TABULA RASA...

You have to see this to believe it!! The best spot I found in the entire trip... :)

*I realized it may seem a loong post for a few. So, if you want just the best of it, watch the videos towards the end and the pic links below... I really insist that you watch the first video!! Its kinda "bugging"!! ;)

**The fact that I've drafted this post some 20 days back!! ignore the tenses for a while and read on...

Hi all!! Finally PK stops over to share something. Must be something really goood and interesting!! ;) Such is the power of a good... actually, a great holiday!!

As you must have guessed from the title of this post, I just came back from a two day vacation to Coorg, and I must say, it was by-far, one of the best places I've ever been to till today!! And an added to the beauty of the place itself, was the Estate we stayed in, and the owners of it, a charming and caring couple as your hosts - there's nothing else to beat that!!

So, I started out reluctantly on the whole idea of going out on a holiday with my family (after a decade!!) and somehow ended up going by road from Bangalore to this place called, Silver Brook Estate in Coorg (click here for the Nature pics!!). And believe me, the entire trip, right from the drive on the Bangalore-Mysore Highway, along the twisted and thick green, spiral roads that lead to Madikeri, then to the Estate itself has been good enough to get me high!!

Day 1:
The thick green cover all over the place is something that all of us living in these concrete jungles would love at the very first sight. And the beautiful sounds of the insects, birds and the soothing sound of water flowing along the rocky slopes at a few places was really too much of a Natural experience for me!! :) Once I reached the Estate where we were two spend our next two days, I was exalted seeing the grandeur of the place. The owners of the Estate, Mr.Yogesh and Mrs.Revathi, both greeted us with big energetic hellos as soon as we drove in. Everything in the house was antique... a beautiful clock, a rich collection of books in the library, chairs along the fire place, and the entire house was lit with the natural light coming in through glass tiles on the roof. Oh and life isn't jingalaala without Tata Sky, so that too!! ;)

We had a bonfire that night, sat around it, a few family pics, the warm company of Pink Floyd all the while, then a wonderful continental dinner. The best part about each meal was that, we just had to mention the style of food, and the rest was taken care by our hosts, no menus, no picking, no trouble at all. There was something special about each meal :) And each time we were served something, that totally shut us up for a while. The juices get going too fast you see!! :P

Day 2:
Waking up to the biting cold, I took a stroll in the Estate and ventured a little deep into the woods (I had to do something adventurous!!), heard my own voice echo through the hills, observed a few sounds, plants, and was constanly looking out for a snake, so I could hold it and take a pic, but never found one!! :( So, I come back and sit by the fire place, with my legs on the coffee table and notice something on my leg and ignored it for a while thinking it was a fiber from my socks. Some, 30 mins later... tadaaa... the apparent fiber was a leech sucking my blood!! I dind't kill him, he shared my blood!! I named him Leechi and put him in a box. We went out had some pics togehter but that evening Leechi died!! :( He couldn't sustain life with my blood!!

That afternoon we drove to a nearby Elephant camp at a place called Dubbare. And just PK-style, I never even went to the elephant camp!! Instead, we (me and Nik) went white water rafting along the Barapore base camp along the river Cauvery. Now, here's the best part... The raft-guide of my boat kept instigating me saying its safe to swim in those waters, that I wouldn't drown with a life jacket, its going to be fine and all that... I had to tell him what I was made of!!! Sploosh!! ;)

And that evening, yet another spectacular composition of the nature... a pleasant symphony... a near-by brook, the soothing sound of flowing water... Nothing else was needed for that moment. That - in itself!!

Day 3:
Foggy morning, biting cold, and I set for my morning walk on the last day of my stay. It was the longest walk I EVER went out on!! Full 2 hours and 10 mins!! I just walked down the only road, came across a loooong stream that disappeared into the woods down the hills leaving just the sounds of gushing water behind, fluff cotton coming out of their covers, wild Mangoes, jack fruits all over the roads, and lots and lots of Hibiscus all along the way... Mera dil toh garden garden ho gayaa!! nahin, jungle jungle ho gaya!! :P Not to forget, the way I was singing out aloud, A Brave New World - Maiden, and the few passers-by or even fewer residents along the path, staring at me like I was a complete Jackass!! Maybe I was acting like one then!! But it was fun... :D And finally, after the long walk and a fantabulous closing meal for breakfast, we set out on our way back home... The same lush green, bright sun through the trees and not to forget, the soothing effect of photo-films on your eyes... ;)

Click on any pic to view it in Full-res... There's hidden beauty in details... http://picasaweb.google.com/nikthetitan/CoorgNature#

I really wanted something more than the Goas, Manalis and East and West of India, and I found more than what I wanted at Namma Coorg!! :D It was a very refreshing experience after a long time!! And yeah, most credits to the owners of the Estate we stayed in... they made our Holiday!! :)

And also, one misadventure... I had to cough up 100 bucks to Traffic Maama!! Sun-of-a-gun, was chilling under a tree and wired the other guys saying I went around the circle in the wrong direction!! Yeah right!! On a one-lane town, manned traffic signals (3 or 4) and one Police Station, how lucky could I get?? I got caught b/w two signals that had the police station b/w them!! Wah PK!! Your stars are SHINING ON YOU!!

Now, that's what I call a complete family-package!! This energy is still getting me going...

And finally, a few MUST WATCH VIDEOS!! Don't blame me if one of them is really annoying!! But I suggest you hear it anyway!! ;) Yeah, "HEAR IT"...

It gives me great pleasure to introduce the biggest and most annoying Jack of the Jungle!! ;) Listen to it for yourself... DONT MISS IT!! ITS REAL FUN!!

This one's along the road during my walk...

So until later, with another powerful post, see you when I see you... :D

I had to give my own tribute to this Legend, self-proclaimed and maybe the very best King of Pop. Ever.

I have been saying this to people since morning and I'll say it here too...

They say history repeats itself every once in a while... Maybe. But it'll never be anything like this guy created!!

Like most of us here, I had my very own experience growing up with MJ's music... One of the very first songs I sat down and wrote the lyrics listening to the songs was - Stranger in Moscow... And one of his best ever with Slash - Give into me...