Bandipur Trip:
Total Journey: 624 Kms
Start time: 2:45 PM, Friday, 26th January 2007
End time: 4:55
PM Sunday, 28th January, 2006
Total duration: 2+ days
Going: Blore – maddur– kollegal– yalendur(stay) – BR hills – K’Gudi - chamaraj
nagar– nanjungud –
bandipur – mysore (stay) - Blore
Coming: mysore (stay)
- Blore
Weather Conditions: Sunny
Machine: Black Pulsar 150cc DTSi
Rider: Varun Khandelwal
Other riders: Praveen, Vicky, Srikeerthi
Min Speed: 10 Km/hr
Max speed: 125 Km/hr
Fuel: Approx. 18 litres.
Average: 624/18 ≈ 34 Km/lit
Expenses: 900 INR fuel + 400 INR (food + drinks +
lodging + miscellaneous) ≈ 1000 INR
Accident n Injuries: 1 accident when rider fell 6
feet down the road on a twisty at BR Hills. Machine and rider landed safely.
CLICK HERE FOR PICS
Article
by Varun:
Huh Friday
26th Jan t0 28th Jan – 3 days vacation including republic
day and long time without ridez. So, thought of being republic on D-day. J I
was in full touch with Praveen to whom I know very well as he is in the same company
where I am and with whom I had all my last ridezz. J
Waiting
for Praveen’s call till afternoon, I got a call from Praveen on 26th
at 2:30 PM to leave from
home ASAP as other guys were already waiting for us Kengeri, Mysore road.
The
plan was to go for go to BR Hills which is considered to be among some of the
nice sanctuaries full of elephants, tigers etc.
Day
1:
Bangalore > Maddur– Kollegal– Yalendur(stay)
Oil controversy
I started from my room at around 2:30 PM but before that thought of
sipping tea at shop next door. Just took the first sip when I saw oil dripping
out of my bike. Left my tea there at shop and rushed to see the problem. Huh
didn't understand anything so simply turned off the supply knob and started
bike to see some mechanic nearby. Reached to nearby mechanic but he seemed to
be too busy to see the problem. I saw again at the place from where oil was
dripping out…ooops nothing happening now…what the hell is problem…Actually this
is not the first time that it’s happening with me. It’s very common with me
whenever I go anywhere with some problem the problem goes away…be it my mobile,
my room’s tap, fan or whatever and this time it was bike…
I started the machine without
bothering again to call the mechanic and went to Food world, BSK, where Praveen
was already waiting for me from last 5-10 minutes. I told him the problem which
probably he didn't listen so simply putting everything upon God I dragged my
machine from there. At Mysore
road Praveen stopped at petrol pump and I got another chance to see the
problem. Oil was coming out again which made me feel traumatic as it may lead
to cancelling my trip. I went to mechanic nearby and amazingly again oil
stopped falling. Huh…what the hack…!!! Mechanic told me that there is some dirt
in carburetor causing leakage but that will go off once you will ride the bike.
We told him that we are going for really long-long ride, so it’s very important
for us to know the exact problem. He said nothing simply gave a secret smile…hah
assuming he was saying true I started my bike for another adventure trip.
At around 3:15 PM at Kengeri,
near to a temple I and Praveen met to Vicky and Srinidhi.
Soon we were on full throttle
riding the machine as if it’s not bike but the jet planes. Man…Mysore road is too good for dragging. I saw
my tacho going up to 125 KPH which made me glad thinking “uhhh my bike has so
much in it…” as if some one has just now came to know about a nice secret of
his/her spouse.
Within 1.5-2 hour, we were at
Kollegal, stopped there at a “Shanthi Sagar” and had idly.
Started again at around 6:00 PM, road was like HELL, no
roads actually. The path was full of dust with bumps, some high some low all
the way.
Check post chapter:
Reached at BR hills – check post
at around 7:00 PM. Closed
barrier in front of us and a police guard in front of the barrier stopped us.
Reason: No vehicle is allowed
into BR hills (forest) after 6:00 PM.
Reason for reason: Higher
officers’ order
Reason for reason for reason: Forest full of wild animals, which may harm humans or vice
versa. Also naxalites problem may be other problem.
As conversation with the guard
was happening in Kannada so I simply sat at a place and started singing song
and tried to call my friends but oops…no network L..can’t bug anyone.
Anyone after some time I realized that it was fun sitting there as lot of
vehicles like cars, buses (but no bikes) either trying to enter as we were or
trying to exit. All were halted to wait for the forest officer who came at
around 9:30 PM. He came in
a blue Jypsy (dunno why I like jypsy so much), definitely drunk. As soon as he
came people hurdled all around him, pleading, shouting…fun all around…he he…I
kept bugging Praveen, sitting beside me by asking about the talks people were
having with officer and he asked me not to laugh for that…LOLzzz…After all
people were over, Vicky approached to officer to let us allow to go in the damn
forest…”NO WAY” probably would have been the answer by officer for that. He told
to give us officer’s quarter to stay at night but without bedding…huh. We rode
back to village to get some resort but of no help. Finally after riding back
around 35 KM from check-post,, at around 11:00
PM we got a hotel in yalendur
called as “Hotel 10 Star”...proving his name the hotel was enough to show you
stars anytime…dirty rooms, bed, shitty toilet…chee…but there was no other
option…We were too hungry so went to Military restaurant opposite to the lodge
which was the only place probably opened during that time…holy shit again the
place was stinking badly…thoo…tried to order safest options – rice + beer. Beer
was all Ok but rice was again ‘un’eatable. L
I had 2 Kingfisher already and
then helped Srikeerthi’s 2nd one…he he.
I was badly
drunk and went for sleep in hotel at around 1:00 AM. So, much of liquor without any side-serves/snacks
put me on puke at around 2:30 AM.
Could not say I have reduced my capacity for liquor now…at least for Beer. After
that I slept nicely at around 3:30 AM.
Day
2:
Yalendur
– BR hills – K’Gudi - chamaraj nagar– nanjungud – bandipur – mysore (stay)
Bike tumbling
We woke
up at 5:30 AM and then we
were again on our bike at 6:00 AM
without getting even getting fresh”ed” up in the shitty 10 star hotel. Reached
to check-post in 20 min, woke up guard, and freed ourselves in BR hills jungle
early in the morning. It was all dark and as always I was at last among all
riders and trying to reach up to them…and SUDDENLY to my HORROR I saw a smart
turn against my anticipation of a straight road….brakes applied, engine braking
done, bike slanted…huh no use…I understood time has come to TUMBLE…and here I
was…me and my machine around 6 feets down the road inside shrubs and bushes all
around.
5 sec –
Bike and me tumbled. 20 sec - I was still stuck under bike…Pulsar engine still
pulsing, which I turned off. Hoped if someone may come back and help me out…20+
sec over…NO HELP…bad bad…
Detached
myself from my machine with difficulty and felt that definitely I got some
bruises in my left leg but no time to see them right now. Let’s get out of this
hack. Put Pulsar (god damn it‘s very heavy to put back Pulsar on wheels…very
heavy) back on her legs. But even now I was at slope beside the road – 6 feet
down. It was very impossible to go up on your own – need HELP HELP.
OK at
last collecting some more courage…1st gear ON…brakes pulled…clutch
pulled…auto started bike…darling roared for some time but at last didn't ditch
me and started…I pulled bike up with engine started and keeping myself on my
legs….huh at last I was on road….my God at last I am out of the hell safely.
I put
the petrol tank knob OFF and started searching for any harm to machine…
headlights were up and out of place…bike was all full of shrubs and bushes
…other things looked to be pretty Ok.
I started
machine back…saw Praveen coming back and asking me if I fell somewhere… (I feel
falling with/from bike is part of game while riding bikez)…I told him not a
serious matter and we can move on…only that I will be on my own speed from now…soon
I was again talking to wind…this time Praveen was keeping an eye over me like a
big bro J
Sun was
out till then. Sri and Vicky were trying some pics at a nice place where we pit
stopped for some time.
Rode
again...Pit stopped…
There were very less of roads and
generally it was all stones and pebbles on the way. At around 8:00 AM we reached to JUNGLE LODGES,
K Gudi, B.R. hills - the beautiful resort in B R hills. There was a very old
and sick elephant there, who was probably at the verge of passing last days of
his life. We didn't take his pic 
Resort was too good, with
beautiful cottages and ambience. Yup even the charges were good – 2000 INR per
head.
...and I went to Ladies toilet:
While
we were roaming in resort, Srikeerthi was busy; searching for a restroom and
yes he was fully successful. He gave us the info after doing…Vicky and me also
raced for it...at last Vicky went first after asking me that he will come soon.
God damn…15 min over but no
signs…huh…soon 2 old uncles were also accompanying me for the damn place but
Vicky was not giving up. Wait Varun…wait…I said to myself…waiting at the
courtroom.
I saw
an old lady coming out of ladies restroom…1 uncle leaving for resort reception
and…????...where is another uncle…was he some ghost…NO!!!!…POOR went into
ladies toilet…and this damn Vicky is on the holy shit even now. Wait Varun
wait…10 min over…Old uncle came out of ladies….wot should I do…waiting like
this for the shit…making me feel bad…I thought when uncle take chance why
shouldn’t I…J…I am young…may take more risk (as quoted in an article in TOI saying
that young people are prone to take more risk the aged people)..he he…so I went
inside ladies toilet at last…”en”lightening myself… Hurray..!!! Came out soon while
taking some cautions before coming out, to see if somebody is out waiting for
me….vicky…???? Went outside, met Sri and Praveen…damn Vicky missing even now.
Man!!! What is he doing there…!!! Vicky drama probably took around 45 min…he
returned back and asked me to go…BOSS!!! I am already done. J…Huh…
We had
few pics with elephants, monkeys and resort there and rode again…
Reached
to Chamrajnagar at around 11:15 AM…has
good idly at a restaurant and started again…Reached to Nanjangud and stopped at
Nanajangud temple…Grand, beautiful, splendorous…me and Sri took some pics and
started again…
Reached
to Gudulpet where Sri met his uncle who owned a petrol pump and of course a
farm house. We went to the farm
house freaked out, took pics of various places, took some rest as well and had
rice meal with sambhar then rasam then curd + tasty pickle.
While
not being a south Indian, I dunno but in never had any problem in having south
Indian food, I enjoyed it. I was the biggest food eater among all four of us. J Sri asked in amazement
that I eat so much even then how come you r flat stomach…well even I dunno the
answer J…neways I don’t want to be
fat. Started again at 3:00 PM
after bidding adieu to Sri’s relatives.
Reached
Bandipur National Park at 3:45 PM.
Bought
4 tickets of 100 INR each for evening safari in the Jungle and waiting for it
to start. In the mean time, I went into Bandipur wildlife museum near by and
took some pictures inside.
When I
came outside…guys were waiting for me…I thought safari has come but instead
Vicky got some local guide to take us for jungle trek and show us elephants.
Tickets which were bought have already been sold off…so we started our bikes
again and reached to a village nearby…deposited our belongings at a shop, left
our bike there only…looked to be a huge risk but again we youth may take that
much risk. :D
We
trekked around 4-5 KM inside jungle full with shrubs, bushes, thorny
plants…huh. No signs of “Haathi” till now. Sri and I making full mockery of
guide and jungle. Haaah…then came the time….so many wild elephants fighting to
each other, rampaging trees…oh man there was a huge herd of elephants, there
were some . Guide told us to be silent and walk slowly and carefully. Watching
so many wild elephants was not only adventurous but a bit scary as well. We took
some pics, passed some time there silently. Vicky, Sri and guide had few cigs.
Wind direction was from elephants to us as told by guide otherwise elephants
would have come to know about us a long time back.
K we
started back but oops not from the same way from where we came but we were
going inside dense forest. We saw tiger’s shit (as told by guide), freshly
eaten meat and bones here and there…as if saying to us don’t dare to go ahead…huh
sri, Praveen and me were scared now while Vicky was following and talking to
guide continuously. There were no ways, no directions, once lost in jungle no
idea where to head on. It came to my mind that this guide definitely wants to
make us die here in jungle from tiger. Oh so POOR I am…helpless...could not
shout due to wild animals on the round…cud not bully guide who brought us to
the hell…Pray…Pray…
After
walking for around 5 km inside jungle we were at last out of the hell. Now I
was feeling very tired as earlier scariness was the only feeling I was having. We
reached to village back at around 6:45
PM. It was just started getting dark Guys again had some puffs of
smoke at the shop.
Started
again at 7:15 PM, seeing
deer, hoar on the way. Now I was giggling on so much of a adventure he he…Stopped
at a bandipur resort for dinner…but oops no dinner there…only tea and
coffee...went way back to Nilgiri resort to have dinner. Food was better than
expectations…now tea/coffee but oops no tea/coffee…so again halted at bandipur
resort and had coffee…very expensive – 30 INR each.
NIght Ride:
At 8:15 PM we were dragging our bike
back to Mysore
at least. As always I was a bit slow in following. Initially I was at last,
behind Praveen while keeping myself in the rally at around 100-110
KPH(following the tail light of each other). It is impossible to ride in night
the way we ride in night. Rules become fully different in night…glaring head
lights...no far sights…requires lotta anticipation, expertise, experience, and
yup most important luck…and at last me and my machine gave up and I slowed down
to 90-100 while guys rode at 100-110…
Reached
Mysore at
around 10:00 PM, searched
for lodges – too costly or not vacant. Vicky’s cousin and Sri’s frnd was
already came to meet. Sri’s frnd searched for lodging at many places but of no
use. At last we were sitting at Sri’s frnd adobe…small but decorative… Vicky
was thinking to go at his cousin’s place. I thought of meeting Ankit @ Infy
Mysore…Praveen was also having relatives here...Sri’s frnd was not big enough
to accommodate 1+4 guys, so here was a tacit deal - try your best to settle
somewhere…I called up Ankit if he has vacancy at his room…got a GREEN flag
reached to Ankit’s abode from Vicky’s help at around 11:30 PM. Seriously, it was too far and
impossible for me reach by myself at that time. Anyways met Ankit, gossiped
till 1:00 AM…I was too
tired due to trekking + riding that when I slept while talking to him…I dunno. J
Day
3:
Mysore –
Mandya - Bangalore
Next
day I woke up at around 10:00 AM,
it was a big relief after so much of a ride. I saw my mobile…I was having a
message by Sri…oops he left in the night itself and reached Bangalore at 7:00 AM…poor Sri!!!
Ankit
told to show Infy, Mysore
to me. I got up and became ready in 45 min. Took out the machine. Halted for
breakfast at Punjabi dhaba opposite to Infy. It was the first time after coming
in south that I had REAL Punjabi
Alloo ka Parantha wih Lassi. While parantha was tasty but it was too heavy to
have more than one. I gave up the 2nd half parantha for which I regretted
for whole day. J
Infy Mysore Resort:
We reached Infy Mysore at 11:30 PM after some formal forms entry and
all…About the Infy Mysore campus; I should say that it’s awesome. It was a
resort rather than a software company. Except a pub/discothèque you can not
imagine if anything else was not there. What a company..!!!! Too grand
beautiful and off course too big…huh I was tired fully by 2:00 PM.
Office building
Library and conference hall
The Grand Globe
Ankit @Pool side
The Gym
Bowling alley
Ok
around 2:30 PM I bid adieu
to Ankit who was getting late for his work. Work on weekend…too sick…poor
fellow probably no escape for him…L
I
called up Praveen and Vicky to ask about their plans. Vicky wanted to stay for
some more time at his cousin’s abode while Praveen was willing to come by 3:30 PM. I told Praveen that I will
reach to Mysore
palace and will wait for him. But while on the road…oops I saw a
board…”Bangalore – 139 KM”…oh I am on Bangalore highway…hell I should not go
Mysore back now, so I directly started for Bangalore, told Praveen that I have
already started.
Sole ride:
I
should say while initially I was feeling bored of lone riding but soon I was
enjoying it as soon I started getting whip of cold breeze. Sometimes I rode
very fast sometimes too slow…too much fun…I danced, relaxed and did all strange
stuffs on bike. I introspected, thought about the life, my career, family everything.
I also put off my helmet and rode after a long time. J
Violent Mandya:
I
reached up to Mandya which is considered to be among some of the most violent
places in Karnataka. As soon as I reached it was full traffic jam, a truck in
full flames, big mob and people running here and there. I understood that some
violence took place just now. I rode on footpath got myself out from traffic
jam. Halted the bike at a safer distance and clicked some pic of violence. As
soon as I took the pics, police and fire brigade reached there and put the
flames off. I think I was the only lucky or among few lucky ones who would have
taken live pics of the violence. It gives you defiling pleasure sometimes. :) I seriously thought of sending those pics to
TOI or some new agency…K anyways I started soon without knowing why the hell
chaos took place.
Reached
to Nandini milk bar outside nandini industry (Bangy’s no 1 milk provider)…had
flavored milk and re started. Stopped again at Kamat – Lokaruchi, around 50 KM
away from Bangalore,
had coffee and restarted.
Reached
to Bangalore at 5:15 PM,
at Mysore road-ring road junction I saw Praveen going ahead of me… oops this
guy at last caught me here…he he J. We talked for some time about the journey, Bandipur, Mysore stay, and Infy-The
resort. At last I bid adieu to
Praveen
and reached to my adobe by 6:00 PM.
Another
milestone conquered…grinning.
