My quick visit to Kodaikanal

You know you have an awesome trip when you can think about it and smile when you are alone, when you can proudly tell the story of your trip to others.

Also, most of our memorable trips are those unplanned crazy trips! My last minute planning.  Everything uncertain! It’s just the passion to travel, to see more, to explore more keep the travel enthusiast like me going!

It was a sudden and solo trip, the destination was unknown even 24 hours prior to my journey. That’s typical me. However, luckily I froze on Kodaikanal as that’s the only place I got a ticket available for my journey. The much awaited long weekend caused all the tickets sold for almost every destination. Everyone had planned their trips much in advance. However, I was lucky enough to manage my tickets and stay as well.

It was a mad evening. Seemed everyone in Bangalore just wanted to rush out of the city! To have fun, I guess nature added some heavy rain to it! The traffic didn’t seem to move after a point of time. I booked my ticket with KSRTC. Well, the rain caused a stagnant traffic for hours! I had no other option but to get down from my bus and start walking towards my bus stop. Needless to say, it was an ultimate chaos! So many people, drenched, confused – looking out for their respective buses! The whole road was jam packed and all the buses reached late to the stand! Amidst the huge crowd and chaos I thought I was lost and almost missed my bus. However, I thank my angels to delay the bus till I reached. I boarded the bus pretty much on time, taking my comfortable position at a window seat and cherishing each droplet of rain outside the window.

So my journey starts with a rain drenched window seat!

The bus travelled smoothly. Stopped in between for food.

When I got up in the morning, I was at Dindigul. The fresh breeze was so refreshing that I almost forgot the delayed tiring journey!  I could smell only peace and serenity in the air, away from the hustle bustle of the city. I could see the clouds, I could see the greens and I could see happiness!

I reached Kodaikanal around 11am. Had booked a budget guest house, almost 3.5km away from Kodaikanal. I prefer budget trip than a lavish one. Well, during the bus journey I met a stranger who became an acquaintance. We shared the seat next to each other so yes we did chit chat a lot! He knew the local language so helped me in talking to my guest house, fixing up a cab for my guest house! Usually when we travel alone, we get to meet people with kind gestures. 

Well, I reached my guest house – far from the city, amidst mist and greens. I somehow liked it. A small room with basic amenities! It was cold enough to let me get into my woolens. I saw many bikers from Kerala staying there. Most of them were college students coming from in and around Munnar for a biking trip. Amazing, aint it?

Few hours later another friend of mine joined me from Chennai! Had a quick lunch– some porotha and fried chicken. Tastes average, however, when hungry everything seems heaven. After a happy tummy, we started towards Kodaikanal, it was raining – how beautiful it was to see the floating clouds and the rain and in between the mist! The green hills covered with mist looks so mysterious, calls us to discover some unknown treasury. Calls for some imaginations and fantasies from my childhood indeed.  

The walk till Kodaikanal was beautiful – rain drenched road, rain drenched flora and fauna, and the fresh, soothing freeze – for that very moment it seemed if there could have been the moment of absolute peace and happiness, this is the moment! Being a photo enthusiast, I could click some nice picture of the rain drenched flowers. We saw some local vendors selling local fruits – it amazed me to see the vibrant colors of the fruits starting from litchi, passion fruit, castor apple and many more. I believe, the vibrant visual of the fruits made me hungry for sure!

We walked till Cockers walk, St. Peters Church and then to Kodai Lake. And guess what did I see there? Cycles! Yes you can hire a cycle and roam around the lake. Quite fascinating for me, reminding me of my childhood days of cycling freely, happily – no rush, just to enjoy the breeze.  Well, before we could take a complete walk of the lake, it started raining. A very heavy rain!!! So we took shelter under a shop there. There are many Tibetan shops of homemade chocolates, spices, woolen clothes and food, of-course! We bought a big and beautiful, colourful umbrella and started walking in the rain. It’s fun to walk in rain, half drenched and somewhat trying not to get drenched. We had food in the local shop and bought some fruits in case we feel hungry later! While walking, I found a shop near Dominos / HDFC which had dream catchers too. I have been looking for them for quite some time however didn’t find any! Well, I didn’t buy it as I didn’t like the colors. Never mind.

While returning it was almost 6:30pm and it was dark. The smell of the rain, the chill in the air and the mist was still there in the dark. We started walking and as we crossed Kodaikanal market / bus stop, it started becoming dark – pretty dark! Then came a point where we could not see any light so with the help of mobile we kept walking knowing any wild animal might just cross the road, can be anything! Heard some wild animals usually take a stroll in the dark! Scary, yet adventurous! However, managed to get a lift from a kind couple in a while so my heart beat came to normal!

The night was cold enough – it was still drizzling outside. Somewhat mysterious – a layered silence and the hush hush drizzles! Anyway, a sleepless previous night and quite some walk made me sleep like a baby.

The next morning was beautiful. Got up earlier than expected!! Not quite me who is a late riser. However the enchanting sun and its warmth kicked me out of my bed filled with some enthusiasm. The day started with the some at the local shop. Trust me, the tea there is quite good, my kind of tea, more milk! I like tea that way.

My trek enthusiast friend guided me towards Dolphin Nose through the curvy roads – the hills, the water falls and the pines! The morning mist made everything look like a pure bliss. The last night’s rain drops were fresh on the pine leaves, the wild flowers and on the grass as well.  The chirpy birds surely can make anyone’s heart sing out loud. So did mine.

We walked approx 4.5km to reach Dolphin nose. It’s called Dolphin nose probably because of the shape of the rock.  It’s some 6600 ft deep. The view can just take anyone’s breath away. The lush greenery, the floating happy clouds and some distant village – a complete fairy tale panoramic view of life, of peace, of silence.  A moment to live within.  A moment to live for. A moment to cherish forever! It made me felt calm like Buddha. Spent quite some time just breathing. What a beautiful feeling to do so. The best part that we reached early morning and could spend some time there. It rains usually post 10:30am. Usually!

Another thing that tempted me the most is the colourful fruits there! Starting from litchi, passion fruits, apples, oranges, carrots so on and so forth!!! Without giving it a try how could I come back? It’s a sin! Yes, tried passion fruits! It’s fun!

After returning to out accommodation, we hogged as if we are starving for quite a few days! Nothing like crispy and hot dosai, tea and alu puri! Yes, all that we ate in breakfast. After freshening up, the walk started again for upper lake, pillar rock and suicide point.  Few kms walk and then we realized somehow we had lost our ways! Less time as I had to catch my bus that evening and it’s just few hours to go! Walked and walked, by then I was kind of tired and more than that lazy!

Upper lake to me was not that impressive, I had better view of Naini Lake at Nainital! That is always in my mind. However, we could not trace a single cab to hire for rest of our so called sight seeing! And then came a point that we found a cab who agreed to help us completing the rest of our journey. Well, another young solo traveler was traveling in the cab, same purpose! Made me quite happy to see there are some crazy people like me who can travel alone for their passion to see a new place! And it took few seconds to start a conversation with him! Best part was he was form Delhi who is working in Chennai! So I could connect well so as my friend! The rest of the journey we made together – suicide point, Guna Cave and Pillar Rocks. Guna cave again had nothing to see! The cave is now well covered for safety reason. It looks very ordinary! We went to pine forest and I could click some baby monkeys with their mothers! Protective, loving and caring mothers. Doesn’t matter a monkey or a human or anything – the motherly feelings I guess the same everywhere – its universal. The best view till now was at Pillar Rocks! Three giant rocks standing – covered in mist and clouds. I was happy clicking. The place was crowded and I found my stranger friend whom I met in bus while coming to Kodai! Well stranger because he still was stranger and friend because we had by then grown a little bit of feelings of friendship. Thank you advanced technology!

Well, we faced a real great traffic – due to long weekend, seems half of the southern India population was in Kodaikanal! Phew! Anyway, thankfully I reached my bus stand on time!

It was a beautiful bus with big and clear glass window making the outside view so clear and beautiful. I sat happily! My next seat was vacant so more space for me and my bag! It was time to bid my friends bye for the time. It was time to leave the beautiful serene princess of hills! The setting sun spreading its orange hue all over the sky bid me good bye too!

I returned as a happy soul making two more new friends and enriched with some happy travel memories.