Chappara Mane | Kanoor Kote (Fort) - Trek Notes
Kanoor Kote (Fort) / August 2003
On the day 1 of our hike - We could have stayed at Gowda’s house for the night. But new information provided by the Gowda household changed our minds and we made a new plan of action. We were informed that the route to Kanoor Kote (the trail through the forest) begins behind a School 2km away. Since it was just 1600 hrs we decided to hike to the school (shaaley mane) and setup camp for the night , in order to save time on the second day. So, on we went guided by a local through a short cut, which in the rain was just muck, muck, muck and that was the only thing that registered in my mind.
The people of this place were not that hospitable. It seems, they have had bad experiences from outsiders/strangers. Since many robberies had happened in the past, we had a difficult time. By the time we reached the school the headmaster had left for home. We needed his permission to camp in the campus.
A really beautiful campus with bamboo/wooden fence and gate. A huge garden and a shack for the school. On one side there was a shelter for a cooking area. This is where all the midday meals are cooked. This open place became our problem. The food material that was stored was not locked up and hence it became a security issue for us to camp. Considering its history and the inhospitality of the people we did not want to risk pitching our tent here.
Despite the rain and failing light we continued on our hike looking for a spot to camp. One old lady living alone in her hut was the only one who spoke to us nicely and told us about the options we had and also the reasons explaining the behavior of the people. So, we went in the direction towards the road which goes to Kanoor looking for a campsite. We asked at every house we passed hoping to be lucky.
Surprisingly, the couple of the last house of the village agreed to allow us to stay in the veranda of their house. It was Chappara Mane owned by Neel Kumar CB. It was 1830 hrs and almost dark. The night was comfortable. We guys ate the food we had packed.
And Neel Kumar had some more unexpected company, a few of the boys that were working in the jungle putting up concrete poles for electricity. He knew them from sometime. The wife played hostess and cooked food for them and after a little coaxing we guys also joined in. They spent the night smoking and playing cards. I got to listen to a lot of their stories which I will write about some other time. It was a good experience. And that’s how day 1 of our hike ended, at Neel Kumar’s Chappara Mane.
On the day 2 of our hike - It was a wonderful morning. Got some good photos. Our host had a dog named Rani. And indeed it was the queen. One after another came males from neighboring areas trying to court her but none impressed her. It was quite a sight the male dogs would walk halfway up the path to the house and stand watching and making noises to woo Rani but none dared come all the way up.
Our host spoke about his fields, farming etc and we listened intently. A bit of photography and we were ready to continue on our journey. Neel Kumar informed us that the jungle route was not clear and it was easy to get lost. So, on his suggestion we went towards the road to Kanoor.
