The coffee plantations in Coorg mesmerize you with its aroma and splendid beauty. Being from Kerala and have stayed in the middle of a coffee plantation (in Peermade Idukku Distric, near Thekkady) for years, this experience was not new. But this brought back memories of the beautiful past.
We opted for a home stay to get closer to nature. But what was in store for us was surprising.
The endless insects that crawled all over, the leeches (surprisingly none of us got bitten by them) and the storm of insects all over made me closer to nature.
Tip #1
To get rid of a leech biting its ‘heart out’ on your body, (1) Apply a pinch of salt or (2) Use a lighter or a match stick and bring the flame close to the leech, it will let go !
Never forcefully remove the leech from your body as it injects a chemical to your body and the blood wont clot.
Due to an anticoagulant (hirudin) that leeches secrete, bites may bleed more than a normal wound after the leech is removed
Try stamping on the leech you could see blood spurting all over. (I sound sadist huh?, well its my blood !)
Tip #2
How to get rid of insects?
Turn off the lights. Yes, as simple as that. The lights attract all the flies all around the plantations as there wouldn’t be any light anywhere near. I remember the times when I used to stay at the place in Peermade without any lights for 3 days in a row. The moment I turn on any of the lights it would attract thousand of insects and they invade the house!
However, during daytime you are at their mercy. 
Talking about the stay in Coorg, its no big difference from Peermade. There were hundreds of insects trying to find a place to hide in my room, bags and all over. Finally we turned off the lights to chase it away. That didn’t however stop the visits from a dozen millipedes.J
But it was all worth it in the morning when I got up early to go trekking and fishing. The sight outside our room was splendid! The thick fog engulfed the morning rays and the visibility was very low.
Here are few pics.
(The beautiful morning)
(A view outside our room)
(The catch)
( To be contd)
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