Congratulations on successfully completing your mega-tour. No words can be enough appreciation here. We would really like to meet up with you soon.

Congratulations and welcome back home! Looking forward to meeting you in a G2G specifically arranged for xbhp'ians to get to know you better..

Hi Praveen, WELCOME BACK. I thought you had lost your way back home. Nice man completing 25000 kms in 175days. Avg. 145 kms per day. Finally living with the family. How does it feel back in home sitting on a sofa & thinking of the amazing adventure you had. For me it was like riding with you the whole time. It is that only one in million would do something like this you did and now it is like "BEEN THERE DONE THAT"

Would be honoured to meet you if possible. Can you PM your number. I told few of my friends about this trip, they are also fasinated by this. Have a lovely time with your family.

LECOME BACK TOURING GOD

it will take you an hour atleast to jst go through the welcome back msges

atmost honour to an xbhpian

Welcome back GTG thread is on the way.

Thanks vipin. Things just ended up on sunday
Things are yet to hit. Too tired right now i guess. We shall meet

Yup. Incoming
Yeah aarun, made it home
Thanks Gaurav
Thanks strider. Sure some day we can catchup.
Thanks kiran.
Yet to work on the statistics. Will have to do off with the pending logs. Hope to find a nice cubicle
Thanks Mithun.
Thanks man.
Things worked out well ankit.
Sure pranay we will meet soon
Thanks man. shall catch up in the g2g.
Galaxtus, i sure found my way back Still not really thinking ahead of behind. Sure we will meet up some time.
Thanks vams



Day 171 - Aug 26 - KanyaKumari to Trichy

Aug26 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: Share GPS Tracks

337 KMs Trip meter 24769 KMs

It was time to head back up north. Cos there is no south after this point. Arun suggested me to ride along the east coast all the way up to pondy chennai. But i admit i was tired. Was tired after ladakh and reaching Kanyakumari after Kashmir was what kept me going. Now i wanted check a couple of temples in TamilNadu and ride ECR and head home all on good roads. Its going to be all fast roads till madurai some 200 kms and the plan for the day is Tanjavur getting of the NH 7 at Madurai. Looks like i have some time so take it easy in the morning. Even get rid of the irritating month old beard of my face! Break fast in the comfy sea facing hotel and could have spent another day there. But there is not end to it. So i start by like 11.30 am. Ride through some narrow road first. See windmills popping out here and there above the houses. That should be some nice click props i thought but it was also a sign of wind in the area! It hit me only when i got on to the open 4 lane highway! Was kinda slow in the beginning stopping n number times for clicking wind mills. There are lots and lots of them. Looked pretty in the mountain background. Once i got tired of clicking windmills and picked up the pace thats when i realized the wind there. Boy was it windy. I had never leaned the bike and still went straight! There would be these sudden gaps and bursts of wind that jerk my balance. Overtaking trucks causes same thing. Some times cant ride above 80. It was very unerving for sure. The wind pressed the helmet one side of my face. No wonder there are wind mills in such great numbers here.

As i rode north wind subsided making me able to ride more and more verticle and i picked the pace. Wanted to keep it in cruise mode and steady. But with open roads with minimal traffic and the previous 4 days of cramped roads on west coast, meant throttle is going to be max. It sure was fun for change. Bike was behaving awesome. I also had thought that road off Madurai is interior narrow roads and i would reach Madurai by like 2 pm. That would take me to darkness to cover then 150kms if the roads are small. Road at good pace upwards of 100 and nearing madurai by 2.15 and got off the nh7 towards Trichy. After a few kms found a hotel at highway junction as i was hungry for like an hour.

start of by 3pm and hoping to cover the remaining 150 kms before darkness. But what do you know its a four lane highway!! With every thing feeling right, (err though i had this small fear of my bike from couple of days) with music in my ears it was throttle happy. Though would reach tanjavur in good time and catch up on rest for my aching body. Nearing Pudukotai got of the highway. Had to ride through a village Veralimalai to catch the road to pudukotai and tanjavur from there. Was like 4.30 pm and stoped for adjusting the chain. Obviously i was the center of the attention with all the gear and luggage. wanted to scuttle out of there soon and put the first gear and as i engaged the second gear a noice from the engine and the kicker went back! O ooo thats not good. Neutral and and gear and again a noice and yes i have a break down. After taking me around the country for 24.8k kms show its first breakdown. Knew something inside relating to the gear. Cos the engine would run fine if i hold the clutch. Being very very optimistic called on to the mech and pushed the bike to his show a few feet away. Now i have no escape from the curious eyes.

Now i am sure the mech would not have worked on Karizma and i was right. Its a small village town after all. He checked to see if the chain got stuck in front sprocket. Nope it was fine. Called My friend syed who manages a HH service center at Bangalore and let him talk to the mech over there for diagnosis. Then syed tells me that surely a couple of gear cogs must have broken! Oh man!! By then the senthil the mech over than discovers the source. The front sprocket's bearing is broken and the balls have been thrown around in the gear box. Boy o boy. Are we in trouble. Syed said that he would start immediately from Bangalore on his CBZ with the parts so that he could work on the bike and get it going. Cos the it was doubt full weather senthil who had never worked on zma would be able to put it back. But then i could let syed take the risk of riding all the way on the traffic infested highway that too at night. Spent 15 mins fiddling with the mobile acting busy but actually was thinking what to do. Must say i was putting on quite a show cos i dont speak full tamil and the ppl over their speak just tamil. Rode all over the country, two other countries with no language problem and here i am struggling to communicate in a state just next to mine! Then thought would give this mech a try. Thoughts went on about how the trip is going to end. 200 kms short of 25k kms and back on a truck?? wanted to give all the try to fix the bike and ride home.

It was decided that the mech would open up the engine the next day, see what parts are required. They would be fetched from trichy 30km away and he would work on it by the end of the day. Now there was no place to stay there. i said i could stay with the mech! He said if it gets delayed he stays in the shop for the night. I said no problem. I know i was not thinking straight but was ready to do anything to avoid trucking the bike back to Bangalore. Its funny like how i wanted to run away from the same people kinda fearing them to be honest. Now i have to trust them and they were very nice people as well. Called up Arun telling about the same. It did not take him a second to give me the best possible suggestion in the situation. Just truck the bike till trichy 30kms away and give it to a HH service center. Man that sounds so simple and would make my life very easy. Plus availability of parts was even doubtful in Trichy. And here i was ready to open up the engine with an inexperienced mech and be in a town with no place to stay! Well like i said i was not thinking straight. Arun talked to the mech to arrange me a luggage auto or something to get my bike shipped. Yup thats very very logical thing to do. Have to hurry cos it was getting late in the evening. What luck a very mini truck or a very big luggage auto kinda vehicle parked opposite to the road and mech talked to him and he's free to take the bike! 500 bux sounds very reasonable. out of no where there are 10 ppl loading the bike into the carrier and fade away before i got to thank them. Or guess i was involved in thoughts. The mech and a bike parts dealer ther suggest KRT Service center in Trichy.

Any way looks like there is some plan. Bike is up and now we drive. Half way through the drive Arun calls me saying that he had informed the service center of my coming and they will wait for me though its gonna be late. That was quite something thanks Arun. Else was thinking what to do with the bike which does not move unless the clutch is applied! Reach Trichy and its a big city! which means lot of traffic. Make it to the service center by 8 and they were open waiting for me. It was a sigh relief. Manager Mr Arun and Suberviser Mr Albert assured me that things will be taken care of. The bike was placed in the service center. Then even dropped me off in a comfy hotel to stay which was walkable distance to the show room. Knew would be here for couple of days. Phew now things looks like they are in right place if not in right shape!

As i just lie down trying to get my bearings right, get a call from Mani asking when i would be in chennai. After the situation is revealed it turns our he is in Salem right now and has the next few days off. So he coming over the trichy! No point of him waiting at chennai. It does not matter which place for two old friends since school to catchup. Looks like things are falling into place and i doze of.


The fantastic comfy room at Kanyakumari Tri Sea hotel...


With a view of the indian ocean with a offseason price of 650 bux!


Before i leave Me, my bike and the Indian ocean


Ride through the small roads. Wow hardly any traffic...


Windmills and windmills every where...


Looked pretty in the mountain back ground..


Never seen a windmill with just two blades..




















A windmill a chimney another windmill another chimney yet another windmill yet another chimney!


Cant believe my eyes seeing the empty road. Ride down NH17 in Kerala can do that to you...


Last of the mountains south of india...


Where have all the vehicles gone...





Thats how bike a windmill blade is!!


And thats how windy it was!!


Had to run to catch the gloves being blown away. Now why did i go to the other side of the road to pee? well din wanna face the the wind you see !


Finally some solitude for a change...


Looks like a desert over here...


Greenery increase as i head north and off the NH7


The hotel was strategically placed at a junction cos there is nothing else on either direction for hours!


Heading towards Trichy before i get of the highway...


Interesting looking rock formation and this was like a KM long!


And i thought the strech of road would be single laned, bad and through villages


TamilNadu green carpet for you...


A farm house...


There you can see the broken bearing. The balls are missing on the top. The bearings rings did not break but actually the metal strips that hold the bearing balls together...


And the bike is being lifted into the carrier...


Front wheel up...


Bike almost in... Help full people who did this without being asked or thanked. Humbled at the simplicity and helpfull ness of these village people. Else i would be been even charged for load was it in big city.


Bike strapped on to the carrier...


My cam not really good at taking pictures on a moving vehicle at night...

Simply Awesome

That must have been one hell of a journey. You have inspired so many people in more ways than one, hats off to you bro. And as Clarkson says, the journey was an "EPIC" journey. Congrats Praveen, May God bless....

Thanks Shaggy


Day 172 - Aug 27 - In Trichy

Heard the bang on the door in the middle of the night. What? where am i? whose it at this time? Well its Mani. Salem is just 5 hours away. It was great meeting him after years. We chat back to sleep. Its reality check in the morning. In a way i am kinda happy with the forced rest. Take our time and get to the Service center by 9.30 am. The people at the service center were impressed and and happy to work on my bike. They were waiting for us as they could not remove the seat. It was stuck under the saddle bag which was again the panniers. Any way got that out. And they assigned two mechs Shivakumaran and Ganesh dedicated to work on my bike on priority. In no time the engine was out and it was going to be disassembled. In a few mins the engine was all over the table and the damage checked out.

The broken bearing has taken 3 gear cogs along with it. The balls were all over the gear box. Since not much Karizma's around here the spares have to be shipped in from else where. The KRT service center had the required bearings but the gear cogs had to be sourced. Mr Arun the manager contacted his network of HeroHonda service centers in Chennai, Salem and Nagarcoil and the spares from different places will arrive the next day by 11 am. And i was promised to give me the bike up and running the next day. Were the spares available the bike would be ready the same day. Any way i am not hard pressed for time. Mani was also free for couple of days and he would stay with me in Trichy till bike was ready. So there is nothing that can be done till the next day. So can as well relax and catch up with old time.

Thought of hitting the room, freshening up and check out a movie for which we had a couple of hours. But whats stopping us from getting high at noon? Settled at 12.30 boozing and chatting and living up our child hood. Went on and on and soon we were late for movie. Who wants movie continued. And was only 6.30 we got out and had not realized how the time went! Went to the service center and the parts would most definitely arrive the next day. Albert and his from the service center join us for early evening dinner and you know what It was great catchup up with their enthusiasm.

And what do you know had a hang over by late evening. And were even out of it before we crashed for the day!!


The the prettiest drain i have ever seen!


Flowers!


A cycle with a big bell!


The engine's out!


Its opened!! Not clear in the picture, but could actually see a couple of bearing balls at the bottom.


The culprit....


Engine all over the table... Ouch that hurts!!


The broken fifth gear cog!!


Crank and the pistons doing fine...


Ring sealing was kinda ok i guess...


Thats all the riding i could do for the day...


Thats Supervisor Albert, Mechs Ganesh & Shivakumar and Mr Arun the Manager, from left to right. All very enthusiastic on getting my bike fixed.

Praveen :- Not sure if it makes sense, why don't you print a book with all the ride details and snaps. I am sure a few from XBHP would definitely like to have it. Since it is once in a life time experience, it really deserves a print.

I agree that

Welcome Back Praveen!

bprags: havent really thought about that. Plus its too much hard work


Day 173 - Aug 28 - Trichy to Tanjavur

Aug28 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: Travel Community

60KMs TripMeter 24863 KMs

With the parts arriving at by 11 and bike to be delivered late noon. We thought of visiting the Srirangam Temple in the morning. It was hot but after my stay in Delhi, any place feels bearable! We catch a rick cross the kaveri and into the Srirangam town. As we get near the temple, the imposing huge colorful front gate can be seem. Its only gets bigger and bigger as we near. Have seen these temples only on TV and now we are there. This is a busy temple with lot of life around. Seven gates till you get into the sanctum sanctuary. Each gate is an opening through the rectangular perimeter. Ok not sure of the exact design. Just writing what i observed. The first 3-4 gates had a lot of shops and civilization. Huge stone temples inside. Ofcourse there were lots and lots of people. Got into the Q and took us a good part of the day before we were through the Darshan. The 1000 pillar mandap was closed for some reason.

Caught a rick back to the hotel and had lunch. Got to the KRT Service center by 3 pm and the engine is back to the shape and about to be mounted on the bike. Looks like i can ride out in the evening. And still keep my plan to stay at Tanjavur. So that i can visit the Tanjavur temple with out worrying about the luggage on the bike. Went to the room to check out and by the time we were back to the service center the bike had gone for test ride! Wow that was fast!

I received fantastic and fast service from the cheerful and helpful staff at KRT HeroHonda showroom at Trichy. After riding for 24800 kms i thought i had to take my bike back to bangalore on a truck. But the helpful staff there understood my situation and made sure that my journey would not end with a engine Breakdown. Thanks to them i was able to continue my journey right from the service center and started towards Tanjavur on the same evening.

Here is my heart full thanks for the timely help, support andprofessional work from the staff at KRT HeroHonda showroom at Trichy, for helping in continue my journey.

Had a small photosession at the showroom before leaving. Bid byes to Mani as he left for coimbatur and rode towards Tanjavur. It was just 56 KMs. It was hot and i had been having too many cold drinks and i had caught throat infection in the morning. It was getting bad. I know how the drill goes. Going to be sick tomm. The night traffic not really helping. The HID is very much missed. Any way make it to Tanjavur by 7.30. Not as small a town as i imagined. Saw the Big temple's center tower light up in the night. After a bit of hunting found a room at Hotel Tamil Nadu. Kinda expensive at 650 bux but its hard to find parking with reasonable price. So take the huge TTDC room. TTDC hotels are nice and airy with huge premises with a legacy look. Worked a bit on my logs.. Err a lot and slept late with a early wake up tomm morning.


Me and Mani on a rick ride to the Srirangam Temple...


The rick cockpit...


The huge front gate of the temple...














The second gate...


Nannari Sharbat to beat the heat...


One more gate inside...


Huge temple structure...


Paintings in one of the sub temples...





Quite an architecture...





Satellite image of the temple...


The wall of one of the perimeters...


Huge pillers...


Mani and me..


Its not a white gate, but painting work in progress...


Thats a 1000 pillar mandap...


Amazing carving in other part...








err... i was just... err...


Kinda graphic carving there... can see the weapon stabbed into the other person!


Ladies performing small individual ceremonies inside the temple complex...


Market in the temple...


City busses are chrome!!


The bridge across river kaveri...





Mani and our rick...


The rick is not 'For hire' but .....


Chrome busses again...


Caught ourself in the reflection...


The engine almost back to shape...


Forgot the name of the place...


The room there...


we are leaving...





Bike ready to roll out of KRT Service center...


Mr Arun, Mr Albert, Mr me, Mr Shivakumaran and Mr Ganesh from right to left


Ready to ride out. Cant believe would be riding so soon after the engine breakdown!


Elephant on the move...


On a truck....


Road towards Tanjavur...


The main tower of Tanjavur Big temple...

Praveen. Thats a real milestone in your riding/touring career and glad you are back home safe. As they say in Arabic- ALF MABROOK (Thousand congratulations).

I also seriously second the suggestion that it is worth turning your story into a book. One rider, no support crews, no sponsors and 25,000kms is no mean achievement. (If you see Gaurav Jani's 2 trip DVDs, they are now sold by Touratec and few other international vendors as well). So pls do think over it at your liesure. Advrider???

Full marks to the HH service guys in Trichy and I laughed a lot on the Autorick "For...."

Thanks Haroon. THings went well i guess.
Will surely think about it. Right now feel real lazy


Day 174 - Aug 29 - Tanjavur to Chennai

Aug29 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: GPS Trail Maps

345 KMs Trip Meter 25175 KMs.

Having trouble sleeping at night. As expected i was sick with fever by morning with weakness and all. Well i cant be smooth after all at the end of it i guess. Rest a day? well this was nothing like it was in Nepal. So went on with the plan for the day. Got up early and left room by 6am to check out the famous Tanjavur Big temple. This was a bit smaller compared to srirangam temple but the entire premises is free of regular life. The huge court yard in side couple of gates. It was awesome in the early morning coolness. But was hard work for me with fever. Looking at the top portion of the main tower, recollected a program about it in discovery channel few years back. Like the huge single piece of stone at the top was moved up by a 6 KM ramp. Cos not cranes in those times. But latest discovery says something else i heard. Even the center main temple was huge with a huge Shivlinga inside. Walk around the complex and it was time to ride on.

Had a long way to chennai and its going to get hot. Once again relied on riding to cure my illness Got out of the hotel packing in slowmotion. Instead of going via Nagapatnam, thought of going via kumbakonam riding along the river Kaveri. Was suggested by arun which i took but not in the exact way. Stuck to the main roads and boy was it crowded over there. And i thought i would be riding in peaceful country side. Now with not so good sleep. I felt sleepy, real sleepy. Got pretty hard to control and had to stop for a tea. Things were bettor after that. Saw another huge colorful temple in Kumbakonam. Even in the next town as well. Later Arun tells me that there are around 17 huge temples in the area. With not so pleasurable ride i hit the coastal road to pondicherry. Traffic eased out here and can now ride peacefully.

Heard of people visiting Koodalur. Thought would check it out, then visit Mahabalipuram and then head to Chennai. Kiran was kinda enough come and wait for me ont he outskirts of chennai. Made it to pondicherry by 3 pm. Now i had to stop for the click at the meter. Yes i had made it to 25k Mark. Though not the target but was nice to see the number. It was getting late and heading directly to the ECR to make a run to chennai. Been to pondicherry before so can as well move on. Now i ride the famous East coast road. Keep seeing the sea to my right. Tempted to spend some time there but its getting late to chennai so i move on. Make it good pace to Mahabalipuram by 5.15pm. Vaugely remember going there in my child hood, where we had gone almost near to the beach in the car. But once there it was all crowded and vehicles were supposed to be parked quiet far from the beach or the shore temple. Well have to turn back then. Have a quick bite and communicated with Kiran who was on his way to meet me at Muttakodu.

Get there by 6.30 pm and meet up. Then follow him into Chennai. But boy was there traffic! and it was hot. Caught up in the peak evening traffic and its not even a weekday! Was an agonizing hour of riding in touch and go traffic, i was sick, tired, bike was heavy. It was tough time. Kiran patiently waited was my extra wide bike to get around the traffic. Plan was to stay in Vadapalli so that i would be easy to ride out tomm to Bangalore. Guess its better to deal with most of the traffic in the evening then the next day in the heat of the day. After no room at a hotel and another 20 mins to get to another one couple of kms ahead, took the expensive room as i was done riding for they day.

Phew things looked settled now. Freshen up in the room and ride out with Kiran to meet the Chennai guys for the dinner. It was a nice evening over bike talk with Kiran, Kishor, Steve, Vicky, Madhu and Ananth. I was surprised to see a cake with Destination unknown written on it along with 25! Looks like 25 is my number and what a coincedence tripped 25k kms today. Bid byes to the guys and back to the room. Well this is my last night out and hope to catch some good sleep before the home run tomm.


The Tanjavur Big temple...


From right below the gate...


One gate inside...


The huge top to the main temple tower....


Me in the main temple yard...


The main tower...





Lot of ancient script on the walls...








Entering the main temple...


Its huge inside...


Huge ShivLing in the sanctum sanctuary...


Looking out...


Huge Nandi facing the temple...


My bike's now the poser...


Looking around for the palace...


Can actually ride in some palace premises...


Cant go no fruther...


wall around the palace... where can i get it???


A huge tower by the palace...


It does not open till 9am. Guess i am not going to stick around...


I ride out...


Tanjavur's clock tower...


The streets...


Ready to leave Hotel Tamil Nadu...


Pretty classic appearance at the lobby...


Ride on the country side...


Lush crops for the season...





Some village houses...


Temple at Kumbakonam...





Bridge across the river Dry...


Nice coastal roads...


A tad too late to catch 35k on the odo...








Where i am heading today....


There it is! 25k on the TripMeter!


Entering Pondicherry...


Some french looking building?


Entering ECR...


Looks nice to ride...


Some salt farms around...





Now this is a 10x zoom and he was that far. But he was sharp enough to figure out that i had stopped for a pic. Awesome. Waved back


Some back waters...








Caught him unawares this time...


Backwater beach...


A back water canal...


Just a zoom click of the Mahabalipuram shore temple...


Sun going down...


The last time i would look at a sea for some time


The wonderful cake by Chennai guys...


No flash, so the guys are a blurr...

Praveen, I wasn't aware that you were not keeping well in the morning. You didn't show any kind of illness when we met. However, you were looking tired (like a normal tired biker). Anyways, glad that you enjoyed the evening with us.

Looking forward to the last part of the log of this epic tour - 'Coming Home' .