Happy Happy bday ride. :D

                  I have this habit of running away from civilization and do what I like, Not sure if I am scared of being let down or if its coz I love to ride, Whatever it may be, I have managed to ride out on every single birthday of mine. let it be the initial days where in Nandi, kolar and Kerala, or the mighty "Wetness ride" that took me from Bangalore to Malpe to Kanyakumari and then to the beautiful Danushkodi and back home. All in heavy crazy rain. and while at that, I grew homesick towards end of wetness ride and took a detour back home via Ooty (Just another reason to kill those curves. tcchh tcchh) I knew I was late and the gate would be closed t masinagudi, I paid some 50 Rs to the guards from Tamilnadu side and knocked doors of the boys from the Karnataka side. And the fun begin there. They shooed me away and said nalle banni, literally they did. I was accompanied with a bunch of drunk mallu boys who couldn’t talk kannada and I assigned myself as the spokesperson and tried all bargains and stories possible but the forest guard was reluctant and said he cont been able to send me. I was scared to head back and requested him to help out.

                Mallu boys took a U-turn and went back to sit through the night.  in between all this the guard got a call from his boss, the boss enquired about the happenings and was told about this road Romeo who wants to pass. He cleared it saying not possible and he cont been able to go to Bangalore today and advised I stay there with them as it’s late and I won’t be let back into Tamilnadu. Well was it a killer news or what?

                 Sat through until 11 talking to the guard and his assistant who was from a village around, he had many questions about my bike the riding gear, and while at it offered me his dinner and I said no Not because I was scared, coz I had belted some good biryani that evening and was tummy full. Anyways I was offered a charpai and was told to sleep in the riding gear if I wish to as it would get cold and also if something happens I might be safe. He didn’t tell me what would happen but I knew what could happen in the middle of the forest, with no questions asked I slept sound, though Guard said no vehicles are let to pass in the night, I saw couple of tourist buses from both sides. Anyways I had no guts to ride ahead, at sharp 6:15 our man woke me up and said, bani gate open, and you can go now. whatta joy. The ride ahead was brilliant as the green was green and the roads were black. I got a glimpse of few kutty elephants around and there folks keeping an eye on them from far.

Next stop was Bangalore where mom was worried as she was unable to reach me all night, she had given up on me by then I guess. :D

                    Sorry got carried away around that story, This Year around I wanted to do something short but different and felt the need of munching many more hairpin bends and planned up a ride to Yercaud and then kollimali the next day. I was very eager on testing out the Mach500 that I call Dhug Dhugy and wished it all went fun, Dhug Dhugy is a 2008 Royal Enfield Machismo 500 from the land of Bults, Punjab. She came home after a long wait but in the healthiest condition possible. With just about 11000 km's done she was in prime of her life and had already been part of Tour of Rajasthan and Himalayan Odyssey. I saw her at the TOR and had put kerchief if he ever plans to sell. Varinder ji was emotionally attached to it and had double thoughts, once he was ready to courier it but then backed out at the last minute. I could totally understand the feeling around it and told him to buzz me whenever he was sure about passing it on. So while I was doing the all India ride for Mahindra, our man calls and asked me if I was ready, I jumped in and said YES YES YES. I ended up at Delhi, took a bus to Chandigarh and then rode it Delhi after some good action in the night, that story will get written some other day.

On the 2nd morning around 6 am I was out and riding though we partied at our friends place previous night, with Just about 4 hours of sleep I knew I had to ride carefully. Initial 100 km's were to be on highways and I don’t like them a bit. I was hungry and needed my daily dose of calories and on rides it has to be something sweet. Anand Bhavan on hosur road has been our spot for many rides and I landed up there for a bite of Kesari bath and light coffee.

       The torque on 500 is brilliant and even before I realized I had done Krishnagiri and was closing on Dharmapuri with no much effort. With no much crowd on road, I turned on the google maps, the lady down there suggested I take a left at Bommidi and I followed her commands. Who was I to piss her off early morning?

Through some small roads I ended up at a railway gate, after talking to the Auto guy I was asked to 

cross the forever closed railway gate from the side gate and then take right. I was told the roads were ok and would connect me to the hill climb.

       After a quick chai, I took off ahead and had my mind blown to smothering’s. This was a forest route and would take about 15 or so kms of brilliant ride to take me to civilization. With balls in mouth kinda scenes I rode ahead and saw a kutty tortoise cross the road and then in a bit a peacock. Fack I said to myself, things are getting bigger and I have no strength nor guts to face anything. I was to die one day before my birthday without anyone knowing where I went, No I said and throttled up ahead. in between I saw few localities riding and after a quick chat I realized roads are safe and I should be able to make up to the other end safe. Thank god!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSax0bhbiuU

The ride was brilliant and I am sure I am gonna do this again sometime, maybe solo maybe with some good buddies. Video  - Bangalore to Yercaud via bommidi.

After the adventurous ride I was presented with the hairpin bends, toll of 10 Rs a quick chat with the cop and off I went. Yercaud has about 40 hairpin bends and the view gets better after the 3rd curve. the plantations around keeps it cool and the green quenches the thirst for peace. Video below talks more about it.

Vide - Yercaud - climbing up the 40 hair pin bends

After the ride I stopped over for a coffee and realized its just 9 and made a quick change in plan, why not ride up to kolli and stay over there. Bike had cooled down and I had the task to warm it up on the 40 curves downhill then through the traffic cross Salem city and via Namekal munch 70 more hair pin bends. I was here for that wasn’t I? :D With a grin and feeling of achievement I rode up and in couple of hours I was up on kolli malai. I felt like superman at that moment.80 + 70 hair pin bends and I still had about half a day with me. Change of plans, after a round of hot kutthu porrota and coffee rode down the kolli malai and was presented with the never ending 260 kms of highways. While the roads are ok, the highways would put you to sleep. You wish you spend some money and set up the cruise control on the bike, just turn it on and snore away to glory until you are either dead or stop for something. :D

I managed to reach back home at 9:30 and was lucky to have come home with zero breakdowns, zero accidents and a million smiles. I earned my sleep that night and slept like a pig, Ya coz no bath that day and the riding gear sometimes cooks all that is left inside in the heat. :D

Thanks for reading. Let’s ride, that’s where more fun is. :)

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