Experience equips us with more out-sight but nature has its own surprises to shower upon!
1st Oct 2014 - The agonising first night
We reached Mahaboob Nagar at 11pm , continued towards Raichur and then were invited by many potholes ,broken roads . My friend insisted to end that day's ride due to his constant drowsiness in those worst bad single lane roads also being night riding , we somehow managed to get to next town with my friend reaching in bus and I following it . It became 4am the next day and we wanted to take proper rest for at least couple of hours and hence traveled forth and checked into a hotel at 6am for 350 bucks covering hardly 200kms in that 9 hours time.
2nd Oct 2014 - The first feel of the Western Ghats
Woke up at 9am and started off to Go Karna . This route is one of the worst roads I have traveled due to being not only single but no sign boards and many sudden pot holes on the go which in one incident during the previous night , my friend's oversaw a pothole made almost lost balance of the bike and trip off. Doing nothing rather we continued our journey , ate breakfast at some Udipi named restaurant which was costly and not so great and reached Hubli in the mid evening where we had nice delicious upma, dosa which gave us instant energy , finally reached Go Karna at 9pm in the night . Go Karna hotels were fully packed with people and we were invited by the no rooms board at every hotel in that area , after searching for couple of hours luckily we could get an average room for a costly price of 800 bucks/12hrs . We fell as sleep that night and our day ended.
Saw Mahabaleshwar temple in the morning. The temple and the surroundings were quite unique and orthodox . I loved to be in the quite eccentric surroundings of the traditional Brahmins with their attire and was ogling at the women who looked like the best depiction of the Indo Dravidian Brahmin women. After the darshan it was the beach time , we went to a beach a few meters away and took couple of pics. There was a boat ride but we wanted to go to om beach and cover as many as places before the dusk sets in.Reached Om beach and took a boat ride where he covered the paradise, half moon beach which were all adjacently attached to one another forming a om symbol and hence the name. Came back the hotel room in the afternoon checked out of hotel and headed towards Udipi. We had lunch at a quite famous restaurant at the junction which deviates to Jog falls on the left and Murudeshwar to the right. After having sumptuous Manchuria,butter masala with naans , we thought to cover the Shimoga through Jog falls and reroute back to Murudeshwar and then travel back to Udipi covering everything we actually planned for. But as always throughout the journey we had bad luck being the ultimate winner , came till Jog falls took pictures and as it became evening by then we decided to go directly to Murudeshwar and skip the Shimoga. The road from Jog falls to Bhatkal was hill climb down road with loads of potholes and craters , we almost became fuel empty till we could find a local shop selling loose petrol and had put in 2 liters of it and finally reached Bhatkal at around 7 or 7.30pm. With no utter hesitation we traveled back to Murudeshwar and reached it around 8.40pm and as I said about bad luck the temple was just closed at 8.30pm after half an hour of extension. I was really cursing myself for what was happening all these days as I was not able to do justice to my inner instincts . I had even plans to abend this ride and going off home as I finally knew things might turn more ugly in the latter days due to the time lag all this while. I'm not ranting the lost time or my friend's leisureness though we already before did a Hyderabad - Chennai bike trip in two days I feel he got totally changed post his marriage. Being die hard fan of Mahesh babu , I always have this quote " Once you step into a battle , if you step back then you are not a man. " So I seriously took his words and planned to continue the rest of the journey. We took pics around the temple . I had two choices , either stay there and take darshan the early next morning or start off to Udipi and take rest there. I felt I would do this temple visit another time with family I skipped it and started towards udipi . On the en route we filled in petrol and also our bellies. We crossed Mangalore and finally reached Udipi in the night around 1am. Bad times happen always with us and again we were left with no hotels having a little place for us to rest. After roaming the Udipi all over we finally reached to a stagnant end and took rest in a bus stop at 3 or 4 am , waking up every now and then looking at our bags and cameras in fear of getting stolen. After sleeping hardly I woke up at 4.45 as I remember and felt sick of my stupid situation and started off to Mangalore and skip this place too . Just as we were going off after inquiring again for a last piece of hope a help came in the form of the hotel which their doors were open and I dont know why I asked my friend to inquire. To our heaven happiness he said there was an AC room which was just vacated couple of minutes back and we could use them till the morning for 1500rs/6 hrs. With no poking noses we straight away landed on their beds and dozed off the night sorry morning.
Places visited : Mahabaleshwar temple , Om beach,half moon beach, paradise beach,go Karna beach , jog falls
Places missed: Kudle beach, Mirijan fort ,Korthitha ,Murudeshwar temple , Shimoga
We woke at around 10am , got ready and started off to Sri Krishna temple which had a very big line by then I already knew that temples were cursing me not be visited and the other places not allowing me to have in them . We took couple of pictures and there was this annadanam line which was having around 20 odd people before us and Udipi being famous for food we stood there for around 40mins as it starts at 12pm. Waited , waited and waited having no patience we came out thinking there is much distance cover to do and we should proceed further and we came out and there you see the line moved and every other guy who was in the last could go in. I laughed at my myself and went to Malpe beach and from there to St Mary islands by boat which ate us 2 more hours. After coming out , we looked around Kaup beach and reached Madekiri at night. Again the badluck, Madekiri is famous for the Dasara celebrations in the night. There were thousands of people roaming around and watching those celebrations. Agonising in frustration due to no accommodations we lost hope and sat at a shop near by and put our luggage in it and started searching for room but no luck. While waiting devastedly at the shop dreaming of shelter we met couple of regional language guys who too came in for the celebrations and over couple of talks they gave us a number which could help us if possible. We later called him up and he said no rooms and try to call him after couple of hours meaning it was around 1am by then. With no other option left we sat on the steps where the procession was going on. Even though it was very famous and noisy that was no match to our tiredness and drowsiness . When we suddenly woke up we understood that we slept for around 30-45mins and this was not the right place. After calling up again to the same number we tried before he asked us to meet at place i.e near the guest house and voila he asked to go in and could stay that night. Another happiest moments and cosy sleep for couple of hours too.
Places visited : Malpe beach, st Mary's island, Kaup beach
Places missed : Srikrisha Temple.
Got ready by 9am and visited Maheswara temple ,fort ,raja street and Abbi falls. There were couple of policemen looking for a body of one of guys who was drowned yesterday there. Next we headed towards Wayanad , the roads were good and better now and after couple of hours we reached Wayanad district. With no clue of where to stay with somehow communicating with the Kerala people in their language and using hand symbols we locked the next stop would be Bathery and finally reached Sulthan Bathery at 6pm that evening. We checked into a hotel at 400rs/night and as per his information all the tourist spots will be closed by 6pm. With nothing to do we roamed around the city checking for food places and finally ended up in decent ambiance hotel. The menu had everything but no veg. After more asking he told the only veg item was the ullapam and green peas , with no other option we gulped in couple of them and went directly to our rooms resting that day.
Got ready by early morning and we started off to Muthanga wild life sanctuary . On the way there was a diversion to chevalayam waterfalls and after going in further we found that it has been closed by the forest officer . We came all the way back and reached the sanctuary ,the ticket cost us 440 rs with another couple on a sharing basis . We could spot deers , peacocks but no ferocious cats . After the one hour safari we headed towards the Soochipara waterfalls and had breakfast containing boiled vermicelli and same parota and green peas. On the way we saw Kantappa water falls and then reached soochipara waterfalls and took couple of pictures. The edakkal caves was closed being monday as their regular closing day and was no surprise of what we were facing these all these while. From there we went around 10kms to fuel up the bike and reached Chembra peak just before the closing time. The scenery was awesome and sunset was just out of words. We almost spotted every 9 out of 10 ten people sported wearing a different facial and hair style and on inquiring they were all crazy for the Tamil actor Surya's recent look in the movie. We came back home and ate biryani and fried rice in the nearby by hotel and the day was done.
That night my friend got a call from his wife asking him to change the plan and head back to Tirupathi i.e his mother in laws home and he told me the same in the morning. Infuriated by his effects and off the schedule by way enough I just told him to go where ever he wanted to and I would proceed further to our next designated stop i.e Alleypey. I went to the nearby ATM and drew some money for him cursing myself how my journey took this kind of devastated route When I was about to reach the hotel I just though to myself If I was doing right leaving him all alone . I went directly to him and apologized for being rude and told him that I will join him to go back . I can again plan to go there It was just a selfish friendship break If I would have gone to Alleypey. We started off in the early dawn to Bangalore and crossed the Muthanga forest . We could see deers and peacocks on the road and the weather was just perfect of what a biker would wish for. On the way we headed to Bandipur wild life sanctuary and saw elephants this time but no luck on the tigers or lions. we ate nice dosas and Idlis and finally in the evening reached Hosur , my friends friends house and halted for that day .On the route we saw Mysore palace , extinct kingdom . We met couple of our college mates and had dinner in a chettinad restaurant . The dinner buffet was okay. Reached back to my friends house in heavy rain that day in the midnight and went back to sleep.
We got up little late , we started off to Tirupathi and ate break fast at anand bhavan on the route. The highway was pretty good and roads after coming into Andhra pradesh became a little worrysome with potholes and continuous downpour. On the route we rode through Chittor where I studied my 2nd class and cherishing those moments I spent at the home or at the school I captured them in my lens and took those memories with me. We went to Kanipakam on the way and it was closed too being amavasya that day. We visited my friends relatives house and finally reached his mother in laws home in the night. After eating dinner and speaking to them for couple of hours we took it off for the day.
9th Oct 2014 - A darshan of the world's favorite Hindu temple
In the morning we visited Gopalaswamy temple ,kapilatheertham and finally the Tirumala god and came out after 3 hours of segra darshan in the evening around 4pm. The rain started heavily and we could reach home by the night only. No more updates for today and it calls if for the day.
We started off to Hyderabad in the early hours and munched nandyala took break and reached kurnool around 12pm . Thinking it would hardly take 3 or 4 hours to reach hyderabad I called up my office mates that I will come directly to office. Just after hardly couple of kms the engine started giving big sound and I understood that it was going to be a big problem.We got down from the nh-7 and went to a mechanic shop. To our utter surprise there was hardly around 200ml of oil left though we changed before coming to bangalore i.e 700kms back. It was castrol power one . This time we changed to valvoline and he asked us to ride for couple of kms and the sound would subside. But even after driving the sound began to increase. We checked with another mechanic this time and asked us to go and there wont be any problem other than just the sounds coming and no break downs. Feeling a little happy we started going again and just after a single digit km the bike halted ending us the journey. frustrated ,devastated and many other feelings as I still remember that day when I was stranded on the same highway couple of years ago and today's scene was no less than the same. I asked my friend to do whatever he wants and I just slept sad on the road . After couple of shots with the local trolleys we finally an auto trolley agreed to take us in for 2000rs till the requested bike service center. On the way all these days were echoing in my brain thinking of what I did and had to do this journey without any happiness or satisfaction. After coming to the outskirts I quickly changed my dress and went directly to my office and then after couple of coding issues sorted out I went back home in my collegue's bike.
Each and every journey in our life puts us in situations of taking different routes and leaves it to us what actually we are stand for
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