PAYANIGA

Coorg in Summer

Feb 10, 2011 Coorg, Karnataka, Photo Essay, Summer, Weekend Getaway

April, days were getting hotter and hotter. And I needed a break from the routine and hectic days at office. After flipping through quite a travel blogs and sites, settled to the close by Coorg. Last time I was in Coorg, it was pouring in October. All hopes for a cooler stay at Coorg was thwarted and the day was nothing better than one in Bangalore.

After a day’s driving around we reached our homestay & the magic of Coorg opened up as the Sun went down. What started as a cool evening breeze, night went on to get more chillier. Soon thunder and ligthing took over and the sky opened up. Heavy rain through out the night meant a completely different beautiful morning on a summer in Coorg. Homestay we stayed is on a hilltop and provided a breathtaking view in the morning – fog covered all over the hill range. The thin white layer of mist cleared gradually as the Sun came up, only to leave us to cool day ahead.

I Was Here: Irpu Falls

Jun 22, 2010 Coorg, I Was Here, Karnataka, Summer, Water falls, Weekend Getaway

My first visit to Irpu Falls was in October 2007, during a two-day bike ride in Coorg. I was there again this April. There were quite considerable changes between these two visits – prominent being the amount of water. My first visit was just after the monsoon & the latest being in the middle of summer.

One other major change was the man-made metal ramp below the falls. So that people can walk right under the falls & enjoy the water. That means more people visiting the place, more litter and complete loss of tranquility.

First visit to Irpu falls was on motorbike and second in a four wheeler. Hope to visit the place next time on my bicycle :)

PS: First photo was taken in Oct’07 and second in Apr’10

Flying Citizens of Kokkare Bellur

May 7, 2010 Birds, Karnataka, Mandya, One day outing, Photo Essay, Summer

Kokkare Bellur – I visited the place again, third time. Last to visits were in the months of January and April. This time it was mid of March. There were plenty of Painted Storks and Pelicans. Busy with their nesting for the season, listening to the whirring sound of their wings was a nice experience. It was overcast day and when I reached the place it was past 10AM. I managed to get these photos with my 18-200 lens.

Photos from my previous visits: Jan 2007 and Apr 2008

Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle

Dec 19, 2009 Road Trip, Scotland, Summer, UK

In April this year during the Easter holidays, I went on a whirlwind road trip with my friends covering close to 1400 miles (2240 KMs) in four and half days. Urquhart Castle on the bank of Loch Ness was one of the places I visited during the trip. It was a perfect weather for us to explore the place. We spent few hours exploring the ruined castle, listening to the history of kingdoms and wars of Scotland. And strained our eyes & neck searching nook & corner of the lake trying to find the mysterious monster in the lake :)

Here are few images from the place and here is wiki link to castle.