The LAST day!!!
Day 10 : Chikkamagaur - Belur - Hassan - Mayura Hotel (nowadays is to be considered a spot on the Google map)- Magadi - *HOME*(Bangalore)
Started my day at 630 am. Chikkamagalur is a very cold place even in summer (almost). It was bone chilling cold and it was time for some "soodu chaya".
so it was 650 am almost when i started from Chikkamagalur. I had just cleared 15 odd kilometers and i completely lost the sensation in my hands. I could not feel anything with my fingers , it was kind of frozen.
I still remember last years WINTER RIDE where i had experienced something similar but this was worse . I stopped immediately seeing some people had made a bonfire besides the road. If not i would have free zed ....
My bike also feeling the cold
Very little pics as i was rushing to Mayura Hotel as BBians were to ride there on that day . It was BB(Bangalore Bikers) welcome ride to Mayura Hotel with 25+ bikers.
By the time i reached there, the group had already placed the order for food and were waiting for it. I was welcomed and i felt like king at that time .
Riding on Hassan - Belur route never had felt better than that day.
My favourite Pic
I was super excited at that time. I really wanted to go to Shettihalli as it was a new place for me though my native is Hassan. My pocket had already shrink-ed to nothing in reality. Had to get back home and my poor bike was exhausted and was crying for an engine oil change. Even while returning it was fun Via Magadi.
Enjoyed the ride thoroughly.
I seriously apologize for all the spelling mistakes (i blame the SMS system for it) that i have made in this entire Blog frankly its the first time i have ever taken interest in writing one. Its actually fun on the whole.
positives of the trip :
* Being alone leads to thinking more ,which is good.
* It was almost like a personality development program for me
* the BONDING between me and my Darling(RTR) became even better, i understood my bike much better .
* I always thought that to enjoy a trip atleast another person(company) was required , which is completely false belief.
* I am much much much more confident about myself after this grand SOLO ride.
* Again realized that i LOVE my BIKE...
Negetives,
Found nothing which caused me regret taking up this idea of riding all alone for such long.
Every place i have been to in this trip , i have made plenty of friends everywhere. I am lucky that i met such good people on the way, which felt great.
Had forgotten to mention this incident,,,
It was a completely incident free ride but there was a small occasion where i felt almost dead.(because of stories i had heard from many friends of mine) I had passed Vellore (towards Chennai day 1)and it was around 740 pm i guess and was dark already. That stretch of road wasn't made yet and we had to pass in the service road. Ahead of me was a overly loaded lorry with stones and behind me traffic was building. I never try to overtake by the left at most of the times as i am damn scared to do so. I had heard that we should not go close to heavily loaded trucks as their Tyre's tend to burst and when they do the impact would be high . So i had maintained a good distance from it and an Innova driver was honking at me for doing so. As i was almost to the end of the service road there was an explosion and i felt a sensation in my right thigh , immediately pulled over with my indicators on and just started to search for any signs of blood . To my bad luck the left rear Tyre had blasted and i was slightly towards the left at that time so i had worries in my mind. The foolish Innova driver was just laughing at me when i was checking myself. Luckily nothing had happened except a small stone hit on my thigh . Thanks to my jeans or else it would have entered my body easily.
Please maintain a decent distance while over taking lorries/trucks.. even at lower speeds.
thank you for reading my travelogue.... RIDE SAFE RIDE LONG
Day 9 : Dharmasthala - CHARMADI - Mudigere - Belur - Chikkamagalur - Kemmangundi(almost 9 or 10 kms short) - Seetiahnagiri - Mullianagiri - Chikkamagalur
I never had a fixed goal as to cover this much kilometers today and such sort of things in the entire trip except for day 6 and that too in the night. The whole concept was just to take things easy. And that's how i prefer to ride. Sometimes if i just feel like riding i never stop even if the scenery is to die for and some times i stop 'n' number of times even if it was a dry land for pics.
It was around 930 am when i vacated my room in Dharmasthala.
I stopped at this place for tea and saw a man eating idli. Dared to have a taste even after knowing coconut oil was used . Surprisingly it was pretty good.
Huh i have no words to describe Charmadi ghats . The problematic part of it has been redone and rest is also pretty good. For me though the ghat is so tiny , is one of the favorite ghat just for the scenery in monsoon time.
Charmadi......
My place (doesn't mean i own this place) where i like to stop for a Cofeeee. Again i am not saying it serves great coffee but the atmosphere is just awesome here.
Entered Chikkamagalur and found out that there was a public communist meeting in the city and people were in rally mood = crowded roads. Took about 25 mins to just reach the circle at which we have to take left towards Kimara jun. (in the city ) from there nature at its best .
Greenery and much more of it offered at the cost of just Rs 10.(entry cost).
I had stopped at this place just to call my mom that i was returning tomorrow as Signal was not available from here . And this is where i decided to head till the falls and see if there was any water left and head back.
Snacks break
View while having the snakes
en-route Kemmangundi...
greenery turned to brownie
I was stopped at the Kemmangudi check-post and my details were taken down . The lady in-charge gave me a bad news regarding the water falls, that the road was closed due to the ongoing repair works and that i could go till Kemmangundi. I had not been to that place also due to the heavy fog last time when i had been there in XBHP ISG2G 2012.
just 2 km after the check post the look of the tarmac completely inversed . I being an optimistic person went on hoping for a better road in the nearing, which proved to be false alarm. Had to turn back as it was just sharp stones all over . While going to Kemmangundi i had spotted a hotel board in front of a house (at this time food was the prime factor for me ) , so started the return journey in search of food.
found this at the place ("hotel")
The food was very very good. Simple rice and sambar and papad to go with it. To add to it all the forest rangers were there and had a long chat with them . The chat initially was about my route and the pain in the ass and ..........blah blah blah ,went on to people in Bangalore , modern women, pollution, the problems that the rangers face , poor functioning government etc................... i never complained . It was too sunny and i had to pass my time till 330 as it was just 2 when i stopped there.
Also came to know a shocking matter that there are tigers in Kemmangundi ?????????what???????? also the villagers told the same. is it true??????????
I was shaken off my ground at an instant.
some remainders
Such irresponsible drivers playing on the edge . This mess took more than half an hour to get cleared, including a war of heavy Sanskrit in Kannada and in Malayalam , was fun seeing it though.
Due to that pile up i pulled up a little back and parked in a safe place .
Mullianagiri....
Till about 430 pm it was very hot and i was having ice cream . The guy who sold it told me was leaving as it would be cold now. I just smiled . But after just 15 mins i was feeling cold with my leather jacket and gloves on. Even i was determined and had made my decision that i would leave only after some sunset clicks , and so did i.
There were many car drivers at the top and again the same routine of starting the conversation....... but made good friends . Out of which one driver of a Swaraj Mazda whom i had met once in Madikeri was the company for dinner and a little energy tonic. Overall Chikkamagalur was just awesome.
the last day left out.
