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Divided by Boundaries.United by The Nilgiris
3:30 am: Dude wake up man. Its 3 :30. We have to leave.
5 mins macha ( the usual dialogue for the past 20 yrs).
4:30 am: Dei get up we are late I don’t wanna doze off and show my face at the office. I told my boss I ve got health problems
5:15 am : I roll my steed out ,reset the trip meters check headlights and indicators waiting for my rather lazy & heavy pillion to finish his activities and come. Contrary to being excited, this being my first long trip,I was rather calm and focused.
5:23 am: My babe rolls off in all its glory set for a destination miles & miles away. Next pit stop Karur.I was scared of the road till karur as I have traveled from trichy to coonoor a week back on an official trip. My pillion wanted to leave trichy as soon as possible. He wanted that “I wanna break free from this horrible place” feeling. Cruising at an average of 60 kmph, finally entered the karur road after passing by 2 petrol bunks which were awaiting the chirp of dawn to wake them up. 5 Kms into the Karur road we had to ask a local boy for petrol bunks on our way. He pointed towards karur and said 35 kms for the next bunk. Without a second of hesitation I turned the bike back towards trichy.My pillion got pissed.Lol
“Dude trichy is haunting us man”
And finally the same bunk we passed by had opened and we filled in for 500 Bucks of fuel and air in the tires to full pressure. (which turned out to be a mistake).
We set off on the karur road, literally restarting the trip again. The fresh air of the morning kept us wide eyed and awake as so were the villages around. 30 Kms into the trip my friend wanted to smoke just to celebrate breaking away from the clutches of the trichy dry-lands. I said dude we ll stop after karur assuring him that its just 5 more mins away, well lol for the next 100 kms.
8:30 am: We finally crossed the dreaded karur road and I stopped outside the city for a quick smoke and a refreshing tea. Tightened the chain had a bottle of water and some really tasty tea.
The First Stop
Being the first long trip after a year of getting my long dreamt of steed, I was very happy I was literally smiling all the way. In this upbeat mood, we were all set to go for the next leg of the trip.The roads were simply beautiful and I was ripping all along on 90-110.
The route we planned was supposed to go via Erode and then to Coimbatore but to our luck there was a direct road to Coimbatore almost bypassing erode by 40 odd kms.I was listening to some peppy numbers and enjoying the clear skies and the beautiful roads.I had a plan of stopping at Coimbatore for an oil change .On the way,I dunno at which place, we found a line of bike showrooms next to each other.I was happy that the TVS guys were up and running already
. I was surprised by the clean and well maintained workshop they had. My bike being the first one to be serviced that day ,he did some puja and all to start his work.I was damn embarrassed ,cos the bike was so damn dirty all over ,in his super clean workshop lol.
Got the oil changed enquired about the roads to Coimbatore and they ensured the same condition of roads will continue till Coimbatore. Felt content and off we go again with guess what?!! With the million dollar smile on my face $$ $$ .We were going at an average of 90 kmph and I slowly started getting bored of the road and the smile was disappearing form our faces.
We took a sharp left curve on the sprawling roads donning the barren lands around and I felt compelled to stop at a spot for a nice pic. To our left a few kms inside were a swarm of windmills churning out power like high speed fans. ( Well I am little fascinated by the way these big ones look). The lands were barren for miles inside on both sides of the road. Yet the emptiness was beautiful canopied by the clear morning skies.We both had to agree that this shot looked straight out of a hollywood flick.
The Conqueror of the mighty skies: P
We set off again cos my target time to reach Wayanad was 1400 hrs and Coimbatore by 1030 hrs. seconds later we were back to our normal pace of zipping around the highways ,as we wanted to have something to eat at our next stop.
10 mins later I was overtaking a puny maruti and was riding on the divider line.We were a few metres away from Palladam and I felt the bike,fishtailing. Immediately I realized,it’s a puncture in the rear tyre. I was ready for the first planned downtime of the trip ( well it was expected).I was rather tired to push the bike till a puncture shop .I pulled to the side of the road and enquired about any puncture chop nearby. I was taken in for a very very pleasant surprise when he pointed his finger to the other side of the road where a truck was halted and he said there is a shop hidden behind the truck.Woah,awesome!! Me and my friend looked at each other’s faces and smiled “Dude all Izz Well” .Right next to the puncture shop was a place for breakfast and we to break for an hour as the engine was hot and the puncture guy was not able to remove the tire.
The temperatures were slowly soaring and an hour later we were done and started towards Coimbatore. We were ensured that the roads will be nice till Coimbatore. Not once did I bother to ask how are the roads from CBE to Mettupalayam. I remember the road being nice when I traveled last week to Coonoor, but only later I realized it wasn’t the Coimbatore route.(Details Coming).
12:30 pm : Finally reached Coimbatore and was rolling through the city sweating inside our helmets and getting choked with the pollution around.We asked atleast ten people ,the way to Mettupalayam.Took a few diversions through one of the busiest roads in the city and I was getting frustrated with the pollution and the cranky traffic. Never expected Coimbatore to be this bad. Was cursing myself for not asking for a bypass. Finally took the route to Mettupalayam and I was waiting and waiting for the traffic to fade away and good roads to start. But in vain, the roads were worse and the traffic was not going down at all. Was super pissed and I was ripping wherever possible .Slowly the climate was cooling down a bit and I was relieved to find some hills in my view. Me and my pillion badly wanted a bum break but I wanted to stop only at this shop right opposite Black Thunder. So we kept going ,crossed Mettupalayam and reached the shop.
2:00 pm : We looked like dead dogs after a 100 mile race. Horrible state we were in.Thirsty and hungry ,we walked into the restaurant for hogging some nice food. Asked one of the guys about the road conditions to wayanad.He asked where I wanted to go in wayanad.When I said Sulthan bathery,he laughed on my face and said there are only a bunch of hospitals there,what do you guys wanna see there??!! Lol I had no answer.He suggested we go to Mudhumalai Instead via Masinagudi. He warned us before leaving about the route from Ooty to Masinagudi,with around 36 hairpin Bends.I thought it should not be that difficult.Had a smoke, stretched ourselves and got ready for the most exciting part of the trip-Climbing the ghats.Gave a few instructions to my pillion to sit close & hold tight.Tightened the backpack and we were off.The roads were extremely beautiful and my feelings never change even though it’s the 4th time I was going to ooty.
Going Green
We were climbing to coonoor as slow as possible andthis being the first time I am riding in the ghats,I was pretty scared about the way I should be taking turns.My engine’s sound had completely changed and it sounded like it was out of breath.The engine temperature was rising and I was totally getting worried. On the flip side I was enjoying the views and it took me no time to realize how beautiful it is to ride out in the open rather than in four wheeled coffins, on the Ghats. Mother nature is absolutely marvellous and I was appreciating the British for paving out roads like these.
3:15 pm : Another 13 kms away to the next stop coonoor,the fuel indication dropped suddenly to two points.I dismissed it as an error due to the constant movement of the fuel inside the tank. Two mins later,the bike was running outta fuel.I was getting freaked out,switched over to reserve and started riding more carefully counting each km and prasing ma babe that she can go further.And yay it did.We finally reached coonoor with barely half a litre od fuel left.
3:45 pm : While my friend was withdrawing cash from the ATM,I was jotting the route and the way points the ATM guard was telling us. Even he warned us about the 36 hairpin bends en route to Masinagudi. Filled in 500 more bucks and we were all set to go. Started towards ooty with the smile back on my face. Reached Ooty quite quickly and we found a really nice coffee day to take a quick break.Our next stop was Masinagudi directly as I wanted to reach there before it gets dark or foggy. Only then I realized the way to Masinagudi from Ooty was descent on the other side of the mountain.Now the 36 bends were freaking me out.We crossed Thalaikundha and Kalatti and I should say the roads are simply beautiful. After kalatti ,it started getting real foggy,took a long left turn and we were standing on the top of a steep decline leading to the dreaded 1st hair pin bend out of the 36 bends to Masinagudi.It was really foggy and I could barely see for a brief minute.
Slotted into second and kept rolling .At the starting of the bend,I was compelled to stop to relish the breathtaking view of the Nilgiris , so gigantic yet so subtle. We had a smoke there clicked a few shots and in 5 mins it started drizzling.I was pretty scared cos of the hype created for the 36 bends,the wet roads and a decline.I wanted to finish it as soon as possible, but I couldn’t .I wanted to stop at each and every turn to enjoy the magnificent mountains.
And so we did. Every turn felt like a new scenery, a new beginning and a new perspective of life. Feelings were intense and so was the fog & rain.
We didn’t wanna get stuck in the mountains and so we set off,this time behind a scorpio driven by an elderly lady. The way she was taking the quick turns,I was surprised.I had trouble in braking and I didn know the correct gear to ride on.So speeds were fluctuating and I was getting scared like never.I was tailgating the scorpio form the 2nd to the 20th bend.It go kinda monotonous for me.After the 20th bend ,the scorpio braked a little as a result of an oncoming van.I kinda panicked and braked too much. WE were on 30-40 speed when we fell down and my jeans got torn near the knee. My pillion was safe and the bike crash guard took the hit. I was feeling stupid for doing such a mistake. But it has always been like this,I trust my brakes than anything else when I am riding. Once I doubt their abilities, my foundations are shaken down. So it was bound to happen anyways. My confidence was not down we got back on the bike after the usual lectures from the van driver and the lady.she was quite concerned to drop me till Masinagudi ,which we humbly denied. I accepted that it was my mistake (surprisingly :P) and we left from there with a bleeding knee.
The dreaded hairpin bends were over and I stopped to check the damage to my bike and fix the mirrors.One good thing I have noticed was people are ever so helpful to stop and ask if there is any problem in case we stop for a moment. The stretch was passing through a forest and we had our own fears of animals venturing onto the road. The roads were beautiful and empty,so we zipped across all the way till Masinagudi.
06:45 pm Got some medicines and cotton to clean up the wounds and we decided to stay in a nice resort. We did a mistake of not reserving a room here. The sun had set already we were freaking tired.We enquired in a couple of places but no luck,finally we thought of heading back to the main town and finding a cheaper place.On the way we saw a diversion form the road pointing towards some place called ”Wild Breeze Resort”. Decided to take a chance and went searching for the place.It was almost dark and all I could see was a small path and the place was surrounded by the magnificient mountains. Finally reached the place and was damn happy after the attendant told me a double room is available.He awas asking for 2k for a night. We finally negotiated and brought it down to 1200 bucks and ordered for some nice home cooked dinner.I fell flat on the bed with a sore bum and burning eyes. Nevertheless, I was happy that I am gonna sleep like a sloth.Took a hot shower and we had dinner int the portico and I was sitting there in a nice bamboo recliner.It was drizzling and I was lost in thoughts.It was calm and cold ,the winter winds blowing on your face,the smell of wet mud and the outlines of huge mountains surrounding you. It was drizzling and I asked the guy whether I can park my baby in front of my room.He pointed to the huge vast ground in front of us and exclaimed “ The whole place is yours”. That moment I thought I can just drift away with the winds and vanish into thin air. Neither do I wanna achieve anything more nor do I wanna make someone else happy. I was looking at my bike with its head up to the skies and we were bonded for life.
I got under the sheets and with a smile on my face, I drifted into sleep with the pattering of rain drops on the roof singing a lullaby. ….zzzzZZZzzZZ….
Onward Route
Some pics from the return trip
5 mins macha ( the usual dialogue for the past 20 yrs).
4:30 am: Dei get up we are late I don’t wanna doze off and show my face at the office. I told my boss I ve got health problems
5:15 am : I roll my steed out ,reset the trip meters check headlights and indicators waiting for my rather lazy & heavy pillion to finish his activities and come. Contrary to being excited, this being my first long trip,I was rather calm and focused.
5:23 am: My babe rolls off in all its glory set for a destination miles & miles away. Next pit stop Karur.I was scared of the road till karur as I have traveled from trichy to coonoor a week back on an official trip. My pillion wanted to leave trichy as soon as possible. He wanted that “I wanna break free from this horrible place” feeling. Cruising at an average of 60 kmph, finally entered the karur road after passing by 2 petrol bunks which were awaiting the chirp of dawn to wake them up. 5 Kms into the Karur road we had to ask a local boy for petrol bunks on our way. He pointed towards karur and said 35 kms for the next bunk. Without a second of hesitation I turned the bike back towards trichy.My pillion got pissed.Lol
“Dude trichy is haunting us man”
And finally the same bunk we passed by had opened and we filled in for 500 Bucks of fuel and air in the tires to full pressure. (which turned out to be a mistake).
We set off on the karur road, literally restarting the trip again. The fresh air of the morning kept us wide eyed and awake as so were the villages around. 30 Kms into the trip my friend wanted to smoke just to celebrate breaking away from the clutches of the trichy dry-lands. I said dude we ll stop after karur assuring him that its just 5 more mins away, well lol for the next 100 kms.
8:30 am: We finally crossed the dreaded karur road and I stopped outside the city for a quick smoke and a refreshing tea. Tightened the chain had a bottle of water and some really tasty tea.
The First Stop
Being the first long trip after a year of getting my long dreamt of steed, I was very happy I was literally smiling all the way. In this upbeat mood, we were all set to go for the next leg of the trip.The roads were simply beautiful and I was ripping all along on 90-110.
The route we planned was supposed to go via Erode and then to Coimbatore but to our luck there was a direct road to Coimbatore almost bypassing erode by 40 odd kms.I was listening to some peppy numbers and enjoying the clear skies and the beautiful roads.I had a plan of stopping at Coimbatore for an oil change .On the way,I dunno at which place, we found a line of bike showrooms next to each other.I was happy that the TVS guys were up and running already
. I was surprised by the clean and well maintained workshop they had. My bike being the first one to be serviced that day ,he did some puja and all to start his work.I was damn embarrassed ,cos the bike was so damn dirty all over ,in his super clean workshop lol.Got the oil changed enquired about the roads to Coimbatore and they ensured the same condition of roads will continue till Coimbatore. Felt content and off we go again with guess what?!! With the million dollar smile on my face $$
$$ .We were going at an average of 90 kmph and I slowly started getting bored of the road and the smile was disappearing form our faces. We took a sharp left curve on the sprawling roads donning the barren lands around and I felt compelled to stop at a spot for a nice pic. To our left a few kms inside were a swarm of windmills churning out power like high speed fans. ( Well I am little fascinated by the way these big ones look). The lands were barren for miles inside on both sides of the road. Yet the emptiness was beautiful canopied by the clear morning skies.We both had to agree that this shot looked straight out of a hollywood flick.
The Conqueror of the mighty skies: P
We set off again cos my target time to reach Wayanad was 1400 hrs and Coimbatore by 1030 hrs. seconds later we were back to our normal pace of zipping around the highways ,as we wanted to have something to eat at our next stop.
10 mins later I was overtaking a puny maruti and was riding on the divider line.We were a few metres away from Palladam and I felt the bike,fishtailing. Immediately I realized,it’s a puncture in the rear tyre. I was ready for the first planned downtime of the trip ( well it was expected).I was rather tired to push the bike till a puncture shop .I pulled to the side of the road and enquired about any puncture chop nearby. I was taken in for a very very pleasant surprise when he pointed his finger to the other side of the road where a truck was halted and he said there is a shop hidden behind the truck.Woah,awesome!! Me and my friend looked at each other’s faces and smiled “Dude all Izz Well” .Right next to the puncture shop was a place for breakfast and we to break for an hour as the engine was hot and the puncture guy was not able to remove the tire.
The temperatures were slowly soaring and an hour later we were done and started towards Coimbatore. We were ensured that the roads will be nice till Coimbatore. Not once did I bother to ask how are the roads from CBE to Mettupalayam. I remember the road being nice when I traveled last week to Coonoor, but only later I realized it wasn’t the Coimbatore route.(Details Coming).
12:30 pm : Finally reached Coimbatore and was rolling through the city sweating inside our helmets and getting choked with the pollution around.We asked atleast ten people ,the way to Mettupalayam.Took a few diversions through one of the busiest roads in the city and I was getting frustrated with the pollution and the cranky traffic. Never expected Coimbatore to be this bad. Was cursing myself for not asking for a bypass. Finally took the route to Mettupalayam and I was waiting and waiting for the traffic to fade away and good roads to start. But in vain, the roads were worse and the traffic was not going down at all. Was super pissed and I was ripping wherever possible .Slowly the climate was cooling down a bit and I was relieved to find some hills in my view. Me and my pillion badly wanted a bum break but I wanted to stop only at this shop right opposite Black Thunder. So we kept going ,crossed Mettupalayam and reached the shop.
2:00 pm : We looked like dead dogs after a 100 mile race. Horrible state we were in.Thirsty and hungry ,we walked into the restaurant for hogging some nice food. Asked one of the guys about the road conditions to wayanad.He asked where I wanted to go in wayanad.When I said Sulthan bathery,he laughed on my face and said there are only a bunch of hospitals there,what do you guys wanna see there??!! Lol I had no answer.He suggested we go to Mudhumalai Instead via Masinagudi. He warned us before leaving about the route from Ooty to Masinagudi,with around 36 hairpin Bends.I thought it should not be that difficult.Had a smoke, stretched ourselves and got ready for the most exciting part of the trip-Climbing the ghats.Gave a few instructions to my pillion to sit close & hold tight.Tightened the backpack and we were off.The roads were extremely beautiful and my feelings never change even though it’s the 4th time I was going to ooty.
Going Green
We were climbing to coonoor as slow as possible andthis being the first time I am riding in the ghats,I was pretty scared about the way I should be taking turns.My engine’s sound had completely changed and it sounded like it was out of breath.The engine temperature was rising and I was totally getting worried. On the flip side I was enjoying the views and it took me no time to realize how beautiful it is to ride out in the open rather than in four wheeled coffins, on the Ghats. Mother nature is absolutely marvellous and I was appreciating the British for paving out roads like these.
3:15 pm : Another 13 kms away to the next stop coonoor,the fuel indication dropped suddenly to two points.I dismissed it as an error due to the constant movement of the fuel inside the tank. Two mins later,the bike was running outta fuel.I was getting freaked out,switched over to reserve and started riding more carefully counting each km and prasing ma babe that she can go further.And yay it did.We finally reached coonoor with barely half a litre od fuel left.
3:45 pm : While my friend was withdrawing cash from the ATM,I was jotting the route and the way points the ATM guard was telling us. Even he warned us about the 36 hairpin bends en route to Masinagudi. Filled in 500 more bucks and we were all set to go. Started towards ooty with the smile back on my face. Reached Ooty quite quickly and we found a really nice coffee day to take a quick break.Our next stop was Masinagudi directly as I wanted to reach there before it gets dark or foggy. Only then I realized the way to Masinagudi from Ooty was descent on the other side of the mountain.Now the 36 bends were freaking me out.We crossed Thalaikundha and Kalatti and I should say the roads are simply beautiful. After kalatti ,it started getting real foggy,took a long left turn and we were standing on the top of a steep decline leading to the dreaded 1st hair pin bend out of the 36 bends to Masinagudi.It was really foggy and I could barely see for a brief minute.
Slotted into second and kept rolling .At the starting of the bend,I was compelled to stop to relish the breathtaking view of the Nilgiris , so gigantic yet so subtle. We had a smoke there clicked a few shots and in 5 mins it started drizzling.I was pretty scared cos of the hype created for the 36 bends,the wet roads and a decline.I wanted to finish it as soon as possible, but I couldn’t .I wanted to stop at each and every turn to enjoy the magnificent mountains.
And so we did. Every turn felt like a new scenery, a new beginning and a new perspective of life. Feelings were intense and so was the fog & rain.
We didn’t wanna get stuck in the mountains and so we set off,this time behind a scorpio driven by an elderly lady. The way she was taking the quick turns,I was surprised.I had trouble in braking and I didn know the correct gear to ride on.So speeds were fluctuating and I was getting scared like never.I was tailgating the scorpio form the 2nd to the 20th bend.It go kinda monotonous for me.After the 20th bend ,the scorpio braked a little as a result of an oncoming van.I kinda panicked and braked too much. WE were on 30-40 speed when we fell down and my jeans got torn near the knee. My pillion was safe and the bike crash guard took the hit. I was feeling stupid for doing such a mistake. But it has always been like this,I trust my brakes than anything else when I am riding. Once I doubt their abilities, my foundations are shaken down. So it was bound to happen anyways. My confidence was not down we got back on the bike after the usual lectures from the van driver and the lady.she was quite concerned to drop me till Masinagudi ,which we humbly denied. I accepted that it was my mistake (surprisingly :P) and we left from there with a bleeding knee.
The dreaded hairpin bends were over and I stopped to check the damage to my bike and fix the mirrors.One good thing I have noticed was people are ever so helpful to stop and ask if there is any problem in case we stop for a moment. The stretch was passing through a forest and we had our own fears of animals venturing onto the road. The roads were beautiful and empty,so we zipped across all the way till Masinagudi.
06:45 pm Got some medicines and cotton to clean up the wounds and we decided to stay in a nice resort. We did a mistake of not reserving a room here. The sun had set already we were freaking tired.We enquired in a couple of places but no luck,finally we thought of heading back to the main town and finding a cheaper place.On the way we saw a diversion form the road pointing towards some place called ”Wild Breeze Resort”. Decided to take a chance and went searching for the place.It was almost dark and all I could see was a small path and the place was surrounded by the magnificient mountains. Finally reached the place and was damn happy after the attendant told me a double room is available.He awas asking for 2k for a night. We finally negotiated and brought it down to 1200 bucks and ordered for some nice home cooked dinner.I fell flat on the bed with a sore bum and burning eyes. Nevertheless, I was happy that I am gonna sleep like a sloth.Took a hot shower and we had dinner int the portico and I was sitting there in a nice bamboo recliner.It was drizzling and I was lost in thoughts.It was calm and cold ,the winter winds blowing on your face,the smell of wet mud and the outlines of huge mountains surrounding you. It was drizzling and I asked the guy whether I can park my baby in front of my room.He pointed to the huge vast ground in front of us and exclaimed “ The whole place is yours”. That moment I thought I can just drift away with the winds and vanish into thin air. Neither do I wanna achieve anything more nor do I wanna make someone else happy. I was looking at my bike with its head up to the skies and we were bonded for life.
I got under the sheets and with a smile on my face, I drifted into sleep with the pattering of rain drops on the roof singing a lullaby. ….zzzzZZZzzZZ….
Onward Route
Some pics from the return trip
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