Celebration of Freedom !!

A post which has been pending for a really long time. The 3 musketeers are back again. Once again, I present to you Manjunath, Mohit and Ashwin (Yours truly)..

It was 15th August 2009. and this is the way the three of us decided to celebrate our freedom on Independence day. Apparently this date marks the third anniversary of our first ever biking trip to Gopal Swamy Betta.. So We decided, no matter what we will go on a road trip once again!

The rain gods were out with their full fury this time forcing us to rethink our plans for touching Agumbe – Known as the Chirapunji of the south, It rains like crazy there. So we decided to go to Mysore, spend some time there and get back. So as usual on the day of our trip I reached B’lore on a Friday morning (yeah, unfortunately I am still in Chennai). After reaching B’lore the three of us were just discussing about how wonderful Agumbe would be during the Monsoon season. Suddenly Mohit snapped – Guys, let’s head for Agumbe itself. Screw the rains.. It would be fun to ride in the rains…. Manja quickly agreed to the fun part. Both the guys were looking with great expectations at me. I was like – Wad da heck.. Agumbe it is.. Screw the rains…

Over the years loads of things had changed. Manja had exploded to a level where he actually justifies the Spice girls’ song – “ Two Become One” .. Trust me, the guy has actually doubled his size. I had also bloated up from the puny little college guy to a lazy fat IT professional. The only guy who was fit and unchanged was Mohit. If the riders had changed so much, how can the rides remain the same, ryt? Manjunath had graduated from a Unicorn to a Royal Enfield Machismo 500, (may be he actually realized only a beast can carry someone like him). Mohit had graduated from a 100 cc to a 150 cc Pulsar.. And I had undergraduated from a Rocking CBZ to a pillion rider this time.. Sob sob !!

Manja, quickly turned on the GPS on his mobile to come out with a route from B’lore to Agumbe. And the riute was finalized. Bangalore – Chikmanglore Via Hassan. Hassan to Agumbe via Sringeri. Agumbe to Kudremukh. Once the route was finalized we were off..

We were definitely not ready for the Fury of the Rain Gods this time.. We were spared till the time we were out of B’lore city.. We had a lovely lunch and we headed for our first overnight halt, Hassan. On our way to Hassan it started raining. All we could see was just a shade of white and grey in front of us. Every drop was hitting us so hard as if we were being pricked by needles on our faces. It was extremely difficult to ride. The wonderful cruising speeds of 110 + kms had been reduced to 50s and 60s. Even the loud thumping of Manja’s bullet could not be heard in the midst of the showers. We realized that there was no point in halting, so we kept on riding. It was an amazing experience. Finally we reached our first destination- Hassan, all drenched and wet and finally checked into a hotel. We had to hit Agumbe the next day morning.

We started off the next day morning at 7.00 AM sharp and we headed off to the top most point in Agumbe.

We expected the worst in terms of rains, but we were lucky enough that mother nature showed her mercy on us puny little riders. It didn’t rain at all. And we finally reached our destination all high and dry. The view from Agumbe was just breathtaking. The Hills covered with dense dark clouds and the sun struggling its way through the thick dark covering in front of it. The tree leaves where shining with the moisture of the early morning rains.. It was just amazing !

Our next destination was Kudremukh. It was another couple of hours ride from Agumbe to Kudremukh. The ride was again awesome. We had to cross the Kudremukh wild life sanctuary. It was just an awesome feeling. Dense forests on both sides, lovely roads in the centre and an awesome cloud cover to top it all. We had a long ride to the top. Once we reached there, we just could not believe ourselves. It was an view which can blow anyone off their feet ! We just spend as much time as we could to take in the view, Enjoy the weather, take as many pictures as possible etc.

We also had our own share of little adventures in between. The Monsoon had brought out all the leaches and two of them had found their comfortable spots, one on Mohit’s Neck and one on under my leg.

After the lovely experience we headed our way back to B’lore . Three days of complete cut off from the hustle bustle of the city, no tensions, just the rides, nature and a fantastic feeling of independence. I guess the best way to celebrate our Independence. Just hope that in my life get a chance to go on many more such rides again and again…

Cheers
Kash !

Experiences of an Oriental World - Hanoi, Vietnam

I have been fortunate enough to visit Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore etc. But I wasn’t ready for what I had in store in Hanoi, Vietnam. I am dedicating this post specifically to this ever welcoming country mainly because it has risen like a dragon after all the sufferings and troubles. I have used this phrase because Hanoi is called as the "The City of the Soaring Dragon"

I landed in Hanoi on a cold Sunday morning when the temperatures were an all time low during the year. It was around 8 Degrees Celsius. An me being me had carefully packed all my pullovers and jackets safely inside the check in Luggage. Man it was teeth shattering cold all over. To add to my woes, it started drizzling. Here I landed in a Non – English speaking country with my thermal wear neatly locked inside my check in Luggage (The keys of which I had conveniently misplaced), my International calling card wasn’t activated and to my Horror I had lost the tiny bit of paper where I had jotted down the address of the guest house ! Yikes… What a start.. !

Suddenly I recollected I had the address in my Notes inbox. Had to access it somehow. Boy was I lucky.. I just thanked my stars for what happened next.

I just tried accessing the WI-FI available at the Airport and for some stupid reason it wasn’tconnecting to the network. Finally I blew my lid and shouted what the F..!, without realizing how loud I was. There was an astonishingly pretty female next to me. I became all red faced and apologized to her, but the beautiful New Zealander could relate to my feelings very well. She was sweet enough to offer her laptop which was already connected to the network. I pulled out the address only to find out her hotel was just three blocks away from my guest house. I couldn’t believe this was happening. (Trust me such a thing has never happened to me !I mean eeeevvvvveeeer ! J) So we shared the cab, and some chats and also spend some time at the café in her hotel.. Man, I have never been so thankful for using the F word in my life..

I loved Vietnam from the very first day itself… Wow !

Hanoi – Imagine a city where the exotic chic of old Asia blends with the dynamic face of New Asia. Where the medieval and modern co-exist. Hanoi is where imagination becomes a reality. A mass of motor bikes swarms through the tangled web of streets and that is the Old Quarter, which is the best place to check out the Pulse of this resurgent city. The hustle bustle of a regular metro, the calmness of a fantastic countryside, the architectural marvels of ancient pagodas (temples), the Vivid reminders of the past like the war monuments and museums and the ever vibrant night markets and the exuberant night life with more than 1000 night clubs and pubs reveal the spread of this fabulous city.

The more time I spent in this beautiful city, the more I started liking the city. The day starts very early for the people here. All the shops, and Offices are up and running by 8 AM in the morning. The days are really busy for the locals here. The most interesting part is the the lunch break is a solid 2 hours which includes a good lunch and an hour long Nap. Yes, they do take a nap in the office itself.. Neat huh?

The variety of food available here is just out of this world. If you are an individual appreciating N.Veg, then you would be flooded with options. You get Chicken, Mutton, Beef, Squid, Octopus, Snake Meat, Dog meat, Shrimps, Sea Horses, just to name a few. Of these, I did try out Snake meat, Snake Venom wine (One of the most deadliest wine I have ever tasted), and DOG meat !Beat that…

The Hoan Kiem Lake which decorates the centre of the city is the best place to laze around in the evening. It is the epicenter of multiple markets which sell anything from local snacks to watches to shoes to Gold. Apart from this the Ho-Chi-Minh museum, the presidential Palace, the one pillar Pagoda, the Ho-Chi-Minh Mausoleum etc are places that definitely draws the attention of the tourists and locals alike. And it definitely didn’t fail to pull me as well.

For all the while I spent in Hanoi, I was just appreciative of this city which had come up with a vengeance considering its troubled rather ravaged history. I developed a particular liking for the country which has a very strong background it its present state which also reveals the strong fighting spirit of the people who dwell in this country.

A few pictures dedicated to the beauty of this wonderful City...

The snap below was taken at the Ho-Chi-Minh Mausoleum, one of the major landmarks in the city of Hanoi

The snap below is the Presidential Palace of Ho-Chi Minh, where he lived on and off from 1958-69. It is an upmarket interpretation of the traditional rural living and has been preserved just the way "Ho" left it...

The following pic is that of the Army museum and the Museum of Vietnamese revolution displaying the Soviet and Chinese equipment alongside French and US-made weapons captured during years of War fare..

I do have plenty of pictures to be shared. I would pass on the Picasa link for all those who are interested to know further.. I have deliberately not written about one of the best places I have visited in Vietnam - Halong Bay. This was deliberate coz just a plain mention of that wonderful place wouldn't have done justice to it.. Hence contemplating on the idea of Dedicating an enitre post describing the umpteen number of breath taking places i got to see...

Till then.. Ciao Folks..

Cheers..

Kash !

Night trips to Chamundi !!!

Chamundi Hills, the jewel of the Mysore tourism board. I was lucky enough to study in a college, SDM-IMD, right at the base of these hills. The roads leading to the temple at the top of the hill is wonderful and well maintained. The jet black tarmac is properly marked with bright yellow shoulder lines and a pure white divider. Every time i go up the hill, i found it really tough to go easy on the throttle.

I have always wondered, how these roads would look - MINUS THE DAYLIGHT. But thought, it would be very tough to get out of college after the permitted time. Plus i also believed that no one would accompany me to fulfill my crazy dream. (I have to admit, i was a bit scared to go alone). But, pretty soon all was about to change, when Manjunath came to the rescue.

One fine evening, after a long day packed with boring lectures, when i was almost about to crash on to the bed, Manja came to my room asking me if i was interested in joining him on a night trip to Chamundi. I couldn't conceal my excitement which found its way to Manja too. The next obvious choice was Mohit.

After dinner, the three of us met in front of the mess and decided that we will head for the hills at 11.30pm sharp. The odd timing itself gave me a weird and eerie feeling. (Lots of rumors float around the college about weird and bizarre incidents happening in Chamundi, especially during night time). But i was game !

It was a cold, and i mean really cold December night. The 3 of us were ready with our Sweatshirts, Jackets, Bikes and Helmets. It was around 11.25pm. The was nothing to stop us now, or so we thought. As we reached the main gate the watch man blew out a shrill whistle indicating us to stop. It was at this moment when i realized how influential Manja was among the college Staff. All I saw was Manja laughing and chatting with the watchman and the next minute the gates flew open and he was more than pleased to do so. He even passed on a salute to us when we passed through the gates. God only knows what Manja said, but i was impressed.

The open gates were symbolically representing the freedom we got from the busy schedule at college, or so i felt. Soon i could see both Manja and Mohit rev up their engines and vanish into the darkness. It hardly took a few seconds for the racer in me to take control of the bike. It was the best night rides i have ever had in my life.

The winds were chilly. My whole body was shivering uncontrollably beneath the sweatshirt and the jacket. But the best part was that, it was only the three of us on road that night. It felt as though we owned the roads. The roads were well light, and no not with street lamps (There ain't any). It was a full moon and we could see the moon light reflecting off the shiny white paint, which divided the broad road into two halves. That's when i saw Manja turn off the headlights of his bike and race ahead. Mohit followed suit. Though i thought, it was unsafe at first, i too gave in to the temptation and turned off the lights and flew by to catch up with them. The only thing guiding through the pitch dark road was the white divider. I could feel the adrenaline rush when i saw the speedo cross 80km/hr in complete darkness. Yeah, u may think its stupid but it gave the ultimate head rush for a Motorhead like me.

The view point which usually takes around 20min on any normal day, was reached in 7min flat. The pin drop silence of the forests was shattered by the screeching noise of 3 bikes which finally came to a halt. The three of us climbed on top of guard rail. The breeze was strong and painfully cold. The experience was awesome. We spent the next half hour on the view point chatting about the rough days and the tight schedule ahead of us, totally unaware of the fact that we are in the middle of Chamundi forest on a cold winter night.

By around 1.00am we decided to head back to the college. But we took the Nandi temple road. Trust me, this road is scary even during day time, so just imagine how it would be late in the night.... Phew..... This winding road is extremely narrow and is covered with thick bushes on either side of the road and the slightest mistake could push you off the road, deep into the forests, Man its scary !!!

There is a straight stretch of almost 2kms, downhill. The road is at a 45 degree angle. If a vehicle is left idle and allowed to free fall, it could easily cross speeds of 60km/hr. But me not being the 'Regular Guy',could not do the usual things. I just hit the gas
and the speed was mindblowing.The bike soon touched 110km/hr, a forbidden figure even on a levelled road, imagine how it would be at a 45 degree slope! It was as though, Gravity had let me off for a while. There was nothing to hold me back. And to top it all, the road ended with a small hump which acted like a ramp, which threw my bike off the road. For the first time in my life, my bike was airborne. Though i was on air for hardly 2-3 seconds, the experience still manages to send a shiver of excitement through my body.

The fun was not over yet. Both me and Manja decided to drag at the base of the hills. This was the ultimate test of our machines. With a 2km straight stretch as our playground and Mohit as our referee, we set off ! The fun cannot be expressed in words. It was fun to see manja struggling with the gear shifting. He was a rookie u see... he he and i took full advantage of that. His inexperience cost him his victory and won me the title of the hottest rider. :-)

Some things that you do at a particular stage/situation may seem foolish at a later point in time. I have realised that by riding with the lights off and racing, you are not only causing danger to your self but also others. So i have never done that again. But i also believe in living my life to the fullest. There was a part of me which wanted to do it, so i did it.... It was indeed a very good stress buster plus i had one of the best rides of my life. We also got a lot of other interested guys willing to explore the Chamundi @ night.... We showed them the way with pleasure... :-)

LIV 2 RIDE, RIDE 2 LIV !!!

Kerethannoor !

Kerethannoor lake. One of the most scenic places close to Mysore. This place is around 45km from my college (Read below for details). The best part is the roads that take you to this wonderful place. Almost three fourths of the distance is the Mysore - Bangalore Highway itself. The rest one fourths is through well maintained village pathways. One can actually test his vehicle's limit on these roads (especially the initial 3/4ths) as all u can see for miles is the long winding, broad tarmac, truly a bikers' heaven.

I have heard a lot about this place from my friends right from the first term but could never manage to go there. It finally happened in the very last and final term, when all of us planned a trip to the LAKE PLACID. There were around 16 guys on 8 bikes. It was an awesome ride to the lake. The route also has some real adventure packed roads as u reach the lake. One can find the broad roads narrowing down to walkways in a sugarcane farm.Also the smooth tarmac gradually morphs itself into boulders and i feel only experienced bikers can cross this section. After crossing this small hurdle the road finally leads you to the lake. As soon as you reach the lake one cannot help noticing the hills that surround the entire lake. The view is just amazing.

The first thing i did as soon as i reached the spot was take out my camera and click as many photos as i could. We reached thee by around 3.15pm. All my friends were eager to rush towards the waters for a quick dip, but there was nothing that could distract me from my photo sessions... By 3.30pm everybody was in water having fun. The loud noise and the splashing of water finally caught my attention and i immediately put my camera away and jumped into the water. The water was freezing. The first few seconds felt as though i was being pricked by a thousand needles all over, but it got better after some time.

All the guys and girls who knew swimming were the ones who had fun to the max. I was not so lucky. I tried my level best to stay afloat in water, but failed. But that didnt stop me from having my share of fun. I too enjoyed a lot.

All of us were in water till 5.45pm. The sun began to set gradually behind us. Thats when we decided that it was time to leave. The view of the sun setting into the lake is mindblowing. Even though none of us were in a mood to leave the place, we had to as we had girls along with us. So by 6.30pm we were all set to leave.

We left the place with loads of wonderful memories in our minds very well aware of the fact that we may never get a chance like this again. The ride back to college was exciting. As soon as we reached the Banglore - Mysore highway we just opened the throttles. It was a straight strech ahead of us. On the way we all took a break at the Mangalore Fishland, one of our most famous hangouts.

By around 9.15pm we were back at our college. This will be one of the best trips we had and will always be cherished by me!!!

GSB!!!

It was a cold Tuesday morning on August 15th 2006. There was an annual sports event being conducted in our college. It was a holiday that we longed for-- Myself Ashwin, Manjunath and Mohit!!! The three of us decided the previous night that we would set off to the one and only Gopal Swamy Betta.(Kannada for hills). The most beautiful hill station i have ever seen in my life. It was 5.45 in the morning when Mohit came and woke me up. By 6.15am the three f us were ready with our Bikes, Helmets and Jackets. The three machines were a Hero Honda CBZ 150cc, a Honda Unicorn 150cc and a Bajaj Caliber 110cc.

We left the college premises by 6.30am when most of the students were lost in their dream world. The very first pit stop was a Fuel pump. Each of us filled fuel for Rs.250. By 6.50am we were off!!!

The best part was that the roads were excellent. Though it was full of fantastic twists and turns, it was also covered with a smooth layer of tarmac. It was a treat for my eyes and for our bikes. Both me and Manja (thats how i call him) were well ahead in our powerful bikes, but poor Mohit had a lot of catching up to do in his Caliber. But he did a pretty good job. The total distance to Gopal swamy Betta was around 86kms. The three of us maintained a steady speed of 70km/hr. It was very tough to control the irresistible urge of just letting the throttle loose as all i could see was wonderful black tarmac inviting me to hit the gas. And inevitably, there were times when i purposefully gave in to the temptation. It was an opportunity to check my bike's limits. I could actually feel the rush when i saw the speedometer touching 105km/hr. All i could hear inside my helmet was the soft humming of the bike's engine and all i could see through the vicor was the blurred images of trees and cars and other vehicles that passed me by.

It was not me alone who fell for the temptation. I could also see Manja trying to catch up with me on his Unicorn. It was fun leading the way and then being lead. At around 7.15am we stopped 4 a small break. We decided that the next stop would directly be a GSB. At 7.25am sharp, we were off again. This time there was No stopping, No turning back, No slowing down.

The three of us ripped out bikes till we reached the GSB Entrance at around 8.15am. We paid the small entrance fee and we were on our way uphill. The total distance from the foothill to the top was around 7km of steep ghat section. I had to lower the gear to 3rd to climb the hill at a comfortable pace. At times even 2nd gear wasn't enough. I can imagine how tough it must have been for Mohit. One funny thing observed was that at the base of the hill it was very warm, bright and sunny. But as we reached towards the top we could actually feel the difference. The roads ahead of us started disappearing coz of the mist. It also started raining lightly. The three of us couldn't help but stop our bikes to enjoy the climate... It was amazing.... This was when i decided to take off my helmet so that i could feel the air. It was getting cold as we moved higher. Thats when i see Manja taking off his leather jacket.. Can you believe that!!!! Me and Mohit didnt wanna act foolish and were tucked inside our jackets.

As we reached the top, all three of us were spellbound. It was terrifyingly windy, Al the roads were wet, It was still raining and the mist made it difficult to see more than a few feet. This was what excited us. While most sane people would find it wise to just visit the temple and go back, we decided to go trekking!!! Yeah u heard it right. GSB is famous for its elephant inhabited forests around the temple. We just wanted to have fun and loads of it... We trekked deep into the hills with almost zero visibility and with rain goddess showering her blessings on us. I was truly one of the most amazing experiences i have ever had! All we had with us to record this wonderful experience was a puny little camera. A 1.3 MP cam which was integrated in my Samsung E880 mobile phone. But it was doing a decent job. Missed a digi cam though...

After enjoying the climate and ofcourse the trekking we decided to head back to the college. It was 12.15pm in the afternoon and the hills were still covered in thick mist. We never wanted to leave the place, but had to. We had plenty of assignments to be completed for tomorrow.

The way back was even more fun. As we reached towards the base we could see the mist fade off and the bright shiny sun smiling at us. It was almost like two different worlds out there. The experience is beyond words. I for the first time in my life entered into a sunflower garden. With the sun shining at them, it was truly a wonderful sight to see all the flowers bloomed to their fullest.

This trip will always occupy the first row in my memory banks. And i am sure it would be the same for both Manja and Mohit. This was a wonderful experience and i would request all the people in and around Mysore to visit this place atleast one, Coz its worth it!!!