The road to Kiliyur is not as well-maintained and quite narrow at times. The place was filled with tourists and finding parking was a challenge. Anyway, with things sorted, we started our uphill walk. As we walked, we realized the way to reach Kiliyur is a very long & steep 280-staired path downwards, which we could see on our side.
Most of us were already in our 30s, not in great shape (let’s just stop there) and with barely any walking habits. So, the staircase, and the returning tourists’ expressions, gave us a nervous chill. When we reached the starting point of the staircase and looked down, our courage started giving away. We couldn’t see the end. Lots of people stopped at midway and rested, barely able to breathe. Not great for inspiration.
Anyway, we started the descent, Pravat & Prasanna faster than the rest of us, as they seemed to be in way better shape. The staircase was quite steep and it felt like at this rate, we would soon be under ground. Midway in the stairs, we stopped to rest, trying to imagine what it would be like while climbing up. 2 of us surrendered and sat on the benches. I kind of wanted to do the same, but with encouragement from our fitter friends, I continued ahead.
After a bit, we reached the falls. We were catching it in a good season as the falls, full of water, looked fierce & wide. Right below it, were small & large stones, now curved smooth with the constant water flow, above which were multiple groups of tourists. Some posed in front of the falls, some bathed in it while some just stood and watched the tall falls in awe.
We made our way to a spot closer to the falls, over slippery rocks, where we could feel the splashing water. My exhaustion of the staircase had vanished and I felt stupid for considering not coming down. We enjoyed the cool watery ambience for a while and then went up again.
The way up was definitely how tiresome I had imagined, maybe even more. My breathing was getting heavier every few minutes, and I paused near the railings, thinking how long it will take me to reach. But once at the top, after what seemed like an eon, the rest of the way to the parking was easy breezy. Without delaying any further, we drove straight to Sweet Rascal, which was a few hundred meters from Yercaud lake.
Calling the Sweet Rascal a restaurant wouldn’t be fair in any way. Rather, it’s an ambient refreshment park – decorated beautifully with varieties of trees & saplings, surrounded by multiple species of birds & dogs, and fashioned with trendy humorous posters. Having food there is not a mundane activity of filling your stomach, but a celebratory event of your senses.
We spent a lot of time seeing & appreciating the ambience, playing a little bit with the young husky dog. The food itself wasn’t the best I had, but quite nice, and combined with the unique experience, it definitely earned its high rating.
The day was getting over. So before the sun could set, we went for our final stop – Pagoda Point. It was one of the more popular viewpoints of the town, but not as crowded as the other few. It was in southern Yercaud, in contrast to Karadiyur, which was up North. So, it gave us a view of completely different area of the valley down.
We sat there for half an hour, enjoyed the sun on it’s downward path… and then started on our way back right before sunset. On our way to Fernhill, we sat a while near the Yercaud lake (cover image at the top). People were still boating under the setting sun. Except for some maintenance issues, the lake seemed like a perfect place to chill. It being right in the middle of the town-center, it did attract a major portion of the tourists too.
We left after finishing our tea. When we reached Fernhill, it was almost dark. We checked with the caretaker about the food we had ordered for evening snacks & dinner, and freshened up for our evening drinks party ahead.
The house itself was huge, with 2 big bedrooms, 1 hall with dining place combined and an attic-styled room at the top. But we chose to sit outside in the balcony for our evening session, where there were 2 cosy cocoon chairs hanging from the ceiling, as well as a comfy cane sofa set. We dragged the center-table out for our plates & glasses.
The food arrived soon – varieties of home-cooked veg & non-veg appetizers – and we opened our bottles. In the day, Yercaud was cool and comfortable. But as the evening started, bone-chilling winds started hitting us. The ambience was perfectly ghastly, with nothing but long trees & darkness around us… so we started sharing spooky stories to scared each other.
Before long, the food was cold, and so were we… but we didn’t mind at all. We chatted, laughed, partied, danced… away from our daily mundane work routine.
The night went by. The next morning, we cooked our own breakfast while getting ready for the way back. At around 11.30am, we left the cottage, bade adieu to Yercaud and started our descent on the hairpin bend road. It was Sunday, and all of us wanted to reach home during the day, to get enough rest.
So, Hemant zoomed the Xcent like a supersonic jet and we reached Bangalore by 3pm. The trip now officially at end, we took our separate ways, feeling refreshed, and wondering when & where could we go for our next weekend trip... …maybe somewhere even better, maybe someday soon… who knows!