Funny how the best laid out plans can change at the last minute due to very simple (and probably stupid) reasons. The route from Goa to Bangalore was a no-brainer, or atleast what it seemed as per the answers I got on this forum.
Head towards Karnataka on NH66, take a left at Ankola and head on NH/SH 67 towards Hubli, and from there on continue on the GQ (NH4) and you'll reach Bangalore. I even had a list of restaurants where I could have dinner/snacks between Hubli and Bangalore with sufficient feedbacks from tbhpians. I had done that extent of planning. It was as simple as that.
Or so it seemed on paper.
But when you experience the stunning Konkan roads, the Ankola - Hubli - GQ route doesn't seem that good an option. You start thinking otherwise. You wonder if it would be better to keep continuing on this route and take a call later on.
And so the seed was sown.
Meanwhile on the road, I still have to face the first pothole since I left Goa - the road is still that good.
Time after time I pass through these occasional ghat sections with their own twisters just adding to the fun of the drive. It's moments as these that you are again and again reminded of how flexible this car is - it takes to hilly routes as easily as the straight highways.
The sea is always at a stone's throw away. Seriously, if any of you guys have any contacts out here, please consider this as an request - I'd love to spend a week or two out here. Just to enjoy a simple, peaceful life away from the daily nonsense.
And of course, so is the Konkan railway, running parallel to the highway. Contrary to my earlier self-imposed decision, I stop again to take a few snaps of the local surroundings.
In retrospect I wish I had taken a few more minutes to get out the tripod from the boot and use it. It's pictures like these that make you believe you could have got a better shot. But the clock ticks, and I still have a long way to go.
Soon I come to a junction where the signboard clearly says -
- Left : Hubli
- Straight : Mangalore
And it takes me just a second to decide which route to go. And straight it is
And like that, all that planning goes down the drain.
Over the next hour or so, my decision seems to be a good one. If not the sea, then there are always these water-bodies coming up every 50 odd kms, with the occasional bridge over these rivers/lakes.
Soon I come to the town of Kumta, a small sleepy town that seems to be almost forgotten by most. There are very few people to be seen out here, and just a few government buildings. Now the ideal route to be taken should have been :
Kumta - Honavar - Sagara - Shimoga - Tumkur - Bangalore
This was a decently known route, particularly as the scenic Jog falls comes on this route. Also I remember reading somewhere on one of the threads about the route being redone recently.
However what GoogleMaps baba shows me that there is an alternate, and shorter route via Siddapur :
Kumta - Siddapur - Sagara - Shimoga - Tumkur - Bangalore
On an impulsive note, I ask for directions to Siddapur to a local. He points me to a left turn, a single lane darting away from the highway. Something doesn't seem right, but I tell myself - it's only a 70 kms detour. What can go wrong?
Initially for the next 20-30kms the decision seems fine. It's a single lane road winding through villages, with hardly any traffic. I am able to maintain close to 80+ speeds. But then suddenly the tarmac starts breaking up. And it gets worse and more worse. Soon I'm traversing only at 40-odd speeds. Plus the scenery which used to pass through a village every 5-10 kms, now turns to forest cover.
So the situation seems to be like this
- Hungry driver. Last meal taken was a dosa at 11 in the morning
- Decent amount of fuel - no issues on that aspect
- No mobile connectivity
- No locals around. No traffic at all. No one to ask for directions. Even if there are, local language not known
- Forest cover all around
- Roads fit for SUVs, tractors and bullock carts only
A sane person would have turned around and gone back to Kumta. Me? I sensed an adventure. All I could think - wow, what an awesome post this would turn out on tbhp!
And so, like an idiot, I kept continuing ahead. And guess what, it just gets better. The road starts climbing, so it seems we are now on to the hills. Thankfully the road gets a lil better and I decide to up the speed.
But then this comes up and I have to stop.
Waterfalls on the Ambola ghat with all options available did not make me stop. But a small untouched waterfall, with literally nobody around, in rural Karnataka makes me ga-ga. I get down, splash around like a kid in the waterfalls. For a moment I think of giving the car a wash - she was quite dirty.
Thankfully, my common sense prevails and I decide to continue ahead. The road starts climbing up the hill and then I see the first human being after a long time. There are workers putting up a cement road! Suddenly from a broken down hilly track, suddenly I'm onto a nice, curvy cement track with absolutely no other vehicles. The situation doesn't look so bad now, considering there seems to be civilization. It seems this road is being layered, with the work starting from Siddapur side. Hopefully over this year, the entire route till Kumta might get laid with a proper cement/tar track! If that happens, I'll surely recommend this route to all.
While I'm traversing on the rural routes, I kept seeing these locals walking aside the route. I wonder if this is a simple, home-made rain-coat for these guys. Any of you guys can explain this to me?
Finally I reach the town of Siddapur. A few questions to the locals ensures I'm on the right route to Sagara, and more important, back to NH69. I see the signs to Jog falls, unfortunately I have no time for any more "detours". It's a real pity, I didn't plan out this earlier. In retrospect I could have stayed over at any of the villages/towns and reach Bangalore a day later.
I stop at one of the towns and have a cup of coffee and a bun. I realize, it's filter coffee! The first one on this trip. The sugar is less, and probably the milk too, but I'm not complaining. It's close to 6 and I haven't had any lunch. I again make the mistake of not having something more solid. Bangalore is another 400 kms, and I decide to pass a meal for now. Big mistake, as my next meal is only in Bangalore, a good 6 hours later!
The next hours simply whiz by! Shimoga, Bhadravathi, Tarikere, Banavara, Arsikere, Tiptur - all just are a blur in my memory. It's already dark, so I don't even think of stopping over for a pic. Finally I reach Tumkur around 9 and with it the GQ. This is probably the only time I ever show pleasure at seeing a traffic jam (
at the Tumkur toll). I call up my friend, inform him of my current position, and ask him to get dinner for me.
Soon I come to Dobbspot, where I need to take the detour to Doddaballapur. As my destination is Hoskote, this roundabout route was a better option, than going through the city. I also give a call to
Nilesh to check on possible options to meet up. Although I was completely dead, and very hungry, and in no possible condition to spend any extra time outside I remember asking him if there was a possibility of meeting up later in the night! lol.
Finally, close to 11.30 in the night, I finally reach Hoskote, tired, almost dead, absolutely hungry, but safe and sound. The drive took me close to 11 hours, for a distance just over 650 kms. Except for the coffee break, and the occasional photo-breaks, it was a non-stop drive. I have a blister on my right foot, I literally gorge up all the food available and within minutes of that, I am snoring away like a baby!
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If given a choice, would I do it again?
Of course. Without doubt.
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