Munnar - Allapuzha Summer Trip

To beat the heat in this summer vacation, my friend’s family wants to go for some hill station and they asked me for some plan. I made a plan for 3 days Munnar and Allepey tour. He got free stay from his office at Sterling resorts, Munnar and we booked a House Boat in Alleppey for 3 families. But I didn’t get leave for these days and I said I can’t come. My friend insisted me to join with them at least in the middle of the tour. Finally I decided to join in the middle of the tour. But I made all the plans for them, Sightseeing places in Munnar, Car Arrangement and Alleppey House Boat Booking etc.,

Munnar Tea Estate

They had 2 days nice time in Munnar as per plan and the third day they are waiting for me to come. I reached Munnar Bus stand around 12.00 and asked about the way to sterling resorts, Autowalas asked me Rs.350. Immediately I called my friend and they asked our car driver about this, he said there is some Govt Bus to Theni will pass that area Chinnakanal. So I boarded the bus and reached Chinnakanal(Bus fare Rs.19, So I saved around Rs.330). 

Cardamom Plant

As per our plan the car driver picked me to the resort from Chinnakanal Bus stop. My friends (two families) are welcomed me and asked me to get ready then we will go for Lunch and Sight seen. I took bath and ready in 20 min time and went for lunch. After lunch we went by car to Spice Garden tour. There we saw lot of spice plants namely Cardamom, Elaichi, Biryani leaves, Pepper etc., by return we crossed Anaiyirangal Dam and saw a single elephant drinking water in that dam. We took some photos in the tea estate and returned to our resort. We have some time before dinner so we played shuttle in the road light and had dinner by 9.00pm. I was so tired so I went to sleep immediately, but as per our plan everybody played card and went to sleep.

The next day morning we vacated our rooms by 6.30 and proceeded to Alleppey by our Xylo car. The downhill road was very curvy and slope. So some of our group members are feeling giddiness and vomited.  We felt heat slowly when we getting down from the Munnar hill. We reached Alleppey around 12.30 and as per our arrangement The House Boat was ready. It has 3 bedrooms with A/C and attached bathrooms (Rs.11000 per day). We served welcome drink and settled in our rooms. 

We spent some time in the balcony and taken some photos. It was very nice to travel in a boat in the mid noon. Where ever we see, lake and backwaters surrounded the place. Both side along the way some houses are there. After some time there is no house and both sides are planted Coconut tree and Plantain tree. The boat stopped in the middle for some time to finish our lunch. They served Veg/Non veg lunch with fish curry. We get down on the bank of the lake and tasted fresh coconut water and taken a bunch of unclaimed(?) bananas in a tree.

After some rest the boat again started to our resting place. It was an awesome view there in an island kind of place. Alleppey is also called as East Venice.  In the evening boat stopped in a lake side shop for fish purchase. My friend’s family bought some prawn and Carb. But the rate was very high. People are living there are using boat as their main transport for their daily use. Government also operating some boats for public transport in that lake from Alleppey to Cochin. Finally our boat reached for night halt by 5.30pm near the owner’s house. Now they plugged a cable for watching TV and connected a power cable for operating AC. (AC will be operated during 9.00pm to 6.00am only). 

As per our pre plan with the house boat people they arranged a small motor boat for a local trip. It was more enjoyable as we are sitting on the top of the boat and viewed the lake. It took one hour for that trip and now the area is getting dark. We watched cricket match in TV up to Dinner and had dinner by 8.30pm. Again we watched TV for some time and went to sleep. Everybody wakeup by 6.00 am and went to a small walk in the surroundings. We thought we will take bath in the morning, but the water in that boat was not good. So we had breakfast by 8.00 am and vacated the boat around 9.00 am. 

Now we have enough time for our train as we booked from Kayankulam to Chennai starting by 16.10pm. Now we want to take bath and go for shopping in Alleppey Market. We booked a Room for Rs.600 and took bath by 12.00pm and went for shopping. We bought some Banana Chips and Rice Halwa from the Market. After that we had Lunch in a Tamilnadu hotel and boarded a bus to Kayankulam. From Kayankulam boarded the train by 16.15 and reached Chennai the next day around 6.45am. The journey ended with pleasant memories.

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Post Trip Write-up Bandhipur - Wayanad - Ooty Cycle Trip

Post Trip / Trek Write-up Mysore / Gundlupet - Bandhipur - Wayanad - Chembara Peak - Gudalur - Ooty - Mettupalayam Cycle Trip

After I did a moderate trek on January, I am waiting for another moderate trek to participate. That was mid of February and I was travelling to Rajasthan by train. CTC announced 40 treks /events for their 5^th Birthday celebrations. I was applied on my mobile for 3 treks. One was Kolli Hills Trek organized by Nachiketha and the other two was organized by Prem (Nagala west and Wayanad Cycle Trip). Unfortunately J I got selected in all 3 treks. So now I have to decide which I have to go.  I have never been to Kolli and I have an interest to go for Kolli Hills, so I decided and paid money for that immediately. On the other two treks was organized by Prem, so I tried to speak with Prem for the difficulties in Cycle trip. He said, “You can choose your own difficult level as Easy/Moderate/Difficult”. Then I decided to go for this trip/trek and cancelled the Nagala Trek as I’ve been there earlier.  I paid money for Wayanad cycle trip and waiting for the day to come. Before a week of trek, preparatory mail received from Prem and on Thursday evening I started for the Wayanad cycle trip.

Somehow I managed in that critical situation and reached the station by 9.00 pm for the 9.30 train. First I met Chandru and later everyone (35 fellow trekkers- most of them are new to me) reached there and introduced ourselves. Prem/Organizers arranged a Veg/Non Veg Biryani for everyone for the dinner. I had my dinner at home so I didn’t eat that biryani. Everybody ate the dinner and settled their seats for rest after some small confusion in the tickets/seats. Some of our team members played cards in our next coach.

Starting Point @ Gundlupet

First Day: Morning by 6.00am I heard Yazar’s voice as “Mysore station will reach in few minutes, so everyone be prepare for that”. Everybody wake up from their seat and get ready, but the train was reached Mysore at 7.30am onlyL. In between one team finished few masala dosai and vadas for pre breakfast menu. We came out from the station and waiting for our vehicle to pick up to Gundlupet where our exact starting point for cycling. In meantime we had breakfast in a roadside shop hot Idli, dosa and poori.

Bandhipur Forest

The business today for this shop was a great start, we almost emptied that shop. After our breakfast Prem found us a truck to transport till Gundlupet, (Mysore to Gundlupet – 59km) everyone hoped on it and reached Gundlupet around 11:00am where we met up with a small group from Coimbatore. Our cycles (rent and own) were reached there before us and everyone busy in selecting their cycles. At last I found a cycle for me to ride. This was my first cycle trip and I am new to this geared cycle, somehow managed and ride that cycle up to 3-4 kms. I was feeling so tired due to hot sun and feeling some sickness due to poori which I ate in the morning. I vomited that poori and taken rest in the sweeping vehicle (Volkswagen Jetta Car). (Gundlupet to Bandhipur Road– 18km)Few hours later, the road leading to Bandhipur was awesome and wants to ride a cycle at that time. So immediately picked one cycle and ride few Kms in that forest road, we saw few deer and an Elephant while crossing the forest road.

Wayanad

By 3 pm we reached near Muthanga (Bandhipur National Park to Muthanga – 24km) and searching for food and found a small hotel, in the hotel only 40 parotas are available, so we shared that parotas. But our stomach was not filled with that, so we had some lemon soda, biscuits, chips etc. to fill our stomach. After some break again we started from there and reached sultan bathery by 6.00pm. There we had tea and snacks and I was bit tired and no light so I boarded on the Mini Van. But half of our team members again started their cycling to reach Vazhiyoram (Muthanga to Vazhiyoram -29km) where our stay for the night was arranged. Everyone reached our Guest house by 8.00pm and had a quick bath. (Some of our team members are crossed that location as they are unknown of the place and Bharani and Venkat are chased their car to reach them). It was a Dormitory and accommodated us very well. We had a nice dinner in that hotel and fall asleep to get energy for the next day.

Second Day: Next day early morning everyone refreshed in our rooms and checking their cycles are in condition. We started the second day from Vazhiyoram (10km before Kalpettah) with our cycles and reached Kalpettah for breakfast. Everyone had a breakfast there and loaded back our cycles to the Loading Van and few of us boarded on the van and proceeded to Chembara peak base. We areached there by 11.00am and waiting for the other members to come. Raghu and Hari joined at Meppadi enroute to Chembra, who couldn't join us on day 1. (Kalpetta to Chembara Peak – 16km)

Everyone gathered there around 12.30 and started our half day trek to Chembara peak.  We paid Rs.50 each for forest entry fee(?) for trekking. Some of us (including me) fell little uneasy to climb up due to steep hill and hot climate. When we reached the top we saw a wonderful love pool (heart shaped pool) on the top. We took some photos there. When we began to descent, suddenly rain started to drizzle and then it poured and we are all drenched as there is no shelter on the top. Now the climate was very cool and we feel some freshness in the air, so we are easily descended from the peak. From Chembra we headed out in open mini trucks, zig -zaging through the narrow roads and cool air.

Chembara Peak

At 5.00pm, for lunch(?) we stopped at Meppadi, and had stomach full of food. I think almost we emptied the hotel! The next destination was Cherambadi across the state border, we pedal again untill we cross Kerala checkpost Cherambadi (Meppadi to Cherambadi 22km)(I pedalled few kms and boarded on van when I am unable to pedal due to darkness), from Cherambadi we got into bus till Gudalur (36km) it was past 9 when we reached Gudalur where we were stationed for the night in a home stay dormitory (arranged by Bharani)after a light dinner. We had a good time around the campfire followed by introduction session lasted up to 1.00am. In the mean while it became clear we’d left two bags behind in Meppadi hotel! Bharani and Jagadeesh came forward to retrieve the bags in the morning that was left in the hotel. 

Ooty Road

Third Day: We all refreshed by 7:00am and got into a local bus heading towards Gudalur bustand. Today our plan was to take a bus to Pykara(28km) and cycle from Pykara Lake till Mettupalayam, but from Gudalur bustand we couldn't find any bus to take in all of us. Vasanth found us a small truck in which all 25 of us squeezed in with our bags, the journey was enjoyable as few sang songs all the way till Pykara. (Pykara to Ooty -22km). Once we reached Pykara, everyone started cycling, but I don’t have cycle to ride. So I get in to the Volkswagen car. The cycle riders have to pass some ups and downs to reach Dodabetta, but rain forced a few to take shelter in the cycle truck along the way. At Dodabetta junction we had hot tea and snacks. 

By 5.30pm Cyclists are again started pedaling to reach Mettupalayam. I was waiting eagerly to ride a cycle and asking everyone for cycle but nobody willing to give. When we reached Kothagiri by Car, chandru asked me, “you want to ride cycle”. Immediately I get down from the car and taken the cycle for riding. (Kothagiri to Metupalayam- 30Km) It was awesome to ride the cycle in the downhill with the cool breeze and I really enjoyed it. After some time I passed around 10 km I found I am alone riding the cycle as my team mates are passed me and somebody are behind me. Again rain was started and getting dark. Slowly I am riding(?) my cycle using brakesJ and doesn't want to stop. There are so much of bend and the road was fully slope. In between I saw some of our team member fell down from the cycle, (later I came to know that it was Venkat sir) so I stopped there. Arun asked me, “I have light in my cycle, so can we move”, I said ok. After some time he was zapped fast in a hairpin bend and left me as he was an experienced cyclist. Again I was stranded and slowly going down on the road. In between a naughty guy passed me said, “Hey take care man, Elephants are crossing the road on the way”(May be it was to frighten me)  But I was in a mood, not to give up in any situation, but my cycle’s brake was fully failed. There is no light, rain pouring with thunder storms, No brake and left alone, but I was really enjoying that situation. I get down from the cycle and slowly walking with my cycle on the dark and deep road about 5 kms.  My hands are frozen in the chillness and my dress was fully wet. People crossed me on the road watched strangely.  After some time Sundar and vinod joined with me and we all three slowly walked with our cycles. Few minutes later Prem and Alagar reached us and they are having the tool kit. They adjusted my cycle's brakes and ensured working fine. Now Venkat sir is on his car with Bharani, they throwing light on the road for visibility to move us on track. Finally around 8 pm we reached Metupalayam and waited for our other team members to come. 

When everyone reached, immediately everyone jumped in to a Kaiyenthi bavan on the road side and finished some biryani and omelets for Dinner. I ate some Bun and cool drinks for my Dinner. From Mettupalayam we travelled to Chennai by AC Bus arranged by Prem. Cycles are loaded in the Loading Vehicle to Chennai.  Returned to Chennai with pleasant memories.

Thanks Venkat sir! and thanks to Bharani for thier help. Special Thanks to Prem for selecting me for this wonderful and memorable cycle trip and everyone who encouraged me and supported me in this trip/trek.

Note: Finally we came to know, Overall we pedalled 181 km at a maximum speed of 51km/h.

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