A pleasant visit to Mettur Dam

Last weekend, I decided to go visit Mettur Dam. I want to visit a new place every month this year. This ticks of the entry for January.

Bus travel took about two hours in total from my room. The journey was mostly on state highways, so plenty of towns along the way. Lighter traffic compared to national highways, and I spent the time gazing outside the windows (didn't have to bring out my phone to read a book). There were many impressive infrastructure buildings around the outskirts of Mettur. And amazing views of the Cauvery river along the way.

Bridge on the way to Mettur Bus Stand

After a bit of confusion at the Mettur bus stand, I got the direction right and walked about a kilometer to reach the park at the base of the dam. Ticket entry was Rs 5. Outside the gate, plenty of hawkers were selling snacks as well as toys for kids. Plenty of fish stalls nearby as well.

 

After a bit of walk to the main gate (where tickets were checked), I got my first surprise. I didn't know I'd be crossing a bridge overlooking the water flowing out from the dam!

View of dam walls after park entry gate

View of dam walls after park entry gate

 

There wasn't much of a crowd lingering. I took a few snaps, enjoyed watching fishes and finally got to the park. The dam walls took over one end of the horizon.

View from just inside the park

Thanks to the large and sprawling area, the park didn't feel crowded. It was well maintained too. I randomly took a direction and went exploring. There was a path that took you to yet another bridge over the dam water. This one was pretty narrow though. Again I took a few pics before coming back to the park.

View of the park from one end

 

After going around the outer paths, I took the inner one that was surrounded by trees - plenty of mango trees (which were extra pretty thanks to the blooming season). There were lot of resting areas and water taps too. I could see many families lugging along lunches.

Interesting tree

 

Of course, parks need playing area for kids. And this one had enough to spare for adults too. I spent a few minutes on the swing :D

Impressive trees

 

Another attraction were the enclosed structures housing birds and snakes. And when I reached the other end of the park, I got to see this beauty too:

One of the fauna attractions inside the park

After munching on snacks and a bit of rest, I left the park.

Parting shot from another end of the park

 

To keep myself motivated for another visit, I didn't go to the view points this time. Overall, it was a nice way to spend a weekend. Definitely recommended for everybody.

Sangagiri Fort - relatively easy trek, good views from the peak

Since Nagala way back in Jan 2018, it took me until Dec 2022 to complete another trek! After my first taste in 2009, I had been going to at least a few treks every year. And Bengaluru had so many trekking clubs and places nearby. After leaving the city in late 2017, the opportunities dwindled and I wasn't that motivated to go alone.

I decided to get back to being active physically on a more regular basis last year. Visiting Yercaud, lakes, hiking to nearby places, etc. And finally, this December, I decided to do a solo trekking. And nature decided to play a prank - it rained about 15% on the way up! It was still helpful as I got a feel for the place and also got to know about a fork in the path (from others who were sheltering from the rain).

Near the entrance, cloudy sky

Undeterred, I went again two weeks later and this time I finished it! As per Sangagiri Fort wikipedia:

Sangagiri Fort was built in various times. Before 15th century total 10 of 4 Entrances were built by Vettuva Gounder King "Kunni Vettuva Raja" and after 15th century by the Vijayanagar empire. It has 14 fort walls built on and around a hill and the last phase these walls were built by the British. The fort served as a British tax storage facility for Kongu Nadu, a region comprising the districts of Salem, Erode, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Namakkal, Karur and Dindukal.It is also known as Guptha Giri

It was an important military base for Tipu Sultan and later for the British East India Company. This is because only one side of the hill is climbable, as all the others are too steep to climb. This has a death well, granary, two oil godowns, one explosives godown, two masjiths, 2 Varadharaja Perumal temples, former British administrative buildings, and cemeteries formerly used by armies that were stationed at the fort.

 

I was better prepared for the second attempt. Got up early and reached Sangagiri around 10AM. It's about a kilometer walk from the bus stop to the fort gates. The weather was pleasant for December, although I sweated plenty once I began climbing due to humidity and exertion.

View from the base

Unlike the first time, there weren't many people at the fort when I started climbing. Perhaps it was too early? As per the board outside the gates, opening time is 9:30AM. Only met one group of three college students on my way up.

Enjoyed taking macro shots (wish I had better camera though)

 

I didn't know how long it takes to reach the peak, so I tried to keep a good pace. There were steps or forest paths for about 90% of the climb, so I'd rate it one of the easier treks I've done. However, some of the sections were moderately steep and given I was out of shape, I had to take breaks often.

One of the many forest paths

The Sun was hidden behind the fog and clouds more often than the rays gracing the Earth. A bit of wind in relatively open area was a huge welcome. I had to stop a few times just to wipe sweat (to prevent my spectacles from falling off).

Spot the spider

 

The college group were climbing leisurely, which made me wish that I was with a trekking group like BTC. Anyway, I passed them soon and steadily made my way to the top. Had to encourage myself a few times that I had completed way more difficult treks in the past, it was just a matter of getting used to climbing again.

Near to the peak (didn't know while climbing though)

 

There were a few sheltered structures along the way. While I didn't linger too long, I kept wondering what it was like to live there a few centuries back.

Hard to spot amongst the rocks? Luckily I did and not stepped on it.

Just about an hour later, I had suddenly reached the peak. It definitely came across as a surprise, and here I was guessing the climb would take close to two hours.

View from the peak

 

I spent a few minutes near the temple at the peak, taking pictures and feeling relieved that trekking was still something I could do and enjoy, even solo.

 

One of the many ponds

 

Apart from the temple, there were other buildings as well. There wasn't any clear paths to roam around though. Still, given that I had plenty of time and wasn't feeling too tired, I went around just to soak in the sights. There were a few ponds and the views overlooking the town on one side and highway on the other were great. Couldn't get clear shots due to fog, but it was still a nice experience.

 

Spot the bee

 

After going around as much as I could, I stopped when there were too many trees. Relaxed for a while, had snacks, took more pictures/videos and then started my way back.

Spotted this insect many times along the trekking path

 

Climbing down was much faster. Hardly took a break, other than conversing with those climbing up, taking a few more pictures from different perspectives, etc.

View from about halfway

In about 40 minutes, I was at the base. The trek took less than 2.5 hours in total. By then, a lot more people had shown up - some idled around the pool at the base and some were on their way up to the peak. A few school kids were even busy playing multiplayer games with their smartphones.

Another view from the base

Overall, it was very satisfying to have completed my first trek after close to 5 years. I'm definitely planning to be more active in the coming months. Even if they are easier treks than what I used to do, they provide a much needed break from being in front of the computer all day.

Mookaneri lake

While looking for a nice spot to visit, I stumbled across Mookaneri lake. What's more, it was easily reachable and promised great views all around.

Mookarnei lake

As per the Mookaneri Lake wikipedia entry:

It is located to the south of the Shevaroy Hills, and is a major water body of Salem. The lake is fed by rainfall from the surrounding area, including the hills surrounding Yercaud, which flows into the lake via the Puthu Yeri and Kothukaran Odai streams.

There are 47 man-made islands in the lake. Each island was created by excavating and piling lakebed clay about 10 feet high, and covers and area of a few thousand square feet. Initially, millet was planted on the islands to arrest erosion and help build a soil layer, before saplings of neem, banyan, jambul, peepal, and vetiver trees could be planted. The lake islands were populated by nearly 12,000 trees as of 2013.

I surprised to know that so much effort had been made to avoid erosion. And that it was formed via streams from Yercaud, which I had visited just the previous month.

 

Armed with directions to reach the lake, I decided to walk about 1.5 kilometers from a bus stop. In hindsight, that was a mistake as I got sore feet while returning.

Anyway, the place wasn't crowded despite being a weekend. Perhaps because I had reached about an hour before noon? I took pictures and videos and relaxed a bit in the narrow park along the lake boundary. Some of the locals were fishing and some were taking a nap.

 

Some of the man-made islands

 

After about three months, I went back for another visit. This time, it was way too crowded due to a local festival (I hadn't known though). And thanks to the monsoon rains, the water level had risen too. Learning from previous visit, I had taken a bus ride much closer to the lake and thus was able to spend a lot more time walking along the lake. Looking forward to going there again next year.

 

Mookaneri lake

 

Yercaud

Yercaud is a popular tourist spot in Southern India (see wikivoyage for detailed travel guide). I don't remember much other than going to a park regarding the first time I went there (as a side trip during one of the marriages of college friends). And despite living close by since 2017, it wasn't until 2021 that I went there again. Even that needed a couple of my friends dragging me out. I'm glad they did.

 

January 2021

We had our own vehicle, but there are frequent buses too. It wasn't that cold for January at the foothills. I still packed warm clothing and that came in handy at the peak.

On the way up

 

About 20 hairpin bends later, we reached the peak. There are a couple of parks and a lake among other tourist attractions. We spoke about going for a boat ride, but the wait time was too long and we decided to skip.

Boating in the lake

Like any tourist place, options for food and beverage were overpriced. The coffee shop we went had a nice ambience.

Nursery near the coffee shop

 

There was a nursery near the coffee shop that I enjoyed browsing. My friends bought a few plants too. After that, we got a few local products like tea, coffee, home made chocolates, scents, etc. Overall, it was a nice trip, especially in the company of friends.

 

May 2022

I finally managed to get my lazy self to visit Yercaud again. Went alone this time. Was bored from writing programming books and this was a chance to get some relief from summer temperatures as well. I got up early and caught a bus ride to the peak.

 

I made the mistake of going during a weekend in summer. Once I reached there, it was clear that there were just too many tourists. I had to wait about 30 minutes to get breakfast served.

Lake under a clear sky

I was too early for parks to have opened. So, I just strolled around and got a glimpse of ongoing constructions and village life. There were kids learning self-defense in school grounds.

After one of the parks opened, I spent a few hours there. By the time I had come back after the stroll, it had become crowded. Still, there was enough space to sit around and observe tourists having breakfast, enjoying the swings, snapping selfies, etc.

Adventure activities

Boating was out of question. So, I went to check the coffee shop from the previous year and that was crowded too. I simply walked around the streets and found a place organizing adventure activities for kids (which was unsurprisingly crowded too).

 

I decided to return back early. But first, I got some home made chocolates and masala tea. Then, as I went to the bus stop, I came to know about the main attraction event for the tourists - flower show. The waiting queue was too long outside the gate, contributing to the traffic problems.

Lots and lots of tourists were still coming up. So much so that it took about couple of hours to go down 4 hairpin bends. Luckily, I had brought snacks (just in case). I will likely go back next year in summer, but I will certainly avoid the weekends!!

Mini reviews for books read in April and May

Book title links and images courtesy goodreads

Maddie Hatter and the Deadly Diamond ★★★★

I was looking for a change from usual action packed saving-the-world fantasy. This is more sci-fi steampunk than fantasy, but you get the point. Was on my TBR from long time and felt like it was time to read this. The mystery/detective aspect didn't draw me in much, perhaps I had high expectations. Characters were delightful and the setting would appeal to classical readers. Plus, the illustrations were top notch. If you like this, do check out the sequels as well.

Bloodwood Summer

I signed up as beta reader on reddit for this early draft copy. This would interest those looking for small scale conflicts rather than wars. The magic system was interesting and had a lively feeling to it. Best of wishes for the author to get it published.

Age of Legend ★★★★

This the 4th book in The Legends of the First Empire series. Releases next month, but I was lucky enough to nab a gamma reader spot (which was a satisfying experience, hoping to continue with more books in future). The series can be read as 2 trilogies, the 3rd book had a solid ending and this one starts a bit slow compared to pacing in earlier books. Split into 3 parts, this book has time skips too, and personally I felt some more things could've been added to first 2 parts to make the transition easier.

Characters continue to be the strong point of the series and this book had an interesting development wrt some side characters from earlier books - the highlight of the book for me. The sudden cliffhanger ending was kinda odd, but looking back I'd say it was the best choice taking into consideration what can be expected in next book. The next two books are expected to be released in less than a year, that helps too.

Song of the Beast ★★★★

Discovering that you like a book from an established active author is always a good feeling. My TBR list increases at a rate far greater than my reading speed. But knowing that you can trust an author after just one book always helps when you are looking to choose a book based on your current mood.

This book is about a musician who was falsely imprisoned and his bond with dragons. There's politics and war and intrigue and an interesting race as well, but to me Aidan and his story was the highlight of the book. It is a standalone as well, do check it out if you want something different than usual tropes.

Jade City ★★★

Well, this was not my kinda book. Don't remember on what basis I had added it to my TBR, but I think it was a recommendation to readers who enjoyed Cradle (Asian culture, power levels, etc). Anyways, if you feel something like Godfather in Asian fantasy setting sounds interesting, then you should check this out.

Sorcerous Rivalry ★★★★

available on Kindle Unlimited

The book is aptly named, but it was a rude shock when the first fight came up suddenly. I liked the main POV character (and his application of tricks with magic), and few other characters, but not so much the other main character. The revelations at the end helped clarify a lot about that character, but I'd have liked if it had been brought up much earlier. I've read books with LGBTQ+ characters before, but I think this was the first with romance to such lengths. Honestly, it felt awkward to the point of spoiling the enjoyment for me, which I guess puts things in perspective as well. The magic system was interesting, though a few more details would've been welcome.

The King Beyond the Gate ★★★★

I liked this, but felt the plot was a bit too similar to Legend, which I had read a while back. The main antagonist had plenty of build up, but had nothing to show for in terms of action. As usual, the author's writing shines and pacing keeps you turning pages.

The Traveler's Gate and Chronicles ★★★★

available on Kindle Unlimited

However much I liked Brandon Sanderson's books, reading them back to back is a mistake that I'm trying to avoid with other authors. That surely helped with The Legends of the First Empire series and now with Traveler's Gate too. Having read all of Cradle series, I waited before starting this. I actually wanted to read even later this year, but mood and the fact that this was a complete series made this irresistible.

This is a fun portal fantasy series. The main character is a likeable young protagonist who trains and becomes a fiercesome fighter. There's plenty of action scenes and fast pacing means you could easily finish the trilogy and short stories in about a week. Among others, I liked the creepy, insane character the best. Somewhat like Sanderson, Will Wight's writing has improved over time - this being his first published series, felt a bit unpolished. That said, I'm so looking forward to more books in this setting.

Sky Album ★★★★

available on Kindle Unlimited

Quite a change to read this, I'm mostly into fantasy fiction. Having met the author in a meet up, I decided to check this out. The pics were are all nice - though I wish there were more, like sky with kites, tall buildings, sunrise among the mountains (having captured a few myself on treks), etc.

I'm not much into philosophical stuff these days, so the accompanying text were a bit lost to me. Still, I could feel some of the emotions the author was conveying and you are sure to come away feeling positive after reading this short book.

Book review - The Legends of the First Empire

Riyria Revelations is one of the best fantasy series I've read. It started (relatively) slowly and by middle of the series, I was totally immersed and couldn't stop reading. I hope there are sequels planned ;)

I then kept books set in Elan aside to read other books before starting Riyria Chronicles. While I liked them, I felt these weren't as good as Revelations. So, when Legends series came up, I had planned to wait for entire series to finish - for binge reading, as well as allowing more time to pass.

 

Picture credit: goodreads

 

This past week, I finally gave up and started the series (without knowing that the three books released so far can be read as a trilogy, something like two arcs of Stormlight Archive I guess). It was a pleasant surprise that it was so fast paced, right from the start. I ended up finishing the books in about 6 days. I would place this series among top classical fantasy series like LoTR, WoT and MST. Apart from the racing plot, the highlight of the series were its characters - POV as well as side characters.

 

I would highly recommend the series (can be started without reading the Riyria books) - keep tissue papers handy.

 

 

Mini reviews for last four self published books I read

All four are available on Amazon Kindle Unlimited.

Underlord ★★★★★

This book was so good, on par with Blackflame (3rd in the Cradle series) and Ghostwater (5th)

I had binged the first five late last year and had no issues following without a reread (there were hints to refresh our memory). The main characters each have a unique voice by now and it was so good to get into that space quickly. Nice to see so many laugh-out-loud moments, topped by the bloopers section. Awesome action scenes is a given in this series. Prologue and Epilogue were great as well, which showed events around the world and beyond.

---

Balam, Spring ★★★★

This has been pending for a long time on TBR, finally picked it up.

Good change of pace from usual action packed fantasy. The entire story takes place in a small town where practically everybody knows everybody else.

I felt the author could've done a better job with one of the main characters, but could as well be considered as part of the charm. Things just are. The mystery aspect was handled well. It felt a bit dark at times but I thought it was justified after knowing the reveal at the end.

---

Minimum Wage Magic ★★★★

Nice start to follow up Heartstrikers series, which is one of the best series I read last year.

This was again easy to read, fast paced with nice action scenes. I do hope we get cameos from our dear MCs from earlier series, but things are interesting enough without them as well. Sometimes, less is more ;)

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The Dragon Seller ★★★★

This is the kind of book that made me love self published books. This one has vegetarian dragons who have a bond-like relationship to trees and are loyal like pets, so cool. It is a fast paced, easy to read Urban fantasy with likeable characters. Some questions remained unanswered, which is fine by me, but I hope there are more books in this setting.

I found this one on weatherwaxreport - thanks a lot Esme :)

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Book images courtesy goodreads

Awesome Nagala - 6,7 Jan 2018

What better way to start a new year than jumping in the pools of Nagala with friends from BTC? As usual, our meeting point was opposite Majestic, Terminal 3. I was coming from Salem via train and reached before everyone else :P Soon others arrived and we chit-chatted till it was time to start our journey. Arun, our organizer for the trek, welcomed us and was asking who had extra space to carry groceries during the trek. Thankfully we were only a short distance on our way, because Arun realized that we'd forgotten the grocery bag and went back to get it.

We reached Nagala before 5:30AM on Saturday. As usual, our local guide Giri was there. We refreshed up at a marriage hall and resumed our journey to Nagala base. On the way, we stopped by Giri's place for breakfast(tasty idlis+chutneys) and packing lunch. 

 

At the base, 10 of us who'd opted for life-jackets (thanks Satish for getting them) strapped to our bags while others enthusiastically took a share of groceries to carry. Arun re-iterated BTC rules and we were on our way. By that time, Arun and I had raised plenty of expectations for first timers to Nagala regarding pools to visit as well as withholding some secrets :P Some first timers had already come with expectations from their friends tales. By end of the trek, everybody expressed that Nagala exceeded all their combined expectations ;)

 

 

By the time we started (with a dog which tagged along with us throughout the trek), the morning chill had dissipated and made for a pleasant weather. The sight of full dam indicated pools would be full and flowing - which again turned out better than expected. Early start and enthusiastic trekkers meant we made fast progress. Also, excluding Giri, we were 12 member group - much smaller than the usual 20+ members for Nagala trips. I felt that smaller group worked out well in all aspects.

With just short breaks, we reached the first (Darr ke aage jeet hai) pool in less than two hours. Which meant we had plenty of time to play in water. I introduced the 1-2-3-jump mantra for first timers with life-jackets. It was so good to see them overcoming their fears and take the leap of faith. Some even had the courage to do the 20+ feet jump :)

After a while, we took a tea break (thanks Arun and Giri) as well as to warm ourselves in the Sun (water was chilly) And of course we went in for another round - jumping and floating and so on.

Then it was time for lunch - lemon rice and snacks. We had brought boxes to reduce waste, but it also resulted in packing more than we could eat :P We experimented if the small fishes in the steam would feed - yup, they attacked and finished off before even a single rice could touch the bottom. So, many of us soon indulged in feeding the fishes :)

After short rest, we continued on to reach the next pool. A bit tough to get going after heavy lunch but we soon hit our strides again and reached our camping spot (a large half open cave, just below the peak) in about half an hour. Luckily we had arrived before another group came(who then camped on the peak)

Another break later, we spread the tarpaulin we'd brought in our camping spot. Then with our life-jackets, we went up first to a short waterfall (about 15-20 minute walk beyond the sliding pool). Water force was strong enough for us to clamor for a chance to stand/sit under it. And of course posing for photos :P

We then went back to experience the natural slide - again some were queasy about trying it. In the end everybody had fun, so much so they were ready to second/third turns - despite the cold water and tricky climb back. Going in with strapped sandals is the best option to avoid chance of skin scraping.

Then started the grand dinner preparation - some took to helping cut the vegetables, some to fill water bottles and wash vessels, some to help Giri in firewood collection and so on. We even cleaned up some of the garbage left by others. Along with dinner preparation, we had another round of tea and snacks. And thanks to Samir and Mamatha, we gobbled up a tasty salad as well. All the while chit-chatting and pulling legs (especially Suhail, we won't be forgetting that for a while :P)

Dinner was very tasty, thanks to chefs Mamatha and Ramya, along with Giri and Arun for help. Our gup-shup was still continuing in full flow. Then we went to peak for eye-feast - sparkling stars on a clear night. Ganesh told us about constellations and other trivia. We switched off our torches and held silence for a while, soaking in nature's wild beauty.

We then made arrangements to sleep, with Giri sleeping nearby the camp fire(and stoked it throughout the night). We woke by 5 AM to freshen up and start early again. Breakfast was tea, snacks and maggi. Group photo before leaving for the third and final pool.

Again, we made brisk progress and reached the deadend pool in about an hour. Always fun crossing the stream, which was knee deep at one point. We all made for the hidden waterfall first - it was the most water flow I'd seen there. Everybody had a blast standing under it and Samir's gopro was kept busy. Then it was time again for jumps - encouraged by previous day's effort, many enjoyed the ~15 feet jump.

Lunch was mostly bread+jam and some snacks. Didn't expect that the rolls I'd brought from Salem would be so liked (probably the hunger made it so :P) - may be I'll take more the next time around :D. Then it was time to go - looking back, feels like time flew very fast during the trek.

As we were going back to Bengaluru the same day, we trekked back as fast as we could. We reached the base before 2:30PM - usually we would be having lunch after enjoying deadend pool around that time when it was night travel.

After commending and dropping off Giri, we had feedback session - so good to hear first timers expressing their wonder of enjoying the natural pools :) Rest of the journey was sleeping, chit-chatting, sharing photos, contacts, etc. We had dinner in Palamaner, after which I slept nicely till Hosakote :P Then it was time to say goodbye and a promise to meet again - BTC sure is addicting ;)