WCR 1113

13^th Nov 2014: Mangalore to Wayanad:

We left early in the morning. Today we would be entering Kerala where we would be spending the next four days of our tour. The road was not in great condition. It turned worse when we entered Kerala. This wasn’t the sort of welcome we were expecting. The traffic was even worse. All sorts of vehicles were plying on the narrow stretch of highway. Buses coming in opposite directions nearly scraped each other. The drivers were always eager to overtake so every vehicle was always travelling in the middle of the road.

We thought conditions would improve later on and then turned towards Bekal Fort at Kasargod. The road to the Fort was broken and wet. We were still optimistic and showed patience. Soon we pulled into the empty parking lot. The Fort was very well maintained. The real sight was on the other end of the entry gate. It overlooked the sea and a wonderful beach. We spent a good time clicking photos here.

On exiting, we asked for directions to Wayanad. Surprisingly, we faced a language barrier. Kerala is a very hot tourist destination with high literacy. We were taken aback to find this barrier here. Thankfully, we didn’t need to go back the route we came to reach the highway. The road onwards also connected to it, although the names of the towns in between were very difficult to remember and pronounce.

Moving on the main highway, Zaheer was again in the lead. He was stopped at a police check post while the rest of us cleanly passed through. We also stopped a short distance ahead. The language barrier showed itself again. It resulted in heating up the conversation. Only one of the officers was speaking broken Hindi. It resulted in some confusion on showing the registrations. The cops were grabbing at the tiger on the front mudguard(extra fitting) and parking lights(extra light). They relented on these two but then stuck on the absence of rearview mirrors. When the rest of the riders reached the group, they were convinced that we were part of a single group and were genuine tourers. Finally after checking all papers, they let him go warning him to get mirrors installed before the next town.

The “next town” was a misnomer. There isn’t such a thing in Kerala. We had now covered 100 kms and were continuously surrounded by civilization. The “town” seemed to be never ending. There wasn’t an empty patch to be seen. Ignoring everything else, we came across our first Toddy shop in the state and immediately stopped. Only Ashok, Gyan and I were interested while the rest took their breakfast in the neighboring shop.

Unsure of the quantity, we ordered only half a litre between the three of us. It is said to make one very tipsy if it ages. Fried spicy fish was offered as snacks. The tipsy effect was displayed by a local there. He was very interested in talking to us. He straightaway came and handed a big wad of money in Ashok’s hands. He then started to narrate his family problems. He downed three glasses one after the other in quick succession and then said goodbye to us.

We found the taste of toddy very appealing and decided to have a lot more in the night. For now, we were struggling to find the road to Wayanad. Everyone we asked had a different route to suggest and understanding that route was very difficult. Moreover, the continuous running town had way too many turns and traffic. It was difficult to stick together. The signboards were showing a different direction than the one suggested by the locals. Wayanad isn’t the name of a town. Its actually a district. What we should have asked instead was Pulpally. All of us finally joined together after Kannur on the way to Kuthupuramba.

The traffic was still heavy but thankfully lighter than the main highway. News had reached us from BoP Bangalore chapter that they were just 100 kms from Pulpally at noon. They had encountered rain on the way. We had been lucky till now. But as we crossed Kuthupuramba, it started to pour. Rain suits were brought out. We stopped for lunch after some time and it was still raining. Gyan and I immediately headed to the nearby toddy shop. Lo and behold, for snacks they served pork. We should have called Nilu right then and there but the thought didn’t cross our mind. Again we purchased only half a litre. We were increasing our intake incrementally.

When we reached back and told this to Nilu, he was agitated. He immediately ran to the shop in the rain to have pork. Unfortunately, Gyan and I had finished the last lot. Nilu was furious. His face was that of a child deprived of promised chocolate. This could bite back at us viciously.

We set off again as the rain lightened. Now, we were seeing countryside. But what tensed us was that none of signboards were showing Pulpally. Majority were pointing to Sultan Bathery. After much navigating, we finally saw the signboards. We had made it to Pulpally right before dark. Now began another exercise of finding Holidays Inn Wayanad guided by directions of Ms Malini. A nearby spokesperson of CPI(M) distracted us. He was speaking with vigor. Unfortunately, not many of the passersby were interested in what was being said. Throughout our journey in Kerala we had seen the red flags of CPI(M) besides the road. The students’ association even added a Che Guevara pic to their signposts. Such is the influence of Che in a country he never visited.

We made it to Hotel Wayanad Inn and dumped our luggage. Now began the daily exercise of cleaning up and going out to pick up supplies. Our journey of 250 kms today had left us exhausted. It had still taken us 12 hours to cover the distance. We were not expecting journeys to be so long. We went to the Toddy shop in town and brought in 6 litres of toddy along with pork for snacks.

While Gyan and I fetched the drinks, BoP Bangalore had reached the hotel as well. The North and South chapters of our club were meeting for the first time. We met like brothers separated in Kumbh Mela. This was the first time the two chapters would be riding together. What made the Ride even more special was the Anniversary month, November. This was a grand celebration.

Now we had to pour the toddy from the packed polythenes into the water jugs. One of the three bags had leaked and we were being extra careful in pouring out the contents. All went to the floor as one other bag came crashing down on the floor, due to my misplacement. A litre of toddy spilled on the floor. We would have to make do with the leftover.

All of us gathered at the dining table and cheered for the occasion of Anniversary. 

We all laughed at the narration of BoP Bangalore’s misnavigation to reach Wayanad. The laughter didn’t stop after that. There was plenty of toddy and time in our hands. Even though a litre was spilled there was enough to go around. We could manage to finish only 4 litres. One litre was still left. After some time, Rohit and Zaheer went out into the town to fetch dinner. The hotel didn’t have a kitchen. They returned with ample quantities of chicken biryani, chilli chicken, rice and some veg, along with sweet dish. The toddy had made our heads heavy and we didn’t eat much food. Tomorrow would be a day to explore. 

WCR 1114

14^th Nov 2014: Wayanad

During our research, we had seen many places to explore in Wayanad. We targeted to cover three of them today. First on the list was Kuruva river island. We stopped at a small dhaba enroute for breakfast.

The language barrier flared up again. But thanks to Rohit’s excellent sign language, we got bread omelets and “kadak” chai.  He was also active in bringing many snacks until the breakfast came. The owner must have been happy to see his age-old items getting consumed. We all joked on how he would bring out an old carton soon, which he shortly did. We would devour anything.

Lunch was expected to be much delayed today so we ate to our full. After parking our motorcycles (special mention that Nilu was riding as pillion) and purchasing the tickets, a bamboo raft took us to the island. We expected to see something unique here. A path led through the circumference of the island. There was a large group already there and we stayed behind for a while to let the noise pass first. Meanwhile the photographers turned into rapid fire mode. Muzzles of their cameras were pointed at leaves and their veins. The funny angles began to show. They also obliged us by clicking the group from time to time. Familiar jokes started on Varun’s height.

There was nothing special on the island. It was as if a landmass was deliberately converted into a tourist spot. The greenery must have been attractive to some but not for us. To the other visitors however, our group was the special sight. Where else would one find so much diversity (Assam, Himachal, Andhra, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab) in a single group.

We came across another noisy spot. Here people were allowed to go into the water. We had already had enough of bathing in Goa, so we just hung around for a while and then started back. We took a group pic with the motorcycles in the parking lot. Other tourists were also clicking the pic.

Next on the list was Edakkal caves. This sight had come into our coverage through scoopwhoop. In fact, the mention of this place had changed our entire itinerary inside Kerala. We had made our way inwards from the coast to cover Edakkal. But on the way back to Pulpally it started to rain, that too heavily. Rohit, Satish and I were together at this point and we stopped outside a house to take shelter. While we put on our rain suits, an elderly lady welcomed us. We would have had a lovely chat if not for the language issue. She was supremely jovial. We caught up with the rest of the group and waited for the rain to subside a little.

On reaching back to the hotel, it was decided to hire a jeep and head to Edakkal. We were not taking chance of riding in the rain now. There would be ample time to do that in the following days. All nine of us crammed into the Mahindra Jeep. We had lots of laughs when the driver insisted on Nilu sitting besides the driver. The gearshift would have been very interesting. Fortunately for Nilu, the Jeep didn’t require much of it. There’s enough torque to carry the Jeep in top gear. We also picked up some croissants to help us on the way.

We reached the parking lot and then started the ascent to the caves on foot. It was a very steep path. Gyan was soon panting and wheezing. Nilu has become fitter than before and didn’t pant as much. I have also become fitter due to marathons and did not tire easily. Satish was caught by a travelling couple to click a photo of them and send it by mail later. We suggested Satish to wait here and continue with other couples while we take the trek. He would’ve made enough to cover his Ride expenses.

It was nice to see that guards did not allow plastic bottles without a refundable deposit. These bottles are the cause of trash lying around in places. This practice should be followed in other states as well.

We reached the lower cave after much climbing. Natural water is used to refill bottles here. Then the ascent to the upper cave started. Although exhausting, the view from above was marvelous. Rocky ridges stood above the greenery of abundant palms. These views make traveling the distance worth it.

The security inside the cave served as guides too. No wonder he spoke clear English as well as Hindi. He described to us the history of the 6000 years old inscriptions.

Right at the corner of the Edakkal (between two stones) cave was a large crack between the mountains. This spot is marketed as a viewpoint. The might of nature can be felt at this viewpoint.

It took us some time for the descent and when we reached the Jeep, the driver was nowhere to be found. While he returned we discussed on the next spot to explore. A sad phenomenon about the state is that all tourist spots close at 4 pm. This left us no time to explore our third spot, the dam. Damn. We asked the driver on suggestions for the next place, but to no avail. He didn’t understand a word we spoke. BK called up a Mallu friend of his to act as interpreter.

So, we decided to return. Along the way, we were on the lookout for a toddy shop. But the driver was again not understanding. He drove non-stop towards Pulpally. We straightaway headed to the restaurant from where Rohit and Zaheer had picked up our dinner the previous night. Beef and chicken dishes were ordered with Malabar parota, and some veg, the spoilsport.

We had a good amount of leftover from the previous night for today’s dinner. So, while some hung around the small market, some rested and Nilu and BK went to pick up supplies for the night. This time we bought in moderate. Our caretaker, Wilson had taken fancy to the coffee maker of Rohit and was ready to buy it from him. No price would make him part with it during the Ride. This was Rohit’s most valuable possession. Wilson had to relent but Rohit promised he would send him one. We had a lot of travelling to do in the following days. Meanwhile trouble started for two riders. Gyan and Satish got upset stomachs. All the hogging of the past few days took its toll. It can cause great discomfort on a ride.

WCR 1115

15^th 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.