Re: ZMR.Gokarna.Couple.V-day2015

Great travelogue there! I missed out on Gokarna and did Kannur instead.. Will surely plan for Gokarna some day

Re: ZMR.Gokarna.Couple.V-day2015

xbhp blocked in office it seems

Re: ZMR.Gokarna.Couple.V-day2015

Probably means it's getting popular!

Sent from my Xperia L.

Re: ZMR.Gokarna.Couple.V-day2015

[MENTION=12407]Shashank[/MENTION] way to go man...u nd ur zmr r always eager to go on d hiways....glad to c dat...bring it onnn...

[MENTION=52986]GT007[/MENTION] march is off season and u will get accomodation with ease either in gokarna,kudle or Om beach(namaste cafe)

For food, namaste cafe in om beach is d best.

Re: ZMR.Gokarna.Couple.V-day2015

Thanks Sunil

Re: ZMR.Gokarna.Couple.V-day2015

Part 1 - Bangalore-Mullyangiri (Well, almost !!)


The printouts were in place, Saddle bag was set, tank bag was set. Cell phone were charged and my sony HDR AS30V was ready for its first trip. Regarding the action cam I can confidently say that in it's price bracket its way ahead of the ever popular go-pros. Video recording during daytime is easily the best I have ever seen. still shots too are good, but do require a bit a post processing skillls to extract the best out of them. clarity during night is just the best thing I have ever seen and the part where it leads from the front and makes gopro look like a crappy piece of hardware is its steady shot.




I went to the garage, checked the oil level, brake levers, air in the tyres and the n bent down with a torch to have a look at the brake pads. There was just enough to go till the end of this trip, so I decided to have them changed after coming back.




All set, we left at 5:00 A.M sharp.



Since the destination was not conveyed, I told Jay to start guessing from the milestones or the NHAI hoardings. We took the outer ring road to enter the Neelamangala toll gate road. By now Jay had enough experience of the major highways and roads from Bangalore. She waited to reach the outskirts of the city to start guessing and as soon as Himalaya factory passed by our left side, the guess work started. Mumbai? Pune? Goa? , the answers to all being no.
At the diversion for Mangalore road, I made my mandatory stop at the chai shop near the left turn that connects to the Bangalore-Mangalore road. After a piping hot cup of tea in cold, we started again, the next stop being Mayura restaurant just after Kunigal. The guess had stopped, Jay have been to this side only twice and one of them was just a breakfast ride till Mayura.




Reached Mayura exactly 2 hours after starting, at 7:00 A.M. I was expecting a few bikers there as is the norm but none were to be seen. I did happen to notice a bullet with luggage and marks of a long toured vehicle.





We had the delicious butter dosas and by then the cold had taken the better of me and Jay, we were amost shivering and hot filter coffee at time seemed like the ''elixir of life''. I noticed the rider wearing riding jacket and approached him to enquire about his further plans. He was going to Kalasa via Mudigere. which meant that we could ride together till Belur, before the junction. His wife was travelling with him and he suggested to move along with us till Belur, as it would be a viable option for both of us. So, from Mayura both the bikes started together towards Belur. It was here that the guessing started again - Mangalore? NO, Manipal? NO, Udupi-Malpe beach? NO, Shravanbelagola? NO, Halebeedu? NO, Somwarpet? NO, Madikeri? NO .. . I was laughing by now, but as promised, I took out the first map and handed it over to her. The reaction was worth riding a thousand kilometres. Chikamagalur !! she said and kicked herself for not being able to guess it.




It was nice for a change to ride with a couple who's riding speed matched mine properly. The sound of the bullet cutting through the highway at a constant 75-80 was a sight to behold. Most of the people I have ridden with, end up ripping the bullets like crazy dogs, and I feel that's not how the bullet was meant to be ridden. Keeping a steady pace, we reached the Belur cross without a single stop. We parted ways from here on and once again it was nice to ride together with someone unknown. I guess that's what riding is about, being friends with people just to ride along the highway and to wish luck with so much honesty.


Our next stop was Yagachi dam. Since I had no maps, I made a mistake of not noticing it, but one of the milestones reminded me of that and since I was just a kilometre ahead, I took a u-turn and relaxed there for some water, snacks and butt-break. By now, the weather has changed a lot, I had to take out my rain liner and the sun was becoming hotter with every passing minute. Below is the directions for the dam in case someone needs.









Next up was Mullyangiri. In no time, we entered the market area of Chikamagalur town and started looking for a descent place for restroom and some snacks. we were both hungry.






I rarely stop at CCD's , but this one was an exception. Also, off late I have begun to realise that keeping in mind, the safety, food, costs and cleanliness, CCD is indeed a very good option for a break if you are travelling as a couple. This CCD being in Chikamagalur itself was expected to be better, and it did not disappoint. I almost had a short nap here and had some brownies and coffee. I knew about the lack of decent restrooms in the Mullyangiri area and hence this was a very comfortable 45 minutes stop.

I noticed something this time while approaching Mullyangiri this time - the sky was clear and it was much hotter than it generally is. At the check-post, instead of going all the way up and being dissaponted, I decided to ask the forest officials about the condition above. As expected, they all said that going up would be a waste of time as it was very hot there and clouds and fog were nowhere to be seen. I turned towards Jay and left the decision to her as she had never been there. She suggested to skip Mullyangiri and move on to the next destination about which she had no idea. Next up was Halli berri coffee estate enroute Tarikere. We reached quite comfortably as the roads are well-laid and it's pretty easy to locate it. Stopped here for one complete hour, as this place exceeded my expectations. I had been here for the first time, and it's a must visit place if you are riding or driving as couple. A very roamntic set-up and pretty relaxing too. For the complete one hour, we were the only guest who came there, so there was complete silence and the place provided a much needed break from the now battering heat.












I handed over the second map - next up.. . Tarikere-Shimoga-Agumbe !! !

To be continued .. .

Re: ZMR.Gokarna.Couple.V-day2015

Good progress lover boy!

Only 2 things to nitpick so far:
1. 1 watermark has your name spelled wrong! (Bullet couple's pic enroute Belur)
2. Go Pro beats your current set up because you do get universal mounts for the same if you don't want OE Go Pro mounts. Price wise, Sony kicks a$$, but lack of mounting options *currently* is disappointing.

Re: ZMR.Gokarna.Couple.V-day2015


Point one had me there
Regarding point 2 - it's not my camera's fault sir.
The supplied mount fits any standard helmet. And another one is good for any flat surface. Problem is my helmet which has a sun-visor at the top. Waise when we ride together, I will mount this on your helmet

Sent from my XT1033 using xBhp Connect mobile app

Re: ZMR.Gokarna.Couple.V-day2015

Part 2 coming up soon :-)

Sent from my XT1033 using xBhp Connect mobile app

Re: ZMR.Gokarna.Couple.V-day2015

An hour has passed already!

Re: ZMR.Gokarna.Couple.V-day2015

Sir, internet problems. Sorry.
Pics and write up is ready, doing it via mobile app is very difficult. Guess I will finish it this weekend..

Sent from my XT1033 using xBhp Connect mobile app

Re: ZMR.Gokarna.Couple.V-day2015

Once again, a beautifully compiled t'log!

Re: ZMR.Gokarna.Couple.V-day2015

Day 1 Part 2-Halli berry-Tarikere - Shimoga - Agumbe -

O.K, found a replacement laptop. Hopefully, the log will continue at a regular pace from now on.



After the long,resting break at the halli berry coffee estate we started the descent down to Tarikere. Here are the details of Halli berry cottage stays -

Name - Halli berry Coffee estate and cottage stay
Owner - Kariappa M
Contact number - +91-9483523003
Cost -Around 6500/- per day per cottage
Website - HugeDomains.com - HalliBerry.com is for sale (Halli Berry)
A small stretch of descend welcomed us. Last time I passed through this stretch I had a nice time with duke. Though there is very little of it but the curves are very good in this stretch.
Considering the remote areas it passes through, the road is in pretty good condition.
As the ghat ends, there is a straight road that joins this road (SH57) to NH 206. With neat markings and clear, legible boards, staying on track was easier than I thought. Not for a second did I miss the Gmaps. A point to be noted if you are riding at night here, I saw just one petrol bunk here. I have ridden in this route at night and there are a couple of small stretches wherein construction is going on, so be careful. From Tarikere we moved on to Bhadravati. Bhadravati is an industrial town and being from Jamshedpur, I could easily connect to it. Similar company qaurters, planned with good roads etc, etc. I saw a board that read HUDCO colony. It was a very good feeling, I used to go for morning walk till HUDCO park in my hometown.
Any way, at Bhadravati, there are two ways to reach Agumbe -

A - Take left towards HUDCO colony,continue along SH 65 and continue along the Umblibail-Muttinakuppa road to reach thirthahalli. 84 km
B - Continue straight till Shimoga, take left for SH 148 and ride along the Tunga river to reach Thirthahalli - 100 km

I chose option B and was glad I did.
First up, the Bhadravati-Shimoga road is an amazingly well-laid tarmac. After travelling in the twisties, it was time to open up the throttle. There are a lot of rumblers in this stretch but I didn't have to slow down, ZMR's GRS came into play and I hardly felt a thing. A word of caution here though, there are interceptors in this route. I was cruising at triple figures when I saw a hand waving, signalling me to stop. I slowed down and got ready to pay the fine, but before I could halt, the officer waved and signaled to carry on. Maybe I was just plain lucky, but otherwise be careful otherwise you might end up paying. In no time we were out of Shimoga through the by-pass road. Just after the long spped run, there is a circle, take a left and you will come across a bridge. Take a left from the bridge and you will be on course. Sankara eye hospital passing through riht side means you are on the right track. We reached the forest check post and that's when the magic began.
After the heat and dust of Shimoga, the complete setup changes in a matter of few minutes. A river flowing alongside and neatly laid and marked tarmac awaits as one enters this stretch. It's almost if the forest welcomes you with open arms. It's a sight to behold, the realization that I have entered my last stretch of the day was slowly sinking in. Turns were neatly marked with apt warning signs telling you to slow down, what was surprising that everyone seemed to be following rules that day. I did not encounter one rough overtakes that day. It was time for a butt-break and what better place to stop then under the shade of dense trees. I looked for a spot to be of least obstruction to oncoming traffic and stopped. I was lost in the sorrounding when Jay reminded me to take a few shots. This is a common problem with me, perhaps thsi is why I have been to a lot of trips and end up coming without a single photograph. There nothing better than getting lost in the beauty of the place you are.









Gajanur backwaters can be a source of some stunning photographs but it needs time. Time was of essence here I was supposed to reach Agumbe before sunset.


The lovely stretch

There was no way I was prepered to ride with a lady in these roads. This is one of the differences of riding solo and with a pillion. If I was alone I would definetely have stopped and taken my tripod at every 500m of that stretch and continues to ride in night. A flat tire is a small issue while travelling solo, with a pillion and sunset approaching and a ghat renowned for cobras can be a mammoth problem.




A snake temple en route

After crossing thirthahalli, we stopped at a random place for lunch as we were both hungry. It was 4:00 p.m and by the time we were done with lunch and got ready to leave it was around 4:40. Must mention the lunch was surprisingly good. Either that, or we were really hungry.


We reached Aumbe well before sunset and I went straight to the sunset point. Took my own sweet time here. Waited for the sunset. One thing I would like to mention here - Agumbe sunset is worth the hype. It's one of the places where you can feel the time slowing down.



As I saw the setting sun, I did a mental recap of the day and smiled, must have looked weird nut I didn't care. the smile just refused to go away. The expression on Jay's face was priceless. For the third time today, she thanked me.
As the sky darkened, I could see she was getting a bit worried, she said - you came racing till Agumbe to avoid riding the ghats in dark, and now waited for almost an hour here for the sunset ? How will we manage this ghat now ? It's getting dark, open the next map, hope our destination isn't far from here. blah blah blah !
I replied - Ab kahi nahi jaana, aaj ka destination yahi hai. (translation - This is where we halt today).
Our stay was booked in advance and was just 3 kms from the sunset point.. .

Hotel - Mallya residency
Number - +91-9448579363
Website - mallya residency
Cost - 500/- per day, per room



Next up without further delay - Marvanthe,Murdeshwar,Gokarna.
Stay tuned :-)

Re: ZMR.Gokarna.Couple.V-day2015

Nice captures & narration. Carry on!

Re: ZMR.Gokarna.Couple.V-day2015

Thanks [MENTION=71948]MUSTANG 27[/MENTION] for reminding me of this one. It had slipped my mind.