Kodaikanal a Heaven just 500 Km from Chennai

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Kodaikanal a Heaven just 500 Km from Chennai

I wanted to escape Chennai’s typical tropical climate so thought of spending weekend at kodaikanal.

Kodaikanal is roughly 500 km from Chennai. Rail is always a better and faster alternative but thanks to Indian railway citizen Torture Corporation I couldn’t get tickets and Reached Madurai via bus which was very tiring. I wanted to make to kodaikanal but was very tired so decided to take a break at Madurai.

Took a bus to kodaikanal sharp at 5:40 in morning everything was going as per plan when the bus broke down somewhere in between. We pushed the bus both in forward and backward direction but it was defying all logic. We did everything except tilting it by 30 degrees just like we used to start our Bajaj scoter. The bus conductor said that the next bus will be there in another 1 hour. The possibility of getting lift was very vague as everybody was standing on the road for lift. So I decided to walk down to nearest village which was like 2 KM and outside a small eating joint I could spot a Lorries and bolero. The bolero guy flatly refused saying that he is on official trip but the lorry guy couldn’t refuse me flatly. After a lot of persuasion sales guy who was out to distribute supari agreed to drop me to certain point cautioning me that he will be stopping frequently which was ok by me. So we set out taking frequent breaks on this astonishing green paradise. I have been to lot of hill station in north but I have never seen such greenery, such a competition to outgrow each other. Big jack fruit tree, creepers were all there this was like a typical tropical rainforest.As we started to ascend the flora changed to coniferous tree. I have to admit that this was the first time I have seen eucalyptus at such elevation. Finally I got a bus and reached kodaikanal. I had to double up my T-shirt as it was cold there .the temperature would be 18 – 20. A nice cold breeze was making it very pleasant. Just decide to take a stroll to various spots. Walked through a buzzing street market where vegetable, fruits and various items of day today use were being sold. I had read that KodaiKanal Lake is man-made and all the previous man-made lake in hill stations I have encountered were size of small pond but not this one this is big lake having circumference of roughly 3 km to 4 km. A lot of activity was going on in and outside of lake. My next stop was a fall which is close to the lake .Coaker's Walk was the one which I liked most. Explaining the view at Coaker's Walk in words is just not possible you have to experience it.I spend most of the day there itself as it was the best panoramic view of plains with massive lake, small hills, forest which I have seen so far. I will rate this hill station as better than Shimla, manali, ranikhet and nanital.The commercialization hasn’t destroyed the beauty of the place as it has happened to all the hill station in north. As a matter of fact I went to ranikhet two years back which is supposed to be less commercialized and it was very hot there.

Massive deforestation for building hotels and resort have almost killed all the hill stations in north



In evening took a bus to Madurai which was very crowded. A guy sitting on floor pointed me too a vacant seat I asked him to take it but instead he asked me to go ahead. It was inexplicably generous I took his pic as and he is part of the pics I am putting here. At Madurai while going to mattuthavani bus stand a cute 10 month old guy was pulling my t-shirt and trying to strike conversation. He is also part of the pics I am putting here.Took a bus from mattuthavani bus stand for Chennai and was back to the world of heat, humidity, and sweat.

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Comments

[Naveen]

perfect trip
It seems a perfect trip with almost every expected incidents... :) nice pics....nice blog..!