The Southern India Motorcycle Tour Day #1 & #2

As hot as Bangalore has been this summer, when you hit the road at 6:30 you need to at least have a sweatshirt. The planned route was Bangalore to Mysore (Mysuru), to Ooty through the Bandipur National Forest, then to Coimbatore, Munnar, Madurai, Rameshwaram, Puducherry, Vellore. and back to Bangalore  Today was amazing!

The ride to Mysore was uneventful; I've done it several times before.  The only twist was that after passing a herd of goats, I noticed one way down the road on his own. So, like a cowboy on a steel horse, I used the bike to guide  him back to the herd, exchanged waves with the goatherder, then continued on my way.

While in Mysore we did drive out to Sriangatapna, about 15 kilometres from Mysore. The walled city was the site of the Mysore wars where Tipu Sultan -- after many successful campaigns to repeal attacks, finally fell.

Later in the day we rode up Chamundi Hill to it's 3,400 foot summit. It's  a nice ride, winding up the hill. On the summit is a temple and a small bazzar. Olaf again was fascinated with th monkeys.

However, while coming down the mountain the sky opened up and within 5 minutes I was soaked through and through. The rain felt like hail smacking our skin, and the winds howled as though God himself was having a temper tantrum. Gusts of wind would seep across the road with such veloocity that I watched motorbikes pushed several feet to the side in a moment. It was dark, raining sheets, cold, gusty and, with oncoming traffic, blinding from the headlights.

But, we survived it.

DAY 2: Of all the rides I've done in India thus far, Goa had been the best with forest roads and winding "S" curves through the mountains. Until today. We got a late start out of Mysore en route to Ooty. The early part of the ride was nothing to talk about, except that in sections the road turned to gravel and/or dirt. Not in a good or adventurous way.

But once we entered the Bandipur Natiuonal Wildlife Reserve [in the state of Karnataka] the real ride began. The roads are nicely black-topped, and other than constantly having to slow down for the speed bumps, it's a fun ride.

You'll see wildlife from time to time. Today we only saw deer and monkeys. Somewhere in the middle of the ride you cross state lines into Tamil Nadu.

Once you leave the national park, a few kilometres up the road you come to a small junction. There is a bridge to the left with a sign to Ooty. Following the advise of a friend (Karthik, thanks, it was amazing) we went straight, towards Gudalur.

What a ride. The road curved and swirved for hours, We entered a bamboo forest that made you feel like you were driving through a living cave. Then more mountain roads, more "z" and "S" and "hairpin" turns, then we rode through a forest of Eucalyptus trees 150 feet high. It was majical.

As we continued higher and higher, the temperature began to drop. Soon, high in the mountains, we emerged above the clouds and midst. It was beautiful and someewhat eerie. With each new turn there was a new view, a we zigzagged back and forth, up, always up.



As we passed some of the tea planations, the grey and gloomy fog and midst subsided, as if we had just left Dorthy's house in the middle of that cyclone and landed in a bright, sunny, and flowered Oz.

One of the segments of the ride I most looked forward to was Munnar, which is tomorrow.  But for today, I'm fulfilled having had the best ride thus far during my five years here. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go to go to bed and collapse.