A day at Muttati

I had never heard of such a place till the previous day. Ramp called me on the evening of 28th April 2006. It was a Friday evening and I was looking forward to his call. The whole day, there had been a chain running on orkut about a proposed day's trip. But where to and how I had no clue. It had been some time since I had been on a trek and my soul was longing for a good one. Then came the fateful call, Ramp told me we were going to a place called Muttatti, past Kanakkapura. I just hoped it would be amazing. I think God did hear my prayers!
I woke up at 5:40 AM, somehow the alarm did not scream as it usually does and I was half an hour late, I was supposed to be at Ramp's place in Indira Nagar at 5:30. I was already 10 min past the deadline and I was just up and out of bed. I called Ramp. My break that day from the start... Those people were also just getting ready and I still had the time. A quick brush and a quick wash; it really helped that I had my bag packed with all the equipment needed. I had done that before I went to bed the previous night.

6 AM on the morning of 29^th April 2006, a Saturday morning, I was out on the road and was speeding on the freeway that connects Koramangala and Indira Nagar. I reached in good time and it was some time later that the guys there got to the road. I was meeting some good pals after quite sometime. I had met Juci a couple of times after my relocation to Bangalore, but I was meeting Muppy for the first time after college. A good three years! Then there was Ramp and KP, we guys do meet often, I stop at their place every now and then. There were some friends and roommates of my friends in this trek that we were embarking on.

There was a car and two bikes.

Muttati was about 100 km from Bangalore. The drive was off Kanakapura. The route was Bangalore - Kanakapura (55 km) - Sathanur (35) - Muttati (10). The road is not great, but you will be able to make it to Kanakapura with ease. To Sathanur the road is not so good, it is different in different times of the year and its luck if you find that road tarred and good. But the drive gets excellent when Sathanur is done and you turn left at the arch to Muttati. The road is not a ghat section, but its a terrain drive and gets incredibly exciting.

Muttati is all about the river and activities are surrounded around it. Further up is the fishing camp at Bhemeshwari a popular destination for techies who want to unwind. Muttati is no sophisticated and so has an unspoiled charm lingering around. Go an a trek in the adjoining hills and get tired and head down and straight into the cool and refreshing waters.

It is very important that you bring your lunch, for an incredible appetite takes you head on after your river play time. We found that a few local people had come ashore with supplies and a huge cauldron and gathered wood for a fire and cooked right at the river side. It was super aroma from those fires, but we had taken a packed lunch of rice bath and gobbled them with nothing to spare.

So that's Muttati for you, a rustic getaway not very far from the city, it will embalm you with its charm and want you to visit over and over again.