The Trek to Thadiyandamol

 The Thadiyandamol peak in Coorg district, is the third highest peak in our state. Usually shrouded in mist, this 5630 feet peak is a nature lover's paradise. Early this month, I had the opportunity to visit this beautiful place.

 The trail which goes through coffee plantations for a while becomes harder to trek when it enters the dense rainforests of the Western Ghats. You do not hear a single human or machine made sound as you trek, but the loud song of the cicadas interspersed with the songs of innumerable forest birds.

 The only human sound you may hear is when your companion says "Ouch" when she sees her bleeding leg which was bitten by a leech.
Thadiyandamol is also famous for being one of the points in the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India conducted during 1802-1860. 

The top of te mountain is covered with grasslands where a myriad wildflowers bloom.
My thanks to the talented Mrs.Nesbitt who started the ABCWednesday and to Roger who takes it forward every week.

N for Narmada

 The river Narmada in Central India flows westwards while most other rivers of India flow eastwards.Like all the rivers in India, the Narmada is also considered holy. It flows amidst marble rocks in Jabalpur. You can go on a row boat down the river and enjoy the scenery. If you hire a bot with a boatman, he will regale you with funny stories, all in verse.

The Dhuandhar Falls is a bweautiful spot near Jabalpur.

 Maheshwar, a small town on the Narmada, is famous for the fine  Maheshwari sarees made of silk. One can go boating here also.

 Maheshwar was the capital of the Holkar kings of Indore. Queen Ahalyabai in the 17th century brought about a lot of improvements in the kingdom. She is still revered by the people of Madhya Pradesh.

A memorial to the legendary queen is visited reverently by hundredsof people every day.

My thanks to Mrs.Nesbitt who started ABCWednesday, and to Roger and his team.

Macau, where Money is Made and Lost

 Macau is one of the two Special Administrative Regions  of China. Macau was under Portuguese rule until 1999, when it was transferred back to China.The photo above is the Fishermen's Wharf, a theme park.  The picture below is that of the Tower.

 Unlike Hong Kong, the other Special Administrative Region, Macau has no forests, pastures or woods. The drab and boring landscape is now made immensely attractive by the casinos, which are an epitome of luxury. 

 Bungee jumping is done from the top of the Tower.

 The Venetian Macau is the largest casino in the world, they claim. Te ambience is like Venice, coplete with canals and Gondolas. The computer controlled artificial blue sky is always suggesting late afternoon.

 Macau is the world's fourth richest region. Wealthy Chinese flock to the casinos to try their luck.Great fortunes are made and lost in the 35 luxurious casinos of Macau.

This ancient temple is dedicated to the Chinese goddess Matsu, who is the protector of fishermen and seafarers.This place has a small wooded path up a hill, overlooking the sea.

My thanks to Mrs.Nesbitt, who started ABCWednesday, and to Roger and his team who manage it so well.

A Visit to Valparai

 The name Valparai conjures up images of mountains in South America, but this place is in South India.  Being in the equatorial region of the Western Ghats, Valparai has a salubrious climate. The region has miles and miles of tea gardens. The tea grown here has a distinct aroma reminiscent of the famous Darjeeling tea.

 Most of the dense rain forests have been cleared to make way for tea plantations. But there are still some tiny pockets of forests, with woodland streams running through them. The quality of water in these streams is suspect, as they flow through tea gardens with their intense pest management.

 The boring sight of unending tea gardens is sometimes broken by craggy cliffs where one may come across the Nilgiri Tahr. If you look closely, you can see a Tahr (mountain goat) resting amidst the rocks.

 Beautiful wildflowers are found near the woodland streams. A blue Rhynchoglossum.

 A wild balsam.

 The Langoors are seen everywhere.
Valparai can be reached via Coimbatore. There are many homestays available there.

My thanks to Mrs.Nesbitt, the founder of ABCWednesday, and also to Roger and his team who are voluntarily continuing it .

Sharavathi- the Many Splendoured River

 The river Sharavathi holds a special place in my heart as I spent my childhood in Jog Falls, where my father was the superintending engineer at the power plant. This turbulent river flows entirely through the rainforests of the Western Ghats before it joins the ocean at Honnavar.

 When it is not flowing through the dense forest, the river irrigates rice fields, coconut and spice gardens. The waterways along the Sharavathi were used to export pepper, cinnamon, ginger and other spices in the olden days.

 People extract small quantities of sand to build their homes, as large scale sand mining is prohibited.

The railway bridge across the river is an engineering marvel.

 Much of the Sharavathi basin is now declared a world heritage site. The river supports incredible numbers of flora and fauna.

 The splendour of Jog Falls is seen only during the monsoon season. The falls is 280metres high. The dense forests around it have tigers, leopards, fox, wild dog and many other wild animals.

 Sharavathi provides us with food, electricity and timber.

My thanks to Mrs.Nesbitt and Roger for the stimulating ABCWednesday.

Restful Rekong Peo

When I first laid my eyes on the  rural looking Rekong Peo, its ravishing beauty took my breath away. We had driven through apple country, where the apple blossoms were in full bloom. Rekong Peo is the headquarters of the Kinnaur district of the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh.It was named Rekong Peo in honour of a family which owned most of the land there. With its rustic beauty, Rekong Peo is the right place for a restful holiday.

 Apple is the life of the people of Kinnaur. The blooms have fruited, and the markets of all the cities and villages of India, including  my city 3000km away from Rekong Peo, are filled with delicious apples now.

 The Kinner Kailash peak is seen from all parts of the town. Many people go round the peak braving rough terrain and fickle weather.

My thanks to Mrs.Nesbitt and Roger for the really wonderful ABCWednesday.

Pattadakal

 The royal family of Chalukya had some illustrious kings. King Pulikesi defeated the mighty army of the emperor Harsha Vardhan in 606 A.D. Later kings built beautiful temples and encouraged the arts. The Chalukya kings were  coronated in Pattadakal.

 Pattadakal, a world heritage site, is now a small village. The 7th century temples here are in ruins, but beautiful.

 Some temples are built in the Nagara style, and some are in the Chalukya style.

 The beauty of the 1500 year old temples takes your breath away. The villagerssell fresh coconut water and roasted peanuts outside the periphery ofthe World Heritage Site.

The pleasing ABCWednesday was pioneered by Mrs.Nesbitt, and presently managed by Roger and his team. My thanks to all of them.