Saturday, September 03, 2011

Konkan - Monsoon - RE TBTS


Plan: to cover about 2830 kms in 9 days.

Route: Hyderabad -- Pune - Raigad Fort - Ganapatipule - Vijaydurg - Sindhudurg - Goa - Karwar - Gokarna - Murudeshwar - Jog Falls - Agumbe - Shringeri - Belur - Bangalore -- Hyderabad

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Day 0 (Aug 26): Hyderabad - Sholapur (300 kms)

The prelude set the tone for rest of the play. No mercy was shown from heavens for my maiden bike marathon. As we mounted our sacks, it was raining. It was raining when we kicked off, and it was to rain throughout, day and night, all the time. In no time I knew what we were up against, as all our stratagems to keep water out failed one by one. Soon it was apparent that the word - waterproof - is a joke. Before we could leave the town behind, rain was as much inside as it was outside.

And that was not the end of our problems. The highway had to offer a plenty. The visibility worsened after the dusk. The high beam would burst on the glass and leave you dazzled. When you lift the glass, the water needles would threaten to puncture your eyes. For a good deal of the road, riding was like making good guesses on the road.

The only respite was occasional cups of tea and steamy hot omlettes by road-side stalls. It was midnight when we decided to call it a day. By then, we were looking like a mess.

Day 1 (Aug 27): Sholapur - Baramati (200 kms)

A minor accident on the highway dented the course of our trip. After talking to locals in a repair shop, we dropped the idea of going to Pune. There was not much sense in riding on the highway with mud flying around everywhere. So we sneaked into the interior routes with a safer speed. Thankfully, we found that the state highways were in much better shape, and more pleasant to ride on, beneath the canopies of great banyan trees.

Meanwhile, it dawned on me that I was too ambitious in planning. Looking at the situation in hand - the non-stop downpour and an understandably demoralized co-traveler - I realized that it was high-time we rationalized our plan as per the practical realities. We stopped and talked over the lunch. And decided to take it easy and do whatever was possible.

All this while I could not stop wondering why would anyone want to ride in Monsoon.

Looking at the brighter side of the situation, despite (or because of) whatever we were looking like, we aroused lots of curiosity and awe wherever we passed by. People turned their heads, girls giggled, boys cheered, and adults asked questions. Traveling is incomplete without engaging with the locals. And it's impossible not to come across interesting people in such road trips. To our good luck, a veteran trekker bumped into us and helped us with useful information. Things were beginning to take a shape.

Day 3 (Aug 28): Baramati - Raigad (150 kms)

The journey through the Ghats was one of the things that I had in my mind when I had planned this trip. Just to remind again, it was pouring buckets all the time. The road (from Bhor, Pune to Mahad, Raigad) crawled like a snake through the forest. As far as I could see, it was lush green all around. The sound of the countless falls crashing, birds chirping, and wind whistling, left me absolutely mesmerized. As we rolled upwards, we were wrapped by clouds. We had arrived.

It's amazing that in a setting like these, even a simple thing like a cup of tea feels so very special. By a roadside dhaba on top of the hill, I enjoyed one of the most memorable cups of tea, along with steamy hot Vada Pao. Won't I ever come here again?, I asked myself. And that was the moment it occurred to me that I was rather wasting my time in Hyderabad, which is far from all the interesting places. At that moment, the microscopic details of urban existence seemed unnecessary in the larger scheme of life, which had lot better to offer to those who sought.

Indeed, biking in clouds is more than an experience. It's a perspective.

While coming down, I switched off the ignition. The bike rolled down the slopes on its own, leaving behind the clouds, and what followed was about 5-6 kms of absolute timelessness, in which oblivious to the whole world, I soaked the sound of nature, trying to store it somewhere in my memory, taking it back to where I need it the most.

Day 4 (Aug 29): Raigad - Guhagar (250 kms)

Konkan is the land of hills, beaches, forts, temples, and food. Apart from sea food, what it is well known for is Ratnagiri Hapus or Alphonso. We took the NH 17 and sped towards the land of famous Alphonso mangoes. From a place called Chiplun, we turned towards the state highway, which runs closer to the coastal line. And finally, we reached Guhagar in late afternoon.

Throughout this trip, we enjoyed riding more than anything else. The evenings were not happening enough, since there was not much to do outside with the rain playing spoilsport. And it was not fun to sit in a stuffy room watching your clothes not drying. I regretted not making a diversion to Pratapgad, which was just 25 kms away from the NH 17.

Anyway, we were in Guhagar. Apparently, it is one of the most gorgeous beaches in Konkan, though it is dangerous for swimmers. In Monsoon, it's insane to go inside water anyway, since the waves leap furiously and take away whatever they lay hands on. Moreover, the beaches are invariably dirty in rainy season. In any case, beaches were out of scope for us in his trip. I just wanted to see life in Konkan in an off-season.

This was another reason, apart from the sheer impossibility, for us to curtail the scope of our trip. The beaches deserved a better season, and it was a better idea to leave those places for another trip.

Day 5 (Aug 30): Guhagar - Ganapatipule (100 kms)

As recommended by our hospitable host, who painstakingly drew a detailed map of the whole coastal region for us, we decided to take an intimate route through the villages of the region. No wonder we could not travel much, but we saw a lot that day. Besides, it was a welcome diversion from a beautiful monotony of riding through vegetation. Thanks to Monsoon, we were allowed to do something different than wearing floral shirts and sipping lemonades at beaches.

Near Guhagar, there is a lesser known place called "Baman Ghal". It's a deep gorge in rocks, in which waves rush in and splash in air about 40-50 feet high. Standing there, it came to my mind that unless you have a two-wheeler, which approaches more, and makes you more approachable, you can not even think to explore a place as secluded as this. And that would be a huge loss.

We rode through habitations, and through places where there was no trace of man. There was nothing else but clouds, rains, and greenery. It was so isolated up there that one could even change clothes on road without been seen. But what would one do if his bike started acting up? That was a terrifying thought. At that moment I thanked the makers of the RE TBTS for making such a reliable piece of mechanical marvel.

By evening, we were in Ganapatipule. We strolled near the beach after dinner. In pitch dark, the sea looked menacing with the tides lashing and roaring. It was a sight to look at, and a sound to listen to. But we had to rush to our room since the drizzling was beginning to get heavier.

Day 6 (Aug 31): Ganapatipule - Goa via Vijaydurg, Sidhudurg (300 kms)

What could one say about the journey when hills are on your left side and sea is on the right? I was living the fantasy. As we rode along the coast, I saw nameless beaches, rocky shores, lagoons, and the life around the coast.

The first destination was Vijaydurg fort, which was in disrepair, and that left me disappointed. The second stop was Sindhudurg fort, which is build on an island. I couldn't see the fort from inside, since ferry service was not in operation. There was no point in going to Tarkarli beach. So we moved on, and reached Goa by night. We stopped by a dhaba for our regular cup of tea, but we were informed that no dhaba serves tea in Goa. All they offer was beer.

The road just before Goa was like a death-trap. It was late when we reached, and I was dead tired, and sick of water in any form. By the time we checked in, all I wanted was to go back home.

Day 7 (Sep 01): Goa

Though I am not one of the Goa fans, but I have to admit that there is no place like Goa. Even in rainy season, even on Ganesh Chaturthi, it was decently crowded, though the foreigners were not many. We used this day to relax, and bring back the spirit, which was dampened by rains, and stinking clothes.

In a shack, we talked to the shack owner, who had interesting things to talk about Indian tourists, especially Delhiites. I was amused to find out that they really had put "No Delhi People Allowed" board on their shacks, since these tourists were repeatedly found to be offensive and arrogant. Many of them were beaten up by the locals and even by foreigners. Sitting there in the shack, I saw a sample there and then.

- Don't take this drink near the beach. They'll fine you.
- How much?

Day 8 (Sep 02): Goa - Bijapur (350 kms)

The road till Belgaum was more challenging than I had imagined. After Ponda, as the forest area started, the road had veritable craters, and fog was dense, making it very difficult for us to ride. I had to turn into a mp3 player to distract my mind from the cold.

In a roadside dhaba, where we had taken shelter, the atmosphere was beautiful in a way. A bus was parked there, and the passengers were inside. There was no light inside, and the steam and smoke inside was mingling with the mist outside. I enjoyed a steaming hot, though bit spicy for my taste, lunch plate. And then we pushed off.

The state highway was like a dream, though the occasional bumpers were disorienting, and that allowed us to reach Bijapur on time. Meanwhile, I tested the limits of RE TBTS, which showed signs of swaying as I reached 100 km/h.

Day 9 (Sep 03): Bijapur - Hyderabad (350kms)

Bijapur is a town with rich cultural heritage. Relics are strewn on both sides of road. Though I had no intention to spend time in the town, I finally did since the places of interest were nearby, and they were picturesque. This was the first time when I could take out my camera and clicked few snaps.

By noon we left Bijapur. NH 218 was fun to ride on, and the bull touched its max - 110 km/h. By dusk we were having our dinner in a dhaba located at the outskirts of Hyderabad.

Overall, we did 2130 kms. I was happy to find out that the bikes and the riders were fine despite severe testing. Given another chance, I would do the same route again, with lighter packing though.

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There are two type of traveling. One could travel to heaven, enjoy, and remember the memories with fondness after coming back to the banalities of usual life. Conversely, one could travel to hell, suffer, and start appreciating one's normal life. My road trip was mix of both; it hurted and it healed, and that's why it's difficult for me to answer simplistic questions like how was the experience. The experience would have been worth nothing had it been a simple good or a simple bad.

One is supposed to look refreshed after coming back from a vacation. I guess I must be looking lost, and rather disoriented. The birds are still chirping in my mind. It will take me a while to adjust to the pace again. But as of now, this trance is my only payoff.

And finally, now I know why people make road trip to Konkan in Monsoon.