Mekedatu Photo-shoot

What started as a day trip, ended up as a photo-shoot with the two most handsome guys in town!

Yes, I am writing after quite sometime, so the start has to be catchy. To simplify things, I have these two new colleagues (well it has been few months that they joined my project, but I still refer them as my 'new' colleagues) who are very energetic and active. Out of them one, named Manish, has been in Bangalore for 4 years now, yet has never been to Bannerghatta National Park yet (how funny!). The other one, named Vimal, is quite the opposite; he is a biker ( a Royal Knight to be more correct) and literally has his legs on wheels.

So, the story started when this Manish had an awesome urge to 'unshackle' (after 4 years) and wanted to go somewhere. The weekend was long, but Vimal was looking for a new house, so we ruled out the idea of three day trip and zeroed in on Mekedatu. Mekedatu is about 90 KMs from Bangalore. It is a gorge created by the waters of Cauvery flowing in great force, there is also a confluence of Cauvery and Arkavati rivers. I have not been there and my others friends had already been there so they won't go anytime, so this was my last chance.

The date was decided as 30th October, Saturday. And the time was 7 am. Thankfully my team-mates didn't fail me (though I gave them a wake-up call!), and we started off by 7:30 am. The weather was nice, perfect for a bike ride. Vimal and myself riding a Bullet and Manish riding his Pulsar. Yes, Manish was alone since his lazy friend ditched him at the last moment ....

We had tea from the famous ginger tea shop in BTM 2nd Stage, then started our ride towards Kanakpura. We reached Kanakpura by 10 am. Already Manish was exhausted, since this was his first time. So Vimal started giving advices, like wearing boxers while on long rides etc. We had a nice breakfast from a in-house shop there. For first timers, do not forget to take left from the second circle at Kanakpura, best is to ask the local people around. The road is great till Kanakpura, inside the town, roads are bad (being repaired). The Kanakpura-Sangam road is ok-ok, not like the highway road, but not bad either.

We stopped on a bye-lane and the photo-shoot started. I guess Vimal's interest in the trip was more to see my Canon 1000D in action, since he is also eyeing on a DSLR. And I did not disappoint him. We took lots of shots, good and bad, few posted here. His Enfield Bullet was the major subject in most of the shots though.

We reached Sangam pretty early. We were happy to see a lot of water and very less people around. As soon as we parked our bikes, few people came closer, begging. Though they did not look like beggars at all, don't know who started this practice, but it is really bad. These people have started thinking people from Bangalore are kings!

Anyways, one of them agreed to safeguard our helmets for 20/- and we boarded the coracles. The tickets were 40/- per head for return journey. Due to recent rains the water-level was high and we took the ride. At other times I heard people crossing this part on foot. The boatman made the coracle go round and round for a tip of 10/-.

The next adventure began after we boarded the structure called bus to Mekedatu. This was also 40/- per person for a return trip. Many people were walking too, but we didn't want to miss the bus ride and it was worth it.

Mekedatu means 'goat's leap' but reaching there we could not see a single place where a goat could have leaped. The gorge was really deep and the water was flowing quite forcefully. We went a little bit down following the steps there. It was nice, no one was there. Just a few couples who got bored and left in sometime. We settled on the rocks and Manish took out the beer cans. Thanks to the weather, they were still chilled!

Well, I don't drink beer, so I was happy snapping, and the beer-drinkers were happy dancing. I must say both are good dancers, I mean generally people just through their arms and legs when they do the drunken dancing, but these people were really good!

The place was getting hot and humid, because of the rocks and after having more photo sessions and beer, we decided to go back. This time rode a packed Jeep back to Sangam. By then more people had arrived and few were playing in the water too. Many have started the make-at-home-and-eat-outside picnic. I was tempted by the water, but then I did not bring my gear! Vimal had the gear but for some unknown reason didn't want to get wet. Talking about wet, we made Manish drench himself in water to get that perfect shot of a model in water. Guess his efforts paid-off (see below)!

We also too some shots of the children playing in water, since 'joy' was our first topic in the photography contest. By the way, this contest was another reason we decide to make the trip. And I think the photo came quite good.

It was already past 2 pm and we were feeling hungry, all the biscuits and water was already over, and there is no food station in Sangam or Mekedatu. So we decided to call it a day. Back to our bikes and we started off. But guess the guys were still not done. Just a few kilometres down we found a spot from where the view was nice and we stopped there. Just to sit and chill in the wind. The view of distant clouds looked awesome. Another round of dance here which is even captured in video!

We were not in mood to leave but the weather god was surely on smiling. We started off when the clouds started changing hue too soon. Still the rain caught us. I just commented that 'Guess it cannot get any better', awesome end to an awesome day. We stopped by a dhaba for our late lunch, food was ok-ok not very great but at least the place was clean. By then the rain also changed from drops to drizzle.

As we drove on the shiny roads with our headlights on, I was just thinking that what could be more perfect ending! Though Manish was lost at the Bannerghatta exit of NICE road, but thanks to mobile technology, he was not stranded.

Finished the trip by 7:30 pm, in exactly 12 hours. Came back happy and tired and with the hope that this will happen more often.

P.S. More photos to be added!

P.P.S. Photos added.