Coorg

What started off as a 40kms trip to the neighboring Srirangapatna, ended as a 250kms trip to not-so-close Madikeri, aka Coorg.The idea was to get out of the house, or the city, on the weekend and put it to good use. Hadn’t used the camera for a little while too. So, we figured going to the bird sanctuary would be a good idea. Although, I wasn’t sure if I had the right equipment to shoot birds. I wanted to make an effort anyway. Many inspiring people in the company you see. ;)

Waking up at 05h30 on a Saturday morning is a pain in the… well, most parts of the body.Stuffed the bag with essentials like the tripod, an extra lens and some filters and started off. And the moment we start the vehicle, I get an ‘idea’. :D I thought, why go on the Bengaluru highway again, lets take some other road. So, we took the Hunsur road. Now, we are cruising on the road, having no idea where to go or when to stop. I see some road signs with many cities on them. One was Madikeri (Coorg) 120kms. We decided it would be a good idea to drive down there, since it was quite early in the morning. Distance wasn’t an obstacle. :)

This was the first major trip for my FZ. It is one of the most radical designs in the Indian market, designed after its monstrous cousin in Europe. The tank-size is out of proportions and the rear tire is just too wide. It gives you a lot of confidence while cornering even at high speeds.

And so we are cruising. At one point after we were well out of Mysore and past some villages, there was a long stretch of road. It was a very interesting piece. It was as if the road took a plunge and then climbed back up in a straight line. Imagination took over and we pulled over the vehicle, setting up the tripod with the camera, posing away, the bike being a part of a regal background. Passers-by shot us with curious looks. I am often asked by people if I run a photo studio, courtesy: the tripod.

I repeat this each time, but I really think our roads aren’t safe. Forget the night times, even the day is pretty dangerous. People ought to respect others’ lives as much as they love their own. Being an optimist, I think it will be a long time before we see such a change.

After passing through numerous nameless villages and little towns, we reach the foothills of the Western Ghats, ready to ascend to Madikeri. The ghat road that leads up to the town is quite amazing. It is surprisingly wide, allowing you to bank at high speeds. Well, of course, while negotiating the turns, its your responsibility to watch out for vehicles coming in the opposite direction. There is no road divider you see. While riding up the hill, I thought of the descent and how much fun it would be. I wasn’t wrong.

After completing the 120+kms, with a couple of stops, we had reached the city center (well, lets call it that). Now, we had no idea what to do. Primarily because it was a totally unplanned trip. And then, you don’t go to Coorg looking for a particular thing or a place. You just go there, spend some time, relax and get out.

Oh yeah, forgot, you also have a coffee. Special Coorg Coffee. And since we had no idea what to do, after the arduous ride, and a tasteless breakfast, we had the coffee. Two cups. The first wasn’t strong enough. Now when people ask why we went to Coorg or what we did there, I just have one answer: To have a cup of coffee.

There was another tourist attraction quite close to Coorg. It was the Abbey Falls. Since it is peak summer, there wasn’t much water in the falls. Just a tiny trickle compared to what it is generally, after the rains. But, it was perfect for the kind of shot I wanted. When shooting, you always have certain ideas in your head. The lead-up to the falls is quite dramatic too. You park your vehicle somewhere in the valley and then you walk through dense forest trees for about 8mins to reach the falls. To my imagination, after the rains, you will hear the falls much before you see them, much like the Fountain of Trevi in Rome.

The camera is out, people ducked and some shots were fired. No one was injured. ;) But, everyone was curious as to what I was trying to do. Later, I realized that people were staring at me, because I had a frustrated look on my face. Was trying real hard to get the right shot. Got some ‘alright’ pictures there and moved on. The drive uphill wasn’t exactly fun, I could feel the vehicle cursing me for putting it such troubles at such a young age! After reaching back Coorg, we started off on the not-so-amazing part of any road trip. The drive back home. It was just after lunch time, the Sun was merciless.

We had to take some major breaks on our way back, to fight dehydration. Reaching back Mysore, we felt as if we conquered something, I know, it’s a silly feeling. But it did feel like that. After we reach home, we had been sun-burnt, no, it wasn’t tan, it was sun-burn. Its been more than 2 weeks, I still got it.

Free advice: Apr-May is NOT the right time to go on a bike trip.

Trying to get a bit more adventurous the next time. Destination next is a 3-day,500+kms drive to Mangalore. :) As the bike gets older, the top speeds get higher. ;)