The Inspiration!

If you have read my earlier post ‘The Calling’ you would have come across a certain person who is pretty much the inspiration to get me going on bike rides. He started riding in his early 50’s. Until then he was too busy trying to provide for a family of five. He managed to get himself a second hand Silver Plus. A 75cc 3 geared bike from Royal Enfield. He began his rides with a trip to Guntakal, Andra Pradesh. 330kms on a 75cc 3 geared bike. That did take some amount of determination for him and his bold friend who decided to accompany him. Yes yes… they decided to ride doubles on this little bike. From there on he knew he had to get something a little better if he has to fulfill his passion. So he got himself a Bajaj Scooter, it was a 12V electronic. That I must say served him well. He and his wife have covered entire south India. Doing trips to Guntakal, Chennai, Kodaikanal, Kanyakumari, Guruvayur, Cochi, Ooty, Pondicherry, and the list goes on. The person I am talking about is my dad, and my mom who accompanied him on most trips. I learnt from him that traveling should be as important as working. He showed us how to plan a trip and plan finances for it too. He is my inspiration for riding. He has been riding for the last 15 years. As recent as last year, he accompanied us, Sharon, then my fiancé and I to Muthathi as well as Hoganekal. I had the privilege of visiting Humpi and spending 18 days touring Spiti valley with dad. The last 5 years of his rides have been on his Honda Eterno. He cannot think of a better bike to do his rides. Even though I may not agree with it entirely, but what I strongly believe is, to each his own bike. And I am happy that at 64, my dad may have slowed down but has not stopped riding and traveling. So there you have it, he keeps me ticking to do more rides. And that’s the way it will be for as long as I can ride and hopefully the next generation will continue this love for travel and adventure. So for those who have not started riding, it is time!! if not riding, at least travel. Irrespective of the mode of transport.

The Calling

Its been a while since I have updated my blog. And like the title of this article suggests, the 'Calling' is back. Steve, my best fried only after my wife :), and I compeleted a ride to Ladhak in 2008, then my dad and I did Spiti valley in 2009, and now its back. I feel the longing for the mountains and thus the 'Calling' is back. My wife Sharon & I have decied that June 3, 2011 will mark the day we respond to the Calling for the mountains. We have planned a 18 day trip from Bangalore to Bangalore. Unfortunalely Steve will not be able to make it because he has just upgraded himself from bachelor to loving husband and during the process he had to exhaust most of his leave. However, I am certain he and his better half will join us next time around.

So where we stand?

I sensed Ladhak calling right from middle of 2010. So this means that I my route was ready by August 2010. Crazy ah! I just can't help it you know. So the check list was prepared right after my short wedding leave and honeymoon. There hasn't been a day that has gone by ever since with out adding details to my excel sheets. Right from places to visit, to distances between towns, to what is to be carried, work to be done on the bike....... and the list goes on.

We are both excited and nervous. Its the first time I will be venturing out along with my wife over such distances. So I am making an effort to prepare for the worst.

At the moment I just finished servicing my bike. Yup! you are right, it is rather early. However, I have decided to service it and get the delhi carriers fixed on the bike for a test ride. The image of the carrier is at the side. I bought this at Sandhyas on J C Road for Rs.1900/- . It is a little steep however it appears to be of good quality. The same onw is available from Delhi for Rs.950/- including courier charges. However I have heard of instances when the carriers have arrived damaged and on some instances the damage was not visible however on loading the our luggage the carriers gives way. So to prevent any situations like this I spent the extra money and played it safe. When purchasing the carrier remember to check if the holes on the carrier are large enough for the bolts to go through. I realised that they were too small much after I bought them. I went back and the guy at Sandhyas had to take them to a leth to enlarge the holes.

The other option is purchase saddles bags for your ride. Cramster is a fantastic brand for riding equipment. Their site is http://cramster.in/. If I discover any issues with the carriers post my test ride, I will not have second thoughts to take them off and go with the saddle bags. The image is at the side. This capacity of this bag is a total of 40lts. It is a very well designed bag keeping in mind maximum loading capacity as well as comfort for both rider and pillion. The strips of reflective lining also makes visibility better at night time. It has pouches to carry bottles, 2 2lty coke bottles can be carried. It is water resistant, so it may not handle heavy rains. So what I do is, pack all my stuff in big lastic bags and then load it into my saddle bags. I remember doing this last in the month of November. I rode all the way from Mahabalipuram to Bangalore in the rain. When I got home my clothes were completely dry.

You must be wondering why I bought the carrier if I already have saddle bags. When I got home it was absolutely dry. So what I am recommending is tried and tested. Of course it could be a failure if the plastic bags you use have holes in them :) The mechanic I work with is Vinaayagam, he works with Agro. He has given me a list of things to change before taking off on the ride. The items are listed below; Accelerator cable Clutch cable Carburetor intake rubber Hose rubber Wheel bearing Bearing distance piece Chain link lock Front & Rear Break shoe Please note that the list of items and model of the items could vary depending on the bike you ride. I am going to do this on my A350CC machismo. It is a 2003 model and has done Ladhak in 2008 with my brother riding her. The bike is in good shape giving a reasonable mileage of 35kmpl. Apart from the list above I have also decided to changes both tubes and carry spares. Carrying a foot pump automatically becomes essential along with the required spanners and tyre levers to pry open the tyres from the rim.

Alright now, I am going to stop talking about the bike for a bit over here. I would like to share with you a little bit about my biking companion. Its is my wife, we have been biking for the last one and half years. The first time we hung out together was over a ride to whitefield. I know what you are thinking, ‘thats not much’. And you are right. All this was when I did not own a bullet. The riding started when my brother left his bullet 535 with me when he left the country for a bit. It was then I proposed we do Mysore road coffee day. My mom and day joined us. Oh ya! Riding kinda runs in the family. I will soon write about my dad. The person who inspired us to travel and more so travel on the bike. He has done some crazy stuff himself. You will need to visit my blog to find out more about him. For now I will continue about Sharon and I :). The ride to coffee day was the start of a series of rides to destinations around Bangalore. Sharon was excited and enjoyed the roar of the engine and the thump of the bike. Not long from then I got myself a second hand machismo, it just so happened that my brother had two bullets and was ready to sell the machismo to me. So that was settled. In February 2010 I got the bike and since then we have ridden to Muthathi twice, Hoganekal, Ranganathitu, Big Banyan Tree, Kanwa, Bylakuppe, Mahabalipuram. And through each ride I just knew that Ladhak was calling. So even before we decided to get married we were talking about going to Ladhak. All I can say is that I have a super companion to go on rides and the ride to Ladhak I know will be the ride of a life time. I cannot ask for more than being in tune with nature and having my best friend with me to enjoy every moment. I have been to Ladhak twice before this, however it is the first time for Sharon. And I can’t wait to show her all that I have seen, and take it in together.

Alright now, back to the ride. Our plan is to start riding from Manali, head to Tso Moriri and then on to Leh. The trip to Tso MOriri will take us two days of riding with a over night stop at Sarchu. The total distance from Manali to Leh via Tso Moriri will be a little over 700kms. We spend 5 days in leh doing a day trip to Pangong Tso(spending the night is recommended), riding to Khardungla, visitng magnetic hill and taking in the other attractions in Leh city. Once we are done with that we leave leh and head back to Manali with Sarchu being our night halt. It is because of the long 700km ride between Manali to Leh via Tso moriri I decided to use the delhi carriers/panniers. The extra petrol can easily be carried using the slots for the petrol cans. This is not an option when using the cramster bags. With the cramster you would be able to carry two coke botles filled with petrol.

Right now, I have completed servicing the bike and fixing the carriers. We are 52 days away from our trip. I will be riding to Yeracud in a couple of weeks from now. Even though it is not anywhere close to the terrain we will experience but it will give me a chance to load up the bike and check for any faults. In the first week of may I will be putting in all the spares that I mentioned earlier in this article. Once we are done with that we will be pretty much all set to hit the road. The only things that are left to purchase are the spare tubes and a foot pump.

My next update hopefully will be when I return. However if I learn anything new then I will update this page. By the way, below are a couple of websites that you may find to be useful when planning your trip. http://www.bcmtouring.com/ http://www.yogeshsarkar.com/

It is 16 May today. I got of the phone with a friend of mine who is atravel agent at Manali. He has confirmed that the roads to Rohtang will take at least another 15 days to clear up. This is cutting it really fine. When I planned my trip I thought giving it a one month buffer should be enough. However it appears that I underestimated mother nature. I was informed to come well equipped as it is unusually cold this part of the year and there is a lot of snow in the higher regions which will be make things chilly and difficult because of the numerous streams the melting snow causes.
If the permits cannot be brought to manali, then we will need to go to Leh and then plan Tso Moriri from Leh post getting the permits. Lets hope all goes well. Will write if there are any changes.

Update no. 1
Alright now, we are just about 14 days away from departure date. Yesterday I got a call from a travel agent friend in Manali. His sources have confirmed that the roads will be opened by 28 May. I tried getting this information from the J&K Tourism website but there were no responses to any of of my calls from any of their office. I tried their offices in Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi …etc at least 30 times. You could give it a shot yourself and see if you have better luck than I do. Any if you do get some information please do leave a comment. You will find their contact details at the following link http://www.jktourism.org/inside.aspx?id=93
Ravi Takhur is my travel agent. His website is http://himalayancaravan.com/ his contact details are also available on the website. He is a very good guy, I worked with Ravi on our tour of Spiti in 2009. He was very helpful and arranged a great trip for my dad and I. so this time around also I worked with Ravi. Ravi us capable of working magic. In my case, he has worked out our bus tickets for my wife and I as well as for the bike on the buses from Delhi to Manali and return. To head to Tso Moriri a inner line permit is needed. Since I am heading to Tso MOriri from Manali, Ravi is helping me get the permits from Leh before hand. If your first destination is Leh then you can go to Leh and get any of the permits you need. For Pangong Tso and Khardung la I will get to Leh and then get the permits.
I have been warned that in the higher regions it is still snowing and hence during the day there are more streams running across the road. And the roads are in bad shape, I was asked to come physically and mentally prepared for the ride, since the roads are not the only challenging thing but the place is unsually cold this time around. So my objective will be to leave as early as possible during the day, which will give me enough time to take pictures and get to my destination before the flow of water increases.
Now for the bike, last Sunday I got my front break shoes sorted out, fixed a new battery, replaced all bulbs, the only thing left is the spark plug. As for the gear, I just need to get a baklava and then we will be ready to rock and roll.

Love....is it a decision or an emotion?

A friend asked me this question not too long back, 'Love....is it a decision or an emotion?' Yes it was a girl. I know what the guys are thinking, 'It had to be a girl, cause only girls would think of stuff like this.' But this led me to put my thoughts down about, what I consider an age old question, Is Love - this feeling, emotion, sentiment that everyone looks for and that can drive people to cry for it, at times spend enormous amounts of money to earn it, do out of the mind stuff to prove it and the list goes on.

From experience, not necessarily with relationships but even on chatting with friends and listening to them I have learned that you cannot really separate them. At first I was from the school of thought that Love is a decision, that's it! I have decided that what it is. But then with time you see more and learn more. I have begun to look at things through others perspectives and I kinda altered my decision, that love may not necessarily be entirely a decision.

Here is what got me thinking. Everyone has been in a place of feeling in love. Note my choice of word, 'feeling'. That is what it begins with. Weather it is your first crush in the 1st std or your first girlfriend in college, you get those feelings of blood rushing to your face when you see the person or when you think of that person a smile shows up on your face and people are wondering what the hell is this guy/girl smiling at?!!! You know what I mean. I have gone through it and in that stage right now. It is a great place to be, really! But, all good things must come to end even those emotions/feelings come to an end. Whether it is the familiarity that breeds between the once upon a time lovey dovey couple or just plain old pressures of life that get in the way, you are suddenly found with another person in your life however with no emotions left for the person. This is the same person who you earlier rode 20or50kms to meet, stayed awake all night talking too and still made it in time for a 5am walk around a lake but yet now there is no emotion of love for the person. Did you make a mistake??!! the answer is a big N.....O.....NO!!!

This is where the 'Decision' kicks in. Yes, I mean it when I say Kicks in. You decided to spend the rest of your life with the person. Again note the choice of word 'Decided' and yes 'You' nobody else but 'You' made that decision. When the decision was made you had feelings of 'Love' no doubt and over time the feelings seem to have gone, however it was noway a mistake. The 'decision' to love is like any other decision, once you decide you need to act on it no matter what the cost. Over time you will take decisions to love the other person. You will take decisions to buy the other person flowers or write them a card telling them how much they mean to you or buying them their favorite ice cream, doing these things doesn't just show the person that you care for them but goes beyond that. It tells them that you are thinking of them when they are not around, that you miss them, that you pay attention to them even when they do not know it. Bottom line it tells them that you 'Love' them. And all of this is out of a 'Decision'. because you decided to love them on a very special day. Yup! YOU. From this you can see that out of the decision comes the feelings. It is a vicious circle that we all belong too whether we like it or not. And I know that I am caught up in it and am not trying the least bit to get out. I think I have found my place and have taken a 'Decision' to love.

As you can see I haven't changed sides, but I am what most people don't like - I am a fence sitter. Sorry people, on this occasion I am going both ways. I believe out of the emotions of love you take a decision to love and it is the decision to love that will enable to bring back the emotions of love when you find them running out.

All the best and what ever you do don't stop loving, the world could always with an over dose of love.

The King & I

It was nice to have individuals asking me and enquiring about my next article, road trip, expedition… etc. So here it is, this time as my title suggests, what I will be sharing is my experience with the King and I. Not any king but the Yezdi Roadking. I received a post on my Orkut wall informing me of a rally organized to acknowledge the great Jawa and Yezdi motorcycles. For those of us who are not familiar with these motorcycles, all you need to know is that there were one of the greatest machines that were produced and that roamed the Indian streets right from the 60s till date.

The agenda for the day was to be part of the rally organized to mark the International Jawa-CZ-Yezdi day. We were to meet at 7am at Victoria statue, note the statue has nothing to do with the motorcycle; it was just a common meeting place. Once we met, the newspapers came in to do their thing. While the motorcycles were receiving all the publicity, the bikers were exchanging stories of what their motorcycles meant to them. I recall Nitin saying, ‘If I can wake up every morning to the roar of a Jawa I would need nothing else’, these men were like kids showing of their toys. Every model that rolled of the assembly line was present at the rally. The Jawa 250, Jawa 350 Bison, Yezdi RoadKing, Yezdi Oil King, Yezdi Monarch, Jawa Jet, Jawa scooter and the list goes on. There were enough models to represent every decade that the motorcycles were manufactured.

It was 8am when we came across the most amazing site that any of us experienced in all or biking years. It was a lady who looked like she had seen quite a few decades, more than any of us present at least. She had been riding a Jawa motorcycle for the past 44 years and to top it all she was 79years old. The look on her face, when she stood at the side of her Jawa, was a look of much Pride and satisfaction. She made it clear that in all her riding years only two people were lucky enough to get a ride on the Jawa, her son and grandson. I tried my luck getting to ride the 1964 Jawa, but my charm failed to work this time round.

Anyways, the 70 odd bikers who decided to get on the ride took of at around 9am. The sound of the engines, the smell of the fumes gave everyone a high. Even the women were interested in what was going on, there were girlfriends, wives, significant others…. Enquiring about the various makes and models. And when the usual formalities were over, the flag was raised and we were off. You could sense the atmosphere to be different from the other rallies that you come across. The riders, the motorcyles, the attitudes… everything was different. One thing that stood out was the fact that it was all about the motorcycles. Everyone cruising along enjoying the rumbling beats of their engines. I was riding on a 93 model Yezdi RoadKing, completely spruced and shining jet black. We were riding on and little did I know I would be experiencing a little bit of history by the end of the day.

We enjoyed the ride and a couple of hours we reach the coffee day at channapatna. Once there we grabbed a bite and feasted our eyes on maroon 1963 Jawa, with shining chrome exhaust, the miles per hour taco meter just looking at you and another 1967 Jawa that had a rare trolley attached to it, then the 350 Bison and many more. Once we thought we had enough, like any other trip of mine we had to do something unplanned. We were talking about the old Ideal Jawa Ltd, the manufacturer of the entire range of Jawa and Yezdi motorcycles. We knew it was based in Mysore, what we did not decide on was to pay homage to the great building that once upon a time housed thousands of motorcycles and promised to position itself as one of the greatest bike manufacturers in its almost 4 decade reign.

We left to Mysore hoping to capture a few minutes in front of the old run down factory. On the way we managed to get an address and directions to the building. After asking our way around we were there, we were up front and in person with a piece of history. However, it was disappointing to find that where once stood a monument that introduced Jawa to the world of motorcycling in India, a monument that rolled out mean machines that changed the way Indians looked at motorcycles, now stands a range of buildings coming up to house families. All that remained from the factory was a 12x12 room, we got a few pictures of that and on our way out we noticed the gate with the old ‘IJL’ emblem. That made the whole ride worth it. After riding 150kms we managed to have the old RoadKing, which we were riding on, reunited with its place of birth. We stood there only picturing all the hustle and bustle through its life time, rolling out one Jawa after another, one Yezdi after another just to satisfy the ever hungry bikers during that era. We felt proud to be standing on the ground that changed motorcycle history in India.

At the end of the day as I was riding back on the RoadKing, I could only look back on the day I spent with the (Road)King. I felt great to be part of a group that so treasured this fine art of machinery. Listening to the beats of the engine and opening up the throttle to let her rip gave me a thrill that I am sure I won’t experience on any other bike. Finally, we returned only realizing that an era of manufacturing these machines have come to an end, however the passion that exists within each person that showed up on Sunday morning ensures that the Jawa and Yezdi will live on for generations to come.

I will leave you with this for now, please feel free to leave your comments.

The Dream Unfolds

It was in January 08 when Steve mentioned that we need to do the bike ride across Ladhak. It is surprising to note the number of rides that just seem to emerge out of no real thinking but just from thought that is blurted out. This idea came about when I prompted Steve and Abhi that we need to condition ourselves for a trek through Kumara Parvatha. Poor Abhi mentioned that we should try and do the Himalayas and then he would be able to die in peace. I pity Abhi now; he gave us the idea of doing the Himalayas, Steve takes it a step further and mentions riding through the Himalayas. So right now this is where we stand - Abhi can't make, Steve and I have planned the ride across the great Himalayas. And the anticipation is immense and sometimes almost unbearable.

The Plan

Our tickets are booked to Delhi. We take our bikes with us and take off in a clock wise direction from Delhi. We hit Ludhiana from Delhi, then onto Jammu, Srinagar, Dras, Kargil and finally reach Leh. We set up camp at Leh and then visit Kardunga La and Pangang Tso. Once we are done we proceed from Leh to Manali and then onto Delhi. We leave Bangalore on 1st August and plan to return on the 24th of August. If things go well we intend on riding back to Bangalore. Cutting the landscape right down the middle. Delhi, Agra, Gwalior, Sagar, Nagpur, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

Pre Expedition Mood

It seemed very far away a while back and now to think that we are about 44days to go before the trip we feel we haven't done enough. Every time we meet we talk about it. We exchange emails about it. We constantly research possible equipment that we will need. We discuss the cost, distance, places, routes, and the list goes on. We have never wanted anything so badly. So right now the feeling is as though the Birde is waiting for the Groom or vice versa. I feel the longing to do this more than ever. I know that we are pushing both man and machine to the limits. And this is an adventure I know I will talk about for the rest of my life. And what is even better is that I will be doing the ride with my only biking buddy Steven. All my rides have been with him and I cannot think of a better biker to do this ride with. His style and confidence, makes him the best rider I have come across and that, coupled with an adventurous spirit makes him the perfect biking partner.

I will leave it at this for now, I will continue my story once we return. Once the Brothers on Bikes, that is what we are called, conquer another landscape. Until then pray for us.

Preparation Time

I know I said that I will continue once I returned but then I just couldn't help myself.
Finally we got down to purchasing all the material needed. I have never spent so much time shopping. It is great to see the reactions of out girl friends when we say that we spent the day shopping. At first they are all excited and then when we tell them that we shopped for cables, tools...etc they get disappointed. They will never understand what shopping means to guys. The same way the guys will never understand women shopping.

Anyways, we spent the morning looking for sleeping bags, eventually through that idea of the window for the time being and proceeded on to other important purchases. We decided to purchase a very nice MPA Arrow helmet. Inexpensive, a little bit on the heavier side. But very stylish and serves the purpose. Once we finished with that we moved on the famous army shops in Shivaji Nagar. After much haggling we bought a couple of Hunter shoes, an air conditioned water bottle and a sweater. As we proceeded out of there we moved on to buying some tarpaulin to cover our lagguage. Shew! by the time we finished all of this we knew that we had to take a break. But not before we pick up all the spares needed for Steves bikes so we stopped by the Yamaha Pacer show room and picked up everything he needed. Then we were off to grad a dosa from a road side vendor on cambridge road. Oh man! It still remains the best dosa I have ever tasted.

From here we thought we will pay our mechanic a little visit. Once there, we had good news, we were told that the bike would be ready 2 days ahead of schedule. We could see the connecting rod all set to go in, we were waiting only for the engine head. Once there we decided to hop across to Balaji Stores to pick some spares for my bike. I never thought things would be so expensive. Anyways, once that was done we headed back home feeling very happy with ourselves.

At the end of the day we did not fail to realize that eventually our excitement will only keep mounting not only with every purchase but with every minute, every hour and every day that goes by. Knowing fully well that this is only the beginning and the true excitement is what we will receive when we are out there, just man and machine on the road and with the Great Himalayas surrounding us.

And now I pronounce you Man and Machine.

Well to is the day. Rohit and Abhi have accepted our request to load the bikes onto the train. So this afternoon by 3.30 we will have our bieks parceled and ready to be loaded on to the train.

The curfew and riots in J&K has forced us make some drastic alterations to our plan. We will be riding from New Delhi to Loudhiana on Sunday, yes the same day the train arrives in Delhi. We would like to see if we could remain a day ahead of schedule. We spend one day driving to Waga Border and then the other day we rest getting minor things fixed on the bikes and purchases we realised that we missed out in Bangalore. Through out our travel we will be keeping a close watch on how the situation in Jammu and Srinagar is evolving. Based on that we either head to Jammu or head to Manali. If we go with the later we plan to get to Leh sooner, from Leh we cover Kardunga la and Pangang Tso. Once we are done with that we head out to kargil and Dras after which we return to Leh. So at the moment we are not sure of anything except for the fact that no matter what road we hit we will be doing them on our bikes.

The WDay - Bob and Pradeep

It was here. The time has arrived. The fruits of Pradeeps and Bobbies prayers and patience was right here. No rain nor sun could have made any difference to what was going to happen. It was the wedding of Praddep and Bobbie that was to take place on the 16th of March 2008. and oh what a glorious day it was. Pradeep all suited and booted looking smashing. As for bobbie well all I can say is I am still lost for words. On that evening, I could see their waiting and longing to be with each other come to an end. The joy in their faces was just fascinating. When I saw them together all I could think was what an Awesome God we have. Two lives crafted separately now brought together to be one in His marvelous plan. As Victor solemnized the wedding, it was beautiful to see the Church there to bless the couple and provide support to Pradeep and Bobbie. We had a blessed time of worship and as usual Victors word opened up peoples eyes to looking a marriage in the way it is meant to be. Once the vows were exchanged and registers signed, it was time to move on to the reception.

Pradeep and Bobbie did a brilliant job at bringing things together. With every detail taken care of, all was left for us to do was, HAVE FUN and enjoy the evening. Arun Samuel and team did a fantastic job of setting up the reception area. The pink back drop was perfect and the lighting gave the place a very romantic feel. It almost made me feel that I should have been the one getting married. Anyways, I heard Bobbie say that she had everything that she dreamed of in a wedding and THAT I feel is a testimony to Gods faithfulness and blessing. From the time Bobbie and Pradeep entered the reception to the end it was celebration. God was faithful to let the rain come down just enough to make the evening fun. Right from cutting of the cake to the grand march to the first dance to the giving away of the bouquet everything was plain fun. I much hand it to the youth of the Church for bring in their ever enthusiastic and fun spirit into the evening and making it one that, not just Bobbie and Pradeep would remember but every guest that was there would remember. With all the slip ups, that just a few of us knew about, and the rain it was still termed as a perfect evening.

At the end of the day I could just sit back and look at another chapter of Bobbies and Pradeeps life unfold in front of my eyes and felt good to be part of it. I really appreciate the Church and the Youth for standing by Pradeep and Bobbie through everything they had gone through. There were many hurdles that this young couple had to overcome and I have seen them overcome each one with much prayer and maturity. I conclude by highlighting that ‘The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’ – Psalm 118:23. Amen.

4 buddies and a trek

It was time for us to get away. There was just too much happening during the week and the weekends. I had to getaway! What began as a thought materialized within 3 weeks. My adventurous buddies Abhilash, Steven and the new entrant Biju were part of the team. On much deliberation it was decided that we are going to do a trek. With Christmas coming up and needing leave during then, we knew we had to do something over a weekend. After much research we decided to do a trek along a few beaches on the Western Ghats. From temple town Gokarna to Honnavara. We planned a two day trek, preparing to cover about 38Kms. So our bus tickets were booked to Gokarna and return tickets we from Honnavara.

We got on the bus Friday night and in twelve and half hours we were at Gokarna. I must say I had better bus journeys than this one, off course with what was too lye ahead I knew it was going to be worth it.

Before we began our trek it was decided to check into a hotel for a couple off hours to finish our morning ablutions. Once we got that out of the way we were off. On our way to the beach to begin our trek we noticed what drew thousands of pilgrims all through the year to the place. With its narrow streets, traditional houses, and temples it was clear that the rich culture and history becomes the favorite haunt of Hindu pilgrims, Sanskrit scholars, and beach buffs.

Our agenda for the day was to trek over four hills and cover five beaches. We began at Gokarna beach. After a quick breakfast, we were on the sands of Gokarna beach heading towards the hill. After about 15mins of walking we approached our first climb to get to Kudle Beach. The climb was gradual getting steeper as we reached the top. Once we got up there it was at least a 500metre trek on the hill. The heat and humidity was getting too us. Thanks to Abhilash’s good planning we were equipped with water and enough energy bars. The vast expanse of water that covered the earth threw up a blue that you could have only imagined. The gentle breeze from on top there made the walk a little lighter.

Once we climbed down reached the second beach on our list, Kudle beach. I have never seen water that clear. For a good 10-15ft into the sea you could see the floor with little fish swimming through your legs. Once we got here we couldn’t help but stop to take a dip. The water at Kudle beach was far cleaner than at Gokarna. The dip in the sea seemed like just what the doctor ordered. We cooled off and took picture to take back with us. After walking the stretch of Kudle our next hill was insight. On crossing this one we will land ourselves straight into the famous Om Beach. The landscape meeting the water formed a Om hence the name. The beach was clean with a lot of visitors mostly from the Middle East.

As we proceeded past Om toward our next destination, Half moon beach, the challenge was getting harder. With us running out of water and the sun beginning to take its toll we seemed to be getting a little impatient. The vegetation on this stretch of the trek was quite dense and tracks were multiple. This made it difficult to find our way over to the other side. It became a challenge when we lost sight of the sea. On a couple of occasions we landed up on the same track that we started on. As we were walking through dense vegetation, out in nowhere was a shack selling fruits and a few fresh drinks. After grabbing a quick bite of pineapple and getting some water into our system we were off.

The fresh energy could be felt in our pace. After trekking for about another half an hour we reached half moon beach. It seemed like as we proceeded from one beach to the next the level of clothing seemed to be reducing. At this juncture we had to decide to stop for lunch or move to the last beach. After much debate among the three of us it was decided to take a chance and spend the last of our energy to reach Paradise beach.

This leg of the journey seemed to take forever. There were jagged rocks that we had to climb over. There were trails that led to dead ends and from there on we were on our own. There were places with huge rocks that we had to climb. It a was risk that paid off. In about 45mins of walking we reached the final beach for the day. Paradise beach. It is a beautiful secluded beach away from civilization. As we walked on the beach, we felt like we were the visitors. There were groups of Europeans, Americans, Israelis…. Etc. and the only other Indians were the ones running the shacks. The visitors, not referring to myself here, took the freedom to wear what they wanted or, how do I put it?, not too wear anything. Anyways it was quite a sight.

The break at Paradise beach was welcomed. The trek so far was good. We took a dip in the water and all of us were excited over what we have accomplished for the day. We ordered up some lunch and enjoyed every dish. We relaxed for at least a couple of hours. By the time we were done it was 5.30 in the evening. At this point we had to decide to spend the night at paradise or take the boat across to Sangam the next beach on our agenda and spend the night there.

On speaking to the friendly neighborhood boatman, we decided to alter our plans.The boat man sold us the idea of spending the night at Barka Beach. The beach was a deserted one. He promised us that we would be the only ones and for a measly fee the agreement was made. Steve, who loves cooking, very quickly gathered the chefs together and coned them into giving us a full chicken and some essential masaalas to cook ourselves some dinner. While Steve and Biju rounded up the ingredients, Abhilash and I worked our magic to get us some fire wood. We managed to get everything in order and take in the early part of the sunset before we got to our private beach.

It was around 6.15pm when we got on the boat heading toward Barka beach. The beautiful orange radiating from the sunset seemed to have penetrated every thing we set our eyes on. The sound of the waves slapping against the boat and sight of the sunset made the experience more than just memorable. As Paradise beach faded away in the back ground we could see Barka Beach draw closer. We couldn’t believe what we saw, a beach about 100metre long and about 50metre deep with the hill about 100ft high that formed a wall. So on one side you have the sea and the other side a beautiful hill with no trails going up. So the boat man was right. It was unbelievable. In this day and age of technology we actually managed to get away from life. It was great. We spent the first half an hour convincing each other that this was not a dream.

Without wasting much time two of us got down to preparing the chicken. The other two got on the job of starting a fire. As the chicken cooked Abhi and I contributed by slapping some butter on the bread that was to accompany the chicken for dinner. After walking in excess of 15Kms, climbing 4hills, getting lost on more than one occasion, all us were getting impatient. All of us just dived in and enjoyed every bit of the dinner. It was the best meal ever. After eating all that we could, we packed the rest. We settled into our sleeping bags. Just laying down on our back looking up at the sky, the stars and the moon in all its glory was more than words could express. It was almost like we were in a different world altogether and I did not want to return. Our conversations on the beach ranged from man made machines to heaven made girls. It was the whole nine yards. After a long day got some well deserved rest.

Around 6.00 in the morning all of us were awake except Biju, his snore sounded pretty much like a tidal wave crashing against the rocks. The three of us explored the hill and got some picture of the sun rise. We took an early morning dip and basked in the sun. The warmth of the early morning sun is an experience all of us should have, it almost fills every sense and energizes you for the day. What a sight?! A beach to ourselves, facing the sea, fresh air, fresh water and a hill behind us. And all this for free, we just enjoyed what nature intended us to enjoy. We lazed around until, Eshwar, our boat man returned to pick us up. We decided to abandon the rest of our trek. The new plan for the day was to reach Kudle beach, take a dip, soak in the sun and eat to our hearts desire. Once we decided we had enough we trekked back to Gokarna and took a bus to Kumta, where we boarded our bus back to Bangalroe.

What did this trip mean to me? we may not have covered what we intended. However it was a time of great bonding between 4 friends. It was a time for us to get in touch with nature leaving behind everything else. Everything I saw, I smelt, I heard, I felt was more than I thought or I could imagine. The sun, the moon, the stars showed it self like nothing I have seen before. The temples, the structures and the devotees we saw at Gokarna, reveals to me the rich culture India has and how little the average Indian gets to see. One thing that really stands out is the fact that there are a lot who travel the world in search for beautiful destinations when all you need is right here. I have returned from this trip more convinced to explore what India has before exploring the world.