I always
wanted to see the hear shaped lake at the Chembra peak and finally made my way
to it ! Myself along with 15 more friends were all set on 3rd night
in a TT and started at 10.30 PM on 3rd night to reach Wayand @ 8.30 AM in the moring.We
could have reached @ 7 AM but the route we chose did not let us since we had to
wait near the Bandipura national park entrance which opened for checking @ 6 AM.By the time we reached our guest house
it was 9 AM.The house was very big with 4 rooms and a huge garden
outside.Breakfast was a traditional kerala style puttu , aapams with hot tea
and coffee.We got refereshed quickly , had our breakfast and left for Chembra
peak at 10.30 AM.
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| In front of the guest house |
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| The starting point |
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| The beginning walk |
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| Myself and Nuria |
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| Me somewhere |
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| The Scotland spot |
It was a
beautiful hike for the first 4 kms and I felt as if I was in Scotland ! It
started raining and we had to pull our jackets & umbrellas.Later there was
a check point where we had to pay 250 per head and had to accompany with a
guide to reach the heart shaped lake.The journey from the checkpost to the lake
was quite steep and took 2.5 hrs to reach.It was 4.30 PM by the time we reached
the lake.What a view ! phew ! My self and Nuria made it so fast ! We all took
reast and roamed around the lake by taking pictures.All were so satisfied.Fog
started covering us and we have to make a quick move.Trekking to the peak was
banned .From the lake we started walking towards the base of the peak to catch
our TT and reached the guest house at 6.30 PM.
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| Just below the peak |
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| The heart lake behind me |
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| Girl gang |
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| We all ! |
Yummy bajjis
and tea was ready for snacks and later rice, rasam,curry, fish and chicken(for
non veggies) followed by curd and papadam for dinner.Few including me took a qick sleep while the rest were involved
in playing Mafia.
The very
next day was not so planned but we thought of visiting the Edakkal caves .After
breakfast, we left guest house bidding adieu to the lovely aunty for all the
pain she took for 2 days for us and left to Edakkal caves at 8.30 AM .
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| Some info about the caves |
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| Inside the cave |
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| Behind me are the drawings |
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| Scripts |
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| During the exit |
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| Exit/Entrance |
Inside
the caves are pictorial writings believed to date to at least 6,000 BCE.
The Stone Age carvings of Edakkal are rare and are the only known
examples from south India. These are not technically caves, but rather a
cleft or rift approximately 96 feet (29 m) by 22 feet
(6.7 m), a 30-foot-deep (9.1 m)fissure caused by a piece of rock splitting away from the main
body. On one side of the cleft is a rock weighing several tons that covers the
cleft to form the 'roof' of the cave. The carvings are of human and animal
figures, tools used by humans and of symbols yet to be deciphered, suggesting
the presence of a prehistoric settlement.
By the
time we were back it was 12.30 PM.There was confusion whether to see other
places or return back to Bangalore as it would get late.Finally we decided to
see Kuruvadeep Islands.
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| We in the bamboo boat while crossing towards the island |
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| A bridge |
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| Tree bark swing |
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| Island |
This of
dense and evergreen forest is uninhabited and hence a home to rare kinds of
flora and fauna: uncommon species of birds, orchids and herbs namely. Its
unique geographical characteristics make it a place where not only the leaves
but also silence is evergreen being away from cities and thus it has become a
place of attraction. Most recently, it has been identified as the most visited
place in the district by tourists drawn from all over the globe.The
island surrounded by streams and river can be accessed using rafts or fiber
boats run by Kerala Tourism Department. Entrance to the island is restricted and monitored by
Vana Samrakshana Samiti, a Dept
of Forest of Kerala initiative to protect forest, and at times of heavy rain
and frequency of elephants and other animals to the island a pass obtained
prior to the visit of spot from Dept of Forest is mandatory.
We made
a quick visit and almost all were starving for lunch.Later after few kms, we
had to settle with banana chips and some snacks since we were eager to cross
the Bandipur check point earlier else it would be too late.By about 7.00 PM we
stopped at a hotel near hassan for some yummy dinner and reached Bangalore at
11.30 PM.It was a good and a memorable trek ! I made to Chembra.
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