our backpacks with fruits and snacks and set out for a trilling short trek.

Some time you need to crawl too...
After one and half hour, we reached the Kiliyur waterfall, a fabulous place to feel part of the nature. The surplus water from the Yercaud Lake and other points of the Shevaroy Hills fall deep into the Kiliyur Valley, creating a 300 feet waterfall - a real feast for us. The view of the fall is breathtaking. The trek to the bottom of the falls is only for hardcore trekkers as it takes quite an effort and lot of stamina to reach the destination.

As the source of water fall is the surplus water from the nearby lake and not natural spring, we decided against taking bath in the fall, instead we spend the time on chatting, photography and munching snacks – thanks to the locals who informed about the lack of facilities/shops near the fall.

Kiliyur Falls
After spending nearly 2 hours in the fall, it was time to climb up. It hardly took 45 minutes to get back, but I can assure you that it was a tiring trek to undertake. I would strongly advise against the idea of taking kids or elderly for the Kiliyur trek and also against trekking during rainy season as there are few places where, only the roots of trees/plants are the savior from sliding in to the deep valley.

Rest during trek
 Hari VG - organizer (seen second from left)
Park visit on the second day. Group leader -
Hari Kadi (seen on the far right)
To sum up it is a beautiful place, not to be missed during your visit to Yercaud.

With a casual evening walk around the Lake Yercaud and nice dinner at Hotel Tamil Nadu, I can’t think of a better day in life. If you are one of those people who enjoys site seeing than trekking Yercaud offers options like Lady's Seat - panoramic view point, Bear's Cave, Pagoda Point, Servarayan Temple and Anna Park to satisfy your dreams. There are plenty of vans and cars, which one can hire to go around the places (hardly takes 4 hours) in Yercaud.

With a much lighter schedule on the second day, we were back to Chennai on 28th July 2008 by Yercaud Express.  Special thanks to Hariharan VG, the enthusiastic trek organizer and Hariharan Kadi Rangaraj our group leader.



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Sunday, August 15, 2010

Aralvaimozhi - Chekkar Giri, Tamil Nadu

Photo by Neelan: View from Aralvaimozhi Railway Station
I recently organized a family trekking program to Chekkar Giri at Aralvaimozhi in the Western Ghats, which is about 15 Km from Nagercoil (enroute Tirunelveli) in Kanyakumari Dist in Tamil Nadu. Since trek group includes my son (age 7) to my mom (age 55) we decided to start early in the morning, have all the fun in the mountain and return home by 3 P.M.

Trail Mark : It was not as bad as it looks
Well, we started our journey on a Sunday from Nagercoil at 7 A.M by local bus (which is available in plenty and hardly takes an hour to reach Aralvaimozhi). The moment we reached Aralvaimozhi and saw the Chekkar Giri, we all had a second though about our adventure trip except my son who was eager to start the trek right away - skipping his breakfast even. I had a spend a bit of time to convince him that he needs a lot of energy to climb while hiding the real reason of our uncontrollable desire to have steaming idili and sambar at a local hotel. Once our tummies were full, we were ready (by 8 A.M) for an exciting trip. (If you are one of those guys who look for very decent restaurants, try your breakfast at Hotel Chitra International, Hi-Tech Vegetarian Restaurant in Nagercoil and look no beyond)

Trek team on the Chekkar Giri
At the foot of the mountain, we tried to get a local to be our guide, everyone laughed and asked us to follow the trail marks or animal tracks, which will lead to the top of the mountain and when we hesitated, they inspired us by saying there is no other animals in the mountains except cows, goats and dogs. They could have stopped there instead they added that, even the kids around that place used to climb up and down by themselves. What an inspiration!! So we decided to climb by ourselves - without any guide.

After two hour of laborious climbing and hoping from one rock to another once a while, we made it to the top. It was mind blowing view of the Western Ghats. Atop of Chekkar Giri Mountain is a small Murugan temple, locally referred as Uchi Murugan Koil with a mandapam in front and nothing more.

From the top, one could see Muppandal, one of the best & largest windmill sites in India. There is an also a traditional story that Avvaiyar (female poet saint in the 1st century AD) had arranged for a marriage, to which she invited the sovereigns of the Chera, Chola and Pandya kingdoms. The kings erected pandals (mandapams) in the respective places allotted to them and this eventually led to the place being called Muppandal (meaning 'three pandals'). One can also see clearly the Poigai Dam from the top.

Photo by Neelan: Murugan temple
After enjoying for some time the cool breeze and views Western Ghats has to offer, my mom started the lunch preparation. Since we bought the few basic vessels/plates/cups and the necessary rice and vegetables, it was time for every trekker to do their bit of work. Me and my son went looking for dry sticks and leaves for cooking using the outdoor fire pit and my wife and mom started washing and cutting the vegetables. As a result of one hour of hard labor we had our plates filled with kuttanchorru (mixed vegetable rice made from locally avaliable vegetables like brinjal, drumstick, patato, gourd, yam etc.), vathal &  papadum (thin Indian crispy cracker) and narthangai (bitter orange) pickel. Wow, the rice has never tasted so good.
Wind Farm seen from the top

Photo by Neelan: Aral Mountain View


Our lunch was over by 11:50 A.M and after-lunch relaxation for an hour, we started to head down. It hardly took at 45 minutes to reach the foothill and another hour to reach Nagercoil.


Other Place of Interest near Aralvaimozhi :
Avvaiyar Amman Temple

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Araku Valley, Andhra Pradesh

I along with four of my colleagues decided to explore the areas around Araku valley on 21st Feb 2010, which is in Visakhapatnam district in Andhra Pradesh. We decided to explore the famous Borra Caves, not well known Katiki waterfall ( mini trek) and finally Araku hillstation.


About Borra Caves
We choose one of the best ways to reach Araku valley from Visakhapatnam - by train. The best as the train goes through many bridges and many many tunnels (50 plus and the longest tunnel is 520 meter long). As the train departure time is 6.50 AM, we got up early in the morning and fulfilled our taste buds with real Andra breakfast Upma Pesarattu-Ginger chutney at Sairam parlour and was down at train station on time. The journey started with little anxious moments as one of us lost the backpack, which fell off from the auto we were driving from the hotel to station. Fortunately a noble heart picked it up from the roadside and waited till we came to the spot looking for our lost luggage. The train journey started as planned and as we passed each tunnel, the excitement in us grew louder and louder. We got down at Borra caves around 10 A.M and hired a Jeep vehicle (which you find in plenty offering tourist and the local, a mode of transport) to take us to Borra Caves, Katiki waterfall and finally to Araku hillstation - for Rs. 150 per person, where we decided to spend a night at the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation Resort house.

Photo by NVR Prasad: (from left) Siva, Subru, Subbu & Ratan
Our first stop was at The Borra Caves located in the Ananthagiri hills of the Araku valley. The Caves, one of the largest in the country, at an elevation of about 700 m, distinctly exhibit a variety of impressive stalactites and stalagmites. The entry of the cave measures up to 100 m (328.1 ft) horizontally and 75 m (246.1 ft) vertically. These caves are stated to be one of the largest caves in the Indian subcontinent.

Stalactites inside Borra Cave
After buying our entrance ticket of Rupees 50 per adult, we were at the mercy of the real beauty that sets our eyes on and the peace all around for the next 2 hours. Stalactites deposits that hang from the top of the cave and stalagmites that form at the bottom of the cave and grow upward have developed into interesting forms and structures inside the caves. These shapes have captured the imagination of tourists, while some have been given religious identifications such as Shiva – Parvati and Rishi’s beard. Whatever your believes are it is sure that you will be dumbfound in front of these millions of years old calcium formations, which was discovered by William King the British geologist in the year 1807.

Katiki Waterfall
After enjoying Borra caves, which is open between 10 AM to 5 PM it was time to trek to Katiki Waterfall. Katiki is about (8 KM) 30 minutes dirt road drive from the caves followed by (2 KM) 30 minutes trekking in the forest. After walking for nearly an hour (thanks to many unscheduled stops to enjoy the nature), we could reach the falls. The trekking was very pleasant one, not totally tiresome, but quite exciting and enjoyable. The falls was also not big but what can match the refreshment one gets after a dip in those waters especially after 45 min trek. We got back to our vehicle by 3 P.M from the waterfalls and started our journey to Araku valley.

We spend the night at Araku hill station (best time to visit October to February) and next day the visit to Padmapuram Garden (entrance fee of Rs. 10) and the Museum of Habitat, which showcases the lifestyle of the tribals who inhabit the valley made the trip complete. Tribal museum also allowed me to try my hand at archery (Rs. 10 for allowing 5 attempts to showcase the talent).

Ratan leading our Katiki Trek (waterfall seen in background)
Journey back to the Visakhapatnam by bus provided us with one of the most valuable lesson of our life as to never depend on those plastic cards. You could all imagine our state when there is only one State Bank of India ATM, in the entire hill station and it was out of order during our visit. Right from Bus conductor to (surprisingly) Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation insisting on cash it was really a fun and enjoyable trip. Special thanks to Ratan my colleagues who inspired this trip.


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