It was long in the making.Very long in fact.My group of friends from Grant Medical College had gone for many a adventurous trips in and after college days.When in college all we could afford was trips to Lonavala,Khandala,Mahabaleshwar and Goa.Thanks to our friend Avi we had very comfortable lodging at most of the places specially Mahabaleshwar.In those youthful days we ran,sang,danced,played and fooled around with utmost gay abandon.It would be downright oversight that I not name my wonderful group of friends which made up what the envious ones in heyday college called The Golden Gang.JJGG for short.Sadanand,Rashmi,Marise,Myself,Vinit,Mahesh,Vikram,Vinay,Ashish,Chitty,Asha,Silv,Avi,Tina,Farhad,Mala,Sunil,Javed,Rao,Seema.It was like Us and the rest of the class.Two different worlds.
Time passed.1978 onward. Years rolled on .Now my friends are married some within the group but most not so.We have wonderful spouses and all the more lovely kids many have passed out of college,working or studying further post doctoral.
We still remain friends.Miss each other and have a blast when we meet not so often.Our group which did not include me did a trip down to Himachal and Uttarahand once and Kerala another time.
Fast Forward to the present.Me and wife Divya ventured upon the well planned and executed Holiday to Coorg,a popular hill station in the western Ghats bordering Karnataka and Kerala.Coorg famous for its coffee plantations.And hopefully a rich Avifauna.
So here we were coming by different flights like birds of a feather gathering together. Farhad and Mala Vinit and Meenal,Vikram and Ashwini,Rashmi and Dilip,Aashish and Veera,Mahesh and Sadhana,and finally Tarin and Divya.
On the right is a gathering of Rosy Starlings and a Asian Pied Starling.
At the New Mumbai International Airport
Tarin
Divya
Farhad,Mala and Myself at the Air India boarding Gate.
Day I
:16th feb 2016,We were labelled air Indians as only we flew in our national airline.It wasn't that bad.Just delayed by half hour or so.Our luggage loaded in the Innova. Divya,Mala ,Farhad and Myself,seated comfortably.This was Mangaluru.Our Driver Satish. .Our travel arranger Suresh.From Mangaluru to Coorg or Kodagu is a four hour journey.
We had a comfortable Travera which could seat four persons comfortably along with all our bags.The back area of the this SUV can give the passenger a bit of a bumpy ride.Divya with all her Altruism sat there without complaining.But as we were driven Divya and myself were on the lookout of birds flying or perched on wires along the smooth highway.we saw a number of Brahminy kites,Indian Blue jays or Rollers,Small green Bee-eaters,white throated Kingfishers and high up upon the canopy of a verdant forest I had a glimpse of the Common Crane.We stopped for Lunch at a restaurnat called West End which to us unknowingly served excellent sea food.We had our fill with the fish of the day and made way for people who were lined up for the same. Rashmi enlightened us ,later in the day for our luck to have been eating at this place.It was early evening that we reached our destination.The Mahindra Virajpeth Resort. There was some confusion about me having forgotten to make printouts of the bookings of rooms send by Mahesh on my Email.But it was sorted out soon.We had been allotted studio apartment which were very very comfortable to say the least.Mahesh n Sadhana,Dilip n Rashmi,Vikram n Ashwani were to be staying in similar studio rooms .All these rooms were housed in a complex called the Albatross.The bird with the longest wingspan and also the muse of Susan Hill in her Novella The Albatross and other stories.The other such complex was named Birdwing which is the name of India's biggest butterfly.
Farhad n Mala ,Ashish n veera, Vinit n Meenal were to stay in apartments having a sitting room and a bedroom.We were to make Farhad's and Mala's room our Den or Adda for all the days.
The first evening of the day we had dinner at the resorts restaurant which was a- la -carte affair. Mala had taken over as our treasurer and hence all our accounts and maths problems were taken care of. very well.Post dinner we got a surprise.Vikram and Ashwini had especially got Tee shirts made for all of us with the mono gramme JJGG meaning JJ Hospital Golden Gang.We all wore the Tees and had a blast.
Farhad in his apartment-The Adda
That day we all had our meals at the resort itself.Vikram needed a rest as he had an upset tummy and a discovery was made by the girls.There was a store in the Fun and Activity part of the resort.they had dresses,ethnic,western,sarees(coorgi),bags and hats of various kinds,beads and jewellery,and what not.Briefly the guy owning the store was smiling away to his bank after our whole trip was over but worry not .The Goods he sold were value for money as said by the ladies.So all was not lost.There was a shop next to this shop selling freshly ground Coffee.I bought some coffee here freshly ground a mixture of Robusta and Arabica.The two most common varieties of coffee grown in Coorg.Another of coffee is Civit Cat Coffee which is made by grinding the coffee beans of the scat left behind by this feline after she has digested the outer part of the coffee bean!!Farhad bought some and when anyone goes to Kemps corner in Mumbai and wants to have this coffee just call him and savour the taste of this exclusive coffee.On invitation only please.Its exclusive.
Divya in Coorgi Saree
The 20th of feb we went for a plantation walk which was organised by the resort persons.A point to mention her about the Mahindra Resort and any of their resorts all over the country and abroad.They have a team of persons to organise your plan of the day.Be it site-seeing or Baby sitting .They are all very well organised in entertaining you and your family.It is an ideal place for a couple with young kids.From Zumba and bollywood dance lessons and cookery classes to Carrom,foosball,table tennis,basketball,water games and all nature learning and fun classes.They have it all.You cannot get bored in their resorts.They have battery powered vehicles to take you around the resort to activities like Log crossing with harnesses tied to you for safety.They had a archery range here and I missed out on it as we friends were having so much fun with ourselves .Four days went by in a jiffy.On this last day we had gotten up early for our usual hunt for birds.At 10 am we went for the resorts activity.A plantation walk in the resort itself.Here they explained to us the various types of coffee trees.There are short plants and take many a years to grow to a full size but when grown full they flower and bear the Coffee beans.Two main varieties Robusta and Arabica.The former being more common and cheaper.The trees when fully adults give coffee beans for many years the soil and weather being favourable to them.There is another variety of coffee called Civit cat Coffee of which I mentioned before the details of.This is expensive and for the royalty.Like a grin without a cat here it is a scat without a cat but with a aromatic coffee bean.Beside coffee there are supari trees,and plants of other spices.The one fierce looking one was the red chilly plant.
Robusta and Arabica coffee plantations
This evening we had planned to go to a touristy place again.It was called Raja's Seat.In times past the centuries kings and their Queens along with the entire royal troupe would gather here to watch the sun as it went down and from a high point spread out its fading lights and left a sky full of different colors depending on the clouds formation.There were many people gathered here much before the sun was setting .It was as if a stadium of people waiting for a T20 world cup match to start.I had my Camera ready and so had everyone.The wait was the reward.
Sunset at Raja's Seat Coorg
We happily had a cup of fine filter coffee in the break of dusk.Wondered how the Raja and his Queens had their coffee at times begone.This was our last evening and with the final drink and dinner session we went early to sleep because we had to catch our morning flight from Manglore back to mumbai.This time we had a different driver.After we all gathered at the reception there was a sense of sadness as every vacation ending has but we promised each other of making a trip every year just like this .All of us.By popular choice our next trip is going to be to Myanmar or Burma and I am all for it.
Time passed.1978 onward. Years rolled on .Now my friends are married some within the group but most not so.We have wonderful spouses and all the more lovely kids many have passed out of college,working or studying further post doctoral.
We still remain friends.Miss each other and have a blast when we meet not so often.Our group which did not include me did a trip down to Himachal and Uttarahand once and Kerala another time.
Fast Forward to the present.Me and wife Divya ventured upon the well planned and executed Holiday to Coorg,a popular hill station in the western Ghats bordering Karnataka and Kerala.Coorg famous for its coffee plantations.And hopefully a rich Avifauna.So here we were coming by different flights like birds of a feather gathering together. Farhad and Mala Vinit and Meenal,Vikram and Ashwini,Rashmi and Dilip,Aashish and Veera,Mahesh and Sadhana,and finally Tarin and Divya.
On the right is a gathering of Rosy Starlings and a Asian Pied Starling.
At the New Mumbai International Airport
Day I
:16th feb 2016,We were labelled air Indians as only we flew in our national airline.It wasn't that bad.Just delayed by half hour or so.Our luggage loaded in the Innova. Divya,Mala ,Farhad and Myself,seated comfortably.This was Mangaluru.Our Driver Satish. .Our travel arranger Suresh.From Mangaluru to Coorg or Kodagu is a four hour journey.
We had a comfortable Travera which could seat four persons comfortably along with all our bags.The back area of the this SUV can give the passenger a bit of a bumpy ride.Divya with all her Altruism sat there without complaining.But as we were driven Divya and myself were on the lookout of birds flying or perched on wires along the smooth highway.we saw a number of Brahminy kites,Indian Blue jays or Rollers,Small green Bee-eaters,white throated Kingfishers and high up upon the canopy of a verdant forest I had a glimpse of the Common Crane.We stopped for Lunch at a restaurnat called West End which to us unknowingly served excellent sea food.We had our fill with the fish of the day and made way for people who were lined up for the same. Rashmi enlightened us ,later in the day for our luck to have been eating at this place.It was early evening that we reached our destination.The Mahindra Virajpeth Resort. There was some confusion about me having forgotten to make printouts of the bookings of rooms send by Mahesh on my Email.But it was sorted out soon.We had been allotted studio apartment which were very very comfortable to say the least.Mahesh n Sadhana,Dilip n Rashmi,Vikram n Ashwani were to be staying in similar studio rooms .All these rooms were housed in a complex called the Albatross.The bird with the longest wingspan and also the muse of Susan Hill in her Novella The Albatross and other stories.The other such complex was named Birdwing which is the name of India's biggest butterfly.
Farhad n Mala ,Ashish n veera, Vinit n Meenal were to stay in apartments having a sitting room and a bedroom.We were to make Farhad's and Mala's room our Den or Adda for all the days.
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| Divya in the studio apt |
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| Myself in the balcony |
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| our apartment |
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| our apartment |
The first evening of the day we had dinner at the resorts restaurant which was a- la -carte affair. Mala had taken over as our treasurer and hence all our accounts and maths problems were taken care of. very well.Post dinner we got a surprise.Vikram and Ashwini had especially got Tee shirts made for all of us with the mono gramme JJGG meaning JJ Hospital Golden Gang.We all wore the Tees and had a blast.
Farhad in his apartment-The Adda
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| Divya |
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| Mahesh Sadhana Meenal and Divya |
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| Rashmi |
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| Ashy Woodswallow |
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| Ashy Woodswallow |
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| Vikram Vinit and Dilip at our Adda Thus began our small journey of a very high note.Vinit and Dilip outdoing each other in their witticism,Farhad and Sadhana all ever ready to take each other on.All of us remembering of the days of yore and not a note was spoken which did not bring forth a feeling of gay Joy and Abandon. Day second 17th feb .Having had a gala time in the night it was a bit difficult to wake up in the morning. Divya and myself set out to our birdwatching at about 7 am.Within the boundaries of the resort itself we could see and hear a lot many birds.There were a lot many common swifts flying about tirelessly around us.They would seldom rest and it was only in the afternoon I could take a picture of this bird.  We moved around the Vijaypeth resort and caught in our binoculors wonderful images of the long tailed Shrike,Red whiskered Bulbul,Red Vented Bulbul and the greater Indian Coucal or the hindi named Bharadwaj.We saw the superbly woven nests of the Baya weavers.At present they were abondoned as their nesting activities begin in the monsoons. The varieties of Avifauna in this place was marvellous to say the least but we had a couple of hours of Birdwatching only before a sumptuous breakfast which awaited us.In this period we saw the beautiful couple of Scarlet Minivet their contrasting color of red and yellow in the male and female species respectively.,The brown headed barbet,a racket tailed Drongo in flight,the ever present sound "chick,chick,chick" of the Blythe's reed or booted warbler of which I got a picture too.   trip was the best as far as birdwatching would go. The laughing Dove or the Senegal or little brown dove on the right 
Blyth's reed Warbler
    White-Throated Kingfisher After the fabulous show of the birds we settled for the breakfast.The morning of 17th feb we witnessed the marathon runners Farhad and Mala doing their bit of their morning routine of their jogging,Dilip,Vikram and Ashish had already left to a golf course called Ambati Greens which was an hour and half drive from the Virajpeth Resort.We had planned to all meet up with them at noon and have lunch with them at the restaurant attached to the club itself but faced disappointment as they only made lunch for visitors who had already given prior orders.Thus we made orders for Lunch for the next day with them.A point to note.All the non vegetarians in our Group which was very much the entire group besides Divya,Meenal and partly myself would order a pork speciality dish of Coorg called Pandi Curry.They just loved it.I tried it but did not love it as much as the others.From the culinary point of view a visit to coorg is incomplete without one having the Pandi Curry   and Veera. We left the Ambati greens golf course and stopped over for Lunch at a Restaurant in the small town of Virajpeth.Everybody ordered Veg or non veg Thalis which were quite a mouthful.The Pandy Curry was present here too.Next to the restautant was a shop selling Spices and Condiments and of course coffee.Everyone besides a few wanted to shop or have a look.By evening all were back at the resort.Divya and myself watched for birds from our balcony..There were the tirelessly flying common swifts,the red whiskered bulbuls and the long tailed shrike much in view with the drawing of the dusk.Divya and Myself decided to go for a swim in the very inviting swimming pool and it being quite late we were the only ones in the pool till 7.30 pm.By now plans were being made about the following days .And admittedly Rashmi was looking for all of us not missing out on important venues to be seen.We again had our Adda at Farhad and Mala's apartment.Politics and Religion were taboo subjects so all was spoken of with minor misses.Drinks ,Fun,Laughter,songs in the background,was tremendously enjoyed by one and all.Some gossip added to the chakna was stimulating .The joyous moments continued as we moved towards the restaurant for a great dinner again with lots of Pondy Curry. On the 18th of feb we all woke up early for our early morning activities.The birding pair,the golfing trio,the walkers and joggers and the simply lazy ones. We went to the same spot for birding as the earlier day but were not granted the sighting of the Minivets .I did see the Eurasion Oriole and the common Iora.The great sighting was again of this tiny bird which is very shy one going "chik chik chik" remaining hidden inside thick bushes.It is the Blyths reed warbler and i was overjoyed to get its picture.The iora and oriole were nicely captured on my Canon power-shot camera  The breakfast was at the resort itself.A sumptuous one and I must admit one gets lost in the varieties of edible yummy stuff offered before us.After breakfsat we went to the Ambati Greens Golf club to join the golfers for a fabulous lunch.After a fair game Dilip,Vikram and Ashish were in high spirits and we all soaked into these marvellous moments besides the all surrounding greens.Next came our decision of going to the Abbey Waterfalls the much spoken one by all.   Common Iora . 
The Abbey Waterfalls
  We drove back to the resort and as decided every day we would meet at the adda by 7 pm.Divya and Myself ventured into the pool again but found it very crowded.Still we swam for a while and were at the den by the time specified.For Vinit and Meenal this was their last evening as they were to leave early morning of the 19th feb.Sadhana was again at her best of elocution and parring with Farhad and all for topics of tolerance and intoletence,medical and non medical,high and low in spirits or without.I was soon feeling quite high and wished we should be spending many more such days togeather.By now all of us had decided not to venture out for dinner and for the entire trip had dinner at the resort itself.  On the 19th feb we had decided to stay put at the resort and just chill.Of course the Golfing was till on and so was birdwatching.I got to see two lifers that is birds I had not seen every before.These were the Ashy Woodswallow and the white-Rumped Munia.A flame -backed Woodpecker was sitting wonderfully on a tree trunk but unfortunately I could not capture it in my camera. Farhad myself and Mahesh decided to take a swim at early noon and it felt great as we swam and followed it by having beer.Mala relaxed and read her book . 
Mahesh, Farhad and Myself
   Mala relaxing by the pool White Rumped Munia |
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| Male Asian Koel |
The 20th of feb we went for a plantation walk which was organised by the resort persons.A point to mention her about the Mahindra Resort and any of their resorts all over the country and abroad.They have a team of persons to organise your plan of the day.Be it site-seeing or Baby sitting .They are all very well organised in entertaining you and your family.It is an ideal place for a couple with young kids.From Zumba and bollywood dance lessons and cookery classes to Carrom,foosball,table tennis,basketball,water games and all nature learning and fun classes.They have it all.You cannot get bored in their resorts.They have battery powered vehicles to take you around the resort to activities like Log crossing with harnesses tied to you for safety.They had a archery range here and I missed out on it as we friends were having so much fun with ourselves .Four days went by in a jiffy.On this last day we had gotten up early for our usual hunt for birds.At 10 am we went for the resorts activity.A plantation walk in the resort itself.Here they explained to us the various types of coffee trees.There are short plants and take many a years to grow to a full size but when grown full they flower and bear the Coffee beans.Two main varieties Robusta and Arabica.The former being more common and cheaper.The trees when fully adults give coffee beans for many years the soil and weather being favourable to them.There is another variety of coffee called Civit cat Coffee of which I mentioned before the details of.This is expensive and for the royalty.Like a grin without a cat here it is a scat without a cat but with a aromatic coffee bean.Beside coffee there are supari trees,and plants of other spices.The one fierce looking one was the red chilly plant.
This evening we had planned to go to a touristy place again.It was called Raja's Seat.In times past the centuries kings and their Queens along with the entire royal troupe would gather here to watch the sun as it went down and from a high point spread out its fading lights and left a sky full of different colors depending on the clouds formation.There were many people gathered here much before the sun was setting .It was as if a stadium of people waiting for a T20 world cup match to start.I had my Camera ready and so had everyone.The wait was the reward.
Sunset at Raja's Seat Coorg
We happily had a cup of fine filter coffee in the break of dusk.Wondered how the Raja and his Queens had their coffee at times begone.This was our last evening and with the final drink and dinner session we went early to sleep because we had to catch our morning flight from Manglore back to mumbai.This time we had a different driver.After we all gathered at the reception there was a sense of sadness as every vacation ending has but we promised each other of making a trip every year just like this .All of us.By popular choice our next trip is going to be to Myanmar or Burma and I am all for it.
