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**Haroon** · 06-12-2011, 05:23 PM

Praful. This is truly turning out to be a really awesome adventure filled trip. Already cast my vote. Ride safe & enjoy yourself to the fullest and thanks for taking us along.

**Praful** · 06-12-2011, 07:06 PM

Originally posted by Haroon View Post

Praful. This is truly turning out to be a really awesome adventure filled trip. Already cast my vote. Ride safe & enjoy yourself to the fullest and thanks for taking us along.

Haroon bhai. I am really glad for your wishes

And even more that you are enjoying the trip so far.. I hope the last day stands up to the expectations

**rharish90** · 06-12-2011, 08:04 PM

Bro! I have read several trip logs of all kinds in all places but this True Wanderers ride is truly sensational! I read almost everyone's log. They way how you guys approach it is too good. I voted for you and Praveen Selvam. Both of you guys are brilliant. Keep up the ride and post the last day's log. Ride safe. Waiting for the ST7

**Praful** · 06-13-2011, 02:31 PM

NOTE: If you like what you read and see, please follow this link --> Search for the True Wanderers - Preview Winner to vote for my Wrangler True Wanderers Travelogue. Click on the stars on the top of the page to cast your vote

Blown across the windy plains to the Mystical Lost City - Day #7

Sunrise from my hotel room

The caves of Badami

Cave Temple #1 - The Oldest cave temple

Monkeys Galore!

Path into the unknown

Agastya Tank visible in the background

The caves on the other side of Agastya Tank

Bhuthnatha Temples

An old villager has his morning beedi atop one of the hills

Colours of Nature

Wandering Thoughts engulf my mind!

Good bye to Badami!

I spent nearly an hour at the cave temples before I saw my watch and realized that there were other places that I needed to cover today and thus I bid adieu to the beautiful caves of Badami and made my way again back bouncing on the bumpy village road ride till Bagalkot. But not before a train would prove as a barrier to my progress.

Tiny Hotel room

The dwellers of this land!

More smiles per hour

See the old man sitting under the tree?

He crossed the road just to see me, he spoke and understoond nothing. To whatever I said, he'd just simply nod negatively.Goodbye wave was all that he understood

This awesome piece of tarmac ended as soon as I touched Hunagund where I joined NH13. I was back again on the Solapur-Mangalore highway otherwise known as NH13. What I had seen of this highway in the Malnad region was something straight out of a picture diary for any biker, but this section. Well this section was probably the most irritating and pathetic section of road on this entire trip so far. The highway was filled with heavy truck traffic, an overdose of potholes which could not be avoided, odd ball speed breakers in the middle of now where, road widening work in progress and to top it all I had to endure very cross winds. The cross winds were affecting not only moving in a straight line, but even overtaking was becoming really dangerous as sometime a gust of wind would just blow me a wee bit closer than required to a truck. I will yet again blame the cross wind fiasco to the stupid front tyre and had to endure this all the way till the next 100+ Kms to Hospet. In between I took a short break as enduring the bad roads and cross winds was really getting to me and it was just not being fun any more. I had to take a break to calm my nerves and add a little more patience in my patience bank!

NH13 - Butt break

More on the lovely roads of NH13

After I took this pic, I was stopped and hauled over a cop sitting in the white bolero in the distance as he thought I was someone from NHAI taking pictures of the progress of work.

The city lost in time also has many temples which even today are active places of worship. I reached Hampi by about 4 in the afternoon and I probably had about two and a half hours of daylight before the beautiful ruins would be covered in inky darkness. It is said that one needs at least 4 days to see what all Hampi has to offer, I had 2.5 hours and decided to make the best use of these few minutes I had at my disposal. As I entered the city the first place I headed to was the Virupaksha temple. I will mention this again as I have mentioned earlier, temples and mythology is really not my cup of tea. But I do enjoy visiting places of great historical significance and the art work that goes into making these places. So while I might not touch on topics which related to their religious significance I will definitely try and show you what one can expect from a visit to these places.

Feeding the elephant bananas, they have been trained such that if you give money they will bless you

Pillars inside the Virupaksha Temple complex

A passageway leading to where?

The sun's rays actually form this inverted image of the Virupaksha temple gopura whilst passing through a small hole. This area is in complete darkness hence the low quality image.

Lost in Contemplation

Devotees inside the temple complex

The 9 tiered gateway

Hampi bazaar, or what remains of it

The pillared supports were very impressive

Monolithic Nandi Bull

Steps leading to Mathanga Hill

Sitting atop the steps to Mathanga Hill, Virupaksha temple in the background

Tungabhadra flowing on the banks of Hampi

Fishing folk at work

These buffaloes came snorting in and I perched atop this place to get a safe distance away

The remains of the courtesan's street

A tank inside the courtesan's street

Walking towards Achuyta Raya's temple

Doors leading to more doors

Where is the Vittala Temple?

Lost in the LOST CITY, searching for the Vittala Temple

Lotus Mahal

Stepped tank made out of black granite

The Queens bath

Appi - My savior!!!

Wrangler True Wanderers Ride!!!

On the 12 Kms journey back to the hotel in Hospet I was greeted by small showers, these were Good Bye showers from Hampi. I headed back to the hotel and caught up with some blogging and had some great good for a change. Today maybe the last day for the Wrangler True Wanderer ride, but my ride does not end here for I will keep wandering this earth till every bone in my body refuses to move....

**rx100.7050** · 06-13-2011, 02:51 PM

rated 5

**Praful** · 06-13-2011, 02:59 PM

Epilogue - The end that 'Never' comes

I had been on the road for the past 7 days with my journey taking me though a wide variety of landscapes. I had been through some of the densest forests, to the highest peaks, through the hardest rain imaginable, to one of the toughest off-road climbs, to even places where roads did not not exist on maps, to some of the most beautiful beaches, to the some of the most culturally rich places ... All this in one state of Karnataka!

I am an outsider to this state, I don't speak the language, I am not aware of sneak nuances of the culture of the state, yet I was offered the BEST times of my life. The crux of the matter is that if I saw all this just ONE state and I still have not seen everything it has to offer, just imagine what the other 27 more states in our country have to offer.

As a parting message, I just want to say, "How much of our dear India have you really seen and know? How much of an Indian are you?"...Something to ponder about!

From the very start, this ride was NEVER about winning the ST7 for me, this ride for me was about Living Life and Wandering the Unknown. Skeptical as I was about carrying just one pair of jeans, it turns out that it helped me reduce my luggage and need for any laundry, the jeans are comfortable to the point that even 3 days after the 2000 Kms ride, I am still wearing the jeans! Also this journey did not take me through a path of self realization, neither was this journey about the quest for questions that I needed answers for in life. Rather, this journey has been something to break away from the mundane yet much needed bondage of the 'Normal' life. I never did anything that I usually would not have done, this is exactly how my other LoneWolfRides have been too! I have given you a 'no artificial agents' added view of my journey on the road, and I can tell you it was not an easy ride. If you don't ride in the Rain, you don't Ride!!!. Anyone can sit on a bike and twirl the throttle and take the 'known' butter smooth highways, what makes you different taking the Path Less Travelled in the words of the great Robert Frost.

This is what the life of a LoneWolfRider is all about...

The Wrangler True Wanderers Ride came to an end on day 7 of my journey, but my Wanderings will never stop... the ride never stops once you are a Biker for Life!!!!

**Samyaza** · 06-13-2011, 03:18 PM

Voted. Glad to see you safely finish the ride in pretty tough conditions and some good places to ride for us chota wanderers

PS: I missed your flag off at Indiranagar by a few seconds!

**Praful** · 06-13-2011, 05:42 PM

Originally posted by Samyaza View Post

Voted. Glad to see you safely finish the ride in pretty tough conditions and some good places to ride for us chota wanderers

PS: I missed your flag off at Indiranagar by a few seconds!

Thanks Atul glad that you liked it.

Just wanted to add that there are no chotta or bada when it comes to 'Wandering'.... everyone is one in their own right!

Hearing from you after ages, infact come to think of it I don't think I've seen you with the 15 so far if my memory serves me right!

**ridermax** · 06-13-2011, 10:00 PM

Hi Praful,
Truly enjoyed every bit of your awesome ride! The pictures were absolutely stunning and I salute your courage, endurance and determination. You, to me are definition of a true guts and glory rider!

Kudos Buddy!!

**Praful** · 06-13-2011, 10:47 PM

Originally posted by ridermax View Post

Hi Praful,
Truly enjoyed every bit of your awesome ride! The pictures were absolutely stunning and I salute your courage, endurance and determination. You, to me are definition of a true guts and glory rider!

Kudos Buddy!!

Thank you so much Sir

I am glad that you enjoyed the blog. The intention of sharing it was to share the passion of biking

**Praful** · 06-15-2011, 10:51 AM

Originally posted by rharish90 View Post

Bro! I have read several trip logs of all kinds in all places but this True Wanderers ride is truly sensational! I read almost everyone's log. They way how you guys approach it is too good. I voted for you and Praveen Selvam. Both of you guys are brilliant. Keep up the ride and post the last day's log. Ride safe. Waiting for the ST7

Thanks and glad you liked it

It was pleasantly surprising to meet you in traffic and hear about the change of heart of a certain someone after you showed my blog

**rharish90** · 06-15-2011, 11:29 AM

Originally posted by Praful View Post

Thanks and glad you liked it

It was pleasantly surprising to meet you in traffic and hear about the change of heart of a certain someone after you showed my blog

Thanks again

we 'll meet up sometime at office or that CCD in your block. PM me your number. I ve sent mine.

**Praful** · 06-15-2011, 11:50 AM

Originally posted by rharish90 View Post

Thanks again

we 'll meet up sometime at office or that CCD in your block. PM me your number. I ve sent mine.

Done! We'll meet up sometime surely

Have replied to your PM.

**Guru_DTSi** · 06-15-2011, 01:33 PM

This is one awesome ride Praful and your writeup is wonderful. I am at loss of words to appreciate your pics. All the best to you. Hoping you win the ST7. BTW, what books/maps did you refer to. I've never heard of some of the places you've gone to. And yeah, there seems to be a bit of everything in Karnataka. Hoping to see more rides and more information about the places from you.

**Only Amit...** · 06-15-2011, 02:52 PM

Originally posted by Guru_DTSi View Post

BTW, what books/maps did you refer to. I've never heard of some of the places you've gone to.

BOSS Map

Amazing log Praful...any links to high resolution pics ?

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