3 days of adventure – Ride to Kakabe and Bisle Ghat - Day 3/3

It’s Days 3 and we have to end our ride by getting back to Bangalore. We set our alarms to blare at 5:30 am. As usual I didn’t hear it and Hubert did. He woke up and after 10 mins I did. Later we got ready and packed our stuff.

After packing we were moving out of the room and the hotel manager came and said I’m just going to turn on the geyser and you guys already took bath. I was amazed as even at that weather people use hot water for bathing! Anyways, we thanked him and paid the rent and started mounting the luggage’s on our bikes.

Then we checked GPS for the route and started our day 3 ride. This is again an amazing road. It’s merely a 2 lane road and the roads were really smooth and we were able to maintain decent speed.

We stopped now and then to check the map as there were roads splitting. Then we saw a bridge which and we thought we could off-road and go down near the water. But then it was too risky as it was very steep and dangerous.

Now its breakfast time and we were almost near Subrahmanya and thought about have it there. As we were on our way to Subrahmanya there were very less traffic and in a flash, vehicle, pedestrians were more. I was never aware that theirs is/are temple. So we stopped by at a small hotel like Sagar and we had our breakfast. It was so crowded that we had to stand and eat for a while. Once having a satisfactory breakfast we started rolling again after checking the route.

The road became amazing and we were blazing through. After like 5 km we stopped and wanted to check the map as we thought we will be doing village route. By checking we found we were perfectly going on the wrong side (to Mangalore). I thought okay why don’t we just ride in the same route and reach Mangalore and extend our ride. But duty calls, so we turned and started to do the village route.

Still the route was good and awesome. Lush green vegetation and the road was covered with leaves. The road is as small as the width of a Jeep. To overtake them they had to move left and slow down. And they did it too. Thanks to the driver.

Now we entered the Bisle Ghat Road and bang! There was no road. The road is completely messed up and we had to stand and ride to have extra shock observing thing.

Riding, riding, riding, riding, riding (don’t know how many “riding” to put as it took 3 hrs to cover 100 km) guys the worst is yet to come. But we enjoyed.

So we stopped as much as possible to take rest as we couldn’t move past 20 kmph. The whole Ghat section is about 23 kms and it looked like never ending road.  Again a stream was flowing and we stopped on the bridge and we clicked few pics. I went down and in few mins Hubert was about to come down and then went back. I heard some noise and got scared as if someone is mugging Hubert (I think it’s because of the water sound and couldn’t quite hear what’s happening up there). I went up and saw him talking to 6 or 7 guys who were also bikers without protection.

We spoke to them and a tractor guy came and he was explaining about the road. His job is to take a trailer loaded with stones for constructions on this completely damaged road every day. It takes him a day for him to deliver the stones and come back. It seemed it was regular for him to chat with strangers each day on this route. So guys, any time you take this route you might meet him, and he would be happy for a talk!

Hubert wanted to take a quick dip in the water but it was crowded by these guys. We waited, but they didn’t seem to leave. So we geared up and left expecting for one more stream. But we just crossed the last one.

We tried to take a snap like both standing on the pegs and riding, but 10 secs wasn’t enough. But this is what we got.

We were now heading to the view point. BTW, those guys have now over taken us. We reached the view point and those guys were already there. We took a video of the view point where you can see a 360° of the valley.

Now we started off again but the road became little better.  The roads were narrow and bad condition but there was no lorry traffic or such things common on a national highway. The roads were all for ourselves. In many sections of the roads, riding on the shoulders were more comfortable than riding on the road!

Our next stop was for lunch at a village called Mallipatna. A lady ran the hotel at her house itself. We had chicken curry and rice. After enjoyed yet another good lunch, we updated our Facebook friends about our whereabouts.

Today was a very relaxed ride all the way to Bangalore. We had a numerous stops for snacks and tea. We even had a stop to update Facebook! We wished we had another day in the trip. Anyways there is always another trip to do so.

Around 6PM we entered the crazy streets of Bangalore. We had the last stop of our trip at a chat center for some Masala Chat from a road side shop. Good way to end the trip isn’t it.

So a trip for us brothers to bond, as bikers to ride free, as creations of God to enjoy his creations as he intended to be, overall it was a wonderful trip. Thanks to God for his protection and his provision and thanks to Hubert for being a wonderful brother and a good companion. Amen!

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3 days of adventure – Ride to Kakabe and Bisle Ghat - Day 2/3

Its 7AM on day 2, I got out of the tent and saw it was a beautiful morning. We never knew where we had camped until morning. The view was beautiful with the hills and valleys and the fog filling the valleys like whipped cream.

Mystic Hills

7 AM

 The sun was already out and i must capture the scene in my camera before the scene fades away. I am no good photographer, so the photos may not speak much of what my eyes see. May be a DSLR camera will help?

Pic added by Rubert. Hubert is not a photographer???

Rubert got up just now and its time for a hot cup of tea. We made fire and used the vessel we had brought with us to heat some water for the tea. The tea is brewed and cheers! Today’s plan is go to Talacauvery first and see the place where the river Kauvery originates. Then head towards Bisle Ghat.

Here is the complete route of our trip:
View Larger Map

We packed the tent and all our stuff, which took a lot of time that i thought, and strapped them to our bikes and headed for the Kakabe village for breakfast.

Ready to roll

The road to Talacauvery was in good shape. The roads wind through hill sections and was like a treat to us. On the way we met a solo rider who was exploring Coorg on his Royal Enfield. He told us that he had been following us on day one on the Bangalore-Mysore highway. He was returning from Talacauvery and heading to Irupu falls and Rajiv Gandhi national park.

Rubert with a solo rider

One gloved man!!!

The view from the road side was beautiful and demands us to stop and photographs to be taken. As we rode these beautiful roads little we knew that the Talacauvery is a pilgrimage place and will be crowded like the Brigade road!

Road to Talacauvery.

The View from Talacauvery

It was a disappointment at Talacauvery because we had so much luggage on the bike which we can’t leave behind in the road or we can’t remove our foot wear. All it mattered to us is the ride, so we decided to head to Bisle Ghat.

Discussion about route.

Taken by a strange photographer!

 As we were riding through the roads less travelled towards Sulya I was starting to feel tired all of a sudden. So we pulled over and we simply laid flat on the road. I wonder when i lied down on the floor in my house. There were trees all over the place and the climate was cool, so we hung up there resting and munching snacks.

Such a smooth road. loved it!

Rest time

The roads are a treat for any rider wanting to scrape his foot pegs. Its no exception for us. But this time we wanted to try and capture the moment. So here’s a picture of Rubert doing his usual stunt, making Chappathi as his biker friends call it.

Rubert.

On the way to Chemberi the road winds through the hill sections so beautifully. If only the roads are little more better then it will satisfy those who wants to ride in the Isle Of Man TT. On the way there was a “mini waterfall”. The water was so cool and refreshing for a drink.

The one by the the stream.

Chemberi is a town near the Kerala-Karnataka border, I think it’s officially in Kerala, since we crossed the Checkpost. There was a small hotel run by a woman from the village. The food was Kerala style, with brown rice, curd curry and fish fry. The best part was the food costed us just Rs 60.

a hotel at Panathoor

We are running behind schedule by now. We were supposed to reach Bisle Ghat and camp in there. It was already 4:30pm and we are still to even reach Sulya which is like 30 km away. The problem is not the distance but the winding roads ensure that we cant keep pace, however enjoyable it is. Add to the hill roads the bad condition of the road and our the scenery which calls for a break.

Nice ride

Extreme roads

Extreme roads 2

Since we were only two of us we had the liberty to pull over wherever we liked to. Here is one such break that i like to call the Coke break on the way to Sulya.

The Coke efffect

Suddenly out of the blue, lots of children in their blue school uniform arrived on the scene. Few of the boys, who would be bikers like us in future, stayed back for a chat and get to know us and the bikes. Then we waved them good bye and started rolling towards Sulya.

Sulya is a small but busy town in Karnataka, with wonderful people. The people here spoke Malayalam which was surprising. Many of them knew multiple language. Somehow we managed with our little Kannada and Malayalam we know throughout this trip. It was fun. It also gave me a reason to learn Kannada more.

Sulia's busy main street

The sun is setting now. We decided we will stay in a Lodge in Sulya itself instead of camping. That gives us a relief from pitching the tent and all those huddles. We treated ourselves well in Sulya, starting with a nice cool shower and the some tea and snack watching over the bustling main street of Sulya.

Sun setting on day 2

cheers!

Hi Tea

When it was fully dark we went around the town for some souvenirs. I felt except food everything else was expensive there. Take for example, clothing. The cost was as much as that of Soch in Bangalore. Sure the clothing was unique, with the local touch. So Married Guys, when you go to Sulya be sure to buy clothing from here for your lady. She will like it.

We bought our dinner from a hotel opposite our Lodge. Kerala Parota, Chicken Curry, Mathi Fish fry are the order for the night. The fish fry was so good that we went back to the hotel for even more. The best part again is our dinner costed a mere Rs 100.

Resting

What's next.

After food we took a walk around town as people started to settled down for the night. A fifteen minute walk brought us from one end of the town to the other.

Sulia at night

Thats it ?

A bike trip with a good company. What better one can can ask for! It was a pleasant finish of our day 2 of the trip.

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3 days of adventure – Ride to Kakabe and Bisle Ghat - Day 1/3

I have always wanted to camp In the wild which never happened. My friends used to go on trekking In the Western Ghats where they camp over night pitching a tent. But my priority is always been travelling on my motorcycle. So here comes an opportunity to ride free and camp with the star lit night sky as the roof.
My brother Rubert and I have been researching on which place to ride and which will be ideal for our camping. Kudremukh has been in my mind. The first thing comes to my mind thinking of Kudremukh is Gangamoola and the beautiful waterfalls Hanumangundi. But after hearing from couple of friends about the safety issues in Kudremukh to stay in tent, we had to drop off the idea. We have not finalized on where to go but our saddle bags are packed, tent and camping stuff is packed, our bike is filled with fuel to the brim, but where to go is still a question.

All Packed and ready. At my home.

8 hours before our journey begins, the plan started to flow well as we discussed. We decide to camp in Kakabe, Coorg on day 1. We also planned to ride to Bisle Ghat on day to and camp there for the night on day2. On the third day we start from Bisle and ride back to Bangalore. With the plan looking good we went to sleep, hoping to catch some sleep.
Day 1 of 3:

Ready to roll. At my basement.

It’s the Ride day, in those lines of Race day or Track day! We got up early in the morning, 5AM on 26^th January. Starting the day with Bible reading and prayer, we got ready to roll. Carrying all our luggage, camping and biking gear to the basement itself a mammoth task!. Saddle bags are fixed on the bike, camping gear is tied to the rear seat, riders on their  saddle, ready to Have A Good Day. Happy Republic Day!

On the way to Mysore

The day is pleasant, with the Sun shining and the wind breezing and our pulsar 220s are doing good. We wade through the Mysore highway traffic to Channapatna to have our breakfast. After having Masala Dosas and a tea we continued our ride towards Kakabe via Hunsur. The two lane highway after Mysore towards Hunsur is very scenic and deserted. I was thinking we can even pitch our tent one of these places!

The Road towards Hunsur from Mysore

Enjoying the landscape we missed the road to Gonikoppal and we took the road to Siddapura. This route happened to be just 10km longer but went through the woods and small villages, which was nice. We had a number of breaks for munching energy bars and of course to record our memory in our cameras.

On the way to Siddapura.

We reached Siddapura around 12pm. Siddapura is a small village on some hilly landscape. Its a very small and beautiful town. We noticed people talking in Malayalam! We had some snacks and some nice tea from a local shop.

On the way to Siddapura.

The roads were winding through the hills with greenery everywhere. We had to pullover at every junction to check the GPS if we are on the right track. Google Maps seemed to be more usable that the Nokia maps. Nokia maps is very cumbersome to scan through as you have to zoom in close to see town names and then you have to zoom out to see the route end to end. When you zoom out you loose where you were looking. Hope Nokia fixes these minor issues soon. 

Rubert Jack, at the hotel in Kakabe.

On Entering Kakabe, we were so hungry the first thing we did is to find a hotel. We found a village style hotel. Chicken curry, Chicken fry and Ghee rice were our choice for lunch. Food was really tasty and purely village style. We liked it. The hotel was basically run by a villager and his wife. They were very hospitable.

Our Lunch – Ghee rice and Chicken curry.

After having a satisfactory meal, the next important thing is to find a place to camp. Its around 3pm now and e have till 5pm to find a place and pitch the tent before its dark. When enquired about where we could pitch our tent for the night the guy who runs the hotel suggested couple of places nearby. 

Rubert and Hubert after a good meal.

We left the hotel to explore the places around. It was fun riding around these twisties. We found couple of interesting places to pitch the tent, but since we wanted to have more choice, we wandered around some more.

In search of a place to lay our heads.

We were told that there is a government museum nearby where there is a good lawn where they allow to pitch the tent. We thought that might be a good option and went there. But the people at the museum were not allowing us to do so.

Challenging roads!

As we roamed around further it was getting dark. And then i had a fall in one of the dirt tracks. There was nothing to worry thought. I was climbing the uphill in the first gear and as i shifted to second the bike stalled all of a  sudden and there was no traction. The bike started to slide and i lost my balance.

She got tired!

I tried to lift my bike myself, but the more i tried to lift, the front wheel was slipping and i had no way of lifting it. Rubert was still behind me and he was waiting for me to come back as we had planned. Then i called him on his mobile phone to come and help me out. Finally he arrived and we got the bike on its wheels again. phew.

Can we tent somewhere here?

Its dark now, thanks to my fall and Rubert’s bike running out of fuel we have no options but try to tent in one of the estates there. There is this Kings cottage where they allow people to tent. We found it out from a guy on his jeep. We went there and enquired if we could camp in their estate. Thank dear God, they agreed and finally we got some place to rest for the night. God is Good all the time.

Petrol first!

The worker in the estate helped us to find our way in to their land that is basically on a hill. The stars are already out, a billions of them. The sky was so beautiful i could lie down and gaze at it all night, thanking the wise creator.  Now the big challenge is to put up the tent! we got our bikes on with their lights on. Now we have to figure out how to pitch the tent. In the dark it was hard to find even which side is up. We are engineers right, so we were confident the manual wasn’t necessary. Finally we had to resort to the one page manual, but by then i had screwed the tent enough for the manual to be less useful. At last the tent was up. phew.

Where do i start? Hubert pitching the tent. 

Time for the campfire to be lit and the chicken be barbequed. Earlier in the evening while Rubert had gone to the petrol station in the next village, I had bought chicken from the Kakabe village. Rubert mixed the chicken and the masala powder that we had brought with us while i was making the campfire.

Rubert. He know how to do it.

Finally the campfire is on its own and the chicken pieces placed on the heat. While we waited for the barbeque to be done we started our dinner with the rice and sambar that we packed earlier in the village.

Our dinner. It better get cooked.

Rubert got the  barbeque done really well. His experience from making his steak and sausage dinners back in his home in Bangalore helped!

Yummy!  Thats a first.

Now its time to empty all the snacks we had as we chatted about this and that. Once in a while I will be awe stuck seeing the innumerable stars on the black sky. Unfortunately our cameras did not capture this beautiful sky at all. God must have really enjoyed when he created all these beauties.  Allow me to quote from the Holy Bible here:
“God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.” – Genesis 1:16

Good job, camp fire.

Its getting close to midnight and the campfire did a real good job keeping us warm. Time to say good night to it and hit the tent for the sleep. The tent was just enough for the two of us and only for our valuables. Anxious about the next day, we got decent hours of sleep until 7AM next day.

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