Re: My first tryst with touring: Vasco to Kottayam , alone on a bike

Thanks Krishna77. That's one of the first things I learnt on my ride. Corners. So I really slow down before.

Re: My first tryst with touring: Vasco to Kottayam , alone on a bike

Well. Now that I have the weekend to myself, I might as well continue...
I soon left the pump and continued on my journey, averaging cruising at about 100 kmph. Now I don't have a GPS mount on my bike so I didn't really know exactly where I was . Just as I was wondering when it would come, I hit the Trasi beach stretch. This is a beautiful 2 km long stretch right along the beach. And the beach is practically a virgin beach. On one side the sand and the water, ethereal in the moon light and on the other ( beyond the road construction zone) a grove of casurina trees. It was really beautiful. But onwards I pushed. From Udupi the highway broadened into 4/lanes. I crossed Mangalore and entered Kerala ....and there I was bracing myself for the bad roads but guess what? They never came! To my shock, the roads presumably had been repaired because the tarmac condition was excellent. Better than Goa and Karnataka. THE BEST. Amazing. By 0730 I was 12 km short of Kasargod, and I took my next break.
Soon my elation at the tarmac condition was depleted by the appalling traffic, but I pushed on. For all those who have ridden in Kerala, it old news but Kerala is like one huge village. There is a house ever 10 metres, no matter which direction you go. The route i had taken didnt have much beauty, just unending traffic. I realised that i had crossed all the picturesque bits in karnataka in the darkness. I followed the NH 66 generally except for taking a short cut via tanur and tirur via the chamravattom bridge.
A few breaks later, I kept pushing on. By 2 in the afternoon I had almost become a zombie. My left hand was a bit numb, but by 4 had crossed kochi and I realised I was just 120 km short of my home....... So I pushed on. From Kochi I took the NH 47 which is an excellent road ,till allepey and from allepey I took the road to changanacherry and onto my home. At 1830h I rolled into the gates of my home in Kerala.
That's when I realised what I had achieved. 875 kms..... 17 hours at a stretch! I had done it. My first big solo ride. Completed.

Re: My first tryst with touring: Vasco to Kottayam , alone on a bike

Break in Tanur

Re: My first tryst with touring: Vasco to Kottayam , alone on a bike

Rolling through the gates....875 kms in 17 hours. Completed!

Re: My first tryst with touring: Vasco to Kottayam , alone on a bike

Since I did drag on the narrative , I'll make the narrative of the return journey very short but I'll add lots of pics.

My return journey started from kochi on 20th. I left Trident Hotel at 12 noon and reached Kannur by 6 30 in the evening where I stayed at hotel sky pearl.

Re: My first tryst with touring: Vasco to Kottayam , alone on a bike

Leaving Kochi

Re: My first tryst with touring: Vasco to Kottayam , alone on a bike

At Telicherry

Re: My first tryst with touring: Vasco to Kottayam , alone on a bike

Next day breakfast somewhere near Udupi

Re: My first tryst with touring: Vasco to Kottayam , alone on a bike

The beautiful Trasi beach stretch

Re: My first tryst with touring: Vasco to Kottayam , alone on a bike

A train on the way and the last stretch home.....

Re: My first tryst with touring: Vasco to Kottayam , alone on a bike

Nice set of pictures!

Re: My first tryst with touring: Vasco to Kottayam , alone on a bike

Amazing! Glad to hear you couldnt suffer from bad roads near manglore. Eager to ride on same route as visiting baga, goa once in a year has become a ritual for me. Kudos bro. Wish you many mor
e safe and joyful rides ahead.

Re: My first tryst with touring: Vasco to Kottayam , alone on a bike

Thx rider 11