PART III

December 27th, 2014

Before I go further, I think it would be better to give a brief overview of Rameshwaram. It is a small town located on the Pamban Island separated from the mainland India. Rameshwaram is considered as one of the holiest places in India by the Hindus. The word “Rameshwara” means “Lord of Rama” in Sanskrit depicting Shiva which is the deity of the Ramanathaswamy Temple at Rameshwaram. It is believed that Rama installed and worshiped the Shiva lingam before constructing the bridge from Dhanushkodi to Lanka. The temple is located at the center of the town and is the most notable landmark of Rameshwaram.

The current temple structure was built by the Pandya Dynasty during 12th century. This temple has the longest corridor among all Hindu temples in India which approximately 17 to 21 feet wide and 25 feet high. There are sixty-four Tīrthas or Theerthams (holy water bodies) in and around Rameshwaram out of which 24 is considered to be important as per Skanda Purana. A dip in these Tirthas is considered very sacred by the Hindus which is the major aspect of Pilgrimage to Rameshwaram. Being a remote sea side village, Rameshwaram has a lower literacy rate.(Info courtesy – Wikipedia)

But the hygiene I could see there now would put the word “Holy” and “Sacred” to shame. Places of such historical and religious importance could be maintained lot more better. Everyone is interested in the revenue generated from there it seems… “If HOLY places are kept and maintained like this, how would other places be kept?” This is one question which always lingered in my mind and the visit to Rameshwaram added to it. No wonder why our country even with all these resources is not progressing at the pace it actually should be. It is because of the common selfish mentality of each and every one of us. We restrict our world to the boundaries of our home, office and our family. We are least bothered about what happens outside our compound. If something is rotten, throw it outside so that it is no more our headache is the common mentality. We can only progress if we start thinking it will be someone else’s headache and act with a civil sense.

Our plan was to visit Ramanathaswamy Temple before starting our return journey. I was not able to get a sound sleep that night. I don’t know if it was the over excitement of having a dream come true or the pain from the swollen fingertips and neck or the fan which has only one speed(at its maximum) which eluded the sleep away from me. Life is sometimes like this… One day, I had a very sound sleep in a less comfortable room and the very next day, I have a better room and cot, but the goddess of sleep was not blessing me.

I woke up before 4.00 AM in the morning. The swelling on fingertips has subsided a bit with whatever sleep I could manage to get and I felt a bit relieved. Ramees was sleeping like a child snoozing alarms again and again until I woke him up by 4.30 AM. I wanted to capture the beauty of the massive corridors in the temple but to my dismay, our Lodge – Owner informed us that mobile phones and cameras are not permitted inside the temple due to security reasons. I was again a victim of the terrorism that prevails in our country and with all my heart I abused all the terrorists in mind. We went out for a cup of tea before setting off to the temple keeping our mobiles and camera at bay.

Though not much of the shops were open, the town was well awake by that time with the rush of people seeking Moksha, we could see ladies wrapped in red sari and guys wearing white and saffron dhothies rushing to the temple. The Temple was at a walkable distance from our lodge and we proceeded to the main gate. There was a considerable rush to enter the temple and we could see the Police Officers sending back those who have their mobiles with them. We also joined the crowd and squeezed our way in. Though we were not there to take dips in the tirthas, I offered a silent prayer to the Lord in mind and enjoyed the magnificent beauty of the majestic temple corridor.

Walking down that corridor was such a magnificent experience with a sense of solitude creeping into you. I am not sure how to explain that here. It is surely something which is to be experienced. It was not the religious importance or the presence of the tirthas… This place surely had an air of peace even when it is crowded and I could breathe it in. We took a look at the tirthas inside the temple and got out of the temple by around 7.00.

We felt hungry and went to the nearest hotel which looked good. We were greeted with the response below –
“Tiffin inium ready aavale sir. Tea mattum thaan irukku”(Sir, the breakfast is not yet ready. Only Tea is ready.). We walked to the other side of the temple and checked Saravana Bhavan. There they have not even opened up properly. Same was the case with other Hotels. We returned to our room to pack our bags and start the return journey. On our way, we checked Saravana Bhavan again and found it to be open and the Breakfast was ready. We had our staple breakfast – Poori Masala and moved towards Pamban Bridge.

We stopped near Pamban Bridge to take pictures and spend some time there cracking jokes and enjoying the beauty of the rain bridge and the coast. We took few pictures in mobile and shared it to Riderzzz group mainly with an intention to tease Akhil. 😛 In between, a fleet of Riders from Kerala who are on their way to Rameshwaram crossed us. It was very nice to see them ride in a formation with headlights on. We set the wheels rolling towards Ramanathapuram by around 9.00 AM.

Riding the way we came through always gives you a feeling of return journey which is unbearable for any rider. When you are riding, what really matters is the road and the ride… and you are mostly not concerned about anything else. The feeling of a return journey gives you the feeling that the ride is coming to an end and I think that’s why most riders prefer to choose a different route than the one they came through. But we had no other option than to ride till Ramanad to deviate to Thoothukudi(Tuticorin) route.

We passed the tender coconut vendor and other places we saw the previous day. In between, we stopped for few clicks too and reached Ramanad by around 10.00 – 10.15AM. Ramees desperately wanted to change the engine oil of his bullet and we decided to get it done at either Thoothukudi or Tirunelveli. We passed the swamp and took the deviation towards Thoothukudi. Lush green farm lands on both sides of the road greeted us. It was a very nice experience to ride that road.

In between we saw another fleet of riders filling petrol and relaxing at a petrol pump. We stopped and had few words with them. They were all riding Bajaj Avenger and they were the same guys whom we saw the previous day at Dhanushkodi. They were coming from Bangalore and were on their way to Kanyakumari and asked us to join them so that we can ride till Thoothukudi together. They informed us that they have a formation and we can follow them. We decided to join the fleet for a while and I told them upfront that we are photographers and may drop off at any point. I also told them not to wait for us if they don’t see us before riding together.

They were riding pretty fast at around 90 kms/hour which didn’t suit our style of riding. We didn’t want to race like that and wanted to enjoy the ride. The road was clear and we kept up with them for some time until I saw a Tea Shop near the road at Thiruppullani where we pulled off. It was not a small Tea Shop, It is an out let of products like Cakes, Biscuits, Rusk etc… and had Tea and other snacks also. The ambience was really nice. The building was away from the road and they had lot of land around the shop where there was a open area where guest could sit and relax. The tea was really nice and we had 2 cups of tea each along with the snacks and relaxed for quite some time there before starting off. We even bought a packet of snacks for us to have on the way.

The road from Ramanad to Thoothukudi is a state highway known as the East Coast road . It was one of the best roads I have ridden through. The road was empty and lovely with no disgusting traffic to bother you. The only hurdles which slowed us down were the townships which popped up in between. Riding that road was a wonderful experience. It’s just you, your machine and the road who is in a long and lovely conversation with each other… like two lovers during their courtship. The farm lands on the side of the road gave way to dry shrublands and the air around us became hot and humid and we stopped in between for tender coconuts. At one point, I saw Peafowls crossing the road and stopped our engines. But by the time I pulled my camera out, they disappeared in the shrubs. Peacocks and Peafowls are normally found in warmer areas like this and we hoped to have its sight again in the ride which did not happen.

Tuticorin, also known as Thoothukudi is a port city which lies in the south-eastern coastal region off Bay of Bengal. It is an emerging industrial hub and has the second highest Human Development Index in Tamil Nadu, next to Chennai. The Port is one of the fastest growing major sea ports in India. Lot of history sleeps in the soil of Thoothukudi as it has been ruled by the Pandyas, Cholas, Vijayanagara Empire, Portuguese, Dutch and the British at different times. Thoothukudi district gave birth to many freedom fighters like the great poet Subramanya Bharathi, V. O. Chidambaram Pillai, Oomaithurai, Veerapandiya Kattabomman etc.

It is also known as “The Pearl City” due to the pearl fishing carried out in the town. Majority of the people of the city are employed either in salt pans or involved in other sea-borne trading or tourism. It is also known as “The Sea Gateway of Tamil Nadu”. Salt pans in and around the city provides employment to lot of people and contribute majorly to the economy of the city. Thoothukudi is well-connected to other major cities by road, rail and air. And all the roads there are kept in excellent condition too. Tuticorin is the second largest producer of Salt in India next to Gujarat.

Our hunt for engine oil was still on and we have checked at 2 – 3 workshops for Bullet Engine oil on our way. Luck was not in our favor. As we were nearing Thoothukudi, we could see salt pans coming up by the side of the road. Ramees led the way and we pulled off through a track to a salt pan. We could see huge heaps of salt in one side of the track and the pans on the other side which resembled paddy fields after cultivation. There were few workers loading a truck with Salt from the heap who stopped working as we reached near them. We might have looked like two aliens to them in our riding gear. They gathered around us to check what we were up to and we could see smiles on their faces when we told them that we just need to see the place. They were very friendly and went back to their work. The climate was too hot around there and it was too hard to stay there for long with riding gears on. We had a chat with the driver of the truck who was the only free person there, gave the snacks packets to him and took some photos before bidding farewell to them.

We were hungry as it was around 2.30 – 2.45 in the afternoon and we have not yet had our lunch. We stopped at a small hotel around 8 kilometers from the salt pan. We could see a Kerala registration bus parked in front of it. After parking our vehicles at a place visible from the inside, we went in. It was crowded with the group from the bus and we had to wait for 5 minute to get a seat. Me and Ramees were cracking jokes and talking to each other in Malayalam and a small girl from the group who was sitting near threw surprised looks at us. She was around 8-9 years of age and had a beautiful smile. We filled up our tummies and started moving again towards Tirunelveli.

Occasional breaks and the good roads made our ride smoother. We didn’t enter Thoothikudi town and took the bypass to Tirunelveli. Ramees badly wanted to change the engine oil as he have crossed almost 9000 kilometers after the last oil change. Though the vehicle did not show any signs like the exhaust note getting louder or the engine getting over heated, we didn’t want to take a risk and spoil our ride. We stopped at almost all the petrol bunks on our way. Everywhere 20-40 and 20-50 grade oils were available and what we need is a 15-50 grade oil. I called up and checked with my mechanic if there is any other grade we could use for which we got a negative reply.

Tirunelveli is approximately 60 kilometers from Thoothukudi and we reached there by evening. The road from Thoothukudi to Tirunelvali was one fine piece of a cake and we stopped for a click in between. Tirunelveli was a crowded town and we wasted our time there also in the search for engine oil which did not yield a positive result. Tirunelveli is famous for halwas which we wanted to buy… but we were running short of time and kept moving through the heavy traffic towards Tenkasi.

It was getting dark and the road to Tenkasi was rough. Trucks commute to Kerala through this road which is the main reason for its bad shape. It was a two track road with no median and the beaming bright headlights of the vehicle from the other side flashed our eyes and slowed our pace. We stopped for a tea and dinner in between and crossed Tenkasi and found our shelter for the day at Hotel Ananda Classic near Courtallam. It was a nice place and the rooms were affordable. We got fresh, applied volini on our necks to ease the pain and dozed off..

Total Distance covered for the day – 320 kms
Total – 840 kms

PART IV

December 28th, 2014

The laziness of a return journey gripped us hard and we overslept(than other days) on the 4th day. Ramees woke up first and pulled me out of the bed. Our plan for the day is to visit the water falls at Courtallam which is famous as the Spa of South India. We set our engines on fire towards five falls by around 6 AM wearing our night dress itself. We didn’t even bother to carry our camera or any other valuables other than just a purse and a mobile and a bath towel. As usual, we were longing for a cup of tea and stopped in between. After confirming the route, we took the deviation towards the famous five falls.

Five falls is also known as Aintharuvi(in Tamil). It has five separate cascades of water form this waterfalls. En route, we could see lot of resorts and hotels. After parking our bullets in the parking lot, we kept our purse and mobile in the safe locker facility offered by a small shop there. Five falls is well maintained and the bathing area is divided into 2 with iron grills in between. One for ladies and the other for gents. The area for gents were crowded with Sabarimala Pilgrims. We ran to the falls and jumped with chill and excitement when the stream of water hit us. The water was so cold.

After spending half an hour at the falls, we just squeezed the water out of our cloths and wore it back. After getting our valuables from the locker, we started returning to our room. Riding with wet tracksuit and T-shirt felt bad initially as you feel more cold when the wind hit you through the wet cloths. but you will soon get used to it. It will help dry your cloths also. We stopped at the junction from where we deviated to five falls for our breakfast. After all the action, our tummies
were screaming with rage. It was a small hotel and we were the first customers for our waiter. here also we didn’t change our regular menu. “Poori Masala” for Breakfast. Food was yummy and the service was good and we had more food than usual.

After reaching our room, we packed up and checked out by 9.00 AM. One has to cross the Western Ghats to enter Kerala and we started climbing the hills. Both of us didn’t want this journey to end and it affected our pace. The roads was nice but the presence of trucks and the curvy hills tested our cornering skills and crossed Kerala border. On our way, we crossed the deviation to Palaruvi a famous tourist attraction and stopped at the old railway bridge at Senkottai which is also known as 13 Kannara Bridge. It was build by the British connecting Senkottai to Kollam(Quilon) by Meter gauge rail. The bridge have 13 beautiful arches which earned its name – 13 Kannara Bridge.

After spending some time there, we moved further. Our next halt was at Thenmala where we found a small track to an open area. We went off road and took a break by taking pictures. It was a shady open ground where we spend quite some time. I set my camera on a tripod to capture a photo with both of us in the frame with our machines. On our way out, we saw few guys on their way to the ground with camera and other equipment.

Our next checkpoint was Punalur which is approximately 20 kilometers away from Thenmala. The road was nice and we had a very good cornering experience. After crossing Punalur town, we stopped at a roadside shop for a lime juice. It was a hot and humid day and we had to avoid getting dehydrated. An old friend of mine – Midhun, invited me to meet him on my way when he learned about my trip. He stays nearby and I called him up and decided to meet at Adoor which is approximately 30 kilometers from Punalur.

We rode to Adoor and stopped at a Petrol pump. I called up Midhun and he reached us in no time. Its after a very long time that I am meeting him… Must be after 8 or 9 years. I shared an apartment with him and 3 other guys when we were doing our post graduation. He took us to a near by restaurant – Thomson bakery, Adoor and treated us with yummy Chicken Biriyani. (Thanks buddy for the wonderful treat. More than the food, meeting you after a long time was the best…)

After bidding good bye to Midhun, we steered towards Chengannur. Traffic was getting heavy as we crossed Chengannur and moved towards Thiruvalla. There was considerable rush in the streets and we noticed that buses – mostly KSRTC buses(Government owned buses) were not stopping by the side of the road. They were stopping right in the center of the road which made all the vehicles to stay behind them in a queue. Since two wheelers can find gaps in between and find an escape route, we were lucky. But at times I had to wait for Ramees’s beaming headlight to be in sight as he was held behind. We could see such queues in all the junctions.

Road till Changanassery was almost the same and we deviated to Kuttanad. It is a straight stretch of around 30 kilometers with scenic beauty on both sides of the road till Alappuzha. Kuttanad is a major rice granary of Kerala and is also known as the “Rice Bowl of Kerala”. The view of lush green paddy fields and enchanting backwaters bless Kuttanad and makes it a tourist destination. The traffic was not that heavy but we did not speed up and kept the speedometer around 50-60 kilometers(This road have speed guns at several points. It was not because of the speed guns we lowered our pace. We just didn’t want the trip to end). In between we stopped for a tender coconut.

People were looking at us as if we are two aliens. May be because it is not a usual sight to see people in riding gear in Kuttanad. But during the entire trip, we never faced this kind of a treatment. Seeing the Kerala registration vehicles and seeing us in riding gears in the hot steaming weather made them conclude that we are lunatics… and they looked at us with a priceless expression on their face.

We reached Alappuzha by around 4.00 PM and had to sweat again in traffic to cross the town. Beaming headlights helped us again to identify each other in the crowd as no one else would switch on their headlights during day. After finding our way out of Alappuzha town, we entered NH-47, a straight stretch till my home town which is less than 60 kilometers away. We stopped in between for a cup of tea… probably our last cup of tea and our last refreshment break together for the trip. We sat there for sometime talking to each other sipping tea. I asked Ramees about his plans further and invited him home. He declined politely saying that road would be a better place for riders to part than home. Ramees wanted to get back to Akhil and told that he prefer to continue riding the same day and would stay near Thrissur.

From there, I was leading with Ramees following me as I was the local guy and my bullet slowed down showing resistance to speed up… As the journey is coming to an end, I desperately wanted to prolong the ride… and kept looking back at Ramees through my rear view mirror. We crossed Cherthala, Aroor, Kundannoor and Vyttila.. all local places to me… and finally reached my bus stop from where I had to take a U-Turn and enter the service road. We stopped the engines and I gave directions to Ramees on the route to reach Akhil’s place. We bid farewell and parted. A hug, a waive of the hand and a horn completed the farewell rituals… and Ramees rode away leaving me alone… with a hope to meet again sometime… somewhere and yes… on the road…

I reached home by 5.45 PM, 5 minutes after parting with Ramees. Got all the luggage off the bike and took a shower. My fingers were all swollen again by gripping the handle tight in Kerala Roads. I had tea.. and few words with parents. I went to bed for a quick nap and was unable to sleep. My mind raced back through the memories of the trip. It was 4 days of Isolation from everything… Listening to one of the best music ever… the bassy roars of a bullet and the aerophones played by the gushing wind… with a wonderful companion. I called up Ramees to check his status and came to know that Akhil forced him to stay back for the day.

The next day morning, I initially took my bulls keys as usual to get to office and kept it back. I desperately wanted to get out of the hangover of the trip and riding my bull would not help me there. For the next 2-3 days, I took my car to office fearing the flush of pleasant memories of the trip haunting me again. When I finally took my bull out the next time, automatically my eyes searched for beaming headlights in the rear-view mirror.

Total Distance covered for the day – 247 kms
Total – 1087 kms

Lessons Learned

  • Comforts and Luxury cannot get you sleep.
  • Riding is also a meditation. In fact a longer one. You have to have your full focus on the road and a distraction could cost you your life.
  • Road is a good listener. You can talk your heart out without the fear of being overheard. No one other than you and the road is gonna know about it.
  • Singing to yourself is fun.. especially with a helmet on… I could clearly hear how boring my voice is.
  • Trust your machine and treat it well… This is a must to enjoy a hassle free ride…
  • Road is a good teacher. It helps you focus, improves your patience, helps you get detached from everything else and provides you self realization.
  • Road helps you explore new places and provides you new friends and once in a life time experiences.
  • No one can ride the same road twice. (Inspired by original quote – No one can step into the same river twice)
  • Four days is more than enough to make a deep friendship which one could cherish for a life time.
  • The last day of the ride is a painful affair. I now know why riders hate return trips.

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Contributed by Febin Joy

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