Pushing beyond the Limits. Rides that reveal the material you are made of

September 25, 2016

Pushing beyond the Limits. Rides that reveal the material you are made of

In my opinion, there are two kinds of travellers in this world: the kind that enjoys the place they are visiting, more than the travel, and the other kind that enjoys the travel more than the place itself (comparison made in relative terms and doesn’t mean that either parties enjoy only one thing strictly). Well, I belong to the category that finds travel more thrilling and that is one reason why I ended up spending more time sleeping in hotel rooms rather than going out and exploring the destinations in a couple of trips at least. I am more than excited to share the experiences from the most adventurous trip I have had so far.

This wasn’t a planned trip and everything that happened was just spontaneous and that’s probably why the trip was just too amazing. I set a couple of personal records in the trip which involves the longest distance covered in a single day (766.1 Km), longest trip I have ever done (1498.3 Km in 45 hours), longest time I spent on my bike in a single day (14 hours of riding on the first day, 18 hours in total on the road until day one was completed. 15 hours of riding on the second day and 19 hours in total on the road), longest hours and distances covered in the night ever (more than 6 hours and 300+ Km of night ride on day one and 7.5 Hours and 400+ Km on the second day). You will possibly think I am a bragger when I say all these figures but you will understand why I am telling all these only if you read it along the lines of the fact that I belong to the second category of travellers: the kind that enjoys the travel more, and factors mentioned are the ones that make every ride more adventurous, exciting, and beautiful for us. The story won’t be complete if I don’t mention them.

How it happened

It was a Friday afternoon in the office and would have been just business as usual if I hadn’t got a phone call from my uncle asking me to deliver a package to his friend in Kottayam, Kerala. There was nothing exciting for me in the request until he told me that he wanted it delivered that weekend itself. That weekend meant nothing but the next day and considering the places I had to go and the distance I had to cover, going by bus was obviously out of question. I was already thrilled about the ride and was checking out routes in the map by then. I told him that bike was the only option to go and he would have to convince mom to approve the trip (yeah, I think anyone will easily understand what this particular part means. No matter what a badass you pretend to be, it’s not going to happen if mom says no) . He didn’t sound very confident when he said he would do that and that was understandable considering the fact that uncle is my mom’s youngest brother and he himself receives his share of lectures and advices even now. However, I was happy since I had passed on the responsibility to his head (that’s what Indians love the most right? Passing responsibilities to someone else’s head). I still wasn’t done with the paper works and permissions because the request was not yet submitted for approval from my brother but that wasn’t a difficult thing to get at all.

Tasks involved going to Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu (around 410 Km from Bangalore), buying a medicine, delivering it to a place called Uvhavoor, Kottayam, Kerala (around 430 Km from Thanjavur) and then coming back to Bangalore by Sunday night so that I could go to office and continue the routines uninterrupted (which wasn’t what happened actually, by the way). I sat with paper and pen and after a few minutes of calculations I decided that it was possible to cover until Uzhavoor on day one if I left Bangalore by 5:00 AM at least on Saturday. I wanted to leave office a bit early to get some good sleep and was getting thrilled every time I thought about the next day’s ride. Oh boy, it’s time for adventure.

The trip

I had set alarm for 4:00 am the previous night but I have no memory of hearing it and I got up at 5:00 am instead. It was okay even though I was getting late by an hour because I had considered one hour buffer in case if things were getting late. I left home by 6:00 am and there was already enough sunlight to make the ride easy. The ride on TN expressways are cliché and you can use the same description even for your 100^th trip on these roads. However, there was something to the fun factor because roads were crowded than usual and the frequent lane changes to pass vehicles made sure that the ride wasn’t getting any boring on those stretches.

Namakkal – Trichy (Thiruchirappally)

This was the second best stretch I covered during the trip and it was a two lane road spread across the beautiful paddy fields of Tamil Nadu along the banks of Kaveri. The road was not that great in terms of tarmac quality considering the usual standards of TN roads but was definitely good enough to not spoil the fun of the ride. There were potholes occasionally but not bad enough to bother you during the trip. Since this is the same route that goes to Velankanni, you will see a lot of pilgrims clad in saffron clothing and would probably make you wonder if this is an Indian version of ‘Camino De Santiago’ with number of pilgrims increasing for every Km you cover. The number of pilgrims might have had something to do with Nativity feast that was less than three weeks away.

Trichy – Thanjavur

This was my first ever visit to Trichy and I must say Trichy is just a beautiful city from whatever I saw in the short time I spent on its roads. I just loved the way the roads and traffic were managed and I never ran into any bottlenecks which is a commendable thing for a city that big. Another thing I noticed is the cleanliness which amused me so much that I got suspicious if it was just the areas that I saw during the ride that was clean. I googled about cleanliness of the city when I was back in Bangalore and wasn’t surprised to learn that this is the 6^th cleanest city in the country. The Thanjavur road cut through BHEL area and some other central government establishments and the regions are so beautiful, calm, and peaceful. There were a couple of temples on the way that gave a hint that the city has a good architectural taste as well.

I wasn't lying about beauty of Trichy roads.

...and the architecture

I didn’t get a feel of Thanjavur since the expressway went around through the outskirts towards Saliamangalam. I had to travel another 20 Km to reach Papanasam, which was my final destination. The expressway ends shortly after Thanjavur and till Saliamangalam, the road was under construction. However, once you take left from Saliamangalam towards Papanasam, the ride gets really soothing with the greenery of paddy fields on either side of the extremely narrow village road, which looks much like floating in a green sea.

Beginning of the adventure

The adventurous part of the ride started from Papanasam because my whole schedule got delayed by at least 3 hours here. The medicine I came to buy, was made available only by around 5:45 PM even though I reached here by 2:00 PM and I was able to start from Thanjavur only by 6:00 PM. I was getting concerned because it was a risky shot to ride until Kottayam the same day since I still had to ride another 420 Km out of which only around 160 Km was expressway. This meant my average speed would get hugely affected and I would have to ride the winding stretches of Western Ghats at night after being deprived of sleep for a very long time. This was definitely not a wise thing to do and I decided to ride until Dindigul and crash at some hotel and call it a day.

There was a problem with Plan B as well because I would be around 250 Km shy from my day one target and this meant I would have to ride another 250 Km extra the next day. Altogether, that would make it a ride for more than 850 Km for day two which was not very feasible since half of that distance was crowded two lane roads on which it gets real difficult to average more than 60 Kmph usually. However, after weighing down all the factors, I decided to stay at Dindigul itself since I was getting tired with each minute that passed and I usually avoid pushing my body beyond its limits when I have to ride or drive due to safety concerns. I set a target to reach Dindigul by 8:30 pm so that I could get proper rest and start off by early morning next day.

I crossed Trichy soon enough and was heading straight on the expressway thinking that I was in the right direction. Even though there were a couple of busy junctions and cross roads on the highway outside Trichy city, there were no major intersections that suggested a major route change but the fact was that I had to take an exit right after city in order to get on to the Dindigul expressway. I rode on the Madurai expressway for at least 15 Km before I got suspicious and it was already dark by then and it was getting difficult to find some help. I decided to ride further ahead until I found someone to ask for directions and luckily I met a cab driver after a couple of minutes. He told me the obvious thing that I was on the wrong road had to head back to city to take the Dindigul road. However, he told me there was an easy route that would take me to the highway but it was not a proper road and went through the paddy fields but would eventually intersect with the Dindigul expressway. He advised me to consider that option if I was confident enough to navigate safely through the road. I decided to go for the second option and I didn’t have to regret it at all.

The road was not proper and that was quite understandable because there was only one small village on the entire stretch and didn’t seem like the road was used much other than for farm vehicles. There were ten kilometres of bumpy ride with paddy fields on either sides and I told myself that it was making my day. Finally I hit the Dindigul highway and switched to safe ride mode. My safe ride mode at night on express ways involves keeping the speed checked at less than 80 Kmph and ensuring that I have a clear visibility of the road ahead. What I usually do for this is finding some vehicle that goes at around 80-90 Kmph and follow it at a distance on a different lane. There are two reasons for doing so, one: I have clear visibility until the car with my own headlights and beyond the car with its headlights and two: In a possible case where I need to slowdown such as a hump or a pothole, a dog or human jumping in front, I will get enough time to respond based on the car’s behaviour.

However, all the vehicle’s where zooming past me definitely at speeds more than 100 kilometres per hour and I had to remain patient until I was able to find the right car. Finally, I found a swift desire that was going at around 90 and decided to tail him. Luckily he was there until Dindigul and I reached the city by around 8:30 PM which was really good in terms of time. I started looking for hotels but most of them were full and the ones that were free was damn expensive. I called upon my brother to check for rooms online but he too had only disappointing news for me. While he was still checking for other options, I decided to ask some porters, who were sitting beside the road, about road conditions until Kumily. This was because Kumily was midway between Dindigul and Kottayam and was only 150 kilometres more from Dindigul. It would have been really beneficial if I was able to complete this stretch because it would help me to cut down the extra kilometres I had to do for the next day to just 100 kilometres from 250. The only reason for not considering this option was safety because, keeping aside Theni and Cumbum towns in between, there are no major towns or villages on the road and I was not sure about getting help, god forbid, if I got into some trouble. My friends who travel this road often also warned me to avoid it even though it wasn’t entirely a risky affair.

The porters I met (not just the porters, people of Tamil Nadu are extremely good and humane as far as I know. I have had only the best experiences with them so far. I know some of you might come up with arguments with respect to politics but that is an entirely different context) were so nice and encouraging that they gave me every details I needed to know about Dindigul – Kumily stretch. They reassured me that there is frequent vehicle movement on the road and it wouldn’t be difficult to get some help in case of an emergency. By the time I had finished the conversation, my brother also called me up and he suggested me to go to Kumily and stay there for the night. I was morally recharged to take up the challenge and it was then I saw a Kerala RTC bus heading to Kottayam passing by. That would have been a lottery for me if I got to tail that bus because I wouldn’t have anything to worry at all in that case. I told the porters that I was going to follow that bus but, concerned, they quickly checked the route and found out that it was going around Pollachy which was not the route I was supposed to take. Even though I was disheartened a little bit, the porters gave me confidence and told me to just hit the road.

I decided to have some snacks and get a coffee boost before starting the final stretch for the day and started off to Kumily. The Dindigul-Theni-Cumbum route is a beautiful two lane road that is simply amazing. My worries and fears went for a toss as soon as I hit the road and I simply enjoyed my ride throughout. In fact, this was the best stretch I did in the entire trip. Beautifully constructed road lined with reflectors and moderate curves was a perfect finale for an amazing day. My only stops during the final stretch included one coffee break at Theni and a prayer break at the St. Mary’s shrine on the Cumbum – Kumily pass section. There was a happiness and relief after I said my thanks to mother Mary for keeping me safe during the entire ride and admired her beauty for a little while before starting off to Kumily. The pass section, even though short, is a small feast for a rider and can be really enjoyed, responsibly. After a thorough checking of my bag by both Tamil Nadu and Kerala police at the border (think twice before taking weed across the borders I tell you) I reached Kumily finally by 12:30 am. I checked into the first hotel I saw and crashed as soon as I could.

I got up by 6:00 am because I knew I was on a tight schedule and had no time to spare with my destination still another 100 kilometres away. I had started from Kumily by 7:00 am and reached Uzhavoor by 11:00 am. The Kottayam – Kumily road is an awesome stretch to do on a bike and I was thrilled to start the day with such a good ride. I handed over the package to my uncle’s friend and started from there by 11:30 after taking a good rest. I knew I would get tired and the 5 hours of sleep was not sufficient enough to revive me from previous day’s exhaustion but I had no choice but to keep it going until I reached Bangalore. Even though I was not tired by then, I knew I would be tired by evening and therefore I had to cover a significant distance before that happened. I stopped for lunch by around 12 and started off with my calculations.

I realized I was running late and even if I rode non-stop, I would reach Salem only by 7 pm. This was not a good idea because I knew my body wouldn’t be able accommodate so much exhaustion. I thought about two options, one: leave bike at Fabid’s house in Palakkad and go to Bangalore by bus and two: get a good sleep at his place and continue the ride. I called up my brother to check bus tickets and yet again, the results were disappointing and thus option one was scratched off. I called up Fabid’s dad to inform him about my plans but unfortunately they were not going to be at home in the evening. I decided to just keep riding and in the worst case to take a hotel in Salem and get a good rest. I started off and luckily the roads were not crowded at all for Kerala standards and I made it a quick run to Thrissur.

I had reached Puthukkad signal and while waiting for the signal, I remembered the last time I stopped at a red signal there. That was in December 2014 and a Traveller van hit me hard enough to cause damages amounting to 23000 INR to my bike and possibly a lot more to myself in case if I was not properly geared up (invest in riding gears I tell you, it will be totally worth it some day). I decided to take rest on the service road and that’s when it struck me that Suraj’s house was near Puthukkad and he is home on vacation. Bingo! I messaged him and he called me and, thank my lucky stars, he was at home and I finally found a place to take a good nap. He and his parents had come down to celebrate Onam at home and I got a proper sleep for three hours at his home after having amazing ‘Payasam’. I hope they had a real good vacation. I had evening tea and snacks from his home and started from there by 6:15 pm. He showed me the new Royal Enfield classic 500 he gifted his dad and accompanied me until highway on that beast.

Ride until Palakkad was a bit difficult considering the overcrowded road and occasional potholes and too much light glare that was hurting the eyes. Even though I was feeling much energetic after the good sleep, I just wanted to hit the Coimbatore – Bangalore expressway so that I could ride tirelessly for the remaining distance. I had my dinner at Walayar, the border town, and headed straight to Coimbatore. The L & T highway was rather difficult at night because of the newly developed potholes and high vehicle density. Due to visibility issues, I had to tail behind a mini-truck until I reached the Salem express way.

Coimbatore to Salem was smooth as butter with convenience of three lanes for a major share of the stretch, and amazing visibility enhanced with reflectors on all required regions. However, Salem to Bangalore was not as smooth as the previous stretch because it was more crowded and there was always a chance of people suddenly jumping in front of the bike which made me over-conscious. I had to stick to my plan of tailing vehicles in this stretch to be on a safer side but it was getting really difficult to find a car that was going under 100 kilometres per hour. I was switching between different cars every ten minutes to maintain my speed and it was then a TN registered Hyundai Verna appeared. Somehow, he figured out that I was tailing behind cars and he took it upon himself to be my pilot. He passed me and then on adjusted his speed every time I had to catch up, cautioned me with indicators whenever an intersection or U-turn came, or whenever we had to slow down. He accompanied me until before Krishnagiri and we honked at each other as courtesy when we parted our ways. I would like to thank him once again for the kindness he showed to me that day.

Krishnagiri to Bangalore is our usual playground and we used to come here quite often as college students for dinner and stuff. But, a problem had developed with my right hand finger by then because it had got infected from a wound that happened almost a week back. Due to heavy riding and stress on my hand, the wound got infected and I had to remove my gloves when the pain became unbearable. The pain was getting real bad with each passing minute and I just wanted to reach home somehow. Finally I made it to Bangalore by 2:40 am and my finger had swollen up like a marble. I had to go to hospital and get an injection before I could go back to home and get some sleep finally.

Amazing photos from the Amazing trip

Initial meter reading

Namakkal - Trichy road

Below is the state of Kaveri's main body. Decide for yourself if water is a need.

Below is just one from the many pictures I took of several branches of Kaveri that I happened to cross. They all look just like this. Decide for yourself if water is a need.

Thanjavur

Heard you guys liked contrast!

Saliamangalam. The last batch of sunlight I banked on, on day one.

I kinda realized that I don't have a lot of pictures of myself. Hence the selfi, before starting the final stretch of day one after the pit stop.

Remember I told you about them reflectors and beautiful roads. Now see them.

Pic of bae with Cumbum town in the background. Taken from a point at half way through the ascend.

Anddddd... day one has ended.

Kumily

Kuttikkanam

People traveling through Kottayam - Kumily road should definitely try the food at this restaurant. It is very close to Kumily and serves yummy food at really cheap price.

Time for some RoadGasm

Mehh!!

Here are some pictures of this seductive beauty called Idukki

Pala bypass

That is the hotel on the left where I had my lunch on day two

I just like this picture for some reason

Below is Aluva Puzha (Periyar River). Dedicated to those romances that flowered and also to the ones that failed around it. This river never failed to serve the happy ones and the depressed ones alike.