 The cacophony of chirping birds and the tiny flakes of clouds in the azure sky looking like tiny blotches of cream on a big blue cake, the tiny rivulets that flowed making muffled sounds as though afraid of the bigger waterfalls into which they mingled, the few goats that moved lazily on the road unmindful of the occasional blaring horns, the lush greenery that seemed to surround every inch of earth that we set our eyes on, is an exhilarating experience to one who is so used to high rise buildings, dust laden breeze, crowded streets and honking vehicles all the time. During our summer break, we make it a point to travel to some hill station to get our share of peace and calm for the ensuing year. We try to gobble up ravenously all the quietude and serenity of the place. Just as a child jumps up at a new toy, we rekindle our childlike emotions leaping up at every new sight that unveils before our eyes.
We have made trips to several South Indian hill stations, since they offer a budget holiday. They are not a strain on the purse and they are easily accessible to people who are hard pressed for time. One such memorable trip was to Yercaud. We travelled by train up to Salem and took a bus to Yercaud from the bus station. The travel uphill is not arduous and can be safely done by bus. We were booked at the Shevaroy Hotel. It is a charming place situated amidst scenic natural surroundings overlooking the lake.
 Yercaud is a tiny place, there is nothing much to do here except admire nature in all her bounty. If you are looking for a calm and restful holiday, Yercaud is the place! We spent the first day exploring the lake. Yercaud boasts of a striking lake and it is the center of attraction. We had a lovely boat ride and the boatman was nice enough to make a garland for us with the lotus stems. Lotus abounds the lake and is a beauty to behold. We then went to the Anna Park near the lake, a miniscule version of a park but good enough to spend some time. There is a rose garden near the lake that entices you to pluck flowers!
An old
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cinema theatre is housed just near the lake; if you are bored perhaps you could hop in for a movie!
 The next day we decided to hire a Tata Sumo that would take us around Yercaud. The driver was a conscientious man who made sure we got value for the money. He first took us to the Shevaroyan Temple built by the tribals. Enroute he showed us the Bears' cave, which had been a favourite haunt of bears a long time ago. Shevaroyan Temple hosts annual festivities that attract a lot of people. The temple is old but worth a visit; the view outside is breathtaking since it offers another angle of the city all around. On the way back from the temple we a saw a lorry that had fallen into the valley below. There is a bauxite quarry nearby which leads to a lot of lorry traffic on this narrow road.
Our next stop was the Lady’s Seat; it is one of the highest points in Yercaud and offers a spectacular sight of the plains. You can even catch a glimpse of the Kaveri River and Mettur Dam, if the sky is clear. The Botanical Gardens was our next stop; we were tired as it was late afternoon but wanted to see the lovely plants. We enthusiastically went around the sprawling gardens housing a lot of rare plants. It was a novel experience to watch the colourful slender orchids! We returned to the hotel by evening and had a good night’s sleep, with the drone of insects and chirping of birds providing divine background music.
We were to depart the next day evening, so we didn’t want to venture out on a full day's outing. We visited the Pagoda Point in the morning which offered a stunning view of the cliffs all around. We visited the Montfort School and admired the lovely architecture of the Church within the school premises. Later, we went around the hotel and spent time admiring the duck pond and bird coop. The hotel has a catering college attached to it, thus it bustles with activity. Our trip was short and sweet. When we returned to Chennai we brought back a heart full of lovely reminiscences. We captured quite a few moments of this splendorous visit on camera and still go through these snaps when we yearn for a holiday, re-living every second of our enthralling experience!
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