Hello Praveen!

What an incredible Journey! I hope your doing well in Pune

I'm still catching up with your previous logs. I'm short of words right now. The logs and accompanying pictures are just amazing. One helluva incredible road trip man! Hoping to meet you someday in B'lore once your back home

Congratulations on Making a 22K+ kms in a single trip back upto Pune safely. I wish you the best for the remainder of the trip. Since i'm yet to read some of the previous pages... I cant help but ask, are you riding down towards the west coast i.e., Goa, Mangalore?

Please let me know if you are!

Gonna get back to reading the logs now

Ride Safe!
Cheers!

Thanks Galaxtus. Nothing like that

Glad you are liking it merwin. Well you never know how much you can take till you push it

sorry for that

It sure is awesome around pune in mansoon.

Thanks kwokfist. Glad you are liking the logs. Have come down from goa and will heading south via mangalore. May not be halting at Mangalore as i plan to stay a bit further south.



Day 159 - Aug 14 - Mahabaleshwar to Palolem

Aug14 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: GPS Trail Maps

493 KMs Trip meter 22672 KMs

The sleep was lil disturbing as it felt a bit damp inside the blanket. Never had experienced humidity in cold before. The schedule was a bit tight today with visits around Mahabaleshwar and panchgani and also make it to south goa. Took my 12 snoozes on the alarm before i could get myself out of the bed. Thats a good hour lost. The Lack of sleep acting now. Start lazily by 8.30 for Mahabalewhwar local visit where i should have been done with them by now. Leave the luggage in the hotels reception and i ride towards Kate's point. The whole town is misted out in the morning. Find my way towards panchgani and take a detour to left towards Kate's point. It was a narrow road with tree and plant life on either side of the road. Kinda first visitor for the day and the canteens are just opening up. Luckily there was sunlight and the area was clear of mist. Walk towards the view point and taken aback looking around. IT was a huge area to be seen and just kept looking left to right and right to left. Took plenty of pix. Even shouted a few times the echo point and surely heard the echos. As i start towards aurther's seat i was told that its misty out there and nothing can be seen. I was even given a scare of algae on the road etc. But you gotta ride you see. Half way to there, it began to mist and soon i was deep in it. Visibility was very poor. Rode slowly till the end point. There was no chance of getting any view. ANd have to ride back in mist. Must say it was enjoyable though. Reach Mahabaleshwar and start towards panchgani by 10.30 am. A pleasant ride on the fast smooth road.

Reach panchgani and take the deviation towards Table land. The table land is basically plains high up on mountain tops. Its like huge fields just raised up above compared to surrounding area. After some switch back climbs in the town reach the entrance of the Table lands and i ride on to them. Its flat treeless and majority of area is covered with grass. Thought the concept of high plain i attractive its not quite obvious when on the table itself. But its still fun with grassy meadows. Have to be careful in choosing the path to ride it could be slippery in the rain frequent area. Get quite into the table laned and after a few pix sessions, suddenly the whole table land is covered with mist, nothing of the great views around can be seen. Have to trace back my way too lest i would endup on a slushy path. This is the first time i used the gps in the fone to see if i am back tracking correctly. Track my way out and stop for a long long lunch in panchgani. Ignorantly i spend quite some time there and its only 2pm by the time i start. Suddenly i feel all the hurry, how will i reach a place 400 kms away starting at 2 pm. Its not like other days where i just halted when the sun went down. Cos keerthi is coming all the way from bangalore so that we could party in goa. Seems i have messed up the schedule today. Before getting to fast track riding went till the edge of the Harrison's solly which basically a protrusion off the highway on a narrow plain above the surrounding low lands. I spend some time there too. Now with kinda checking and visiting Mahabaleshwar is over, its just ripping towards goa. Get on to the fourlane highway and try to make up good time by riding at a good pace. Enter Nippani and felt exited about entering karnataka state after a long time. But not for long as i get into maharashtra again riding west of Nippani off the highway. Its already 6 pm and how i wished i was on the other side ofthe hills some 80 kms away. And now i have to ride the winding roads and small villages in twilight and darkness. How i wished i hade atleast a couple of hours. The Route was Ajra, Amboli to Savanthvadi on NH 17 as directed by PraveenS. It felt great riding on the country sides with full of lush green crops. My bike's chain seems to be awfully loose. Its misbehaving just withing 5k kms of its life. On tightening it was seen that the chain had gone real loose and it had unevenly worn out. Man just hope that it last till i get to a next major city. All this take time and Its almost dark when leaving Amboli. Saw a pretty neat lodge at Amboli and was tempted to call it a day there. But it would spoil the weekend plans at goa. So i have to push it today. Its almost dark when i left Amboli and the landscape seemed attractive looking at them in the fading light. Its all dark now and its like 8 pm when i am NH17 and still have 120 kms to go!! Man this is going to be a long evening. There is lot of traffic on the NH17 and slows me down a lot. Looks like one exotic evening is going to be wasted. Get a call from keerthi that he has already reached Palolem. Traffic eases a bit and i gun the throttle to 100 - 110 at some possible places but there are lot of average killers. Reached Panjim By 9.15 pm and The Light starts to misbehave and in some time its gone! the battery is the culprit. Should have changed when i had the chance in delhi. But now more than a hour of riding i am rendered hid less. The 55w halogen runs but if the battery is not supporting 35w then 55w bulb would drain it in no time. So i have to optimize the usage of the headlight with riding on pilot lamps where every possible. This slows and tires me down even more.

Nearing Margoa, i ask direction from a CBZian for canakona and he says he's heading there. I requested that i would follow him. What a paradox, a zma with hid following a cbz torch light !! It was pretty dark with hardly any traffic and was damn lucky to find the cbzian to guide me through. Reach Palolem beach by 11 pm and its pouring rain just when as i had to park the bike and pull out the luggage. Keerthi had ordered food as the hotel was closing down and i wasted the last order with limca and mineral water. Only to realize later that i could have ordered something else! Well will have to be a good boy tonight. Its been a long time since we met so we take stroll on the beach catchup with times and chit chat. And crash for the day.


Misty morning in Mahabaleshwar...


Riding out of the misty city...


Mossy pathways...


Deviation of the main road towards Kate's point


Trees covered in moss


More of them...


some gyan about kate's point


These monkeys came as close as 2 feet from me trying to intimidate and i stood my ground till they retreated !!





The following 10 shots are the panorama of the view point...





























Some Monkey business...


green slopes...


the drop offs...


lemme pose a bit...


Riding towards Aurther's seat..


Trees almost covered in moss


It gets misty enroute..


More so nearing the aurther seat view point..





more moss again


Pick a path but both are misty...


Nearing Aurther seat view point


Have to get down there but there is no chance of seeing anything so i turn back...


it gets mistier...


Strane green trees


Please have your seat!


Buildings in mahabaleshwar covered with these sheets to prevent the heavy mist from entering and making things damp..


Other buildings covered whole..


Leaving the misty city...


Can you please pick my horse?


The Venna lake...


The green mile again...


the grass hardly exposes the brown soil...


A water fall enroute...





An old man and his sheep...


In panchagani town...





Looking up to the edge of the table land...


Bike on the table land.. Its a natural lawn every where....


Locals visit here on their bikes too...


The horse men trading horse rides...


One puts on a show...


Bike on the lawn...


Get on the bigger table..


Could see one more table land ahead...


There's even a lake up there...


The path is bit slippery have to be carefull...


The unreachable table...


Many carriage rides for tourists...


Its a green carpet....


The inviting table...





Harisons solly visible from table land...


All of a sudden the whole table land gets misted out...


Hard to find the less slippery path i came from...


Made it to the staring area...


Its a carnival atmosphere. Some games...


CBZ's faring used to make mini superbike farings!!





The harrisons solly again...


Now on the harrisons solly..


A cycle hawker emptying his own stock, view gazing on the edge...


Bike on the edge of the solly...





Thats not mike bike btw.. had no time to get a pic like that with my bike...


Then i ride towards the GQ


A village house...

Riding the GQ to save some time..


Strange the left lane is concrete and the right is asphault..


Beautiful GQ


Yeay i am in in Karnataka state for some time...


6 laned Thavandi ghat!


Bangalore milestone... kinda can reach home in the next day... but i still have plans...


pretty farming...


Awesome country road...





Just green green..


Green mile again...


Time to get into the rain gear...


Climbing down the ghat in night

Day 160 - Aug 15 - In Palolem

Nothing much to write about in the day. We just spent the day to unwind in the beach laxuary. Lucky enough to get room in the Palolem beach resort which is right next to the beach. Bikes were given a rest and we got up lazily and the restaurant had sand for floor and the beach for view. The weather was great and just lazed around. Took couple of hikes on either side of beach and just clicked around.

Me and Keerthi at the breakfast...


Fishermen dragging their catch of the night..











Ordering what comes to mind...


Keerthi coming back after a click session of the beach...


Fishermen coming in after their night out at the sea...


Boat being dragged into the sea...


Our tooth brush stand...


Clicking around the beach...











Went to the right end of the beach and was surprised to find backwaters there..


Some more clicking...


Komarants...








colors on the beach..


colorful boats...


what combination of sentances...


my tiny gorilla pod even supports the heavy SLR!!


Then we explore the left side of the beach and this is a long session of walk and clicks











Try a bokeh...


Quite a name for the resort...


The beach from the left end...


walk through the rocks..


The busy photographer...


A crows assembly rock..


A small private sort of beach...


The crack in the rock..





Me the sea gazer...





SLR on a very stable tripod...


Plenty of click opportunities.


Its gets dark and the sea haze increases so much that we can taste salt in the breath and cloths feel sticky. Could even see the misty haze heavy with salty sea vapour. It gets bettor as we get away from the rocks. Then its back to the lazy table on the beach for some snacks.

a spin to canokona city and see these two wheelers decorated in lights and what not. Prolly praises of some competition..


Tried a night shot but its too dull...

Day 161 - Aug 16 - Palolem to Hubli

Aug16 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: GPS Trip Sharing with Google Maps

227KMs Trip Meter 22899 Kms

Kinda tempted to stay one more day. But decided to move on. But cant ride all the way to Bijapur as i have to get the Chain sprocket and Battery. So i am going to stay at Hubli for the day. Since its a sunday have to to get them only the next day. This delays Keerthi's schedule by more than an hour as he had to be at office by sun down. Ride out of the Resort and towards Karwar. As we wanted to avoid the Ponda hubli strech which is supposed to be bad. Thus a road through anshi national park is decided. Stop at the deviation towards anshi for breakfast. Have to make a few calls. My fone's not connecting and std booth not going through as well. This causes more delay. Just as we start riding we have to stop again to get into the rain gear. We pass kadra village and its was nice riding throught the ghats with good tarmac. Soon its gives way to pathetic potholed roads. After braving it for few kms, asked a villager for Yellapur in the next town. Well we are suppoed to go back to kadra for a short cut. Have to ride the bad roads back again and get to the other side of the mountains.

We get to kadra n surely get directed towards the small short cut road going through the KAIGA project area. We kinda get questioned at the checkpost and after the entry we are let in. This turned out to be good as it was very narrow road through the forest and mostly under canopy. There was a dropoff on once side of the narrow road. Get to the open and on to the highway towards Hubli. Kinda lost our bearings and wondered we could have taken the main road from karwar to yellapur! Any way now that we are here can only ride ahead. Its smooth fast paced ride till hubli on the awesome road with less traffic. This is tipical of karnataka state which has less traffic. We split up at hubli and where Keerthi dashes to Bangalore and i stay at my Sister's place in Hubli for the day.


our room at the Palolem beach resort..


The premises..


The restaurant right ont he beach's ede...


Keerthi and the bikes...


Riding away towards karwar..


Keerthi giving his bike the fill...


The Red and the Black...


And i officially enter karnataka after 5+ months! It was a awesome moment...


Back to Idlis


A water fall in Anshi national park...


Keerthi clicking the water falls..


The fantastic roads in Anshi national park...





Get into the narrow foresty road going towards KAIGA.








Get onto the Yellapur Hubli road..


Have to stop for rain gear...


Was a false alarm and the it gets sunny again and smooth roads to crusise on..


A bullock cart by the raod...


Enter Hubli


My cousine's naughty kid clicking himself..

Day 162 - Aug 17 - Hubli to Bijapur

Aug17 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: GPS Trip Sharing with Google Maps

188 KMs Trip meter 23088 KMs

Leave my sister's place early so that my bike could be attended first at the service center. Say my brief travel story so that my bike would get some good treatment. The spares are available for my relief. Wait patiently for the work to be down and the bike is rolling out of the service center by 1 pm.

Head straight out of Hubli town and welcomed by super smooth two laned road. Naive of me to think its like this all the way to Bijapur... Looks like its going to rain and i am forced to wear rain gear. 15 mins and the rains gone and there is even some sunlight. These false rains alarms are very irritating. I have no patience to get out of the rain gear so i ride on. Stop for lunch at Nargund and some 20 kms around here is offroad. Gave me scares that it will be like that till Bijapur. But luckily the road got to its good state and i could ride at 110 and above. Back to the fun of overtaking all the vehicles on the road. Pretty uneventfull ride and i get to Bijapur by 6 pm and i settle in my Aunts place. Will be here for 2-3 days. This is like my another home and could relax for couple of days here before my run for the southern tip of India.


The bike being give a new chain sprocket set..


Quite a few place to see enroute but have lost the morning session on the bike work...


Great empty two lane road...


The village livestock...


not so green but hardly any trees


Have to get into rain gear now with rain threatning ahead...


The wet road...


A stone outcrop in the plain and its used to hoist a few windmills...


Typical Karnataka hotel's way of serving coffee...


Lot of these colorful oxes pass. Prolly there was some competation.


Farmers washing their farming equipments, rich farmers cleaning their metal ones and the not so rich ones their organic ones...


Some wet bridges to cross...


The half done road and was not sure of how long this would be...


more of it...


Some village residents...


The road gets back to the form...


Some sun flower farms on the way..


Raising waters..


The bridge was around 3 kms long!!


There are plains here too...


Some festive ceremonies going on...

Praveen...... KARNATAKAge SUSWAGATHA

Praveen

are you trying to complete the Milestone 25k Kms in this trip by rounding the tip of India on the way back to Bangalore

Oi Nippani is in karnataka, you entered Karnataka before that only

across which river? Krishna?

Sam_da_biker: Dhayavadagalu

Abhilash: Thats not the exact goal, the wish is to to ride from Kaskhmir to Kanyakumar in one trip. If 25k happens well and good

Darthveda: I know thats y i said i entered officially after goa. Cos i just flew past Nippani and there was no welcome to ka board

And yes the long bridge was on Krishna river.

Welcome back to Karnataka!

I was hoping you'd stay in Mangalore!

There's a curfew going on in Mangalore right now due so some religious disharmony. Things should be fine by saturday, if not tomorrow.

I'm sent u a PM. Please buzz me when your passing through Mangalore. It'll be nice to meet you if possible before you ride further down south! When are you planning to cross through mangalore?

You can expect some bad roads from Goa to Mangalore and upto Kasargod in Kerala. I've heard that the roads from there on get better .

Happy home coming (jatakabandi baduku as per annooru ) Please let me know when you enter B'lore.....I'll be there to welcome you into B'lore..

Wish you happy and safe riding for rest of your trip !!

so ultimately u r in Karnataka........ journey of your lifetime is achieved........ well almost.......

Kwokfist: It was great catching up with you In mangalore and thanks for the treat. See a lot of enthusiasm and experience in quite an young age. Cheers

Thanks Vipin i should reaching bangalore coming friday or saturday

yeah Pads, almost. Letsee how it goes

Day 163-165 - Aug 18-20 - In Bijapur

Just relaxed for couple of days in my relatives place. Was pampered with a lot of affection and delicious food. Spent 2 days lazing in the home and was given a small tour of Bijapur the third day, by my cousin Prasad. Just a few pix from my stay there...

Here is a small story of my Nephew Vishnu.

Once upon a time Vishnu wanted to try out my bike...


He rode fast...


He rode very fast...


But told him to holdon a bit and he wondered why...


Then i suggested him some riding gear which he did not like in the beginning..


He gave it a try...


They he liked riding with the gear even more...


The moral of the show is : Give riding gear a try, you may actually like it

Masks made compulsory for school kids in Bijapur!!


Went out for a spin the city with Cousin and Vishnu... Lot of historical monuments through out the city...





Us at the Gol Gumbaz... Visiting it again...


Some clicks of the Gol Gumbaz...





The Museum in front of Gol Gumbaz...


The majestic tomb...





Inside the the Monument and looking up to the dome way above...


Climbing up to the top...


Jumma masjid viewed from the top..


Beside the dome..


Inside the dome on the circular corridor...


Looking below...





The Bijapur townscape...


Vishnu there...


Looking up to the dome from floor...


The Gol Gumbaz


Giant shiva statue at Shivagiri..


Awesome cloud formation and color at that...

you are in bijapur or mangalore.. me totally confused