An year ago, I would have never dreamt of such a ride in my life. 3500 km of eternal bliss came my way, courtesy, Om's everlasting enthusiasm, my (fanatic) love for riding and most of all, that marriage, which became the much-needed reason to make this trip happen. The following trip log would stay as a sweet memory for all of us who have been a part of this trip.I have done a lot of trips alone and in groups, but this one was uniquely satisfying, as it appeared like a superior event manager had planned everything to our liking in every stage of this trip.THE ROUTE:Bangalore-Mangalore-Kasaragod-Cannanore-Kozhikode-Thrissur-Athirapalli-Kochi-Alleppey-Kollam-Varkala-Ponmudi-Trivandrum-Kovalam-Kanyakumari-Rameshwaram/Dhanushkodi-Madurai-Munnar-TopSlip-Valparai-Thrissur-Coimbatore-Satyamangalam-Mysore-Bangalore...(Phew.....)
THE REASON:Vikas, my dear chum, wanted to ride all the way to Thrissur for, he claimed that he needed his bike back home. Though he did have lots of preparations to be made for his sister’s marriage in 15 days, all of us knew that it was just an opportunity for him to flaunt his new “Avenger” to his relatives back home. I am not the person who would turn down such a chance to explore this extraordinary state to the fullest and we decided to grant our friend his wish.
THE PREPARATION:Sept 2 – Sep 19 2008:Though I knew, in my heart, that it is a futile effort, I tried to gather more people for the ride as it would magnify fun and diminish costs. But, everyone fell back when they heard that it was a 3500km ride planned in 12 days. After a lot of frustrating attempts, it was decided that Vikas, Om and I would be going ahead with Vikas dropping off at Thrissur and Om and I completing the ride and returning to Thrissur in time for the marriage. May hell befall you Sujith. When are we going to be successful in convincing you in doing something we want you to?A week before the D day, all the preparations had begun for Vikas. He had serviced his bike and rechecked it on the day before our departure for fear of failures. Well, this was his first ride after all. Omprakash (Om from here on) too had made his Honda shine ready for the ride. I had done a lot of rides before and so had to have an eye for details to make sure everything was taken care of before departing. Ampy (Short for Ampelos, my pulsar 180, my faithful steed), looked like she was raring to go as I had starved her off any ride (She looks hungry to me all the time and I know that’s my eyes’ fault). I got her completely serviced and she looked impeccable in her new 120mm tubeless Zapper radials. I had spent many nights finalizing the plans as this was going to be one helluva long ride and I am prone to squeezing too many things into a single trip. When, realistic plans had been put in place, we couldn’t hold half the office from talking about our ride as my dear loudmouth friend made sure that it was known to all that he was riding all the way home.Having convinced our manager for our leaves, our work happily delegated and money borrowed from Baboo we were all set to begin this to-be gorgeous ride.
Day 1: The day started off too dark as it had rained the day before. Even after all the warnings to Vikas that it would be a long day on the roads, he could manage to get ready only by 7 AM and we made Om wait for another 30 min at Silk board. We had some take off photos made some useless attempts to tie our luggage to our bikes, as the rope I bought was too small. We managed to fix that part and had our bikes well fed and started off on the Hassan-Mangalore Highway (NH 48), My plan was to ride for 50 min and halt for 10 min as Ampy’s seat was bit too hard for long rides. It had started raining heavily and wearing my cramster Jacket and glove for the first time, I was eager to test them out in such conditions. Soon, I realized that I was soaked in rainwater below my torso; thanks to those trucks that made sure they splashed water every time one passed by. Having got away with my Socks and trying to dry my shoe in the passing wind, we neared Hassan and the weather got better. After having a good lunch in a wayside hotel at Sakleshpura, we proceeded towards Mangalore. But, why did I plan to enter Kerala via Mangalore, when I had much better routes? Well, just that I wanted to cover the entire Keralan coast in this trip. After Sakleshpura, the roads took a turn for the worse with rains and heavy truck traffic wreaking havoc on the road conditions. Finally we managed to reach Mangalore at 4 PM with a sore butt after 60 km of horrible roads.
After taking some snaps at the Kerala border, I proceeded towards Karasagod on a not so OK NH 17. The roads in Kerala are good in patches and the traffic is really high on the highway. No wonder Kerala is one of the most densely populated states in the country. I realized this fact when I was not able to find a good place to relieve my natural pressure for more than an hour and was struggling a lot. After having negotiated the heavy local traffic, we reached Kannur, our halt for the day at around 9 PM. We had done some hard riding for around 520 km on mediocre tarmac and a hotel room was more than needed. Ampy, as usual, was at her impeccable best, bearing horrible potholes, continuous riding for 12 hrs, frequent braking and running at a constant 42-43kmpl. After conveying my usual apologies and gratitude to her (I do it every time after torturing her) we negotiated a room, which turned out to be cockroach infested, in a highway hotel. This is one of the strangest things you feel when traveling unplanned. You know you don’t belong here, you know you will be out of this room for good before long and hitting the highways. When you do that the next day, you feel a great sense of relaxation and your love for the roads spurts out suddenly. Add on your love for your bike, and you will be the most satisfied and the happiest person in this world. The next day started off early, as the plan was to visit Payyambalam beach. My plan was to cover every major beach on my way and Kannur beach was a good starting point.
Surprisingly, the beach was less crowded and we left from our hotels at 8 AM for the famous Kappad Beach before Kozhikode. The road to Kozhikode was quick and we reached Kappad (~20 km from Calicut) at around 12 noon. We wanted to visit the Thalassery fort on the way, but decided against it, as it would cost us valuable time. You come across Mahe, the Pondicherry Union Territory on the way. Do you know the best thing about Mahe for a biker? Petrol here costs 49 Rs/lt. We filled our tanks to the brim and left, a satisfied lot. Kappad is a historical beach where Vasco Da gama landed in India and was welcomed by the extra-ordinarily simple Zamorin King. The tablet in the beach says it all. The beach is around 4 km from the diversion off NH 17. Signboards guide travelers clearly towards the beach. There is a beach resort on the other side, which provides a beautiful private beach. The heat was extremely taxing as I was struggling with my armored jacket. By the time I reached Kozhikode town, I had lost lot of fluids and two glasses of apple juice brought some life back to my heated body. I wished to visit the Kozhikode beach but decided to ride ahead towards Thrissur. We visited the Payyoli beach, a cute beach which is said to be famous for the turtles that nest here during their hatching season. The lighthouse here is a major sightseeing spot and the sunset is just awesome with the lighthouse in the silhouette. After some gorgeous snaps, we rode non-stop and entered Thrissur at around 9 PM. The strange thing in Kerala is that all the shops close down by 9 PM and stay closed on Sunday. This is valuable information because; Vikas’ clutch wire snapped and we didn’t have a replacement. After scouring the entire town for a single spare part shop, we were unsuccessful and drained after a tiring day. Fortunately, the clutch wire snapped when the bike was in 1st gear (The project manager had done his job). We brought it to neutral, pushed it to a steady speed, shifted to first gear and rode on for 7 more km to his uncle’s house, where we were to stay for the night. It was decided that Vikas would stay on and we go ahead with our journey. After being overwhelmed by our hosts’ hospitality, and a nice shower, we planned our road ahead for the next day and slept. Vikas wanted me to stay on coz he was obviously feeling lonely and the thought that his sis would be married soon and leave his family aggravated his feelings further. But, I couldn’t stay on as Om had planned for this trip for a long time and it was not fair on my part to cancel the entire ride. I promised Vikas to return ASAP and bode him good bye.
Day Two: From today, we are reduced to two: Obviously missing Vikas. That reflected in my riding as well, coz just outside Thrissur, I rode dangerously close to a tanker and had my RVM entangled in the rear of the truck. Fortunately, I held the handle strong enough for the mirror to loosen and release, thus averting a definite fall. Vowing to ride even more carefully, I tightened the screws and rode on. I am an extremely careful rider and Vikas used to say that when he looks at me riding, he feels that I am riding for the last time in my life and am totally stiff and concentrating. “Just relax be” is what he would say. But, after seeing so many accidents right in front of my front wheel in my rides, I make sure that I enjoy my ride safely. Throughout the ride I made sure that we don’t go beyond 80 kmph at any point of time. Vikas got the scolding of his life from me when he tried cruising at 120 kmph in his new Avenger and ran too close to a lorry. I am that person, who wants to enjoy my ride slowly and comfortably and safety is of utmost concern, even at the expense of missing those thrilling cruises at 130 kmph.
ATHIRAPALLI: Of cataracts and shootingsOur first target was the famous Athirapalli falls in Thrissur district. The roads till Chalakudi on NH 47 (30 km from Thrissur towards Kochi) were good enough to cruise at 80 kmph and we reached the inter-state highway on our left that connects to Valparai in Tamil Nadu. This road is particularly beautiful as it winds through the forest with people in the scattered village staring at us with wide eyes. This road is one of the best places to test your cornering skills with the winding roads and sharp curves on excellent tarmac. This road is impeccable and traffic is sparse. We reached the falls in no time and a short walk takes you to the top of the falls. It was difficult to walk, carrying these heavy bags and the armored suit and I struggled my way to the nearby shop and left my luggage there. Shooting was going for the Manirathnam movie “Ravana” and the way to the other side of the falls was barricaded. After taking some snaps from the top we decided to go to the bottom of the falls. The trek to the bottom of the falls is quick and much easier than earlier thought. I was fearing that I had another “Jog falls” to negotiate and was wondering how I am going to make my way back up. What a day that was!!!
JOG FALLS: Sujith (My riding coach), Om and I decided to reach the bottom of the Jog falls though, I am sure, they were pondering how they are going to climb the 1.4 km long trek route. I observed that may people were hesitating from getting to the bottom, as the climb was a test of stamina and endurance. With this path being leech-infested due to the recent rains, I already started imagining those “Anaconda” scenes happening with me. We reached the bottom of the falls in 40 min and rested for a while. Om and Krishna had decided to stay back on one of those rocks and enjoy the beauty from a distance. Sujith and I decided to reach the reservoir below falls and absorb the beauty of India’s highest falls to the fullest. The quadruplets of Raja(the largest), Rani,(The cutest) Roarer(The loudest), Rocket(The fastest) were a toast to our eyes and we reluctantly left the spot after an hour of gazing at the cascade.We decided to rest for 10 min and start our ascent. I feared this moment, ever since I began losing my potential energy couple of hours back. With all others being slimmer and fitter, I knew I would be the tortoise, a slow walker. After 10 minutes, I realized I was wrong. I couldn’t move my legs even a single step and the rest of my marathon friends were atleast 50 ft above me. I recollected my college days when I could hit 30 pushups continuously. How much has this fat Bangalore diet worsened my stamina? Om and Sujith had waited for me at every turn and kept urging me to continue and not stop. I was constantly checking my limbs for any signs of leech sucking as you never realize when one of their families enjoys a banquet with your blood. With the beautiful falls roaring behind me I drew inspiration from the resilience and tenacity of the stream, which has flown tirelessly for many a millennium. After, two hours of acquired perseverance and unending perspiration, I reached the top, feeling at least 5 pounds lighter and completely exhausted and even more satisfied from the completion of this hike, which many didn’t dare to do.
ATHIRAPALLI: (contd…)With the confidence of the Jog falls trek backing me up, I shrugged off any fears and reached the bottom of the falls. This one is definitely shorter than JOG, but next to none in terms of majesty and flow rate. September-October is the best time to visit this falls as the rains have just subsided and the Chalakudy River has swollen enough to give a visual treat to the traveler. This is the most sought after place for south Indian filmmakers. The enormous spray of water just cautioned us to take care of our digicam. Justice wont be served if the atmosphere is just described through words. After the photo session was over, we reached the top fastt and drenched by the water spray. A short 4 km ride from Athirapalli takes you to the Vazhachal falls, a more serene waterfall upstream of its more famous sister fall. A wide cascade and a perfect jungle shade makes you feel that Mother Nature is waiting for you to rest for while and take a power nap in her lap, which I sure did. 30 min later a refreshed me left the falls and headed for Kochi. Hitting NH47 again I made quick headway in sweltering heat and reached Fort Kochi by 3 PM.
Day 3: Paradise within a city:Kochi appeared to be a fast moving island city surrounded by a much slower Keralan Mainland. This true island city and its twin, Ernakulam have become the IT hub of Kerala, which is visible in the comparatively higher cost of living and living standards. It was in this city that Ampy decided to hold my cruise back. I realized that her front tyre was flat and after a lot of scouring on a Sunday, found a fellow who agreed to mend my tire for a whopping 40 bucks. May hell be with him for fleecing people on a holiday. I was totally exhausted by the heat and the physical exertion in the morning and didn’t bother to argue. We found a home stay in Fort kochi and we quickly changed and finished a late lunch. Fort Kochi is a silent part of the mainstream city and its beauty lies in its perceived antiquity. We visited the 500-year-old church (Don’t remember the name), Jew street, Chinese fishing nets and decided to take the ferry to Vypeen island to view the sunset. The roads are good and clearly marked to direct the newcomer to the tourist spots. Vypeen island is 3 km long and is said to be one of the most densely populated. The ferry service is the only way to reach the island and it caters all sizes from cycles to trucks. We waited for our turn but with sunset approaching soon, we decided against it and decided to witness the beauty from the dikes of the cute little Fort Kochi beach. This one gets really crowded in the evenings especially considering the scheduled load shedding from 7 to 7 30 PM. The sunset with the huge naval fleet in the foreground was breathtaking and made some good pics for my desktop. Om wanted to go on fishing with the locals the next morning and we tried hopelessly to cajole some fishermen to take us. The money they demanded made us drop this idea right away and get some much-needed sleep, for I had planned a hectic day tomorrow. I dreamt of riding in the skies with Ampy making her own magical road in front of her and the beautiful Himalayas beneath us. I didn’t need any guidance or maps. It was beauty unlimited. Soon I was into deep slumber.
Day 4: ALLEPEY:Backwater ParadiseOm was always the first person to wake up and get ready. After lots of curses thrown at Om for pestering me, we left our Kochi homestay at 6:30 AM towards Allepey. The road from Kochi to Allepey (~70 km) is an excellent four-lane road and we covered the distance in an hour. We had a very stringent budget for our backwater cruise and were taken for surprise when we were able to bargain a diesel barge all to us for 350 bucks/hr. It was a great deal and soon we were in the beautiful waterways, where every house essentially had a boat and women delicately balanced their way on bridges made of coconut trunks. I believe that children here learn to swim even before they learn to walk. The early morning mist coupled with bright sunshine created a carpet of sapphires around us in those coconut groves. The main attraction of the backwaters here are the paddy fields where cultivation is done 20 m below sea level. The hot spot of south Indian movies, Allepey is also the home to the Nehru Boat race, which hosts the world’s longest snake boats. 2 hours flew away even before we realized and we left for our next destination, Varkala.
Day 5: VARKALA:Gold,Gold everywhereIf God would ask me to build a resort for Him, I would build one, right on the cliffs of Varkala. This beach is one of its kind with 2 km long cliff bordering the golden sand and offering breathtaking views of the evening sun. I have never seen a more spectacular and breathtaking sunset than what I witnessed here.Varkala is 30 km off the right of NH 47 on the way to Trivandrum from Kollam. I reached Varkala by 5 PM and the sky was getting ready to get painted in majestic gold by its old pal. We found a resort called beach view resort in “lonely planet”, which was run by an Italian Gianni Comba. What a perfect decision it was. Another of that event manager’s perfect plans. When I reached the resort it was under refurbishment and I got a great deal for 400 bucks. The resort is in the most perfect place in Varkala cliffs, offering picturesque views of the beach. When I took my bath and came out with my camera, the sky was ready to share the photo frame with me. Those pictures, I would cherish forever. Had a great time with the extremely friendly Italian millionaire who had just bought this beautiful piece of land. He has the same passion for bikes and idolizes Rossi the way I do. After talking late into the night, we retired to our rooms and I was the happiest at the moment for having made this trip. Another day gone and more to come. I had thrown my bike in anger when the roads were horrible for 50 km in Mangalore. Yet, I am at this beautiful place at ease. Ampy has done everything for me without expecting anything more than her food. Her love for me is as selfless as one can get. Next day, it was time for Ampy to breathe down some cool air. Yes, we will be off to the cooler hills of Ponmudi.
Day 6: PONMUDI:Tryst with the cloudsThis was a strange tryst with the clouds. I was riding in the Western Ghats towards a supposed hill station without any great reputation or elevation. At 1300 m above sea level (Highest point) this place didn’t seem spectacular, but little did I know that I was riding to prove myself wrong. The road to Ponmudi takes a deviation on the left from the NH 47 on the way to Trivandrum and is located 61 km from the state capital. The state road is in good condition and pointers guide you in the right direction, but ask a local in case you are not confident which way to go. Once you reach the base of Ponmudi, the Vidura village, the road goes through some breathtaking scenery of the tail end of Western Ghats. You soon realize that you are at the very tip of this great mountain range, which houses numerous critically endangered flora and fauna and some spectacular landscapes and great rivers. Oh, mountains always fascinate me. Around 30 km from the top, the winding hairpin bends try to pull your attention away from the beauty that lies around you. The roads are not the best, but they are good enough to carry the interested traveler to the top. Such roads indirectly help to maintain the pristine beauty of such untouched places intact. Once these places get commercial, the crowd becomes uncontrollable and nothing but pollution remains.
It is said that Ponmudi is at her best when it had just rained and the clouds caress your body. The moment I left in the morning from Varkala, I was praying the rain Gods to show some mercy. It was time for my event manager to act again. Rain came as I was making my ascent up the hairpins and as I crossed 700 m, it was pouring cats and dogs. Monsoon is spectacular in Kerala. The sheet of rain is so thick that visibility becomes too low and the raindrops are larger than in most places, or so it appears to me. Many a time, I hurt my lips when I opened my visor and rode in the rains, as the huge raindrops would make a huge impact at 60 kmph on the delicate lips.The rains stopped and I continued my way up through dense jungles. The scenes were breathtaking as clouds would crowd the road and block the visibility to less than 5m. Suddenly, as if they had an urgent appointment with another peak, they would disappear leaving the sun shining all around. After savoring these breathtaking moments, I made it to the top. There is nothing much to see in Ponmudi, but it is one of those places where the journey is the destination. After spending an hour in solitude at the top, I was feeling very calm and collected. The way down was quick and uneventful and I hit the highway at around 3 PM. I would recommend anyone going to Trivandrum to pay a visit to this serene place and enjoy the strange happiness it renders to anyone who calls upon her.
Day 7: KOVALAM: Clean FameI have been to Kovalam in my college days but never found the time to spend some quality time in this famous beach. We were planning to see the sunset at Kanyakumari but decided against it, as we were not confident of reaching there in time for the moment. We never realized what a perfect decision it was, until three hours later. Kovalam beach is 15 km from Trivandrum and the roads are well laid all the way to the beach. There are three beaches in Kovalam and we decided to go to the Eve’s beach swerving right from the entrance of “The Leela” Kovalam. Kovalam beach is really clean even after the huge crowds thronging this beach everyday. The water is pure and white and the sands just perfect. We visited many unnamed beaches on our way to this point and realized that Kerala has the best beaches in India. The water is clean, sand is pure and many spots untouched. We nearly satisfied our thirst for Beaches as we visited all the major beaches right from Mangalore to Rameshwaram all along the Indian coast witnessing the sunset in some beach or the other. I hail from the Coastal city of Chennai and beaches are not new to me. In all these beaches we resisted our temptation of bathing, but it was not be so in Kovalam. Within 10 min, we were frolicking with kids in the white foamy waters. Within an hour we were back to our senses and the “matured duo” of Vignesh and Omprakash were impeccably dressed and seated on the rocks waiting for the sunset. How much has life changed for me, how could I let go of the habit of enjoying what I liked to do, without caring about what other fellow citizens would think of me. After the beautiful sunset, we packed and filled our fuel tanks as we would be entering Tamil Nadu soon.
Day 8: KANYAKUMARI:The road from Kovalam to Nagarcoil is a horrible stretch of potholed narrow highway with heavy truck traffic. We covered the 80 km in 3 hours breathing smoke all the way. Good that we stayed back at Kovalam for sunset because we could have never made it to Kanyakumari on this lunar highway. The moment we entered TN, the roads changed for good and we were riding in full throttle towards the southernmost tip of India. Roads in TN were always good. In no time we found a newly built hotel near the sunrise point and went straight to sleep as our limbs were strained by the continuous tumult on the road. We have to wake up early to witness our first coastal sunrise in the trip. It is going to be a long and hard day, a day of extreme heat and dirt and sore butt.The kind door boy woke us up at 5 AM and we were out at the sunrise point within 30 min. I have seen this over and over again but it was Om who was fascinated by the crowd, which had assembled to witness one of the most awaited sunrises in India, if not in the whole world. As always, we ran hither and thither in search of a vantage point, as I wanted the perfect picture, which had always eluded me in my previous visits. As soon as we found one, we had to wait very little as the star peeked out of the surface of the water on a perfectly cloudless horizon. The event manager did not disappoint me again. It was a perfect sunrise and there was frenetic photography all around us and we an integral part of it. The whole atmosphere is electric with newly married couple searching for someone who would take a picture of theirs in the famous backdrop, families who have traveled 700 km or more for this very moment, hawkers and photographers who would earn a huge chunk of their daily bread in these 30 minutes. And this frenzy settles down in 30 minutes from the sunrise and the whole place is empty except for the few latecomers who satisfy themselves with whatever sunrise that is left. We went to the tip of the Indian subcontinent and spent some emotional moments looking at the Indian Ocean in front of us, occasionally turning back, realizing the enormity of this country, the vast cultures, people, ecosystems, geological formations that lay in front of us thousands of km ahead. Any Indian would feel proud to be standing at this point and be grateful to the country that has brought him up to be what he/she is now. For 23 years, this land had borne me, fed me and educated me and I think it is time for me to pay her back so that she can feed her progeny, the way she did to me.After descending to earth after a flight of thoughts, we left the spot and visited the southernmost market in India (he he he) and bought some souvenirs. We went to the sunset spot and the deserted roads meant some innovative pictures and some stunts on Ampy. After satisfying myself with good photos of me riding, we had a light breakfast and left for our rooms to bathe and visit the Vivekananda rocks. It was a long queue and we finally made it to the rocks on an overcrowded barge, which decried overloading through the posters all around it. Well, the organizers wanted to control the waiting crowd at the expense of the safety of those in the boat. Not that they don’t know their job, but you are a bit scared thinking of what to do if something untoward happens. Vivekananda rock may have lot more of things to offer for a spiritual soul but all that mine could think of was the greatness of the man who had conquered the world with his oratory and the beauty of the sea all around. We returned to the hotel at 10 AM and left for our next destination, Rameshwaram, 250 km from here. Little did I know what lay in front of me.
Day 9:RAMESHWARAM/DHANUSHKODI:Better than the bestThe road from Kanyakumari to Thirunelveli is smooth as silk and the ongoing 4-lane construction for the north-south corridor will make these roads quicker when completed. We rode through the huge wind farms nestled in the Western Ghats. After taking good videos we wasted no time in the hot sun and reached Thirunelveli by 12 30 PM. We had lot of routes in our minds and after a fruitful discussion with a group of locals at Palayamkottai, we decided to take the following route. Thirunelveli-Tuticorin-Sayalkudi-Sikkal-Ramanathapuram-Rameshwaram. This runs along the coast and is a less traveled route with zero traffic. The road to Tuticorin was dead straight and riding at 40 C was not comfortable to say the least. My jacket was torturing me but I continued wearing it fearing severe sunburns and fluid loss. The road from Tuticorin to Vembar runs on village roads and was horrible. Extremely large potholes filled the entire stretch and we rued our decision of ignoring the national highways. Suddenly, we smelt bitumen after 50 km from Tuticorin and were smiling at each other. Yes, newly laid roads…. Jannat…. We rode at 80 kmph and thanked our manager for the arrangement. But, He thought it was time for some games. We had to deviate from the tarred road and continue on another village road, worse than the previous one. We struggled on and on for 30 km before the smell of bitumen wafted in the air again. This time we infused enough sympathy in Him and the roads were perfect from here on till our destination. As always, sudden good roads call for some stunts and I asked Om to shoot when I played with Ampy. 30 min later, we were at Ramanathapuram rejoining the highway. The roads must be much better by the end of the year as work is going on at full pace.The road to Rameshwaram from Ramanathapuram is at its best shape and we covered the 55 km at a stretch and reached the Pamban Bridge for sunset. The view from the bridge is magnificent and all the vehicles came to a standstill to digest this spectacle. The red skies and the blue seas made a strange contrast and we just starred at the skies till it was dark and swore to come back early morning. Hotels were hard to find with some function going on at the temple. Again, another newly built hotel awaited us and we settled to a decent deal. This night was tumultuous for me, as I had to pacify Baboo. We have had constant fights throughout this trip as I left the poor thing alone on her birthday. After trying to pacify my sister in vain, I went to bed, heavy at heart. Tomorrow, we had planned a lot and another early dawn awaited me. I am off to sleep.
We woke up at 4 30 and went to the temple to offer some special pooja for Om. We left the temple at 6 30 and had a small nap and left for the to-be best destination of the trip. Dhanushkodi, 16km from the temple, is a strange place, the slender thread that connects the Indian mainland with the island of Lanka through the controversial Adam’s Bridge. The road to Dhanushkodi is deserted; actually it does look like a desert with beach sand closing down half the road. The road is extremely picturesque in the morning with the gentle sun illuminating the seas on either side of the road. We found some wild horses going for a morning jog, or rather a gallop, their beautiful manes flowing. You soon realize your geographical location and are overwhelmed by that. You are less than 50km (did I get that right??) from the war strewn Lankan mainland and soon you stand in front of the Army checkpost in a bus stand of sorts. The road from here to Dhanushkodi is marooned by the sea often and is covered by sand as a result. Only, heavy vehicles have enough horsepower to wade through the ½ feet deep sand. We tried to follow the tire tracks but soon had our tires buried. After lifting our bikes to safety, we decided to cover the 8 km stretch to the “international Border” by foot. The path is more of a seasonal marsh, filled with seawater during high tides and narrows down all the while. We got a lift from a vegetable truck and reached Dhanushkodi in no time. We spent some quality time staring at the unspoilt beach of Gulf of Mannar wondering how many terrorized souls would have crossed these waters in search of better lives? The Refugee centre here is quite busy nowadays with the civil war at its peak. We turned back to our hotels with lots of thoughts going on in our minds and thanking our event manager for arranging this destination for us. The very atmosphere of Dhanushkodi satisfies even the toughest of souls and you couldn’t just resist the temptation of staying an hour longer. We reached our hotels at 9 30 AM and had a good nap. We didn’t have a long road, as our destination is just 200 km away on good roads.
Day 10: MADURAI: Of crowds and more crowds.Reaching Madurai was a breezer on beautiful roads and we reached the temple city by 3 30 PM. After checking into a moderate looking hotel, we freshened up and made our way towards the towering Meenakshi Temple by 5 PM. The queue was very small as only 300 people were standing in font of us (What else can I say with the security creating such queues). It was 2 hours before e stepped into the temple and soon it was raining heavily. The darshan was finally completed at 8 30 PM with extreme satisfaction and we left for our rooms. It is going to get cooler again tomorrow, much cooler. I dreamt of tea estates and elephants that night, for we were going to MUNNAR.
Day 11: MUNNAR:Green Green everywhere, not many trees to spare!!! This was what I felt when we reached to the top of Eravikulam Sanctuary. The road to Munnar is completely awesome with sky-high mountains and precipitous drops on the other side of the road. Numerous tea estates dot the roads and you wonder at the amount of trees these companies would have cut and the fragile ecosystems they would have damaged to earn their huge profits. One can realize this fact by looking at the steep inaccessible slopes covered with dense broad leaved tress and the more useful smooth slopes being shaved down to allow sunlight reach their cash crops.We started from Madurai early in the morning and reached the foothills of Munnar by 1 PM. The road from Marayoor to Munnar is good in patches with Pot holed roads accompanying some well-paved curves. But, these things go unnoticed most of the time when you are captivated by the scenery around you. The bright sunlight makes the emerald green landscape look even greener. We reached the base of Eravikulam Sanctuary and purchased our tickets for the sanctuary and transportation, as private vehicles are not allowed inside. The sanctuary also holds the highest peak south of Himalayas, “Anaimudi” at 2695 m above sea level. The sanctuary is located above the Munnar hills and is home to the Endangered Nilgiri Tahr, more conveniently, the wild goat. The road to the top was extremely narrow and the experienced drivers miraculously generated space for the vehicles on the other side. At the base of Anaimudi, the bus stops and a gentle trek path takes you to the grazing lands of the Tahr. The walk was extremely cool and pleasant and looking at the peaks below, you do get the feeling that you are at the highest point for a long distance around. We spotted the whole herd of Tahrs. You could also spot a seasonal waterfall that comes all the way from the towering Anaimudi above you. During monsoons, this becomes the tallest waterfall in India, (or so they say), but dries up very quickly.We descended and were on our way to Top station where you get the perfect views of the Western Ghats on either side if the Kerala-TN border. It is situated around 30 km from Munnar and the roads are decent enough to transport you there. Sunsets could be particularly beautiful from Top station, but we couldn’t witness one as we had to reach Pollachi and exit the Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary before sunset. Elephants cross these roads after sunsets and an unprotected biker is an easy target. We rushed back and some hard riding brought us outside the sanctuary at twilight. I was worried for Om as I was riding really fast on Ghat roads. Surprisingly, he managed to reach the check post in another 15 min and we reached Pollachi at 9 PM. We found a lodge and rested for the day. We had done some bone shaking, breathtaking journey today and was time to rest our beasts and our bodies. Tomorrow, we need to be ahead of others in a virtual race to get appointments of certain VIPs. Unfortunately, they don’t command the same respect from many other fellow humans. They at least deserve to be left alone. With so many thoughts going on in my mind, I slipped into deep sleep. We will go to Top slip tomorrow.
Day 12:TOPSLIP: Event managers shouldn’t be taken for granted.Top slip is a beautiful hill station/sanctuary nestled in the foothills of the Western Ghats. This place is known for its rich wildlife and frequent livestock damages caused by the big cats. Every year, during the winter season, leopards are said to descend from the heights and often wander into human dwellings. Elephant rampages are common here.An early morning ride of 40 km from Pollachi on well maintained state highways will take one through the typical Tamil villages starting their day’s chores. Their simple lifestyle moves on at its own pace and visitor from concrete jungles is just pleased and made jealous by these blessed souls living in close proximity to real broad leaved jungles. The route from Pollachi goes via Sethumadai, the nearest town for Top slip. Two wheelers are not allowed into the mountains for fear of animal attacks and we were disappointed to hear that. Finally, we hired a jeep (The jeep owner was an ally of the forest officer. Sort of an understanding between them) for Rs.500 and went ahead, hoping for a pay back in terms of animal sightings. Event managers shouldn’t be taken for granted. Not even a “wild squirrel” came our way and we were desperately looking out for those VIPs. We went to the point beyond which Kerala border begins. We stared at the animal sighting log sheet angrily where tiger and leopards were sighted the day before. Some Wild boars came that way to offer us some solace. We returned to Sethumadai and paid the driver and left for our next destination, a pristine non-commercial hill station, Valparai.
Day 13: VALPARAI:The road to Valparai goes through the Aliyar dam, which feeds the fields in the Coimbatore dist. It is a small dam but the locals make full use of the small picnic spot below the dam. After some quick photos we hit the ghat section, which involves 46 beautiful hairpin bends. The route is extremely picturesque all the way and the roads are very well maintained throughout. After around 25 hairpin bends, tea gardens dot the road. We reached the valley at 3 PM and checked into a good hotel. We scoured the websites for any picnic spots but couldn’t find any. Even the locals said that there is nothing to Valparai. We went to the Balaji temple, Om riding Pillion. The temple is a private owned shrine in a perfect sunset spot. The views of the surrounding mountains are breathtaking and we found a perfect vantage point to witness our first sunset in the hills. The moment finally came and we took some excellent photos of the sun hiding behind the tall mountains. The weather was very cold and I found it very tough to ride without my jacket on. My fingers went numb in the cold air and I quickly reached the hotel. After dinner, Om wanted to go to bed quickly but I went for a stroll to make a call back home. Only BSNL works in Valparai. No other service providers. The discussion with the PCO owner was the turning point of the day. He guided me to a private estate high above Valparai, which is the right spot for a misty sunrise. He said that there is a possibility of bisons grazing there and advised us to return immediately if one stares at us coz a biker is no match for a half a ton bulldozer. After getting the route from him, I went to bed with great expectations and dreams.Early in the morning we left for the spot, which is 16 km away on the Valparai-Pollachi road. A deviation in the left at the 16th km into the Ravi estate takes one through narrow and very steep roads. The increase in elevation was so quick that my ears closed off and I couldn’t hear anything. This steep road is not for Pillion riders and you need atleast a 20hp bike for pillion ride. Suddenly, we found ourselves amidst thick forest and the dim early morning light and the cold was a lifetime experience. The canopy cleared equally quickly and vast openness with mountainous backdrop appeared in front of us. There was not a definite road, but jeep tracks were present through which we could ride. We realized that the sunrise would happen anytime and decided to wait for it. Within minutes, the moment came and it was spectacular in the thick fog. We decided to spend sometime here, when we could spot a bison at a distance. A wild bison 200 m away and no one around us caused some jitters to me. We took couple of pictures from a safe distance and decided to leave the gentle giant alone. It was a totally satisfying morning and we came back at 8 AM.We left at 9 AM for Thrissur. The Athirappaly road, though which we traveled in Kerala was our route for the day. Locals warned us of animals on the highway and suggested that we follow a bus all the way to Athirapally. We decided to go alone, as the route was beautiful. After taking pictures at the Sholayar dam, 25 km from Valparai, we proceeded towards the Kerala border. The roads were getting narrower and more desolate. We were wondering whether the locals at Valparai could be right. After crossing the Kerala border, the roads were horrible and we didn’t dare to cross 20 kmph for fear of flat tires in this dense jungle. Sometimes, the noise of crickets muffled our engines. Though I was a bit terrified at the thought of encountering a wild animal, I wished for an animal sighting all the way. This did happen after a long wait near the Vazhachal falls where we spotted a herd of Elephants 50 m away. After deciding not to disturb them, we went ahead and were lucky enough to spot a huge python hanging from one of the trees. After some pictures and 50 km of nerve wrecking ride we reached the Vazhachal falls. The roads from here to Thrissur were a breezer and we reached Vikas’ house at 3 30 PM.
Day 14:OUR WAY BACK:The marriage was a memorable affair and we decided to leave on the same day of the marriage at 4 PM. Our target for the day was Coimbatore, from where I did my engineering, 130km away. We reached CBE in no time and checked into a hotel at 6 30 PM. After helping Arkob, Vikas’ friend to get a ticket to Bangalore, we had our dinner and went out to talk to bus drivers to know the condition of the Satyamangalam route. After getting assurance from them we slept off. What a good decision it was...
Day 15: We left Coimbatore at 8 AM and hit NH209 towards Satyamangalam. This was the best stretch of road in the entire trip. The roads were excellent and traffic free and the first hint of rains in the entire ride after Ponmudi. We rode on non-stop in beautiful weather till the Ghat section at Dhimbam, just after Bannari. The ghat section was gorgeous to say the least and we took some good photos and entered the Karnataka border. The contrast in road quality was very evident at the border, though it didn’t get much worse. We rode on steadily towards Chamraj Nagar, and then on to Nanjangud and then to Mysore. This would give one the best available stretch of roads, and the other options are not so good. We reached Mysore at 2 PM and had lunch at a dhaba on SH 17. It was time to go back to the concrete jungle and we rode non stop and reached Silk Board at around 6.15 PM. After taking some closure photos, I bode bye-bye to Om and reached home. When I parked my bike, I realized the magnitude of the ride I undertook. It was 3412 km, my longest till date and the best. We had covered entire Kerala and southern Tamil Nadu. We visited Cape Comorin and Palk Strait. We rode on some best roads in India and some of the worst, some of the most picturesque. Ampy was at her best, giving excellent average mileage of 43 kmpl. She never troubled me except for a puncture at Kochi and was ready to go at the press of my thumb. I spent a good 15 min talking to her and thanking her for taking me on this ride of a lifetime. What more could I ask for. That night, I dreamt again of riding alone in the Himalayas. Maybe that is where Ampy wants to go next. We will, Ampy. Wait and watch darling.
