"Coimbatore - Valparai - Chalakudy" on cycle
Here is my first cycle trip.
Started from home at 8 pm in the night on Friday, 8th April 2011. Reached the bus stop and just confirmed my well being to family while I waited for Ravi to arrive. His arrival was not too lucky, because as soon as police saw 2 people with cycle enter the bus stop premises, they were literally ready to throw our cycles out. We somehow managed to save our cycles by carrying them ourselves. According to the police we were supposed to bring the cycles only when the bus arrives. Don't know why it makes sense, but this is how it was going to be. The bus conductor was helpful though, and he got our cycles in so that other luggage may not fall on it. Well, the journey just started.
I should make a special mention of Ravi's cycle - a folding city bike. To cover the distances he did on this small looking bike needed guts and yes muscles.
Got down at Coimbatore at 6am. Weather was all nice as it was early morning and as usual people were a little sparkled by our attire, and specially the cycles. A gentleman in the bus had asked me, "Where are you going?", to which I replied, "Pollachi". He said, "Come with me, I'll get you the right bus", to which I had only one answer, "We are on cycle :)". Seeing his shocked face, I spared him the fact that we were actually going to cycle much much more and Pollachi was not even 25% of our trip.
We started riding from there on trying to find our way out of the city. People of Coimbatore really helped. There was one big circle which connected many flyovers and was beautiful(I should have taken a pic). Anyways we came out of the city and I thought I should start taking pics now as this is the first time I have brought my SLR out for a ride. The scene looked amazing at that moment, as I didn't what more was to come. We kept on riding and riding through the plains till our stomach started shouting. Well it was shouting both ways, "empty me" and "fill me". We tried to find any petrol pump with toilets, hoping to get lucky. But when has luck really helped?? Ultimately it was the fields which got it. Although it was a bit disgusting for me, but it relieved me. Next we stopped at a small dhaba, where no one understood Hindi or English or Kannada(Ravi knew it). But they knew, "Idli", "Dosa", "Vada". We asked for 1 dosa, they us 2. We asked for 2 idlis, they gave us 5. We asked for 1 vada, they us 2. Neither they wanted to stop, nor we. But before we burst we stopped ourselves and thanked them. And we also got some free water. A gentleman in the shop did a really nice job of scaring us, by comparing the Valparai climb with Ooty climb. It really boosted our confidence that we are going to be screwed.
Moving ahead the climb got started. And just at the onset of the climb we met the Forest department gatekeeper, who stopped us from entering while he talked to a jeep driver. We waited till he was free and I saw a board there which said 15/- per head and 10/- for still camera. I took out my wallet. By then the guard was free and he asked us, "Where are you going?". We said, "Valparai, and then Chalakudi". He was amazed and then let us go. I don't know if he said it but I felt something coming from him which said "Good luck and beat it". That was really comforting. He didn't take any money from us, even though I was almost advertising Canon, as I had the bad hung on the handlebar.
It was getting hot, and whatever we had ate till now was going to be digested very soon. We had no idea that within 3 kilometers of the climb we would be hungry. Actually we didn't feel it by then because we saw a reservoir full of water and whole range of mountains in front of us. We kept our cycles aside and went near the water only to find a small beach there. It was so tempting to sleep as there was someone who was already sleeping there. But we had bigger plans for the day. We just took a few pics and started the climb again. Now that there was nothing more to see other than the path which we need to go, our mind started playing games - made us hungry. Hunger makes you mad. And then you see up the mountain to see the gradient of the roads which are yet to come! Believe me it was not something you would have wanted to see at that time. Thankfully Ravi had seen some advertisement of a restaurant and we knew that it was going to come in another 10 kms. We crawled our way. Me taking multiple stops every 2-3 kilometers, Ravi stopping once in a while. Then at one place I was fully drained out so we stopped a bit longer, ate peanuts and dates which he had brought with him. He really saved me from dying there. We talked for a while and saw some funny driving going on the hill. Also a few interesting people who tried to boost our confidence, which Ravi might have felt - I only was abusing them in my mind for not asking to provide a ride to the top.
The ride uphill had many mesmerizing views, which my camera missed because, the holder was too tired to lift the camera. I just thought it is better to come back than to click it at this time. We somehow reached the restaurant exactly at the distance which Ravi had mentioned in the beginning. I was too too happy to see it. Ate as much as I could, filled the bottles and then started again.
For me the climb was not that exciting it was just riding for a few hundred meters and then stopping - on and off. But I did ride the whole distance(tried to cheat by walking fifty meters but then that was worse). People on bikes made fun of us while crossing us. And we made fun of them when they moved ahead. Ravi was a nice company to have while riding up.
Ravi's sources also came in handy at one point. We knew the number of hairpin bends we need to conquer. The hill showed total 40. But Ravi's source said 30 uphill and 10 downhill. Only thing the source forgot to mention was that 25 would come quickly and for the remaining 5 you will ride 5 kilometers, and the 5 kilometers you ride that time would be one of the best as it would be through the tea estates. These were the surprises we enjoyed. Ultimately all this data feeded to us from sources, riding, resting and chatting got us to our destination. We took a room in the lodge to stay at night. It must be 6:30 pm by the time we were finally in the room, I just laid flat and slept. Ravi woke me around 8 or 8:15 and we went for dinner. I didn't feel very well and was feeling wierd in the stomach so just left Ravi in the restaurant and came back. Tried to empty the stomach. Finally was feeling okayish. Went back and ordered a dosa. Eating it my inner self shouted and said, "Coffee - Coffee - Coffee". I ordered coffee and felt relieved, and it was the first time any such thing had happened to me. I left the dosa, and had a glass of milk. Came back to the restaurant and slept.
To be continued...
Started from home at 8 pm in the night on Friday, 8th April 2011. Reached the bus stop and just confirmed my well being to family while I waited for Ravi to arrive. His arrival was not too lucky, because as soon as police saw 2 people with cycle enter the bus stop premises, they were literally ready to throw our cycles out. We somehow managed to save our cycles by carrying them ourselves. According to the police we were supposed to bring the cycles only when the bus arrives. Don't know why it makes sense, but this is how it was going to be. The bus conductor was helpful though, and he got our cycles in so that other luggage may not fall on it. Well, the journey just started.
I should make a special mention of Ravi's cycle - a folding city bike. To cover the distances he did on this small looking bike needed guts and yes muscles.
Got down at Coimbatore at 6am. Weather was all nice as it was early morning and as usual people were a little sparkled by our attire, and specially the cycles. A gentleman in the bus had asked me, "Where are you going?", to which I replied, "Pollachi". He said, "Come with me, I'll get you the right bus", to which I had only one answer, "We are on cycle :)". Seeing his shocked face, I spared him the fact that we were actually going to cycle much much more and Pollachi was not even 25% of our trip.
We started riding from there on trying to find our way out of the city. People of Coimbatore really helped. There was one big circle which connected many flyovers and was beautiful(I should have taken a pic). Anyways we came out of the city and I thought I should start taking pics now as this is the first time I have brought my SLR out for a ride. The scene looked amazing at that moment, as I didn't what more was to come. We kept on riding and riding through the plains till our stomach started shouting. Well it was shouting both ways, "empty me" and "fill me". We tried to find any petrol pump with toilets, hoping to get lucky. But when has luck really helped?? Ultimately it was the fields which got it. Although it was a bit disgusting for me, but it relieved me. Next we stopped at a small dhaba, where no one understood Hindi or English or Kannada(Ravi knew it). But they knew, "Idli", "Dosa", "Vada". We asked for 1 dosa, they us 2. We asked for 2 idlis, they gave us 5. We asked for 1 vada, they us 2. Neither they wanted to stop, nor we. But before we burst we stopped ourselves and thanked them. And we also got some free water. A gentleman in the shop did a really nice job of scaring us, by comparing the Valparai climb with Ooty climb. It really boosted our confidence that we are going to be screwed.
Moving ahead the climb got started. And just at the onset of the climb we met the Forest department gatekeeper, who stopped us from entering while he talked to a jeep driver. We waited till he was free and I saw a board there which said 15/- per head and 10/- for still camera. I took out my wallet. By then the guard was free and he asked us, "Where are you going?". We said, "Valparai, and then Chalakudi". He was amazed and then let us go. I don't know if he said it but I felt something coming from him which said "Good luck and beat it". That was really comforting. He didn't take any money from us, even though I was almost advertising Canon, as I had the bad hung on the handlebar.
It was getting hot, and whatever we had ate till now was going to be digested very soon. We had no idea that within 3 kilometers of the climb we would be hungry. Actually we didn't feel it by then because we saw a reservoir full of water and whole range of mountains in front of us. We kept our cycles aside and went near the water only to find a small beach there. It was so tempting to sleep as there was someone who was already sleeping there. But we had bigger plans for the day. We just took a few pics and started the climb again. Now that there was nothing more to see other than the path which we need to go, our mind started playing games - made us hungry. Hunger makes you mad. And then you see up the mountain to see the gradient of the roads which are yet to come! Believe me it was not something you would have wanted to see at that time. Thankfully Ravi had seen some advertisement of a restaurant and we knew that it was going to come in another 10 kms. We crawled our way. Me taking multiple stops every 2-3 kilometers, Ravi stopping once in a while. Then at one place I was fully drained out so we stopped a bit longer, ate peanuts and dates which he had brought with him. He really saved me from dying there. We talked for a while and saw some funny driving going on the hill. Also a few interesting people who tried to boost our confidence, which Ravi might have felt - I only was abusing them in my mind for not asking to provide a ride to the top.
The ride uphill had many mesmerizing views, which my camera missed because, the holder was too tired to lift the camera. I just thought it is better to come back than to click it at this time. We somehow reached the restaurant exactly at the distance which Ravi had mentioned in the beginning. I was too too happy to see it. Ate as much as I could, filled the bottles and then started again.
For me the climb was not that exciting it was just riding for a few hundred meters and then stopping - on and off. But I did ride the whole distance(tried to cheat by walking fifty meters but then that was worse). People on bikes made fun of us while crossing us. And we made fun of them when they moved ahead. Ravi was a nice company to have while riding up.
Ravi's sources also came in handy at one point. We knew the number of hairpin bends we need to conquer. The hill showed total 40. But Ravi's source said 30 uphill and 10 downhill. Only thing the source forgot to mention was that 25 would come quickly and for the remaining 5 you will ride 5 kilometers, and the 5 kilometers you ride that time would be one of the best as it would be through the tea estates. These were the surprises we enjoyed. Ultimately all this data feeded to us from sources, riding, resting and chatting got us to our destination. We took a room in the lodge to stay at night. It must be 6:30 pm by the time we were finally in the room, I just laid flat and slept. Ravi woke me around 8 or 8:15 and we went for dinner. I didn't feel very well and was feeling wierd in the stomach so just left Ravi in the restaurant and came back. Tried to empty the stomach. Finally was feeling okayish. Went back and ordered a dosa. Eating it my inner self shouted and said, "Coffee - Coffee - Coffee". I ordered coffee and felt relieved, and it was the first time any such thing had happened to me. I left the dosa, and had a glass of milk. Came back to the restaurant and slept.
To be continued...
Comments