Chikmagalur - The Boundless Boundaries

While I was bagging memories from the last trip which happened a couple of weeks ago. I got a call from my brothers & sister saying we are planning for a trip next weekend. Irrespective of place I said yes because it’s been a big loss of time due to the pandemic situation. I kept myself limited from travelling.

Am habituated to traveling with a squad of four or five max but this time the family was big.

Ask me why?

Because, We met with these beautiful people of Mysore in our last trek (Dudhsagar) & on a very short notice they agreed to join us. So the gang was big with 9 Folks in 2 Cars. Though we spent less time together but trust me if you look at our engagement it seems we have been friends since ages.

While we were pondering our destination, We had things to consider like what kind of trip should we plan? Are there any restrictions on visiting?

With all the collective effort, we gathered the desired info & came to a conclusion that we are going to Chikmagalur.

Chikmagalur because it's #1 to get away from my destination near Bangalore & another reason being a friend of mine had visited this place last week & while scrolling on his socials timeline  I found the weather conditions were extremely good with scenic views. I called him up to ask about his experience & he was very positive about his experience which made me expectant to visit.

With minimal preps & maximum excitement. We invoked a journey towards Chikmagalur.

We arose from the deep slumber & started towards Channarayapatna in the early beam of sun rays. Channarayapatna was our junction point to head forward from Bangalore & Mysore. Post breakfast enroute, we reached our 1st destination Kemmangundi & this place is popular for its trails across & the spectacular views from vantage point. Of Late! I have been here several times before & surprisingly this looked a whole different place. I came here with great anticipation but was disappointed to see fencing all around the cliff, gardening & decorations. I personally love if the places hold pristine. Everything here looked more unnatural.

We decided not to time sink here & drove towards Mullayanagiri which was the next destination from the bucket list. We reached the check post midday & it was a big chaos with overfull of people waiting for the permission. I checked with a police officer who was dealing with the crowd & he mentioned that due to COVID restrictions the visitors are limited to travel to this place & it's mandatory to carry a permission letter in advance. He suggested we come the next day. I nodded obliviously & set back.

Although the day didn't go well for us, I couldn't notice anyone losing hopes or abstaining. They showed great interest, excitement & engagement. We decided to roll on towards homestay & upon reaching we planned to dive into the pool to wash out from the Jinx. HAHAHA… Just Kidding!

We partied by soaking in the pool for 3 hours while enjoying the services of Pakora & Coffee. Later we clubbed on a bonfire but were rapt in our own zones.

We had dinner & crashed out. We woke up next morning with high hopes of a beautiful day.

Day2 was of a great expectation to all of us as we had plans of trek & the itinerary included unseen places & much more adventures.

We were all hyped up for the trek to Ettina Bhuja which basically is 8Kms to & fro. It was my first time being to this place & the commute by road is so fascinating that it has the eye pleasing greenery of coffee estates on both the sides & those curvy lanes left me dazed.

Our excitement couldn't match with adrenaline rush  . The place was fully covered by fog & we started our hike towards its pinnacle. It was extremely dense & the trail began flatly & picked up a surprising elevation after a few meters which was unexpected. It seemed more like climbing than hiking. It is a joy to climb such monsters. It  matches up my vibe thoroughly. After climbing to the summit on this rough terrain I was spellbound looking at the scapes from the top. I literally was above the clouds & in my experience I haven't seen a place with breathtaking views at such a hike distance. I couldn't trust myself that this place exists. I was bouncing with jubilation. We met fellow members at this peak who carried speakers which triggered us to dance & released dopamine's.

We descended from here & headed to our next venture which is Devaramane. An iconic temple situated amidst mother nature.

I can bet that nobody could ever reach the place without taking pit stops in transit. The drive is picturesque. It started drizzling & the trail was getting hazy with the clouds & mist in nature. On the way we couldn't avoid stopping ourselves from those mountain ranges complimented with greenery & Fog. I felt lost in this infinity.

It was already late by the time we left this place. But, I tend to extend the time rather than shrinking. My one last desire was to have a coffee at a Rani Jhari Café which is basically on the corner of the road. Rani Jhari is a viewpoint & also a name of a waterfall which is open only till 6PM.

We reached the place at twilight & had a coffee as advised by my friend, who knows me as a coffee lover. Coffee here was the best I ever tasted in my past times.

This day was contentment.

"Last day with everlasting memories".