An Incident to Remember

I wasn’t a big believer in things like pepper spray. Neither did I carry umbrellas with pointy ends, which can double up as objects for self-defense. I, like most people, believed in the simple principle, “This cannot happen to me”. Until it did.

If you’ve read my blog, 800 Kilometers, and 1 Bike, there’s one incident that I didn’t mention; an incident that was, in part, an outcome of our stupidity and lack of research. So, without further ado, let me share a rather unpleasant, but valuable lesson that my husband and I learned that day.

 The last leg of any journey is always the toughest, and nobody knows it better than us. I remember that fateful day when we were soaked to the bone, our muscles aching from the 5-day motorcycle ride through the Western Ghats. This, coupled with a massive backpack that I carried because I completely lacked common sense, only made things worse.

 “Must buy saddlebags,” I told myself, making a mental note for the hundredth time. My husband, maneuvering the motorcycle in the heavy rain, told me to hang in there just a little bit longer, for we were about 70 kilometers away from Bangalore city. My shoulders were raw from the pain, and my mood crabby, so I pleaded with him to stop at an abandoned bus stop for a 5-minute break. We would, of course, realize shortly that it was a very dumb thing to do.

No sooner had we stopped, then I took the heavy load off my shoulders and stretched my arms to restore circulation. My husband proceeded to exercise his legs as well. That’s when trouble arrived, drunk, on a dilapidated motorcycle. Eyes bloodshot and mean, he parked right next to us. Without getting off his motorcycle, he said, “You grazed my taillight and damaged by bike. Now, pay up for the damages!”

We were aghast. What was he talking about? I blinked, opened my mouth to say something, only a squeak escaping instead of words. Clearly, it was the alcohol talking. But at that moment, logic and reasoning had long since abandoned us. The realization that the drunk bloke was trying to mug us, hit us both at once. He groped into his jacket, trying to find something that would help him extort money from us.

My legs were shaky, and my brain had stopped functioning. All I could think was “Why did we have to stop here?”

Thankfully, my husband remained calm and responded, “You’re clearly lying. We didn’t hit anyone. We should let the police sort this.”

The man hesitated for a second, but wouldn’t let go so easily. After all, he was out of money and need his fix for the day. “I’m going to call my friends from the villages nearby” he threatened, waving a mobile phone in our face. The exchange between the two men had given me enough time to compose myself. “There are two of us,” I reasoned, “… and he’s just one person, and in a highly inebriated condition. We could easily overpower him and speed away.” From the look on my husband's face, I could tell that he had the same thoughts. But neither of us took the first step. Sure, it looks easy in the movies, overpowering the bad guy, throwing a few punches, and emerging the hero. But there were a lot of factors to be considered. Pushing, shoving or tackling someone who’s as inebriated as he was, could turn out to be dangerous. Besides if he had an accomplice somewhere close, then the situation could spiral out of control.

This was when he pulled out a knife from his jacket, the kind that’s used in the kitchen. I looked around frantically for help. Considering we were parked away from the main road, and that our mobile phones were tucked safely away in our bags, we didn’t have an option but to comply. Luckily for us, we never keep all our money in one place when we travel. I reached out for my wallet and fished out whatever I could find, which was around 800 rupees. He snatched it with amazing alacrity and looked expectantly at my husband, who proceeded to hand over whatever little that remained in his wallet, another 300 rupees.

Satisfied, the man shoved the money into his jacket, and thanked us, before speeding away. Now it’s not every day that you find criminals who’re polite, do you? Visibly shaken, but wiser from the experience, we headed home. Had it been for saddle bags, by back wouldn’t have hurt that bad, and we wouldn’t have had to stop for a break at that desolate bus stop. Needless to say, today, we’re proud owners of saddle bags and some essential common sense.

800 Kilometers and One Bike: Part I

After a 600 something kilometer (two way) trip to Ooty on a gearless scooter, we’d just not had enough. We longed for something more, something different from the usual car trips we took. So, we decided it was time for the Honda Unicorn to make its debut. This time we zeroed in on the Bhadravati-Chikmagalur- Kudremukh belt, in 5 days.

The Unicorn was longing to stretch its legs and so were we; although, the first 100 kilometers later we realized that there wasn’t much leg-stretching for us. A fully loaded petrol tank, and a fully loaded backpack later (oh what a dumb thing to do!) we were off on a crisp October morning. This was to be the first 270 kilometers of our journey where via Tumkur,- Arasikere- Kadur – Birur – Tarikere, and finally Bhadravati, where we planned on staying the night at Jungle Lodge’s River Tern resorts. The roads were great, and the weather perfect. Our loyal steed devoured the distance hungrily.

Our first and only break, Café Coffee Day near Arsikere. Hunger was the least of my problems. I was paying for my lack of common sense. Instead of using saddle bags as is the norm, I was carrying a massive backpack, and the strain from the excessive weight started to show. My shoulders hurt, and my lower back felt numb. It served me right, I suppose, for not doing my homework and going with the decision to carry loads of clothes, and other knick-knacks on my back.

But the excitement of the trip, a strong coffee and some stale sandwiches later, I felt much better and was rearing to go. The route was simply picturesque, with beautiful sunflower and paddy fields, and clear blue skies to keep us company. The unpolluted air and sparse traffic was a refreshing change after battling peak hour traffic every day in Bangalore. The rest of the journey was uneventful, barring a small potholed stretch just before the Lakkavalli Dam.

The River Tern property is one of Jungle Lodge’s best, albeit expensive, ones. Overlooking the Bhadravathi River, you can either choose to stay in the cottages nearest to the "gol ghar", where the food is served or in one of the cottages on an island. We choose the latter. I'm not going to dwell too much on how our stay at Jungle Lodges was or the details of the Jeep and boat safari. But I must stress on the fact that the Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, a Project Tiger reserve, is a lot denser than either Bandipur or Nagarhole. Enveloped by a thick canopy of trees, you must be really lucky to spot any wildlife at all. Besides a few peacock, we did manage to glimpse a herd of the gaur and the usual population of chital. To be fair, it's a place that's suitable for bird watchers.

Moving on to phase 2 of our motorcycle trip. The next morning, after a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast, and a steaming cup of tea, we started for Chikmagalur. Refreshed after a good night's sleep, a shower (did I mention the bathroom has a one-way glass wall, which overlooks the expansive jungle?) and a good meal, I was determined not to let the steady drizzle dampen my spirits. The skies were grey, and it didn't seem like the sun was in any hurry to make an appearance.

The roads were slippery and wet, curving right through the rain-kissed forests. Our Unicorn hugged the hilly bends with strange familiarity, swallowing curve after curve as we sped ahead. At one point we simply had to stop, just to gawk at the massive trees that appeared to touch the sky. Besides cutting right through the Bhadra forest, this is one of the most scenic and traffic-free routes that you can take from Lakkavalli to Chikmagalur. Eighty-three kilometers, some tree-gawking and endless photo-sessions later, we reached Chikmagalur just in time for lunch.

End of day 2; it was time to give the bike and ourselves some rest. Moreover, my shoulders ached and my legs felt sore. Definitely time to call it a day. I went to bed that night, dreaming about the long ride to Kudremukh that awaited us the next day. From what I’d heard, it was going to be a challenging, yet memorable ride to the mighty Kudremukh range. Little did I know then that God was chuckling, making his own plans that involved riding through the dense jungles, soaked to the bone!

Click here for part II of 800 Kilometers and One Bike.

The Where, When, What, and How:

Where to Stay: The best place to stay at Bhadra will be Jungle Lodges’ River Tern resort. Undoubtedly, they have the best boat and jeep safaris and great rooms. It’s this monopoly, however, that eggs them on to quote exorbitant prices. Chikamaglur has plenty of homestays that are easy on the pocket. We stayed at Nature Craft Homestay. They offer simple, home-cooked food and
clean rooms.

When to Go: If you’re planning to ride up, the best time will be between October and February, when the sun isn’t beating down mercilessly.

What to Do: You can visit the Lakkavalli Dam. But don’t miss the jeep and boat safaris, which are great if bird-watching is something you enjoy. Chikamaglur, on the other hand, has plenty of places to visit. You can drive up to the Muthodi Wildlife Sanctuary or hire a cab to Mullayanagiri, which is the highest peak in Karnataka.

How to Get There: The simplest route from Bangalore is via Tumkur,- Arasikere- Kadur – Birur – Tarikere, and finally Bhadravati. To go from Bhadravati to Chikamaglur, you must take the awesome route from Lakkavalli that goes right through the lush, green jungles.

Access'd Ooty

When she came into our lives sometime in the middle of 2010, we had no idea we'd take her on her first vacation so soon. But it just seemed so wrong to leave her behind, all alone, waiting for us to come home. So we took her along, on what turned out to be one of our most memorable trips so far.

I don't suppose you know what I'm talking about. It is our very own, 125 cc, stylish, Suzuki Access. Boasting a 4-stroke engine, and looking resplendent in black, the dealership fella called it the “perfect scooter for city use”. Little did he know that we had other plans for her!

A misty Saturday morning sometime in January 2011, my husband and I found ourselves heading to Ooty. Considering we'd not been married for long, money was a little tight, so this was going to be an overnight trip. A small backpack with a change of clothes and some water, that's pretty much all we needed. I'm going to leave out the mundane details of the Bangalore to Mysore stretch. The heavy traffic, suicidal cows jumping in the middle of the highway at regular intervals, and the innumerable coffee-houses, always make me feel like I've never left the city.

The awfully dull Mysore highway behind us, we crossed Gundlupet without incident. This, I believe, was when the real fun started. Considering we were now officially in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve limits, I really wonder how this narrative would have panned out if we'd had a flat. But we had other things to worry about, such as the forest officer at the Karnataka- Tamil Nadu check-post. He stopped us and stared suspiciously before asking me to take off my helmet.

"Madam, is he forcing you into this lunacy?" he enquired.

I was amused, at the same time touched by his concern. I told him I was fine and a willing participant to what he clearly thought was madness.

"Sir, why are you taking your wife to Ooty on a scooter? There are plenty of buses and cabs. This isn't even a powerful motorcycle!" he exclaimed.

It took some convincing before he bid us adieu, still shaking his head and muttering as we resumed our journey.

Nestled in the foothills of the Nilgiris and melting into the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary on one side and the Nagarhole National Park on the other, these jungles are part of the Nilgiri Bio Reserve. Despite efforts to prevent poaching and protect what remains today of the fauna, I fear that the generation after us will not enjoy the beauty of these beautiful, but rapidly depleting, forests of South India. At the risk of digressing, let me add that Bandipur was once a private hunting reserve for the Maharaja of Mysore, before it was established as a tiger reserve in 1974.

Back to where we were, it was just beyond the 'Safari point' in Bandipur when we came across the first herd of elephants. Elephants, when in a herd, are almost always peaceful and don't molest human beings. It is the lone tusker, especially one in the state of Musth, that you should worry about. Those fellows are best left to themselves. Anyway, coming back to our pachyderm family. They regarded us with mild curiosity and continued munching on the succulent bamboo that grows aplenty in these jungles. I imagined one of the little ones even went “slurp” before licking his lips with satisfaction!

The herd let us pass.

The next challenge came when we reached the 'safari point' at Mudumalai. Here we had the option of either continuing straight towards Masinagudi and taking the Kalhatti road, or turning right towards Gudlur. The Gudlur road is, undoubtedly, the most scenic, with the Moyar river serenely flowing on one side, while Kalhatti (which literally means 'steep ghat') comprises of 36 hairpin bends. Although I had immense faith on our Access, let's face it, negotiating 36 hairpin bends on a scooter is like trying to thread a needle with a rope! The engine would most certainly seize. So the obvious choice, and a wise one, was the Gudlur road. The extra two hours that we took to reach Ooty from the safari point made us realize how sturdy our 'city' scooter was. Pushed to its limit, sometimes by the wide craters on what must have once resembled a road, and sometimes by the buses and larger cars that simply whizzed past with little regard for our humble steed, she was one resilient workhorse.

As for us, well, I'd be lying if I said that we felt like James Bond who somehow managed to get out of diciest situations without a hair out of place. When we reached our destination, an old British Bunglow converted to a B&B, all we wanted was a hot bath, a steaming cup of tea and a warm bed. Before that, however, we had a very curious hotel manager to convince that we'd actually covered nearly 300 kilometers on a Suzuki Access. "Saar, where did you rent this in Ooty?" he enquired, without checking the Karnataka registration.

"It belongs to us," my husband replied.

The flummoxed chap walked out, peered at the registration number and then looked at our exhausted faces.

The "why" was written all over his face. But he restrained himself and showed us to our room.

I can't even begin to describe how tired we were. Our backs ached, our muscles were sore and despite the helmets, dirt covered our faces. But for all it's worth, I know we'll do it all over again.

The Where, When, What, and How:

Where to Stay: Plenty of options available, depending on your budget. You could either try Kings Cliff if your purse strings aren't too tight, or the likes of Woodberry resorts or I-India if a budget vacation is on your mind.

When to Go: Whenever your heart desires. Ooty is one of those round-the-year destinations. That said, April to June or September to November are considered to be the best times to visit.

What to Do: I'd give the botanical garden and the lake a pass; they're too touristy and crowded for me. Long walks along the winding roads and the train ride to Coonoor should be in your 'to-do' list.

How to Get There: If you're in a car or on a motorcycle, you could either take the Bangalore- Mysore- Gundlupet - Bandipur- Gudlur- Ooty route or the Bangalore- Mysore- Gundlupet - Bandipur- Masinagudi-Kalhatti- Ooty road. Amateur drivers and scooterists are better off taking the Gudlur Road.