Motorcycle - Be On The Road | Live your Travel Dream!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Partner on my motorcycling journeys!!

My trustworthy and reliable motorcycling partner has accompanied me on innumerable journeys. We have clocked close to 60,000 kilometers together, have been to all of India’s mainland states and union territories and have seen our share of accidents. We make a great pair and I have shared some of my life’s best moments with him.

My motorcycling partner is my 350 cc Royal Enfield Thunderbird Twinspark motorcycle. Together, we have crossed the length and breadth of India that includes its mighty mountains, its great deserts, its congested plains, its pristine coastline, the special Western Ghats and its rich forests and national parks.

Recently, we went on a ride to Valparai and the Vazhachal forests of the Western Ghats in the southern states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. And that is where I took these snaps of my partner.

Both of us look forward to more interesting travels!!

Saturday, January 09, 2010

Custom Chopper @ Austin that made my jaws drop!!

I was shopping for a Stetson's’ (cowboy hat) at Cavender’s in Austin, Texas when I spotted this perfect combination of the beauty and the beast.

This custom built chopper was simply stunning! Everything about it seemed to ooze raw appeal. The engine, the thump, the intricate body design, the awesome bucket seat, the thick tyres and the amazing paint job were all tastefully done.

Upon chatting with the owner, I found out that he spent $ sixty (60) Grand for this custom motorcycle and the paint job alone cost him $ ten (10) grand.

When will I own my custom chopper! Pretty soon I guess or at least I can hope against hope!!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Pit Stop on NH 206 @ Sharavati River Valley, Karnataka, India

I proceeded north on NH 17 after spending a relaxed couple of hours at the highway beach of Maravanthe.

Upon reaching the port city of Honavar, I left NH 17 and started ascending on the winding roads of NH 206, the highway that meanders through the lush green Western Ghats.

It was raining and the roads were becoming slippery, but the views kept on getting better. My entire view laid drenched in fresh green.

Mist floating over the shola forests was giving it a heavenly look. At some ascent point, even the roads got covered in mist. Shortly, I reached the Sharavati River Valley View Point, which is not far away from Jog Falls.

I climbed a tower that’s been built to help tourists get a better view of the Sharavati River valley. I had to wait 30 minutes before I got the view of the valley below. When I did, I was rendered speechless. The bluish-green Sharavati River was covered with mist and the entire world around it were the dense green shola forests. A divine view!! The Western Ghats continues to amaze me…no wonder it is a top 10 bio diversity hot spot in the world.

Monday, December 21, 2009

Pit Stop on NH 17 @ Upunda River Bridge, Karnataka, India

I was on my way from one coastal town (Murudeshwar) to another (Maravanthe) on NH 17, when I stopped at yet another scenic bridge.

This bridge is over the Upunda River. It is not a long bridge, but provided some of the most exhilarating views that I have seen.

The palm trees and coconut groves on either bank, the hills in the background and the cloud cover added to the charm.

Didn’t see any boats/canoes on the river. Guess they come out for fishing in the early hours of the morning and the late hours of the afternoon.

Personally, would love to go canoeing on this river and explore its beauty!!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Chilling out at Calangute and Baga Beach – the biggest draws in Goa, India

A 13 hour ride through the winding roads of National Highway 17 took me from Mumbai to the beaches of Calangute and Baga in North Goa. The previous days had taken me to meet my friends at Mumbai, see the beauty of the hill station of Khandala, catch sight of the historic Sinhagad Fort near Pune and discover temple architecture at Badami, Pattadakkal and Hampi.

It was already dark when I entered the bustling town of Baga. I found myself a place to stay at a shack very close to the Baga beach. Shortly, after checking in and knowing that I had 3 days and nights to chill out at this lovely beach stretch, I paid heed to my tired body and tucked myself in.

The next morning, I was greeted with the sight of clear blue skies and blue waves lapping up the beach. The setting was fantastic. Every meal, I would drop in to a new shack and check out their wares. My drink would change colour with the time of the day or the colour of the sky.

Both the Calangute and Baga beaches are located on the Bardez coast. Calangute lies to the south of Baga. One can actually walk over from one to the other beach and this is exactly what I did.

Since, this was tourist season, the beaches were packed with action. Swimming and playing in water were the most common, which I indulged in too. But, apart from these, one could spot tourists playing racquet ball, frisbee and beach volleyball.

There were kids busy building sand castles and then there were hotties and oldies alike bathing in the winter sun.

And finally, water sports, from the jet ski to the banana boat ride to parasailing – this beach stretch offered it all. After soaking in all the water sport action, I also gave in the thrill of a parasailing ride.

As I was walking back from Calangute to Baga along the beach line, I was enchanted by the endless line of shops, shacks, restaurants and hotels. Both the beaches are very beautiful. The view of the Baga beach set against the thickly forested Baga-Anjuna hill is priceless.

My evenings would be spent at some of the biggest hotspots by night in Goa, which are at Baga or nearby. These would include Club Cabana, Tito’s and Mambos.

Overall, a short, but great beach vacation for me, where I got to soak in the sun, enjoy the blue waters, practice some water sports, do some beach walking, shopping, treat my palate to some great goan food and curry, sip into colourful cocktails and dance to the beat of Goan nightlife. All this possible at the very famous and beautiful beaches of Calangute and Baga in North Goa.

Monday, December 07, 2009

Camping in the lake ecosystem at Red Hills near Ooty in Tamil Nadu, India

It was time for another weekend camping trip. 7 of us left Bangalore one early Saturday morning equipped with all our camping gear towards Red Hills in Tamil Nadu.

The Red Hills area, 28 km from Ooty is an ecologically fragile zone of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. It is situated approximately 325 kms south of Bangalore.

The group, which left home from different parts of the city, met up at the Raja Rajeshwari arch on the Bangalore-Mysore highway. After coasting on the highway for an hour and after beating the morning traffic, we stopped at Maddur Tiffany’s at breakfast. This was followed by a brief stopover at Mysore to shop for some groceries and brew.

Soon, the scenic 36 hairpin bends that led to Ooty lay before us. It was great fun ascending through the winding roads. The nip in the air increased as we reached Ooty.

Upon reaching Ooty, we stopped by a restaurant for lunch, got proper directions and headed towards the narrow Muthorai road that leads out of Ooty to the villages of Palada, Ithalar and Emerald, all surrounded by acres of cabbage and carrot and further towards Red Hills.

At Red Hills, the forests are magnificent and vast, the foliage is dense and the air, crisp and pure. Lush eye-soothing greenery covered the whole area right into the horizon. Ringed by an almost never-ending array of mountains, clothed in green finery, Red Hills, so named by the British, in remembrance of a similar area in England, is where tranquillity meets calm to produce a sense that is soothing and soul-enriching.

Our initial plan was to camp by one of the 8 lakes that cover this region, but due to some unforeseen circumstances (local trouble), we had to change our plans and instead camp at the Red Hills Nature Resort that overlooks the Emerald lake.

Situated on a hillock at 7,000 feet, the Red Hills Nature resort, is a bungalow that dates back to 1875. It has a sprawling 250 acre tea garden that encircles the surroundings.

Shortly, we set up camp, had some tea and snacks and went on a short hike to a nearby hillock that offered breathtaking views of the valleys and the countryside. As evening set in, we got ourselves a roaring camp fire, sipped into our drinks and had a sumptuous dinner as the temperature started dipping. By midnight, all of us decided to turn in.

It was an early morning call for us and after performing our morning duties, we took a walk down the tea garden and towards the lake. After spending some time in the water, we made our way back to our camp for some much needed breakfast.

After sunbathing for a while on the green lawns, we packed up our camp and made our way back to Ooty. Enroute, we stopped and chilled out on the banks of another lake.

Once we reached Ooty, we had lunch, bought some home-made chocolates for the folks in Bangalore and proceeded to make our descent. We finally reached Bangalore by dinner time.

A great camping trip and Red Hills, a lesser known hill station, is a fantastic weekend getaway from Bangalore!!

Friday, November 27, 2009

Motorcycling through country roads to Kodaikanal and Kolli Hills in Tamil Nadu, India

15 Old Skool Bikers met again and this time the destination was Kodaikanal and Kolli Hills in Tamil Nadu. Both places are hill stations. While, Kodaikanal is the more popular one nestled in the Nilgiris, Kolli Hills is a lesser known tropical beauty.

The riding theme was to take the lesser populated yet pretty country roads to reach our destination(s).

The route we followed was: Bangalore –> Anekal –> Denkanikota –> Anchetti –> Pennaguram –> Mechcheri –> Iddapadi –> Sankari –> Tiruchengodu –> Namakkal (Day 1 Halt) –> Mohanur –> Palani –> Kodaikanal (Day 2 and 3 Halt) –> Karur –> Kolli Hills (Day 4 Halt).

So, over 5 days, 13 motorcycles thumped through ideal biking terrain and that included off-roading. The first day involved riding through jungle terrain and through small meandering streams that tested our riding skills and temperament. A authentic rustic plantain leaf lunch at a small village was a bonus.

The second day included a visit to the temple by the River Cauvery at Mohanur. The Cauvery, which is a small, but rapid river in Karnataka is a docile, but wide river at Mohanur. And, this formed a complete contrast to folks like me who have grown up seeing various stretches of the turbulent and roaring Cauvery in the tropical jungles of Karnataka.

There were these umpteen pit stops at these small tea shops and then there was a piping hot lunch at steaming Palani. Then there was the cooling effect as we started climbing the winding roads that led from Palani to Kodaikanal.

This was where I nearly met with an accident as a tried to overtake at a blind spot. Knew that this was my bad, but thankfully averted the accident by inches. My pillion had his heart in his mouth.

The evening at Kodaikanal was nippy and very nice unlike the ruthless heat of Palani. The large group split into smaller ones to either go out shopping, taste the wares in the bazaar or warm themselves up in the confines of a hotel with some brew.

The next morning involved a half day trek that took us to Dolphin Nose, Echo point and beyond. These picturesque locations made for a great photographic experience. The trek in itself was easy as we went tumbling down, but proved a stiff one as we made our ascent.

The best part of this trek was the opportunity to sample the exotic fruits of the Nilgiris that included Tea Tomato, Star Fruit, Jack Fruit, Passion Fruit and others.

The half day trek had worked up quite an appetite within us and in spite of the fact that we had gorged on the exotic Nilgiri fruits, we enjoyed a sumptuous meal of masala omelettes.

The later half of the evening was spent in visiting the panoramic view point of Pillar rocks and the upper lake region from where one can see the Kodaikanal lake that is shaped like the map of India. There were a couple of other places that I visited, but weren’t quite as eventful.

It was an early wake up call the next morning and we descended down the winding roads in misty weather. The progress was slow but steady. The drive till Karur was fairly uneventful. Then we got rain heading towards us and the entire world around us wore a fresh look. Now, I have climbed hill stations and winding roads throughout India, but I have never seen 70 continuous hairpin bends in any place. One can see such hairpin bends while climbing Kolli hills and all in 20 kilometres. Though the hairpin bends are 70 (seventy) in number, they are pretty smooth.

Kolli hills is a relaxed tropical hill station (Semmadu) undiscovered by the outside world and hence has retained its old world charm. There are gushing waterfalls nearby, dense green forests and the entire town shuts down by 7 in the evening. A soothing environment! The next morning, after a relaxed breakfast, we made our way back to Bangalore after what had been 4 great days of riding through country roads.