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This was a GIR inspired ride. no_nonsense4857's Rameshwaram thread brought back my memories and i had also for some reason not posted it on xbhp. Extreamly sorry for making this page very heavy.
So here it goes...
==============
This was a ride to check out the City of ruins Dhanushkodi and back waters of kerala. Trip planed by arun.
Dhanushkodi was destroyed in a cyclone in 1966. It is also a starting point for Rama's bridge popularly known as Adam's bridge. The Anciant bridge (natural/artificial ? still unsure) between India and Srilanka. Dhanushkodi is at the bottom tip of the top landmass in the pic below. Though the bridge is visible from space, its mostly underwater.
source of the above pic : http://www.rootsweb.com/~lkawgw/adamsbridge.html
Then we rode on to the east coast to visit the backwaters in Kumarakom - kerala state.
Arun left a day early to check out some historic temples and interiors of TN state. I started at 4.30 am saturday. 10.5 hour ride from bangalore to rameshwaram 590 kms. We meet at rameshwaram.
To get any place intersting have to deal with this
first time i see palm trees. Nearing the near the coast.
Its one hot summers day but still looks beautiful
me happy to reach the coast line
Bamban bridge conecting the mainland to rameshwaram.
the view from our hotel
enroute rameshwaram to dhanushkodi
Let the offroading begin
my bike sea and the sand
we follow the tracks laied by the trucks
This is the only way to get to dhanushkodi. Wet lands.
we are short of time, sun is setting
Its to late to get to dhanushkodi. So we stop mid way till the sun set
me and my stead sunset gazing
the cloud looked like nuclear explosion mushroom
I am sorry for a few pix of us below without riding gear. It was a 30 kms session with most of it slow ride on sand and soft slush. Thats the risk we had to take considering the soaring summer heat and last 1.5kms we had to trekk under the open sun. So we went light.
Day was done gazing at the sunset.
The Next morning, we get up early to catch the surnise. But not early enough to get to Dhanushkodi before sunrise. So we stop mid way to watch it.
Waiting for the Sunrise
This is the road through the narrow land with sea on both sides but can see 1 side at a time thanks to the land scape
Sunrise. My poor equipment does not do justice for the view
by now my bike had taken a flat tire. Not wanting to waste time fixing it, left it back at the hotel and went two up on arun's bike.
fishermen's abode
the huts look kool with view
the narrow road leading to dhanush kodi
The road that was destroyed by the cyclone
Thankgod we had a bike Cos jeeps and that was the only other mode of transportation for the place
the muck on the tire
entering dhanushkodi
In the city
in tatters
whats left of the church after the 1966 cyclone
us checkin out the beach from the cities edge
the bike is supposed to be standing on a railwaystation platform!
sea on both sides but fresh water is under the ground! even had mouthfull it was fresh water alright
my new shoes
sorry there is not much left of the city, most of it swept away. so we carry on to 'sangama' that is the tip of the land mass and starting point of Ramas bridge.
Arun struggling to find a stable ground
the it looked like solid ground but bad idea get back to the track arun!
more salt water puddles to cross
bike cant go any further, as odered by the navy personell from the check post nearby
a panoromic view (Clickable Thumbnail)
we trek ahead to finally see sea on both the sides (Clickable Thumbnail)
a worker looking for shells
an island we can walk up to
us at the tip of the sangama
at ground level
hardly any 1 around the famous spot. Reason: tourists are ferried to the place in only a few tempos and jeeps and they are taken back in around half hour. But since went on bike, could spend the whole day over there. N of course sea bathing.
the calmer side of the land
waves pounding on the other side
all good things come to an end and we get back to civilization and take refuge from the unforgiving sun
time to fix the puncture. Traditional way is used in the small town.
my bike not in the best of its mood
now we move towards the west cost....
Arun leaves the same day to Kumarkom, not to miss a 5 hour boat ride int he morning. But by this time, if pucture is not enough my electrical system is misbehaving. Means i have no lights though i recently installed Xenon HID bulb. I ride behind arun in dark with only indecators on till madurai. I am dead tired by now cos the whole days outing under the sun to dhanushkodi. I notice the wobbles i am feeling is actually me and not the bike. I din wanna ride the night so tired and that too in stealth mode so i stop at madurai and let arun carry on.
I start the next morning to Kumarkom (backwaters in kerala) to catch up with the guys.
I love these roads under the canopy
leave the planes behind and climb the hills of the west. some pipelines
me gaping at the planes left behind
this is how you load a truck
watch your backs! psst: its aint a real elephant
this is what call a slow food joint
me at thekedy lake. but i dont have to luxuary to go on a boat ride here
some tea estates enroute
Thats the backwaters in the back ground
town around back waters
house boats for rent
i along with arun and pradeep who joins us at kumarkom go on a speed boat ride in the evening from the Taj recidency campus
though i missed the lazy boat ride in the morning i still got a taste of it in the evening
fishermen going about their business
lets catch some speed
sunset seen from wembanaad lake (lake formed by backwaters from the sea)
guys on the jetti grasping the awesome ambiance, the sunset. Thats some quality time we spent.
the only time the three bikes were together. Next day i start home early alone as i had no lights and had to reach home covering 550 km in daylight ride the faster National highways. While arun and pradeep do the rest of the ride through interior roads hills and much more scenic placess and forest offroading. Next time may be for me
see more backwaters expance on the way
my bike waiting for me as catch up on break fast
this is appam. Just wat i needed simple food. And thats not a drink. Its warm herbal treated drinking water. u get that only in kerala state hotels
back to boring roads
its the real elle this time
me on a butt break
some good rip roads
one more session at the twisty mountain roads
climbing the sathyamangalam mountains after the planes again (Clickable Thumbnail)
some nice road through the forest
was riding through the forest and this was the only wild critter i saw
some interesting country roads
Peak summer it is, but still the grass is green.
i am done with clicking here in the trip and then i make a bee line to home and crash on the bed for hours.
It was kinda off season to see the places as it was peak summer. Very hot ride it was, got sun burnt and tanned. But still its not as bad a spending the 4days off at home. Loved every part of the ride.
So here it goes...
==============
This was a ride to check out the City of ruins Dhanushkodi and back waters of kerala. Trip planed by arun.
Dhanushkodi was destroyed in a cyclone in 1966. It is also a starting point for Rama's bridge popularly known as Adam's bridge. The Anciant bridge (natural/artificial ? still unsure) between India and Srilanka. Dhanushkodi is at the bottom tip of the top landmass in the pic below. Though the bridge is visible from space, its mostly underwater.
source of the above pic : http://www.rootsweb.com/~lkawgw/adamsbridge.html
Then we rode on to the east coast to visit the backwaters in Kumarakom - kerala state.
Arun left a day early to check out some historic temples and interiors of TN state. I started at 4.30 am saturday. 10.5 hour ride from bangalore to rameshwaram 590 kms. We meet at rameshwaram.
To get any place intersting have to deal with this
first time i see palm trees. Nearing the near the coast.
Its one hot summers day but still looks beautiful
me happy to reach the coast line
Bamban bridge conecting the mainland to rameshwaram.
the view from our hotel
enroute rameshwaram to dhanushkodi
Let the offroading begin
my bike sea and the sand
we follow the tracks laied by the trucks
This is the only way to get to dhanushkodi. Wet lands.
we are short of time, sun is setting
Its to late to get to dhanushkodi. So we stop mid way till the sun set
me and my stead sunset gazing
the cloud looked like nuclear explosion mushroom
I am sorry for a few pix of us below without riding gear. It was a 30 kms session with most of it slow ride on sand and soft slush. Thats the risk we had to take considering the soaring summer heat and last 1.5kms we had to trekk under the open sun. So we went light.
Day was done gazing at the sunset.
The Next morning, we get up early to catch the surnise. But not early enough to get to Dhanushkodi before sunrise. So we stop mid way to watch it.
Waiting for the Sunrise
This is the road through the narrow land with sea on both sides but can see 1 side at a time thanks to the land scape
Sunrise. My poor equipment does not do justice for the view
by now my bike had taken a flat tire. Not wanting to waste time fixing it, left it back at the hotel and went two up on arun's bike.
fishermen's abode
the huts look kool with view
the narrow road leading to dhanush kodi
The road that was destroyed by the cyclone
Thankgod we had a bike
Cos jeeps and that was the only other mode of transportation for the placethe muck on the tire
entering dhanushkodi
In the city
in tatters
whats left of the church after the 1966 cyclone
us checkin out the beach from the cities edge
the bike is supposed to be standing on a railwaystation platform!
sea on both sides but fresh water is under the ground! even had mouthfull it was fresh water alright
my new shoes
sorry there is not much left of the city, most of it swept away. so we carry on to 'sangama' that is the tip of the land mass and starting point of Ramas bridge.
Arun struggling to find a stable ground
the it looked like solid ground but bad idea get back to the track arun!
more salt water puddles to cross
bike cant go any further, as odered by the navy personell from the check post nearby
a panoromic view (Clickable Thumbnail)
we trek ahead to finally see sea on both the sides (Clickable Thumbnail)
a worker looking for shells
an island we can walk up to
us at the tip of the sangama
at ground level
hardly any 1 around the famous spot. Reason: tourists are ferried to the place in only a few tempos and jeeps and they are taken back in around half hour. But since went on bike, could spend the whole day over there. N of course sea bathing.
the calmer side of the land
waves pounding on the other side
all good things come to an end and we get back to civilization and take refuge from the unforgiving sun
time to fix the puncture. Traditional way is used in the small town.
my bike not in the best of its mood
now we move towards the west cost....
Arun leaves the same day to Kumarkom, not to miss a 5 hour boat ride int he morning. But by this time, if pucture is not enough my electrical system is misbehaving. Means i have no lights though i recently installed Xenon HID bulb. I ride behind arun in dark with only indecators on till madurai. I am dead tired by now cos the whole days outing under the sun to dhanushkodi. I notice the wobbles i am feeling is actually me and not the bike
. I din wanna ride the night so tired and that too in stealth mode so i stop at madurai and let arun carry on. I start the next morning to Kumarkom (backwaters in kerala) to catch up with the guys.
I love these roads under the canopy
leave the planes behind and climb the hills of the west. some pipelines
me gaping at the planes left behind
this is how you load a truck
watch your backs! psst: its aint a real elephant
this is what call a slow food joint
me at thekedy lake. but i dont have to luxuary to go on a boat ride here
some tea estates enroute
Thats the backwaters in the back ground
town around back waters
house boats for rent
i along with arun and pradeep who joins us at kumarkom go on a speed boat ride in the evening from the Taj recidency campus
though i missed the lazy boat ride in the morning i still got a taste of it in the evening
fishermen going about their business
lets catch some speed
sunset seen from wembanaad lake (lake formed by backwaters from the sea)
guys on the jetti grasping the awesome ambiance, the sunset. Thats some quality time we spent.
the only time the three bikes were together. Next day i start home early alone as i had no lights and had to reach home covering 550 km in daylight ride the faster National highways. While arun and pradeep do the rest of the ride through interior roads hills and much more scenic placess and forest offroading. Next time may be for me
see more backwaters expance on the way
my bike waiting for me as catch up on break fast
this is appam. Just wat i needed simple food. And thats not a drink. Its warm herbal treated drinking water. u get that only in kerala state hotels
back to boring roads
its the real elle this time
me on a butt break
some good rip roads
one more session at the twisty mountain roads
climbing the sathyamangalam mountains after the planes again (Clickable Thumbnail)
some nice road through the forest
was riding through the forest and this was the only wild critter i saw
some interesting country roads
Peak summer it is, but still the grass is green.
i am done with clicking here in the trip and then i make a bee line to home and crash on the bed for hours.
It was kinda off season to see the places as it was peak summer. Very hot ride it was, got sun burnt and tanned. But still its not as bad a spending the 4days off at home. Loved every part of the ride.
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