Few hours of hangout at Tonsepar aka as St.Mary's Island, Udupi

Being a resident of Udupi this is first time I am visiting St.Mary's Island :=D. I had to go alone due to personal reasons. There is ferry service from Malpe beach to St.Mary's island. The ticket counter is nearby shipyard. I boarded the ferry and ferry started sailing towards the island. Almost after 95% of water way, we need to get into one more small ferry (in mid sea!) since the larger one cannot reach shore due to higher depth. Some pictures

FIRST VIEW

ZOOOOOM -- SCOOTER BOAT AVAILABLE FOR FUN

COCONUT TREES

GREENISH SEA

ONE MORE VIEW

SHORE-LINE

There is nothing much to see here except enjoy the green beach and rocks. It is nice place to enjoy nature and roar of the sea. The sea was too much turbulent during that day (not sure why). The bad thing about the island is people garbaging the area. Ofcourse there are no dustbins but people should realize not to spoil such natural beauties. I took many snaps and videos along the island. I took video of boat ride too! After nearly 90 minutes of hangout, I went back to malpe beach. It was so hot and humid that day but still the beauty of nature never made me feel tired!

SHORE LINE - 2

SOMEONE IS CAPTURING LIKE ME

SHORE-LINE ++

VIEW FROM ROCKS

ROCKS CLOSE UP

ROCKS AND BACKWATER

TURBULENT SEA

TURBULENT SEA - 2

SPLASH

SPLASH-2

ONE MORE ROCKY VIEW

SEA SHORE FROM DISTANCE

This picture I specifically took thinking of long exposure during day time. This would have created great effect if one has ND filter (may be 8 stops) and around 20s exposure?

I AM ON MY WAY!

ROCKY SHORELINE

SPECIAL EFFECT PIC ;-)

GOODBYE! SEE YOU AGAIN

The boat ride is available from morning 9AM to 5PM. It may not be available during monsoon season. The cost is Rs.50 (3-10yrs) and Rs.100(10 yrs and above). Ferry requires minimum 30 people to start to island.

Being uninhabited island, there are no food facilities available (except for some snack vendor who come in ferry). Also ferry people warn not to venture into sea since no rescue guards are available. Even then, some people were seen getting into sea water which was highly turbulent. It is better to follow safety rules as stated by authorities.

Once again, if you are visiting please do not litter this beautiful place.

Two videos this time. The same video editor but this time 2 pass encoded. Watch the boat ride and compilation of St.Mary's island clips.

Watch and enjoy!

1) Boat Ride

 

2) Tonsepar aka St.Mary's Island

Peacocks in my village

Finally I made first real use of new Tamaron 70-300mm VC USD lens. This time it helped to videograph peacock which came to our plantation. They run away if you go close to them. Hence tele lens is must. Peacocks are usual in our place only difference is I shot video of them for first time ;-). Last time they had entered our balcony and came so close but I did not have camera at that time. This time it is time to grab some. Usually villagers do not entertain peacocks since they spoil crops and plants. Even my mother got furious when one of male peacock was pulling leaf from green chilly plant :=D. Irony is that their habitat is being destroyed by human beings and they do not have anything called habitat. They are not actual culprit too! After sometime, they flew away seeing me coming closer. Anyhow watch and enjoy the short video. Subscribe to my channel for more interesting Full HD videos :-).

The video is edited and re-encoded to MP4(H.264) using KDENLIVE under Linux Mint 14 with 1080p, 25fps, 18000kbps video bitrate and 384kbps AAC audio. This time I used 2 pass encoding

ಅಣ್ಣಾ ಚಾ ಅಂಪುಣನಾ!

೧೪ ಏಪ್ರಿಲ್ ೨೦೧೩ 

ಬೆಳಿಗ್ಗೆ ಮಾಮೂಲು ಬಸ್ಸಿನವ ೮ನೇ ಮೈಲಿಗಿಂತ ಮುಂಚೆಯೆ ನನ್ನನ್ನು ಇಳಿಸಿದ. ಯಾವಾಗಲೂ ಕೋರಮಂಗಲದಲ್ಲಿ ಇಳಿಯುವವನು ಅದ್ಯಾಕೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿಳಿದ  ಎನ್ನುವುದು ಪರಿಚಯವಿರುವ ಕ್ಲೀನರಿಗೂ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಕಂಫ್ಯೂಸ್ ಆಯಿತು ಕೂಡ. ಅಲ್ಲೇ ಇಳಿದು ಯಾವುದೋ ಸಿಟಿ ಬಸ್ಸನ್ನು ಹತ್ತಿ ಕುಳಿತೆ.  ಮೆಜೆಸ್ಟಿಕ್ಕಿಗೆ ಒಂದು ಟಿಕೇಟ್ ಕೊಡಿ ಎಂದೆ. ಮೆಜೆಸ್ಟಿಕ್ ಹೋಗಲ್ಲ ಕಣ್ರಿ ಅಂತ ಕಂಡಕ್ಟರ್ ಜೋರು ಮಾಡಿದರು. ಅರೆ ನಾನೇಕೆ ಇಲ್ಲಿಳಿದು ಸಿಟಿ ಬಸ್ ಹತ್ತಿದೆ ಎಂಬುದು ಕೂಡ ತೋಚಲಿಲ್ಲ. ಬೆಳಿಗ್ಗೆ ನನಗೇನು ಆಗಿದೆ ಅಂತ ದಿಗಿಲಾಯಿತು. ಸರಿ ಮುಂದಿನ ಸ್ಟಾಪಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಇಳಿದೆ. ಇಳಿದ  ತಕ್ಷಣ ರಸ್ತೆ ಖಾಲಿಯಾಗಲು ಶುರುವಾಯಿತು. ಅರೆ ಒಂದು ಬಸ್ಸಿಲ್ಲ ಅಥವಾ ರಿಕ್ಷಾ ಕೂಡ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಅಯ್ಯಯ್ಯೋ ನನ್ನ ಇನ್ನೊಂದು ಬ್ಯಾಗ್ ಬಸ್ಸಲ್ಲೇ ಉಳಿದುಬಿಟ್ಟಿದೆ. ಮನೆಯ ಕೀ ಕೂಡ ಅದರಲ್ಲೇ ಇದೆ. ಇನ್ನೇನ್ನಪ್ಪಾ ಮಾಡೋದು ಅಂತ ಬಸ್ ಏಜೆಂಸಿಗೆ ಫೋನಾಯಿಸಿದೆ.  ಇನ್ನೇನು ಹಲೋ ಅನ್ನುವಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ಮೊಬೈಲ್ ಸ್ವಿಚ್ ಆಫ್ ಆಯಿತು. ನೋಡಿದರೆ ಚಾರ್ಜ್ ಢಮಾರ್. ಗಾಬರಿಯಿಂದ ಹಾಗೆ ನಡೆದಂತೆ ಯಾವುದೋ ಮುಷ್ಕರ ನಡೆಯುತ್ತಿದೆ ಎನ್ನುವಂತೆ ಭಾಸವಾಯಿತು. ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ನಡೆದು ಯಾವುದೋ ಗಲ್ಲಿಗೆ ಬಂದೆ. ಸುತ್ತ ಜನರು ನನ್ನನ್ನೇ ದುರುಗುಟ್ಟಿ ನೋಡುತ್ತಿದ್ದರು. ಹಾಗೇ ಮುಂದುವರೆಯುತ್ತಿದ್ದಂತೆ ಜನರ ಗುಂಪೊಂದು ನನ್ನ ಬಳಿಗೆ ವೇಗವಾಗಿ ಬರುತ್ತಿತ್ತು. ನನಗೆ ಅಲ್ಲೇ ಕತ್ತಲೆ ಕವಿದಂತಾಯಿತು. ಅಷ್ಟರಲ್ಲಿ ಯಾರೋ ಕೂಗಿ ಕೇಳಿದರು "ಅಣ್ಣಾ ಚಾ  ಅಂಪುಣನಾ" [ಚಾ ಮಾಡುವುದಾ] ಎಂದು. ನನಗೆ ಒಮ್ಮೆಲೇ ಬೆಳಕು ಆವರಿಸಿದಂತಾಗಿ ನಿದ್ದೆಯಿಂದ ಎದ್ದೆ. ಅಬ್ಬಬ್ಬಾ ಎಂತದು ಮಾರಾಯ್ರೇ ಅದು. ಯುಗಾದಿಯ ದಿನ ಹೀಗೆಯೇ :(. ಹುಸ್ಸಪ್ಪಾ ಕನಸಿನಲ್ಲೇ ಮುಗಿಯಿತಲ್ವಾ ಅಂತ ಸಮಯ ನೋಡಿದಾಗ ಘಂಟೆ ಏಳಾಗಿತ್ತು. ಇಷ್ಟು ತಡ, ಅದು ಹಬ್ಬದ ದಿನ. ಸರಿಹೋಯ್ತು ಅಂತ ನಿಟ್ಟುಸಿರುಬಿಡುತ್ತಾ ಚಾಪೆ ಮಡಚಿ ಮೆಟ್ಟಿಲಿನಿಂದ ಕೆಳಗಿಳಿದೆ. ಅಮ್ಮ ಕರೆಯದಿದ್ದರೆ ಇನ್ನು ಏನೇನು ಆಗುತ್ತಿತ್ತೋ ಎಣಿಸಲು ಆಗುತ್ತಿಲ್ಲ.

ಮಟ್ಟು ಗುಳ್ಳ ಮೊಸರು ಬಜ್ಜಿ

ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಕನ್ನಡ ಮತ್ತು ಉಡುಪಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ವಿಶೇಷ ತರಕಾರಿ ಮಟ್ಟು ಗುಳ್ಳ. ಇದರ ಪಲ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಹುಳಿ ಎಷ್ಟು ಪ್ರಸಿದ್ಧಿಯೋ, ಅಷ್ಟೇ ರುಚಿಕರ ಈ ಮೊಸರು ಬಜ್ಜಿ. ಹಾಗಾಗಿ ಈ ವಾರದ ರುಚಿ ಮಟ್ಟು ಗುಳ್ಳ ಮೊಸರು ಬಜ್ಜಿ :-). ಇದನ್ನು ತಯಾರಿಸುವುದು ಬಹಳ ಸುಲಭ ಕೂಡ.

ಮೊಸರು ಬಜ್ಜಿ :-)

ಬೇಕಾಗುವ ಸಾಮಾಗ್ರಿಗಳು:

೧) ಮಟ್ಟು ಗುಳ್ಳ (೨)
೨) ಮೊಸರು ಬೇಕಾದಷ್ಟು
೩) ಒಗ್ಗರಣೆ ಸಾಮಾಗ್ರಿಗಳು (ಸಾಸಿವೆ, ಕಡಲೆ ಬೇಳೆ, ಕರಿಬೇವು ಸೊಪ್ಪು)
೪) ೨ ಹಸಿಮೆಣಸು
೫) ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಹಿಂಗು

ತಯಾರಿಸುವ ವಿಧಾನ:

ಮೊದಲು ಗುಳ್ಳವನ್ನು ತುಂಡರಿಸಿ (ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ದೊಡ್ಡದಾಗಿ!) ೨ ಘಂಟೆ ನೀರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ನೆನೆಸಿ. ನೆನೆಸದಿದ್ದರೆ ಬಜ್ಜಿ ಕಪ್ಪಾಗುತ್ತದೆ. ಕೆಲವೊಮ್ಮೆ ಗುಳ್ಳದ ಕಹಿ ಕೂಡ ಹಾಗೆ ಉಳಿಯುತ್ತದೆ. ನೆನೆಸಿದ ನಂತರ ನೀರನ್ನು ಚೆಲ್ಲಿ, ಹೊಸ ನೀರನ್ನು ಸೇರಿಸಿ ಮಟ್ಟು ಗುಳ್ಳವನ್ನು ಬೇಯಿಸಿ. ಗುಳ್ಳ ಮೆದುವಾಗುವವರೆಗೆ ಬೇಯಿಸಿ (ಬಣ್ಣ ಬದಲಾದಾಗ ತಿಳಿಯುತ್ತದೆ). ನಂತರ ನೀರನ್ನು ಚೆಲ್ಲಿ, ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ತಣ್ಣಗಾಗಲು ಬಿಡಿ. ಹಾಗೆ ಸಣ್ಣ ಪಾತ್ರೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಹಿಂಗಿಗೆ (ಅಂಟು ಹಿಂಗು) ನೀರು ಬೆರೆಸಿ ಬದಿಯಲ್ಲಿಡಿ. ಗುಳ್ಳ ಬೇಯಿಸಿದ ಪಾತ್ರೆಗೆ ಬೇಕಾಗುವಷ್ಟು ಮೊಸರು ಮತ್ತು ಉಪ್ಪನ್ನು ಸೇರಿಸಿ. ಹಸಿಮೆಣಸನ್ನು ಸಣ್ಣಗೆ ತುಂಡರಿಸಿ ಪಾತ್ರೆಗೆ ಸೇರಿಸಿ. ಈ ಮಿಶ್ರಣವನ್ನು ಚೆನ್ನಾಗಿ ಕೈಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹಿಚುಕಿ. ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ಹಿಂಗಿನ ನೀರನ್ನು ಸೇರಿಸಿ. ನಂತರ ಒಗ್ಗರಣೆಯನ್ನು ಸೇರಿಸಿದರೆ ರುಚಿಯಾದ ಬಜ್ಜಿ ತಯಾರು :-). ಕೆಲವರು ಇದಕ್ಕೆ ರುಬ್ಬಿದ ತೆಂಗಿನಕಾಯಿ ಮಿಶ್ರಣವನ್ನು ಸೇರಿಸುತ್ತಾರೆ. ಇದರಿಂದ ರುಚಿ ಮತ್ತಷ್ಟು ವೃದ್ಧಿಸುವುದು ಕೂಡ. ಬಜ್ಜಿ ತಯಾರಾದ ನಂತರ ಅನ್ನಕ್ಕೆ ಕಲಸಿ ಉಂಡು ಆನಂದಿಸಿ ;-).

Bike ride to Sangama and Mekedaatu

10th March 2013

After a year of break, the bike ride is alive again! This time to Sangama and Mekedaatu which is around 90kms from Bangalore on Mahashivaratri day. After seeing so many blogs, we came to know that Bike was best transport since buses are feeble. Even this time my colleagues Rajesh and Sudhir joined me. I had Honda Shine while Sudhir Honda Activa. We were like time-sliced pillion + rider ;-) (non deterministic though!).

This time we were on time. We started around 9AM on hot "SUN"day from Bangalore. We reached Kanakapura road which is the route to Sangama. We rested at many places and took photographs. The road till Kanakapura is NH-209. The road condition is very good however watch out for gravity pulls around lake areas! The wind and gravity tend to pull you out of road. We could even see a bike fallen into lake fortunately without any damages. Unfortunately even being NH, no guard rails are erected nearby lake areas and consequently bike riders need to be bit extra cautious around such stretches

NH-209

We reached Kanakapura in an hour. Here we took assistance of local citizen to guide us to Sangama. Sangama is around 40kms from Kanakapura. The pathway is some sort of rural road. The initial stretches are really bad however they are under construction. The remaining sections are fantastic with minimal humps near village areas. Enjoy the scenic ride along rural areas with beautiful banana plantations. Since it was summer time, we could not see much greenery, however october timeframe you may find beautiful landscapes here. The last 3kms leading to Sangama is like Agumbe ghat section with steep hairpin bends. Need to be really careful along those stretches

SUDHIR and RAJESH

ME and SUDHIR

ROCKY HILL EN-ROUTE

Finally around 11AM we reached Sangama. There was not much water around this place due to poor monsoon last time (or even may be odd time). However, there was huge crowd. People were still enjoying in water because of hot weather. The name Sangama comes from intersection of two rivers here namely Kaveri and Arkavati.

FIRST LOOK AT SANGAMA

NOT MUCH WATER

ONE MORE VIEW

BONUS PICTURE ;-)

Mekedaatu is around 5kms from Sangama. One cannot take personal vehicle to Mekedaatu due to river crossing. Usually boat service will be available to cross river, however due to lack of water we could cross by foot. After crossing, one needs to buy ticket which costs Rs.50/- (to and fro) to reach mekedaatu. The buses are maintained by Tourism department. The buses reminded me of childhood days, where we used to take unwindowed buses.

FULL AC & DOUBLE DECKER BUSES TO MEKEDAATU!

TRAVELING ON TOP OF BUS WAS FUN :-)

We travelled on top of bus for a change. Usually if the bus inside is full, people prefer to enjoy on top than standing inside. The bus wobbles too much during journey since the stretch is mud+uneven road. We had to hold on to the bus carrier and balance ourselves :D (I had to take care of my DSLR too!). Watch out for branches of trees too! It was nice exercise altogether. After nearly 15 minutes of enjoyment, we reached Mekedaatu spot. Again not much water but we enjoyed scenery. There was also sound of water gushing somewhere down however could not reach due to tough terrain. The name comes from Goats Leap which is Mekedaatu in Kannada.

Read Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mekedaatu

MEKEDAATU

THE OTHER SIDE

ZOOMED VERSION!

STILL CLOSE UP

UNEVEN BUILT UP!

DEEP GORGES

WATCH OUT FOR HOLES ON ROCK

NOT MUCH GREENERY & WATER

Here we are again back to Sangama and too much hungry. There is a Mayura hotel near by and is the only option for lunch. We had no choice other than to eat here. The food quality does not meet the expensive cost but manageable. Better carry own foods and eat here. Also not much monkeys here and hence can peacefully enjoy food :-). We thought of going to Chunchi falls however Hotel cashier said there is no water there. There is also a temple in Sangama, may be to signify the merging of rivers. After lunch we stayed in the place for sometime before leaving. Sudhir and Rajesh wanted to swim in river however there was only standing water not flowing. It is not good to have swim in standing water with people using soaps.

I took some snaps post lunch. One of them is this portrait of this elderly person taken with EF 50mm f/1.8 lens. The other was HDR. The bracketing was done using beautiful firmware for Canon DSLRs, Magic Lantern.

PORTRAIT

HDR

After short break, we started towards Bangalore again. Once again enjoyed the rural areas to max. We plan to go around October again which is immediate post Monsoon season. We are expecting to have good hangout at that time!

How to Reach:

At Bangalore, reach Kanakapura road and travel along NH-209 for about 50kms which will lead to Kanakapura town. After few meters you will find a small junction where you will see sign board which directs to Sangama. Seek help of locals in Kanakapura if you cannot find the sign board.