Trip to Coorg - Part 1

The day we started to Coorg was a crisp morning. It smelled full of hope, like a freshly baked bread out of the oven, waiting to be devoured. The day was devoid of the disappointments, anger and frustrations of the the previous day. 

Our cab driver arrived a bit late and increased the blood pressure of my hubby. He was worried that we will have to drive to Coorg if we missed the bus. It would me mean 3 hours of him driving, 3 hours of me driving which amounts of another 3 hours of him driving sub-consciously. To the great relief of my hubby, the cab driver arrived with apologies, and took us to the satellite bus stop where we boarded the bus to Coorg. 

The A/C bus had a layer of stubborn dust on the exterior, which clung to it as though it were a second coating of paint. The rickety old bus rattled merrily along the speed breakers, potholes and jerked the passengers to and fro. We started at 7:00 AM and reached Coorg at 1:00 PM.

We had a reservation for one night at Gowrinivas homestay in Madikeri. It is my first stay in a homestay. I had an unpleasant opinion about homestays. Staying in a strangers' house never seemed appealing for me. Since my hubby and I decided that we should be open for new experiences, I agreed to stay in a homestay. I must say that I was impressed with this homestay. There were two houses, one in which the owner stayed, the other house had two rooms, and these were leased out for visitors. The garden was beautifully maintained. There were small plants, shrubs, trees, they also had a swing tied to a tree trunk. I loved this homestay. I wish I had a home like that.

The owner of the homestay was kind enough to suggest our itinerary for the rest of the day and a place for lunch. We went to Raintree Restaurant for lunch. The restaurant was in a walking distance from our homestay but our ignorance led us to hire an auto. We had a simple non-gluttonous meal, chicken chettinad with appams and one naan. I ate Chicken Chettinad a few other times before. I realized that it is almost impossible to screw this dish. It tasted so good every time. Who would've imagined that a modified dosa will taste so good with chicken? Well that is Appam and Chicken Chettinad for you. Non-ironically, when we were having lunch it rained at the Raintree restaurant. With our bellies full and smiles on our faces, we were all geared to explore Coorg.

To be continued ...

Gowrinivas homestay at Madikeri. The house in which the owner stayed. 

Our humble and comfortable quarters

The garden at the homestay and view of the town from the garden

                         I was fascinated by this swing. It took me to my childhood days.

The homestay, Gowrinivas was aesthetically decorated. The owner said, 'the credit goes to my wife, the debit to me'.