I am on the last leg - back to Bangalore.
I really appreciate you guys staying with me this long. And thanks to the people who have rated this thread 5 stars
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Originally Posted by Neil Roy It is one thing to go the distance alone living your dream and another to capture your trip in such a way that you make the reader a virtual pillion rider on your escapades. Maybe you rode alone, but i feel, having read your posts end to end, that I was with you, right down to the back breaking pain of riding a two wheeler long distance. I am so glad that you have taken the time out to make us a part of your ride. Cant wait to read more. Keep it up. |
Glad you liked the trip and my style of writing has been inspired by travellers from ADVRider who really capture your imagination and keep you glued to their stories. Mine is on a much smaller scale and I hope to be able to write an "Around the World on a motorcycle" report some day.
Oh and I wouldn't really call it back-breaking pain. It is biking nirvana
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Originally Posted by parassoni Awesome Travelogue @Naveenroy!! Couldn't agree more with Neil, I'm almost so gripped that I think i rode pillion! Can't wait for your last leg completing the Diamond!
Also, I agree that Valparai/pollaci wud've been awesome Ride considering the Tea Estate countryside and breathtaking views!
More power to Riders like you! How I wish to do one now!! (Maybe soon! ) |
Thanks to you too. Well, it didn't turn out to be a diamond-shape in the end. You will see how it ended in this post. Yes, badly wanted to complete Valparai - Pollachi too but it didn't work out.
Yes, get out your bike and ride. Don't have one - buy one
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Since today was the last stretch - I wasn't too crazy about starting off too early. I'd already tanked up the previous night too. But I'd still woken up at 05:30 and slowly packed up my stuff. It finally struck me that my ride was nearing completion - and that I would have to go back to my monotonous work life soon afterwards. Stark reality.
Planned to have breakfast somewhere along the way and packed the bags on the bike. Thankfully the manager was awake since I had informed him the previous night. Settled the accounts and rode out of the hotel compound - great morning though. It had rained a bit during the night and the roads were clean and the sky looked great. Fresh morning air.
Caught up to the NH and rode on towards Salem. Empty roads and I noticed a couple of long riding bikers - one on Enfield and another on a Pulsar. I let them overtake me as I was maintaining a speed of around 80 kmph. It is a wonderful feeling to ride without any pressure - you are riding alone, setting your own pace and the road is yours to ride. There is no friend who is pushing hard - trying to break the speed barrier, you are not forced to keep up with him. No one asking you why you have a powerful bike and are not pushing it. Inner peace.
Heheh, philosophy aside - I really enjoyed this stretch between Perundurai and Salem. I haven't ridden on those roads before.
I soon reached Salem and decided to stop for breakfast. It was already trafficky and was missing the open roads. Stopped at some small roadside restaurant and had idlis - my staple diet for breakfast on this ride. Started off again and it was a smooth ride until Krishnagiri - where the diversions (for road work) started. Aaaargh - this stretch has become a nightmare with cars and buses and bikes travelling fast, then breaking hard to miss the barriers. Scary.
I reached Hosur and then Attibele - entering Karnataka. It was good to be back home.
I guess I was back home by around 2 in the afternoon.
Thankfully there were no breakdowns, no mishaps throughout the ride. Enjoyable - no incidents to leave a bad taste in the mouth and it all pretty well went to plan. Maybe there was a higher power watching over me.
As promised, here is the final route of the ride - and the days/dates/distances.
I screwed up on the numbering in the posts though
Day 1 - 22nd Dec - 300 kms - Bangalore to Pondicherry
Day 2 - 23rd Dec - 170 kms - Pondicherry to Velankanni
Day 3 - 24th Dec - 300 kms - Velankanni to Rameshwaram, Dhanushkodi
Day 4 - 25th Dec - 300 kms - Rameshwaram to Nagercoil
Day 5 - 26th Dec - 20 kms - Nagercoil to Kanyakumari
Day 6 - 27th Dec - 0 kms - Nagercoil
Day 7 - 28th Dec - 300 kms - Nagercoil to Kochi
Day 8 - 29th Dec - 300 kms - Kochi to Perundurai
Day 9 - 30th Dec - 280 kms - Perundurai to Bangalore
All in all, a wonderful ride that I thoroughly enjoyed. Something that I wanted to do for a long time - and am glad that I could do it alone. If you really haven't ridden long distances alone - try it sometime - its really worth it.