Verdant Tea Gardens a treat to the eyes

A lone pachyderm stood swaying his tusk and grazing around. I stopped the car and gazed at him. I remembered someone telling me an elephant who roamed all alone was considered dangerous. I wondered if this one would go rampant but soon spotted company behind the tall bushes. They looked great as a group. I was passing through the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary from Bandipur to the land of tea, coffee, rubber and spices called Wayanad in Kerala.

Kaup Beach

I had reached South Kanara or Dakshin Kannada which was part of the erstwhile Madras Presidency. Mangaluru or Mangalore was earlier called Mangalapuram after the presiding deity of the city Mangaladevi. Part of the coastal Karnataka region Mangaluru is a melting pot of various communities like the Brahmins, Christians, Jains, Muslims, Tulu and Bunt. A learning center with numerous colleges and renowned universities like the Manipal has made this destination a major hub for  education. Financial institutions like the Vijaya Bank, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, Karnataka Bank and Canara Bank…

Wayanad

Wayanad or Vayal Nad is a verdant beauty where one is surrounded by the hills and every drive takes you up and down the terrain through narrow roads that snake through them. Small shacks sell the famous Malabar Paratha with chicken curry, fish curry and the Tapioca, Beef Biryani for your afternoon meal pit stop. Spices, Tea and Coffee Plantations cover the hills and the mountain air has the fresh earthy smell.