Memories! 

How to create them?

Or…. do we have the capacity to create memories?

Just like a Dish which you adore but don’t know the recipe… 

About six months back, on a cycle ride with Amit and Jaydeep, two of my best friends, Amit came up with the idea of going on a 3-4 days Cycling Expedition. The discussion went deep and the conclusion was an Expedition from Manguluru to Madikeri, in February.

Despite not being a tour operator, organizing an adventure tour is an exciting experience.

Cycles to be couriered or rented out?

Mangaluru to Madikeri is about 150km. Since it has to be a cycling cum pleasure tour, how many km/day to cycle? 

It was a sea-level (Manguluru) to 1200m (Madikeri) elevation journey, what will be the cycling challenges? 

The Supporting vehicle? 

How many of us should be in the group? 

Where to stay? 

Many questions… leading in turn to a lot of sub-questions. 

Finally, the date fixed was Feb 25th to Mar 1st,  a 3-night, 4-day tour. 

Start: Pune to Mangaluru by Bus.

Day 1: Cycling from Mangaluru to Puttur.

Day 2 : Puttur to Madikeri.

Day 3: Madikeri ride on Cycle. 

Day 4: Visit my native town, Athur, 30km from Manguluru, and then board the bus from Udupi to Pune. 

Before the tour got started, a twist was introduced. Amit, who had initiated the planning had to drop from the tour for personal reasons! 

Finally, five of us went on the tour. Each coming from a different background, each having their reasons for doing the expedition. 

Tukaram Naik, 57 years, is the super-fit, silent guy in the group. 

Prashant Jagade, 55 years, is comparatively new in the group but inquisitive and talkative. 

Jaydeep, 50 years, the no-nonsense, practical guy.

Deepak, 49 years, is a tour operator by profession and a passionate cyclist. 

… and me, 50 years, basically interested in creating positive memories. 

As planned, we boarded the KSRTC bus at 7:00 pm in Pune, landed two hours late, at 9:30 am in Udupi. The Tempo Traveller (TT), our supporting vehicle, which was to be the mainstay in the days to come, was waiting at the Bus Stand. Mr Jayendra (99454 03403) owns this vehicle.  Our journey from Udupi to Manguluru (60km) started with breakfast at Hotel Vijaya Bhavan, Padubidri.

Day 1 : Cycling starts

The Rental Cycles were collected from ‘The Ciclo Club, Mangalore. We got fresh and finally started cycling at noon. Initially through Mangaluru city with curious eyes all around, we finally were on our way to Puttur. 

The humid climate, the scorching heat, the incomplete sleep earlier night, the 14-hour journey, took their toll and after about 15km, we took a break on the bridge, with the Netravati river flowing underneath. The cycles were loaded in the TT. We were relieved to sit in the comfortable seats of the vehicle. The rest of the journey till Nanna Vana, the resort in Puttur, was to be in TT. 

After an authentic Thali at  Hotel Swagat, Puttur and a visit to my sister’s place, we were on our way to Nanna Vana. Reached Nanna Vana, rested for a while, and then gathered once again for a walk around the 50-acre campus consisting mainly of Betelnut trees. A small pond and a huge ground to dry the raw betelnut was the highlight of the walk. It was a delightful experience walking over the dry leaves scattered all over the pathway, birds chirping around and even some monkeys on the trees to accompany. 

Our host, the Property caretaker, guide, and cook in Nanna Vana was Sadaanna, a 58-year-old sweet gentleman. Sadhana singlehandedly prepared the most authentic south coastal Karnataka cuisine, so tasty that we ended up eating much more than expected. 

Day 2 : Puttur to Madikeri

We started at 7:00 am for Sullia. Early morning fog, the chilled village life, mostly barren roads, the sun getting ready to rise made our experience blissful. By the time we reached Sullia, 33 km, we were hungry enough to check-in at Udupi Garden for Breakfast. Here we ordered anything and everything and had a sumptuous south Indian breakfast.

We resumed our ride to reach Sampaje, 24 km, and further 4 km till the base of the climb to Madikeri. Deepak, Jaydeep and myself loaded our cycles into TT with a satisfactory 61 km ride with an elevation gain of 820m. T J. had moved far ahead. After a break for Coconut water and pineapple at the ghats, we landed at Brooke Stone Villa, 4 km from Madikeri City. Special mention to T J who rode to Brooke Stone without a hint of tiredness. Salutes to his fitness. 

Brooke Stone is an excellent place to stay. Surrounded by coffee plantations, it has serenity and peace as its whole mark.

In the evening, we visited ‘Raja Seat’ to experience the Sunset. As is the case with all the hill stations, Raja Seat was crowded, hence we moved further west to a secluded place. 

The Sunset experience here was pure bliss. It’s unbelievable that the same sun which had us exhausted and gasping for breath, a day before, could be so colorful, calm and a delight to behold. Far off in the horizon, the mountains stagged one after another, the sun peeping through them, and slowly sinking, in the process throwing an unbelievable array of colors all over. The valley beneath and the serene atmosphere all around give a feeling of complete satisfaction and a question, …..why not this be the end of the world!

We then visited the Omkareshwar temple. 

Irrespective of which faith you are from, its unique blend of Gothic and Islamic architecture is worth exiting. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. Inside the temple is a beautiful pond with fish appearing on the surface. 

After local shopping, we had dinner at ‘Coorg Cusine’. The interesting thing about this Restaurant is, apart from the authentic cuisine of Coorg, it’s tastefully decorated with a display of weapons like Guns and Knives hung on the wall. Two large images, one of Gen. Cariappa and the other of Gen. Thimayya took place of pride on the walls. The Coorgies have a history of valiant soldiers and they take real pride in it. 

Day 3 : Roaming around in Coorg

Morning at Brook Stone was a mixture of chirpy birds, a slight chill, sun rays cutting through the tall trees, and fog all around. We had planned to cycle to Suntikoppa, 25 km. After having breakfast at Suntikoppa moved ahead to Chikli Dam, 10km. It was a lovely route through Coffee Estates and small villages. Chikli Dam is a place to experience. No signs of any concrete structures on the horizon, clear clean water surface, a reflection of deep blue sky on the water,  and the gentle breeze flowing over competed for the lovely experience. 

After loading our cycles on our TT, we made our way to Abbey Falls. Another scenic place in Madikeri must be experienced. 

Another thali awaited us at one more Udupi Garden Restaurant in Madikeri and we were back to our Resort. 

After ample rest, we once more visited Madikeri for some more shopping. Wine, spices, honey, and Coffee powder are the things to buy in Coorg. Shopkeepers here are honest. They sell genuine stuff without bargaining. Sparrow Coffee and Spices (9880381831) is recommended as we found them to be full of variety and quality. 

Dinner was at a unique place named ‘Thaliya’. Interiors kept simple, young staff, and authentic Coorgy options in the Menu. Enjoyed this final dinner at Madikeri before we went back to our beds. The next day was going to be hectic. 

Day 4 : Village Experience 

We started early morning on TT, visited Udupi Garden, Sullia, once again for breakfast. Reached Mangaluru. Returned our cycles, did some shopping at Komal Sweet Shop, and then had sumptuous Icecream at Ideal Icecream Restaurant. 

The final part of our experience was now remaining… a visit to my native place. 

We have a beautiful Shiva Temple, ‘Suragiri’, beside my home in Athur village. Coincidently, it was ‘Mahashivratra’ on March 1st, hence a festival involving the whole village was going on at ‘Suragiri’. As we entered the temple, an overwhelming feeling of sacredness awaited us. After praying we were directed to the Dining hall. The lunch served on Banana leaves, food prepared with passion, served by volunteers from the village gave us immense joy. It was our fortune to be at the right place at the right time. 

We then visited our village home. Jaydeep, Deepak, T J, and Prashant enjoyed the typical village home with a Well, Cowshed, rice fields, and Bettlenut and coconut trees to accompany. After spending quality time at the rustic beauty, we started our return journey by boarding the Bus at Udupi. 

The Bus landed at 6:30 am in Pune, with us at our home safely by 6:45 am. 

How to create Memories?

We not only created them but in the process went through the cleansing of the souls too. 

Thanking God for such unforgettable moments!