Eating Out-Self Service

We stopped at Yelur, a few kms after crossing Kolhapur towards Mumbai. We've found this perfect food court, clean, neat and serves simple, nice food - quickly! Located bang on NH4, makes perfect business sense. I've been observing that over the last two years this eatery has managed to attract a varied set of people, the turbaned farmer, cityslickers, boisterous travellers, cosy families from nearby Kolhapur - all kinds. What's remarkable is the same people who shout out at a waiter to take orders at any regular restaurant, turn humble pie at such self service eateries. Make their order, pay up, wait patiently at the assigned counter, collect their meals. What's it with 'Self-Service' joints that makes people toe the line ? Is it because its perceived as 'their need to eat' ? Or clear rules ? Or the fact that if you dont toe the line, there's literally poor guy to get your shouting ? No one pampers your ego - you just go hungry !! I am not against fine dining or swank eateries, but there's something fundamentally different in human behaviour when people get into the 'self-service' mode that brings out inherent good behaviour - or does it ?

Jawhaar - the land of the Warlis

Jawhaar is a tiny hamlet located in Thane district of Maharashtra, very close to Mumbai. Its actually known as Thane's own 'Mahabaleshwar'. More importantly, its the land of the Warlis, the tribe famous for its Warli school of painting. Around 120kms far from Mumbai, off Charoti naka on NH-8, its around 19kms ahead of Vikramgadh. htmlhttp://www.holidayiq.com/destinations/Jawhar-Overview.html Lush greenery, sparse population, pleasant climate, bird songs greet you at this relatively peaceful hill station. There are very few resorts, the one earlier managed by MTDC is now a private resort, thats where we stayed(recommended by a friend who runs a travel agency). The place is called Sunset Point Resort, named so since the closest and most popular point of interest is Sunset Point where almost half of the village gathers in the evening to watch the sun set ! And you would be glad to know that its not too many people - you can perch yourself on a rock, if you dont fancy standing in the viewing gallery, click endlessly till the sun sinks down in front of you into a patch of lush green hills.To think thats the most eventful part of the day describes why you should go to Jawhaar - just to enjoy the peace, be one with nature, nothing else, no fancy agenda - no treks - no itenary - just relax and watch ; people, tribals collecting wood and walking up and down the hills for complex chores like chopping firewood, washing clothes downstream.And for those who still want to 'see the place' there's a grand Jai Vilas Palace whcih was built by the erstwhile Warli king on top of the hill, surrounded by thick forst and kaju plantations. A beautiful palace, worth walking down the kaju trees - we couldnt get in since the king's current relatives were visiting. There are 2 waterfalls - Dabhosa which is easily accessible till a certain proximity after which its a nice half an hour steep trek (best to go early in the morning after breakfast) through a roughly strewn rocky path till the bottom. The second and more difficult one is the Kalmandavi falls, which requires atleast a 2 hour trek through fields, steep slopes and of course a lot of stamina (the village kids are more than happy to be guides in this trek, but beware - dont get deceived by the 'just 5 moremins' promises !) Its supposed to be a 100mtr tall fall, 365 days full of water, but we had to return half way. A must-see for me was the Warli painting shop cum school where a lot of village kids/youngsters come and paint through the day, all of them are deaf and dumb and they create some very beautiful paintings. It was touching to see them toil through the day, and walk down to their villages after a long day, yet welcome every visitor with such eagerness and cheer, with a smile. I spent quite some time with them, it was quite a learning experience and my dream of visiting a Warli village was also finally fulfilled.

Driving Through Mauritius

Once you love driving, nothing can keep you away from the wheel. We landed a lucky trip to Mauritius and after two days of quiet, got behind a wheel to explore the island nation. Our first pit stop was the beautiful Tamarin Bay area where we stayed at Taj Exotica. Indian driving license is valid in Mauritius, cars on rental are abundant and one has to negotiate a bit to get a good deal. The island country stretches around 65 kms in length & around 45kms in width. A lot of beautiful beaches lie in the north and south east regions. Not that south and west lack them ! The most notable feature in this country is the clean, beautiful, vibrantly hued sea & beaches. Shimmering in different shades of blue & green, its a sight to feast on. There are water sports like most good beaches, various type of rides, undersea walking and the hugely over hyped under water safari. We loved the beaches, the rides, the nature parks (Casela where a close encounter with lions and cheetahs is enabled is popular with kids) and the Crocodile Park situated at La Vanille(south). A ride on the Aldabra tortoises is worth it inside Casela. Another must see is the Ganga Talao or Grand Bassin located south, it houses a huge temple complex full of Hindu Gods and Goddesses and the high point is a 108 ft sculpture of Shiva -magnificent. A beautiful lake called the Ganga Talao is said to have water from the Ganges poured in a long time back. One place that is worth all the hype is Ille Aux Cerfs - an isle located a little off Trou Deau Douce, off the south east coast. Pristinely pure, beautiful and worth spending a day on picnic, dont forget to take your swimwear along. But there is a whole lot of fleecing when it comes to paying for various rides so a good bargain with any of the service providers is a must.

Rainforests of Wayanad (Kerala)

Wynad is a a stunning hilly area in the northern part of Kerala. wayanad.nic.in/An area of beautiful rainforests, one can also find an abundance of spice cultivation here.These hills are green througout the year, humid, bursting with the aroma of spices,vanilla,coffee at times. Rare, colourful orchids add a burst of colour here and there. Some of the tallest rainforests I've seen here.Our first visit was driving from Goa,http://www.wyd.kerala.gov.in/places.htm straight to Wynad taking the coastal route(Salcette-Karwar-Mangalore-Bhatkal-Suratkal-Kerala). Reaching the place at almost sundown, driving through dense forests, bustling with cricket music, frogs adding a croak here & there, we couldnt spot humans to the nearest turn! Quite scary it was at that time.Low hanging clouds are part of the landscape here, we recall one cloud which regularly used to pass our room balcony every morning & evening. Misty mountain tops, endless greenery, beautiful resorts (including one with a tree-house) is what Wynad offers.We visited Vythiri, Rain Country, Pookut Lake & Gandhigramam which offers a lot of spices grown in Wynad (a co-operative outlet). What didnt go well with us was the fact that people at a resort called Green Magic Tree house resort were quite rude when they learnt that Indian visitors were enquiring about the resort. We were told point blank that they were full with German/European bookings all through & hence ......as good as slamming the door on our face...an attitude like this in our own country sucks ! really ! Kerala tourism please take note! Vythiri and Kalpetta are the key town areas where you find tiny,colourful local markets. But the best way to enjoy Wynad is to just laze around, watch the clouds, gulp down steamed idlis and yummy sambaar & mugs of coffee....and do nothing :) perhaps its the best part of Kerala, atleast acc to us...for directions on how to reach and how to plan a travel, you can always write to us..:)