[aabhimanyu04]

Another weekend was approaching and we were once again thinking of places we could cover in a day without needing of an additional day off from work.
We knew the ride time had to be short so that we reach our destination within 4-5 hours.
A colleague of mine and I decided to list down places we could do given the time constraints. After all necessary calculations ( mainly of time) we were finally left with two good options.

1. Chikmagalur
2. Coorg

Reservation issues further narrowed our destination hunt down to Coorg. how about the bookings? I contacted a friend of mine to know if he has leads of any place in Coorg and he recommended me of Zostel (a hostel setup) which we immediately liked.https://www.zostel.com/

Bookings were made for all the three of us for a Saturday night in Coorg! Excitement was rising by every passing day and a WhatsApp group was created to discuss the route/time, expenses shared, live location etc.

The riders and their rides:
1. 2016 Bajaj Pulsar AS 200 ( Parampreet Singh Kohli)
2. 2017 Yamaha YZF R3 ( Abhimanyu Thakur)
3. 2010 Ford Figo Petrol ( Vicky Dash)


The checklist:
1. Medical Kit
2. ORS (riding in summers can take a toll on you)
3. Riding gear
4. Offline maps download
5. Xtra Premium fuel and Air pressure check/puncture check
6. Bluetooth Speakers
7. DSLR (Nikon D3300, 55-200) for memories

Finally, it’s a Saturday, morning 4.30AM and I can’t wait any longer but get on the saddle and hit the Mysore road. Two other friends decide to meet me at a common meeting point (Raja Rajeshwari Dental College).
We decided to take the Mysore road and take the diversion from Colombia Asia signal towards Coorg (that being the safest in terms of road quality).

The Route:


Early morning rides make me feel hungry, an open McDonalds on the way was my savior. I managed to convince my friends who were reluctant on having junk food in their first meal . A quick burger and some tasteless coffee was enough to keep me quite for the next few hours.
Occasional sugarcane juice vendors were a welcoming sight and we stopped at almost every stall we noticed, that helped.


Riding ~4 hours on the chaotic Mysore road we finally got closer to Coorg and boy, it was a delight to ride on the stretch there on, narrow but welcoming, I could not resist but ask my colleague to click some pictures of me playing with my R3 on the corners (He turned out to be a pro photographer and the sports mode on my DSLR did not disappoint either).

My 2017 Yamaha YZF R3


Nikon D3300 in Sports mode for this click


Bokeh photography Nikon D3300, Lens55-200 Auto mode


Another angle using Nikon D3300, Lens 55-200 Sports mode


By now you know I love clicking my bike


I loved the way nature was reflecting on my glossy R3 ( the newer ones come with matt finish)


Vicky was slow and steady on his Ford Figo petrol


Entry and exit on each corner was such a delight and confidence inspiring (I threw my stock tyres on the day one of ownership for Michelin Pilot Street), It felt like going back on the same road and do it all over again, after all this is what we came for.


Param and his AS200


Finally we spot the signboard of our stay


We reached the destination by 11ish in the morning and checked into the hostel without any fuss.
it was lunch time for Bonnie and Clyde


We were hungry and we grabbed ours too, delicious!


Some pictures we clicked during our stay, my favorite is the one of Jackfruit.
Jackfruit, Avocado and a View you won't find in Bangalore


It is a newly opened property with a lot to talk about


A View from the property


This is the Parking/Campfire/Hammock area, stories start from here


Vicky enjoying the Hammock after a scrumptious lunch


Immediately after reaching we wasted no time and decided to visit the Irupu falls,a place worth visiting.


The bridge on the river Kwai?


Not much water during March-April


Night was fun with a lot of stranger on a common table enjoying life (I do not want to elaborate this here) and sharing life stories. In my opinion one must for once have the experience of staying in a hostel, ditch your family suite rooms, they are not fun

A random picture of Zostelers having good time together


Dinner was made available by 9ish and left for people to help themselves. Some were busy Jamming, some enjoying the campfire.
After a long day spent, we needed comfy beds and we were happy we got them:


A night well spent and Sunday came faster than it ever did, we decided to pack our bags and head back to Bangalore before it got hotter. So we did, this time ditching the Mysore road for the much better Kunigal highway. Longer but faster.

The Route back home:


With this trip I know the following things ( they say every travel makes you that much wiser)

1. Never trust that Lungi Uncle on a splendor on state highways, he can always turn without any indication ( for worse he may also pass a smile )
2. Maintain a good distance from traffic on Mysore road, fast changing lanes is a fashion there.
3. No time is bad time to ride with good friends

I hope you enjoyed reading, cheers

[GTO]

Thread moved from the Assembly Line to the Travelogues Section. Thanks for sharing!

[shady8701]

Seems like a fun trip mate! Cheers!
And also, loving that last picture - No photography during bathing indeed!

[ARAY]

Thanks for sharing , brought back good memories of my Hyderabad Ooty and Coorg run . Your R3 looks dashing.