Jean Johnson

4 States 4 Days

August 1, 2023.

Kerala → TamilNadu → Andhra Pradesh → Karnataka

Hi Travellers,

Two wheels, endless horizons, and a thirst for adventure - This is a story of an unforgettable motorcycle journey that we had. Usually, I prefer riding alone, and my initial plan was to visit Poondi in Kodaikanal. However, everything changed when one of my buddies posed an intriguing question: "Why not embark on a long journey outside Kerala? A sudden realization sparked within me, aligning with one of the items on my long-held bucket list: to travel outside Kerala and Tamil Nadu on my bike. After some extensive searching, I finally came up with a thrilling 2000-plus km bike ride. We were super thrilled to embark on this adventure. This was a summer season with raging temperatures so we had to be well prepared. With riding gears and all the necessary things, we started the adventure.

DAY 1 : THE BEGINNING

The journey started from a BP petrol pump in Paripally. we refilled our bikes and hit the road around 5:30 am. By 7:00 am we reached Thenmala and took a quick break to admire the beauty of the forest.Early morning in the woods, accompanied by the melodious chirping of birds, the gentle hum of crickets, and a refreshing cool breeze, invigorated our souls. After some kilometers of riding, we crossed the Kerala border and entered Tamil Nadu. Decided to have breakfast at Kumar's Biryani Dharbar, Sivagiri Tamil Nadu.

On the way to Madurai, we were approached by a boy named Shiva who was also en route to Madurai. He invited us to have tea at a local tea shop, we were initially hesitant at first due to our unfamiliarity with the area. But we enjoyed pleasant conversations with him and other strangers before resuming our journey. There’s a beauty that lies in these fleeting connections with strangers, unsure if our paths will meet again, but the richness of the moment fills our hearts.

The presence of grazing sheep in the fields and the view of the majestic hills and mountains in the distance provided us a distraction from the extreme temperature during our journey. We didn't stop much on the way because we wanted to reach Madurai before noon. The reason we are stopping there is to fulfill one of my desire which is to have Jigarthanda from Madurai. It's a refreshing cold beverage that is famous over there. We reached there at 1:00 pm and had Jigarthanda and some food from a local restaurant. We did some online scouting and found a hotel for us to stay in Vellore, our day 1 destination and to reach there we still have to travel around 400 km. After booking the hotel we resumed our journey to Vellore.

Three riders, cruising through the forest at night, empty road and it was terrific. On the way we came across some fires on the roadside, one was even on the road. I believe the wind may have nudged it onto the road. It was quite unsettling to see fire on the lonely road. However, we crossed it and reached our accommodation at around 11:30 pm. We stayed at Golden Gateway at Vellore. It was a relief to reach there, considering we had traveled almost 700km which include some detours to see some windmills, trying to explore some less crowded paths, and seeing if we can find some beautiful places along the way.

DAY 2: Gandikota

We woke up around 9:00 am, had our complimentary breakfast, and left the hotel at around 10:30 am. Today's plan is to reach Gandikota (The Grand Canyon of India) before sunset. This was the main destination of this journey. A total of 320 km is to be covered to reach the destination. The road was spectacular, with no traffic at all. We were cruising through the road effortlessly. Stopped here and there to take some pictures. Also stopped at some small shops on the way to have drinks like goli soda, some kind of grape-flavored soda drinks, etc. At one point I decided to go ahead, but after a few minutes, I stopped because I can't see my friends. I called and he told me that his bike is not moving. Luckily I stopped right in front of a small bike workshop. I couldn't understand a single word they said to me. Even though I didn't know the language I somehow managed to convey the message and he agreed to accompany me. Anyway, the bike was temporarily fixed and we resumed our journey.

Finally, we reached Gandikota around 5:00 pm, the perfect time to visit. Since we were on bikes, we were able to ride inside the fort. The ride through the fort gate and the stone pathways was remarkably enjoyable. We parked our bikes and started exploring the fort, which had some old architecture like a masjid, temple, mahal, etc. After exploring the fort area, we went to the viewpoint. Gazing at the Grand Canyon after a long ride was like having a good meal after starving for hours, It was fulfilling. The view was magnificent. The climate was perfect, not too hot and it was windy. We lay down, and enjoyed the cold breeze, the peaceful atmosphere, and the breathtaking view, waiting for the sun to disappear. Lots of things flashed through my mind, like I never expected anything during this journey yet the travel was so rewarding, the hardship we endured together, the lesson we learned during this journey, it was all worth it. A sense of happiness was overflowing within me, as I embraced the beauty of The Grand Canyon Of India.

After spending about 2-3 hours, we exited the fort at around 8:00 pm. Later, we had dinner at a restaurant outside the Fort area. while having conversations with people there one of them told us that the road to Bangalore is terrible, there is no shop, no fuel station nothing on that way. Just bad roads through some forest. After having our food and preparing mentally we left Gandikota. In order to reach Banglore we have to travel about 290 km. We turned on our fog lights and embarked on the long and risky night ride (not recommended).

The ride to Banglore was a physically challenging one. Many potholes and occasionally we encounter the bright lights of big trucks. We can’t stop and take a rest because the road is passing through a forest, if something happens it is very difficult to get help. The travel continued for a long time and we finally reached Bangalore at around 4:00 am the next day. One of our friends was waiting there, he was traveling to Bangalore from Kerala, and he reached one hour before us. After regrouping somewhere near Kormangala we booked accommodation near to that place. overall it was an adventurous journey and we were exhausted.

DAY 3: Bangalore

Our plan for day 3 was to explore Bangalore City and to take some rest to regain our strength. But before that, my friend's bike needed to be serviced. we went to the respective service centers, one KTM and the other Royal Enfield, and gave the bikes for service. The main reason why I wanted to visit Banglore is to have edible gold foil-covered ice cream, which I came to know about while I was searching for gold-covered food to eat lol. Once everything was in order we head out to Huber and Holly to have that ice cream. It was delicious and I felt a sense of joy in crossing off another item from my bucket list.

Two of our friends were in Bangalore, and they came to visit us. and we started exploring together. We went to the commercial street in Shivaji Nagar. It was crowded as hell, was difficult to ride a bike through the crowd, and also very difficult to find a parking spot. A stranger told us that there is a plaza nearby which has a pay and park system. So if you are planning to visit a commercial street try to find a plaza or mall and park your bike there which is convenient and safer than leaving your vehicle outside. Anyway, we continued to explore the street and had some iced cola, etc. After that, we went to visit the food street in VV Puram. There were plenty of small food stalls with a variety of items to eat. was so confused about what to eat. We tried smoked ice, it's just a wafer that was frozen, when you eat it smoke comes out from your mouth LOL. We also tried rabadi falooda, raj kachori, etc. All of it was delicious. After the exploring, we went to get the serviced bikes and decided to spend the night in one of our friend's house which were aesthetically beautiful. That is how we spend our last day in Bangalore with lots of memories.

Bangalore, there is a hidden charm in the chaotic rhythm. Everything was vibrant and full of life, even though it was crowded most of the time. We were able to find the chaotic beauty of the busy streets and had a blast.

Day 4: The END

After saying our goodbyes we started our journey back to home. It's a 700km journey. The return drive was slow-paced; we took some power naps on the way to regain our strengths. Finally, we reached home at around 4:30 am the next day. This travel etched lots of experiences into my heart. I will never forget the laughter we had together, the little things that made us happy, the struggles and challenges we faced, etc. These moments of adventure, growth, and connection are the treasures we can carry within our hearts for a lifetime.

And I can't wait to see where the road takes me next.

THE END

Gandikota (Youtube shorts)