Hi All,
This is my first travelogue in TBhp. So here goes!
Destination: Bonacord (Bonaccord/Bonacaud) situated at a distance of around 60 Kms from Trivandrum
Ride: Pulsar 150 Dtsi
Route: Trivandrum - Nedumangad - Vithura - Bonacord
Road Condition: Good in patches
Camera: Sony DSC H5
The problem with a vacation is usually the days total up pretty quickly, especially after the customary visits to one's relatives & friends. It was already 2 weeks since I had landed in Trivandrum & apart from some rides to Shanghumugham Beach & Veli, I was not able to go anywhere for any trip. So I was raring to go for a trip somewhere cool to escape from the heat & humidity. Decided to go to Bonacord on Sunday (07/09/08) on my bike.
About Bonacord
Bonacord is a hillstation around 60 kms from Trivandrum. One can find tea plants cultivated in the undulating slopes here.As is usual, the estate & the factory was established by the British. At present, the Bonacord Estate & tea factory is owned by Mahavir Plantations based in Gujarat. As of now, the factory has been closed for some years. These facts I got from the local people who used to work in the factory. The factory building is in a dilapidated condition & the machinery is also in a sorry state. Bonacord is also a sort of "base camp" for trekking to Agastyarkoodam which is the second highest peak in Kerala after Anamudi.
The Trip
I don't know whether it's only me or it happens to others also. I usually become an insomniac the night before the ride. So tossed & turned in my bed the whole night. Got up at around 4 AM, woke my mother (she was going to Ernakulam by train), came back after dropping her at the station & called my friend. He said he would be ready by 7.30 AM, so went to pick him up at 7.30. When I reached there, he was still having his breakfast in a leisurely manner. Ara minute oru iddalikku, naalu iddalliye ulleda (1/2 a minute for 1 idli, only 4 idlis da! he said). Maybe he didn't tell me about the 2 bananas or the milk, anyway when I looked at the time again it was already 8.
Well, finally we start at 8.30 AM.
Put around 300 rupees worth of fuel into the tank & zoomed straight to Nedumangadu. Had my breakfast there & a cup of hot tea. We also ordered parcel for afternoon as we knew there will be no hotel open in Bonacord during this time. From Nedumangadu, it was straight ride to Vithura. One has to turn right after 3-4 kms after Vithura to go to Bonacord.
We reached Bonacord by around 1 PM. From Vithura to Bonacord, the distance is around 30-35 kms. The scenery along this route is just awesome! Stopped the bike on numerous occassions to take photos. Just before we reached Bonacord, it started raining heavily. But we had no problems as both of us were ready to get wet. The scenery became more lush & beautiful with the rain. We took some photos & had our food. After taking some more photos after lunch, we started back to Trivandrum in the pouring rain. We reached Trivandrum around 4.30 PM. All in all enjoyed the trip!
Now for some photos
1) Cloudy Day
2) Rubber trees on either side of the road
3) And you will have shade all the way!
4) Undulations
5) Close-up!
6) Bamboo forest
7) All twisted up!
8) Beautiful flowers
9) The Tea Factory shot from the Watch Tower
10) One more macro shot
11) Silver lining in the clouds or Silver in the water?
12) Bent!
13) Small waterfall but what roar it makes!
14) We were not the only ones out in the rain
15) Heavy Rain!