Road Trips India . Shivsamudram Falls

It has been a year since our move to India. With Arvind’s workplace in Delhi and our beautiful house in Bangalore, we struggled to strike a balance. The pleasures of living in one’s own house versus the joy of a new place and the constant trips to and fro were taking a toll on finances, health, and outlook! We were managing by leasing cars for a year. Having spent a year in India and rationally reconciling and considering the cost-benefit factor, we decided to purchase a vehicle. We had set ourselves 24 hours to decide on the car. It was the Skoda salesman who clinched the deal for us.

The independence one gets when one has a car, especially in Bangalore, is incredible. To break-in the car, we planned a long drive. Bangalore offers many options within a drive distance of 100 km. The first spot that came to my mind was the Shivsamudram Falls. The Shivasamudram falls near Bangalore are a visual delight post-monsoon. The river water dropping off tall rock cliffs, with lush green forests all around is mesmerizing. The twin falls of Gaganna Chukki and Barachukki are together known to the Shivsamundram falls . During my visits to blore , When my kids were young my father in law would take us on road trips.

        

He preferred the nature to the man made malls . Our trips would be exciting with stories from his youth . We would invariably loose our way , but he would not be flustered by it . Stopping by the fields and asking the farmers , we would make our way to the destination . The trip to the falls was etched in my memory because of the the number of times we lost our way to reach the falls. I wanted to relive the journey .

As we drove on the newly renovated Mysore Highway, I noticed the changes to the Indian Road network. The roads were better, with more shops on either side and much more garbage. We needed help even with the clear road signs and Google Maps to guide us. I felt my FIL was playing the lost and found game with us. Reaching the falls, we admired the beautiful nature amidst the chaos of urbanization. The tall banyan trees along the roads would have many tales to relate to. Saying a prayer of gratitude to my father-in-law, we continued our journey.

    

Navigating through the maps, we found a lovely homestay near the falls. The Georgia Sunshine Village is a  homestay nestled in the valley of the Shimsa forest reserve.  After the Independence Day weekend rush, the place was empty, and we were the only two guests. It is a family-run resort by a lovely couple, Georgia and Leonard.... who were on hand to welcome us as we found our way there. The resort is an excellent getaway for nature lovers, done rather tastefully, far from the madding crowd. We were greeted not only by the hosts but also by the 16 or so dogs that they had. My eye immediately caught the beautiful coconut converted into a lampshade, inverted wine glasses hung from the ceiling, and numerous other small details. The place was impeccably clean, and our guide led us to our cottage. 

Our cottage 

my kind of life says Arvind 

Our guide, Colin tempted us for a nature walk by 5 p.m., and despite the heat, we agreed. So we trudged off at the appointed time around the resort, overlooking the distant hills with verdant greenery. There were few farms growing mulberry, wheat, grapes, etc., at every corner; we were met by mostly friendly but inquiring dogs barking their heads off. Colin, a rather talkative soul, illustrated how almost every Indian is a good storyteller, full of myths and legends. He recounted his encounter with wild animals at this place. As the sun set, the stories turned a bit macabre, with old women being tossed up by wild boars. After an hour, we trudged back to the resort, walking on red soil, crunching twigs and branches. It was merely an exploratory trek, and we were promised another longer one in the morning if we were game.

Peace 

 We chanced upon a small pool of water as we re-entered the resort through a small side entrance camouflaged by overgrown bushes. I seemed man-made.  Colin responded how the man-made watering pool was made for the wild animals to overcome the water shortage. He started reeling off the animals that would come around for a drink, including 4/5 panthers.  Arvind was taken in by his compelling narration that he almost bent down at the watering hole and started licking the water off, hoping to see a couple of panthers. 

The watering hole 

The rugged terrain

We decided to finish with a light meal after the walk and skip dinner altogether and decided to meet at 6 am for the morning walk.  The morning was crisp and clear. We set off on the rugged path with chirping birds to keep us company. It had rained the previous night. The smell of the petrichor along with the morning dew drops on the leaves was pleasant to the senses. Crossing a small stream, we walked across farms on both the sides of our path. Before we knew it was an hour, and we returned to the resort. 

Morning walk with dew drops 

We made our way to Bangalore after a delicious breakfast. I was fortunate to travel with my father in law to interesting destinations around Bangalore. He showed me to appreciate the trees, the red soil, the small worms who live in the soil, the sunrise, the hard toiling villagers and nature. I hope to revisit the places and rekindle the pleasant memories I shared with him.