THE
"FREEZING" RIDE. India
is no stranger to Extravagant places. Be it the Mighty Himalayan Peaks, Snow
covered highways, Magnificent Oak Forests, Enthralling Wildlife Sanctuaries,
Splendid Coral Reefs, Mystical Palaces, Haunted Ruins or any other place in
particular (you name it). Incredible India has it all. It’s about time we
appreciated the Eternal Beauties that Mother India has to offer.
ZROYA
RIDES TO THE PRINCESS OF HILL STATIONS. 1701
Kilometers - 6 Destinations - 4 Days - 1 Killer Ride. Day 3 - 17th of January
2015. I
never liked manmade structures, but structures like these are beyond beautiful.
The Vaigai dam stood bold. An hour at the dam and I found myself cruising
towards Suruli Falls.
Suruli
falls - A two stage cascading waterfalls is not much to see and do, but if u
like nature, then there's more sights and sounds here which makes you forget
your ego.
I
reached Kumily by 3 pm. Riding around on these picturesque boulevards was a
very welcoming change from the usual highway I encounter. The hairpin bends
made it more interesting. A quaint place which houses natural waterfalls and badass
view points makes this place a must visit destination for any traveler. And
yeah, how can I forget those Elephants, Spice Estates, Malabar biriyani and
Banana chips??. It was Kerala after all.
The
17th of January was planned to go witness a world event called as Jalli Kattu
which happens in a place called Allaganallur near Madurai. The event got banned
due to various reasons. I guess sometimes you don't get what you ask for. Next
year may be. 6
pm and I started descending and headed towards Kodaikanal. Kodaikanal is one of
those most beautiful places to freeze your butt off. You can guarantee a white
winter here (all year long). Well, the main reason was to travel on those
freezing ghat sections by night. You may be the BADDEST THING around town but I
can guarantee you that the consequences of making mistakes on this stretch of
road sends shivers down your spine. I met this cute little girl on my way up. A
little Parakeet named as "Panchavarnam".
Then
it was 52 kilometers of uphill ride. Temperature decreased as the altitude
increased and then, there was this exclusive view - "Kodaikanal by
night". It was Cold, it was Freezing and it was Awesome. A little Old Monk
would have been apt, but then I'm a responsible traveler. A big no to "Drunk
Driving".
11
pm - Checked into a nice hotel and crashed. Day
4 - 18th of January 2015. It's
always good to be on top and even better if there's a view to boot. There are a
whole host of hills, mountains and valleys filled with dense fog and Kodaikanal
is one of them. Yes, the journey may be treacherous but once you are at the
top, the experience can never be forgotten. No
wonder Kodaikanal is one of the best places for couples. It's so cold here, the
weather makes cuddling a no brainer. 7 am - The view from the hotel was
surreal. I just sat there soaking in the morning mist to enjoy the unbelievable
green surroundings. The sprawling hillsides buoyed by lilies and rhododendrons
for leagues on end makes this place a Stunning and Pleasant locale.
I
needed to beat the pressures of putting up in a metro city; visiting Kodaikanal
and just do nothing was the right thing to do. I just reveled in the cool air,
lush green surroundings and indulged in some locally grown delicious tea (not to mention the local grass (wink*)). This
was a perfect place to unwind. What made it special ??, the Thick Fog.
Popularly
known as "The Princess of Hill Stations", Kodaikanal has nothing more
than Pristineness. 9
am - It was about time that Zroya wandered along those mysterious roads of
Kodai. With Scenic Destinations in a close proximity, this place gets a Double
Thumbs up if you wanna stay close to nature.
Initially
it was the Pine Forests, and then came the Pillar Rocks, followed by Green
Valley View, Guna caves and many others, each with its own Charisma. Words
cannot describe these nature's wonders, but luckily pictures can.
If trekking
is your thing, then Dolphin's Nose is a must place to visit while you are here.
I wasn't surprised to see a bunch of Foreign Backpackers in Dolphin's Nose
minding their own business (Smoking Weed).
Couple
of pictures along the waterfalls, lakes and scenic places, it was time that I
bid adieu to Kodaikanal. Well, I was a bit heartbroken to have completed 4 days
of traveling, but then I could have only wished that Traveling was FREE.
2
am on 19th of January 2015, I was back at my pretty home. With a high sense of
having completed the ride and have had many Jaw Dropping Experiences, I just
felt super happy and went to bed with the broadest smile I could have ever had. Ridesntreks:
Part 1. Ride to Madurai - Rameshwaram - Dhanushkodi - Theni - Kumily -
Kodaikanal - Bangalore. -
http://ridesntreks.blogspot.in/2015/01/part-1-ride-to-madurai-rameshwaram.html?m=1
Next
Ride : Gandikota - The Grand Canyon of India and Belum Caves - 2nd Largest Cave
System in India. Until then, ride hard ride safe. Peace !!!!.
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.
"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.
