Planning:
Honeymoon : Where could we go? Where should we go? Where would we go? These were the questions in everyones mind, but me and my wife were not interested. We found heaven in our own room, so really not interested in going out. My sister dint like our idea, she said marriage should be followed by honeymoon.so she booked us a package at a resort near Suntikoppa in Coorg. It was a 2 nights 3 day trip. Dates were moved around many times to accommodate my work and some important family functions. Finally we were booked for 2nd of June till 4th. The plan was take Shatabdhi to Mysore and catch a cab to Suntikoppa. Then my sister got the package extended my a day and so it was till 5th of June.
Suddenly, there was a function of a very close family friend at Sringeri on 1st and 2nd of June. Again after much moving around, it was decided that we would start from Chennai on 30 May, reach Sringeri. After attending the function, we would be dropped at Hassan, where we had asked the resort people to arrange a cab to pick us up. Rest of my family would continue to Chennai and we would proceed to Suntikoppa from there.
Day 1
Date : May 30th 2010:
Time : 8.00am
Car : Innova
Passengers : Me, my wife, my dad, my uncle, his assistant and Driver
Distance : 675 kms (on map my India)
Target : To reach Sringeri in 12 hours.
We were all packed and ready by 7.30 and my uncle and his assistant came in at 8.00 and we started immediately. Reached Ponnamalle by 8.30am and entered Hotel Highway for breakfast. Half hour of refueling car and tummy, we started exactly at 9.00 am. The car was packed to full. 6 adults their luggage and gifts for the function. Drive till Bengaluru was enjoyable. Our plan was to reach Kunigal by lunch time and have lunch there. The driver kept the cars pace at a steady 100 kmph. We reached Electronic city jn at 1 pm. I had done a lot of research on the route in mapmyindia.com and in Team-bhp forum. Instructed the driver to take the nice road. Having the laptop with me I kept asking queries about the route and was getting real time answers in team-bhp.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/route-...san-coorg.html . We took the nice road till Bannerghatta road. After a longish detour we were back on NICE road. The road was simply brilliant, I was cursing the driver in my mind for driving, again with team-bhp’s help took the Magadi Road exit. Small but very well laid road, bad in patches but the rest makes it up, we encountered heavy school traffic. It was 1.45pm by then and one could hear everyones stomach growling. There is no decent hotel on this road. Reach Magadi town hoping for a good hotel, again none-zip-nope-zero good hotels. Stopped at a bakery and got some sandwiches, cakes, biscuits and some cool drinks to keep us alive till we find a hotel. Joined the highway jus before Kunigal. About 15 20 kms after Kunigal found Hotel Mayura, run in old fashioned government cafeteria style. Was very neat and clean, food was jus about average.
Now that tummy was full. I grabbed the steering wheel from the driver, he too needed rest. It was 4pm by now and the hunger had slowed us down, we were behind schedule and had to make up sometime. The road was really good till Hassan. Reached Hassan and dint take the first road into the town, took the bye pass and went into town. It was difficult to find directions to Chikmagalur from there. By this time we had clocked 500 kms and needed to be refueled. Stopped at Bellur for diesel and were off again. After asking a couple of Autoriskshaw guys, we found the road. Chikmagalur was a breeze, I have been on this route couple of times and remembered the route. This is were the Ghat section starts. We still had a good 100 kms to go and it was already 7.15 pm. Saying a small prayer I turned the car unto the ghat road. Then it was 2 hours of the most intense driving that I have ever done. Road was twisting and turning like anything and most of turns were blind. Sometimes the road would turn hard left and right repeatedly for more and one km at a stretch. Reached Sringeri at exactly 9.15 pm. Target achived. Dinner was waiting, hot and piping. After dinner checked into a very small lodge with very basic facilities.
Pics in an hour.