Wednesday, December 17, 2014

WCR 1115

15th Nov 2014: Wayanad to Allepey

We had four action packed days of continuous riding now. We had kept the distance limited having no idea of how long it would take. We estimated we could cover 300 kms in 7 hours. How hard could it be? It turned out to be very hard. Leaving early from Pulpally helped us cover a good distance. We had taken a longer route through Sultan Bathery and the roadside view was fantastic along with a gentle mist.

This was turning out to be a most pleasant experience until we reached the Ghats. 
The road grew narrow again and traffic increased. And then we reached the bustling city of Kozhikode. Our progress had slowed very much now and we stopped for breakfast. This place turned out to be the worst one during our Ride. They served us cold food. The good part about it was we were done and dusted with the place in 30 mins. This must have been our fastest breakfast.

We were away from the countryside now and were travelling through THE town with no boundaries. This “town” covers the entire coastline of Kerala. I’ll refer it to as “Dread” town. Roads go anywhere to everywhere in this town and there is civilization throughout the highway sides, on both sides. Household gates open right on the highway. The traffic is continuous with all sorts of vehicles. Buses are extra wide and always driving in the centre of the road offering little chance of overtaking. While we were enjoying the touristy spots and toddy bars, Dread was having its toll.

My Bullet was also having some electrical trouble when the speed exceeded 80. So, I had to keep it below 70 which became a problem when overtaking. Don’t be disillusioned by the speed mentioned. It was rarely that we reached them. Dread made sure we didn’t. Even if we somehow managed to reach it Dread ensured that we brake that instant.

Back on NH17, the road width improved after Edappal. The first signs of trouble showed when someone pointed out that Satish’s Thunderbird was making too much noise. After this was mentioned even Satish began to worry. He hadn’t realized the noise before this. It turned out that the oil level had fallen drastically. It took frantic searching to find 20W50 grade oil.

After Edappal, each one of us went in different directions. At Kunnamkulam, a series of turns confused the entire group. Some took the road to Thrissur, some towards Guruvayur, while some went in a third direction. Rohit, Zaheer and I were headed towards Guruvayur. Three different groups in three different directions. We stopped for lunch and also to gather our bearings.

Messages in the Whatsapp group were even more confusing. All pin-drops were at different times so there was no way where the dropper would be at this point. The best bet was to continue to Allepey and meet at Hotel Raiban only. The waiter at the hotel suggested that we take a ferry at Vypin on the ay to Allepey. This got us very excited to have a unique experience.

We could take consolation in the fact that we were experiencing Coastal Ride. NH17 to Thrissur was inwards, away from the sea. Now that the chances of regrouping looked bleak, the idea of heading to Vypin sounded great. It would delay us but at least we would have experienced something special. Rohit badly wanted a ‘Swades’ pic.

When we reached Paravoor, and asked the distance to Vypin, it was learnt that the 30 kms would not be on good roads. So, the ferry plan was ditched and we continued on the Dread roads. At places, the road grew so narrow that it was impossible to see it as a highway. By now the sun was also setting. Kochi was madly crowded. Even though the highway had now broadened, the massive traffic kept us slow. 60 kms still remained till Allepey. The three of us stuck together. It had grown dark now.
The four-lane reconverted into two-lane. On our final break before Allepey, we learnt that Satish’s Bullet was again giving trouble. They had taken a long time at the service station and then decided to halt at Kochi for the night.

We were glad to regroup at Kochi, but disappointed to see the hotel rooms. They were shabby. It looked like the small Pahargunj room. We were too exhausted to complain. It had taken us more than 14 hours to cover the 320 kms today. Nilu shocked everyone by leaving for official work at Chingavanam. He wasn’t having a true vacation. Bosses always play spoilsport. The rest of us stepped out into the town looking for a bar.
We came across one at a hotel. There was only one waiter handling everything. He was courteous but pushy. We had to order hurriedly and we ordered a lot of it. When the pomfrets arrived, they were bathed in oil. Kingfisher strong was the only option available. So, we spent a lot of money and didn’t enjoy it. We all admired the patience of the waiter though to carry out all his duties without losing his cool.

On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a roadside stall to have dosa with chhole, an unusual combination. But it was tasty. We all enjoyed the Rs 100 meal at this point much more than the Rs 2200 snacks at the bar. Exhausted we crashed out. 

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