In such a scenario, I was left
with no alternative but to seek out some alternative accommodation. I found a mediocre lodge at
Railway Lines called “Shivranjan Lodge”
and their charge for a self-contained double room (no singles available)
was Rs. 800/-.
2ND LEG = SHOLAPUR TO SECUNDERABAD
DAY 2: 04-02-2016
DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 329 Kms.
TOTAL TIME TAKEN: 8 Hrs.
ROUTE: Using internal Sholapur roads got onto NH 9 and stayed throughout till reaching the outskirts of Secundrabad. Then again using internal city roads reached my destination - Paradise Circle.
I left Sholapur by 0815 hrs. 2 young Muslim locals were also going on their bikes and befriended me; they even invited me to their home for tea, which unfortunately, I had to refuse as I wanted to be on my way, at the earliest. They went out of their way to show me a shortcut out of the city and onto the highway. As soon as I was on the highway NH 9, I looked out for the next petrol pump. I found one soon enough and filled up my tank. When going on such long journeys I do carry a 1 litre plastic bottle filled with petrol, as reserve quantity for emergencies.
The roads between Sholapur and Secundrabad are mostly good, however there are sections of it under expansion, thus necessitating a slower pace. At about 1030 hrs. on the outskirts of Omerga, where the road was very rough, I stopped at a local tea vendor and had some tea and biscuits. At about 1330 hrs stopped at a dhaba called Highway Pakwaan Family Dhaba. I observed that the food was being cooked over very old type of wood-fired sigdis embedded into a cemented platform. I had a chicken curry and rice with an onion salad, very tasty fare, but a bit pungent for my palate.
After encountering a lot of traffic from the outskirts to the inner city, I reached my destination, the Parsi Dharamshalla at Secundrabad. The Dharamshalla has only 4 rooms to let out and I was fortunate enough to get the last one. The place is maintained very well with various amenities and kept impeccably clean and tidy. The charges are Rs.1000/- per day plus taxes; to stay here is value for money. Attached to the Dharamshalla is a large function hall, indoor and outdoor called The Pavilion, rented out to Parsis, along with other ancillary facilities like the kitchen, dining hall, the indoor bar, etc., also very well maintained, neat and tidy.
I checked into the Dharamshalla at about 1700 hrs. I dumped my panniers and haversack in the room, had a wash and went out to purchase half a bottle of Antiquity whiskey, as well as some dinner, as tonight dinner would not be possible at the dharamshalla. I picked up four varieties of kebabs (nicely packed in foil) from Paradise Takeaway and returned to my room. At about 1900 hrs I had my dinner accompanied by the firewater I had purchased. By about 2030 hrs. I hit the sack and watching television with half my eyes open, was soon
deeply immersed in dreamland.
AT HYDERABAD / SECUNDERABAD
DAY 3, 4 & 5: 05-02-2016 to 07-02-2016.
These 3 days passed by quite fast. The first day went in resting, inquiry and deciding what was to be seen, but mainly resting. On 5th Feb, I went to the Telangana State Tourism Dept. Office which was within walking distance. Over there, I got a fair idea of what I was interested in seeing. I then decided to take a Hop On – Hop Off bus tour. This entitled me to stay as long as I wanted at the places visited. A conducted tour would have cramped me into finishing seeing places I wished to stay at, for a longer time. The cost was only Rs. 200 per day tour. Guess what? I was the only traveller on the bus that day.
My choices were the Salar Jung Museum, the Chowmahalla Palace, and the Char Minar. I was not interested in the mandirs, masjid, or the gardens on offer.
As described in the “Entry Permit”, which cost Rs. 50, “The Salar Jung Museum is a repository of rare objects from nearly all over the world, from Europe to the far Eastern nations of Asia. It has a collection of art and antiques from European, Middle Eastern and Far Eastern origin, apart from the chronicles of the Indian heritage dating from the Mauryan to the Mughal dynasty and the rule of the Nizams. Salar Jung lll, was the last patron of the family and responsible for the maximum collection, conservation and preservation. The museum also has a large collection of rare manuscripts and a well equipped reference library.”
The collection of exhibits at the museum is so very large that it may take at least a few days to see and appreciate them. One can only breeze through sections of the museum in such a short period of time, and I eventually landed up doing just that. Maybe someday in future I may come back with the family to Secundrabad and get a second chance to see them in a more leisurely manner.
A MINISCULE SELECTION OF EXHIBITS IN THE MUSEUM
I called the bus driver on his mobile phone to collect me, about late afternoon, and went to see the Char Minar and the Chowmahalla palace. Since both monuments are situated a short distance apart, I decided to leave the bus and rely on the Hyderabad public transport system for my return. I was dropped a little distance from the Char Minar and I walked through a busy bazaar / approach lane. I have always associated the Char Minar with the famous Char Minar cigarettes that I used to smoke an aeon ago. This was their logo on each and every pack, and now here I nostalgically stand in front of the actual edifice. I went around the structure, which was partially under repairs, and took some photographs and then proceeded towards the Chowmahalla Palace.
After a short brisk walk I stumbled onto the entrance of the Chowmahalla Palace through a narrow alleyway. Here too, the entrance fee was Rs. 50/-. The most impressive room was the Khilawat Mubarak where the coronation of the Vlll Nizam was held on 6
th April 1967. Among other things on display I came across a photograph of the Navroze celebrations in 1900 where the Nizam was posing with the ladies of the Parsi community. Another group photograph that caught my eye was of the Nizam and his family. There must be over a hundred gentlemen standing there posing with, what I could observe, only 2 women. Very Interesting!
I was having dinner daily at the Dharamshalla. The lady-in-charge, Ms. Zenobia Daruwalla, would make some tasty wholesome parsi food, but the afternoon meals I would have outside. Twice I had the meals from Paradise Takeaway as it was at a convenient walking distance. Paradise hotel is one of the most famous Hydrabadi Biryani places. Some of my friends in Mumbai specially called me up to tell me to eat hydrabadi biryani here. Besides Biryani, they specialize in various types of Kababs, mutton & chicken, and a long list of other mouth-watering dishes.
3RD LEG = SECUNDERABAD TO TIRUPATHI
DAY 5: 07-02-2016
DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 578 Kms.
TOTAL TIME TAKEN: 12 Hrs. 30 Mins.
ROUTE: Via internal roads and along the Hussain Sagar Lake, then onto Hydrabad Elevated Expressway till Aramgarh, then onto NH 7 up to Kurnool, and turned onto NH 18 up to Kadappa, after which took the Kadappa-Tirupathi road. Finally took internal roads at Tirupathi.
I left Secundrabad on the 7th of Feb. at 0515 hrs, a little earlier than usual but I had a long distance to cover. I had prepared myself to stop overnight at Kadappa, if I may not make it to Tirupathi. Thinking that the distance was do-able, I left with a positive frame of mind. This was the longest distance (578 Kms.) and the longest riding time (12 hrs. 30 mins.) in the whole trip. I reached Aramgarh without much ado as the Hydrabad Elevated Expressway was in excellent condition and with hardly a car passing at this early hour. Reached Aramgarh within 45 mins and found the first petrol pump to “tank-up” fully. I normally avoid filling up in the cities where due to various surcharges, prices may normally be slightly higher than one gets on the highway.
I continued riding with regular breaks of about 15 to 20 minutes after every 2 to 3 hours. After Aramgarh, I filled petrol at Kothakota, thammarajupalli, Mydukur, and Koduru before arriving at Tirupathi, always having as minimal a quantity of petrol as possible in the tank prior filling to full.
The road condition up to Kurnool was excellent, however after that, there were several patches of pot-holed roads. Closer to Tirupathi, I started getting many unmarked speed breakers, resulting in a reduction in speed and was forced to exercise extra caution, after going over a couple of them at 70 to 75 Kmph. It was a jolting experience to say the very least.
I arrived at Tirupathi at about 1745 hrs. without knowing where to stay. I stopped in front of a rickshaw driver and asked him if he knew of a suitable accommodation, giving him my requirements. For a fare of Rs. 30 he took me to a hotel close to the APST bus depot (centrally located) where, after a little bargaining, I got a room for Rs. 450/- per day. I checked into the Noble Residency and quickly had a very relaxing hot shower, letting the fatigue of the long ride flow out with the water.
A FEW PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN ALONG THE WAY DURING MY STOPS ON THIS LEG.
That night I had an early dinner as I had not had any breakfast nor lunch that day. I survived only on coconut water and the pulpy copra, which I had a few times along the Highway. I went out for dinner to a nearby restaurant. After dinner was early lights out for me.
AT TIRUPATHI / TIRUMALA
DAY 6 & 7: 08-02-2016 to 09-02-2016.
On the 8th of Feb. I got up and by 0900 hrs. started out for Tirumala temple. After covering a couple of Kms. I was waved to the side by a few traffic police apprehending offenders. There were quite a few of my brethren gathered there. This was the first time in this trip that I had not worn my helmet since I had decided to go bald at the temple, as is the usual practice. Seeing the MH number plate, the senior cop was quickly in attendance. After a bit of pleading and explaining, I was asked to give the name of the hotel that I was staying at, and my mobile number. I was then left to proceed to the temple. About 22 Kms. prior reaching the temple complex, at the entrance gate, all vehicles are physically checked. The scooter was also checked and the reserve 1 litre. petrol was found and I was told to fill it up in the tank. I did so and was passed through. From the entrance, the temple complex is 22 Kms. uphill by a very scenic one-way road and I enjoyed it very much. I came across a few troops of black-faced monkeys at many places along the way.
On reaching the top I inquired and found the tonsure building, where shaving the head was taking place and queued up for it. I received a token which was given to the barber who was also waiting in queue on the other side of the counter. This service is absolutely free and there is no charge taken. I was taken to a large room where this activity was going on in full swing. There must have been at least 50 gents getting shaved off at that time I was told, since it was an odd day, a Monday, there were less people there, whereas on week-ends the place is buzzing and queues forming at each barber. I was made to sit cross-legged on a long, slightly raised, tiled platform and the barber sat facing me on a similar parapet with a tiled gutter passing between us. The place was fairly clean with water flowing through the gutter from time to time. I was told to bow my head towards him and he commenced shaving me with his cut-throat (long-handled razor). The only thing he used was water to wet my head and face before shaving my head as well as my facial hair. I told him to leave my moustache alone to which he readily agreed. The hair would fall into the gutter and our Charlie would flush it away with a mug full of water. Within five minutes I was done. On completion, our man, leans over and surreptitiously murmurs the word “baksheesh” and calls me aside to a small room at the side. I pull out a tenner from my pocket to hand over thinking this was good enough for the job done. However, his eyes bulged, eyebrows shot up and with his hands behind his back he strutted out of the room mouthing something in his lingo and the word “firang” or something similar sounding which caught my ears. It was only then I realized that he was thinking I must be a foreigner, as all our conversation had been in English. I laughed to myself, put away the tenner, turned around and walked out of the building still smiling.
Tirumala is visited by about 50,000 to 100,000 pilgrims daily, while on special festival days, the pilgrim count is known to shoot up to 500,000 persons (average annual count is about 30 to 40 million pilgrims). In terms of donations, it is the richest temple in the world, it's daily average earning is about Rs. 3 crores. It is the most visited holy place in the world.
On riding back, I took some more pictures of the ride and statues in the parks dotted along the one-way road. On returning to Tirupathi town, I went to a restaurant called MFB – My Favourite Biryani and tried a plate of it. It was quite tasty. I struck up a conversation with the owner and was surprised to hear that a few years ago he had come up to Mumbai having Bollywood in his sights. He tried to get some acting roles but failed, then he wrote some story about international spies and tried selling the same – but alas, there were no takers for that too. So he returned home dejected and started this restaurant, which is giving him his daily bread (by giving others Biryani).
In the evening I went for a long walk, came back and had dinner, and retired to my room.
The next day, the 9th of Feb., was a complete rest day. Got up late and went for brunch at a vegetarian restaurant outside the APST bus depot called Hotel Tirumala. It is nothing more than a canteen serving hot, fresh, tasty fare. Excellent puri bhaji and a sada dosa was sufficient to fill up my stomach. In the evening after a long nap, I went back to the same place and had some mushroom noodles, however, not very impressed as found it very pungent in spite of removing a handful of chopped green chillies.
I returned to the room after dinner and started planning on my next day's ride to Pondicherry. After a while, it was slumber-time.
4TH LEG = TIRUPATHI TO PONDICHERRY
DAY 5: 10-02-2016
DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 239 Kms.
TOTAL TIME TAKEN: 7 Hrs.
ROUTE: Started on NH205 and soon change over to NH716 up to Thiruthani, then took the SH58 to Kanchipuram, after which got onto SH116 up to Vandavasi and then switched to SH5 till Tindivanum, after which took the NH66 almost to Pondicherry and then a left onto the East Coast Road for the final stretch to my destination hotel "The Only Place".
I left Tirupathi at 0800 hrs and quickly came onto NH205 and then, NH716. Initially the road condition was good, however as time went by, the road conditions deteriorated and found many potholes. The road also became narrower hence, the pace was slow and cautious. Reached Puttur in about an hour and filled petrol and then again at Tindivanum.
After Puttur and just before Nagari, I passed some stone formations of which, one of them was very interesting. It looked as if one person is facing 3 others and promptly named it “Hello"!
By now, I was feeling hungry, and found a tea stall by the roadside. He was making fresh Parotta serving it with some kind of chicken or beef “rassa” curry (no pieces, only gravy is served). I ordered for some along with a double egg omelette. This was one simple and memorable meal which is stamped in my memory, it was very tasty.
After a non-eventful journey I reached Pondicherry at about 1400 hrs. Since I had planned to stay here for 5 nights, I bought a bottle of my favourite brew, Antiquity whiskey and proceeded to the hotel “The Only Place Cottage Guest House”. This was the only place (pun intended) in the whole tour that I had done booking in advance, on Booking.com as I got a good price. Rs. 3000/- for a stay of 5 nights is good value for money for a double room with AC, four poster beds, attached bath, etc. It is situated close to the beach which can be seen from the first floor terrace, and is almost the same distance from Pondicherry and Auroville, which I found very convenient.
I dropped my bags, changed and came out for lunch to the main road and promptly got knocked down from behind, by a local riding another scooter. Both riders fell and as I was not travelling very fast, did not suffer any injury nor any damage to my scooter. The other guy’s scooter was slightly damaged by way of his mirror and the brake guard. A crowd started gathering around us instantly. Being an “outsider” I felt at a disadvantage. I then played my trump; I quietly lay there on the road and asked one of the crowd to help me up. Then rubbing my right knee, I limped to the side of the road. Others from the crowd picked up my scooter and brought it to the side of the road. Similarly the other guy (who was a youngster) was asked to clear the road so traffic can commence again. Then, I asked him if he was hurt? He had jumped up in a sprightly manner so he could not play the same game that I was playing, by continuing to limp around. He admitted immediately that he was fine. A good Samaritan in the crowd suggested that we should then disperse, to which he readily agreed by hopping onto his scooter and rushing away. I slowly got onto my ride and moved a few hundred meters away from the scene to check out the scooter. Not even a dent was found on it and the machine worked just as well as before. The ONLY "accident" that I encountered in the whole 4808 Kms ride. That evening I sat on a lounge chair on the terrace watching the distant sea with another resident of the hotel, a Scottish gentleman simply calling himself “John”. We sat there talking about anything and everything but all general subjects. He was a Psychiatrist who used to attend to war veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. He is now retired and likes to come to Pondicherry and also to Gokarna on the west coast.
AT PONDICHERRY / AUROVILLE
DAY 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 & 13: 10-02-2016 to 15-02-2016.
On the 11th of Feb. started the day a little late and went for breakfast to a local place opposite the Pondicherry Engineering College. After some puri bhaji and tea, I went to withdraw some cash and found an ATM close to the College entrance. Then, went in search of a Honda Service station which I had located using Google. I had just completed over 1600 Kms. and was anxious to get the vehicle checked out by carrying out a routine servicing. After asking around found the service station in an industrial estate at about 1030 hrs. and was told that I would get my scooter back only by about 1600 hrs. This was not acceptable as I did not have any conveyance to move around. The usual duration for a service would be about 4 hours, so I registered my vehicle for a service on the next day at 0900 hrs. Then, I went to Auroville for registering myself for a tour of Matrimandir. I arrived at the Visitor’s Centre and was asked to watch a video. After completing it, I was told to go on a trek for an outer view of the Matrimandir. The trek is about a kilometre each way partly through shaded pathways. After the trek, I could register myself for an inner view of the Matrimandir. The registration is done only between 1200 to 1400 hrs. for the next day, it is strongly advisable to book 2 days earlier. So I registered on the 11th Feb. for the tour of the 13th Feb. 2016 at 0900 hrs. as the next day was fully booked. I had lunch consisting of a piece of delicious chocolate cake and a cold coffee, at a small coffee shop within the complex called the Dreamer’s Cafe. I then retired to my hotel for an afternoon nap. Evening about 1900 hrs went to a hotel called curry leaf and had some fried fish (not so great). Back to the hotel, had a couple of pegs and went off to bed.
I had been advised by my dear friend Deeksha, my neighbour, who resides now in Scotland, and who had had the good fortune of staying in Auroville some years ago, about the various places to see and also, knowing me as an avid foodie, to visit various eateries in and around the areas of Auroville and Pondicherry. Thanks to her, I could choose some of the best places to go to.
On the 12th morning I was out of the hotel room by 0815 hrs. and was at the Hasan Honda service centre by 0845 hrs. My scooter was taken in first and I expected the return by 1300 hrs. At 1230 I was told that they required to change the choke seal which was found damaged and was available at their main office but would arrive only by 1400 hrs. and I would get delivery of my scooter by 1500 earliest. Anyway, it was a case of Man proposes and God disposes, so I agreed and left to find a good restaurant for lunch.
I landed up at a hotel called Hotel Jai Paradise. It was a nice place being owned by an ex-chef from Carnival Cruises. He introduced himself and was overjoyed to know that I was also from the marine field. We chatted for a long time. I wanted to have Chettinad cuisine that day, and asked him if he could comply, to which he retorted “gladly”. I left the choice of dishes to him stipulating it should be one fish and one chicken. Chettinad cuisine is the cuisine of the Chettiar community and the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu state. Chettinad cuisine is considered one of the spiciest and the most aromatic in India (debatable, of course). Well for a side dish, I got a masala fried slice of king fish (Surmai) and a slightly pungent but finger-licking chicken Chettinad curry with the local large grain rice. It was great and I finished every morsel. I expected a big bill considering the ambiance and the service, but to my surprise it cost me a mere Rs. 250/- only. After wishing my host well, I retraced my steps back to the service centre.
At 1545 hrs. got my scooter back and found all in order. I went back to my hotel room for some rest. At 1800 hrs I went to a restaurant called Jeffi in Auroville and ordered some fish and chips. To my despair it was one of the worst plates of fish and chips I had had in a long time. One can’t win all the time. It was a day of one excellent meal and one lousy one. Back to the hotel room, out with my Antiquity whiskey bottle and with a dash of water, down the hatch it went, result – all was fine with this world, even the evening meal!
On the 13th morning, I left early for breakfast at the Auroville Bakery, a delicious mushroom omelette with toast and butter was the order of the day. I left the bakery for Matrimandir Inner tour and reached the visitor’s centre at 0845 hrs. With other people, I was taken by bus to the Access Office at a point outside the Matrimandir where we were all asked to deposit our cameras and mobile phones. After this, we were taken to an assembly point and given a short briefing on the do’s and don’ts, and then escorted in single file, first, to leave our footwear outside and then to an area below the round edifice, called the “Lotus Pond”. Here we were requested to stand silently and watch / observe the things around us, the petals, the shiny golden coloured discs attached to the round edifice, the crystal ball in the centre, etc. After about 10 mins or so we were taken up a staircase, inside the Matrimandir, which led to a small circular ante-room where we were asked to don socks. After this we were taken up a winding slope following the contours of the globular building and eventually into an inner chamber high up in the edifice. This chamber is lit only by the sun’s ray which falls through a heliograph onto a crystal ball which in turn lights up the whole chamber with a subdued, mellow light which penetrates everywhere in the circular room. One is asked to sit down in two large circles surrounding the crystal. The strength of the light is dependent on the brightness of the sun’s ray (clouds do play a large part in this) falling on the heliograph. One sits without any untoward movement in a state of concentration. One could feel the silence speak, so to say. There are no nervous coughs, no sneezes, and no shuffling. If you feel a need to clear your throat, there are enough doors to go out and do the needful. It was fascinating with 50 or so persons all sitting quietly without movement, only concentrating on the silence. Mind you, this was NOT a place for meditation, only silent individual concentration. After about 20 mins or so we were led out to return the socks in the ante-room and then collect our footwear. We were then taken to the Amphi-theatre where after another short narrative about the place we were taken back by bus to the Visitor’s Centre and leave.
When we arrived at the Visitor’s Centre, we saw that there was a small area set up with stalls. There were various items on sale, some were food stalls mostly selling organically produced food items, some selling recycled items or items made by recycling, even a sushi stall. I made a beeline for the sushi as I love the stuff (having lived in Tokyo, Japan, for four and a half years), that turned out to be my special lunch that day. Went back to the hotel room for my afternoon nap.
At about 1800 hrs. went out with my neighbour John to the Serenity beach for dinner. We went into a hotel called “Hutte Royale”. They have a restaurant on the first floor facing the sea, lovely ambience. We ordered for a starter of chicken 65, and chicken curry rice. The quantity was just sufficient, no wastage, and one would consider it passable fare, not great stuff. After dinner, it was back to the hotel room to my dear friend called “olden times”, the "Antiquity" whiskey bottle.
Before Auroville was established, only
one Banyan tree existed in the whole area, otherwise the whole area was barren, this tree is still preserved.
Besides my “smart phone”, which is somewhat
smarter than me, I had carried my small laptop also and would do my planning
and research on Google whenever required. I wanted to see Robert Clive’s
residence at Cuddalore, so checked it out and was prepared to visit it the next
day.
On the 14th of Feb. I left the hotel by 0830 hrs. and proceeded down the East Coast Road and then onto the NH 45A. On reaching Cuddalore, I turned left onto the road for Silver Beach. On reaching the beach I asked for directions to Fort David, nobody seemed to have heard of it, leave alone know about it. Finally I happened to ask the parking lot attendant. He too looked at me as if I was asking him directions to mars, suddenly it dawned on him that it must be the old house not very far away. I went along the direction he had shown and came across a modern constructed but empty building. I asked about Fort David to the watchman but got a blank look and a stare. I went a little further and saw a few men lying on charpoys in a large courtyard. I went in and asked them, and was told I was standing in the fort! Imagine, a site of this archaeological importance is not preserved for posterity. Presently this building is occupied by labourers of the L & T who are laying PVC pipelines in the area. The buildings are coming to pieces.
Opposite fort David is a dilapidated bungalow called “Fort House” this was the old guest house of the British company called “Parry & Co.”, which incidentally, is still in existence in India. They have constructed a new guest house diagonally across the main gate of the old one but no occupants save 2 watchmen.
I returned soon after to Pondicherry where I was to join, my co-guest at the hotel, John for lunch. Since I had treated him to dinner the previous evening, he wanted to reciprocate the same way. Since I was early, I went to the promenade called Goubet Avenue and went around the French Quarter known as White Town. The buildings in this part of town are very old but very well preserved and still look very elegant. Whilst passing time this way, I came across a “Sunday Market”, where stalls were set up on the roadside. I parked and browsed through for a half hour or so and then made my way to the Qualithe Hotel to their rooftop restaurant. The ambiance was perfect for a lazy afternoon meal. The hotel overlooks a public park and is sheltered from the sun with opaque plastic sheets which give sufficient brightness to the area. The bar too is well stocked but did not avail it as would be riding back to the hotel.
That evening I went to Auroville for a meal at Tanto Tratoria Pizzeria. I ordered a Regina 8” thin crust pizza. The Pizza is made on open counters right in front of you (I was seated opposite this counter) and then baked in an oven. When the Pizza came, the aroma of the prosciutto and cheese filling ones nostrils brought fond memories of past pizzas had in Marina di Carrara and La Spezia, both near Genoa, Italy. It just needed some Vino di Casa (house wine) to go with it, to make things perfect.
I returned to my hotel room and soon it was slumber time, as I was to leave Pondicherry early the next morning.
5TH LEG = PONDICHERRY TO RAMESWARAM
DAY 13: 15-02-2016
DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 430 Kms.
TOTAL TIME TAKEN: 10 Hrs. 15 Mins
ROUTE: Started on East
Coast Road, the NH 45A up to Nagapatinam, continued onto SH 49, then internal
roads at Rameswaram.
Left Pondicherry on the 15th Feb.
at 0615 hrs. for Rameswaram. The road
condition was mostly good except in localised patches where one encountered potholes. Soon passed Cuddalore
and pushed onward without stopping. Passed by some lovely green fields on the
way to Chidambaram. At Chidambaram encountered moderate traffic, even at this
early hour (about 0745 hrs). I came across some ceremonial chariots parked
outside a temple complex and stopped to photograph the same. At about 0930 hrs
I managed to reach Tranquebar or Tharangambadi, as it is now called locally. It
was a Danish settlement in the early 1700s. The buildings inside and the fort
are all very well maintained and taken care of. The fort was still under
renovation when I was visiting. I did not wish to spend too much time here as I
had a long way to go. I went around the whole settlement on the scooter as
could not leave my luggage unattended. Eventually after taking a few
photographs, I left for the next milestone Nagapatinam.
I came to Nagapatinam at about 1015 hrs.
however, the traffic density increased some 20 to 30 mins before I eventually
landed there. I passed by the fishing harbour and took some photographs of
boats tied up, alongside each other, along the banks.
Further south, I went past Velankanni where I
saw a signboard, directing to a memorial erected for the victims of Tsunami. I
visited the place but unfortunately found the gate locked. I looked around for
a caretaker or someone but could not find anyone. The memorial is erected in a
very quiet off-the-road area far from any town, therefore, hardly any visitors
would be interested in going so far away. A real pity.
After Velankanni, my next milestone was Ramnathpuram.
I filled petrol at Adirampattinam and pushed on via Ammapatinam and reached the
outskirts of Ramnathpuram at about 1600 hrs. Using the bypass, turned onto the
AH43 / NH49 and reached Rameswaram via the Pamban bridge (a 2 kms. long bridge)
at about 1700 hrs. One more “mission accomplished”.
The Pamban railway bridge has a section
midway which can be raised for small ships and barges to pass through. Opened on 24 February 1914,
it was India's first sea bridge, and was the longest sea bridge until the Bandra-Worli Sea Link in Mumbai. It connects Rameswaram on Pamban Island with the mainland. In 2013 it was reported that Indian
Railways had applied to UNESCO for the bridge to be made a world heritage site.
I remember, in 1985, when I was between jobs, I was supposed to take a
dredger towed by a tug from Vishakhapatnam to Mumbai, through this very same
passage, I even bought the relevant charts (maps to the lay person) to study this passage, but the departure got unduly delayed and had to drop out as I got a
call from a shipping company. Now nostalgically I looked onto the bridge and
the Pamban passage beneath it.
After reaching Rameswaram, I tried at several hotels to get a room, but
was told they were full. After a long ride, this was disappointing, however,
found a room in a new hotel (in an obscure by-lane) called Temple Towers. The
room was very comfortable, the staff was friendly and last but not the least
the cost was Rs. 950/-. There was no
facility for meals at this hotel, so had to ride out to a place in the main
street, among other things I had ordered, I recollect having had a whole fish
which was at least a foot long. Back to base and off to snoredom as tomorrow
entailed a similar long ride and I would be leaving early.
6TH LEG = RAMESWARAM TO TRIVANDRUM (VIA DHANUSHKODI &
KANYAKUMARI)
DAY 14: 16-02-2016
DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 456 Kms.
TOTAL TIME TAKEN: 11 Hrs.
ROUTE: Started on internal roads
at Rameswaram which led to the NH49 onto the Kochi-Dhanushkodi Road and back.
Then, took the SH49 through the bypass for Ramnathpuram, rode on towards Tuticorin and NH45B and then
the NH7A to Tirunelveli where changed to NH7 to Kanyakumari. Leaving
Kanyakumari took the NH47 all the way to Trivandrum or Thiruvananthapuram as it
is now called.
I wanted to start early but somehow overslept and started at 0700 hrs.
Besides the Pamban Railway bridge, the next reason for coming to Rameswaram was
to see this spit of land called Dhanushkodi, leading towards the northern tip of Sri Lanka. After riding
for about 21 Kms. I came across a thin rope drawn across two drums spanning the road and forming a barrier for traffic and
with a “No Entry” sign written in pen. I went to the parking lot to see if
there was another way around but could not find one. Then I noticed a local
trying to signal me with his face and trying to tell me to go around the far side
of the barrier drum where a small passage was left open. I quickly caught on
and went through this passage and accelerated, without hearing any calls or shouts from behind.
After riding about 3 Kms on a recently built tarred road, I came across some
road-building activity. They were laying a tarred road right up to the end –
the Ram Setu Point. I went on as much as I could on the rough road but had to stop
about 500 meters or so, from the end. I turned around after taking some photos and
soon met with some tourists who had just come by a jeep over sand and water on
the Bay of Bengal side. I stood there talking with them for about 15 – 20 mins
and started off towards Kanyakumari. I saw some of the ruins that were the
resultant of the destructive forces of a "Severe Cyclone" and the ensuing "Storm
Surge" in 1964; they still stand silently as time takes its toll on them.
I first headed towards
Tuticorin or Thoothukudi as it is now called. I had come to Tuticorin the first
time in October 1973 on my first ship, a steam-ship carrying coal as cargo from
Calcutta. I am not that ancient a mariner, but the Indian Merchant fleet still
had a few very old steamships left and I was one of the lucky few who got an
opportunity to sail on 2 of them. There were no berthing facilities at the port
of Tuticorin in those days. One had to drop anchor at the outside anchorage and
the cargo would be discharged into large wooden barges which used sails to propel
themselves to and from the shore. The second visit to Tuticorin was in the end
of 1975 discharging urea brought from Wizmar, East Germany. It was at this
time, as a young Third Mate that, I managed to get a couple of days shore leave
and visited Kanyakumari for the first time, travelling by local ST buses.
After taking the Tuticorin
bypass I arrived in Kanyakumari at about 1445 hrs. and clicked some photographs
of the Entrance Arch, the St.Michael’s church, and the Lighthouse and promptly
left for Trivandrum which was still another 100 kms. away.
After leaving Kanyakumari I headed towards Trivandrum on the coastal
road which eventually joined up with the NH47 near Thuckalay, this is the
Salem-Kochi-Kanyakumari Highway which goes through Trivandrum. I reached Trivandrum at about 1800 hrs and
after trying for a room at a lodge and was informed “no vacancy”, with some
luck, I landed up at the YMCA. A large clean room with a bath attached, and
with breakfast next morning, for Rs. 900/-. Had a hot shower, and went out to
dinner. Went to a typical Muslim restaurant (what we bawas call in Mumbai
“Chillya ka hotel”) and had a mutton chop curry rice washed down with a fresh
lemon juice. Came back to my room and to the monotonous sound of the television,
I soon conked off into deep sleep.
7TH LEG = TRIVANDRUM TO KOCHI
DAY 15: 17-02-2016
DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 221 Kms.
TOTAL TIME TAKEN: 5 Hrs.
ROUTE: Started on the M.G.road which is part of
the NH47 and continued onto Kochi where using internal roads reached my destination
Katari Baug.
This was the shortest
distance travelled during this trip, 221 Kms. could have been completed in a
faster time, however, narrow roads and traffic density did not allow faster
speeds except only over short distances. I noticed that in Kerala, the highway
is mostly used by local traffic therefore, clogging the through long-distance
traffic. Due to this frustration build-up resulting in aggressive driving, a
lot of rash driving incidents occur on such roads. One has to be very careful
and guard against such circumstances, taking them as one of the limitations on
these roads. The short ride was uneventful except that I nostalgically remembered
passing Quillon, now called Kollam, railway station. In April 2002, I had
boarded the train from here to Kanyakumari with the family, after a rice boat
trip from Taj Kumarakom to Alleppy, now Alapuzza. I reached Kochi around 1400
hrs. and after passing through the security at the gate, went straight to my
son’s bungalow at Katari Baug to be warmly greeted by my daughter(-in-law) as
my son was still at work. My son came home at 1430 hrs. and we all sat down to a
sumptuous family reunion lunch.
At Kochi
DAY 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 : 17-02-2016 to 22-02-2016.
I stayed in Kochi from 17th Feb. to 22nd
Feb. 2016 with my son and daughter(-in-law) and the days just flew by. My son was
at work in the mornings and had his evenings free so we would either visit some
restaurant for dinner or my daughter(-in-law) would cook at home (she is a very
accomplished cook) and makes excellent food both vegetarian and
non-vegetarian. The very first evening I
had specially requested them to take me for dinner to a place called Eden
Garden Heritage Homestay. The owners Judith and Mel were known to us, as we had
stayed there on an earlier visit to Kochi. They rear rabbits on their estate
and I was interested in gaining some knowledge regarding same. The menu, of
course, contained rabbit as the main course. The starter consisted of a fish
called pearl-spot which is considered the local delicacy. We commenced with the
fish which was smeared with traditional spices and fried. It was delicious.
After the fish, we could only manage to eat a few pieces of rabbit. It was
cooked in the local style – dry with herbs sprinkled over them. We were seated
at the main house dining room, just next to the kitchen and we had a long
conversation regarding rearing rabbits with Judith, during the course of the
meal, with Mel and his father Cyprin, nipping in and out of the dining room. It
was a nice evening and we drove back in my son’s new car back to his house, to
call it a day.
The next three mornings went in
supervising some workers, who came for painting the bungalow. On the 20th
morning I went to Fort Cochin side to search for a friend called George
Tennyson, whose family name was Thengapurikal, and whose wedding I had attended
in 1978. I went to the local church thinking maybe the records may turn up his
address but there was a mass in progress and I was advised to return after an
hour when the padre would be free. Meanwhile I went along the coast road
thinking to myself, how fast the world was changing for the better or for
worse, when I came across a post-woman delivering letters. I stopped my scooter
immediately and with a smile I said to her you are the right person to guide me. I
told her that I had come to this area for a friend’s wedding 38 years ago and
that I wanted to meet him again. She asked me his name, but there was no
recollection on her face, then I gave her the family name and her eyes
instantly lit up and her face saddened. Yes George Tennyson died six months ago
and his family has moved away from here to a distant place, which she mentioned.
George was a few years senior to me in
age and had sailed as a purser with me on 3 ships, we being junior-most
officers at that time, had developed a good rapport.
That afternoon, we went out for
lunch at a restaurant called Oceanos. We ordered for fried prawns, fried fish
and a local fish curry called Varutharachathu (fish cooked with roasted coconut
paste and coconut milk). The food and ambience were both great.
The next day, 21st morning I went to
Vypin Island (it is now connected to the mainland by a bridge) to look for
another friend, a radio officer who sailed with me in 1990. I traced him
through a shopkeeper there, who got hold of his telephone number from his
sister-in-law who was still staying on Vypin. I called him and we spoke at
length and wanted to meet that evening, but since he was going for mass and I was
leaving the next day, time was against us. That evening we went to a fast food
place called “The Burger Junction”. My son & daughter(-in-law) ordered a "Hellboy" beef, half
burger each, of supposedly the spiciest burger ever. I ordered a "Samurai" burger
along with some cheesy fries. To my amusement, I could see my son was becoming
vocal in his trouble with the pungency issue and she, although
troubled, could mask it better, but she kept blowing outwards, surreptitiously,
smiling but unable to speak. For desert, I had a "Red Velvet" and they had "Oreo Cheese" which, I think, did a lot to soothe their inflamed mouths. Thanks to both of them, it was a great finale to a wonderful stay at Kochi.
8TH LEG = KOCHI TO MANGALORE
DAY 20: 22-02-2016
DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 431Kms.
TOTAL TIME TAKEN: 12 Hrs. 15 Mins.
ROUTE: Started on the internal roads of Kochi and got onto NH47C, and then
turned left onto NH17, the Kochi-Panvel Highway, which took me past Calicut,
now called Kozhikode, and onto Mangalore, my eventual destination.
The journey along the coastline was quite
picturesque with Chinese fishing nets and the ride enjoyable. I left “home” at
about 0630 hrs. having Bekal or Kasargod as a target destination. At about 0800
hrs while passing through Kaipamangalam, came across an elephant with his
mahout and helper ambling on the road. One often hears of foreigners wanting to
know if they can see elephants on Indian roads, this was the answer to that
query. I filled up petrol at thriprayar and proceeded onwards. By noon I had
reached Chemencheri and stopped outside the railway station for a break. Soon
after about 5 kms I again had to stop for petrol at Koyilandy.
At this stage at noon I had only about 150 Kms to go to reach Bekal,
therefore took a review of the situation and decided to push on further to
reach Mangalore, which was 220 kms away and expected to reach there by about
1800 hrs. However due to increasing traffic while approaching Mangalore, I managed to reach by 1900 hrs. an
hour later than expected. I stayed overnight at the Hotel Moon Valley
Residency, an OYO hotel, which is on the highway. Very clean and spacious room
for Rs. 500/-, definitely value for money. After checking in, had a bath and
went down to the restaurant for dinner. Had a rice plate with a fried fish,
nothing great, and returned to the room to rest. Soon, I nodded off to an
undisturbed sleep, with the TV news channel voice murmuring continuously in a
low monotone (definitely not shouting “India wants to know”!).
9TH LEG = MANGALORE TO KUDAL
DAY 21: 23-02-2016
DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 468Kms.
TOTAL TIME TAKEN: 11
Hrs.
ROUTE: Stayed on the Kochi-Panvel Highway
throughout. Started in Karnataka, travelled through Goa and then, into
Maharashtra.
Left Mangalore at 0700 hrs., straight on the
highway, first milestone was Udupi. Just
before Udupi, between Kaup and Pangala, there was a large diversion with the
roads in a terrible condition with traffic moving at a crawl. Reached Udupi and
filled petrol, and proceeded further. At about 0900 hrs, just after crossing
Kundapur, I reached a road alongside the Marvanthe beach. It is a 2 Kms long
stretch and a lot of small shops have sprung up due to traffic stopping over here for a breather. It is a scenic place.
A FEW PHOTOGRAPHS TAKEN ON THIS LEG OF THE JOURNEY
I passed Karwar at about 1300 hrs. and pushed on to Goa. I have been to
Goa umpteen number of times and had decided right at the start of the tour that
I would not stop there this time. So I rode right through Goa from South to
North and came out close to Perenem where I filled up petrol and also bought a
bottle of my favourite whiskey, Antiquity. Whilst passing Sawantwadi, I picked
up some salted cashew nuts, to compliment the drink.
I reached Kudal at about 1800
hrs. and immediately found some accommodation at a roadside lodge. Not very
great, the room was small, the bathroom clean but deficient and the whole place
had an atmosphere of neglect. I paid Rs. 500/ for the overnight stay. Meals
were served in the dining hall on the ground floor and I had a rice plate,
which consisted of a chicken curry and a fried piece of chicken with the usual
pickle and onions. I sat there talking to the manager for some time and
informed them of my intention of leaving next day, early in the morning.
10TH LEG = KUDAL TO KHED
DAY 22: 24-02-2016
DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 312 Kms.
TOTAL TIME TAKEN: 9
Hrs. 30 Mins.
ROUTE: Rode on the Mumbai-Goa Highway
throughout.
If one notices, I
was pushing myself to ride long hours and distances each day after leaving
Kochi. I had spent an extra day to be with a part of my family in Kochi, now
maybe, consciously or subconsciously, I wanted to cover up that time, to be
home in Mumbai with the rest of my family, as planned earlier. My aim today was
to reach Khed. I wanted to stay at Ked instead of Chiplun, which is a bigger
place, for a purpose explained later.
I wanted to leave
Kudal early at about 0600 hrs but when getting ready for the ride I realised
that there was a mist on the road and could not take chances with poor
visibility on the highway. I waited till
0700 hrs and as soon as I felt that the mist was clearing off, I took to the
road.
Initially, I made
a slow and cautious headway, but later picked up speed as the mist cleared ever
so gradually. At about 1030, I
passed the Jaigad river, and took a photograph as it was looking very scenic.
I reached Khed by
about 1600 hrs. and made my way to the ST stand, as I was told that there was a
good lodge opposite the ST stand. I arrived at the Vijay Upahar Griha &
Lodge. The room was really large with a balcony and a large bathroom. It is an
old fashioned establishment but extremely comfortable and squeaky clean. The
rules are printed on a large placard and posted in each room. The ground floor
has a popular vegetarian restaurant of the same name, which serves really good
wholesome food and is full of customers, most of the time. The room cost was
Rs. 600 per day, absolute value for money.
I checked in,
placed my luggage in my room and after freshening up, I went down for some
snacks. After that, I went for a long walk on the main street and its
surroundings. By evening 1900 hrs. I had found a restaurant serving
non-vegetarian fare and went in. The restaurant had opened about 2 months
earlier, as the owner, a retired engineer from Kuwait, had returned and for
want of doing something constructive, he put his cooking skills to test. He
recommended the mutton Biryani which turned out to be very tasty. We got
chatting and whiled away an hour or so talking about Kuwait and the Gulf
countries, as I have been to most of them during my sailing career. We got
quite friendly, and he even offered me some fresh trotter soup the next morning
but had to refuse as wanted an early start.
11TH LEG = KHED TO WAI
DAY 23: 25-02-2016
DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 263 Kms.
TOTAL TIME TAKEN: 11
Hrs.
ROUTE: Started on the Mumbai-Goa Highway, then cut
across from Khopi Phata, to the road to Kharpi. From Kharpi, I took the
Shirgaon-Uchat road till Met Shindi. From Met Shindi onwards the road was impassable
for a scooter. Returned back to Khed and then on to Poladpur, from where I
proceeded to Mahableshwar and on to Tapola. Tapola I took a ferry boat across
the Shiv Sagar Lake and again another 15 Kms to Pimpri te Tamb. Returned back
the same way up to Mahableshwar and then on to Panchgani and Wai.
Khed was the
closest township to a road leading through the Sahayadri mountains to a place
called Pimpri Te Tamb, where I had negotiated to purchase a plot of land. I had
seen the plot only once before. One could reach this plot in three ways. One,
as I had planned, on country roads through the Sahayadri mountains. Two, via
Poladpur, Mahableshwar, Tapola, then a ferry and reach the plot after a ride of
15 Kms on a country road, from the ferry landing. Finally, three, from Poladpur
and then take a diversion from half-way to Mahableshwar and onwards to the
village of Pimpri te Tamb.
I took option one first, and after riding for 33 Kms. I reached a solitary hotel called Shiv
Sahayadri hotel and lodging, perched on an outcrop high up in the Sahayadri
mountains with a panoramic view of the valley below. I met the owner who was
alone and showed me around the place. The rent he was charging was Rs. 600/-
per room per day. He informed me that soon the road would get very rough and to
be careful. I pushed on seeing that I still had the tarred road beneath me. After
another 2 Kms. the road became very rough somewhat akin to riding on a river bed with large and small stones all over. With the scooter sliding and slipping, I went downhill for
another kilometre or so. I met a villager from Met Shindi who told me that last
month a large group of Royal Enfield riders had come by, and there were 7
m/cycles which failed / had punctures; they had to arrange for a truck to come
down and cart them back to Khed. He advised that even if I continue and make
it, I would reach only at 7 or 8 o’clock in the evening due to the pace I would
have to follow. I thought prudence was the better part of valour and turned
around and retraced my way back to Khed.
On passing Khed, I
filled up petrol and proceeded to Poladpur and Mahableshwar and then on to
Tapola. I met the person I was supposed to meet and with him on his motor cycle
and me on my scooter we crossed the Lake by ferry and went to the plot over
rough roads for about 15 kms. We finished our work there and returned back the
same way. I reached Wai in the late evening at about 2000 hrs. This was one of
the rare exceptions that I rode in darkness on the highway, as I do not drive nor
ride on highways at night. In Wai, I always stay at a lodge called Sayali Lodge
when in this area, as it is a very comfortable place to stay. Their charges are
higher, but I am normally charged Rs.1000 per day. I checked in and after a
wash sat down for a well earned drink, then ordered some food through room
service. After dinner, I was too tired and quickly hit the sack for my eyes
were closing after that day’s strenuous ride.
The Magnificence of the Sahaydri Mountains
12TH LEG = WAI TO VERSOVA, MUMBAI
DAY 24: 26-02-2016
DISTANCE TRAVELLED: 247 Kms.
TOTAL TIME TAKEN: 5
Hrs.
FINAL ODOMETER READING: 12255 Kms.
ROUTE: Started on the Wai-Surur road, then turned
left onto the NH4 highway right up to Panvel and then onto the Sion-Panvel
Highway. Then used internal Mumbai roads to reach home at 1545 hrs. HOME AT
LAST!
I got up lazily that last day
on the road, at 0830 hrs, and after bath, went down to Yevle Snacks for
breakfast. I always try and have the special missal over here. It is very tasty
and is made of green peas, tomatoes, potatoes and the quantity is substantial
(served in a large steel mug). After breakfast, I met my Lawyer for some work and
then left Wai at about 1100 hrs. Another speciality one gets on this road is
the sugarcane juice. The cane is freshly cut in the morning each day from the
adjoining field and brought to the vending stall on the roadside. I always stop
by to have a couple of glasses.
The journey back to Mumbai was
uneventful, except a small traffic jam at Hinjewadi, outside Pune. The roads
were familiar, traffic was sparse and my scooter running as well as it always
does, a well-oiled machine. I filled up petrol once on the way, and reached home, after vending my
way through the Mumbai traffic, at 1545 hrs.
Finally back home after 23 days
of experiencing a part of OUR INCREDIBLE INDIA!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Advice to others
wanting to ride on scooters over long distances:-
- Please consider the limitations of
your scooter, as well as the limitations of your own body. This will
always keep you safe and without any mishaps.
- Keep checking your scooter every time you halt, I did not experience any
breakdowns on the entire journey, not even a puncture.
- The scooter was serviced prior my departure in MUMBAI and again at
Pondicherry, by authorised Honda service stations.
- I did not carry a "stepney" nor a puncture kit, however, for resolving punctures, I had with me a can of "Motul Tyre Repair" which contains repair liquid and air which re-inflates tyres to the desired pressure. It is easy to use and occupies minimum space.
- Do not have a heavy meal when riding. It tends to make you drowsy and prone to committing mistakes, which can result in serious consequences. Have small helpings at short intervals which will be sufficient to sustain you till your evening meal.
I have not heard of anyone else riding
such distances by scooter, however there could be others having done so.
Wherever I went, people were surprised to see a Maharashtra state number plate,
so far away from home base, and the usual question was asked with surprise and
awe, "Did you come all the way on this scooter?".
People (Aam Aadmi) that I came across, in all the States that I travelled
through, were very kind and helpful. They sometimes hesitate to talk due to language difficulty.
This was my second
long distance travel by scooter, my first one was my trip to South Coastal
Maharashtra, a total of 1400 Kms, the details of which are in my earlier blog
on:-my2wheelrides.blogspot.in
NOTES:-
- Additional
distances covered internally at each destination (totally about 380 kms. - 5
days each in Pondicherry and Kochi, 3 days each in Tirupathi and Secunderabad) and time
consumed, are not shown. The odometer reading at start was 7447 kms. and on
reaching home again was 12255 kms. thus riding a distance of 4808 kms. in 23
days.
- Total
expenditure was about Rs. 28000/- inclusive of 119.31 ltrs. of petrol, worth
about Rs. 7645/, consumed during the full trip.
- Again
this being a budget excursion, economical hotels were used, all
clean, with bath & toilet attached, no compromises were made in
this regard, max cost was Rs. 1145/day at Secunderabad and min was Rs. 450/day
at Tirupathi.
- Riding
times and Killometers travelled, depended mainly on road conditions and traffic
density.
- Time
includes waiting at ferry stations awaiting Arrival / Departure of ferries at Tapola.
- The
longest period of being out on the road, in a single day was 12.5 hrs. riding 578 kms., and the least was 5 hrs. riding 221 kms. This
includes frequent rest periods of 10 to 20 minutes taken every 2 hrs. or so,
or as and when required.
- Passed through the following states:- Maharashtra, Telengana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, & Goa.
ALL IN ALL A VERY CHALLENGING AND
SATISFYING EXPERIENCE!
PLANNING HAS ALREADY COMMENCED FOR THE NEXT TRIP - THE NORTH-EASTERN STATES! ANYONE INTERESTED?
