Thank You!

Day 5: 07-June-2011 --- Absoluted at Alappuzha!

Day 5: 07-June-2011 --- Absoluted at Alappuzha!

The roads started to be worse than I thought. Everyday rains are damaging the road pretty much. Since I was riding slower than normal, my thoughts too started wandering. I had to stop every now and then to wash up the face to freshen me up and ride again. The roads improved considerably beforeChalakkudy owing to the Toll road / widening project. There were speed traps being set up to keep the speeds in check. Most of them are by the highway patrol police.

I stopped just after Chalakkudy for another round of juices and cool drinks. The heat was getting ON and all the wetness arefinally trying to dry up! The shop owner asked me to take the deviation at Edappally and continue onto Alappuzha.The roads were good, hence I started matching better speeds, and so the extra bit of briskness.

Soon I was at Edappally without even recognizing it, better roads makes travelling so comfortable! I was somewhat worried about the route from Kochi to Alappuzha as it is near to the coast and is vulnerable to extreme rain and also the possibility of very bad roads. To my sweetsurprise, The roads were wide and long like the Golden Quadrilateral helping me with some nice speeds.Sixtykilometres of nice roads meant, 1 hour of travelling. Since I travel a littleslower, I reached Alappuzha little later at 4:30 PM.


I was roaming around the streets of Alappuzha without any aim. I was following the backwater path and it led me into the beach! Took some random shots, self-portraits and traced back the same route. Stopped by a hotel which looked decent, the owner was drunk to death, he went back to sleep saying something in Malayalam. I came out and another person helped me in taking a room. A comfortable backwater view room for 500 Rupees.

Dropped the bags and went to the Hero Honda Showroom to tighten the chains. Good for the riding gears and all, they did not charge me anything. I came back to the room to take rest. The hotel room assistant insisted I take a boat ride around 5:45 so I could see the sun set from the backwaters. I gladly dis so, Pricy for 300 Rs an hour ad it was a 2 hour ride! I went and sat on the front part of the boat.
The initial few kilometres were dull as it had to cover all the dirty lanes of the backwater. Once on ino the backwater area, you see an army of fully covered, houseboats. I should have seen atleast 100 of them! The boat I took was a smaller one, but with the same accessories in a houseboat. The boat rider was patient and friendly as he took me cautiously from one side to the another of the backwaters.



Time was running around and soon it was 6:10 PM. I thought I had already missed the sunset. It was cloudy and so could not witness it the proper way. The place was so calm and serene with some activity or the other happening on both sides of the lake. There are houses built on either sides of the backwaters and lots of temples around too.

Amazing log with some wonderful Snaps Ananth...Kudo's to you that you did all those km's solo in that heavy downpour

May be I should ride to chennai sometime for getting some photography tips...I am still shooting in AV mode with F8 apeture as you told me in yelagiri ride

Thanks Amit!

F8 was for landscape, and I;m no pro! I'm learning just like you! May be ride down to chennai and we will organize a Photography GTG!

Thanks for liking

You are Pro for someone who is still clicking in automode in a DSLR!!!
BTW...Organize a photography GTG and I will ride down to Chennai

Day 6: 08-June-2011 --- The day of the Beaches!

Day 6: 08-June-2011 --- The day of the Beaches!

Around 12:00 PM, I was near Kollam where a couple of guys on a Karizma stopped me, It was a xBhpian from Kollam. Greeted and talked for a while, since I was running short of time bid adieu and left towards Varkala. I had to stop to admire the beautiful Kollam backwaters, fort and the beautiful beach. The port seems to be buzzing with so many boats / ships sailing across.Now, it was the time of sun and the humidity that makes things worse. Upon reaching Kollam, I saw the Ashtamudi Lake, there used to be boat services from Alappuzha to Kollam just like bus services every hour, but has been temporarily stopped.

That was me guys.

Super stuff Ananth.. Lovely travelogue... Enjoyed every bit reading it... cheers to you mate...

Thanks joshuasam400!!

The room was very much comfortable for the money I paid. I woke up to find every part of my body paining. Though I had only 100 kilometres to cover for the day, I had to make sure I reach in one piece. I woke up by 7:30 AM, freshened up and immediately went to see the beach. There were a couple of beaches in Kovalam, Hawah and Eva Beach. Some frantic crowd in Hawah beach did not make it much appealing, so searched around for Eva beach road and found it in a small corner next to the Huge Leela Hotel.

The road descended down and directly went into the beach. Couple of bikes were parked in the road, but not much crowd also in the beach. I took the plunge and rode into the beach, it is indeed a wonderful feeling to ride on the sands of the beach. I went directly in way of the sea and was stuck between the waves and tires were locked under the sand. My good luck, a small push got me out of there, so I went to a little safer place, but still the waves are huge and hit the bike wherever I went on the beach. Had fun dodging the waves and finally got back to the hotel after some 30 minutes.


I rode around the sea, without any aim just to wander around the sea. I reached the point where there was no going forward, but to take a U Turn and return back. The wrangler denim has survived one of the toughest riding days in South India. Covering through heat, humidity, rains, storms, heavy winds, cold weather, etc. etc. but still survived to say its story.



* I managed to cover Rameshwaram (Tamil Nadu) next day, little extention outside the Wrangler - True Wanderer Trip. Would post that log when ever i find time - Thanks for reading! *

Nice ride there ananth kerala would still have a lot in store for any biker

Thanks Phanikar!

Yeah,have a lot in store for biker,but nothing in stores(SVC) for bike. just kidding.

@ Ananth

Nice bro. Keep it up.

Awesome pics man.....great ride...never seen pics of kerala like this...

Thanks!

Thank You Prem..