South India (Day 9: Munnar-> Thekkady, Kerala)

My clothes had dried up around 90% and I had no choice but to pack them and move on. In the hotel we were staying in Munnar, we met around 3-4 families from Pune. Quite surprising. There weren't too many other guests. One of them mentioned their stay experience in Thekkady and we decided to do the same since it was in our budget.

On the way to Thekkady, we stopped at the Lockhart Tea Factory. You will learn interesting things about the beverage we drink every day. This factory doesn't sell in India and exports almost all of it to the UK. The factory is from the pre-Independence era. Their top quality grade tea sells around Rs. 1000 per kg. So clearly, it is not for the Indian market. A nice tour of the factory was arranged with detailed explanation. Daily, the factory produces approx. 9 tonnes of tea from about 21 tonnes of tea leaves. We tasted the black tea after the tour. It tasted really good. Or should I say, Wah Lockhart!

While riding toward Thekkady, we passed through many small villages. These 2 guys waved at me as I passed. I thought of stopping; hence made a U-turn and went back. Obviously communicaton was a barrier. But using gestures I made them sit on my bike for a picture. They looked very happy and so was I. Little experiences in riding making your day.

There are a number of Spice Gardens along the way. This one seemed to have some crowd; hence we stopped at the Periyar Spice Garden. Our guide had stayed in Mumbai for 6 years; hence she spoke fluent hindi. You get to see the trees of all the spices we use daily such as elaichi, dalchini, black pepper etc. The leaves give you a good taste. In addition, there are a number of plant varities for various medicinal properties. Lord Hanuman's famous Sanjeevani was here as well! 

It was around 3 pm; hence we decided to stop for lunch on the way. I usually look into the plates of people to get a feel of what would be fresh. Everyone seemed to be having Chicken Biryani and we ordered the same. I decided to step into their kitchen to take a quick snap of the chicken used in the preparation. The Biryani tasted very good. The taste of the spices here is making all the difference I think. 

Right next to the restaurant, there was a long queue for purchasing liquor. There are very limited shops in Kerala to buy liquor. Along the way, you still see the Communist flags. Long lines because of the governments policies (reminds of the the books I have read about Russia's economy). I hope Kerala doesn't go this route too far in the years to come. Not a good sign at all.

We checked in at the Bamboo Grove, a state owned property, around 4 pm. The property is gorgeous! So many trees around with birds chirping. We weren't interested in the boat ride at the lake since most people mentioned to me that it's not really worth it. So we asked around what else we could use our time for. Interestingly, there was a tribal dance show at 6 pm.

There are 6 indigenous tribes that still live around the Periyar Tiger Reserve. They used to depend on hunting and fruits but have have started cultivating crops. To please the Gods for the rain and for the well being of their community, they play the drums, sing and dance. This was all new to us and we enjoyed the 1 hour performance. In one of their songs, they requested someone from the audience to join them on stage. Since I was in the 1st row, I was requested. I honored it and decided to join them for some fun. I am a horrible dancer and I am quite sure they would have realized it in the first few seconds. Anyways, I really enjoyed my time and that's what counts :)

South India (Day 8:Munnar, Kerala)

Having a flexible itinerary has worked very well so far. We didn't make any hotel booking whatsoever before the trip. Munnar is so beautiful that we decided to stay back another day. Also, we were mid-way in the trip, so this would be a good break from the continuous riding. Not to mention the clothes that haven't yet dried up :(

It was a misty day and we decided to ride to Top Station, a tourist attraction near Munnar but is in Tamilnadu. The ride is beautiful. You pass two dams on the way and the fog just makes it feel like heaven. The tea gardens are simply gorgeous. This is my first experience visiting tea gardens (after a brief ride through Kotagiri, near Ooty). It is pure bliss. 

We were supposed to visit the Tea Factory in the afternoon but found out it is on the Thekkady route, which is our next destinaton. Hence we decided to push it to tomorrow and took some much needed rest in the afternoon. I was loving this leisure day. Feels like a real vacation now ;-)

The hotel owner saw my gopro and asked me if I was a rider. He is associated with HVK. He was very friendly and made a few suggestions on places to visit. Nitin had been to Munnar few years back and asked him if there was a Kathakali theater nearby. The owner got us 2 tickets for the 5 pm show at the Thirumaly Culture Center and off we went to enjoy Kathakali, my first experience of its kind. We went little early so that we could see the artists getting ready.

KathaKali (katha = story, kali = dance) is an ancient dance form of Kerala. It started in the 17th century. The artists use heavy make-up and facial expressions to enact the story. The first 30 mins was a demonstration of various gestures such as mother, brother, Krishna, deer etc. This is to make the viewer understand the story easily. The artist was quite funny that she invited one of the tourists on the stage and enacted running away with supposedly the newly married groom (tourist). It was quite a fun act. It was then followed by a story where her husband kills a witch. At the end of the show, you get a chance to take a picture with the artists.

It was good to see a reasonable crowd for such local acts. I am quite sure these artists don't make a lot of money. People buy a Chennai Express movie ticket without even a thought but I hope they do the same and pay for such acts when the travel. I urge you to do the same.

Kathakali was followed by Kalaripayattu (Indian martial art form) whose origins are again, in Kerala. These guys quite rocked the show. They were fast and aggressive. They demonstrated fights with a sword, spear, sugarcane sticks along with some acrobats. I had seen some of these acts on Television in the shows like India's Got Talent but this was my first time watching it live. Overall, it was a good experience. I quite enjoyed a relaxing day in Munnar and it has definitely gone on my 'must visit places' list.

South India (Day 7: Coimbatore -> Munnar)

Ride Summary: Total Distance: 160 kms     Total Time: 4 hrs 30 min

In terms of directions, our Coimbatore stay was a little bit confusing. Hence I turned on Google Voice Navigation to get to the highway. It struck me that we did a family road trip in our Fiat for 21 days back in 1987. I wonder how my Dad must have managed without internet, cell phones and language problem being worse than it is now. Things are so easy now making travel much more manageable. You have all the info on your finger tips.

We were headed to Munnar. On the way, we saw Suzlon wind mills, pretty close to the highway. Just near Udumalpet, we stopped for a South Indian coffee. I loved the aroma and the coffee tasted great. It costed mere Rs. 15. The taste beats Starbucks coffee hands down. Why could the South Indians never get a coffee chain going? I see Kamat's pretty much everywhere in Maharashtra now. I wonder why we lack such capitalist initiatives and let a Seattle based company serve us sub-par coffee at exorbitant prices.


We passed through Udumalpet and got lost in the market area just for a couple of minutes. But a shop owner immediately helped us. My experience in Tamilnadu so far has been better than Karnataka. These gentlemen were quite curious about our trip from Pune. They also asked a lot of questions on how we have got our bike seats modified for long distance comfort. People look at my helmet as if I were an alien, thanks to the gopro.

We entered the forest area and crossed into the Kerala border. This was the first time we were asked to make an entry with the vehicle number. As you approach Munnar, you start getting a glimpse of the tea estates. And then, it's gorgeous. The views are a pure spectacle. I loved every bit of it. I got busy in taking pics and using my gopro.

Initially we had planned to checkin and have lunch in the Munnar town. But since we got a bit delayed, we decided to make a quick stop. I don't know anything that is quicker than Maggi. So we stopped at a tapri for some omelette and maggi. This was also the first time I tried these quail eggs. They have a bit harder texture than chicken eggs but taste quite similar.

As usual, I bargained at a couple of hotels before we decided to pick a hotel. Since it was a weekday, I could get us a pretty good rate in Munnar. Believe it or not, this was our cheapest accommodation till now. And the room is quite good.

Since this was our 7th day, I was running out of supply of clothes. I had 8-9 days supply with me. I asked about the laundry facility at the hotel, but they seem to charge 45 Rs per clothing! Hence I headed to the market to buy some detergent and for the first time ever, hand washed my clothes. Given the cold weather, drying was a big issue. so I used up the rope we are using to tie the air foot pump, and have run it across the room with a full throttle fan! Things you do on motorcycle trips! Disneyland of beautiful rides and pictures was over. Reality striked!

South India (Day 6: Masinagudi -> Coimbatore, TN)

Ride Summary: Total Distance: 145 kms   Ride Time: 4 hrs 30 min    Total Time: 8 hrs 30 min

Gathering images from multiple sources (DSLR, GoPro and my Phone) is becoming a task on its own. Most hotels offer a wi-fi connection these days but the speed is inadequate for uploading pics and videos. Hence I end up doing it on my Phone's 3G (because it is faster) but it is still quite a time consuming process. But if I don't keep up with the blogs, I will lose the details. On the flip side, I can come back to it 30 years later and flash it proudly to my grand children ;-)

If you like South Indian food (like I do), you are in for some real treat in all the 3 meals. Today's breakfast was Dosa -- served in the garden. I was working on the Day 5 blog but the speed was really poor to delay us any further; hence we took off around 10 am. There are 2 routes from Masinagudi to Ooty. We took the shorter route, which is just 30 kms but has 36 hair pin bends. A paradise for a motorcycle rider. Right at the start of the ride, a deer jumped and crossed the road in front of me. Nature has so much to offer!

All the hair pin bends in the ghat are numbered. I decided to shoot a video on the hair pin bend so that it can be used in the final video compilation. Interestingly, there are speed breakers on the downslope side of the road as the gradient is quite steep. I saw the locals honking and turning in a race. Well, this is Montana GP for them and their chance to be Michael Schumacher. What can I say! 

Just before Ooty, we stopped at the Chocolate Museum. It's a pretty small place where you get to see the process of making chocolate from the cocoa tree. The staff was quite friendly. We bought a couple of packs of dark chocolate.

After entering Ooty, I called up my dear friend Mohit Devnani's family. They have been in Ooty for a very long time and we planned to have lunch at their place. We decided to visit the Ooty late and then head over to their family home for lunch. I have glimpses of Ooty lake as a 7 year old when my Dad didn't get us a row boat and I was very upset about it. I did not want to ride a peddle boat back then (for reasons I do not recollect) hence decided not to take any ride whatsoever. This time, I fixed the boating part by taking a peddle boat. I still haven't fixed the row boat part. The tank bags and helmet made us rent a 4 person boat but we didn't mind that at all.

Lunch was ready for us at Mohit's house and we met his father at their family home. They have a beautiful house overlooking the town. And it is more than 100 years old! So awesome! I got to see Mohit's childhood room :) Their cook had made us some tasy mutton kheema along with few other delicacies. We were treated well (as expected). His Dad suggested us to take the Kotagiri (more scenic) route to Coimbatore and off we were around 4 pm.

The Kotagiri route is an absolute paradise -- especially during this time of the year. It was quite foggy, even at 4:30 pm! This was our best riding experience so far. Right from Masinagudi to MettuPalayam, it was just under 100 kms of Ghat riding. Magical twisties and fog. What else does a motorcycle rider crave for?

We stopped for a quick tea break in Mettupalayam where we interacted with a couple of locals who were quite impressed to see a MH numbered motorcycle. They were very friendly. And you are not in TamilNadu until you see the super star Rajni everywhere!

We reached Coimbatore around 6:30. I finished uploading my Day 5 blog and then we visited the famous Velu Biryani for dinner. Their Grilled Chicken along with the biryani is a must try!

South India (Day 5: Mysore -> Mudhumalai National Park, TN)

Ride Summary: Distance: 115 km    Total Time: 5 hrs 15 min

A broken clutch cable in Coorg meant a Royal Enfield Service Center visit was unavoidable. We located a dealership in Kuvempunagar, Mysore and paid a visit. The service center was pleasantly surprised to see 2 bikers from Pune and were very friendly. Considering we were short on time, they attended my bike pretty quickly. I wanted to make sure that my clutch setting was good and had to get the chain lubed and tightened. In addition, got the front wheel spokes adjusted as the wheel had a minor speed wobble. And the clutch cable stock was replenished. Since it was around lunch time and we had a good view of the Mysore Palace the previous night, we decided to move on. There is always next time or maybe a visit with the family, to check out the palace from the inside.

The ride to Masinagudi, Mudhumalai was pretty short -- approx. 110 kms. On the way, we stopped at Bandipur National Park for a safari ride. We wanted a private open jeep, just for us, but they ran out. Hence we took the mini-bus ride for an hour long safari. It's a pretty dry forest but deers, elephants, kingfishers etc. were frequently sighted. This dear was about to cross the road and was just a few feet away from me when I took this picture. 

We crossed the Karnataka-Tamilnadu border, just 5 mins away from Bandipur.

As soon as you enter Mudhumalai, you see a difference in the landscape. It's much more green as against the dry Bandipur. Maybe it was the time of the year, I am not sure. But the first impression of Mudhumalai was very good. We saw peacocks on the side of the road, a few deers in the back drop of the Elephants. It's a beautiful place.

In the Bandipur safari ride, we met a Marathi speaking gentleman. He told us to pay a visit to the Elephant Feeding zone in Mudhumalai. We weren't disappointed at all. I was a bit hesitant considering Dubare wasn't that good. But this experience was absolutely amazing. Today was the last day of the 45 day period in which locals gather elephants from the nearby temples etc. and feed them along with performing a Pooja. Some dignitary had arrived along with the press to feed the elephants. My selfie stick ensured I had a good spot to shoot the video. The press people all looked confused when they saw an overhead camera :)

The elephants are fed using a mixture of rice, grass, jaggery, coconut etc. I sneaked in to get a video of the mixture preparation ;-) It seemed as if some elephants had a distinct taste. One elephant refused to eat one type of mixture but then he gobbled up the other one. They tried several attempts to feed this guy :)

Free food attracts a lot of monkeys in that area. People were feeding the left over 'Prasad' to the monkeys causing a mess with these plates. When will we ever evolve?

We checked in at the 'Nest Inn', a booking that goibibo messed up earlier. Initially, I was booked at the Whispering Winds and had a confirmed booking. But then Goibibo called and told me it was declined. Wonder how that happened. Anyways, the views in Nest Inn were so good, along with the garden in front of the room, that we were glad in some way. We requested the chef to cook some Chicken Chettinad and Rassam-Rice for dinner. I was pleasantly surprised with his hospitality. I started speaking in English, expecting he wouldn't know/speak in Hindi but he started responding in Hindi. This was my 1st language experience in TamilNadu on this trip. Hope it stays that way :)