[cr4nkshaft]

6th August - Prelude

At this point, I still had no idea where we are going.
Taking a break between a mad rush to meet deadlines; the usual way few days before the trip works for most of us mouse-pushers, there were two routes in my mind which we might be taking over the next week. But first things first, let's set the stage from a little earlier.

If you asked me a couple of years back if I would do multi-day motorcycle trips in the future, I would have said I would love to but I don't think I would be able to. But it's surprising what a few like-minded friends and a dash of midlife crisis can get you to.

DJR and I did a Jharkhand-Odisha-Chattisgarh-Andhra motorcycling trip over ten days in August 2023. Emboldened by the success of that, we planned a tour of Kerala for August'24. The phrase Long Way South stuck from the planning phase in my mind, in line with the reality TV series starring Ewan McGregor. Our journey won't be quite as grand, but if we don't hype ourselves up, who will?

The original plan is to do Bangalore-Munnar-Kochi-Calicut-Udupi-Bangalore. However, the recent rains and the landslide at Wayanad had put a lot of question marks on the feasibility of this. So we had an alternate route in our mind as well - follow the route till Kochi and then turn south to Trivandrum, go via Kanyakumari to Rameswaram and move back North for Bangalore.

Me and DJR had tickets for Bangalore to Kolkata. DJR's nephew Debopriyo and his friend Ketan was going to join us from Bangalore, along with BHPian Swapnil (Swapnil_alto). Our motorcycles were shipped via Indian Railways and received at Bangalore by our co-riders. We also had shipped our riding gear via courier and hotels were booked for the original route. I had also started this thread; but still were not sure where we shall go.

Well, "the best laid schemes o' mice an' men" - so why bother with what will be.


the rides at Howrah station


tagged and bagged


close inspection at BLR by Debopriyo and Swapnil


posing with Swapnil's ride at BLR

9th August - Off to Bangalore

A night and day of turmoils.
Heartbreak in the Olympics Javelin finals and trying to catch up on some pending work before the upcoming week off ensured I was up till late (by my standards). By the time I could shut shop it was 3 in the morning. Our flight to Bangalore was early, so could barely get 2 hours of sleep before I had to get up and running. Caught up on a couple of hours of sleep in the flight, and was somewhat ready for the first road trip - Bangalore airport to Debopriyo's flat at south-west Bangalore.

I am sure most of you will agree with me when I say I think Bangalore airport is situated near south Hyderabad. I was making this observation to DJR by pointing to a few buildings while landing and quoting them as the TCS Adibatla campus Hyderabad. Neither DJR, nor the air hostess walking by did take to this kindly, and I am sure I would have been deboarded if it was possible for them to do so - but we were landing in five minutes so I was let go unscathed.

A coffee at the airport, off to the BluSmart zone and we started off on a shiny new MG ZS EV. The ride to our destination took close to 2 hours. After that I was back juggling more code changes, a birthday lunch for DJR arranged by his nephew and preparing for a late evening presentation. By close of business I was drained, but there still was the small matter of all the packing, fuelling and getting ready for the early departure next day.

A mad rush through Friday evening Bangalore traffic along the Sharjapur Road to refuel (covering 4 kms in 40ish minutes), dinner, and packing later, it was already 1130. The plan was to leave at 445AM in the morning. Two back-to-back nights of incomplete sleep, the upcoming 11-hour journey - it all looked rosy at this point because tomorrow, we ride! Wind in our hair (not so much because of the helmets), eyes on the horizon (and also on the maps) and all that!

[cr4nkshaft]

10th August - Here we po!

The day was supposed to start at 4 AM, and the alarm woke us up at 355. Bangalore rain was ready to give us a send-off, and we waited in vain for around an hour (while loading up the motorcycles with luggage) but it did not subside. Swapnil was supposed to join us on the ORR, so we moved ahead to a petrol pump. At 5, it was still dark - the rains and the potholes made it a ride through apocalypse. We had to turn on the AUX lights, but still, daylight couldn't arrive soon enough. Day broke while we waited for Swapnil at the pump, and we left around 20 minutes after arriving there.


The group at the meeting point - from the left: yours truly, Ketan, DJR, Debopriyo and masked man Swapnil

Took the electronic city flyover out of Bangalore but the urban sprawl just did not seem to end. I was taking this road after 2017 and it did seem that Bangalore has expanded to engulf Hosur. There were a few places where construction was going on, and at one such spots near SIPCOT Hosur we had a minor incident. While merging from the service road to main road, Ketan slipped on loose wet gravel and took a fall. Thankfully there was no major damage, the right leg guard of the Ronin came off and the handlebar was bent. We could pull the leg guard straight and secure it temporarily with a zip-tie, and Ketan confirmed the handlebar bend was not a showstopper.

The second incident (and the last for the whole ride) happened on the route between Hosur and Dharampuri which avoids Krishnagiri. Google usually does not show that as a default route but somehow we were rerouted via that road. It was mixture of divided highway and local roads through towns, and on a stretch of highway a dog jumped out of the median. The dog hit DJR's right leg, and luckily the CB350 did not lose its composure. We stopped to check if he had a severe damage to limb or the motorcycle - it was a negative on both counts. DJR was having trouble flexing his feet but could put his weight on it - so we assumed it would be the blunt force trauma, not a fracture.

We merged back with NH44 near Dharampuri and decided to take a breakfast break. The lady manning the eatery, bless her soul, did not share a common language with us but hungry tummies do understand the smell of egg dosa. Sign language worked fine, we had our food and were ready to go. Took a look at DJR's feet, there was some blood clotting and minor swelling but no other issue - with some Volini applied he was ready to ride again.


Refuel!

The ride continued through the day along NH44 till some kilometers before Dindigul, where we took a right towards Kerala. The lack of rains, which we were happy for towards the start of the ride was getting the temperature up. The angular rays of the afternoon Sun were not helping either. The chatter over intercom went down, the stops became more frequent and purposeful - earlier we were stopping to get photos, now it was to get a couple of sips from the hydration packs.


somewhere near Salem


birthday boy DJR, rocking it

With couple of hours to go, we decided to check the maps for the final leg through Annamalai tiger reserve. This was a concern as forest roads do have checkpoints which usually close at night. A quick call to the hotel confirmed what GMaps was also showing, the gates stay open till 10PM. Relieved, we decided to take a late snack break as we were pushing since breakfast without having a meal.

Sun was almost down by the time we were at the forest entry check post. A local told us to "po" faster and get out of the forest before sundown, but the lower temperature and the beautiful road through jungle slowed us down. Swapnil recorded some great footage using his insta360, while me and DJR had a very (very) close encounter with an elephant. I decided to stop for a click of the majestic animal which was around 40 feet away from the road, and (foolishly) did not turn the engine off. Couple of clicks later, most likely irked by the engine noise, the elephant let off an warning trumpet and made a movement towards the road. With reflexes rivaling Red Bull Racing pit crew (to make up for my decisioning rivaling Ferrari pit crew), slipped the mobile in the jacket and moved away swiftly. Mental note: brown riding pants when riding through forests.


Annamalai tiger reserve


the group - Swapnil finally shows his face


elephant sighting


daylight running out

By the time we were out of the other gate evening was upon us. It was a ride through twisties up from the deccan plateau to the western ghats, via foggy roads through Marayoor in pitch dark, some rain, and really tricky road surface. The two CB350s and the XPulse had AUX lights, and the 'enlightened' riders did their best to chaperone the Fazer and Ronin through. When Munnar city and street lights finally became visible, I am sure the collective sigh of relief echoed around the hills - as the day had been a really long one.

About a 10 minutes through the city traffic and at 8 PM we finally were at our destination for the next couple of days. DJRs foot was a little worse for the wear; we tried our best to massage the blood clot away, got him a hot/cold therapy and some painkillers. Don't know about others, but after a quick dinner I had one of the best sleep in recent days.

[cr4nkshaft]

11th August - Munnar and around

Was up by daybreak and it did not make sense to waste the time trying to wake the sleeping beauties up. The sunny morning was perfect for a ride to Mattupetty dam, which was around 10kms from our stay. The sweeping curves through the tea and the spice gardens, lack of traffic in the morning, a nip in the air - the decision to start riding without even brushing my teeth paid its dividends. Had a nice cup of tea at the dam and went back to our stay, punctuated with multiple photo stops and stops just for no reason - the surroundings demanded many of those.


morning tea


road to Mattupetty

Post breakfast we decided to hit the roads without any particular destination in mind. Was checking updates from the area last week, and it was mentioned in news that the famous gap road is closed due to landslide. When we went in that direction we did not find any road closure and could see traffic coming in from the opposite side. This meant the road was open, we could have our share of fun!

We had seen videos and photos of the gap road, but its beauty is something to be experienced first hand. Lush green tea gardens stretch towards the horizon, and two lane blacktop sweeps along the gentle (okay, not so gentle as well) curves of the hills. Gunning the motorcycles down this road was pure joy. My travel mates were much more capable than me at this, shifting their weight on the saddle, dipping in and out of the bends. Staying at the back of the pack was a lovely experience, looking at the rest moving ahead in a synchronized routine. After a few kilometers we came upon the vestiges of the landslide from past week. The road was navigable beyond that, but rain clouds had started moving in so we decided to turn back.


tea gardens


the valley


minding the gap


a golden oldie on gap road


end of the road

The ride back to Munnar was a futile attempt at outrunning the rain. We arrived at town proper completely drenched, selected a restaurant for lunch at random and choice could not be better. This area of our country is famous for its beef delicacies so we tried to taste it in all forms possible - roast, pepper fry, biryani. Aided by fresh-off-the-tawa kerala parotta and bookended by some local ice cream we had our fill.


lunch at Munnar


friendly chat with the parking attendant

Came back to hotel for a short rest, but it started raining quite heavily like the day before towards the afternoon.
We had planned to visit top station - the highest point of Munnar - but that would be a challenge in the changed conditions. We moved to Mattupetty dam again as a group, clicked some photos and turned back. On the way back it started pouring down hard, and we had to take refuge at a coffee shop/spice store. Did some spice shopping and warmed ourselves up with coffee while waiting for the rain to subside while we discussed if we should tweak our trip a little.

The Bangalore traffic in the evening before our departure was not for the faint hearted, and the prospect of facing it after a day-long ride from Udupi to Bangalore did not seem like a way to end a nice vacation. We decided to skip Udupi, extend a day at Kochi and move to Mysore from Calicut, breaking the return journey in two days. I know, I know, not a decision hardened riders would be proud of, but a holiday should be a holiday and that's that.


munnar dam in the evening

12th August - Munnar to Kochi

Swapnil and Ketan did not get enough of the gap road yesterday, so they decided they will have another go at it in the morning. Having spent a few more years on the earth, my adventure needs are a lot more muted - decided to have a slow start to the day. It turned out to be a very slow start, as our collective laziness ensured the starting time of 9 AM was eventually around 1130.


pushing off from Munnar

That slow start and some miscommunication about the route split the group in two on the twisties down from the Western ghats to the coastal plains. DJR and me were riding ahead, while Ketan, Swapnil and Debopriyo were around an hour behind us. They took the road to Sengulam dam, which we missed - but decided to push ahead as the Sun was up with vengeance and the reducing altitude was not helping either.

Eventually the gap increased further as the youngster's faction decided to take a lunch break. They enjoyed a dip in the stream midway through the ride - while we pushed ahead on just snacks and juice. The road from Munnar to Kochi is nice from the surface and views perspective but the increasing (and erratic) traffic was testing our patience. Daredevils were riding down hairpins on scooters, with exhausts almost touching the surface, without a tap on their brakes or reduction of speed. K(erala)SRTC, aptly christened by DJR as the more vindictive version of it's namesake K(arnataka)SRTC was present to make things even more interesting. Any sight of the red-cream combo of the standard KSRTC or the orange of the KSTRC Swift (pro max version of disdain for other road users) - and we were in defensive mode.


Valara waterfall


Swapnil at Cheyappara waterfall


Ketan going for a dip in the stream

By the time Kochi was in sight on the Gmaps screen, four wheelers had started behaving like lunatics too. One particular Creta, we discussed over the communicators, might be alive purely by the grace of other vehicles. Eventually we crossed the three bridges into Fort Kochi, and reached our hotel at around 345 PM.

Checked in, freshened up, and relaxed with some unmentionables by the poolside while we waited for the rest of the group to turn up. They reached about 3 hours later, exhausted riding through the evening rush, and we decided to call it a day with dinner at the hotel.


welcome sight at the end of the ride

[cr4nkshaft]

13th August - Around Kochi

Ketan and I was up early next morning, and decided to take a stroll along the promenade on Fort Kochi beach. We saw the Chinese fishing nets in action grabbing the fresh catch of the day and the stalls being setup, turning the calm seafront in a bustling market within a span of 45 minutes.


beachfront


chinese fishing net


catch of the day

Back to the hotel, and a hearty breakfast later, we took a local cab for a day trip around Kochi.
First up was the folklore museum - a private venture of one man and run by his family - it tries to capture the architecture, crafts, antiques and art pieces. It's an eclectic collection created without any rigid theme, the only common factor between all of it being the Malayali heritage.
This place is a must visit for anyone interested in culture. Clicked tons of photos here, but limiting them here to some interesting pieces and choice moments of shithousery.


folklore museum


animals


faces


horsing around tigers

Up next was the quaint Jew town of Kochi. The Jews had arrived in the coastal town around 500 years back from the Portugal/Spain area expulsed by the ruling Christian monarchs. Visited one of the main religious centre, named "Paradesi synagogue" - after the foreigners (pardesis) who had set it up. The floor of this synagogue has ceramic tiles hand-painted by Chinese artisans, each of them slightly different from the other. It also houses the "scrolls of the law" - holy texts of the Jew - but that is placed behind a veiled curtain.


paradesi synagogue

After spending some time shopping, we moved to Mattancherry palace, also known as the Dutch palace. Contrary to what the name suggests, it was not built for the use of the Dutch; rather built by them to appease the king of Kochi after a local temple was plundered by the traders. If only modern day religious problems were sorted in such peaceful and grand manner! The palace contains exquisite examples of Kerala murals which can not be clicked, by orders of ASI, as the flash exposure will damage the frail colors. This is another must visit for anyone in and around Kochi, the murals from Ramayana are a sight to behold.


views around Kochi

By this time it was almost afternoon, and we were thirsty - the kind of thirst you are allowed get when you know you do not have to drive or ride. Went to a literal hole-in-the-wall joint called Francis for a round of four-legged and eight-tentacled delicacies, with some plant-based energy drink to wash it down.


food at Francis

Post lunch we moved to the hotel for a dip in the pool, and some leisurely chat - just to get our energy and appetite up for dinner. Visited a restaurant/art gallery named Kashi Art Cafe for dinner, they had a small but interesting art collection along with great food. Debopriyo and I took a very long walk after dinner - a vain attempt to shed some calories consumed through the day. I doubt if it made any dent to our midsections, but we were able to capture some great cityscape.


kashi art cafe


cityscape

[cr4nkshaft]

14th August - Aleppey backwaters

The day was earmarked for a visit to Aleppey, specifically the backwater boat rides. There are a few travel agencies who arrange for package trips from Kochi, but they either felt too rigid to a set plan, or too costly. We decided to take a cab to Aleppey and figure things out there. Left the hotel around 9AM and Kochi was one and half hours away. Opting for a cab felt like a wise decision, given this stretch of the road is being widened and diversions are frequent. The local cabbie took us through coastal roads, avoiding the highway for most of the onward journey - the arabian sea was visible in frequent flashes on our right.

Reaching Aleppey, we booked a small-ish boat (8-seater shikara, the covered boats) at a rate of 1k per hour. The boatman was a chirpy fellow past his middle ages and spoke only a few words of English - but his enthusiasm made up for the vernacular hurdle. We leisurely sailed through narrow and wide backwater channels, soaking in the vibe of it all. What was surprising to me is that the water level in the backwaters is often higher than the areas beside them, we saw quite a few paddy fields at lower levels compared to the water. The village houses had boats tied in front in a manner two or four-wheelers are parked along the road elsewhere.


backwaters 1


aboard Heera


boat party

Feeling peckish, requested our "driver" to get us to some village eatery. We wanted a taste of Carimeen Pollichathu (a fish dish) and some tall tree-based energy drink - a combination hit among the locals. Whatever language barrier was there crumbled down like the Berlin wall at that point and we were swiftly ferried over to a local joint. I believe in the eyes of our boatman we stopped being tourists and was elevated to the traveller category, as he joined us for the snacking session. Afterwards, his enthusiasm heightened but our comprehension diminished, and conversation flowed even more fluidly.


the choice


the result


backwaters 2


with the sailor man

We were back to our starting point around 3 in the afternoon and commenced the return journey. On our way back, visited the St. Andrew's cathedral - a structure which has been rebuilt multiple times over the last few centuries. Also took a very short break at a small beachfront to dip our toes in the sea.


St. Andrews Cathedral


inside the cathedral

Back in Kochi, late lunch/early dinner (linner, a la brunch?) was at Francis again as Swapnil had dreamed of pork ribs last night, and rest of us weren't unwilling either. I decided to grab a book on local history as this area was far more vibrant than I knew before coming here. A short stroll around Fort Kochi in the evening, and we decided to call it a day, as the next day we ride again and along the dreaded highway with frequent roadworks to Calicut.


cityscape


something that reminded us of us

[cr4nkshaft]

15th August - to Kappad

Destination for the day was Kappad, a small locality 20 kms north of Calicut. As it was Independence Day, the ferry operating between Fort Kochi and Vypin was offering reduced service. Usually two ferries keep plying between these two spots, but on this day it was only one. The distance via waterway between these two locations is a mere kilometer taking just 7 minutes, whereas the land route is around 15 kms and takes better part of an hour to traverse.

Locally called 'Jankar ferry', it's a barge which can carry two and four-wheelers along with passengers in a roll-on roll-off fashion; i.e. you drive through one end and get down throught the other.. We got our tickets at a booth and lined up in the queue of two wheelers to get on the ferry. Swapnil was a little late, and did a bollywood-worthy dash across the gangway - the last motorcycle to get on the barge.


all aboard!

From Vypin (which is an island) we took inner roads, crossing multiple bridges along the way and enjoying the flag hoisting ceremony going on at various points along the route. Soon we joined the NH; progress became slow and treacherous due to traffic and road conditions. While crossing Calicut we spotted a custom Polo in a beautiful shade - decided to stop, click some photos, and have a chat with the owner. Kerala has a great taste for car modifications, and vehicle upkeep in general. Most cars are spick-and-span, and almost all of them have some modification, at the least negative offset alloys. Kerala police being really strict about unauthorised modifications, and car owners having a knack for such changes is such an oxymoron of a situation, but so is the nature of our country.


my kind of six-pack


meeting a beauty

We were exhausted with the heat and the humidity when we reached the stay of the day sometime after midday. Had lunch and a long noon siesta, before going out to enjoy the beach. There is also a monument marking the landing point of Vasco Da Gama in the village, but a little Googling revealed that it might not be a historically accurate one - decided to visit it nonetheless.


vasco da gama monument


posing rides


the catch


posing riders

Spent the rest of the evening at our stay neck deep in the pool, contemplating the ride next day to Mysore - which will take us through Wayanad.


day ends


sundown

16th and 17th August - back to Bangalore via Mysore

Return journey was a lot less stressful as we had divided it in two legs, with a halt in Mysore in between.
A personal high point was the ride of Thamarassery Churam, also known as the Wayanad Ghats. Back in 2016 I tried to visit this from Waynad, but inclement weather meant police was not allowing tourist vehicles to go through. This time we approached the hairpins from the plains, climbing back up to the deccan plateau. No rest stop while climbing as it was mostly foggy and uphill traffic was always at our heels, but did manage to have a click at the top. After that, we rode through Bandipur national park to get back into Karnataka. We were in Mysore by 1 in the afternoon, checked in and went for some Chikpet donne biryani and kebabs.


view from the top


biryani - doesn't need any caption

The afternoon was spent in the looong queue to get tickets for the light and sound show. Saw a fight between two travel groups to get the ticket - and that was much more entertaining than the actual show. Several people approached us while we were nearing the counter, asking us to get tickets on their behalf, despite the serpentine queue. I could have recouped some of the travel expenses but refused, a decision driven equally by conscience and memory of the fight witnessed earlier. The actual light and sound show was incoherent, due to the bad sound system and the basic lights used. There's only so much you can do with LEDs and filament bulbs turning on and off in a synchronized manner.
Next morning, before leaving for Bangalore, I decided to visit the Philomena cathedral as it was popping up as nearby on maps.


palace in dusk


palace at night


Philomena cathedral

We rode back to Bangalore in a staggered manner, as it was a short ride and a few of us wanted to start early to avoid the heat during the day. Still, it was around 10 AM when we left and the rest of the group started soon after. Had to take the old Mysore-Bangalore highway as the new one does not permit two-wheelers. Bangalore welcomed us with the usual (not-so) NICE road traffic, potholes, smoke and dust but the joy of a successful trip saw us through, and all of us were back in respective stays by 2PM. Closed the trip with a night meet and a Bangalore classic, cake fudge at the corner house!


a sweet conclusion

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[boniver]

Glad to see you guys planning bike trips and actually seeing them through: if someone told me 1.5 years ago that cr4nkshaft and DJR were going on a bike trip in a different part of the country for 7 days, I wouldn't have believed them!

I was excited to join you guys but had to skip it due to work (can you believe it?!), and was mostly not very unhappy about it because I had visited all these places back in 2022. However, this beautifully written travelogue kinda makes me miss going on a bike trip with friends; it has been quite some time since that has happened.

Rated a very well deserved 5 stars.

[ABHI_1512]

Buying a bike and putting it to good use- that’s the exact feeling that comes through after reading this wonderful log. I know cr4nkshaft will have no problems taking a bike trip but the real revelation is DJR here. Despite not killing a dog and taking a hit right at the beginning of a trip, it’s to his credit that he remained his usual self all through the trip. Wonderful to see the pictures. Good to see Swapnil too after long too.

If I would have known about your Munnar plans, I would have surely suggested Rapsy Restuarant for its eclectic food. But then, going by the pictures of the food, I don’t think you guys missed much anyways.

I literally relived my travel from a decade or more ago, through this beautifully crafted travelogue. Nothing seems to have changed much. Such a pleasure to see the Folklore Museum in the pictures. The man responsible for the collection had just started when we visited way back in 2011 and were completely flabbergasted by his collection. The sheer number of masks inside the museum was stupendous. In fact, it was unbelievable that one man could to actually start a museum from his private collection. Thoroughly loved going through the entire thread.

Some day, may be even I can hope to join you guys on a bike trip. Some inner desires are too strong to remain unfulfilled and you guys have shown that amply. I wait for my turn. Meanwhile, just leaving a picture from my trip for vanity. Cheers.

[saket77]

Such nicely written travelogue of these beautiful places, sprinkled with awesome photographs. Best thing is that this was done on two wheels! Beautiful place, two wheels, good friends and great food: The perfect recipe for fun-filled & memorable travel.

Also brought back some memories of Kerala (not necessarily these places) when I travelled some 20 years ago! Thanks for it!
Cannot close my post without complementing how well the entire write up is done. Kept me engaged as I was compelled to complete it in one go. Great work.

Thanks!

[Mr.Ogre]

What more do you need man, awesome friends, amazing rides, delicious foods and picture perfect scenery's. Enjoy the good times brothers.

[Pythonista]

One of the best travelogues I've ever read on this forum. Brilliantly written, with stunning photos too

Enjoyed every bit of it. One thing you've missed though: Paragon's biriyani in Calicut. It's mouthwateringly delicious!

Do visit us again, as there's many more to explore in Kerala

[chitranshu]

Very well articulated with apt visuals !!
Congratulations on not only successfully completing the trip but also putting so much of effort to write this travelog !! Excellent

[BlackPearl]

Brilliant trip, exquisite write-up and beautiful photos. Loved the captions. Thanks for sharing!

[cr4nkshaft]

Originally Posted by Pythonista

One thing you've missed though: Paragon's biriyani in Calicut

I have a colleague from Calicut, and he suggested this along with milk sarbath from a shop right opposite. Missed it, yes - but all the more reasons to go back again!