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**dichkaun** · 10-29-2015, 08:42 PM

Re: A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Originally posted by experimentalhead View Post

Thanks Lokesh. By the way congrats on True wanderer rider diaries. I joined u in week 6 of the contest

Great... Congrats.

**experimentalhead** · 10-29-2015, 11:50 PM

Re: A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Originally posted by koolsantosh22 View Post

Beautiful narration topped up with mind blowing pictures. Keep it coming.

Thanks Santosh

**ironmarine** · 10-30-2015, 09:01 AM

Re: A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Waiting for more Raghu, been waiting for this travel log for sometime.
Though I wish I would have accompanied you which did not happen. I'm travelling these places now with your travel log.
Now waiting for more.....

**experimentalhead** · 10-30-2015, 12:46 PM

Day 2: The Bridge : A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Day 2: The bridge

Bridge: In this world everything is related to another through a bridge. We humans call it relationships. Stronger the bridge, longer it will last. To me bridge also represents overcoming obstacles. So, bridges have a special place and whenever I see any bridge it represents a strong will to overcome obstacles. Today I was going to see two such bridges. One the Pamban bridge which overcame the obstacle of a sea to connect Pamban island to Indian main land. And, another one the famous Ram setu which was built by Lord Ram to carry his army across to win over Ravan. This ride was also a an opportunity to strengthen the bridge between My Benelli and me.

Rameshwaram & Dhanushkodi:

Had a disturbed sleep due to inflammation in my gum. A tooth was also paining. So got up late. Pain had reduced to great extent. Anyone who would go till Madurai, the next obvious choices to visit, or in our cases – ride, would be to either Rameshwaram & Dhanushkodi to the East or famous top station to the West or Kanyakumari to the South. I decided to have the breakfast first and then decide on which way to head. Breakfast was a delicious mix of Dosa, Idli, Pongal and fruits and juices. After enjoying a good spread of buffet, I decided to pack up and check out. I decided to ride to Rameshwaram as I had heard a lot about Pamban bridge and how different it is from other bridges, and also the Chennai express effect. I also had seen some fantastic pictures from other travelogues of Pamban bridge and Dhanushkodi.

Started at around 10.30 AM. Got the fuel tank filled. The hotel where I stayed was on the ring road connecting to highway towards Rameshwaram. Roads to Rameshwaram were two lane and narrow with lot of traffic cutting through many villages and small towns. It was getting hot as I got closer to Rameshwaram. Stopped few times to check luggage and also to drink the evergreen coolant, tender coconuts. What a relief!

Came across group of cyclists whom I had seen yesterday as well. Staunch followers of APJ Abdul Kalam Sir who hails from Rameshwaram. They were cycling to Rameshwaram. Respect to these guys as they were cycling in sweltering conditions.

Roads widened as Rameshwaram got closer. Road to Rameshwaram was not as good as NH7. In many stretches road widening work was going on. With 12 Km to go, I got first glimpse of Pamban bridge and the sea. Many vehicles were parked on the bridge and it was crowded. So, decided to come back later to get a good view. Continued my ride and was greeted with light shower on entering Rameshwaram.

Checked in around 2 PM at a hotel called Queen Palace. First thing I was looking for in a hotel was good parking space for my bike. There was no concern here. Again trip advisor helped me to get a good deal. But, Hotel staff demanded extra two hundred rupees as they said they are having some tariff related issues with the travel group. Hotel staff looked little grumpy. I did not want to waste time in petty argument as I was still getting a good deal. Got freshen up. Restaurant had only south Indian meals. I was not in a mood for heavy meals after heavy breakfast in the morning. Just had curd rice and was off to Dhanushkodi.

Dhanushkodi is also located on Pamban island. Around 25 Km from Rameshwaram, road is fantastic especially to ride. Only other vehicles plying in this region are tourist jeeps and mini buses. But it was just too hot and humid. I was sweating like crazy. With 5 km to go to tip, ride came to an abrupt end due to barricades. I was told by hotel staff that now road has been laid till the tip from where Srilanka is around 18 miles. It was heavily crowded. Mini-buses and Jeeps modified to take on the sandy trails till the tip were in huge number. Local drivers and policemen said I cannot take my bike further and had to go by jeep or bus. But, I had seen bikes going in other travelogues. But, I was stopped and was told that since road work was going on no other vehicles apart from permitted ones were allowed. I decided to go by mini bus as other jeeps were already occupied.

Driver of the bus said that he cannot leave till he gets at least 15 passengers on board. I tried my best to converse with the drivers. But the speed at which they spoke Tamil and Hindi, I was not able to follow them at all. Tamil was sounding different than the one I am used to hear in movies. Had tender coconut and requested tender-coconut-vendor to look after my bike till I return. He politely agreed and assured me to not to worry. Had a brief conversation with him in Hindi. He denied taking any extra money to look after the bike. I was impressed. I had one more tender coconut.

Hopped into the bus. Had some nice conversation with other tourists in the bus. More than conversation, it was a Q&A session. Could not keep a count of number of questions I answered about my ride, my bike, traveling on motorcycle as a passion etc. I was asked to sit in the front seat, next to driver. Everyone was teasing me that this was the advantage of traveling solo that I get the best seat to enjoy and don’t have to be behind families.

The Sand trails:

It was one of a kind. Wading through the sand trails and small pools of water, it was a different experience altogether. The bus would tilt to either side. Driver was busy getting down occasionally, tightening or loosening some nuts and also fiddling between two gear sticks these buses were equipped with. They have their own indigenous way of driving through these heavy sand trails. He was also our DJ playing some nice Rajinikanth’s movie songs. I also got a surreal feeling during this drive as many colorful butterflies fly along and they come close and just fly away and with the back ground, it’s as if you were part of some fantasy movie. Also saw peacocks and peahen crossing the roads. After about thirty or forty minutes, reached Dhanushkodi.

It was a sight to behold. I was sad to learn that this was once a pilgrimage town connected by train as well. However, a high-intensity cyclone swallowed this town and now only some dilapidated remains are left. This was also the place from where Lord Ram built the famous Ram Setu bridge in order to take his army across to wage war against Ravan. I saw people taking holy dips in the sea. It was serene with few boats sailing around. I sat there for a while and tried to take in as much as I could.

Then we drove to a nearby place where we saw some destroyed buildings still standing after heavy beating they took from cyclone. I also saw the floating stone. Was told that this stone would not sink but floats in water and these were used to build Ram Setu. Simply amazing. This area had peacocks roaming around. Also, snacks were sold here. It was just too humid when we began. But it started to cool down as sun was going down slowly.

While riding back to Rameshwaram, I saw a small diversion leading to Lord Ram’s temple. The road was a small yet beautiful piece of stretch with water bodies on either side. I rode for some time. It was a beautiful evening and the setting was also mesmerizing with myriad colors in the sky. Took few snaps and decided to ride to this place back in the morning as it was already dark.

Reached hotel. I was smelling salty. Got freshen up and headed to Sri Ramanatha Swamy temple. Hardly two km. It was 7 PM and I was asked to take a rick as temple closing time was at 8 PM. No cameras or cell phones are allowed inside temple. Kept them in the custody of a small shop.

Tamil Nadu temples’ architectural marvel and surreal effects continued to enthral me. What a huge temple! I have seen huge monolithic Nandi statues in Sri Chamundi hills, Mysore and in Lepakshi, the largest of all in the world. The one here in Rameshwaram is also a colossal one. After paying my obeisance to and seeking blessings from Lord and Goddess, I went around the temple. My command over any language is not good enough to describe the beauty of this temple. I would urge you to see it to believe and enjoy. Both this and Sri Meenakshi Amman temple in Madurai are just marvelous. I spent about an hour in the temple.

Dinner time. Went to a nearby hotel and asked in Tamil about special dish in Rameshwaram. He said Dosa. So, I concluded that Dosa and Idli are the most special items in Tamilnadu or these guys were not revealing it to me. Ordered Dosa. Did not feel anything special about it. Walked back to hotel. Spoke to family and went to bed. Thanks to Dhanushkodi heat and humidity, my body was thoroughly squeezed.

**experimentalhead** · 10-30-2015, 03:35 PM

Re: A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Originally posted by ironmarine View Post

Waiting for more Raghu, been waiting for this travel log for sometime.
Though I wish I would have accompanied you which did not happen. I'm travelling these places now with your travel log.
Now waiting for more.....

Day 2 unfolded Sri. Let us ride together soon

**AbhiAvvy13** · 10-30-2015, 04:19 PM

Re: Day 2: The Bridge : A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Originally posted by experimentalhead View Post

Dinner time. Went to a nearby hotel and asked in Tamil about special dish in Rameshwaram. He said Dosa. So, I concluded that Dosa and Idli are the most special items in Tamilnadu or these guys were not revealing it to me.

Throughly enjoyed. But loved this part the most.

**experimentalhead** · 10-30-2015, 11:29 PM

Re: Day 2: The Bridge : A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Originally posted by AbhiAvvy13 View Post

Throughly enjoyed. But loved this part the most.

Thanks Abhi

I gave the waiter a disbelief look when he said dosa

**krishna77** · 10-31-2015, 09:10 AM

Re: A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Some amazing err mouthwatering captures!

**experimentalhead** · 10-31-2015, 08:12 PM

Re: A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Originally posted by krishna77 View Post

Some amazing err mouthwatering captures!

Thanks Krishna

**VIJAY BHUYAN88** · 11-01-2015, 12:26 AM

Re: A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Awesome T- Log Sir :-) & As usual superb narration. Glued for more ;-)

**experimentalhead** · 11-01-2015, 12:20 PM

Re: A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Originally posted by VIJAY BHUYAN88 View Post

Awesome T- Log Sir :-) & As usual superb narration. Glued for more ;-)

Thanks Vijay

will b posting rest soon

**experimentalhead** · 11-02-2015, 07:04 PM

Day 3: A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Day 3: The bridge, an engineering brilliance & Great Temple on Seashore, a miracle: A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Pamban Bridge:

Got up very early in the morning, well before sunrise. Thanks to bed bugs, sleep was disturbed for second day in a row. Rode to Pamban bridge which was just 12 Km from hotel. I was excited to see Pamban bridge and activities around it early in the morning. India’s first sea bridge connecting Rameshwaram on Pamban island to mainland India. There were only few people around the bridge as it was very early in the morning. Those who were present there were busy fishing. I parked the bike and took a stroll. The bridge is quite long. It was so serene. I was amazed at how a rail bridge was built in the sea. It is just fantastic and these kind of structures is a testimony to human brilliance. I spent quite some time there. Early morning walk is good and walking at such places is just too good. Took a long walk as Rameshwaram and surrounding areas were waking up. On one side of the bridge, fantastic Rail bridge is present and on the other side, I saw many boats which appeared like paper boats we used to make in our childhood. Came across folks on early morning jog in their ‘Lungis’ . It was amusing at the same time nice to see their enthusiasm for fitness. Few caught up with me during their run and asked me if bike parked near the end of the bridge belongs to me and routine Q&A session, a brief one, followed. Few pictures:

After spending about two hours at Pamban bridge, I rode to Lord Ram’s temple on way to Dhanushkodi. Remember, I mentioned about a beautiful stretch surrounded by water bodies. I rode to that place. It was around 7 AM. Nobody around except few sheep. I rode couple of times on the stretch. All alone, I just enjoyed every moment of being all alone. Err…sorry with my machine. Then tried some crazy photography. As people started walking by, I wrapped up my crazy session. I was ecstatic at the way ride was unfolding every day. Rode back to hotel.

Complimentary breakfast was very average. Packed up and checked out. It was October 15, which happens to be birthday of Great APJ Abdul Kalam Sir. It was not planned, but a good coincidence. Visited Kalam Sir’s memorial and burial place. Paid my respects. There were lot of political party workers. All clad in white. White Lung, White shirt and many in white slippers too. Few political heavy weights visit was scheduled. When I reached the spot, love and respect towards Kalam sir was very evident as commoners outnumbered political party workers. The attention shifted to me and the bike. Again random Q&A followed. After paying my respect to the great man, I requested a political party worker to take my pic. People around were so amused with my attire, bike and luggage, I seriously do not know what they thought of me, but they cleared the crowd around memorial and made me stand and a picture was clicked. I spent about half an hour there, and resumed my journey towards Tiruchendur at around 11.30 AM.

ECR (East Coast Road):

I had heard a lot about ECR from many who had travelled between Chennai and Pondicherry. I always wanted to ride on ECR. I had decided to ride to Tiruchendur. Tiruchendur is the abode of Lord Shree Subrahmanya. I was checking for places to visit in Tamilnadu and I saw this image of a temple on seashore. Images of temple walls washed by the waves attracted me a lot. Moreover I had to take ECR to reach this place. It was icing on the cake. My imagination of East Coast Road was that road will run parallel to sea and I can enjoy the view of sea while riding. But that was not the case. It ran parallel to eastern coastal line but nowhere close to sea. Road was fantastic. It was a straight stretch passing through many villages and small towns. Hardly any traffic. Noticed that soil color changed from red to black. In some stretches, either side of the road was populated with towering palm trees. It was little hot but since I was in the plains, breeze was good enough to keep me and the bike cool. With about 60 Km to go to Tuticorin, Road condition started to deteriorate. The left side of the road, that is the lane on which I was riding, was very bad. Since traffic was less, almost all vehicles were on the right lane. As I got close to Tuticorin, I started getting weird smell and which grew stronger. Then I came across water bodies divided into multiple sections and around each section a huge pile of white material was lying. And I could also see an Industrial area. I got curious to know about what this white powdery material is. Stopped and checked. It was salt and this was the famous Tuticorin Salt pan. Salt was being harvested. The smell was very strong and wherever I looked I could see these salt mounds. Tuticorin, also known as Thoothukudi, is a major port city. I did not enter city. I rode through Salt pans. I had never seen something like this. So much of salt being harvested. I reached the NH 7A.

Stopped for lunch. Had normal south Indian meals. However, this had one more item on the spread which was totally new to me. This was a sweet item and it was thick red liquid. I checked with waiter about this item and found that it was ‘beetroot Paysam’. It was nice and for me it was something new. In the picture below you could see the small steel bowl containing this sweet, next to the vegetable stir-fry (Palya, a common side dish). Enjoyed my meals and resumed my ride towards Tiruchendur. Restaurant owner informed that roads are not good and traffic is heavy. I got off the NH and road was very bad. But this did not last long. I was happy to ride through typical country side roads. Roads were narrow but good. Traffic was there, but it was not crazy. Green all around. As I had told at the beginning of this travel log, this would be a green affair and so it was.

Tiruchendur, Temple on seashore:

I thoroughly enjoyed the ride and as I came close to Tiruchendur, I was excited with prospect of seeing another beach and the grandeur of temples in this part of the world. I saw a hoarding of Hotel Tamilnadu run by TTDC (Tamilnadu tourism) very frequently. So, I headed to the same hotel. Rooms were available. I was struggling with my Tamil and the hotel’s watchman came to my rescue as he spoke fluent English. I asked them to give me a good room with no bed bugs or mosquitoes. They agreed. But the room was not only unclean but there were just too many mosquitoes at least some 15 to 20.. When checked with hotel folks, they were like ‘Sir, there are no bed bugs’. I laughed and said ‘ Yes! I requested you to give me a room with no bed bugs. That does not mean I am fine with room full of mosquitoes’. They were polite bunch. They also laughed and changed my room to a better one. There were few mosquitoes. But room was bigger, clean and a better one. Caution: Please carry Odomos cream to avoid any mosquito bites, and to have a peaceful sleep. Time to freshen up and step out. It was 6 PM.

Temple from the hotel was just five minutes’ walk. Just like other temples I had seen till now, it was just stunning. One thing I would like to mention is just like we are used to seeing pigeons, crows and sparrows around in our daily lives, you see peacocks in and around temple. Since, hotel I was staying was very close to temple, I saw quite a few peacocks in the hotel’s premises and in the compounds of other hotels as well. Peacocks are such beautiful birds! Extraordinary! When I went to temple, I could see so many peacocks everywhere. On temple’s main tower, on street light poles, roof tops. Everywhere.

The temple was so beautiful and there were so many people around. It was quite a busy area. I went to beach for a brief period. The view was just amazing. After enjoying a small stroll on the beach, I went to temple. It was quite big. Taking pictures was prohibited. I paid my obeisance. Took the blessings of Lord Subrahmanya and goddesses Sree Valli Devi and Sree Devasena Devi. Spent about an hour inside temple. It was just fantastic to be inside temples in this part of the world.

Legend of Tiruchendur temple:

Now this is interesting. Inside temple, one of the pictures displayed showed Lord Muruga standing between sea waves and temple. There was a mention of date 12/26/2004. Tsunami! Remember! I could not read anything from the display. I requested a gentleman to translate that for me. He too struggled but informed me that when Tsunami struck the eastern coast and caused irreparable damages to many towns around this region, nothing happened to this temple. Miraculously only around temple area, sea receded by quite a distance and nothing happened to temple. Gradually sea came back to original level when Tsunami subsided everywhere else. Miracle! Power of Lord! I was thrilled to learn this.

Stepped out. By then it was very dark. Took a long walk on the beach. Many were still playing in the beach. Roamed around for quite some time. Then, it was time for dinner. Went to a nearby restaurant. Asked what is special in Tamil. I was pleasantly surprised to hear name of a new dish ‘Idiyappam’. I had never eaten this dish. Had not even seen. Upon asking, the waiter said it’s like noodle strings and has to be eaten with coconut milk. Sounded interesting. Had Idiyappam. It was very nice and delicious. I was still hungry. So, asked the waiter about what would he recommend. He recommended Uttappam which tasted great. After speaking to family and telling them about my whereabouts, I hit the sack. Few mosquitoes. But Odomos worked well, and hotel guys also gave me a mosquito repellant. Both worked well. Thinking about next day’s ride, I entered deep sleep mode.

**bhargavkundem** · 11-02-2015, 08:02 PM

Re: A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Had been waiting for the day of Pamban bridge visit...

Awesome writeup all the way through... And the pictures, wow they speak so so loud about your trip... Just can't admire how much beautiful Southern part of the India is...

Inspired!!!!

One question, which camera and editor you use for the pictures?

**experimentalhead** · 11-02-2015, 08:15 PM

Re: A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Originally posted by bhargavkundem View Post

Had been waiting for the day of Pamban bridge visit...

Awesome writeup all the way through... And the pictures, wow they speak so so loud about your trip... Just can't admire how much beautiful Southern part of the India is...

Inspired!!!!

One question, which camera and editor you use for the pictures?

Thanks Bhargav for your kind words.

Many pics were clicked using Moto G2 cell phone and a borrowed very old canon camera of a friend: Canon SX 130 IS with an old tripod, again borrowed

Editor is Picasa web / Google+

**TheArcher84** · 11-02-2015, 09:08 PM

Re: A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Raghu bhai...you rock as always

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A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

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