55) BR hills (Biligirirangan betta) – Smooth Ride: (1/6/2012)

Place: BR hills(Biligirirangan hills).

Distance: 200 x 2 = 400kms.

Directions: Bengaluru – Chenpatna – Sathnur – Kollegala – BR hills – Maddur - Bengaluru.

Particiapants: Viswanath(Vishu) > Dhanush(Dany) > Karthik (Sp).

Bikes: RE Thunderbird(2) > Pulsar 150.

Previous visit: Maddur& Kanva – Bakery Ride.

IN LESS THAN 50 WORDS:

Yeah this was another formal run to the forest ranges of BR hills. But this ride was one of the smoothest we’d done till date. Minimum stops & smooth sailing made this trip a memorable one.

INTRO & PLAN:

Talk about late night planning ha-ha! This trip was a result of the same. Late night about 23:00hrs (31/5/2012) the idea of visiting BR was conceived by 3 of us (Vishu, Dany & Sp). To hell with the boring city world we decided to pull this off even if it meant only 3 of us.

TIME: 00:45 hrs

ASSEMBLE:

Yeah I was at about 04:00, did a few push-ups, had a little coffee & headed out towards bakery where the meet up was scheduled. As I reached, I was quite surprised to find the other two already waiting for me (It doesn’t happen often you see :P). After a formal greeting, we decided to leave Bengaluru.

TIME: 05:30 hrs

 

RIDE 1: (Bengaluru – Bidadi)

This was a 30kms stretch. The weather was still icy cold as lots of clouds in the sky left SH-17(Mysore road) gloomy. We kept a decent pace to reach Bidadi for some breakfast.

We had some smashing Tate Idly’s, which tasted simply superb. A highly recommended stop on SH-17 I must say. With some food in our stomach we decided to continue further.

TIME: 06:45 hrs

RIDE 2: (Bidadi – Sathnur – BR hills)

This was non-stop 150-160kms stretch of some brilliant sailing. As we left Bidadi, we continued till Chenpatna, & took a left deviation. Excellent roads from then on made riding easy & we reached Sathnur in no time to re-join Kanakpura road.

Once we reached Kanakpura Road(NH-209), it was pure cruising past Shivanasamudra to reach the town of Kollegala.Riding cautiously through the shortest route known to us through our previous visits, we were out of the town and at the foot of the mighty BR.

TIME: 09:45 hrs

 

RIDE 3: (Sailing through the heavenly ranges)

Alright this is one stretch we’d never get tired of riding. I had told the others about our last visit to this place, where we had encountered about 10-12 wild elephants and about 5 bison. As we began the ride into the ranges, we rode at a slow pace making sure we do not disturb the wildlife and yeah looking out for the same as well. 

 

The lush green surroundings kept us satisfied. After about 15mins we stopped at the standard BR lake stop only to find the water fading off. We continued further the temperature took a steep dip & it became cool as we reached the top.

TIME: 10:30 hrs

BR HILLS:

We were greeted at the top by the cool breeze gushing at the top. We roamed around the temple visiting the various view points. From some the view points, elephants can be seen as ants moving amidst the thick forests. After spending about an hour or so we visited the temple, prayed for everybody we knew and left the temple premises.

We went to a hotel on the top for some hot tea & biscuits. After having which we bid adieu to our BR hills :)

TIME: 11:45 hrs

 

RIDE 4: (BR hills – Kollegala – Maddur Tifany’s)

This was a non-stop 120kms continuous riding. As we left BR, we cruised at a slow pace within the forest area. After which we resumed our cruising mode to reach Kollegala. Once we were out of Kollegala, the temperatures shot back again. Dany raced away forwards as Vishu & myself stuck together cruising at a decent pace. As we both reached the T-junction near Mallavali we couldn’t find Dany, but as we had decided earlier that Maddur was the next stop we continued further.

 

The road which connects Mallavalli to Maddur is one stretch which gives me creeps. It had been patched up to some extend but still lots of pot holes present. But Vishu & me kept a decent pace even on this road and his loud horn gave us all the road clearance we needed :P. Dodging the pot-holes & patches we reached Mysore road (SH-17). It was a huge relief reaching back the highway, we continued further to reach Maddur Tiffany’s and were quite surprised not find Dany.

 

We called him up; we came to know that he was still waiting for us at the T-junction about 25-30kms back. So we both grabbed a bottle of cold water and decided to wait for Dany to join us. Nearly 20mins into the wait, when we had just begun to relax, in came like the Dany like a bullet on a bullet :P. he had taken less then half the time taken by us ha-ha!!

TIME: 14:15 hrs

MADDUR TIFFANY’S:

Ah lunch/breakfast at this place is something we don’t miss when we hit SH-17. We had great food and little coffee. Once our tummies were satisfied we fooled around the swing for some more time and left towards Bengaluru.

TIME: 15:00 hrs

RIDE 5: (Maddur – Ramnagara – Bengaluru)

This was 80kms stretch of formal riding. We did stretch without a break. With our tummies full all we had to do was stay awake ha-ha. SH-17 being a smooth 4-lane offered very less resistance. We rode at a decent pace throughout to reach bakery.

TIME: 16:45hrs

 

Until next time Cia \m/

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54) Maddur & Kanva – Bakery Ride: (10/5/2012)

Place: Maddur & Kanva reservoir.

Distance: 210kms.(Complete Circuit)

Directions: Bengaluru – Ramnagar – Maddur – Ramnagar – Kanva - Bengaluru.

Particiapants: Arvnd(Arvi) > Ashok(K350) > Chengappa(Benz poolanda) > Arun(Slowpoke) > Madhu(Barca) > Karthik (Sp).

Bikes: Unicorn(2) > Pulsar.

Previous visit: Pondicherry& Gingee Fort.

IN LESS THAN 50 WORDS:

Alright, this was another formal run to Maddur & Kanva. The main highlight of the trip was the food. Yeah we did this ride for the food and a quick swim at Kanva. And with this run we also welcomed the monsoons.

INTRO & PLAN:

We all wanted to get away from our daily routine from college. Breakfast at Maddur & Lunch at our Kanva Dhaba wass something that was too tempting to just let go. So we put the plan into action on 5^th of May 2012.

 

ASSEMBLE:

Yeah I was up at around 04:30, did a few push ups and sat down with some music. Went near our bakery at about 07:30 & waited for others. Once everybody arrived we departed Bengaluru.

TIME: 09:00 hrs

RIDE 1: (Bengaluru – Maddur)

This was a 80kms stretch. Butter smooth 4-lane highway made riding very easy. We cruised along at a decent pace. With about one or two stops in between, we reached Maddur Tifany’s.

TIME: 10:30 hrs

MADDUR TIFFANY’S:

Once we entered we grabbed ourselves a chair and had a proper heavy breakfast. Two-three rounds of excellent food filled up our tummies. Then we had coffee to put an end to a wonderful breakfast. After the breakfast we went outside & sat on the swing. After chilling around for some more time we left Maddur Tifany’s.

TIME: 11:45 hrs

 

RIDE 2: (Maddur – Kanva)

This was about a 20-25kms stretch. Having done with a very heavy breakfast, we were all a little dizzy. We rode slowly on SH-17 to cruise past Chenpatna. After reaching the outskirts of Ramnagar we took a deviation and continued further to reach Kanva.

TIME: 12:30 hrs

KANVA RESERVOIR:

This is one reservoir we never get tired off. Clear, clean and safe water makes this reservoir a perfect place. So without wasting anytime we got into the water & swam for sometime. Then we started the ‘Donkey’ & ‘First Catch’ Games with a half filled bottle. After about 1.5hrs in the water we got out of the water and started skipping stones as we dried up. After drying up we hit the road and reached the Dhaba for lunch.

TIME: 15:15 hrs

 

DHABA:

Again we sat down in a proper cell, and started eating like there was no tomorrow. The swim and the games had pretty much drained our energies. As we ate the skies became gloomy and it started pouring. This made the taste of food better. Once we were done with the lunch we sat for sometime staring outside at the rain and decided to ride back in the rain and greet the monsoons.

TIME: 16:45 hrs

 

RIDE 3: (Kanva – Bengaluru)

This was a decent 60kms stretch. With the rain coming down & the cool breeze hitting out faces, it was a real pleasure to ride. We rode at a slow pace enjoying every moment to reach back bakery for some hot tea.

TIME: 18:15 hrs

 

Until next time Cia \m/

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53) Pondicherry & Gingee fort: (8’9’/4/2012)

Place: Pondicherry & Gingee Fort.

Distance: 800kms in total.

Directions: Bengaluru – Krishnagiri - Thiruvanamallai - Pondy.

Participants: Chethan(Zethu) > Karthik (Sp).

Bikes: Avenger > Pulsar.

Previous visit: Kanva Reservoir.
Budget: Rs1200.

IN LESS THAN 50 WORDS:

This was one excellent run to the nearest shore from Bangalore. This run was for about 800kms, it was a hot & tiring ride. Food was eaten only once during the entire trip.

INTRO & PLAN: (trust me this is the must read part)

We had planned this trip 4-5 times earlier & every time we planned it turned out to fail until one day we just took our bikes and hit the road. After several flopped attempts we decided to allow time take its course of action. April of 2012 was the month we pulled this run of successfully.

ASSEMBLE: (8^th of April 2012)

Zethu arrived at my place at about 01:00hrs, we crashed at my place and decided to leave early in the morning. We were up at about 04:00, packed & bid adieu to Namma Bengaluru.

TIME: 05:30 hrs.

RIDE 1.1: (Bengaluru – Hosur – Krishnagiri)

This stretch was for about 100kms. We got out of the city in a short time as the traffic was lean during the early hours. After reaching the highway it was pure non-stop cruising until Krishnagiri for some hot tea.

TIME: 07:15 hrs.

 

RIDE 1.2: (Krishnagiri – Pambar dam – Sathnur Dam – Thiruvanamallai)

This stretch extended for about 130kms. But trust me this was one horrible stretch of road. Things to look out for while riding:

i) Huge deep patches covering more than half the road.

ii) If you find a good stretch, it won’t last for more than 500meters.

iii) Do not try to exceed 70kmphr.

So after about an hour of riding we reached Pambar dam.

 

PAMBAR DAM:

Well, this is a neat little reservoir. Very well maintained & less people made our visit to this place a memorable one. We spent a few minutes at this wonderful reservoir had a couple of biscuits and left.

Continuing further on the bad stretch for another hour or so we reached Sathnur Dam.

SATHNUR:

Actually there are many places to visit at this place. We visited the dam premises, Crocodile Park & the deer park. Oh yeah, we were strictly instructed not take any photographs at the Croc park, that made us even more determined & managed to capture a few. The crocodile park is pretty huge, with atleast 100-150 crocodiles of various sizes.

After finishing Sathnur we continued further to reach Thiruvanamallai.

TIME: 11:45 hrs.

 

RIDE 1.3: (Thiruvanamallai – Villupuram – Pondy)

This was a 100kms stretch, but thankfully on smooth roads. We asked directions at thiruvanamallai and managed to get out of the town. After getting out we cruised in comfort via the new route skipping Gingee fort to reach Pondy :)

TIME: 14:00 hrs.

 

PONDICHERRY:

As soon as we entered Pondy, we cruised along the East Coast Road(ECR). With the cool ocean breeze hitting our faces we started searching for a place to crash. But unfortunately places close to the main beach were damn expensive so we moved towards Repo beach.

SAND ATTACK:

Alright we tried taking our bikes into this small alley, where only one bike could fit. The terrain turned sandy & we found ourselves stuck in it. After a long tiring attempt we managed to get our bikes out & we also found our stay for that night.

Stay: Rs 300 for 4 guests. TV & a fan... ah yeah felt like heaven. And the best part, it was hardly a minute’s walk from the beach :)

TIME: 15:30 hrs.

 

PLACES TO VISIT:

After taking a 20mins nap, we decided to finish off all the places. As we were getting ready Zethu received a call asking him to return by 10^th morning as he had presentation :P, so we cut short a few places.

1. Auroville/Repo Beach: as it was the nearest we finished this beach first. We went and slept flat on the beach for about an hour enjoying the waves.

2. Le Café: next stop was Le café; it is a tourist information centre, which also provides food & café.

3. Children’s Park: Ha-ha yeah, this is on the ECR, thoughts of fooling around the place did occur but we continued.

4. The Main Beach: The Bay of Bengal, one of the most beautiful beaches at Pondy. But yeah getting into water is not possible at this place. We just sat on the rocks enjoying the sea breeze.

 

5. Church of the Sacred of Jesus: This is the most famous church of Pondy. Built in 1700, the church still looks brilliant.

6. Paradise Beach: 8kms from Pondy towards Cuddlore, another beautiful beach which can be accessed only by boat,

7. Cunnambar backwaters: Situated on the Cuddlore main road, 8kms from Pondy. Different boat rides available at this place.

8. Pichavaram: I strongly suggest visiting this place. It is about 70kms from Pondy towards south. But trust me worth the travel; it is the 2^nd biggest mangrove after the Sunderbans.

So please make yourself free and do visit this place, I’m pretty sure we’ll hit back to Pondy some day :P

 

So… those were just a few important places at Pondy. A detailed list of places is given at the end. After covering the places, we returned to Pondy at about 19:00. We roamed around the streets of Pondy, grabbed some something to drink & yeah some food too. After doing this we headed back to our home stay. We switched on the TV & started eating our dinner, with the beach a few meters away.

(Trust me I would do anything to re-live that moment )

After a nice meal, which was the first for the day and last for this trip we crashed.

TIME: 23:00 hrs.

SUN IS SHINING: (9^th of April 2012)

I was up at 04:00 to find Zethu already watching TV. We went to the beach at 05:00 & waited for the sunrise. After about an hour or so we witnessed one of the best sunrises till date. We spent another hour walking on the beach & finally left to pack our things.

 

Once the packing was done, we tied up our bags to our bikes and left Pondy. And yes Gingee was a place we had decided to visit on the second day.

TIME: 07:30 hrs.

RIDE 2.1: (Pondy – Gingee Fort)

Well this was about an 80kms stretch & yeah we exited Pondy through the actual/official entrance ha-ha. We cruised along the huge 4-lane highway comfortably & reached Gingee Fort.

TIME: 09:15 hrs.

GINGEE FORT:

It is of the best forts of Tamil Nadu. This fort was called the “Troy of the east” by the British. It includes 3 hillocks which are Rajagiri, Krishnagiri, Chakkilidurg in a triangular formation. Old granaries for storing oil & ghee, temples, mosques, barracks and other buildings can be seen on top of these hillocks.

 

So about our visit, we took about an hour to climb. With the sun directly on top & with bags to carry, the climb was no easy one. We had run out of water bottles which made matters worse. But we continued with sufficient breaks to reach the top. We covered all the buildings and sat flat on the top totally de-hydrated. The descent was fairly a quick one, as we reached the foot of the hills we rushed to a small shop grabbed something to drink and sat at the shop and took rest. Trust me I had never felt this level of dehydration till then. Once the fluids had been restored we hit back the road again.

TIME: 11:00 hrs.

RIDE 2.2: (Gingee – Thiruvanamallai – Krishangiri)

This was a good 150kms stretch. We cruised along at decent pace, taking sufficient breaks without over-straining our bodies to reach Thiruvanamallai. After reaching the town we took some small narrow roads through the market and made our way out of the crowded town.

The next was the horrible 130kms stretch which we named “ass-buster stretch”. We rode slowly but steadily taking breaks very often to cover this long gruelling stretch to reach Krishnagiri.

TIME: 15:30 hrs.

 

RIDE 2.3: (Krishnagiri – Hosur – Bengaluru)

This was a smooth 100km stretch. So it was a huge relief to reach Krishnagiri before the descent of the darkness. Getting stuck on the previous stretch in the dark is like digging our own grave. We had some wonderful tea and switched back to cruising mode on the 6 lane NH-7. We took sufficient breaks on the highway to reach back Bengaluru. We pulled over, sat on the footpath wondering if we had actually covered Pondy in 2 days. Then we thanked each other participating, & left to reach our respective homes.

TIME: 19:00 hrs.

 

CONCLUSION:

“Eyes drained out with solid red nerves, face covered with a thin film of black soot, haha felt so good. 800kms of non-stop riding for 2 days is what we both enjoyed thoroughly. Finishing the jinxed trip which had flopped for 5-6 times gave us that extra satisfaction.”

Zethu: couldn’t have thought of a better person to pull this trip off. Ever cool and his jokes kept us both going.

Sp: Had nice bath and went on a 10kms walk the next day :D

Until next Cia \m/

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