@ ur service..

So here’s the report of my trip that I had to undertake for ur sakes;-)

Kodai has not changed much in the many years, atleast it seemed so, as I am visiting this beautiful hill resort after many years..The town itself has been infested with more concrete but has not gone the Ooty way really and the bane of roads and electricity still the same as witnessed years back (if not worse!)..

So on my first day I did not bother to even take out my camera as it was spent in the town and every frame wud have had 50% concrete, so no point. But surprisingly many places were still the same and infact many things are prohibited (like even cleansing the lake) with stringent measures to conserve Kodai naturally is on full swing.. But don’t be surprised if u r hitting Kodai after so many years on hearing places names like – Gunaa caves or Raam rocks etc..these are nomenclatures derived after the tamil movies shot at resp. locations and hence more popular these days..forget the fact that these were very much in existence before those movies in the names like devils kitchen, dolphin nose etc:-)

But to really see the dense forests, layers of greenery u shud move out of the town..a good place wud be Berijam..this is a place under the forest department’s auspices and is well maintained..mind u, one needs to apply (remember-Dear sir, sub: reg: et al?) in the local forest conservator’s office before 10a.m. Do carry a paper, pen else u are stranded as no help will come ur way..and then with this permission proceed to berijam which is some 30kms away..a beautiful drive, nice place with a neat lake and totally well preserved by the forest dept. No littering, no plastics, no smoking..a lot of “no’s” but u wud not crib for u get to see the good results..
Next day was a bumper! Hit on a terrific driver with extraordinary contacts and knowledge of the place..he took us to some exotic locations and promised more on my next trip..he took us thru one of the best walks I have had on rough mountain side with breathtaking views n numerous falls..we saw the periyakulam village right under our nose and theni, vaigai dam etc in the far..also saw this village called ‘vellaikavi’ which was in news in the recent past for getting (for first time ever)electricity and the single phone connection it boasts off! Great walk and sooper view..killed lotsa calories..interestingly somewhere on the way to this dolphin nose cliff saw a village packed with many goras..it seems Israelites come by hundreds and stay with the locals in their huts/houses and eat with them & go around the mountains and enjoy their holidays..it sure looks like a very popular place of vacation for the Israelites..