AM BACK WITH AN OTHER TRAVEL STORY. ALL YOU GUYS.I HOPE EVERYONE ARE DOING FINE.SO,THIS IS MY TRAVEL STORY FROM BANGALORE TO RAMESHWARAM,KANYAKUMARI AND BACK.

RIDE TO RAMESHWARAM

DAY 1:-LEFT BANGALORE AT 4:50 AM IN THE MORNING AFTER A BRIEF POOJA DONE TO OUR BIKES. SO,THE BIKES BEING ROYAL EN FIELD ELECTRA(350),DESERT STORM,CLASSIC 500,PULSAR 200 RS AND A PULSAR 220.TOTALLY 7 GUYS ON THE SADDLE AND 3 RIDING SINGLE.PACKED IN OUR SADDLE BAGS WERE CLOTHES FOR 4 DAYS.

WE TOOK THE DHARMAPURI,KRISHNAGIRI,SALEM,DINDIGUL,MADURAI AND RAMESHWARAM ROUTE.

HAD BREAKFAST IN SALEM IN SMALL RES TRUANT ON THE HIGHWAY.THE HOT IDLIS WERE A BOONE TO OUR ICY BODIES DUE TO THE COLD MORNING.AS WE PROGRESSED THE ODOMETER RISED TO 200..300.. AND SO DID THE BLOODY TEMPERATURE, GUYS IF YOUR RIDING TO TAMIL NADU FOR GODS, SAKE NOT BETWEEN FEB-JUNE. A LOT OF DEHYDRATION AND AN ACUTE SUNBURN LEFT US HALF BOILED BY THE TIME WE REACHED MADURAI FOR A LUNCH AT 5 PM(MADNESS!!!). SARAVANA BHAVAN IT READ.THE FOOD WAS NOTHING GREAT BUT YES IT HELPED US GET OUR ENERGY BACK SOON. THE COAST WAS CALLING US AND WE CONTINUED OUR JOURNEY TO RAMESHWARAM IN THE SINGLE LANE ROAD WHICH WE TOOK AS SOON AS WE LEFT MADURAI. EN ROUTE TO PAMBAN BRIDGE HAD STOPPED FOR COFFEE ANYONE OF YOU ARE FROM TAMIL NADU I BOW DOWN TO YE FOR YOUR COFFEE SKILLS GUYS AND GALS. THEY MAKE THE ULTIMATE COFFEE.

WE ASKED THE DIRECTIONS TO PAMBAN BRIDGE AND REACHED WITHIN NO TIME.THE NIGHTFALL HAD NO VIEW TO OFFER US.A BIT OF A DISAPPOINTMENT ON OUR FACES,WE STARTED TO RAMESHWARAM TEMPLE STREET.FOUND OUT A NICE LODGE WHICH WORKED OUT QUITE CHEAP FOR US.

DAY-2: AFTER A NIGHT WITH A GOOD AMOUNT OF REST.WE STARTED OUT TO BEACH AROUND 5:30 IN THE MORNING.

IT IS JUST AROUND TWO KM FROM THE TEMPLE STREET.THE VIEW OF THE MORNING SUN RISING ABOVE AND KISSING THE DARK SKY IN THE BACKGROUND OF THE ENORMOUS OCEAN WAS JUST PICTURE PERFECT.

SPENT A GOOD HOUR IN THE BREEZE AND TOOK A LOT OF PHOTOS AND RETURNED TO FRESHEN UP TO VISIT THE TEMPLE.

TEMPLE HAS NO RESTRICTION OF DRESS CODES FOR MEN AND ADVISES ON SAREE OR SALWAR TO WOMEN. THE TEMPLE AS IT IS,IS A PRETTY HUGE PLACE.PROVIDES A HUGE PARKING SPACE FOR TWO WHEELER.ONE WOULD REQUIRE HALF A DAY TO COMPLETE ALL THE HOLY RITUALS(22 HOLY WELLS=22 HOLY DIPS).SO WE PRAYED THE MAIN DEITY,COLLECTED THE PRASADM AND STARTED OFF TO DHANUSHKODI.

DHANUSHKODI IS 20 KM FROM RAMESHWARAM. HOARDINGS SHOWING DIRECTIONS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE TO SUPPORT TOURISM AND TRAVEL.PACKED WITH THE RELIGIOUS SIGNIFICANCE OF EXTREME CIVIL ENGINEERING SKILLS OF LORD RAMA AND HANUMAN,THE PLACE IS USUALLY FLOCKED WITH TOURISTS.BUT WE JUST ARE SOOO FOOLISH IF WE THINK SO. THE ROADS TAKE YOU TWO A NARROW SINGLE LANE ROAD.AMIDST THE GREEN SEA PLANKTON GROWN ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD,GOOD OBSERVATION CAN SHOW YOU THE SHINY BLUE WATERS OF THE BAY OF BENGAL AND THE INDIAN OCEAN THEMSELVES. ISN'T IT A DIVINE INTERVENTION??JUST ASKED.

WE REACHED DHANUSKODI AND FOUND OUT THAT WE COULD NO LONGER GO FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD.AFTER AN INQUIRY WITH THE GUARDS,THEY LET US RIDE FURTHER AS THE ROAD WOULDN'T BE A PROBLEM FOR TWO WHEELER.WE STOPPED AT THE END OF THE OFFROADING TRAIL AND LOOKED AROUND US TO SEE OCEANS COVERING BOTH THE SIDES OF THE MAINLAND.A BREATHTAKING VIEW OF NATURES FIERCENESS CAN BE EXPERIENCED.

RETURNED TO CHECKOUT FROM THE LODGE AFTER A BRIEF TIME IN THE WATER.PACKED OUR SADDLES TO KANYAKUMARI. EN ROUTE TO RAMNAD. THE EVENING GAVE A SPECTACULAR VIEW OF THE PAMBAN BRIDGE AND THE INDIAN OCEAN DOWN BELOW.ONE OF THE GREATEST ENGINEERING MARVELS ONLY EXPLAINED BY SIGHT.

WORDS FALL SHORT TO MATCH THE FEELING,STANDING ON THIS PARTICULAR PLACE.

ALL ALONG THE ROUTE THE STATE HIGHWAYS CONNECTING KANYAKUMARI ARE SINGLE LANE.BEING WATCHFUL WITH YOUR REAR VIEW MIRROR HELPS A LOT DURING RIDING.THE SINGLE LANE ROADS ENDS AT TUTICORIN.A DISTANCE OF 130 KM ON THE STRAIGHT NH7/44 HIGHWAY.WAS A BLISS TO RIDE IN THE NIGHT IN THE VERY WELL MAINTAINED HIGHWAY.WE REACHED KANYAKUMARI AT 12AM AND SEARCHED FOR A PARTICULARLY BAD "SEA VIEW " ROOM ONLY TO REALIZE A SMALL WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY EXISTED IN THE MORNING TO ACTUALLY "SEE THE SEA"!!

DAY-3: WAKING UP LATE IS A VERY VERY BAD IDEA WHEN YOU ARE RIDING.WELL,HAVING A BRUNCH AROUND 11:30 AM IN A LOCAL KERALA STYLE RES TRUANT AND APPRECIATING THE CHEF FOR HIS SEA FOOD,LEFT TO WATCH THE VIVEKANANDA MEMORIAL. KANYAKUMARI IS THE LAST POINT OF OF SOUTH INDIA AND THE VERY FACT MAKES IT ONE OF THE FAMOUS TOURIST DESTINATIONS.PEOPLE FLOCK THE ENTIRE CITY ALL THE TIME.MAKE SURE TO REACH AT THE FERRY POINT EARLY AND START OFF AS THE SUN BURNS YOU THROUGHOUT THE DAY.

THE ENTIRE FERRY RIDE TO VIVEKANANDA ROCK AND BACK MIGHT JUST TAKE 3 HOURS AND WOULD TAKE LONGER IF THERE IS A HEAVY CROWD. GOLI SODA IS WHAT BEATS THE HEAT OF THE DAY.

LEAVING THE CITY OF KANYAKUMARI AT 5:30 PM AFTER A SCHEDULED REFILL,WE TOOK A DEVIATION TO LEFT TO EXPLORE THE HIGHWAY.THE ROAD TAKES YOU TO A SMALL TOWN AND AGAIN CONNECTS YOU TO HIGHWAY NH44. THE ROAD ENDS AT A POINT.A RIGHT DEVIATION TAKES YOU TO KOVALAM BEACH AND NAGERCOIL.THE SUNSET WAS PICTURESQUE AND TOOK OUT THE LAST IOTA OF STRESS FROM OUR FACES.

LEFT WITH HEAVY HEART TO MADURAI WHERE WE HAD PLANNED A STAY TO AVOID OVER STRESSING OURSELVES BY RIDING 7OO+ KM AT A STRETCH.REACHED MADURAI BY 1AM AND TOOK OFF IN A LOCAL LODGE.THE CITY INDICATES THE PRESENCE OF A LOT OF TOURISTS JUST BY THE IT'S LITTERED STREETS.I REPEAT PLEASE DO NOT LITTER ON THE STREETS.

DAY-4: WOKE UP IN THE MORNING FRESHENED UP.PICKED UP ONE OF THE GUYS WHO VISITED THE TEMPLE AND BY THE TIME WE STARTED FROM MADURAI HAVING ANOTHER BRUNCH,IT WAS APPROACHING TOWARDS DINDIGUL THE HEAT STARTED GETTING ON TO US.THE PLAINS HAVE HUGE HILLOCKS WHICH CREATE A HUGE WIND CAVITY ON THE HIGHWAY AND A LOT OF DRAG ON THE BIKE.

PLEASE DO NOTE THAT THE CHAIN MUST BE APPROPRIATELY SET FOR TENSION.THE SPROCKET TEETH STARTED TO WEAR OFF AND IT WASN'T IN THE SLIGHTEST THOUGHTS HAD I RELEASED THIS.REACHED BANGALORE EN ROUTE SALEM KRISHNAGIRI WITH LOTS OF CHEER AND LAUGH.THOUGHTS OF FAMILY AND THE HAUNTING MONDAY MEETING KEPT US AWAKE.THE SPROCKET TEETH CHIPPED OFF AS THE CHAIN WAS TOO LOOSE NEAR SILK BOARD(A HAUNTING PLACE FOR A BANGALOREAN).WE REACHED BANGALORE BY 12AM AND HAD A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP.

THE TOTAL RIDE PLAN WAS VERY SIMPLE.ALL THE PLACES ARE CONNECTED BY THE MAJOR HIGHWAYS.SO,HERE'S THE ROAD MAP GUYS

WELL THE MAP SAYS 1590 KM,HOWEVER WE HAVE COVERED A DISTANCE OF 1742 KM.CHECK IT OUT.

INITIAL READING(SORRY FOR THE FAULTY SPEEDO THOUGH.)

FINAL READING AT THE SAME PLACE WHERE WE FLAGGED OFF.

RIDING IN INDIA IS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE. IT SHOWS YOU THE RICH CULTURE OF THE LAND.THE WAY PEOPLE RECEIVE YOU IS JUST THE ULTIMATE EXAMPLE OF A LAND SO BLESSED.NOWHERE WE FELT THAT PEOPLE ARE INTOLERANT. BEING FROM THE NEIGHBORING STATE OF KARNATAKA AND KNOWING THE ONGOING DISPUTES FOR WATER AND MANY ISSUES IT NEVER HAD BECOME A PROBLEM FOR TWO COMMON MEN FROM TWO DIFFERENT WALKS OF LIFE AND DIFFERENT CULTURES,CONGREGATE IN A TEA SHOP.THE FREQUENT QUESTION" YOU RODE ALL THE WAY FROM BANGALORE??" JUST BOUGHT A SMILE ON OUR FACE,SATISFYING OUR INNER DEMONS.

TALKING ABOUT THE BEAUTIFUL NATURE,THE REDUCTION OF A HUGE LAND MASS INTO PLAIN SLUSHY SWAMPS AND AN OPEN VIEW OF TWO WATER BODIES MEETING IS SUCH A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT AT DHANUSHKODI. A HUGE LAND FORM,THE MAINLAND OF INDIA SWALLOWED UP BY A MIGHTY OCEAN GIVES YOU CHILLS AND MIGHT EVEN QUESTION YOUR CONSCIENCE.

NATURE- MOUNTAIN,THE OCEAN AND THE DISTANCE,YET ALL OF THESE BEING SO BIG IN FRONT OF TINY MORTAL BEINGS,WE DID CONQUER IT BECAUSE WE ARE ALSO PART OF THE NATURE,THE NATURE'S MOST INTELLIGENT KIDS AND PROBABLY THE FOREVER LAST ONES TO TAKE STEP ON THE EARTH-HUMANKIND.

TRAVELLING IN THE UNDERBELLY OF NATURE,A TRULY DIVINE EXPERIENCE AND A JOURNEY TO RECKON WITH.

SO PACK YOUR BAGS GUYS THE OPEN ROAD IS CALLING YOU.RIDE SAFE CYA UNTIL NEXT TIME.