It all started from the Manchester of Tamil Nadu, namely Coimbatore, towards the Great Canyon of India, Gandikota for which I had to cover both highways and lots of back roads with rugged mountains on either side of my visor, especially last 30 km. It was an astonishing surprise when I learned the presence of a small village on the other face of the walls with pathways. The name justifies the extended framework of the Great Canyon because the first thing that came across my mind was the sets of Indian Movie " Vishwaroopam". Camping-Style stay is the most convenient and favored stay in Gandikota from where Great Canyon was just a few meters away, presenting a grandiose view. The early sun pops out of the canyon once you trek down the Mosque for almost a kilometre and a half to get the best view of the sunrise above the canyon. The tricky part is you can't afford to procrastinate or wake up late as the weather goes from pitch dark to bright in just under 15 minutes. I got to explore the canyon over a day and the next stop was to Vizag (NH 16).
I bounced quickly after the daybreak and my attitude was to cover some respectable stretch to reach Vizag as it was mostly highways. The evening was unexpected as it started getting dark by 5.30pm and I still had 150 km drive ahead of me to Vizag. I had a wonderful meal at the outskirts of Vijayawada. It was a good day for the bike but not so much for me as I found out my saddlebag was ruined by Hershey's Spread which had leaked and spent the next one hour trying to get rid of the mess. Regardless, the day ended on a bright note with " Paradise Briyani " In Gajuwaka. I booked an Oyo (Mohan Residency) for the night, and was planning to head Balasore the next day.
Support appears and offers itself in mysterious ways and such was exactly the case, especially on occasions when we think we don't need it. The day offered itself to be such a day where KTMC’s founder Mr Sherin Samuel shared relevant knowledge considering my saddle setup which was a pain in the ass for a couple of days. The issue was that my duffle backpack, which continued to stumble after every minor bump on the road. Mr Pavin, the propreitor of Moto Store, was introduced to me by Sherin the same morning. He was such a remarkable, down to earth person who found out my distress beforehand from Sherin, developed a customized saddle stay for my machine ( Royal Enfield Himalayan ) from scratch within an hour, and that too for free. It was absolutely out of his passion and appreciation for the riding community, especially KTMC. Helapuri Restaurant, Dondaparthi served me with fantabulous lunch as Mr.Pavin recommended. Parcelled my duffle bags via Trackon couriers back to Coimbatore. After this, I met with another KTMC member Mr Naren Jithu presently stationed out of a naval base situated in Dolphin Hills through Mr Madhu Sudhanan, another KTMC crew-member. I was unquestionably fortuitous to visit him that evening at his residence situated amidst beautiful hills alongside with a private seashore nearby. I nabbed some excellent time alongside his family over dinner, sharing some good old stories of some combats and old-fashioned riding. All this was possible because of my association with KTMC which is short for Kovai Thumpers Motorcycling Club, a group of like minded Royal Enfield riders based out of Coimbatore since 2006. This also happens to be one of the major clubs under BOBMC ( Brotherhood of Bulleteers Motorcycling Consortium, which is the umbrella body for all Royal Enfiend riding clubs in India ) and also the second largest Royal Enfield riding club in TamilNadu.
The early sunrise launched itself over the beach, pampering me with Vitamin - D. I differed against my itinerary by taking a diversion at Malud road to Satpada Lake which added an additional 50 km to where I chartered the ferryboat to Chilika Lake where if you, are lucky enough, will discover some dolphins along the route. The ferryboat ride doesn't cost money. I thereupon left to Puri, appreciated for its famous coast, about 20 km away. I tasted the local Katla Thali in native style which had its singular scent and distinct taste. Considering it was sunday, transit coming out of the remarkable Puri Jagannath Temple was onerous, nevertheless traffic was moving and the ride proceeded placidly. A slight issue arrived when I worked out the stays in Balasore town weren't what I had expected at all. With short inquiries from the neighborhood, I identified a better stay in Ayush International for a few extra bucks 3kms down the service roadway.
The initial agenda was stopping at Itahar for the night which was approximately 650kms away via the Farakka highways. “Ideal plans don't remain ideal on road trips” is what I grasped when I made the mistake of using Google Maps in four wheeler mode which fed me into the maws of Bardhaman City traffic thereupon extending upto being intercepted by the police in Bardhaman Town. Besides, the cops harvested an issue for mistakenly entering the superhighway designated for four wheelers. It was an unpleasant situation which included locals converging around my bike. The situation got further complicated when Google Maps made me drive around the same intersection for over 20 minutes. Finally, using some back passages, I converged onto the state highways and traveled for roughly 70km. All of this elicits a single comment, ‘Nasty’. After luncheon the Farakka freeways NH12 was still swamped, including lorry traffic. Trusting Google Maps repeatedly I followed the right deviation from NH12 to Rasakhawa road for around 28 km down to Dhantola road where a car with locals facilitated me navigate through the pitch dark foggy position at 6pm itself. I subsequently ended up at the Sikkim guest mansion recommended by Mr Karma a mutual friend of Mr Hari of Madras Bulls. I embraced the dorm's bunk beds since the rooms were fully occupied. Dorm stay was beyond my expectations including 24 hours hot water and a complimentary breakfast for a mere 500 bucks.
After 3000 Kms of traveling via four states, I saddled down my baggage and left for my neighborhood loops, hassle-free. My early stopover at Iskcon Temple was loaded with cultural values. The wall surfaces prevailed with sketched illustrations portraying ancient times. ( photography not allowed ). I drifted around indoors for some time and then took off to Salugara Monastery which was shut when I arrived around 11.40 AM caused me discontent. I dropped by Sed-Gyued Monastery which furthermore portrayed the regional folklore. Bengal Safari was the next destination where I purchased tickets for 200 bucks and discovered a few Asian Black Bear, Leopards & Tigers from my safari jeep which was a fantastic experience collectively. Archeological & ancient details encircle the oldest suspension bridge i.e Coronation Bridge which overwhelmed me with its infrastructural framework. I hadn't anticipated an arch bridge with such grandiose. Kalimpong cliff station should be praised for its praiseworthy lanes and I wish to ride here again soon. Afterward, I went to explore Sonada, especially the old and famous Darjeeling Himalayan Train route where the trails overran the courses throughout the downhill ride. It soon became dark and as a result, I had to reach Siliguri through Kruseong in a shorter span, additionally the roads were treacherous. I had dinner with Mr Karma & a few of his Ride Sikkim Friends and crashed for the night.
Driving throughout Sikkim calls for loads of legal permits alongside challenging roadways. I hit Lazomla Homestay post lunch and headed straightaway to the Police station for Lauchung Permit. It was Makar Sankranti and as a consequence they notified me the permit station will be shuttered for the rest of the day. So I chose to visit the Mangan Helipad infrastructure that lets on sights appertaining to the majestic Mt.Kanchenjunga. Ringham Monastery nearby remained deserted so all I managed to do was snap some photographs. Starting with lunch from my homestay, I set out to visit Naga Falls followed by some local snacks. I looked over the map of Sikkim with places to visit in all four corners throughout the state in the homestay. A memorable occasion was playing with Eva, the baby daughter of the Lazomla homestay manager. She is a splendid kid who made my evening. The day concluded with nice dal, rotis & aloo curry with satisfying sleep.
Dawn started at Mangan District Administrative Centre where I picked up the temporary permit form from the adjacent photocopy shop and supplied it with necessary information. One photocopy of each ID proof must be attached to this form including two passport size photos. Thereupon it gets validated by the employees at the counter where Original R.C, Insurance and License. These must be shown for authentication and thereby I received the permit for 3 days including all proceedings cost-free. One photocopy of the permit must be offered at the Toong Checkpost to enter Lachung. Shortly after the Checkpost came about the Theng tunnel road for about half Km accompanied beside enthralling hills on both sides till Chungtang, where the law divergence directs two routes, one extending to Lachen and other extending to Lachung. My first whiff of snow happened in Lachung swinging into an exclusive momentousness for me personally. The rest of the day prevailed among legions of special moments such as my first spill from my bike, considering the purchase date. I arrived at the Katau, the Indo - China border by 2 PM and it started to dim and became dark in a quick time. The return travel to Lachung was swelled with countless outstanding sights everywhere and, not to worry, there are ample homestays in Lachung irrespective of Google's negligence. The day concluded with temperatures hitting -4°c which augmented to the special moments roster, undisputedly the beginning of the greatest 2 days.
Dawn started among a failed pursuit directed towards Katau.Eextreme due to build up of snowfall & fuzz, the outcomes correlated to the preceding day. Return ride involved a steel truss bridge extending over a waterfall suspended above frozen streams rushing along the bottom. The platform was under repair at the hand of Border Roads Organization ( BRO ) which shelved the travel for another 30 mins. This initiated a string reaction forcing the routes beyond to the slipperier side as it's not exposed to heavy automobiles dropping tire imprints alongside routes. The aforementioned culminated into a two hour crusade for a mere 25kms back to Lachung where it started to drizzle and intensified as I started post-lunch to Gangtok. The terrain inclines suddenly making it onerous to drive as the rainfall still hadn't ceased and potholes started clogging up by mud & rainwater. I rode into Shiyam, Phodang to enter Namdul Boutique, Gangtok around 9 PM. The night passed subtly including casual questions on East & West Sikkim especially Nathula Pass in East Sikkim with the locals over dinner.
After grooming my bike extensively thanks to the previous day’s shower it took a while to saddle up and enter Buddha Park in Ravangla, tackling the mud & gravel present on the tracks. Buddha Park delivered a harmonious vibe when trekked along the sidewalks. I tasted regional foods including 1) Fhalay, 2) Dumplings, 3) Sujya ( Butter tea ), honestly mouthwatering stuff. Next 15km posed the same slippery contour alongside tight courses with sharp blind hairpins ascending into Ralang Monastery which resided amidst nowhere. Time restraints forced me to skip Pelling and I headed to Namchi. Roads got cut off 15kms ahead of Namchi due to rockslides for the next 40 minutes. It was impossible to locate Samdrupste Monastery as well as to pinpoint Ngadak Monastery. The next destination was the well-known Shiv Mandir which amounts to an assortment appertaining to independent entities present inside the compound for diversified Omnipresence. Suddenly I noticed the absolute majesty of the 87 feet Shiva Statue in front of me which still gives goosebumps now when penning about it. Eventually I visited Namchi helipad point quickly after which I left to Ahlaydara Farmstay where I had booked a room using Booking.com. A slight spooky episode arose and subsequently swung into Revelation. The episode started with me continuously receiving calls after my booking regarding my present location over a continuous period which seemed weird at that point. I was told to reach a location and a car was likely to guide me to the stay. The car arrived with a driver who thereupon stopped in the vicinity of a shop to pick another 3 dudes and a silent awkward 30 minutes ride followed till the farm stay. Thereafter I understood I was the first customer to the place ever and was treated royally with superb accommodation for 600 bucks with three meals a day. The night wound up with this sweet memory, authentic local dishes and campfires.
Originally, my agenda was exploring Darjeeling’s local neighborhood but subsequently ended with a joining up couple of riders from Iron Heads of Hyderabad staying in Darjeeling via Mr Madhu Sudhanan of KTMC. Ergo I aligned myself alongside their agenda as I sensed it would be better if someone accompanies me while passing over international borderlines. Margaret's Deck Tea lounge, renowned for their first flush tea which I craved to savor and even procured tea containers for back home. The tea lounge rested strategically amidst hills rising tall, 360°, contributing to an unparalleled cheerful surrounding down to the tea lounge. Next, we breached Nepal via Kakarbhitta. Fortuitously, a mutual buddy of Mr Kashyap was awaiting us in the Kakarbhitta customs building hence we straightaway handed over Original R.C, Insurance, Voter Id ( Optional ) but had to pay 170 INR instead of 90 INR per day which is the regular going rate. I paid 1700 INR for 10 days and it took me a while for concluding the permit conditions. Thereafter we came across two fellow travelers originating at Mysore, together we crossed the Nepal border. Sim cards and Currency exchange shops were found within a few meters from the border. Next, we enjoyed some dinner and left to Itahari, 90 km away. Nepal roads were unquestionably risky, not many signboards including transcending towns ghosted by 7 pm itself including petrol bunks till Itahari. We reserved an OYO nearby recognized as Pashupathi Guest House including acceptable accommodation, incredible food and exclusive parking. It was a long night with laugther and tales shared by all of us.
Saddling up came about relatively distinct as it was 6 riders bouncing together towards Kathmandu this dawn. After a fat non-veg brunch we captured our first gang pic near Koshi river bed alongside our machines. We couldn't identify any acceptable fuel station till Janakpur. Bhagat Trader's fuel station was an exception with surprisingly good quality petrol at cheaper prices compared to India which promptly advanced my bike's performance. Bardibas intersection sped us towards mountainous topography tracks past narrow suburbs for 150 km. After a hill drop, we spotted areas of river streams, streams out-flowing bridges on the road and many more breathtaking scenes but we couldn't experience the precise display as it went dark early. Preferably these roadways must be explored in daylight. Eventually, we reached Thamel, Kathmandu and settled in Hotel Beli Nepal which we identified using Oyo with private parking. We joined with fellow riders from Mysore who were already staying there and chitchatted a while and set to hit the routes to explore lanes appertaining to Thamel. Sincerely, I never predicted the streets swamped including entertainment opportunities all night. It presented a celebration vibe and correspondingly nightlife was expensive for instance one liter of water bottle cost 200 NPR and we had to be aware while roaming over the streets in all respects. We landed in a club among satisfying food and music with a quality crowd in & out. It was 3 AM when we reached the hotel and had to use a buffer day from my itenerary.
The day was initiated with a superb breakfast. After unloading the clothes in a laundry, I went on to inspect Swayambhunath temple. It was a majestic infrastructure that took us about 30 minutes to reach the top portion. I was shocked to discover everyone wearing their footwear indoors and even during temple offerings. It consumed 3 hrs to canvas the temple and find Nevari Special hotel, Heritage Gallery Cafe. I tasted Chatamari & Khaja Set which resembled a pizza with a momo base & Regional meals respectively. A Miss Monica who took up our order in the diner was remarkably calm since we included Google translate for every order, one such hilarious incident was when she grabbed tissue paper instead of pepper. After lunch, Patan Durbar square was a nearby community filled with temples that were splendidly built and filled with shops providing scenic details. It was amazing when in the evenings things shifted to the dark and temples appeared vibrant among lights including shopping squares getting crowded with people. It was a spectacle to observe. We went shopping for jackets, thermal gloves, etc. We dropped back to the lodging for dinner where we greeted Mr Ligil and Mr Alan, KTMC Members. I met them for the first time but got acquainted quite naturally. Ergo I started back for the streets of Thamel to explore further.
I shifted my itinerary to Muktinath post Rider Mania 2020 Nepal event hence prolonged my permit for 6 additional days which cost me 900 NPR altogether. The permit proceedings were reasonably rapid this time. Then I visited Nagarkot including a biking outlook viewpoint. To penetrate Nagarkot village and capture some glimpses from the Nagarkot View cost me 250 NPR per person, famously recognized for their Mt Everest aerial view and personally it was enthralling for me. Post lunch we surged towards Tatopani ( Nepal China borderline). It became 6 PM, however 108 km directed towards Tatopani was yet to be covered and truth be told courses remained scary especially near to one particular curve. The curve was clogged with slush beside boulders projecting along the narrow course without any caution indicators. Since mobile networks can't be trusted in Tataponi we secured a pit spot 40 km ahead of Tatopani to organize stays concerning the night, additionally couldn't discover any stays online. Besides neighborhood support unearthed a few stays and we prearranged dinner for the night. 20 km anterior to Tatopani I spotted doors on either side which seemed a little kooky to discover huge infrastructural & energy programs initiated by Chinese MNC's inside Nepal perimeter. Finally, we landed in our stay, Hotel Border View which was quite satisfactory including private parking. Temperatures dropped to -3°c that same night.
Dawn opened with a stunning Koshi River outlook from my room balcony. After coffee headed to Tatopani Natural hot springs which defies nature remains the greatest mystery still to be unwound. Natural hot water originating at the pond source was converged into shower stations for tourists convenience costing 20 NPR per person. After a nice hot spring bath, we left for Nepal- China border distanced at just 3 km. After reaching the 1st check post at the Nepal boundary, we landed in some discussions with military officials regarding entering into the China border as a group as he proposed progressing as individual crossings initially. Later same the Nepal military official accompanied our gang to a bridge connecting another check-post a little father away where entry was restricted. Entering into the China border one strange incident happened wherein iPhones got upgraded to China timezone automatically whereas Android phones didn't. Either side of both check-posts were filled with remains of run-down buildings, military trucks, bikes appertaining to the 2015 Earthquake. Entry is restricted until the repair work concludes as per the military official. We clicked photos inside & outside the border gates including a few stone patches. We figured out most of the fuel stations en route to Kathmandu haven't been modernized yet. After reporting at Hotel Beli Nepal for the night stay we came upon upon three Iron Heads riders staying in a service apartment nearby. To our surprise, they served us with self-cooked south Indian style rice, dal, egg and chicken pickle which tasted divine after having chowmein, momos & rotis for quite a few days. The night went calm as excitement was reserved for a big day tomorrow.
I still recall when I woke up around 8am my face was all smiles because I realized I was more enthusiastic regarding RM Chalo Nepal 2020. No small wonder since it was my first riding community event to date. Immediately I departed towards the RM Venue 207 km distant from Thamel. The roadways was relatively better and subsequently we spotted hundreds of riders originating from distinct areas of India riding towards the venue boosted my josh. I arrived at the venue approximately at 7.30pm with the utmost enthusiasm. Organizers welcomed me with Rice Beer, the provincial drink which I gulped in a single like native tradition dictates. My rear tire got deflated for the first time from the start of the expedition inside the venue. I dropped my Himalayan in the RE service at the venue. Some exclusive information about the Rider Mania Event is that BOBMC Rider Mania (BOBMC RM) is an event hosted by Brotherhood of Bulleteers Motorcycling Consortium member clubs in India every year. It is the annual gathering of Indian Royal Enfield motorcycle owners. Riders and biking clubs across the country gather for the two-day fest. Later I met members of KTMC, MBMC & a few other riding clubs that night. Our rooms were 7 km distant from the venue at Hotel Pancharatna including shuttle services from hotel to venue and vice versa. The next three days went quite the same with greeting riders across India and Nepal. The prince 0f Nepal toured the event which provided a unique opportunity to click pictures beside him. I purchased goodies with some stitch-on patches after which I picked up my Himalayan from RE service station which provides free service for riders attending the event. The event concluded on Monday, the 27th of Jan, with a delightful note and then the riders left back to their hometowns with heartfelt farewells. After three idle days, I saddled up my bike to pick up the permits from Pokhara office for Lower Mustang which turned out to be one hell of a ride. The permit process includes two forms with three passport size photos, each form costing 600 & 1000 NPR respectively. Requirements also include Passport, Voter ID and International Health Insurance Policies plus disclosure of routes and number of days which must be attested to beforehand. Indian ATM cards can be used in Nepal especially at Rastra Bank where the transaction fees are less. Fellow rider friends demanded to service their bikes so after getting the permits we headed to RE Service Station where we got delayed, hence we stayed in Pokhara for the night. Sarangkot was next in our minds to spend the evening but due to heavy mist, the view faded early. We settled for the night at Zostel near Phewa lake, Pokhara which reminded me of my school days which included bunk beds identical to school hostels. 17 riders from MBMC were already staying there and we spent some positive time with them over dinner.
We embraced an early start as we learned that the routes are not truly rider-friendly. After 5 Km and arriving at the outskirts, the tracks started tightening beside mountainous terrains. Further down the course, roadways were strewn with rocks & boulders. Roughly after two hrs of traveling from Pokhara, we reached Kushma, well known for its longest suspension bridge in Nepal named Gyadi Suspension bridge. This steel structure suspends for a 344 m stretch and hails 117m over the Modi River. It has a narrow path allowing only one bike at a time to cross over the other side. I rushed with full josh, without thinking twice. I lost my breath halfway when I observed the bottom of the bridge through my visor. It was one of the scariest moments of my life besides being awestruck. I appeased my gasping and prayed to all the divine forces known to humankind, gathered some courage and pursued slowly when I spotted a dim-wit motorcyclist commencing from the opposite end. I blew the horn with harsh force and thereupon with some help, he proceeded back to the bank and so did I. I knew I had to follow the bridge back to reach the other side. I felt scared but it didn't stop me from binding my phone to the jacket making my own mcgyvered Go-Pro and started recording. Later I left to Beni through Pokhara - Baglung highway extending to Maldhunga diversion from where courses ascend uphill till Lete. To be more precise the last 26 km to Lete befell into a road nightmare which swelled with streams, boulders, and extreme curves. After stamping permits at Tatopani check post our travel got interrupted when a fellow rider’s bike developed some clutch complications, draining a solid 45 minutes to get resolved. The climax betided with Google maps outwitting us amidst the forest with sign indications that directed us towards two different routes both pointing out Lete. After traveling a few km down the first route we unearthed a dead end so we returned and traveled the alternative route for about 2 Km to find Yak & Yeti Guest House where we settled for the night.
The dawn remained a weary one among a sound breakfast & tea. The outlook was astonishing as we went down for a walk. We caught cliffs covered with clouds hovering above to expose its majestic self. A word of caution. Food & beverages are certainly expensive in Muktinath. Saddling up we launched into a broad dirt pass until Jomsom located 25 km preceding Muktinath temple. Navigating remained complex throughout the maze like streets of Jomsom wherein Modern Bakery served us some mouthwatering chocolate muffins. As we proceeded further, crosswinds increased exponentially throughout the narrow dike passes. Riding became arduous especially for the last 10 Km. It was a narrow snow-dirt pass filled with wonders. We stopped by the Selfie Park along the course which brought forth a fascinating folk-lore story. There's a small door framework which is believed to stop zombies from entering the world. It was filled with black bush like structures painted with red, white and black which represents Wisdom God, Compassion God, and Evil Fighter God respectively. We halted in Dream Home-Stay around 3 PM and started on a horse ride to the temple head for 300 INR per Person. Lord Vishnu's Mukti sculpture was standing tall in front of us in pure gold. We were the only ones inside at 5.50 PM as the temple closes by 6 PM plus we got sole divine dharshans. Then I succeeded in taking 108 Holy Dip baths wherein the water that struck my head was half frozen. Thereafter I trekked the snow cliffs for the first time in my life that brought about magical emotions. I was surrounded by holy temples that swelled with mystical wonders amidst snow, providing me with complete euphoric feelings. Later we visited Buddha Mandir established at an altitude of 3710 meters plus it is one of the world’s highest place of worship. The surroundings flow with peaceful vibrations all over the place supplemented peaceful situations. Return trek to our stay involved icy path surfaces and snowing simultaneously. The nights remained freezing along with temperatures dropping to -15 °c with no heater in the room.
Eyeballs stayed woozy through daylight largely because of distraught sleep overnight besides temperature tumbling, extending to -15 °c. We aimed at an early outset in the aim of attaining Pokhara before midnight. A snowstorm overnight made it impossible to differentiate between courses & cliffs plus snow didn't clear till 11 am. Return to Pokhara was no cakewalk since there were hurdles along the path and we finally made it past midnight, also we had already skipped lunch to conserve time. The nighttime was distasteful as we acquired food at an exponentially high cost, for instance, chicken fried rice cost 500 NPR as majority shops were shuttered by that time.
I embraced a delayed outset next morning due to a heavy lunch roughly lasting 2 hrs at Pokhara. Grooming my Himalayan alongside a water wash, chain lubes and some secondary check-ups after two tiring days in Muktinath gave an incredible relief for my bike as well as me. AH 2 East-West Highways happened to be a stunner, After traveling on mud courses past two weeks, AH 2 highways were a gift for next 80 plus km till Parsi road diversion. After that roadways turned out to be a menace filled with potholes for 30 Km extending to Sonauli borderline. We couldn't overpass the India - Nepal boundary before 10 PM after which crossing is closed which forced us to overpass via sidewalks. Finally, we reached India border around 10.10 PM, parts of deliberations and inquest found us to City Guest House, hardly a KM from India - Nepal border. It was a common stay with decent Indian food.
Dawn remained cloudy, clogging the highways because of which we were forced to be gentle with our machines. After an early breakfast which tasted divine, partly due to the cheap cost, I left to Lucknow through Faizabad upon which roads were beautiful except for a 30 km rough stretch. We stopped for lunch at a vegetarian dhabha near Faizabad where food tasted undoubtedly splendid, including its reasonable pricing. Amafh Royal Enfield Service station was our next destination to fix our bikes and as usual, the staff came about excessively supportive and efficiently skillful. In a period of 60 minutes, they worked on two Himalayans with basic checkups and installed rear disc pads for another Classic 500 with sizable problems including frontal fork issues. As suggested by the staff from Royal Enfield Station we dropped by Super Rider store to purchase an array of Himalayan parts & accessories. Later we scheduled rooms at Fab Express Global Inn and left to dine at Tunday Kawaab in Ahmedabad. The locality remained crowded with restaurants hovering diversified cuisines. After munching Tunday Kawaab I stopped at Chowk for having local sweets & savories. The night ended with Kashmiri chai and deep sleep at Global Inn.
The dawn initiated gloomy as the city started rioting based on a local political murder that happened in the morning forcing us to rush out of Uttar Pradesh state and enter Madhya Pradesh to discover superb four-lane roads instead of two-way state lines until the UP border which was depressing. Also, we found either side of the courses enclosed with mountains on either side for several kilometers and thereafter superb roadways extending to Jabalpur. Our itinerary was reversed when we determined a few friends staying at Jabali Palace in Jabalpur. I filled my stomach with munchies from the restaurants which tasted exquisite after greeting them at the hotel.
Completing the complimentary breakfast we bounced along to Hyderabad. Roadways after Seoni remained congested including lorry traffic as a result of the ongoing development work. After reaching Nagpur we commandeered the Outer Ring road to connect to Adilabad - Nagpur highways. After finishing lunch, towards Telangana my bike had a puncture on the outskirts of Karanj village. Without an appropriate automobile service station nearby it took us a whole hour to get it fixed as a result we settled at Hotel Lakshmi Grand, Nirmal with private parking and exceptional food.
The morning came to pass blissfully besides masala dosa ( South Indian style ) that I ate after month. The journey remained a brief 150 Km convenience ride to Hyderabad including a halt at New Meeradevi Family Dhaba, where Iron Heads hang out frequently. Thereafter we showed up at Ratiwal Agencies, owned by Mr Praveen from Iron Heads to resolve my rear tire isuue. I choose Apollo tire for my Himalayan as advised by him. Bahar Restaurant, estd. 1973 situated in Basserbagh, served me their famous special Mutton Biryani for lunch and then decided to crash at Mr Madhav's residence for the night in Nizampet. The night was still young so we concluded with exploring the city in the car. We reached the Charminar and I witnessed it for the first time. Later I sampled the famous Krupa Dosa, Troop Bazaar. we explored other communities in the city and settled down for the night. It was a wholesome day after a long time besides there wasn't any agenda or traveling involved. It was more like a day off by chilling inside the house watching Go-Pro videos, uploading them onto social media, etc., Later that night something struck me hard i.e. thoughts of this expedition almost coming to an end. To be truthful, I was anxious that night.
I chose not to end the trip early, so instead of traveling straight to Coimbatore. I launched my solo trip towards Chennai. It felt distinctive driving alone after so many days. Besides, the climate change was excruciating with the hot sun draining my energy completely. I suffered plenty of standstills before 5 PM but later at Goravaram fuel station I refueled and ripped my bike towards Perambur roughly 250 Km away. I spent the night along with the next day by socializing with friends and family residing in Chennai. I suddenly contemplated hitting Karaikudi on my return journey back to Coimbatore. Chennai to Karaikudi was connected with excellently laid 4-way lanes extending to Trichy and remaining state highways. On arrival, my friends received me and laid out the agenda for the rest of the night. Priya Mess was the first stop in the agenda which served us with diverse non-veg dosas and non-veg starters. The taste was mind-blowing and rates were pretty modest making it a wonderful spot for dinner. I wished to visit Tanjore Big Temple which I remembered from my childhood memories. So unquestionably my next destination was Tanjore via Kumbakonam. The streets of Kumbakonam were loaded with temples of varying proportions and architecture. The town remained crowded with narrow streets. I reached Tanjore temple around the afternoon and the first thing that struck me "why Tanjore temple hasn't been listed as a Wonder of the World". After examining and experiencing the ambiance of the temple for over two hours I left to visit Musiri, my native town near Trichy. It was indeed good to be home with family and above all seeing them after close to a 100 days was indeed filled with mixed emotions. I realized I couldn’t procrastinate further and chose to travel Coimbatore the next day. The morning started with a bright note, delicious home-cooked breakfast that mom had cooked especially for me. After munching on it, I took a while to de-clutter unnecessary things from my saddle bags. Finally, I started towards Coimbatore, after lunch, around 4 PM. My body was callous, personally incapable of any emotions plus a poker face with which I was cruising towards Coimbatore. Two countries, six provinces and ten states which I had traveled in the past 34 days was sliding at the back of my mind. Suddenly my eyes shifted towards the odometer displaying 11,863 Kms and within seconds I calculated the math and my mind spits out 8733. 8733 kms was the distance that I had traveled in the past month resulted in smiles all over my face whilst inside the helmet. Before I could fully comprehend this fact, I reached Coimbatore reliving every second from the past 34 days over the previous three hours.