Jog Falls

Over the weekend I visited Jog Falls, the highest waterfalls in India with 4 others from the hostel. The falls were about 300km away, and we took 9 separate buses to get there and back again; a total of about 16 hours spent on bumpy, potholed Indian roads.

We left at noon Saturday and stayed at a lodge in a town overnight, costing 80rs (£1.20) each! The falls were well worth all the traveling for. A viewpoint on one side of the valley overlooked the falls. There were 4 main waterfalls, but in every other corner of the valley smaller waterfalls could be seen. The weather was typical, bright sunshine one minute and heavy rain the next, forcing all the umbrellas to come out.

The steps to the bottom of the falls was closed, but we went to the top of the falls instead, where hoards of people stepped across the slippy rocks to get a closer look at the waterfalls. We traveled back a different, and much more comfortable route, taking only 3 buses, including a night bus, arriving back in Ujire at 4.10 this morning.

Busses, Auto's and Ujire

The last 2 days have been such an experience.

On Saturday lunchtime, I visited the SELCO Head office and saw their examples of the solar lighting systems which they install in areas all over Karnataka State. Some of the financing mechanisms which help people gain access to solar lighting was also explained to me.

On Sunday morning after a very good nights sleep, I took an auto-rickshaw to the Lalbagh Botanical Gardens before navigating my way through Cubbon Park and to the MG Road area. I have found Bangalore is very difficult to navigate through, but the backup is to jump on board one of the many auto's which hurtle up and down the cities streets.

I was conned by one of the rickshaw drivers who initially said he would show me to some of the tourist sights and then drive back to my hotel. After taking me to a few sites he insisted on taking me to a number of shops and once you've entered a shop it is expected that you buy something.

Bangalore's 'Majestic' bus stand was huge. It took some time to find the right platform as it was not signed. I travelled in a Rajahamsa Executive overnight bus (sounds more comfortable than it was.) Once again, I had no real idea where to get off but knew it would be about 5.45am when I should have arrived in Ujire.

This morning, I got off the bus in the dark and in the rain after I had seen the engineering college from the road. Kiran, another intern at SELCO picked me up on his moped taking me to the lodge.

I have now settled in to where I will be working for the next few months, and am trying to learn everything I can about Solar Drying from the previous interns I have a lot of reading to do over the next week.