exploring forgotten old locations near to home or rather revisiting has become the norm except that i have my wife now for company. old days it was with my NCC friends and royal ride on the Kerala road transport corporation bus or KSRTC . puja holidays 2 days off officially so i have decided to take at least a day to myself as i may have to put my second holiday to sword by going to office. 4th oct 2011 night 10-00 pm planning again. I hate charting a route at 10.00 pm on google maps-but any way decided to take the trivandrum, nedumangad, palode,madathara, and thenmala. ( I hate you google) .. ( as if I have a choice) So next day on 5th Oct 2011 after offering the puja etc( my turn to do pooja this year) we are going to thenmala. got up at 5.00 am cleaned up my car, bike and pooja items arranged. had a light bfast of dosas,and by 8-00 am we were on the road. The road till about 10 kms from palode was good, after that my back bones were taken to task by ninja till thenmala. Had a tea break in a newly opened hotel( Ponnu Palace) enroute about 10 kms from thenmala. They charged 15 Rs for a tea and on enquiry told lunch will be Rs 110/- a plate for both veg and non veg. spend some time there and started again. At 70 kms on the odo, we were at thenmala dam. Parked my ninja inside the dam after answering umpteen questions from a goup of college students on my bike. Entry into the dam is Rs 10/- and 2 wheeler parking is Rs 5/-. The dam watch man let us in with a warning not to take any photos,where as on the other side of the dam you are permitted to take photos by thenmala eco tourism people by charging a fee for your camera. In fact the view of the dam is better from the other side. After spending time till 12-30 pm we decided to call it a day. Instead of having lunch there I decided on 2 things have lunch enroue and change my return route like Thenmala, punalur,anchal,ayur,where you hit the MC road and trivandrum. Whew the road is really good and I regretted for not having come on this road in the morning. Had lunch at punalur hotel Aram of Kerala tourism and for 3 rotis+ currey and one chicken biriyani they charged Rs 160/- . I have to balance my budget and my wife . places should have good rest room for the ladies. So that is it. After lunch,it was a straight shot to trivandrum. the pictures are the story.the last photo is in my house taken just after return from ride with the ninja along side my maruthi 800.