To Bekal on a bike

To go for a long bike ride was a long time dream of mine. A holiday on 18th September meant that the long weekend provided the perfect opportunity to realize this dream. Choosing a destination wasn’t difficult. Bekal in God’s own country had been on our To Do list for a long time. However deciding on the route to take gave us enough headaches. The options were to either go via Hassan or go via Mysore-Madikeri. Receiving contradictory pieces of information regarding the state of the roads made matters all the more worse. Finally we decided to take the Hassan route on our way to Bekal and come back via Madikeri-Mysore road.

We started our journey at 2 pm on 17th September. Taking the NICE road from the Bannerghatta road side we reached Magadi town in fairly quick time. Though rains were in the mood for a game of hide and seek it did not hamper our journey much. We continued our journey after a quick stop for a photograph of the remains of a fort built by Kempegowda in Magadi town. In the Markonahalli dam trip report I have mentioned about this.

The plan was to reach Hassan and if possible Sakleshpur before dark. Hence we did not stop for either birds or beautiful sights as is our usual tendency. At the bus stop in front of Adichunchanagiri Institute of Medical Sciences we stopped for a cup of coffee. The overcast skies threatened to open up and we scurried on our bike in an attempt to avoid getting drenched. Alas!!! It was not to be. Just 20 kms before Hassan near a small village called Dindiganahalli it started raining cats and dogs. Well you can add a few other quadrupeds too to the list. I could barely see a few feet ahead. We took shelter in a bus stop on the roadside. We waited in vain for the rains to let up. Finally, our patience having run out, we decided to put on our ponchos and head for Hassan as the rains abated just a little bit.

It was past 7.00 pm when we reached Hassan and the search for a place to stay for the night started. We were completely drenched. A guy walking in with a helmet in hand, dripping wet , wearing blue rain pants, blue poncho and wearing a green bandana surely must have made the hotel guys wonder. After some searching we finally managed to find a room in Hotel Abhiruchi. It was a decent hotel and the service was good. We retired for the day after having a simple dinner at the hotel downstairs.

It is a known fact that the Shiradi ghat roads are in bad condition. The Shiradi ghats had been closed for a few days just recently for clearing the boulders. Mentally preparing ourselves for the ordeal we set off after breakfast. We reached Sakleshpur in pretty good time. After a quick coffee break and a little bit of wandering around in Sakleshpur we proceeded with a plan to reach Kasargod by late afternoon.

As soon as we hit the Shiradi ghats two factors prompted us to stop for a few photographs. Firstly in a bid to reach Hassan before it gets dark we had driven without stopping much to take any photographs. Secondly the sheer beauty surrounding us was too difficult to pass up. I whipped out my camera to shoot and my heart sank. The shutter at the back of my camera was open and I realized that the locking mechanism had broken. A cry of anguish escaped my throat and my friend looked at me questioningly. On learning what had happened I could see the look of disappointment. My SLR camera, my companion in almost all of my trips and treks was now unusable. My friend asked me if I wanted to go back but I decided to carry on as I didn’t want this one disaster to decide the fate of our trip. Only solace was that we still had the digital camera.

After taking a few minutes to come to grips with the damage to my camera I started my bike and hit the Shiradi ghats. As expected the road condition was bad. Weaving in and around the potholes we progressed slowly. The huge oil tankers that were groaning along further slowed us down. Not wanting to stop lest we get delayed we soldiered on without capturing some of the beautiful sights we saw along the way. After a considerable amount of time we finally decided to take a break for coffee at one of the road side shops. The person at the shop told us that Shiradi ghat section was over and we breathed a sigh of relief. We were to soon find out that our dreams of now being able to ride faster would be crushed cruelly.

Pretty close to Mangalore we were halted in our tracks by a very interesting looking church. We took a few snaps before proceeding towards Kasargod.

The roads didn’t seem to get better at all. The dark clouds adorning the sky warned us of another impending downpour. We were still quite some distance away from Kasargod. With each passing minute it looked unlikely that we would make it to Kasargod. All of a sudden we had to look for a shelter as the rains started lashing. A small garage was what we found and we ran towards it. Within a few seconds we realized that it was leaking too. Dancing around to avoid the water droplets falling on our heads we finally decided to go inside the garage itself. We probably would have been better off sitting inside the auto rickshaws that were standing there for repair.

Have you ever been on a roller coaster ride? No, not the ones you find in theme parks. A roller coaster ride while riding a bike. Have you ever had a camel ride on a bike? If not, all you have to do is ride a bike on this road.

After what seemed like an interminable wait the rains abated just that little and we once again put on our rain gear and started off. By the time we hit the outskirts of Mangalore not only were we drenched but the torturous ride on the road ridden potholes (yep, you read that right) had taken it’s toll on our bodies. It felt as if the limbs were just about ready to fall off. I might be mistaken but I think I heard the insides of our bones rattling. It was getting dark too. It was still raining and it probably was a good decision that we decided to check into a hotel. Hotel Pentagon it was. The choice of hotel was not such a good decision though.

With hopes of a hot water bath to combat the bitter cold caused by getting drenched in the heavy rains were soon dashed. The phone in the room was not working. The hot water that they gave was at the most tepid. Since it was still raining and going out for a stroll was ruled out. I made a quick visit to the gate to take a couple of photographs. It was then time for an early dinner. We went to sleep early to make up for the lost time.

It is just about 50 kms to Kasargod. It shouldn’t have taken more than 90 minutes but it was not to be. Tall coconut trees swaying to the winds and the absolutely green cover announced our arrival in God’s own country. After this bike ride I know why it is called God’s own country. God doesn’t have to travel on a bike; he can go TINGGGG… just like that to any place he wants; like in those old movies.

Finally on reaching Kasargod our next ordeal began, the search for a hotel. In one of the hotels I went in to enquire, the overly suspicious man behind the reception first of all said that we don’t look like Indians. If Indians don’t look like Indians to an Indian I wonder who would look like Indians to this Indian. On speaking to him in Kannada his next line of questioning began. Where was I from? What am I doing here? What is my relationship with my friend? Where are we going? Arrgggghhhhhh… his tone was exceptionally good at getting on my nerves and I walked out of there without even telling him I didn’t want a room in his hotel.

Diametrically opposite in his behavior was the man at Speedway Inn. He was very courteous and we took a room. I can’t decide whether that was a good decision or not. It was a new hotel, the staff members were very good and helpful but a strong smell in the room was quite oppressive. It seemed better when the air freshener was sprayed all over the room. We quickly dumped our luggage and got ready to go visit Bekal fort.

On the way to Bekal fort is Chandragiri fort and we decided to visit this place. The fort was built by Shivappa Nayaka. Bekal fort was also built by him. Today, except for the fort walls, nothing remains. By the time the Archaeological society of India took over this fort in 1986 the damage had already been done. This is not a huge fort by any means and it probably was built for defense purposes more than anything else. It does offer a great view though. One gets to see Chandragiri river join the Arabian sea. There is a railway track and we were lucky enough to catch a train pass by.

A leisurely stroll along the fort walls revealed a well and a place which had been built to store water. A watch tower has been constructed inside the fort walls recently and it stands out like a sore thumb. Some benches have also been put there probably for the visitors and it is a sad sight. We also saw what looked like a secret tunnel. However it turned out a resting place and we were told that it is about 4 mts deep.

We left for Bekal fort soon after. It was strange that we could not find many restaurants. We had our lunch at a non-descript kind of hotel and continued towards Bekal. At last we reached Bekal fort. As we entered the fort after buying the entrance tickets the first thing that caught my eye was the watch tower which was being repaired. Compared to Chandragiri fort this one was quite huge. But yet again this fort was for defense purposes and one does not find any remains of a palace.

The Arabian Sea right next offers a splendid view. This is the same fort which was captured splendidly in the song “Tu hi re” by Maniratnam in the movie Bombay. Walking along the fort walls, taking in the greenery all around, seeing the vast expanse of the sea merge with the sky, breathing in the smells of grass and the sea water and just sitting on the fort wall, letting the place engulf you and transport you to a world of intrigue and calmness… it is a lovely experience.

Sitting on the fort wall and leaning over I noticed 3 young people strolling along on the sands and collecting something. I wish I knew what they were collecting. The waves gently splashing against the boulders as they went about enjoying themselves was a pretty sight.

While walking around I saw something fly past us and sit on a tall blade of grass. Its brilliant yellow color on the wings drew me towards it. As I sat down gingerly so as to not disturb it had completely transformed into a drab grey / lightish brown insect. I wish I had managed to capture this insect with its wings open.

Having walked around and spent a considerable amount of time we finally decided to leave. Just outside the fort was a shop selling cold drinks and eatables. What caught my eye though were plastic containers with fruits. There were a couple of containers with gooseberries. Another had mango slices. The lady said that they are kept in saltwater. Maybe I should have tried but foolishly we had already bought cold drinks. When the lady later mentioned they also had lemon juice I wished I could kick myself.

The Bekal beach park is just few minutes away. It is not easy to pass up an opportunity to walk on the beach. Entrance tickets and camera charges as usual but thankfully we were not asked if we are Indians. The park that greeted us was to say the least disappointing. A view of the Bekal fort made things a little better.

There were very few people and some of them were trying to have a good time playing in the water. A blanket of dark clouds dashed any hopes of seeing the Sun set for the day.

Impending rains forced us to leave and head back to Kasargod. Not wanting to get stuck in the rains yet again and the rapidly darkening skies prompted us to decide against going to Kappil beach. However the rains were not considerate enough and we had to take shelter in one of the bus stands. The incessant rains and the darkening skies quickly exhausted our patience and it was time for the rain gear yet again.

Driving carefully, making every attempt to avoid the potholes and ditches we continued towards Kasargod. What happened next was like a fast forward action from a movie. There was a truck coming from the opposite direction. A car was overtaking the truck. The narrow roads meant that the car was almost at the right edge of the road. The next thing I realized was that a guy on a 500 cc bike had squeezed past the car in an attempt to overtake it. It was sheer luck that I managed to swerve just in time to avoid being hit. Well… God’s own country, Devil’s own roads.

We finally reached the hotel, took a quick shower and came out for dinner. It was still raining. So we decided to have dinner at Indian Coffee house in the same building as our hotel. Having already been drenched once, we did not dare to venture out again after dinner and retired for the day.

Technically speaking we had 2 more days. But the experience we had driving to Kasargod had made us quite skeptical about being able to reach Bangalore by Monday evening. So we decided not to risk it and start early in the morning so that we were left with a short distance to cover on Monday.

It was a foregone conclusion that we would not ride back to Bangalore by the route we had taken. So it was via Madikeri – Mysore for our journey back. After reaching Cherkala we asked around for the directions to Jalsoor. One gentleman showed us two routes, one which was through Mulleri. We took this road and pretty soon we were snaking our way through lush greenery. The narrow winding roads were both a test and joy to ride. With one break for coffee we continued not daring to waste time taking photographs along the way.

By around noon we had managed to reach Madikeri. Stopping once more for coffee and some lovely daal vadas we discussed about what to do next. It was becoming extremely difficult to find a good place where we could stop and do some sightseeing. So we decided to keep going and see what comes up.

Pushing ourselves to stay on the bike for as long as possible meant that our bodies began to scream at being subjected to such harsh treatment. Pretty soon we were on Mysore road and I began to drive faster. A real test of patience, driving skills and endurance levels it was. By around 7.00 pm having covered close to 400 kms in less than 11 hrs we reached Bangalore.

Thus fell the curtains on an interesting and yet a disappointing trip.

Want to see the photos of this trip? Click here