Weak legs pertinacious to conquer a pagent route

   If you are wondering why there has been no updates for 4 months, the fact is simple, i did not have any stories to post. I had stopped biking for 3 months to give myself some break, but it was a bit late when i realised that the break period had turned into luxury and i paid for that luxury in this ride.



  It was a long weekend as Friday being an off on occasion of Durgashtami and i planned to go on a small cycling tour. Though the destination was still a question mark, i had few options, Option 1 Chikmagalur - Belur - Halebidu - KemmanGundi - BRP, Option 2 - Shimoha - Jogfalls - Sagar. I enquired in VRL travels to check the availability of tickets and I was told that he had 1 seat left and it would cost 600Rs and cannot guarantee if  my bike could be carried in the bus. I immediately dropped the plan of taking a private luxury bus as i did not have time to negotiate (It was 8.30 Pm) and a government bus would not cost me more than 300. I went to majestic with my bike and the bus stand was jam packed because of the long weekend. I was sure now that i would not get a seat in a luxury bus and the last option i had was to try in an ordinary one. I found one that was due to leave at 10 PM. I approached the conductor if i can load the cycle inside the bus, the conductor told me that the bus did not have a carrier on the top, but i could try loading it inside the luggage box. I dismantled the front wheel, slid the handle bar a bit and tried to load it, but it was still large to get inside the box. Finally the conductor was kind enough and asked me keep the bike inside the bus at the last row in spite of the the fact that the bus was completely crowded and even the fellow passengers did not complain. The cost of the ticket was 170 and just 20 for the bike, but the conductor demanded 50 more for his "kindness" which i was still ok with as we had a "Win Win". I was still saving more than 350 Rs. I was unable to sleep as the bus was over crowded, bad bumpy roads throughout the journey  and the chill wind coming through the shattered window panes. I reached Shimoga at 5.30 AM. I immideatly assembled the bike in the bus stop, changed my dress in the pay and use toilet and pushed off to a nearby small hotel at have my breakfast (I had skipped dinner the previous night). I had a vada, upma and coffee which was decent, but I found it hard to assimilate the fact that the bill amount was 32!!.
          The ride started at 6 in the morning and the climate was very pleasant and the sun didnt even peak through the clouds. Even the roads were very neat without any patholes. After 10 km's i started finding few uphills and downhills. It was lush green forest and fields all around and most of the time i was the only one on the road with a light drizzle. I could hardly find any symptom of human in habitation. I can say its one of the best rides i have ever had. But on the contrary there were few disadvantages too. The pleasant climate meant a short day. It would become dark by 5 PM, I had to bike 105 Km to reach jog falls and 105 to come back, the sum is 210. I have never touched 200 number, my highest being 178, come what may i had to reach Shimoga within 7 as its very risky to bike post darkness. To reach Shimoga by 7 i had to be in Jog within 12. This calculation made my legs pedal a bit faster. The breakfast I had in the morning was burnt in 2 hrs (40km ride) and i started feeling a bit tired and hungry by 9 and stopped in a very small canteen which had just one table. I had 3 dosas with chutney, Avalkkey (beaten rice) and 3 tea's which costed me 15. After few photo sessions and chit chat with the locals i started the ride. Inspite of having a good break fast i was still feeling bit tired. By 11 I reached Sagar a small town on the way to Jog (Jog is 35 Kms from here) completely tired and exhausted after cycling just 78 kms. Either the roads had too many uphills or my body was in a bad shape.  This was the time  I realised what a 3 months luxury can do to your body and Stamina you had built. I had 2 glasses of apple milk shake which costed 30. I started off by 11.30 and this the real uphills started and the sun was out to its glory. The last  3 km was a complete downhill which meant the backward journey would kill me. By now i had consumed 4 ltrs of water and 2 tender coconuts. After lot more breaks i managed to reach Jog by 1, it was gargantuan, but I exhausted to the core, sleepy, hungry.. I was in a mess.
I remember reading Maslow's Hierarchy of needs which says human needs form a pyramid, the bottom most needs are very basic like food, shelter.. etc and the top most being Self Actualization like problem solving, morality, creativity .. etc. Whenever i start cycling i start at the summit of the pyramid where the need for self actualization is the top most priority, by the time i reached Jog i was at the foot of the pyramid where food and shelter became the top priority, after a good meal i knew cycling back to Shimoga was close to impossible and i called my friend who resides in Sagar and he asked me to come home straight to his house, the 2nd layer of the pyramid which is "Safety and Security" ,  and it was a big relief, and time was no more a constraint. This is what cycling does to me, in a day i slide across the pyramid and every break takes me back slowly to the next top layer. I spent some tome clicking snaps and few kids wanted to take snaps posing with my bike too.
I left Jog by 3.30 and the initial 3 km climb was very hard, but the remaining 30 km's were  alright. With few more breaks i reached Sagar by 5.30 and the 1st thing i did was to book a ticket back to Bangalore. This time i choose a luxury bus for 350 and they had place for my bike in the luggage box. From the bus stop my friends place was another 10 kms. He was my room mate during my university days. After hot shower we spent time taking about our university days with tea. I finished my dinner (with lot of sweets on occasion of Dussera) and left his place by 8 and reached the bus stand by 9.15 and loaded my cycle and went to my seat and closed my eye...  Blank. A copassenger woke me up in Bangalore at 6.
Picture Lovers click here       

 For Number lovers,
Total Distance covered - 148
Time taken - 1 day
Cycling hours - 10 hrs
Fuel - Upma, vada, 3 dosas, 1 south indian meal, 2 apple juice, 4 coconuts, 5 ltrs of water.
Cost for food and water - ~300
Travel cost - 240+350 = 590
Total expense =  ~ 1000

Trip Summary

• Number of days - 9
• Total distance covered - 1182 Km
• Max distance covered in a day - 178 on day 1
• Min distance covered in a day  -  98 on day 5
• Max speed touched - 48 km/hr on day 9
• Number of states visited - 4 (Tamilnadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Goa)
• Number of Union Territory - 1 (Mahe)

Pictures - Part 1 Part 2  Part 3 

Click here for the Pics
Day -6
The pain in my left hamstring had disappeared and I started by 9.30. It was a good start, pleasant and cloudy weather with neat even roads. I had a very close at my cadence and rhythm. I managed to cover 40 km in 2 and half hours. Though it drizzled at few places it never interrupted my ride. But i had to pay for the pleasant ride soon with a huge uphill and the clouds that blocked the sun started to disappear. All my excitement to see the Bakel fort started to diminish slowly. The route was a series of up and down hill with barren land on either sides. When I had 20 more kms to Bakel fort the roads became flat, but had a dozen potholes after every few meter. I even hurt my foot to the peddel, very minor.
The majestic view of huge fort built on 40 acers appeared at 4.30. I had enough time to view the fort. The entry fee was just 10, but the fee to take my camera was 35. I spent an hour there and started towards kasargod. Its a very small city, but well maintained. I had my diner in Indian coffee house and hit the bed at 10.30.

This was my last day in Kerala, but my memories will stay alive thought my life. If i was blindfolded and left on a road and was asked to indentify that if the road I stood belonged to Kerala or not, I would just do 3 tests, 1stt; Is there any poster of Cheguvera? If not, 2nd. Is there a poster of the Brazilian or the Argentinian Soccer team? and if these 2 tests fail you will see this one for sure, a poster of a beautiful girl covered completely in gold to promote Alukkas Jewellery :)

Day 7

Though I was told that Mangalore was more warmer than kerala, i wore a sleeveless jercy (a big mistake). The first 50 kms went on smooth and crossed the Kerala border and entered Karnataka at 12 noon. I had my lunch in Mangalore and the heat was really killing. Post lunch I took the NH 17 road, it was a huge 4 lane stretch with lot of huge buildings and no sign of any tree or shade around. I was completely exposed to the sun and the hot head wind from the sea was really hitting hard, almost stopping me. I managed to move on for 1 0 mins telling myself that I just needed time to get used to these roads and the sun. In these 10 mins I finished a liter of water but it never cooled me down. The sun had completely burnt my skin leaving boils and scars and it was too late to realize that I should have worn a full length T shirt. When a hard head wind hit me, my frustration level hit the max. I stopped riding, went to a nearby shop and asked if there was any bus back to Bangalore. Yes, I decided to give up. He said there was one in 45 mins. While I was waiting for the bus, the air became cooler and it was relief. I decided to give one last shot and got back to the road. It turned out to be the best ride in this tour. The four lane roads ended very soon, neat single lane roads with fields around welcomed me and stayed along throughout my ride till Udupi. I managed to cover 45 kms in just 2.5 hrs. I stayed in a mutt for just 50 bugs, freshened up and spent the evening roaming around the city.

Day 8
The wound in my feet had turned into a small infection and was itching. I did not want to take any medications as I had just 2 more days. I do not have much to talk about this ride. I reached Murudeshwara at 5 in the evening. The giant idle of lord shiva is really eye catching.

Day 9.

My final destination was Goa. I had planned to reach Gokerna on day 9 and hit Goa on Day 10, but I had to make a   small change in the plan as there was a big swelling in my feet. I decided to ride straight 160 kms to Goa. Was it doable was still a question mark. I started at 4 in the morning and my target was to reach Karwar before 12 and I some how managed to reach Karwar by 12.45 and my leg was hurting very badly now. I took a small power nap post lunch in a temple and started to ride by 2 PM. I reached the Goa border at 2.30!! yes, it was almost the end of the tour, so i rode the last 30 kms as slowly as possible enjoying every moment. I reached Kankona and got my wound dressed up in a nearby Govt Hospital and reached Palolem. I got a room facing the beach for 300 Rs, I had a juice and hit the bed. at 6 in the evening.

Day 3 - 7

For those who are impatient, please click here for the pics
Day 3
I woke up at 8 in the morning and had Puttu and Egg curry for breakfast and started from Kochi at 9.30 towards Jew town. Paid a quick visit to the Jew town (unfortunately the Synagogue was closed) and left the place after few photo sessions. I said good bye to NH 47, and moved towards the Y pin Island (not sure if the spelling is rite) which is a shorter route to reach NH 17. Roads  were really good good inside the island. While I was riding, a middle aged man, Mr Lal who was passing on his bike casually asked me where was I coming from, When I said I started from Kanyakumari, he asked me if I would like to stop and have some Juice in his bakery which was on the way, I said Yes without a second thought. He ordered me an orange Juice and was very thoughtful  and advised me not to take the deviation to NH17 till the end of the island as the roads here were small and had lot of trees on either sides so that I could avoid the sun to some extent. I thanked him and started back as per his advice. The observation i made on my way was, Kerala has more bakeries than hotels, and they are so huge (as huge as the coffee's in bangalore).  The ride was very smooth as the roads were even and I reached Guruvayur at 5 in the evening. I got a room for 200 Rs, took a quick shower and went for a long walk around the city. There was nothing around of my interest, had dinner and hit the bed at 10.

Total distance covered 103

Day  - 4

I switched off the alarm at 5 and told myself that I would sleep for few more minutes. Those few minutes turned out to be 3 hrs, i immediately woke up, still half asleep and took a cold shower, that ensured I am completely awake. I gulped in a plate of Idly vada and headed towards calicut.  As per Google map I had 147 Kms to cover today and I was late. When I had a closer look at the map, there seemed to be a shorter route  the only hassle being a small river flowing in between 2 towns. When I enquired about this to a auto rickshaw driver, he said there was a bridge in between. That is all i needed to know, I avoided the highway and took a new route that I had discovered. The roads were small and isolated (most of the times I was the only one on the road) with sea towards my right and coconut plantations on my left. As these roads are normally taken by the locals, the kids on the streets were excited to see a stranger, few commented something in Malayalam (probably a bad word, in a way its good, not to know a language), few asked for a ride on my bicycle, but i settled them down by taking few pics instead, a kid even went to an extent of acting like a blind boy crossing the road and was purposely blocking my way. It was 3.30 when I stopped for lunch and I still had 30 more Kms to go. I ordered for "una" meaning meals and was back on the roads. After few more breaks, when i had 10 more Km's to Calicut I came to a small village with coconut plantations on the bank of a backwater. I immediately told myself that it was time to use my sleeping mat. I went to the city, got some fruits and biscuits for dinner and headed back to the village. I used the headlamp of my bike as a light source, switched on my I pod watching the peaceful water in font of me. I do not know when i fell asleep.

Overall, it was a fantastic ride and wish my future rides would be the same.

Total Distance - 131

Day-5
For  change, the alarm was silent, the sun rays through the canopies woke me up at 7. I was surprised to see a fisherman already at work and made sure if my bike and bag was in place. I took a quick dip in the ice cold water, packed all my stuff and headed towards Kannur. I came to Calicut city to have my breakfast and order for bread omelet and finished it in no time, when the waiter came to check if I would like to have coffee or tea, I ordered a plate of dosa for which he gave a awkward look. I was back on NH 17 and started off with a huge uphill, a bad omen for a cyclist. This was followed by a series of uphills and downhills taking every ounce of energy from me. I even developed a pain on my left hamstring. Even the sun was not on my side. It was 1pm and I had already taken 5 breaks and had 60 more Kms to cover. The only hope I had was, I tht even roads would start from Mahe as it was close to the sea. But it remained a hope, the roads became even worse.I even left my cap in one of the shops where I had stopped for Juice.
  The ground rule that I follow is, "whatever may be the ascent, never get down from the bike". WhenI had just 8 more kms  to go, I broke the rule on the middle of a very steep uphill and started to push my bike. This ride had completley discoureaged me. So a  far this has been the most difficult ride in this Tour but very challenging too.

Total distance 102

Dear Reader,
 I am extremely sorry!!,  I could not update the blog as per my promise. Firstly, i do not know why the Mobile blogging service is not working (it says "message undeliverable"). I later planned to update it from a cyber cafe, but either i did not have time or energy to do so, but today i have both.

For those of you who are looking just for my ride experience please scroll down and go to Day 1, as Day -1 and Day 0 talks about how i transported the cycle to Kanyakumari..

Day -1 ..... Circus
As i had to log in at 2, I got up at 7 in the morning and rode my bicycle to majestic to get it shipped. I was there by 8 and an old man helped me cover the frame and saddle with a peace of cloth to avoid scratches for 40 Rs, meanwhile i went and finished the formalities of filling the form. When I submitted the form he said he would accept the parcel only post 6 in the evening as my train was at 11. This was ridiculous!! I didn't not have any other choice and I immediately decide to take the risk of parking it in the bus stop and I went home.
    I took the 5 PM log off cab from the office and got dropped in Majestic. I was really glad to see my bicycle being parked where i had left it in the morning, I even thanked the parking guy for taking care of the cycle which was not locked, and as he heard the words "not locked"  he gave a strange look and started blasting me telling, he would be blamed for our carelessness, he was right but I did not have any other choice. As i went and submitted the same form in the parcel counter he asked for my travel ticket, another blunder, I did not carry the e- ticket with me. This time I went to the same parking guy and explained him my condition and he agreed to take care of the cycle. I had to walk close to 2 km near the railway station to find a Internet parlor. Finally the form was submitted, the inspector near the gate asked for 30 bugs just to open the gate and let the cycle inside the platform, but he settled for 20.
    I came back home, made a quick check if i had forgotten anything, everything looked alright. At 10.15 I said good bye to my tensed and angry mother and took a Rick to Yesventpur railway station.

Day 0 .... Confusion

   My train arrived to Nagercoil at 4.30 (late by 2 hrs) and my cycle was about to reach by 5.30 in Island express. I waited in the station for an hour and finally the train arrived. I was waiting near the parcel office to immediately collect the parcel and push off to kanyakumari, but there was no sign of my cycle. When I enquired in the counter, I was told that the guy who clears the luggage was on leave and I was suppose to go and collect in Kanyakumari!! I immediately boarded a bus to Kanyakumari and finally collected it. The co passenger who travelled with me in the bus was a member in Viveknanda kendra and promised me to get a room there. I agreed without a second thought and got a neat room for just 50Rs. I had my dinner in Saravana Bhavan and hit the bed at 10.30 PM as i had an early start.

Day 1.. The struggle

    The alarm woke me up at 3.30 in the morning and i was ready and out on the street by 4.30. The clouds were clear and after 5 Kms I heard a devotional Malayalam song played in a tea shop, Kerala was at least 50 Km away!!From then on, very few people understood Tamil, most of them spoke Malayan..I will not be surprised if there is a border dispute. By 5.15, I was movingg in a good rhythm, but.......... it started to drizzle, and the drizzle transformed to a pouring rain within few minutes. I knew I had a long distance to cover, so took my rain jacket and proceeded towards padhmanabhapuram palace. The rain jacket was of no use, I was dripping wet. When I checked my odometer it  really scared me, i had just covered 15 km in 2 hrs!! My normal speed would be 20 km/ hr. Blame the uneven roads and the rain. I reached the palace by 7 and the watch man was very kind to let me in looking at my condition (it normally opens at 9). It went around the palace and started to proceed towards Trivandrum. The rain was playing a spoilsport, when i was getting used to the rain it used to stop and the temp would shoot up, when i was trying to get used to the humid condition, the rain would come into play out of nowhere. I was really getting sick as i was getting splashings from all directions. I reached Trivandrum at 11 and i had 80 more Km's to cover. I visited Kovalam and I took the bypass road form Trivandrum and started to proceed towards Kollam, my final destination. On the way to Kollam I was surprised to see a huge Infosys building!!
Initially the roads were pretty even and i was hoping it to remain the same, but it didnt. I stopped in a shop and ordered for orange juice and just closed my eye for a moment, blank!!! When i opened my eye I realised i had slepty for 35 mins and the orange juice had become warm. I had the juice and few pieces of dates that i carried and started fresh to knockoff the remaining 50 Km. Initial 15 km's was fine, later I did not want to fight with these mercy less uphills and i shifted to "granny's gears" (meaning, even a granny walking beside can overtake you) and moved in snail's pace. Took few more breaks and finally reached Kollam at 6 in the evening. I found a decent looking lodge for Rs 150, threw my luggage in the room, had my dinner (idyappam and chicken curry costing just 55 Rs) and was in deep sleep by 8.
Total Distance  - 178 Km
Time - 13 hrs
Water - 8 Ltrs

Day 2... Mesmerising Allapy

I got up by 7, and rushed to the backwaters in Kollam.The guy in the counter demanded 300 Rs for a ride till allapy, but I negotiated and settled to pay 200 as i would be getting down in Haripad. We were just 8 of us in the boat and 4 of them were foreigners. 1 from Japan,  I really tried hard to pronounce his name, but I am sorry, I gave up.. but he was a very enthusiastic man, looking in his 40's but he is actually 65. He owns a Casino in Japan and shared his card (which is in Japanese). The other 2 were a sweet young french couples who  had come to attend a wedding in Bangalore. I was zapped to know the guy was a Supply chain forecaster in Boeing!!!  The boat ride was fun and I finally waved them a good buy and got down in Haripad. From there i went to Kuttanad, the rice bowl of kerala. Beautiful rice fields welcomed me. I had heard from many that this place was famous for duck roast and when i enquired few people all directed me towards a toddy shop. I entered the shop an ordered rice and duck roast. I saw 2 people half drunk and one already drunk. The one who was already drunk started the conversation with me asking where was I from, when I told him Bangalore he started taking about Devegowda and in a while he proudly said that the current CM was from Kuttanad, i just gave a friendly smile. His next question was, which party I support, i knew this would be a very controversial topic and that too with a man who is half drunk, i finished off my lunch soon. I reached Allapy at 6.30 in the evening and Kochi was 60 more Km's. With few more water and Juice breaks I reached Fort kochy at 11PM.

I have uploaded feww pics here
 Total Distance - 96
Time - 8 Hrs
Water - 6 Ltrs

Tour De Monsoon

• Tour De Monsoon


This monsoon I will be touring on my bicycle, starting from Kanyakumari and proceed along the west coast from 28th of May. I do not have a destination yet to end the tour but I have planned the tour for 10 days and planning to approximately cover 1000 Kms. I will be travelling to Nagercoil with my bicycle by Bangalore - Nagercoil Express on 27th May and reaching Nagercoil on 28th noon. I will have a small warm-up ride till Kanyakumari (20Kms) before I kick start the tour. I have reserved a normal sleeper class ticket as I want to keep this trip as economical as possible, not because I have a financial constraint, but I want to avoid Luxury as much as possible (I have given so much luxury to my body that my waist size has been increasing by multiples of 2 for the past 2 years). This would be a good 10 days test on my body to observe how much pain it can take. I have decided to completely rule out the consumption of bottled mineral water unless and until I come across a situation where I do not have any other choice, I will be drinking the water the locals drink, having the food the locals have. I will be staying in hostels, houses of worship, paddy fields or even a police station if I do not feel safe (I am carrying a sleeping mat).

Coming to the fun part, as most of the places I will be visiting has a strong history (were once ruled by the British, Portuguese ..etc), I will get to see a lot of temples, Palaces, forts, beaches, churches, Jew synagogue, Chinese fishing nets, ports.. etc. I will be staying in a house boat, will be camping wherever possible, cooking my own dinner (not a 7 course meal, I meant something like Maggie noodles) and many in store for me as surprise. I get to ride in between the rubber estates, paddy fields, and lanes passing along the sea and backwaters in the rain. This is all I know as of now.



• My Bike

It’s Rockrider 5.2 from Decathlon. I fitted a rare carriage to accommodate my backpack and sleeping bag. I have already fitted the head lamp, tail lamp and odometer. Other specifications remain the same that comes with this model. For more information about the bike you can visit the Decathlon web site.





• What will I carry

1. 3 pair of shorts and T Shirt, 1 Jeans, A pair of Gloves, my sun glass to ride in the hot sun and a water proof Jacket to ride in the rain.

2. Camera

3. Sleeping bag

4. 2 Water bottles (1Ltr)

5. Enough batteries to keep my headlamp and my tail lamp glowing for 10 days

6. 10 Packets of Electoral to overcome the loss due to dehydration.

7. 2 packets of lion dates as a quick energy booster (will keep replenishing if needed)

8. Mobile phone and charger, card reader and Pen drive.

9. IPod loaded with songs to its maximum capacity.

10. Toothbrush, paste and Soap

11. Johnson’s Baby Powder to avoid saddle sores

12. A book and pen.

13. Cable lock

14. Sunscreen and Vaseline

15. Repair tools (Spanner, Puncture kit, hand pump.. etc) and an extra tube.

16. Hard copy of the maps taken form Google Maps and the route plan.

17. Petrol and lighter for camping

18. Last but not the least “$#^^” Rs



• Why am I going on this tour?

“I am not doing this tour for any Social Cause!!”. So if you are looking for some kind of motivational story to work on a social issue like global warming, I am sorry to disappoint you. Then why am I going for this tour? To be honest I do not have a very clear answer, but I do have few unclear ones like,

1. I like to push my body to test its limit. For example I like feel the terrain in my muscles as I climb and when I am dripping wet after the climb I get a down hill as a gift. It’s a lovely experience and the smell of air I breathe is unexplainable!!

2. Admiring nature while cycling is all together a different experience (that too during the monsoon)! You are neither to fast to miss the beautiful view around nor too slow so that you loose out on time.

3. It’s a confidence booster!

4. It’s a thrilling experience to be left all alone just with a bicycle and 3 pair of cloths in an unknown place where you do not even understand their language.

5. Last, but not the least, who does not want to spend a long vacation in the Sun, Sand, and Sea.



• What to look for from this Blog

I will be blogging from my mobile (thanks to BlogSpot for mobile blogging option). I will post lot of stories about the places I travel, the kind of people I come across, and the challenges I face (especially with my cycle and language. I am learning few words in Malayalam like Buttermilk, Orange, tender coconut water.. etc as most of the days will be spent in Kerala). This is all I know as of now. I will be posting the updates, routes and pictures as and when they come.