WCR 1119

19^th Nov 2014: Rameswaram to Munnar:

We were ready to leave by 5:15 AM. But as soon as we took off, it started to drizzle. Rain suits were again adorned. We had survived 11 days but the past couple of days had made up for all the rains that we avoided. It was so wet that Nilu was riding in his swimming shorts. The weather took some pity on us 30 kms into the Ride but it was back with even more fury half an hour later. This always happens. Whenever we are soaked during a Ride a dry spell would occur and this would almost dry us up. But as soon as that happens, the skies open up again and we get drenched again. Someone likes to play with us.

But this time we didn’t stop. We continued on in the rain. Actually, it was Rohit who chose to carry on and we followed. Had he stopped, all of the followers would also have stopped. The non-stop riding was beneficial to us and we completed 130 kms quickly to stop at the same dhaba that we had sat at earlier. The waiter was happy to see us return. But then he informed us that the entire chain had gone vegetarian. We were extremely lucky to have tasted their non-veg preparation on the very last day. Future travelers would be deprived of this place’s excellent preparation.

Nilu was as usual proud of his riding gear and began reciting the benefits of riding in shorts. We put on our wet boots again and continued the journey. From this point on, it was sunny. We had managed to avoid entering Madurai on the way to Rameswaram. But to reach Munnar, we had to cross through the center of the city. A series of turns had to be taken. During this course, we came across a shop laden with Rajnikant posters and arts. It was a spectacular sight. All through the turns we were guided by the locals in Hindi. It seems all the infamous notoriety is present in Chennai only.

We made a brief stop on the way to Theni for Nilu to buy a washer and tighten the Bullets’ chains. Zaheer pointed out several faults with the technique used by the mechanic. But the biggest laugh came when his assistant came to oil the chains, by hand.

The road onwards was again excellent. 

We were getting thirsty now and looking for a beer shop. Once came into view which was slightly off the road and we headed for it. The place turned out to be one of the best we had visited on this journey, rather on all journeys. The walls were makeshift made of tin sheets and the benches were made of cement. There was a platter of snacks set up in one corner that included pork, much to our two Assamese’s delight. Actually I should say Chinese delight. Beer was Max 11000, manufactured and sold in Tamil Nadu only. Our waiter was very courteous and always wore a smile.

We were an attraction within the place and were treated as special. The beer tasted well, snacks tasted delicious and our moods were high.  We spent more time at this place than usual. Rohit desired to have his coffee and so he took his brewer near the kitchen to ask for hot water. While the coffee brewed, he was surrounded by curious locals. They must have thought it to be a special alcoholic concoction. 

Continuing on, we reached the mountains. Every rider gets horny on seeing mountain curves. The beer added to this excitement and soon we were leaning. The view turned prettier as we climbed higher. 

We were back in Kerala but not dreading it this time. The weather turned cool and then cold. We stopped for hot maggi at the roadside. This stop also had to be made as Zaheer had got a puncture. The locals told him that the shop is 2 kms ahead. He filled up air using the foot pump and moved on while we finished the Maggi and coffee. Maggi is the official mountain food. It tastes so delicious in those surroundings.

At the puncture shop, the guy mended five punctures. It seemed that Zaheer had drawn the shortest straw and took the pain of everyone else.

We had planned to ride through Munnar and move to Kochi, but the surroundings stopped us. The 25 kms to Munnar were covered very slowly taking ample pics of the tea plantations. A river flowing through these plantations adds so much beauty to this place. We decided to stay for the night and took shelter in Hotel Eden Valley.

The place looked nice but the service was horrible. For starters, hot water was available only in the morning. The manager offered the bathroom in the neighboring guest house which was also owned by him. Our experience became bitter when he resisted giving towels, drinking water, glasses and soap in the rooms. He even refused to setup an extra bed saying that the double bed is wide enough. We’ll surely screw the reviews of that place on trip advisor.

We stepped out after freshening up to explore the local market. Gyan had a long list of spices to be purchased sent by his wife. The guys around him laughed heartily when they saw the length of the list. There’s something for everyone in our Rides. Now we knew why he had kept so much empty space in his luggage. He would be falling short there too. I went to the wine shop where there was a long queue. Every wine shop in Kerala has a long queue. One has to make a split second decision on the options as the crowd behind you gets pushy. I don’t understand why the ban on roadside bars was enforced. It has only increased demand and loss of excise to the government. I can only pray that such bans are kept away from the North. Amen.

For dinner we got biryani packed from Rapsy Restaurant. This place was highly recommended and was mentioned in Highway On My Plate too. 

Taking care of necessities, we returned to our rooms. The rum was ok. Well, nothing can satiate the taste buds of Old Monk loyalists. The food was also mediocre. Our experience was further soured when the caretaker bought two thin spare blankets for the extra persons.

Our Ride through Munnar had been great but the stay was horrible.