Part 1. Ride to Madurai - Rameshwaram - Dhanushkodi - Theni - Kumily - Kodaikanal - Bangalore.

THE "PAMBAN" EXPERIENCE. 

Just when I thought I've seen enough of South India; Mother Nature slaps me in my face and shows me something Extraordinary, something Breath taking, something like this !!!!!. Just one look at the picture and you will understand what I mean.

ZROYA RIDES TO THE ENDS OF TERRA FIRMA. 


1701 Kilometers - 6 Destinations - 4 Days - 1 Killer Ride.


"Fill your life with experiences, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show". This quote is true to the core. Experiences are for a lifetime and there are a few people who believe in telling real life experiences to their grand kids than say "All I've done is just work my entire life". These people also believe in Prophet Muhammad's saying - "Don't tel me how educated you are, tell me how much you have traveled" and boy !!! am I glad to be one of them. 

Mother Nature never ceases to surprise us. Be it its perfect combination of beauty and exhilaration or absolute nothingness, she always have showed us the same love unconditionally. 


In case if you are wondering how long is 1701 kilometers??, well here's a clue. If I would have started from kanyakumari and headed north towards kargil, I would have ended up half way (kargil to kanyakumari = 3996 kilometers) and if that isn't apt, 1701 kilometers is most people's monthly commute (68 kms per day for 25 days).


Day 1 - 15th of January 2015. 

The beloved day of Makara Shankranthi/Pongal. 3:30 am - Pulled up my pants and cranked Zroya up. National highway - an absolute pleasure to ride on. The roads are so darn great, it gives formula one tracks a run for its money. Somewhere along the way, I get greeted by the almighty sun and before it got too hot I was to exit Madurai and head towards Rameshwaram. 

Reached Madurai by 10 am. If you ask anyone in Madurai about the traffic rules; they probably would give a stink eye on you. Call it ridiculousness or pandemonium, riding here is literally chaotic. 

No, I'm not a "BAKTH" material, but I'll never let down an opportunity to head to a temple. Madurai Meenakshi Amman temple which attracts 15000 visitors per day and 25000 visitors on Fridays, attracted me too and being there on an auspicious day (Pongal), I found myself in the middle of probably 30000 people. But then, it was all worth it.

After having shoved my face (literally) in typical south Indian food, I just rolled the dice and kept heading south towards Rameshwaram. A few miles from Rameshwaram, the stench of the fish hit me like a sledge hammer but in a good way. If you are a "Grass Eater" like me (wink**) who likes sea food, you can always ask the locals to fry you some local speciality. 

A few pictures with the kids and after watching the sunset (sunrises and sunsets are the best sights ever), I headed down south.

Remember the first girl/boy who made your heart skip a beat ??. Well, this was a similar experience. The Majestic Pamban Bridge (The Most Dangerous Sea Bridge in India) stood there Elegantly as a Prom Queen. It's really amazing that she's 101 years old but still has the charm of a teenager. I just stood there for ages looking at the mesmerizing structure, and then this happened. A train comes by.

After an hour or so, I checked into my hotel and just hit the sack.


Day 2 - 16th of January 2015.

  
People seldom appreciate the charm and beauty of an empty space. Places that were left to the gods or old structures given up to the changes of the climate assume a splendor all of their own, drawing on the organic aesthetics of wines and weathered storms.


It was 1 am - I just couldn't sleep, so I rode for 10 kilometers to meet up with my new found love "The Pamban". The place is absolutely deserted by night. It was just me and her. I looked at her with no words to say or hear. I guess I had fallen for her and her gorgeousness. To top it off, the wind just caressed my face as I admired her without blinking. Just when I was about to leave, a train comes by. The sight of the train at the night was just incredible. How often do you get to see this sight ??.

The temple of Ramanathaswamy has always amazed me. I'm not much of a believer, (I only believe in nature) but this place has 22 wells situated inside the temple. The water from each well differs, the taste differs and the color differs. Places like these still prove that nothing is impossible for GOD.

  
9 am - After having taken the blessings of Ramanathaswamy, I found myself on the road which headed towards Dhanushkodi A.K.A "The Ghost Town". Not a single soul on the roads. Dhanushkodi can only be reached either by jeep or a mini bus through the backwaters of the sea.

Call it an abandoned wonderland or sprawling place of nothing, Dhanushkodi is a place where you can lose yourself in the serene bliss of nothingness.

The ghost town on pamban island is famous for it's Ramayana connection. Two cyclones reduced the town to what it is today - A Shadow. And yet, this is one place that will haunt your memories.

On my way back, I found this road. A road built on the backwaters of the sea. I think you will just understand why this was one of the most memorable points in my trip.

I had to catch a train to ride on the Pamban Bridge which was scheduled for 11:50 am. Reaching Rameshwaram from Dhanushkodi only happened at 2 pm. Tears literally rolled down my eyes to have missed the train because the feel of riding on the tracks is breathtaking (I know it because I had done it before). Well, I guess sometimes the world doesn't play by our rules.


Having missed the train, I couldn't have missed to pay a visit to House of Kalam. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam (The Missile Man of India) is the one person who has my absolute respect. A look at his house, and you see how simple of a man he is. No words for him, only RESPECT.

An hour and a half later I was back at The Pamban. The sea is so blue and so clean, see what I mean ??.

The fact of having missed the train started haunting me. I had to be on those tracks no matter what. So what do I do ??. I was bloody crazy enough to do this.

U see the guy wearing a white T-shirt, blue shorts and looking like Osama bin Laden's 7th cousin ??. Well that's me. Being on the tracks was on a whole different level. What if a train comes ??. What if I fell into the sea ??. The adrenaline inside my body was pumping like Rocket Fuel. But then, while people were taking pictures of me on the bridge, I was taking a selfie (wink*). I just felt closer to Mother Nature then. The feeling was ecstatic - way better than traveling by train. It was an Unforgettable Experience and if I had to coin a word for it, then it would be Awesomeness + Epicness = Awesomepicness.

Here you go !!!!. A little glimpse of Pamban in close proximity.

10 pm and I was somewhere near Theni.


ridesntreks - THE WESTERN GHATS RIDE PART 3: The awe-freaking-some ride of Zroya to the tracts of serene beauty. "Day 2 and ... - http://ridesntreks5.blogspot.in/2015/01/the-awe-freaking-some-ride-of-zroya-to.html?m=1


Next up, ridesntreks - Part 2. Ride to Madurai - Rameshwaram - Dhanushkodi - Theni - Kumily - Kodaikanal - Bangalore. 


THE "FREEZING" RIDE. 


Until then, ride hard ride safe. Peace !!!!!!.