[Added_flavor]

Day 3: January 3rd, 2014: Malpe-Udupi-Karkala-Charmadi-Mudigere-Hassan-Bangalore

I woke up early to the beautiful chirps of sparrows and next moment I remembered that I had woken up in the middle of the night to my own little shriek. I vaguely remembered telling myself it is a bad dream and sleeping. All thanks to the highly tense walking adventure I thought.

Got fresh and walked to the beach in search of some hot coffee. Had a long look at the place where I was lost in the darkness and I realized I had entered somebody's private property next to the beach. Funny how such a calm beautiful place can seem and look eerie after dark!

Walked further to find all the restaurants/shops closed. Came back to the cottage and decided to visit the world famous Sri Krishna Matha in Udupi. A quick look at the map to see the road to Udupi is on the other side of the NH and I continued further to witness nice broad roads and good infrastructure in Udupi and Manipal wondering why only Namma Bengaluru has such bad roads when cities like Udupi and Mysore have lovely roads! Found the direction board to Sri Krishna Temple and in no time I was in front of the temple.



Once I entered the temple, I realized there's a big neighborhood inside with hotels, ATMs and of course numerous temples. The whole place has a sense of serenity while constant chants can be heard everywhere.





I was wandering about clicking pictures and taking in the beauty and calmness of the place and soon there was a long queue for the darshan. Here too I noticed a board signalling dress code - no shirts allowed! Then I noticed Kanakanakhindi - Apparently this was a crack in the temple wall caused by an earthquake through which Kanakadasa was able to see god's idol and even now one can see god's idol through this small window.

A couple of colorful chariots!





With one final Namaskara to Lord Krishna, I left the temple and headed back to the cottage. On the way clicked a picture of the every busy Malpe harbor.



It was 8 AM now and I had to decide where to head today. There were 2 route options I had in mind. One was to head to Mangalore and subsequently to Mysore via Sullia and Madikeri. I had a plan to stay in Mysore at my grandmother's place. The other plan was to take Charmadi from Udupi and head to Bangalore. The entire ride was planned as I wanted to ride Charmadi/Shiradi as I mentioned earlier. Updates that Charmadi was freshly tarred a week ago and also that Sullia road was in bad condition ensured I decided to choose Charmadi and head to Bangalore. If I decide to head to Mysore, I can still go from Sakleshpur or Hassan I thought.

Had a brief discussion with Mr. Thirunathan, the resort owner on the route and he gave me the precise directions and road conditions. Soon I packed, geared up and bid goodbye to Mr. Thiru and Silver Sands resort. I wanted to have some authentic Udupi breakfast and I was suggested Hotel Sarovar by Mr. Thiru which is right on the NH junction.

I pulled over in front of the hotel and an elderly security guard directed me to park my bike. Me, being the idiot I am sometimes, put on a Mangalore kannada accent and told him "Swalpa nodthiri Sir, nanna luggage untu" (Please keep a watch Sir, I'm leaving my luggage here). He realized I can't speak Mangalore Kannada for nuts and probably noticed the Bangalore registration too and replied in English in a strict tone and a straight expression "Don't worry, I shall keep a watch". (LOL) I was stunned momentarily, mumbled a quick "Thank you" and disappeared inside the hotel. *Facepalm* I thought.

I was not disappointed at all with the food - the idlis were super soft, vadas super crispy and sambar was to die for. All our "Darshinis" in Bangalore should learn Sambar from here I thought as I hogged like a pig!

It was 11 as I pulled out of the hotel and bid bye to Udupi. It was super hot compared to the pleasant morning weather and I started the ride towards Karkala. Again, the moment I exited Tiger circle in Manipal, I saw glass pieces all over the road and a Maruti Omni that had just flipped over. Man! What a jinx! - I thought, after starting another day witnessing an accident.

I was out of the hustle-bustle of the city and was soon riding on well laid roads with picturesque greenery on both sides. The road turned out to be average as it was patched up in several places. These are the kind of uneven patches you'd notice only on a bike (especially my duke with it's suspension in the 5th setting) and would go unnoticed in a car perhaps. I quickly realized I have to follow the direction boards to Dharmasthala as I have to pass Dharmasthala to head to Charmadi. Rode through Bajegoli, Naravi and Aladangady where a few stretches were bad enough to slow me down to 2nd gear. Soon I reached Guruvayankere where I had to take a left towards Belthangady. By now I had covered about 100 km in the day. A break and a cold drink later, I continued to Belthangady and Ujire. Here I saw the entry arch for Dharmasthala and for a brief moment thought about entering, until I felt I have visited enough temples in this ride (worth the next one year, considering I almost never go to temples :P) and continued further.

A couple of kilometres later, I was greeted by the checkpost. Charmadi it is !!!!



The road was beautifully tarred and I warmed up the tyres MotoGP style for the upcoming twisties.
Soon, the most anticipated roads of my jouney started. Right handers, left handers and narrow hairpins were galloped by the Duke with sheer ease, simplicity and arrogance. While all the 4 wheelers were stuck behind a painfully slow truck or a bus waiting for him to show mercy on them and give way, I sprinted through in the Duke with absolute aplomb. A few metres of visibility were enough for me to tap 2nd gear and zip through. This beautiful motorcycle taught me angles that I was never aware of!

As Mudigere approached nearer, I could see beautiful landscape all around. Found a safe place on a straight stretch of road to park and captured some of my favorite moments of the trip.





A few pictures of the western ghats and some fresh air later, I was back on my way to navigate through the last few corners of the Charmadi ghat. As I came towards the final corner I saw this couple selling fresh fruit bowls topped with chat masala.




I continued on my way to Mudigere and then towards Belur where I suddenly noticed the trip meter reading 995 km! I was not sure whether the trip meter would reset to zero or display 1000km. So I slowed down and waited for 999.9 km to click this!



Yes, that's 1000 kms on this trip now! This was a wonderful feeling and a sense of accomplishment for the biker in me!

I continued and reached Belur. Just when I thought all the curves are over and it's plains and straight roads from here on, the Belur-Hassan road caught me by surprise! The beautiful curvy roads continued, but these were broad roads with long sweeping 90 kmph corners! Enjoyed thoroughly and reached Hassan. Missed the bypass and entered the city but google maps helped me find another galli road that led me to the bypass. Soon I found a decent looking hotel where I had lunch. By the time I finished lunch and started towards Bangalore, it was 4 PM. The next 180 km were covered in 2 hours and 15 minutes - I know that's some serious speeds. This road is a biker's bliss - one just has to look out for junctions, people and animals crossing. At 6.15 PM I was home. Dad came out to greet me and exclaimed "Great" and I was grinning ear to ear under my helmet.

A final picture clicked by dad.




No the trip meter does not display 1000. It get's reset to zero. So that's 192.5 a second time round



So finally, after all the discussions, thoughts, insecurities, fears and conversations with self, my first solo ride was a success and a big one at that! The euphoric feeling after I reached home is just not explainable in words!

Some people asked me questions like "Didn't you get bored?" and said stuff like "I'm sure you'll not go alone again". To them - well, motorcycling is something that can't be explained or taught. It has to be lived through. And hell yeah, I will ride solo again!

Until next time, adios! Ride Safe and remember ATGATT - All the Gear All the Time!

Thanks for reading!



Some Stats for Day 3:

Distance covered: 422 Km
Overall Mileage: 24 kmpl (Remember the Hassan-Bangalore stretch? :P )
Average speed: ~70 kmph
Start Time: 11 AM
End Time: 6.15 PM

[VIKINGTILLDEATH]

Superb write-up.You have lived and put in words the true spirit of a traveller.
Man I really love Karnataka!Very clean compared to so many other states with really co-operative people. Want to trace the " The Emerald Route" by R.K.Narayanan sometime in life.Great going buddy

[ashkamath]

Originally Posted by Added_flavor

[b]
So finally, after all the discussions, thoughts, insecurities, fears and conversations with self, my first solo ride was a success and a big one at that! The euphoric feeling after I reached home is just not explainable in words!

That was some amazing and inspiring travelogue!!. You are a talented writer and over that a passionate rider and that is a heady cocktail that I enjoyed to the brim. JP, You have the ability to bring alive your experience with the right words. Kudos to you.

I am sure that now you are hooked up to riding ( solo or group does not matter) and this is just a beginning. And I am happy that there is another joyous soul added to the brotherhood

Keep riding and ride safe.

[fusionbang]

Originally Posted by Added_flavor

Yes I am a GAT product, passed out in 2010. Are you from the same college?

Yes I am from the same college and 2008 pass out. I remember seeing you in college and guessed it right

I would like to know how did the bike perform on the charmadi ghats air pin curves? to what extent can you lean on this bike? Also, it would be great to know what was the top speed attained on your beast and the stretch?

[Added_flavor]

Originally Posted by VIKINGTILLDEATH

Superb write-up.You have lived and put in words the true spirit of a traveller.
Man I really love Karnataka!Very clean compared to so many other states with really co-operative people. Want to trace the " The Emerald Route" by R.K.Narayanan sometime in life.Great going buddy

Thank you! Yes, I completely agree with you. Almost everybody I met were more than willing to help with a smile on their face.

Originally Posted by ashkamath

That was some amazing and inspiring travelogue!!. You are a talented writer and over that a passionate rider and that is a heady cocktail that I enjoyed to the brim. JP, You have the ability to bring alive your experience with the right words. Kudos to you.

I am sure that now you are hooked up to riding ( solo or group does not matter) and this is just a beginning. And I am happy that there is another joyous soul added to the brotherhood

Keep riding and ride safe.

Thank you for the kind words Sir! It is my first attempt at blogging and feels good to receive positive feedback

Originally Posted by fusionbang

Yes I am from the same college and 2008 pass out. I remember seeing you in college and guessed it right

I would like to know how did the bike perform on the charmadi ghats air pin curves? to what extent can you lean on this bike? Also, it would be great to know what was the top speed attained on your beast and the stretch?

Great to know that buddy!

Regarding the bike, as I have previously said, it is extremely light and nimble with very assuring handling and balanced suspension. The soft compound metzellers stick to the road like leech and inspire a lot of confidence in the corners.

You might want to go through this thread and some other very well written ownership threads on the forum.

[naveenroy]

Rated a deserving 5 stars! Solo rides are always 5 star rides

Great writeup and it always is an amazing feeling to have only you to answer to. You decide how much you ride, where you stay, what you eat. And last year, the best part was that I did short rides every day and relaxed in the evening with some err cold juice. A relaxing feeling. Opens your mind.

But yeah, enough of the philosophy - glad you had a great ride! Try the KL and TN coasts the next time around.

[subs]

HI mate

Very good write up, I specially like the atittude you had during your ride and the reasons you wanted to do this solo ride. You are right, a lot of us want to do stuff like this, but numerous 'reasons/excuses' stop us from doing it.

Kudos to you for actually doing it.

Keep going
Subs

[Added_flavor]

Thanks a lot guys!


Finally, uploading a silly little video, the only one I captured in the ride while on a break in Charmadi. The lovely landscape is visible in the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Mdjk...ature=youtu.be

[aargee]

Nice T'Log; please watch out for something similar from me in the forth coming days. It will have no pictures, no write-up, but just walk you through some awesome experiences. Wondering how? Watch out

[The BULK]

Hi Added_Flavour
First of all, that is a neat ride, and a very good travelogue. Crisp and neat, way to go!!
Am an newbie to the forum, and have been browsing through the forum, and am also inspired by the Yeti, sad ending there, but then life goes on, and people like us draw inspiration from small little things in life.
Its a small world, we have a common friend who is also a Duke 390 owner,
Sujai Chandrasekharan, hope you remember him, you guys took delivery of the bikes at the Indiranagar probiking showroom together. We go back a long way, and love for bikes run deep between us. He had forwarded your other blog of the same topic earlier, and i saw this one here, so we were sharing thoughts.
Good to know you on Tbhp buddy, keep up the passion of biking.
Ride safe!!!
Cheers
The BULK!!

[Added_flavor]

Originally Posted by The BULK

Hi Added_Flavour
First of all, that is a neat ride, and a very good travelogue. Crisp and neat, way to go!!
Am an newbie to the forum, and have been browsing through the forum, and am also inspired by the Yeti, sad ending there, but then life goes on, and people like us draw inspiration from small little things in life.
Its a small world, we have a common friend who is also a Duke 390 owner,
Sujai Chandrasekharan, hope you remember him, you guys took delivery of the bikes at the Indiranagar probiking showroom together. We go back a long way, and love for bikes run deep between us. He had forwarded your other blog of the same topic earlier, and i saw this one here, so we were sharing thoughts.
Good to know you on Tbhp buddy, keep up the passion of biking.
Ride safe!!!
Cheers
The BULK!!

Thank you bro and welcome aboard!

Yes I remember and know him.