It was a beautiful day of Uttarayan , the next day of Pongal. 8 of us were headed towards the majestic Nilgiris for a much awaited cycling adventure. It was a wonderful sight to witness our cycles tied up on top of a Winger, housing us inside. We were excited to meet our colleagues after a long time, it was interesting to find our wavelengths matching interms of the adventures we were seeking for life.
After having a strong coffee at Gundlupet, we were all set for a wild encounter with tigers and elephants at Bandipur crossing, and were lucky to spot some deers instead 😊And then we reached a beautiful stay Gouri farms at Gudlur, our home for the next 2 days .There was a fantastic smell of coffee blossoms as soon as we crossed the entry gate of the farm. It felt like we were entering a beautiful island of tiled cottages amidst of a lush green Nilgiris vegetation. After filling ourselves with the delicious dinner we were off to sleep awaiting for our adventure to begin the next morning.
Woke up to the crowing of farm rooster ,we got ready to head towards the first day of our adventure , towards Devarshola. 8 of us with all the enthusiasm , set to experience the beautiful tea gardens of Nilgiris. The sight of the hill ranges , the dominance of the peaks and the mysterious cloudy sky could only pump up our spirit. It was a rolling terrain, some stretches were so pristine, untouched by civilization .There were kids, elders and youngster localites clapping for us and cheering us all throughout , which gave us an extra push climbing those steep hill roads. At the end of the day we had completed a good 62 Kms ride with an elevation gain of 1000 Meters. Moreover we had gained a lifetime memory and shared a common platform to relish the victory of the day. Obviously there was a celebration in the evening, each of us sharing our own adventure stories and planning for upcoming trips.
Day 2 , warmed up by previous day’s ride after a stomach full of Idlis, we were set to ride from Bandipur to Nanjanagud. We were lucky to spot a lot of deers ,a herd of elephants and peacocks in the reserve forest area.
It was a smooth long ride with a great pacing and a good coverage of 40 Kms distance. Elated by a total ride distance of 100 Kms in two days in a beautiful terrain , we hi-fived each other brimming with triumph. Bikes were loaded back by mid noon and we were all set to get back to home to tell our story to kids and spouses 😊
When the spirits are low, when the day appears dark, when work becomes monotonous, when hope hardly seems worth having, just mount a bicycle and go out for a spin down the road, without thought on anything but the ride you are taking” – Arthur Conan Doyle