A Weekend away Part I

After lot of planning ( we spent about 15mins going through a guide book), I and my friend Vamsi, decided to make a trip to Shivasamudram near Bangalore. I ambitiously decided to start at 6 from B`lore, reach S`mudram by 10 at max and leave at 6pm from there and reach Blore at 10. Thats about the extent of planning we did. As it happens normally over a weekend , I woke up at 8.00 am. By the time we reached the bus station it was already 10.30. Some how we managed to get into a direct bus to shivasamudram by 11.00. Vamsi spent the next two hours sleeping. I spent time peering out of the windows for some scenic beauty. Most of the time I was treated to potholes on the roads and fields on both sides. There was one stretch before Chennapatna which was very beautiful but is quickly obstructed by constructions. We stopped at Shivpur to have lunch. There is a dhaba on the highway where ksrtc drivers stop for lunch. By the time we stepped out of our leisurely lunch, our bus had left. Any announcement they made was drowned by the blaring loudspeakers blasting film music.We started asking conductors (ticket collectors as they call them here) for directions. Finally some one told us that we were on the Bangalore Mysore highway. If we make our way to Maddur, we can find a bus to our destination from there. At Maddur, we boarded a bus to Kollagale near Chamaraja Pet. Finally at 4.00pm, we got down at the shivasamudram hydro electric project. The falls were 3km from the highway. Both sides of the road were lined with trees. All through the way, we encountered bikes and cars going in the opposite direction. There is a good sized village near the project. There is also a Darga in the village which is famous in the surrounding areas. To reach the falls, you have to take a bridge over the power plant and walk for another km. The first view of the falls gave the impression of gentle flowing water over a small slope. As we got near, we could see the water falling from a height of around 100m in three streams from two sides. The view was breathtaking. There is a parapet built on the opposite hill from which people were taking pictures. There was a narrow path on which you could go close to the water falls. Vamsi disappeared before I could take a photograph of the falls. I started down on the path a little hesitantly. Most of the way down is easy with plenty of foot holds and branches which you can use for a hold. Halfway down we went up towards the water fall. We could go as close to the touch the water from the falls. It was quite slippery after that point. With a little bit of jumping and climbing, we got down to the cauldron of the falls. There is a big flat rock on which you can sit and relax. After a lot of photographs, we started up. As soon as we reached up, we were surrounded by coconut vendors. When we were going down, I was wondering why these guys did not even move ? Now we were so tired ,we grabbed a coconut each. Then we started our slow walk back to the main road. This time we got to B`lore in three and half hours and to my room in another half an hour. I enjoyed it thoroughly. Only one thing I could not do was to stop on bridge on the way to Kollagale. It was beautiful with water spilling over the causeway in the background. Our bus crossed it before we could get our camera out.