We wrapped our last evening in Coorg pretty quietly at a private hideaway resort that overlooks a sprawling golf course nestled between the Western Ghats and amidst lots of greenery.   Service was personal and very welcoming, thanks to the personalized size of the resort.

On the last day at Coorg, we visited Dubare elephant camp, did rafting on Cauvery still water (there are no rapids, as monsoons were long over), watched elephant bathing by little kids, went to Golden Buddha temple where Radhika instantly went to Meditation given the serene environment.

We also relaxed in a huge private bungalow assigned at a resort after a custom ala-carte lunch,  took a plantation tour, visited Kodagu’s ancestral home, and had Coorg biryani at the pool watching Dilwale (just last 20 minutes, thankfully).

Now leaving for BLR airport, expecting to arrive home just before midnight, and celebrating the last few hours of 2015 at our own home in Indu Fortune Fields.  A few glimpses and a 62-second video clip from the rafting are in the last blog of the year 2015.  Advance Happy New Year greetings to all!!   This is a quick update on the road.  Do scroll below for individual stories for some of the key pictures.

Phase 1 of our trip story can be seen in the Bandipur blog, and Phase 2 of the trip story can be seen in Wayanad blog.

More details coming soon in this last blog of the year 2015 …

Few knowledge points from the Plantation / Spice Tour, compiled by Radhika & Aniketh:

• Bird eye chilies are super hot, good for cholesterol and doesn’t give acidity. They cost about INR 300 per KG
• Coorg produces two types of coffee beans: Arabica and Robusta. Arabica beans are big in size, mild in flavor, has 20 to 25 years of lifespan. Robusta are smaller in size, stronger flavor and has 90 to 100 years of lifespan. Arabica is of superior quality, and often available in premium stores / restaurants
• Coffee beans are discovered by goats in Ethiopia, when they ate the red ripe coffee beans (which looked like cherries for them). Goat herders noticed that Goats were extra excited and jumping whenever Goats were consuming coffee beans. They tried it and experienced same state of feeling. They took the beans to near by monastery and showed them to the monks. They threw them in the fire (to discourage export).  However, they smelled coffee due to the roast of the beans
• Using Chicory root based powder with coffee beans is considered adulteration, and Chicory based coffee powder, increases acidity not good for health.
• We saw Pepper creepers and tasted green peppers, when turn red they are ripe and ready for harvest
• We also saw Orange, Grapefruit, Elaichi Banana, Pineapple, Avocado, Coorg style Celantro, Cinnamon tree (and learned that it’s leaves are Bay Leaves we used in Biryani), Beetlenut plants and trees
• Coorg came from the word Kodagu and given by the Britieshers
• We also met Kodagu family, and visited their ancestral home near to the resort. 9^th generation of the Kodagu family is residing over there
• Kodagus worship nature directly and do not perform any idol worship and consider ancestral home as their temple. Ancestral home has photos of all 8 generation of heads of the family

We stopped at Omkareshwara temple on the way to the airport.  It is in Madikeri.  and We wanted to end the trip with a visit to the temple, and thanking the lord for 2015 and offering prayers to give the strength to handle any challenges years ahead. The temple as you can see from the picture, is built in Islamic style, the dome and minarets towering over the tiled roofs of the city. Inside, the temple is simple, with the shrine holding the main lingam surrounded by one corridor.  There weren’t many visitors in the temple, so our visited was complete in just about 15 minutes.

Few changes that I have seen during this trip. There is lot less litter on the road, specially outside the cities. I haven’t seen anyone throwing stuff from the cars, which used to be prevalent few decades ago.  However, there is still some litter on the highway, but it is lot less now.  Service at resorts seems to be impeccable.  You actually feel guilty with the level of pampering through out the resort.   So much is taken care for you at the resort, you will actually have time to think in a serene environment (where only sound you hear is, of birds and critters in the night) and ‘re-sort’ priorities in your life. No wonder that’s why they are called as resorts.

Despite great pics and smiling faces, travelling together (given the differences in taste / opinions, and the gender / generation gap) is an art that requires mastering, and always be a continuous learning exercise and experience 🙂

Happy New Year 2016 to all my readers around the planet !!