A 6-hour drive to find our destination CLOSED sigh..

Here’s a picture of me (in white) with strangers I met at a bar just few weeks before this trip. Yeah, that’s right! Amid getting drunk and dancing together at a club, we quite literally got clubbed together.
This was taken on our last trip before complete lockdown was ordered in the state. We were out getting sloshed the night before this and out of nowhere one of them suggested we go visit the ‘Ermai Waterfalls' (Karnataka) the next morning. I didn’t think much of it cause imo it was just some drunk blabbering lol, as this wouldn’t be the first time that they planned something and then backed out. But late morning the next day, I woke up with a hangover only to find that they had been trying to reach my phone and that the trip was actually happening.
Since most of us were unsure about the plan till that morning, it was almost noon when we finally left. It was a beautiful ride to Didupe, a small hamlet in the state of Karnataka, India, which had a breathtaking view.

Kajur, Belthangady, Karnataka

On our way, we made a stop at the ‘Hallimane’, a village-themed resort in Ujire, well known for their delicious Biriyani (a mixed rice dish). This place can be found on the way if you are travelling on the Mangalore – Belthangady – Dharmasthala route in Karnataka, India.

S.A Hallimane Family Restaurant & Resort, Ujire, Karnataka, India

Here, we had the Chicken Tikka Biriyani priced at Rs.160 ($2.17) and the Mangalorean special Chicken Ghee Roast priced Rs.150 ($2.04). The food was flavorsome and definitely worth the stop.

After a filling lunch, we resumed our ride to the falls. And at 17:05, just as we reached the entrance of the path to the waterfall, we were told that the entry after 17:00 was restricted. Ughhhh.. now that was some deplorable news.
We were just leaving when a tourist-cab driver suggested we visit the Didupe Lake which wasn’t very far from the waterfall. So, we decided to go spend some time at the lake.

Didupe Lake, Belthangady, Karnataka

The lake had a sheer soothing essence which was very calming. It was late in the evening, but you could hear the sweet chirp of birds. We spent about an hour here and it certainly was refreshing after our long ride.
The trip most certainly did not go as expected, but with an admirable view and more importantly the enjoyable company, it was definitely a beautiful end to the day.