Work was catching up on me rather than rides and rides were confined to my daily commute between office and home. Most of recent holidays getting washed out in office, rides were at the receiving end. Rides were limited toabout 60 kms at most and that too around my city. Short rides just to keep mybike in shape. Pooja holidays around the corner I was thinking of taking myninja out for a spin on the roads she likes most that is the highways. Oct 2ndand 3rd 2014 being holidays I was thinking to do some riding on one of the days. Saddle bags were taken out and the plan was to circle up fromthiruvananthapuram to madurai , Srivilliputhur Shenkottah thenmala and back toThiruvananthapuram about 600 kms. Butthen there was a call from good friend Manoj Shanker to go for ponmudi on 3rdOctober. So the go with friends syndrome made me drop the longer ride. But asudden change in the ponmudi ride from 3rd October to 5th October gave me achance to make my longer ride as planned. But then again as vidyarambham after Pooja was to be done on 3rd October i had to do the same before I proceed for any bike jaunts. Priorities are mostimportant that is family first and foremost and then only comes biking. If youchange the order your biking may be put on permanent retirement. So the longerride of 600 kms was pruned to something like a 300 kms from Thiruvananthapuram,Thirunelveli and back via thenmala. The route is quite interesting for arider. The first 93 kms is mix of narrow high traffic and bad roads. So bad inmany stretches that if you are not careful your wheel rim may requirereplacement. After this you enter the 4 lane NH and bliss for about 88 kms tillthirunelveli. After this roads are ok to ride on till you are back. The only hitch being from thirunelveli till shenkottah there are bumps every half kms orso clutch Brake clutch brake is the way to go. Rest of the roads are twisties till you reach the Kerala MC Road. So it's Like a package any biker can like ordislike. It's all up to you. So packed up the bike as usual and it was a go at 7-30 am. 93 kms in2 hours is not at all an enjoyable proposition and finally you enter the NH at kavalkinaru. And ninja heaves a sigh of relief and tells me lets do it. Greatgoing till thirunelveli and I maxed out my bike twice (Read 155/160) on thisroute and before you decide what next you reach thirunelveli town. Riding thru the town to catch the kollam highway is a pain and after about 40 minutes youare out of the town and much relief to your arms and fingers. Shot some pictures enrouteand they speak much better than writing the story. Default camera for this tour for me is my IPhone 4S. For Pomudi Ride Sunit with canon 5D and Manoj with a canon 7D + me with IPhone.



Near Nagercoil a brief pit stop





Ninja lives for the Highways



A Pano Shot with IPhone above



After crossing Thirunelveli Town.. the landscape below










Shots from a railway crossing. first time saw the gate closed .





Border to Kerala almost








And Shenkottah..... i love this place










The Thenmala Dam spill way towards Punalur










Lunch at My Usual Place Kerala Tourism Motel Aaram, Kottarakkara





The Ponmudi Story


The ride to ponmudi was next after a day on Sunday. Meeting pointwas fixed at Kowdiar junction at 6.00 am. The group was heavily loaded with Manoj Shanker on his new Inazuma, Sam sir And Sunit on their dukes and Sherin and Dr.Harrison on their bullets. After the customary hello and handshakes wewere on our way to ponmudi . The first break of the ride was planned after nedumangad, but after we got together it was known that the local tea stall hadrun out of tea. Now we had our regular tea stall at Kallar and we all startedfor Kallar. After Regrouping at Kallar we had our morning tea that all of usbadly required by then. We had our typical riders chat and hot Tea which brightened up the rather dull morning weather. After the tea it was time for us to enjoy the forest and twisties for which we had come all the way. Going up we found that the morning check for plastic bottles/ liquor before entry has not commenced. As I am as crazy (Like my bike) not to litter any place I mean it,all the empty cans, covers etc travels with me back home for a proper disposalor into a proper waste basket onextended rides lasting more than a day, I appreciate all this anti plasticmeasures to have a clean and healthy environment. It was a slow ride to the top appreciating the cool weather and beautiful forests on both sides of the road.Breakfast was at the top and we got together there for a great breakfast ofuppuma and bread omelette with another round of tea thrown in for good measure.After a sumptuous breakfast we were ready to reach the top station for somephotography and enjoy the weather. So after a great day we were ready for thereturn ride. The meeting point was fixed at nedumangad from where we were to part ways till another outing on our bikes. The pictures from the trip are there. photographers Sunit, And Manoj with Canon DSLR's and me with my phone.





kowdair Junction











Tea Break At Kallar - Entry Point to Hills

















Inazuma of Manoj














Breakfassst.....




We come down from the Hills and Regroup at Nedumangad










Let Me Sign Off with this Pano Shot





Bye till the Next Ride