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**experimentalhead** · 11-02-2015, 10:59 PM

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

Originally posted by TheArcher84 View Post

Raghu bhai...you rock as always

Nandri Bhai

**Divya Sharan** · 11-03-2015, 11:46 AM

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

What a T-Log Raghu saab! Simply awesome!

What is the fare of the 4x4 you took to Dhanushkodi beach?

**experimentalhead** · 11-03-2015, 12:07 PM

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

Originally posted by Divya Sharan View Post

What a T-Log Raghu saab! Simply awesome!

What is the fare of the 4x4 you took to Dhanushkodi beach?

Thank you DS bhai

They charged 150 per head. Earlier it was 100, but now they have increased as their business is under threat due to ongoing construction of road till the end which as per locals would be opened by mid 2016.

**AbhiAvvy13** · 11-03-2015, 12:37 PM

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

Your T-log proves the tag line about India.
"Incredible India."

**experimentalhead** · 11-03-2015, 01:26 PM

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

Originally posted by AbhiAvvy13 View Post

Your T-log proves the tag line about India.
"Incredible India."

Thanks Abhi. India is incredible. We are lucky to have so many destinations to explore and ride to. Truly incredible.

**experimentalhead** · 11-04-2015, 11:02 AM

Day 4: A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Beautiful morning:

This particular cloud looked like a great devotee kneeling down and paying his respects to lord Sun

Spent close to two to two and a half hours near beach and temple premises. A long walk on the beach cleared my cluttered mind. Returned to hotel. Had complimentary breakfast. It was nothing much to talk about. Packed up and checked out. Next destination was an obvious choice. Off to southernmost tip of peninsular India. Kanyakumari, here I come. It was my dream to ride to this destination for quite some time. Locals asked me to not to take ECR as it was not in good condition and asked me to ride to Vallioor which will then put me on NH7. I obliged.

Route was good with decent roads passing through villages. Once I reached Vallioor, in no time I was on NH7. Just superb road. Then I saw few windmills. Gradually few became many and in no time I started seeing so many windmills, more than trees! It was spectacular. So many by roadside. Only windmills wherever you see, whichever side you turn and look. Wind power!

Kanyakumari: Southernmost tip of peninsular India

Reached Kanyakumari. Road to beach straight away. Such clean sea. Thiruvalluvar statue and Vivekananda memorial monuments were etched in my mind because of many travel logs and pictures in them. Today I was seeing them live. I asked a local photographer to take my pictures and also give me their printouts. Spent quite some time there taking pictures of the monuments, bikes and other tourists obliging their requests. Also, I went to have a tender coconut. First time, I was asked whether I want green one or red one. I was like 'Red one!' I asked for difference and I was told, Red is more sweet. Tried and it was more sweet indeed.

Rode to sunset point. Enjoyed the sea. It was serene as nobody was there. Spent some time. Decided next destination and started off.

**dichkaun** · 11-04-2015, 03:43 PM

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

nice update.
God morning pictures.

**Shashank Suresh** · 11-04-2015, 05:42 PM

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

Originally posted by experimentalhead View Post

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

Lovely pictures and great write up. I'm sure you had the best of time. I have booked my 300. These pictures are tempting me to do something like this in the near future.

-Shanky

**lalitp** · 11-04-2015, 07:56 PM

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

Please refrain from posting the food photos for the sake of my ever growing tummy. After watching those close up and 'disturbing' photos of the food being eaten I feel hungry at any point of time in a day.

And for the guys like me who is now part of Fish-and-chips culture, I just could see and imagine the taste / smell / burps of it.

Excellent trip log and photos mate! Keep'em coming and food ones as well. lol

**experimentalhead** · 11-05-2015, 10:23 AM

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

Originally posted by Shashank Suresh View Post

Lovely pictures and great write up. I'm sure you had the best of time. I have booked my 300. These pictures are tempting me to do something like this in the near future.

-Shanky

Thanks Shashank

Whenever I ride, it is the best time for me. Congrats and welcome to the club

Originally posted by lalitp View Post

Please refrain from posting the food photos for the sake of my ever growing tummy. After watching those close up and 'disturbing' photos of the food being eaten I feel hungry at any point of time in a day.

And for the guys like me who is now part of Fish-and-chips culture, I just could see and imagine the taste / smell / burps of it.

Excellent trip log and photos mate! Keep'em coming and food ones as well. lol

Thanks buddy

Since it was festival time, as per our customs refrained from having non-vegetarian food. Otherwise pictures of food could have been more 'disturbing'

**experimentalhead** · 11-05-2015, 01:58 PM

Day 5: A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Land of Exotic Backwaters

My brother and I woke up early in the morning and we went to Sri Padmanabha swamy temple. Temple was very crowded. Men have to wear only ‘Mundu (Dhoti)’ and no top is allowed. It was experience of one of a kind. It was 6.15 and temple was heavily crowded as darshan timing were limited due to festive season. Fantastic temple. Lord’s idol is the biggest one I have seen. Just awesome. We had prasadam and went around temple.

My brother bid farewell to me. I had decided to ride to Alleppey. You visit Kerala and you do not visit Kerala’s hub of backwaters! Now, that cannot happen! I rode to Alleppey. Ride was good. However, traffic was similar to yesterday. But road was relatively wider and good. Took about four hours to reach Alleppey. But I did not know where to stay. Trip advisor came to my rescue again. I stopped on the beach road and was going through options of stay and was answering questions of passersby about the bike and my ride. Finally decided to stay at Keraleeyam resort. It’s an ayurvedic resort. It looked different than the rest and affordable. I turned google maps on because of language barrier. I followed instructions diligently. Google maps said I reached destination. But, I had reached a lake where boats were being repaired and resort was not in sight. Went back to main road and enquired. I was told to ride back for an hour and take left to a small bridge. I reached the bridge, but there was no road. I got down and I called up the resort guys and told them that I can see the board but not the road. They sent a guy who appeared from a narrow and slushy passage which was between the small stretch of backwaters and a huge compound. And, to get on to that passage, there was a slope from the bridge. A minor mistake, one would be straight into the water. With the beast loaded with luggage, I was little apprehensive about doing this. Moreover, I did not know how was the road ahead and how far was it. But guy who was there to accompany me assured me that it could be managed in Malayalam. I could not understand language, but trusted his body language which conveyed the message. Slowly we waded through that slushy path. We made it to the resort and staff were pretty pleased.

This dog took quite some time to cross the road. Thanks to traffic. However, traffic eased after some time.

To keep yourself properly hydrated is very important to preserve energy and enjoy these kind of rides. What better than tender coconuts!

A mini Taj Mahal!

Resort had a beautiful backwater frontage. It reflected the ambience of traditional homes. No pollution and completely away from modernization. I got the room and was told that in the entire property I was the only guest as the season would start only from next week and they were getting ready for the same. Cots, tables and chairs were all of traditional style. There was only one TV in the reception area. Rooms did not have any TV or other modern amenities except AC. I loved it. This place was in peace and harmony with nature. That’s what you need to unwind. Even staff were less. One manager, one accountant, An all-in-one guys who could do massage, his primary responsibility, and lot of other things and a chef and couple of housekeeping personnel and all these people would leave by 6, except chef and security guard. Again Chef would leave by 9 PM. Only a security guard would be at resort in the night!

Almost Every household has a boat!

It was already 3 PM by the time I reached the resort. I was told that they provide fresh food as per the order made by guests and since my arrival was unannounced, they said they could cook food but it would be simple stuff. I was so excited that I did not want to waste time over food. I asked them if they could just serve sandwich with fruit juice. They obeyed. I got freshened up. Had my snacks and I stepped out to enjoy this unique ambience. I requested them to arrange for a boat to enjoy backwaters. In the meantime I roamed around the resort and then had a chat with resort in-charge who informed me that this resort was primarily an ayurvedic resort and people come here not only to unwind but to undergo therapies and massages. He gave me ample information about the resort and their ayurvedic products. Then routine Q&A on my ride happened. By then boat arrived and I took off.

I was told that these backwaters are a network of canals and small lakes. I was told that this backwater was not deep and was at maximum 6 feet deep. Many house boats passed by. This was a pretty big boat and I sat at the top and enjoyed the view. It was so different. I noticed that every house there had a small boat either run on motor or by oars. I also saw ferry service run by Kerala state water transport department just like our city buses.

I enjoyed backwaters by sitting at the top!

It was a beautiful and unique evening. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment. I was taken to paddy fields by the backwaters. It was lush green. I also saw folks playing cricket in their mundus. Then through these small canals we entered a huge area where many high end resorts were located. We sailed through and the beautiful sun set made it more enjoyable. As it started getting dark, we headed back to resort. By the time I returned, nobody was there in resort except the chef and the guard. I just sat outside and enjoyed the evening. It kind of took me back to my childhood days when we visited our village where after it was dark, it was quiet, moon lit and sounds made by insects. Many house boats passed by, all lit up and loud music playing.

Paddy field

I went for a long walk. It was completely dark. It was apt for me to retrospect and introspect. It started drizzling. When I went back, I saw that two foreigners were stuck on their bikes in the narrow passage leading to resort I had stayed. When I went to them, I found that the bullet was not turning on. It was a classic old one with CI engine. It was not just turning on and those guys were not speaking English and the one who had bullet was yelling in frustration. It was dark. I turned my mobile phone torch on. I asked him to pull the choke lever and try. Still did not work. He was tired and tried one last time. It suddenly came to life. The thump. They were happy. However, first one riding an FZ was grumpy as he was already frustrated due to delay by this bullet. A minute, it went off again. I heard the yell. It started again. I told in English that they better get used to this beast and wished them good luck.

Dining Hall. Everything was traditional.

It was 9.30 PM by the time I reached the resort. Chef had prepared the food I had ordered before leaving. The dining room was so traditional to look. Enjoyed my meal. Had a brief chat with the chef. He left after my dinner. I appreciated chef for very tasty meal. Security guard arrived. It started raining heavily. I just sat in the front of the resort and enjoyed the evening. It was serene and peaceful. Spoke to family. Hit the sack around 11 PM. My mind was at peace. I could feel the calmness. Only thing I missed was my family. I thought I would return to such exotic places with my family as I wanted them to enjoy these kinds of experiences. I entered the world of dreams, thanks to what I was experiencing for last few days.

The Chef

Food was simple but very tasty

**experimentalhead** · 11-06-2015, 01:59 PM

Day 6: A Perennial Quest - Deep Down South -Solo Ride, 7 days, 2000 Km.

Largest waterfall in Kerala and beautiful Hill ranges

Got up early. What a feast to eyes. I just sat on the porch. Enjoyed the early morning sunrise. It was cloudy as it rained entire night. A new chef had come. He served me hot coffee. I saw many going on their personal boats. I was in no mood to leave this place. I sat there for quite some time. Then, cleaned the bike and lubed the chain. After some crazy photography session, got ready and breakfast was ready by then. After a tasty breakfast, slowly took the bike out to the main road. Paid my dues and checked out at 11 AM.

I had decided to go to Palakkad via Kochi and Thrissur. I was pleasantly surprised to see a four-lane highway from Alleppey to Kochi. However, I noticed that no vehicle was going beyond 80 Kmph. Reached Kochi. Rode through Kochi. It’s bigger than I had imagined. Kochi metro rail work was going on due to which roads were not in good shape. As I exited Kochi, I saw a board stating Athirapally falls and it was 25 Km away. When stopped at a signal, I gave it a thought and decided to ride to the waterfalls as I had heard a lot about it and seen glimpses of it in the recent blockbuster “Baahubali’. Loved the movie and it’s grandeur. Took diversion towards Athirapally falls. Road was narrow and nice. After sometime, road got bad with lot of potholes. Again as road improved, I met two guys on a Royal Enfield. We exchanged information about our rides. They were riding from Mysore to Kochi. When I told them that after Athirapally, I would get back on highway and ride to Thrissur. One guy, named Dhawal, literally requested me to not to take that route. Instead, he insisted me to ride to Valparai from Athirapally and then from Valparai to Pollachi. The way he narrated the road condition and scenery convinced me to change my plans. I am grateful to him for directing me in the right way. We had a nice chat for quite some time about our rides and bikes. Then I bid them goodbye and rode towards Athirapally.

En route Athirapally

Brotherhood! Folks who urged me to take Valparai route.

Kerala’s largest waterfall:

I got a glimpse of this beautiful waterfalls by the road. I was exhilarated. Then at the entrance, I got parking and entrance ticket to waterfalls. I was worried about where to leave my bike with all the luggage. Removing all the luggage and loading it again would take some time and I was in no mood to do that exercise. I requested a shopkeeper to take care of my bike. But he was reluctant as he said police may cause problems. I went to another shop and requested the lady of the house to take care of my bike and luggage. After a good look at my bike and my attire, she asked me to park the bike next to her shop. I told her that I would not take much time. Kept my backpack in the cloak room at the entrance. I was stopped by the guards when they got to know that I was alone and asked me to get permission from police. I told them that there was nobody at the police post as I had gone there to seek permission to park my bike next to their post. They allowed me. It was hot and with my jacket and knee guards, I was sweating like crazy. Since it was Sunday, there were just too many people. I was disappointed to see a fence preventing people from getting close to falls. One can enjoy the beauty of this great waterfall from certain distance. Waterfall was surrounded by a huge hill ranges densely populated with trees. I learnt that fencing was done as some untoward incidents happened when people got too close to waterfalls. I still saw some people going to places where it was clearly stated to not to enter. Because of such trespassers nature lovers like us were prohibited from getting close to nature. I had a good look at the falls. My mom loves waterfalls, took a video clip of the falls and whatsapped to my family group. Then I returned to my bike, thanked the lady, and rode back to the place from where one gets a good view of the waterfalls but from far. Got a good view of the waterfalls, and then started towards Valparai. Valparai was not even in my plans till this afternoon.

Tea estates and hill station: Green all around

After about couple of kilometers of ride I reached another check post. The chief of that check post was reluctant to let me continue as it was already 3.30 PM. I was told that the route passes through thick jungle where many wild animals cross the road. And, since it was a ghat road and road was also narrow, it would take close to three hours to cover those 85 Km. I told in English that I could cover the distance and reach Valparai before 6me.30 PM. The guard showed my bike to the chief and said something in Malayalam and the chief of the post let me pass. I thanked them and started my journey. In no time I came across another waterfall by the roadside. Stopped for couple of minutes, enjoyed the beauty and resumed the ride.

What a road! What a scenic route! It was just awesome! Curves cutting through jungle! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute and every mile! Stopped quite a few times to see nature’s untouched beauty. I was so excited and immersed in this ride and beauty around, I forgot to have lunch. Surprisingly, my tummy did not complain either! Took few pictures. Some places made me feel like as if I was riding in ‘Pandora’ created by James Cameron in ‘Avatar’. Some small hills looked like islands floating in a huge water mass. Spectacular! As I closed in on a place called ‘Malakkappara’, roads were not good and infested with pot holes. I reached the check post where I showed the slip given by Athirapally check post. I inquired about road condition ahead and distance to be covered.

Road curved through tea estates. It was getting dark. I checked the time. It was only 5.15 PM and it was misty all around. What a sight! I Then I crossed the Sholyar dam. Now, I was riding through only tea-estates. As I had said at the beginning, this ride was all green with lot of water. This was becoming greener by the day. Reached Valparai, a small hill station, at 7 PM. Checked in at a small hotel called hotel holiday break. Parking was good and secure. Staff were very polite and co-operative. Room was very clean and price was very affordable. It was already 8 PM. Got freshened up and went out for a walk. It seemed as if the town had only one main road. Walked for an hour and then had ‘dosa’ in a nearby hotel. Came back and slept off as it was very cold.

The Pandora from Avatar

Tea estates and mist

First glimpse of Valparai

As usual 'Dosai'. I guess my tummy felt it wouldn't get anything else than 'dosai'. So, it did not complain in the afternoon for lunch

**Divya Sharan** · 11-06-2015, 04:01 PM

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

Lovely updates - both of 'em!
Great pics. Especially the falls.

(P.S - HDR is overdone in a few shots.)
(P.P.S - Rated 5*)

**experimentalhead** · 11-06-2015, 05:36 PM

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

Originally posted by Divya Sharan View Post

Lovely updates - both of 'em!
Great pics. Especially the falls.

(P.S - HDR is overdone in a few shots.)
(P.P.S - Rated 5*)

Thanks DS. Thanks for feedback. Please point out the pics. Also a learning for me as well.

**bhargavkundem** · 11-06-2015, 06:02 PM

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

Brilliant pictures all around... Especially Athirapally waterfalls and passage through the jungle on the way to Valparai...

Kerala for good, has been one state which was untouched by me as I want to absorb the serene beauty with a loooooooong trip... Your narration and pictures make me impatient

What's the best season to have a comfortable ride in Kerala? I mean less-crowded and smooth drive without getting drenched all the time in the rain...

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

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