Kanyakurmari-Rameshwaram bike ride-Day 2

Day 2: 31st Oct
          Good morning Pollachi, still cloudy and drizzling. Got freshen up and went to take breakfast. by 8:40am we started our journey towards Valparai.

General check up before starting

Reached the ghat section after driving for around 22km, 9am in morning hills are covered with clouds, couldn't take a single pic of Aliyar Dam as the view was blocked by fog.

most of the time it was covered by clouds

Once start climbing up for about 3km you will come to a Monkey fall, big water fall is there - be careful as the name suggest lots of monkeys are there near that place. Few of the monkey tried to open the saddle bag. So one has to guard the motorcycle while other went to see the fall. After driving for another 5km you will come to the starting point of 42 hair pin bend.

 

1 of the 42 hair-pin bend 

Still most part of the hills were covered by clouds couldn't see the beautiful landscape always heard about from friends. Driving slowly we crossed all the hair-pin bend. Its was awesome to ride in these ghats section. Traffic was less so we could enjoy riding slow and mesmerized by the nature. We stopped  near the tea estate to take snaps of Lion Tailed Macaque.

Stopped for taking photos, me & my bull taking rest, madhu chasing Lion-tailed Macaque - Valparai 8KM away

We couldn't take a good photo of Lion tailed macaque, as they were far away on the trees. Once we reached Valparai and asked few people for tourist places to visit near by area. As already we were running behind our planned schedule didn't wanted to waste much of the time so we headed towards suicide point. Why people always name a beautiful view point to suicide point? any hill station you go, you will find one suicide point. Now its greener everywhere because of tea plants. Every hill has been converted into tea estate.

on the way to view point

small house inside the tea estate

There was a temple at the view point - Nallmudai Punjolai. The priest was present when we reach there, he told us about the temple history and performed puja. You can see the border of Kerala from here. As it was cloudy there was no clear view. far away there few water fall.

View of distance waterfall from suicide point

By around 1:30pm we returned back to valparai and planned to head to Munnar. After driving for around 10km the rear tyre got puncture in middle of nowhere, we stopped one guy and asked for the puncture shop, he knew the guy in the puncture shop so he called and told the exact location where we were stranded. he told us that the guy will come in another 15 mins and once again it started drizzling. Waited there for the guy for 30 mins when he didn't turned up because of the rain, madhu walk 2km to reach the nearest communication point where he spoke once again with the mechanic he assured that he will come in 10 mins, but didn't came. Finally we decided to take out the rear wheel and take it to the nearest puncture repair shop. One middle age guy gave me lift till the puncture shop. Once the puncture was repaired once again took lift from a more guy who drop me till the point where the bull was parked. We place the rear wheel and are ready to roll. When ever you are going for long ride don't forgot to carry necessary tools with you! as in our case i was carrying all the tools except foot pump and puncture repair kit. So by 5pm we started from this place, on the way we stopped near Tiger hill view point for photo shot.

View of tiger Hills

View of tiger Hills 

 panoramic view of Tiger hills

It was getting dark when we got down the ghat section, our plan to reach Mannur was not possible so thought to stay in nearest town, then headed towards Udumalaipettai, reached the 8:30pm. Got a decent lodge on Udumalapet - Munnar  road. Had dinner in near by restaurant and went to bed.

Route: Pollachi - Valparai - Udumalapet
Distance Covered: 200KM

Kanyakurmari-Rameshwaram bike ride-Day 1

Long weekend was on the menu we have to take only 3 days leave on 2nd, 3rd & 4th Nov as 1st will be holiday on account of Karnataka Rajyotsav and 5th is Deepawali  and have 10 days in hand for the trip. Few friends were interested to join but due to unavoidable circumstances all dropped out of the plan, So finally me, my bull and madhu were ready for the 8 days biking through the western ghats till the southern most part of India, Kanyakumari.

This bike ride will become one of my longest bike trip i have done. As its going to be longest trip i carried necessary tools required to do basic maintenance job. 



Day 1: 30th Oct
          All the required things are packed into the saddle bag the previous night, tanked up the bull to full tank & was all set for the trip. I started from my room by 6am and reached at madhu's place by 6:30am as planned to had breakfast at madhu's house. Had plenty of idli's with hot samber.
          After pet puja we are all set for our bike trip. Inspected the bike for last time as all was good and ready to roll. By 7.50am we started our longest bike trip from bangalore. Passed Kanakapura town by 9:10am and reached our first pit stop after crossing Kaveri river.

125KM : First break after crossing Kaveri river near Kollegal. Refreshed our self with fresh sugarcane from the fields.

After 15 mins break once again we hit the road, now the roads are passing through villages won't feel like its a National Highway. Once we crossed Chamarajnagar and toched the western ghat we took second pit stop near Dhakam.

 230KM, 2nd Break, BR Hills, Starting of 21 hair pin bend, awesome view of BR Hills

The clouds were gathering when started to go down the hill, and it started raining.

Clouds ready to burst into rain

By the time we reach Sathyamangalam we were fully drenched in rain, rain stopped when we enter the town,stopped for lunch and had south indian thaali. As we had planned to halt at Valparai, we hit the road with out waste much time. Now its like where ever we are heading rain also follows us. By 4:30pm we reached Coimbatore, once again it started raining from here till Pollachi it rained cats & dogs, everywhere roads are flooded with rain water. Reached Pollachi by 6:30pm, as it was raining heavily we parked the bull inside hotel parking lot and took out the poncho & started searching for accommodation. It was like whole town of Pollachi was submerged in water, everywhere 1 feet deep water was running criss- cross for lower grounds. After searching for almost 1 hour got a decent lodge and unpacked the saddle bags and put the wet clothes for drying up. Got freshen up and headed to have dinner, outside still it was drizzling. After good light dinner it was timing for heading to bed.

Day 1 Route: Bangalore - Kanakapura - Chamrajanagar - Satyamangalam - Coimbatore - Pollachi
Distance Covered: 400km