congrats guyz... You people finally made it "The 1K Ride"...

and there are loads of good pics n superb write-up...
thanx for sharing....

Superb!! Dont have time to go through all. Will be taking printout & read while I will be on train. Pics are fantastic. Keep posting such trips man

This shows how BIG the log is..!!

Log padhne ke liye logo ko special time nikalna pad raha hai..!!

it's true...

Yaar Bahut lamba hain boss. Abhich Timeich nahin hain. Train par time nikalnekoo mangata na!! Toh yehich sab padega apun. Plus aur bhi printouts hain

Ohh ohhh....u travelled from Delhi to Mumbai...in terms of language accent..!!

@diffuser: great trip log esp #23 is a good read and amazing pics too...

@praveen: Thanks praveen. we indeed had a load of fun...though I am missing the west coast from here

@archi: Oye siku bhai, tum bhi aa chalo kabhi apne sath...par do that Leh trip first and comeback to tell ur stories over a cup of coffee

@rx100:

@inder: Yes bhai, too long to write...still two days left

@shadez: thanx buddy...will be putting up DAY 3 tomorrow

superb stuff dude...nice writeup and equally gud pics...BTW is that cam a cybershot H50 by any chance???

after the 2 G2Gs i guess this is the third thread of a ride from BBSR xBhpians ever...we wanna see more of these

BTW special appreciation for Somnath and his platina...1k ride on a 100cc is a rare sight

@Soumen: Thanku bhai One of the cams is a H9...many trips have been done, but not all xBhp members...

Yes, the Platina has undergone a beating and stood up better than ever.

Some more pics I had forgot to add...


Old Lid and the Sea


Heights of sarcasm


The behinds


Ray of hope

Day 3: Snaky roads

Started at: 7:00 AM
Trip-meter reading: None L Just 250-odd km on the Toyota Qualis

After a semi-slumber state that cannot be branded as a sleep, I woke up and raised hell in the hotel room: we were a little late for starting off the day. I love raising hell for small thingsJ. Getting ready quickly, all of us rushed downstairs to find the cab waiting. In a flash, all the window seats were occupied and Somnath had to go down to the back of the Qualis, while Ranjan squeezed in between me and Soumya. Unfortunately, our driver was not able to understand Hindi or English; just Telugu. Still, we managed to explain him the plan: breakfast, Borra Caves, lunch, Araku Valley. Moving out, we had pretty much no idea about the roads we were moving on inside the city towards Araku. As soon as the Qualis joined the NH, it showed the engine in its belly, zooming into a 110 kmph immediately! Even the brakes were too good, bringing the vehicle to a zero in a snap. After a fueling stop, we left the city and entered the countryside.

Once out of the city, we were surrounded by dense fogs which hampered visibility even a few meters ahead. Yet, the cab was zooming into and out of the villages that lay on the way, eating the roads for breakfast. The fog was thick, making any attempts from our side to take a look at the scenery and capture it futile. On top of that, the car was moving at a speed that gave extra blur effects to the pics snapped. After some time, we stopped at a small roadside hotel in a village. The owner seemed to be doing mighty good business, with a lot of tourists stopping on their way to Araku and enjoying sizzling food in the pleasant warmth of the sun. We occupied a table after getting the pre-paid coupons and giving them at the food counter. Somnath had decided to take a nap to catch up on lost sleep and stayed in the taxi. After a while, the table was covered with crispy dosas, splendid poories, idlis dipped in sambar and a plateful of upma. Another couple of minutes, some of us had already licked their plates clean and digging into other’s plates. Another plate of upma, plus some tea on the outside seemed good to hold for the big day ahead. After getting back on road, the fog seemed to have cleared a bit. About twenty minutes later, we felt the valley roads starting. We were being thrown around the vehicle, which was taking turns at speeds which were a dare for the roads we were on. The beautiful hills had begun to emerge in the mildly forested areas around us. After some time rattling around in the car, our driver decided to give us a visual treat ahead at out next stop: Tyda railway station. Stopping at the side of the road, we crossed over to witness the railway station at least a hundred feet below the road. Half-bathed in sunlight, the rail tracks were evoking some philosophical thoughts in the puked up mind.


Foggy start


Tyda Station down below

On our way to Araku, we had a few vehicles which we used to meet up on the roads once every half an hour or so. One pretty interesting one was a guy on a bike, with his girlfriend as a pillion. What we had failed to do solo, he was doing it with a pillion, and having fun too. The ghat roads were looking pretty dangerous, and adding the rampant driving from the four-wheeled enemies of bikes, it would have been a suicide to attempt for us. We consoled ourselves by thinking that these must be local kids, who venture out on these roads twice a month. But still, the thrill of driving on these roads would have been a different story to tell. Not knowing about the places, that is, the few of them that were on the way, I kept looking outside the window, enjoying the air in the hills that was filling my lungs with pure bliss. The hills in the backdrop were reminding me of the movie Lakshya, which featured the mighty mountains. Here too, the hills were standing in the sun, with lines of shadows running across them. Leh, I will face you some day, I made a silent promise to myself. Right now, without my bike, the tale is much lesser to tell. Jumping on, we came upon a divide in road, one leading to Borra Caves, another to Araku Valley. The driver took a right and entered the road towards Borra Caves. The roads here were busier than the ones that we had been traveling on till now. Some more topsy-turvy turns and a railway crossing later, we landed up some distance from the caves. We set off on foot as the road was in a jam, asking the driver to follow in the cab. On the main gate of Borra Caves at 9 AM-something. To our dismay, the gates opened for entry at 10. Soon, we were approached by a fellow, who claimed that a waterfall was nearby, called Katiki Waterfall, just 6 km away. Deciding if we were interested to go, since the gates were not open, we asked our driver, who had caught up and parked the vehicle nearby. The place where the waterfall was seemed authentic, hence we decided to shell out a few more bucks, since we won’t be returning anytime sooner.


Hairpin bends


The Valley

Climbing a battered up Commander Jeep, I was holed up in the rear this time. The driver told us that he would be waiting at the parking area at some distance from the cave’s entry gate. When we all climbed on the jeep, we thought that the route was plain dusty, as the driver’s assistant had pulled down the rear end’s tarp. The jeep headed back on the road where we came from and went off the tarmac at a turning. That, alas, was the last patch of road we saw. What followed was one perilous ride through the battered roads of hell, with inclines and decline of 45 degrees and more, that too on loose pebble. And still, we had a few people taking that on bikes. I would have loved to take on that road, and make my bike prove its worth. Pramir, meanwhile, was sitting beside the driver and taking a video of the scary road. If I could have uploaded the video, you would know for sure the rollercoaster we were riding. The Commander indeed is built for these roads, where other cars would scream in the RPM redlines and still won’t budge. The tyres were worn out, but the engine was pulling like a wild ass up a mountain (no punJ). We crossed a rocky stream on the way, which must have been the water from the falls running down. Finally when we reached the parking lot, we jumped out and hurried up the path, secretly happy to be back on our own two feet. What faced us was a steep set of stairs, which we gobbled up with three breaks, reaching the top just in time to witness a train emerging a tunnel. The train runs all through the valley, and can be seen climbing the hill sides at times, when you are on the road. Also spotted was the couple we had seen on the bike, who, hopefully this time, had taken a jeep. After crossing the train tracks, we took a foot trail towards the base of the hill, where the climb was going to begin. At the base, we found a desi bum, who had opened his own tea stall, and used water from a pool formed near the base of the waterfall to make tea. And also for many purposes, when no one would be around. We took a few snaps and passed on, declining the offer.


In Command!!


The waterfall's stream


Baba's tea shop


Reflections


Train disappears

The climb, though not too steep, made me want to drop dead, and then get carried to the top by the other BULLZzz. Yes, I am fat, and proud of itJ. Making our way to the top in my jacket and carrying the bag-o-goodies was a sweat breaker. Somnath was leading with his agile footsteps, while I and Pramir were having the most trouble. Finally, we saw a glimpse of the waterfall from up close, off to the right of the track. Climbing down, we found a recess where water was falling into a shallow pond from the main stream, while the sidewalls were dripping, creating a beautiful picture. Every camera came out and pics were clicked by the dozen, while Somnath preferred to be a posing model for many. Pramir got his pants wet trying to get close to the waterfall. God, the water was chilly! I found a small confined area, where water had collected from the drips on the wall, creating beautiful ripples. Concentrating on taking pics, I failed to notice that someone had taken a dump in the world largest toilet: nature. Disgusted, I walked away quickly, warning others not to step on the biohazard. After the pics were taken, we proceeded upwards towards the top of the waterfall and found another spot in the waterfall’s wall, where open space was so wide that a group of fifteen was posing for a group pic. I laid down the bag and got snappy, with my cam, of course. One dude was in his baniyan and taking pleasure in bathing in the waterfall, coming in between pics others were taking. This was a particularly frustrating behavior we encountered; people tend not to take notice a fellow is taking photographs and barge in and out of the scenery. We had to ask a few guys to wait before passing at the waterfall. After our session was over, we took a few pics of the group on a guy’s N73. Somnath, meanwhile, had climbed atop the risky incline on the other side of the waterfall, grabbing the roots of trees that came out of the ground. Getting down was a scary affair, he told us later. Even though there was still trail left to cover, we decided to get back to the jeep to avoid delays on the way. Moving back to the train track, I had an urge to drop on all fours and take a few shots of the track up close. After that, I ran into the tunnel that was coming out of the hill and snapped a few more. After the others joined, we had a blast of a posing session with some excellent snaps to boast of. Post-session, we moved back towards the jeep, and found some training batch mates of mine and Pramir on the way, going up. After a hearty meeting, we boarded the jeep and moved back towards Borra Caves, amongst squeals and jumping around the jeep. We crossed another group of brave bikers, on the way, trying to negotiate a decline one by one, plus a couple on a Karizma tooJ. And yes, people were even doing triple on a P200, with not even a helmet.


The Katiki Falls


A part of the falls


The crevice


A nook in the waterfall


Holding steady


Kid selling some fruits near waterfall base


Tracks into the tunnel


The light ahead


Inside the tunnel


Pramir's best


Rocking the roads...and rails too


Soumya...suicide??

The jeep dropped us off at some distance from the gates, as a massive traffic jam had built up on the roads. Paying off the driver, we headed in the hot sun, which seemed hotter as I was laden with my jacket. Passing the bag to Somnath, and later, others, we managed to reach the parking area after making our way through the crowd and notified our driver that we were back. Reaching the gates, we found a crowd at every place; the food stalls, the ticket window, the entry gate. Quickly buying tickets from a side window, we rushed in the entrance into a clear area. Passing a board that gave some history-geography on the caves, we moved towards the descending area, which was jam-packed with people trying to go in or come out of the cavern. Too tired to be pushed around in a crowd, we cautiously jumped the railing and trekked the uneven ground safely, emerging back into the crown at the entrance of the caves. The first view of the cave was a jaw-dropping experience. Bathed in multi-colored lights, the caves looked big enough to swallow a city’s population, and some more. Entering inside, Soumya, Ranjan and Pramir started adjusting their cam controls for the environment, while I was happy with the auto mode on my cell. Somnath, the adventure dude, was happy climbing the rocks that were scattered in the place. I was having a tough time trying to keep everyone together, but thankfully, at the end of the day, no one was lostJ. There was a big, gaping hole in the root, letting in sunlight. Moving below the ground made the surroundings chilly, and the moisture content had gone high too. At one point, the path going down was just three feet wide, lying between a stone wall and a rocky area, and not enough for even two people to pass without brushing against each other. Now, multiply the two by a half-century and imagine the scene and the magnitude of chaos. Many youngsters, trying to avoid the turmoil, climbed the rocks on one side of the passage and got off on the next side. We tried, and then fell back into the crowd, lest we take a fall and break our bones. There was not one security or emergency staff in the whole big cave. God forbid anyone should face a serious accident there. Once we crossed the narrow area, we found a small Shivling, along with a watching area and waited for Pramir and Soumya to catch up. A small fight had broken out, but thankfully, no blows were exchanged. From there, we could see a giant staircase, full of people from top to bottom and assumed that it was the exit point. When everyone had gathered up, we went further below and saw open ground where Soumya could set up his tripod. All of us went down there, jumping over the railing. Coming back up, I managed to earn the ire of a lady, against whose hand my foot got brushed while crossing the railing. Already frustrated by the crowd, she found it suitable to vent out her anger at me and started shouting, while her husband and son looked on. Even after profound apologies by me and even Pramir, she was not ready to let it go, so I moved along on the way, not speaking lest I let go of my patience. And that would have made it a real bad day for the ladyK. The large stairs were right in front so we started climbing, only to discover halfway up that it was not an exit, but a rock shaped like a Shivling. Turning back, I figured out another battle ahead trying to move out of the cave. But the guys found another way leading downstairs and took their time to take snaps, while I sat on a rock above, fuming at the incident with the lady. A few guys were hooting inside the cave like anything, expecting to hear an echo like fools, and adding to my headache. Inside, Soumya had a small brush with a group of guys, who were intentionally coming in front of him while he was trying to take pics. After a wait as long as eternity itself, the guys emerged and we made our way back to the surface, only to discover that Pramir had hung back. After asking Soumya and Ranjan to move on, Somnath and I waited for about twenty minutes before giving up and moved outside the cave gates. Complaining to others how one should stay as a group, we waited for Pramir to surface. I couldn’t help telling the same to him, because at the end of the day, we were moving as a group. Anyways, we moved back to parking area, here to encounter another scene in progress.


The jam


Coming down the stairs in Borra


Dark Stone


Artificial lighting


Shadows playing games


Light from up above


Some more lights


Rock formations

A group of old jerks had found a reason to fight, and now they were roughing up each other. At times, they came to blows, even throwing one old guy on the road and attacking him viciously. Such was the state of affairs that scuffles broke out after a minute of being broken up. After enjoying some true desi fight scenes, we scrambled back into the taxi and moved back to the road. Another day in AP, another fight encountered. Feeling tired, all of us fell quiet, allowing the winds in the valley to brush our faces. The driver told us that another nearby waterfall, Ananthagiri, had fallen dry, so we decided to go straight to Araku without halting. Passing many resorts on the way, we thought about having lunch, but the driver told us in broken Hindi and English that he had picked up, that Araku had a few fine hotels where we could have our lunch. So we decided to feed on some snacks that we had brought along, until we got some heavy grub. On the way, we stopped near a coffee plantation on the hill and got down to get some coffee and snacks. Impressed by the quality, Somnath and Soumya decided to buy the coffee powder that was on sale. Further ahead was another traffic jam, and we made the most out of it by going to a point offering excellent view of the valley and snapped some pics with the hill range and a snaky road in the backdrop. After the jam was cleared, we carried on towards Araku. Further ahead on the road, we saw a beautiful church on the roadside. In yet another jam, we found a truck and a bus side-by-side, the bus threatening to fall on its left. Thankfully, it didn’t. Soon after, we reached the hotels in Araku, after crossing a small village on the road. Ready to eat, we got the only option in the menu that was there at 3 PM: biryani. After the eating part was over, we got back to the car and headed to a garden that was located a little distance away. The place had a weird gate, with a statue looking down at you. Inside, we found tribal huts and lots of flowers to try the macro mode on. After a round inside, we got bored quickly and rested on the grass before leaving. Other nice places around Araku had to be dropped, as we could sense that we were getting into the later part of the day.


Coffee Plantation


Something colorful


The hills behind


The big range of hills


Shadows


Hey!! Watch where you are going!!


Weird gate


Walking down the lane


Dedicated to one of my ...


Wild roses


Treehouse

By the time we reached the village a few kilometers on our way back, it was already dark. Trying to buy a Hindi MP3 to listen to on the way back, we spent some time in the village. As none seemed to work on the Qualis’ CD player, we went back listening to Telugu songs. As the night was approaching, we asked Somnath, who was sitting beside the driver, to stay awake lest he makes the driver drowsy. Pramir had taken up the rear of the vehicle and was fast asleep on most of the way back. Soumya was feeling a bit sick due to the long journey, and Ranjan was no better. The driver was playing a Telugu song (Rathraina from the movie Athidhi) which had some whacky Hindi lines inserted between. I fell in love with the lyrics (listen to it and you’ll knowJ) and got a CD on my first day back. We were too tired to enjoy the return journey and kept asking the driver how much distance, how much time etc. Finally when we did enter town, there was only one thing that could have kept us off the beds: kebabs!!! On getting down in front of the hotel, we paid the driver the remaining balance, plus a small tip. In five minutes, we were on our bikes on the way to Kebabri; Ranjan had preferred to stay back. Another round of Kebabs followed, with some more Gaajar ka Halwa, until we were satisfied that the visit was worth it. The shop closed shutters as soon as we left. After a small visit to the ATM on the way back, plus some petrol in Ranjan’s bike which I was riding, we dropped like logs into the beds, hoping to get some rest before the long trip back.


Kebabri


HA!!

Finished at: 11:00 PM

@diffuser911

He bro , Nice write up man and good picks . Thank god no train came through that track at that time He he ....

I don't know what where you thinking while posting those picks , but looking at the last one the Dining table shot i am 100 % sure that you are angry with all the xBhpians around . Otherwise you wont post that pick which left us all mouth watering .

Any way cool ... Enjoy . Hoping that others like me also would get a chance to see those places live some day than in picks . Thanks for sharing .

hey Sunil, fantastic...

next time i'll plan for a ride with you guyz....

sometime even I'll plan....but when....god only knows!

@pradeep: Thanks Pradeep...had a train come, we would have been screaming like girls and running. And of course the last pic was meant to flame the X-Men...see the HA!! that follows the pic...

@archi and praful: Plans are coming up more and more, but the time keeps eluding us...even didn't get time to meet Swagat (chicane) while he was here due to a load of work...And now these guys are driving to north Orissa, leaving out me