Topic Approved.

A grand 5-day ride. Wow! I can't wait for the text and ofcourse the beautiful pictures that are to follow.

@ananth-Very good teasers to start with specially the one taken in Eravikulam Wildlife Sanctuary.Btw what's the name of the animal.

Hey Ananth. Nice one there.

Deer!

Thanks for the Approval Aryan! Pictures and the text would follow suit in a day!

Thanks MG. The animal (deer) is 'Nilgiri Tahr'..

Thanks Ken da! Glad you liked it

I know that.I was interested in knowing the breed name.

Thanks for enlightening.

Prologue:

Long tiring days at work, working in 24 / 7 shifts.. Weekly offs randomized to Tuesdays and Thursdays... life was moving next to hell. I needed a break, at least to calm off things and start afresh. After lots of planning and discussing, got a well deserved 3 day break around the 1st of May. Come last week of April, I was excited about the trip.. My manager called up for a meeting, I was wondering if it had to deal with canceling my leaves.. thankfully, it was other wise. I was moved to a new project, to be joined from the 3rd of May. So the three day plan is now a five day one. Kerala was always on my mind, but couldn't do it because of some reason or the other and this was the time to do it.

Day 1: Riding Solo to the Gods Own Country

Odometer: 003684 - Trip Meter: 000

Riding Solo has become a new habit of mine, which off late i started to enjoy the most. Woke up for a cup of coffee at 4 in the morning. I could feel the emotions running through my mom's eyes even on that dim light I just consoled her that i would reach back safe and ON TIME! refreshed myself and started in another 30 mins.

The route i took..



So a much deserved early morning start, the weather was cool and pleasant bid adieu to parents and started up. Took the NH 45 route towards Trichy and my first stop was Thindivanam, 100 odd kilometers from Chennai. Open roads, not much traffic and pleasant weather.. the trip started comfortably, more that what i dreamt of.






Next stop was near Perambalur, another 100 odd kilometers away, this time the sun was just setting down while i emptied the breakfast along agricultural fields.. Went out of water and so stopped by a road side tea shop. From around 90 kilometers away from trichy i hoped i was clearing a good distance (Cruising around the 80's)!



The sun was already out and I started sweating, that too with the riding jacket, i was sweating even more. Came out of the Tea shop to only find my ride down and i could lift it up Got help to park it up , found that my rear tyre had a puncture. All this happened in front of the tea shop/besides a puncture shop. I still suspect those guys would have hit the nail into my rear tyre

Before the tea break..



After the tea break




They were too busy fixing up lorry tyres meanwhile i removed the tyre, cleaned up the bike, loosened out the remaining air in the tube and got the tube out. It took them two full hours to fix the puncture and give back the tyre. Finally fixed the rear tyre and started off to trichy by 9:30 AM. The first few kilometers were bumpy and later on the tyre got adjusted or rather i got adjusted to its settings and i opened up the throttle. Reached trichy around 11, and the ByPass traffic was at its Mad best! Took about 45 minutes to cross the outskirts of Trichy and later on the traffic got eased out.



Reached Dindigul around 1PM, 420 kilometers on the trip and i was getting tired and the weather was making me get exhausted. The Route towards theni was not clear and i was misled by many! After roaming so much on the madurai highway (I was only 30 odd kilometers away from Madurai!) , finally got hold of the roads towards theni. The temperatures came down after reaching Theni and roads were really scenic.



Roads were bordered by lush green trees and accompanied by mountains, i started to feel the goodness of the trip. Stopped for lunch around 3PM in a small village hotel and ate as much i could. Shocked to see the bill as 37 rupees, i gave them 50 rupees and wished them luck with a happier stomach and heart!



With more than 550 on the odo, i was getting really tired and stopped every other juice shop. Reached the foot of the hills towards Periyar (Thekkady / Kumily) around 3PM, the scenery was wonderful. Stopped by the falls, tried cornering on my TBTS, clicked snaps, played with monkeys, and with other things to do.. climbed up the hills and reached the Periyar Tiger Reserve at 4:05 PM.





The forest officer said am late by 5 minutes for the last boat of the day He guided me to a nearby cottage, decent enough with twin beds and with a hill view. Paid 300 for the room and from the room, started gazing at the birds and monkeys loafing around the woods, saw the hills smoking. My 18x Zoom from the cam showed that it was forest fire and it was a rare sight, at least for me.





So the day ended with 594.5 kilometers from Chennai / 4279 on the odometer. My longest ever on a day, tiring but truly enjoyable one.




Odometer: 004279 - Trip Meter: 594.5

That puncture must have been pretty disheartening. Though these days Bullet rear wheel punctures are relatively easily repaired compared to the days when we had to open the chain!

You got a nice lid man. And the formation forest fire looks terrible! I am waiting to see if you saw tigers or if you were chased by elephants!

Nice trip log. Waiting for the rest. Thanks for sharing.

Excellent pix.... nice to see u guys Touring in and around GODS OWN COUNTRY

Wow...

Excellent Pics there man... liked them all...

Nice travelogue... 5 days.... solo trip.... man you must be so crazy abt riding...

waiting for the rest of the pics and log

Wow!!

Nice trip there Ananth.
The pics are awesome.... I liked puncture wali the most; only the pic & not hte fact that it took so much time.

Anyways, 5 days & single rider is heck of a stuff and asks for tonnes of biking guts. Vero Good.

BTW which helmet is that?? I liked it.

Im gonna cut right to the chase. Rather than chucking around synonyms, id like to state my opinion plain and simple: Awesome pics and an awesomer log !

Btw, at the tea shop, did your bike fall?
Other than that mishap, this part of your trip looks lovely Im putting in a request for 'all' the Periyar photos. That place looks gorgeous.
Thanks for sharing and eagerly awaiting Part 2 of the log and more pics !

I forgot to add... I really appreciate guys who put in a map while writing their logs. I have been saying this to loggers for Donkey's years! Finally it is getting implemented. Good.

My Pleasure

Thanks Ken da! Its a first time removing the wheels / repairing the puncture myself., so it it took its own sweet time.. Just part of a learning curve.

Yes, The forest fire looked good to watch, and it grew rapidly at night. Was lazy to get up and capture it up though

Chased by elephants? Nope! Just saw a few elephants on day 2., that too with quite a distance. Tigers, a Big NO! The local forest officers themselves havent seen one for more than a year!

Thanks Arun. Kerala is a wonderful state. A tourer's dream

Thanks mate!

Crazy?? Naa.. not crazy and all. Just the passion to ride showing up what it could do!

Thanks! Glad you like it. Lid? Its a AGV, costed around 1500 bucks.

Thanks SundaR! Yes the bike did fall at the tea shop and no one bothered to lift it up, until i came out

The effects: Small dent on the tank / loss of petrol and reposition of the handle bars.

Just my two cents. I could brave up these 5 day tours ONLY because of those hard core tourers who pen down their logs with a proper route map. And i sincerely hope the maps i add might help atleast a few plan up their own trip

The Day 2's log will be up by tonight. Covered Thekkady and moved into Munnar. Lot more to write. Sorry if ma text makes you fall asleep..

@Anan'TBTS'h: Sad to hear about the blemish on the Bull
My bike was dropped by my buddy today morning. She's picked up some scratches on the clutch lever and the bar-end weights.
Ah well, looks like both our bikes have recieved a 'Drishtipottu' (Tamil for, an intentional blemish/mark placed to ward off 'Evil eyes')

And the text is definitely not boring man
Take your time with the log. We don't want you getting fired for xBhping much during office hours