Monday, April 14, 2008

A Sheep Called Kabab



At the resort we stayed, in the middle of almost nowhere, there was a pet ram called Kabab. You can see it tethered to the tree on the left. This was the view from our room - there was a stone bench outside in the verandah where we sat and tried to commune with nature, often rudely interrupted by Kabab, which at other times would refuse to respond to our calls. I wonder, did it have a sense of the macabre, and protest its naming?



Our holiday home was close to the Shivanasamudra waterfalls. This is the Gagana Chukki, which had more water than its partner, the Bhara Chukki, a little distance away. These falls collect in a pool at the bottom, which one gets to by descending some rough-hewn steps for 15 or 20 minutes. Then, you can go for a ride in coracles, or swim at your own risk despite the warnings.



Camping, India-style. At the Bhara Chukki waterfall, we noticed this lorry - it was filled with people young and old, in various stages of activity - awake, sleeping, chatting, cooking ... Inside, it was even fitted with a platform to utilise the space - some sat on the platform and some underneath.



The Keshava temple at Somnathpur, 55 km away from our homestay. We had the choice of taking an autorickshaw or a van to the place. Good sense prevailed, and we chose the van. We saved our backs and bones - and had a wonderful time combing the walls and identifying the various gods, goddesses, the flora and the fauna which resided on them in sculpture.



Our hosts had one of their employees take us on a morning stroll around the resort - this is one wild flower that I haven't noticed earlier! In fact, I'd noticed it the previous day, but hadn't had my camera on me then. We forded small streams and pools, saw banana and papaya plantations, tried to get rid of the little stones that got into our shoes and were glad to come back to breakfast and a bath.



Three girls in a boat. On the Cauvery at sandy Talakkad, in a coracle. There are five temples big and small scattered over a mile or so amidst eucalyptus and cashew groves, and the scent changes as you move from a profusion of one to another.



Ending the hot, summer holiday on a cool, cool note - that's warm Jamaican Rum Cake with a scoop of ice-cream.



Cold chocolate with a scoop of cold chocolate ice-cream - can it get any better? We had dessert at every single meal!



Shopping at last! From the South to the West, on a work-related trip. We had just an hour to shop after two days of meetings before we finally went to our hotel and freshened up for an authentic Gujarati meal - we were taken to Law Garden Market in Ahmedabad and came away with some gorgeous crafts; in my case, cushion covers with Kutchi embroidery. We didn't get to see much of this city, nor of Rajkot, the other city we visited, but still, I can now say I've been to Gujarat! And thus a little more well-travelled!

39 comments:

  1. Sra, its lovely to have you back...good to see that you have enjoyed your trip..nice pictures and I must say you have got a hang of that tool now...:D..

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  2. lovely getaway resort! Nice pics..and which of the three girls in the coracle is you :D

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  3. You'll do seem to have had a very enjoyable holiday...nature trails, shopping et al :-)

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  4. That is "touch me not" plant Sra,
    If we touch the leaves, it closes..
    and it is seen everywhere in Kerala..
    Nice pictures u have taken!

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  5. Sra even i hv visited these places i loved the falls. nice photos..

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  6. My beloved CAUVERY!!! What about me? Waaahh!!!!!;D

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  7. Looks like you had a wonderful time

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  8. beautiful!!! thank for taking us along.

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  9. Lovely pictures, hope u had lots of fun.

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  10. You've become quite the gadabout, Sra! I love your travelogues; they are the next best thing to being there. What beautiful countryside.

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  11. Looks like you managed to combine work with lots of pleasure! The wildflower reminded me very much of a flower I had shot somewhere - will dig through my archives to see if it indeed similar.

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  12. Well, I just saw Sheena's comment, and immediately recalled that I had taken the picture in LalBaag in Bangalore. Almost identical, and I was going to send it to you, but couldn't find your email addy on the blog.

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  13. Valli, thank you! In fact, for that boat pic alone, I used an online software - Picnik. My own software was pretty good, but I couldn't achieve quite the anonymity effect I wanted ;)
    Rachel, keep guessing! Isn't that the idea? :D
    Sunita, yes, great holiday! And the one-hour shopping amounted to just two pairs of cushion covers.
    Seena, I know of the touch-me-not plant, didn't know it was this, thanks!
    SMN, glad you enjoyed the photos.
    Asha, what are you waiting for? It's time you visited, anyway!
    Happy Cook, I did, very enjoyable.
    Bee, thank you - I thought the blue of the sky looked really good.
    Cham, I did, thanks.
    Susan, if only this lucky streak continues, that I can keep travelling. And I saw your reply to my comment in your blog - I hope to come there in a year's time.
    ET, the pleasure came first, and then the work :) Do mail me your pic at srablogATgmailDOTcom. I'll look forward to it.

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  14. You have had a gala time girl!!
    Nice pictures !!

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  15. lovely pics and beautiful description.

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  16. That is so nice that you can mix business with pleasure, Sra.

    We know your name. Put up your picture already! ;-)

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  17. Lovely travelogue Sra. Thanks for taking us along with those gorgeous pics esp the cake and the scoop of ice cream.. Yummy!..

    Siri

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  18. Aren't you on too many trips these days ? making me J

    What did you buy at Law Garden ? Had been to Ahmedabad for two months during college internships. law Garden was so colorful and cheap

    sandeepa

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  19. Damn you, Sra! I desperately craving that rum cake now.

    These are awesome pictures, I'm totally enjoying this read - feels like part of me is out there :)

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  20. Swati, I did, thank you.
    Uma, thank you.
    TBC, ha ha - my stock reply - want to preserve the mystique for as long as I can ;)
    Siri, it was really tasty, with some ginger in the cake.
    Sandeepa, there can never be "too many trips", but for someone who rarely travelled earlier, I've been travelling quite often, yes! I just bought cushion covers, no time for anything very involved!
    Kaykat, thanks. And come to think of it, there was more the taste of ginger than rum in that cake!

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  21. Looks like you had a good time Sra...work with pleasure:)

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  22. Who did you go with? Or more grammatically, with WHOM did you go? :) Should I recognise anybody's outline in that photo? ;)

    Lucky you - looks like you had a lovely time. I do wish I'd had the chance to do a lot more travelling in India.

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  23. what a catchy title! Nice travel story and pictures.

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  24. Saswati, yes, it was really time well spent.
    Shyam, Suse was there :)
    Ms, thank you.

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  25. what a fun trip :) the first pic is a beauty!

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  26. aww....isn't it cruel to name the poor animal kabab..sort of making sure that the animal will land up in someone's hungry stomach for sure...

    looks like you had a great trip...and you are such a tease :)

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  27. How wonderful. Wish I had been with you!

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  28. Lovely post and pictures, Sra! Did you just say Shivasamudram! That brings back so many beautiful memories, dear! Thanks a ton for sharing the words and pictures!

    And the sheep called kabab! sure must have been protesting ;).

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  29. Richa, thanks.
    Rajitha, no, that sheep's not going anywhere, we checked.
    Vegeyum, I wish I get to travel as much as you do!
    Musy, yeah, even we felt a pang! And yes, that was Shivasamudram!

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  30. P.S. - Sra, don't worry if you can't make WHB. There will be other events. Tend to what you need to.
    Later!

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  31. :) beautiful pics Sra... looks like you have been making a lot of trips lately... ;)
    And yeah that flower is Thottavadi aka touch-me-not as Seena said. I never realized that the flower was so beautiful till I saw this picture :)

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  32. I wonder, did it have a sense of the macabre, and protest its naming? - you are too funny for your own good :)

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  33. How beautiful - all of it!
    I loved Kabab! That really was a bit of a cruel joke thow - or maybe he's being spared for other things....

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  34. Susan, thanks, and sorry I couldn't make it, would have loved to participate.
    Sig, thanks, that's a great compliment.
    Cynthia, :) It didn't even seem to have heard us!
    Kate, the hostess at the homestay loves him so he escaped the slaughterhouse, we were told.

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  35. This is the type of resort that I want to visit. The scenery is beautiful and the people seem so real! Thank you!

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  36. Yeah, Todd & Diane, it was a genuine homestay, nothing fancy, just wholesome!

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  37. What a nice trip it was. Your descriptions remind me of things I forgot.

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  38. I'll never forget Kabab or his owners. What a lovely trip and lovely cottage.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I'm tempted to go back. It was a great trip and great hosts too!

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