Munnar -Jul2007

Cousin's marriage in home town on a thursday morning..had to wrap 4 days of the week..why not bike? :-) pretty easy decision..but starting by wed 7pm from blr, and covering 500+ kms on the most truck infested NH and reaching home in full piece before the sun comes out was something to do with endurance. Father seeing me with bike & helmet, gave one furious look followed by a shower of blessings.hmmm..if you love a girl, you can explain that to anybody..what if you love biking..? that too Jinga biking.. :-)

..Spent 2 days in home town and remaining 2 days in Munnar.

I was eager enough to see Munnar again in monsoon..i was not disappointed. Went up through Bodimettu ghats..new route..its calm and trafficless..pretty interesting views all the way. I was wondering why its not raining yet..once half the distance is crossed, that is, after gaining some altitude its all started.. :-) Seems like the enitre upper half of the hill is fully soaked in rain & fog..it was raining a month already but that week was with little heavy dose it seems.
Road was reasonably good and winding through estates..every turn there is a water fall..the shower continues all the way..temprature dropped low..t-shirt inside the jacket is properly soaked..shoes are waterbags..Stopped for a hot & strong coffee.. yea, coffee when it rains.. ;-)

It was 2pm then..didnt want to reach Munnar early..took it slow with more photo breaks..it rained non-stop..crossed munnar and proceeded towards mattupetty viewpoint..road was like cream & twisting..inviting to lean..hmmm,not now..its wet road and i am shivering and not with of great balancing. There was this bright green grass land where couplea wild elephants were having their quality time..2 tourist vehicles stopped and we were all shooting the elephants..my hands were shivering and couldnt catch the camera steadily. At around 6:30pm, the thought came like, "ok enough of it..lets get back!!" ..so went back and found a cozy room in the outskirts. It was still raining..and it rained for the full night.

Again, its a big resort with no occupants except me..i was in IInd floor..nice balcony in the midst of a series of empty balconies from other rooms .. view was a big frame with half of the frame was of those tiny little houses in the distance slope..remaining half was occupied with tea estates..and everything was soaked under a heavy shower.. :D i clicked few shots of those tiny little lights from the houses under the rain.

Next day,the return leg towards bangalore started at around 2pm..the 85km ride upto udumalaipettai was completely downhill and through thick vegetation..typical munnar scenaries! and yea, it was still raining..! Kamal's words, "i was coming down along with the water" came to mind.. ;-) when it rains, the water finds the road as the better & faster channel for travel..more & more water falls..i wasnt in a mood to think abt blr or its distance..i was just stopping every corner..

The tavera came along was also stopping in every corner..a white female inside, with a lengthy camera making sure i am not the only odd one out there..!! :D .. Chinnar water fall which is located in the midst of forests was in full josh..i could hear the blasting from distant. What if i get a chance to trek through and get closer to the falls?? i know where this question will lead to..but as of now, let me get back to the road..At around 5pm is when rain stopped..which means, i am already down from the hill..and here comes, the bangalore milestone reminding me 350 odd kms..started ripping from there!

Agumbe - when it rains

2007 June 23/24 ..when the monsoon had just started and in full swing.

It was a 3rd trip to this place Agumbe.. the place known for its non-stop rains..
My first group ride happened here only. It was 2005-Summer and we were climbing Agumbe ghats in dark at around 9pm..and went to the sunset point..dont know what to see ..but it was all fun. Next ride to this place happened in 2006-Monsoon..when we had that nasty accident and then managed to trek Kudluteertha falls as well under the non-stop showers. I remember in that trip also we went to sunset point in dark..around 11:30pm..dont know what to see again.. ;-)
and now..this is trip number 3.. still with some new bunch of enthu..we were 3 guys..Vijay,Arnold Adi and myself...its 2007-Monsoon now.. ;-)


Agumbe is a sleepy and pretty interesting town..there is a junction where roads from Thirthahalli,Sringeri & Hebri joins..and all the busstand,hotel,police station,school everything related to Agumbe located right on the junction..once you walk out of that junction, you will fall into dense vegetation.

There is only one hotel available and they serve tasty neer dosa and kottai idli..this time we explored another hidden hotel who serve tasty home made chicken fry/ chicken biriyani. ;-)
We were in the process of exploring Barkana falls and Kundadri. We got a guide to show us the way for Barkana..while walking along, before starting all that conversation, i asked his name..he said 'Thimmappa'. Ohh..you are 'Thimappa' is it?? ..thanks to blogs..you people rock dudes!




Thimappa was helpful..in terms of providing antileech stuffs and chopping the fallen trees blocking our way. There is a jeep track leading to Barkana falls view point..now that its monsoon, a couplea overloaded streams and few treefalls making sure this place is abandoned..and we saw the falls also. How we saw and what we experienced there cant be explained in words..u got to go and at right time..! ;-)

It was sunday 4pm we decided to leave Agumbe..it was still raining..Arnold Adi's 3rd t-shirt also got soaked and he left his fate to mother nature..so as me.
At 4pm starting from a place like Agumbe at conditions like this, you should rip back towards bangalore..but Itch is contagious..we went towards Kundadri..there also few tree falls etc..no people on the entire hill. On the top there is a nice temple soaked under dense fog/wind/shower..the place was wild. Finally at 6pm when the light started to fade, we decided to rip back.
Route: Blr-Hassan-Chikmagalur-Agumbe-Thirthahalli-Shimoga-Blr.