Thursday, December 30, 2004

Hello from Kolkata!

I have finally reached Kolkata today (30 Dec 2004) evening around 4.

Feels great!

The lodging has been taken care of, so tomorrow I can do some sightseeing!

The trip is worth around 1880 kms, 14 days till now...

I will leave Kolkata tomorrow night; must be back in Bangalore by 3rd morning.

I am currently sitting in Reliance WebWorld. The facilities are great; but my lodge closes at 11 PM, and I haven't had my food!

I know, I haven't posted much about Day 6 onwards. I'll try posting tomorrow (only a feeble promise), but worst case by 5th Jan, you will get all the details of the trip.

In case I can't post anything tomorrow, then let me wish you all a

Happy & Happening New Year - 2005

BFN!

Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Quick update from Balasore(28 Dec, 2004)

Yes, I am alive and kicking (er.. pedalling!). The recent natural calamities haven't affected me; simply because I am too far. My return plans also seem to be on track; though I still have to confirm with the railways.

Ah well! I've got tired of saying 'sorry for no updates', so I won't be saying it again! I have tried accessing the internet to update this, but either the shops around here close too early or are crowded!

I am currently in Orissa - though tomorrow I should be in West Bengal. Today (28 Dec) is the 12th day of the trip. I've already finished about 1600 kms of my trip - Kolkata is still about 300 kms away!

Since my last update, I've seen the Chilika Lake (lots of birds, some dolphins), Puri Jagannath Temple, Konark Sun temple, a temple in Bhubaneshwar (it is the city of temples!).

Today I intend to stop in Baripada (remember the Dara Singh episode?) - this is about 60 kms from Balasore. Tomorrow, I will either end up in Kharagpur or Calcutta!

Meanwhile, thanks for all your wishes! (Can't see the new comments - I am again on a Win98 PC with out-of-date IE, so my blog page is acting funny! To compound my woes, IE keeps crashing... Same old story for the photos also!)

Will tell you about the 'dacoits' of Orissa in my next post! I won't promise when, but it should happen soon...

Wednesday, December 22, 2004

Day 6 : Vishakapatnam [info only]

Well, I will fill this tomorrow or day after (should be in Puri then).

In short, I had a nice time today - climbing two hills, seeing an old temple, meeting some engineering students from Bhubaneshwar, nice views - tell you all about it later - I've published the blogs for Day 4 and Day 5; so you have enough to read for now.

The internet cafe where I am sitting has a cable connection but Windows 98 :( (bad for my camera, very old version of internet explorer, etc). I had uploaded a few pics in the morning and they can be found in the normal place (http://photos.yahoo.com/shreekumar3d and check the "East Coast Rally" album). That's all I can do for now, it is already 10:10 PM, as I type.

I should be in Orissa tomorrow...

The engineering students I met have told me that it is not safe after dusk - but not due to people! Animals roam around, they say! About early morning they are OK. Anyway, Orissa promises to be fun -- Chilika lake, Puri, Konark, Bhabaneshwar and Cuttack are the anticipated highlights for now!

I had seen a few comments in the posts and maybe it is not too late to answer them:
One was regarding what I think about the entire day... Well, anything and everything from friends, work, past, future, next trip,...
The other was about my cycle: I had posted it earlier that it is a Hero Thunder MTB, 21 speed cycle. Weighs an amazing 12.5 kgs (my previous cycle was 22.5 kg).

Other comments (today's comments) I can't see - the IE here is not allowing me :(

Anyway, I am enjoying the comments - keep them coming, they sure are a nice way to communicate. In the future, they will serve as memories also!

I wish:
1. a happy christmas to some of you
2. a happy vacation to some of you (HP colleagues, sasken?)
3. If you don't fit into either 1 or 2, then enjoy your work :)

Anyway, I'll keep posting whenever I can.

Bye!

Day 5 - Rajahmundry to Vijayawada

My mobile has successfully woken me up at 3:30. My main target for today is Vishakapatnam - 200+ kilometers away. I need to reach there for I have planeed that tomorrow will be a sight seeing cum rest day(meaning very less cycling).

First thing I note is that my left leg shin pain is gone. Yay! It has responded well to the "treatment" (cycling at constant pace and not exerting too much). The right knee is also better. There is a slight pain on the right shin as well.

I am off at 6:10; I say a silent bye to Biranchi, and say it loud enough as not to wake him up !

A tea stop happens as usual. People everywhere are trying to warm up, sitting around fires. However, I remain untouched by the cold - I'm cycling, after all! I do sense the fog - and can feel the cold wind on my face. An hour later, one more intended tea stop has turned into a mini breakfast. Vizag is still 190+ kms away! So near and yet so far...

I indulge in some night photography experiments, mainly to keep away from cycling too much! And in one particular place, I have everything lined up - camera ready, streetlights are on and offering a nice ambience, cycle ready for the shoot, my finger is ready to click... As I am clicking, the streetlights go off. Imagine my frustration at the result - a useless picture.

My estimates are that I can't reach there by 7 PM, so why hurry? But cycling in the dark is something that I don't relish, so I need a steady pace of around 15 kms/hr. The sun is already up and burning. After applying sunscreen, I feel a cool breeze.

The road is no longer the nice flat road it was till Rajahmundry. It now has ups and downs. I am constantly eyeing the Kolkata milestones. I stop after seeing "Kolkata - 1000" (Chennai - 700).
A short rest after breakfast motivates me to start again. Vizag is still 140+ kms away and the time is 9:20 AM.

Some kilometers later, I see a welcome sight - a cashew tree. The setting has suddenly assumed a coastal hue, with cashew, cocoa and mango groves. The hilliness of the road has also increased, sigh! The environment reminds me of my native place and I somehow feel happy. The hills cut down my progress. After Annavaram, the road becomes still more hilly! The rule for a cyclist seems to be : ups are mandatory and downs are complimentary!

A few churches are seen on the road - more signs of coastal area!

Near Tuni, I stop and much a few bananas. A couple of bananas also disappear at a short notice. At noon, I am still 100 kms from Vizag. Lunch at 12:45 brings some strength - but also a stomach ache! I rest for some time hoping that the ache would go away - but nothing of that sort happens. So I decide to make progress on the road at least. No idea what caused the ache - it continue to persist for atleast an hour more. After this I make a few stops - drinking water and eating oranges.

Near Yellammanchalli, NH5 work is going on, so welcome to bad roads. I race with a Victor for some time on the bad road - I don't win, but I don't loose either! Recovering from the effort takes a couple of tender coconuts. Sometime later, I see a college bus (Avanthi College of Engineering) overtaking me. The boys in the bus beckon me - and I oblige! The bus stops at a railway crossing. The general enquiries ensue. They just can't believe that I am a software engineer. I have to show them my visiting card at the end... I follow the bus for some more distance and give up after that (bus is going at 40+). I then pull over for a short tea break - Vizag is still 50+ kms away and the time is 4:20!

Post tea, I meet a fellow cyclist Rajesh. He is a X standard student, studies in a school at Anakapalli, cycles to school everyday (6 kms), and surprise: dreams of becoming a soldier in the army. Reason: desh sewa. Exemplary ! Aren't navy and airforce valid options ? Naah, he replies!

Light is fast fading and Vizag is slowly drawing near. 30 kms from Vizag (Anakapalli is the place), I stop for a dosa+tea. The general observation I have to make is that as you move north, the taste of dosas and chutney (in particular) is lesser. After the snack, it is time to switch on the headlights and god speed!

The toll booth (few night shots) signals arrival of city limits. Sometime later, a Splendour motorcycle overtakes me, and then falls back to maintain my pace (maybe 30kmph). Subhan is going to Vizag with his wife and daughter. He works in a chemical plant at Anakapalli, and visits Vizag every weekend to see his parents. I get to know more about Vizag (land rates included!). We stop at NAD junction. We get a snap together. And Subhan offers me orange juice - it is an offer that I can't refuse! I take general tourist directions, his address and cell phone number. His suggestion is that I stay near Gopalapatnam (which is nearby) since lodges in the city are costly. I take his advice and bid him goodbye.

I finally settle down in Kumari lodge. It is 8:30. Simhachalam(a famous temple) is also near to this place - and I intend to go there tomorrow morning. Kumari lodge is by far the cleanest place I've stayed in this trip - and also the costliest - 200/day. I book for 2 days.

I go around, shopping as usual, brush for washing clothes, ariel. Food at Guntur mess is OK, but nothing to talk home about. Asleep at 10:00 PM.

Today's birds-eye-view:
------------------------------------------------
Time Odometer Place/Purpose
------------------------------------------------
4:10 10185.0 Rajahmundry
5:30 10200.0 Tea break, change torch batteries
6:05-6:20 10205 Mini-snack
7:05 10219.2 Duggampeta
7:40 10227.6 Yerravaram
8:30 10240.2 Kolkata-1000 KMS
8:40-9:20 10242 Breakfast
9:50 10248.8 Kathipudi (yummy ice candy)
10:10 10255.4 Annavaram
11:05 10265.9 Bananas!
11:20 10270.6 Tuni(cross)
12:00-12:05 10277.1 Tea break
12:45-1:25 10295.1 Bhojanam
2:40 10303.5 Water!
3:15 10311.1 Yellammanchalli
4:20 10325.0 Tea
5:50-6:10 10341.7 Snack at Anakapalli
7:40 10359.3 NAD Junction, Vizag/Meet Subhan
8:30 In Kumari Lodge

Around 200+ kilometers of cycling - today has been a OK day - not too tough, but not easy, either!

Tomorrow will be a general rest day and fun - sightseeing : Simhachalam (SLV temple), Kailash Giri, Dolphin's Nose, Vuda Park, RK Beach are already lined up. So is washing clothes!

I can already hear my right knee appreciating the rest !

Day 4 - Vijayawada to Rajahmundry

This is my blog for 20th Dec, 2004. This day happens to be my birthday as well!

I am anticipating a long day today. I intend to goto Eluru, then onto Kolleru lake, and end up in Rajahmundry. And then, I have to visit V V R K Shastry also.

Shastriji has told me that his place, Gannavaram, is only 25 kms from Vijayawada and I've promised to be there at 7:00 AM. I've also asked him to keep the meeting short (i.e. breakfast only) so that I can finish my quota of cycling for today.

I've seen a milestone reading "Eluru - 80" somewhere in Vijayawada.
So I expect Rajahmundry to be atleast 170 kms.

I get up at 5:00 AM. I have no interest in visiting the Kanakadurga temple - coz it will delay things by atleast an hour. I have even given thought to a radical plan of action - visit the temple and Mogalarajapuram caves and then end up in Kolleru lake. But after weighing everything, I intend to execute my original plan.

I am ready to leave by 5:45. My need is great, or so I think, and that calls for speed - need for speed! I find that I am averaging 18 kms/hr - good. I take a few snaps as well, particularly a veterinary college near Gannavaram.

I am in Gannavaram by 7:00 AM, and promptly call up Mr Shastry. We meet at the telephone exchange and his house is a stones throw away from there. Shastry sure has a big family - his father (age 90+), his mother, he himself (retired in '94), his sister, his son Krishna, wife, their kids (Durga Prasad and Valli). There is a kannada speaking maid also - she is from Karvar and speaks kannada in an accent which is a mixture of kannda, havyaka and telugu! On entry I get a glass of hot coffee. The regular chit chat happens. In between, I get a phone call from home - wishing me Happy Birthday! I am served a nice breakfast of idly, chutney. A few snaps and a glass of tea, and it is time to leave. It is 8:30 already!

Eluru is around 37 kms from here, so I need speed and I drive fast.
On the few water bodies near the road, I see a few birds, but they are too far to offer a snap. Nearing Eluru (about 10km away, there is a Eluru cross on NH5), I meet a small group of people, a lancer car and the driver. The driver offers me water - and I almost empty his 2 litre fanta bottle! They are of the opinion that visiting Kolleru lake would be a waste since all it seems to have now is fish cultivation. I buy their argument and decide to continue on NH5 and reach Rajahmundry.

Their estimate is that Rajahmundry is atleast 100 kms away. There is a left turn at a place called Gundugolan - and that is a short cut. I am relieved, because the milestones say "Rajahmundry - 140" !

So off I go! On the way, I buy a dozen small ripe chikkoos. A tea stop an hour later helps keep me in good shape. The shortcut is seen after 30 odd kms. There I try to cross check the info with a Honda City driver - he doesn't know it,but the people around are sure. From that point, Kovvur is around 70 kms. Rajahmundry town is on the banks of the Godavari - and on the other side of the river is Kovvur.

I stop for lunch at 12:35. The food is good. I ask the owner to click a photo. He agrees and start to pose! I tell him that he has to click my photo; now he instructs his assistant to do the job! I am back on the road at 1:10.

With about 70+ kms to go, I decide to keep a steady pace.

Starting from Gannavaram, I see a pattern slowly emerging - this regarding the statues of famous personalities. NTR, the Nehru-Gandhi family, Ambedkar are all well represented! It is well that each statue has a nameplate as well, otherwise they would be unrecognizable. NTR is easily identified by the "musical hand" pose whereas Babasaheb is always depicted as holding a book in his hand. And no prizes for guessing who wins the number game... Balasaheb of course!

I stop at Nallajarla at 2:15 and finish a half litre frooti bottle double quick. I also drink my first (and only) packet of water of this trip till now! I make tea stops at Yarnagondam.

Sometime later, when I am 25 kms from Rajahmundry, NH5 gives way to a road which is just wide enough for two lorries. This causes a lot of trouble for me with lorries honking constantly and generally expecting the meek cyclist to get off the road. At Nirmalagiri, there is a nice looking church. However, the name of the place is a misnomer - Nirmalagiri is anything but nirmala - everything is covered with dust - not even a leaf is spared! This is mostly due to the stone crushing, etc going on in the area.

Near Kovvur, I stop to eat a whole pappaya, with the shopkeeper taking a snap.

Just before the bridge to Rajahmundry, I see statues of the saptarishis - never mind whether they really looked like that or not!

The bridge to Rajahmundry is 4 kms long, atleast! The bridge has a storey for the vehicles and one for trains. There are atleast two parallel bridges also, but these somehow don't seem to have any traffic. I do some night photography also in the dim lighting!

It is 6:35 when I enter Rajahmundry. The hunt for a lodge begins! The nearest lodge has only double rooms, each costing atleast 250/day. Finally I settle for "Balaji Lodge" which is actually a dormitory. The caretaker there assures me that all best facilities are available - generally true, considering the cost.

I have a nice meal at hotel Swati, shop around for fruits and am back in the "lodge".

I am assigned bed #5, and on the next bed is sitting an interesting person, a Mr Biranchi Swain. He is from Cuttack and has come to Rajahmundry on business. He knows about Bangalore - he got his eye operated at Puttaparthi. We start talking, with me seeking to glean all info I can about Orissa. Biranchi rubbishes all statements about Orissa being a place with people who are "dangerous" (I had several people warning me about orissa). He also has seen my mobile and makes a phone call to his wife, apparently about me! (he talked in oriya, so I have to believe what he told me!). I succeed in putting a tape to Biranchi's mouth and sleep at 10 PM.

Tomorrow will be a long day again - Rajahmundry to Vishakapatnam is atleast 200 kms...

The day at a glance:
----------------------------------------------------
Time Odometer Place/Purpose
----------------------------------------------------
5:45 10050.4 Vijayawada
7:00-8:30 10069.3 Gannavaram
9:45 10088.7 Hanuman Junction
10:15 10095.3 Eluru Cross
11:20-11:30 10111.9 Tea Stop
12:10 10119.5 Gundugolan
12:35-1:10 10125.2 Bhimadolu
2:15 10143.5 Nallajarla
3:25 10155.2 Yarnagodam
4:55 10178.0 Kovvur
6:35 10184.3 Rajahmundry

Overall, quite a bit of fun!

Sorry for slow updates...

Hi all!

I reached Vijayawada yesterday night - around 850+ kms of my journey is over!

I am planning to do sightseeing here in vizag today - so generally a rest day.

Due to the poor internet center here - I could post only one blog message(2 if you include this -- check the Day 3 blog!). I've also tried uploading a few photos! All this took more than two hours, believe it or not!

I'll try adding blog entries for Day 4, 5 and 6 tonight - possibly upload photos also.

It's 2 o'clock - browsing center is closing.

Will post replies to your messages later

Thanks for your continuing interest!!!

-- Shree Kumar

Sunday, December 19, 2004

Day 3 - Chilakaluripet to Vijayawada

The cellphone has woken me up at 3:35 AM. I quickly pack up - time to vacate the room and get going! I promise my body more rest tomorrow ( a small pain has started on the right shin and the left leg is as bad as yesterday ).

The plan for today is to see Amaravati and Vijaywada. It is around 40 km to Guntur, from there to Amaravati about 35 and then to Vijaywada about 40 again. Not much cycling really, maybe a 100, maybe a bit more!

A tea is enough to get me back on the road. It is pitch dark - I continue with my headlight. The going is smooth and fast. An hour or so later, at about daybreak, I see the office of Eenadu (I has seen a similar building near Nellore also). I want a snap - but the security chap decides to play spoilsport. He just doesn't allow me to shoot a photo! First I plead, then I blast him. My abuse is in english, and the fellow is unmoved - so I realize that he hasn't understood anything! So I repeat the same in hindi. No effect - I admit defeat !

The morning sun attracts me so it is time for a snap. Sometime later, there is a large hospital on the left. A tobacco factory that I see after sometime makes me wonder whether they roll beedies here as well. Nearing Guntur, there are a many cold storage factories. Makes me wonder whether Guntur is town kept in cold storage! Guntur's speciality is soon proclaimed by a billboard, which reads Welcome to Tobacco Town.

I stop for a quick tea - but end up having a mini-breakfast of 2 vadas, a laddu and coffee. The road forks after this, one going to Guntur town and the other being NH5. To reach Amaravati, I have to pass through Guntur. So I have to say bye to NH5, yes, but not for long !
Guntur is a district HQ but I can see boards around appealing for a "Green Guntur".
The road to Amaravati is wide enough for two trucks and a cycle to pass, so I have no problems. I pedal at a steady rate to reach "14th mile", a village. Maybe coz it is 14 miles from Guntur. This place has a few hills. Cotton fields and tobacco are the major crops. I take a hurried break and gobble 3 oranges (bored after 2.5!).

When my odometer reads 10000 KM (yes, that is ten thousand), it is time for a mini-photo session. I reach Amaravati around 10. The temple at Amaravati is famous because it hosts one of the twelve jyotirlingas. The river Krishna flows by the temple. I meet a kannadiga Sunil, and an MBA student. Snacks, a visit to the temple (the shivalinga is more than 2 meters high), some chatting with more people and it is time to go - already 12:30!

Next target - Vijaywada. The road to Vijaywada is a single road - and bad - full of potholes, etc. And guess what, my bag starts troubling me again by deciding to fall time and again. Lots of egg farms along the road. And chilli, onion, suvarnagedde, plantain, rice... An hour later, I reach karkatta cross and that marks the beginning of the good road. The road is still single but is nice and straight. There are fields on the left and right and the river Krishna flows quietly on the left. The road has a slight elevation, and offers a nice all round view. A motorcyclist tells me that it is 20 kms to Prakasam Barrage (Vijaywada). I drink a few tender coconuts on the way to freshen up.

After I reach Prakasam Barrage, I get to know that Undavalli caves is quite nearby. So I turn back, with a fellow cyclist showing me the way. He is a middle aged man, probably a farmer. He asks me at what rate I go. I reply saying 12-15 kms an hour. He boasts that he can do 20 kms an hour and then speeds up so much that I feel like being overtaken by a pulsar! I acknowledge defeat and admire him. He shows me a spot where I get down and then I cross a field and reach Undavalli caves.

Undavalli caves is a nice 4 storey structure - a historical monument. I enjoy the place - the best thing being the big statue of Anantapadmanabha in a sleeping pose (atleast 20 ft long), and the surrounding view. There I meet Mr. V V R K Shastry (hold your breath - Veluri Venkata Rama Krishna Shastry!)- he is a retired engineer and is here for some sightseeing (with his friends and their family). Arthritis may have slowed him down but definitely not his zeal. He appreciates what I am doing and invites me home. I decline his offer for an overnight stay, but suggest I could drop in for breakfast the next morning (He stays in Gannavaram which is on the way to Kolleru lake). I show my mini diary to the appreciating onlookers. An APSRTC conductor is good enough to click a few photos for me.

On the way back, I enjoy the view at the barrage. My plan is to go and see Mogalarajapuram caves, but that does not happen since my search for a lodge has taken longer than expected. I settle down in Sujana lodge (suggested by Sunil) - crappy lodge. Enough said!

A fruit juice (made of mini chikkoos) freshens me up and then I goto the local cyber cafe. Try uploading photos - it is just Win2k and not much I can do about it. So I post a blog message. Have already spent 90+ minutes on this and feel very sleepy. I have been told that the Kanaka Durga temple is open till 10:00 PM, so I decide to finish bhojanam. It is 9:30 by the time I reach the temple and the temple is closed! So I decide to keep the temple for tomorrow morning and return to the lodge. I call up Mr Shashtry and confirm that I will be coming at 7:00 AM tomorrow morning.

A short overview of today:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Time Odometer Place/Activity
---------------------------------------------------------------------
4:30 AM 9940.7 Chilakaluripeta
6:15 9963.4
6:55-7:20 9970.4 Mini-breakfast
7:35 9973.1 Guntur
8:55-9:05 9990.3 Oranges break!
9:45 10000.0 Yay! 10k celebration!
10:05-12:15 10004.0 Amaravati
1:15 10016.5 Karakatta deviation
2:10 10029.3 break
3:05-4:20 10036.1 Undavalli caves
4:50 10040.2 Vijayawada
5:30 Sujana Lodge

Asleep at 10:00 PM - I have to be in Rajahmundry tomorrow after seeing Kolleru lake to keep up with my schedule! Besides, I gotta mean VVRK Shastry too!

Day 2 - Nellore to Chilakalurpet

This is Day 2 - December 18th, 2004.

I expect to reach Guntur today, which I've estimated is around 220 KM from Nellore.

I wake up at 3:15 AM - today is going to be a long day, so better to start early!

I have a slight pain in the right leg... but I get going by 4:00. This time I am wearing my shoes. The town roads are bad. Due to the shake, my bag has already fallen twice (a single cord is holding the bag to the carriage). The road god (NH5) comes to my rescue soon and my bag sits stably - not for long, though! In the highway also the bag starts behaving in the same way. I turn around the bag, hoping that the new vaastu will help me - and it does!

Driving with lights in the morning is just OK; the lighting itself is not always enough. Visibility is normally a few meters. All of a sudden, I detect a sand dune on the road (dumped for some construction). Too late ! I ram into it, but nothing happens - it's sand after all !

My next target is Kavali. An hour later, I stop for tea. I am not happy at all. I have covered only 12kms till now. I decide to quicken my pace for Kavali still is 43 KMS away. There is a heavy fog and visibility is not even 100m at most places. I manage to reach Kavali by 7:30 and promptly say bhojanam kavali (I want food). I have a hearty breakfast - 3 poories, 3 idlies and coffee. The dhabawallah knows a bit of hindi - enough to enquire about my profession. I tell him that I am a software engineer and he immediately asks me about my salary. I prompty reply back with the old saying ask not a man his salary, nor a woman her age. However, he remains persistent, and asks sheepishly 15k?? I reply back that it is much more. Then I wonder whether this is the reason Chandrababu Naidu lost his job... 8 o'clock and time to leave. The sun, which till now was desperately trying to break the veil of fog finally has succeeded.

Continuing from Kavali, I make slow & steady progress (that really means slow progress!). My observation is that my speed has reduced for reasons unknown. A mild pain has started on the right knee and the left shin. That doesn't deter me and I keep continuing.

Along the road, the enterprising people are cultivating many crops - among them I manage to recognize gooseberry trees (and specifically bombai nelly).

I sense somebody approaching me and to my right I find the rear end of an autorickshaw. The auto is being driven in the opposite direction, with two customers at the back! All of us smile at one another.

I also notice a cycle with a pillion - the guy sitting behind has a bow with two strings. He is using it to shoot birds. I don't see him succeed in two tries. These guys have decided to race me - but they know neither about me nor my cycle. Soon they realize that it is a hopeless task and wisely give up!

The road worsens after some time and I decide it is time for a break. A tea and a few snaps later, I continue. The bad roads continue till sometime after Singarayakonda. The arrival of good roads is signalled by a toll booth (this is the first one I have seen today - compared to many yesterday). A short while later, two oranges and an apple disappear into the bottomless pit that my stomach has become. I manage to continue till Valluru (has a temple, some place to stay, etc) and stop there for bhojanam at 12:10.

Ongole is still 10+ kms away. Estimates are that Guntur is still 100 to 110 kms away. I am peeved by the differences between the distances shown on the NH arches and on the milestones. Lunch is good. I chat over lunch with a chap who can talk hindi.

After lunch, I quickly reach Onglole cross. The road is mostly good after this. However, nobody seems to have a clearcut idea of how far Guntur is, including the truck drivers! As an added disadvantage, there are no milestones at kilometer-intervals. I stop by a dhaba and drink some excellent tea (the dhaba owner is a punjabi). My chat with the dhaba customers (lorry drivers, who else?) is centered around my journey. My progress after this is slow. I (re)realize that looking at the speedo/odometers has slackened my pace. My solution is to select a nice gear and pedal without looking at the odometer. The results are visible after sometime - I have made good progress. At Medumarmetla, I get a shock - a milestone reading "Guntur - 83" ! It is 3:15 PM already and 83 kms will take atleast 6 hours. So my chances of reaching Guntur are practically zero! One option is to stop at Chilakalurpet, a town approximately 40 kms away. A tea stop gives me enough time to mull over the issue. I have finally decided to stop at Chilakalurpet. Guntur will have to wait till tomorrow...

It is only 4:15 PM now and with just 35 kms to go, I am sitting pretty - what's the need of haste, anyway? A passerby cyclist (Mr Hanumanth Rao) does me a favour and snaps a good photo of me and my cycle. I reason that the intutive ease of use of the digital camera has helped him shoot me so well.

One more dhaba and one more tea + one roti(no daal). Sunlight is fading fast and I am cursing my laziness. At 6:15 or so it is almost dark and my headlight springs to action.

Incident of the day: At 6:45, I see that a large vehicle has honked repeatedly and stops to the left; I also vaguely hear my name. I pay no heed and go on - the same thing happens again. This time, I have recognized that it is a VRL truck and the driver is Sharanappa, whom I met yesterday! We have a joyous meeting. We celebrate with tea and cakes - the VRL sides plays host. They were on their way to Vijayawada and were on the lookout for me. Just when they thought that I was too fast, they had seen me, and hence it was that we met. There is one more loory driver around who claims to have seen me in the morning near Nellore. The local drunkards helped us with a few snaps - the VRL vehicle, my cycle and the three of us (forgot to mention Basavaraj). I have noted down their address and I intend to send them a copy of the snaps. Our meeting lasts half an hour. Sharanappa tells me that he will try to get a Vizag parcel next and hopefully we'd meet again!

Half an hour later, I arrive at Chilakalurpet. Almost immediately, I settle down in Hotel Kalyani. The owner is a nice man - he instructs the guard to take special care of my cycle. The manager (Kumar)is also extremely co-operative and gets half a bucket of water almost immediately. We have a small chit-chat, as usual. The room is nothing to talk home about but the welcome I got was the best in any lodge.

On the manager's reccomedation, I went a hotel and had biriyani. I shopped for oranges. An internet center nearby attracted me but I was too tired. After demoing my cycle to a few onlookers, I was back in the hotel. I entrusted my cycle to the guard, went to my room and finished writing this blog!

I know - the question most of you are waiting to ask is: How are my legs?

The answer is that it doesn't matter that there is pain; as long as I manage it properly, there is no harm done! Here is one of the best quotes that would hopefully explain my position: Pain is temporary - Quitting is permanent [Leander Paes].

My plan for tomorrow is to see Amaravati and Vijayawada. Not much cycling - around 100 kms...

Here is a short summary for the day:
---------------------------------------------------
Time Odometer Place/Purpose
---------------------------------------------------
4:05 AM 9768.0 Nellore
5:35-5:40 9785.2 Tea Break
6:30 9800.0
7:30-8:00 9814.3 Kavali/Breakfast
8:45 9826
9:20-9:30 9835 Fruit break
10:25-10:35 9848.7 Tea break
10:45 9850.6 Singarayakonda
11:10 9856.2 Tollway ahoy!
11:35 9861.1 Oranges+apples
12:10-1:00 PM 9867.9 Valluru/Lunch
1:20 9874.5 Ongole (cross)
2:45-2:50 9895.9 Tea at dhaba
3:15 9900.0 Medarmetla
3:45-4:10 9906.3 Tea time
5:40 9921.1 Dhaba stop
6:15 9927.4 Martur
6:40-5:15 9932 VRL re-union!
7:30 9973 Chilakaluripet

So I have covered around 190 kms today (accounting for my meters underestimate).

Asleep at 10:00 PM!

Friday, December 17, 2004

Day 1 - Chennai to Nellore

This blog is long, and possibly not very organized - given the time that I have. You have been warned! I will try to do a better job once I get back to Bangalore and have more time - till then, this is all I can offer!

The bus conductor woke us all up at 5:00 AM - curse him! The bus reached Koyambedu Bus Stand (This is Chennai's central bus stand) at 5:15 AM.

A helpful chap and two gentlemen (who could speak halting english) gave me the route to Nellore. There were general words of appreciation and astonishment as well. The general estimate is that Nellore is about 150 kms away.

The road towards Nellore turned out be easy to follow -- all I was required to do was take a right and then a left, and I was on the main road. A few kilometers and a left turn later, I was on NH5. And for the purposes of this trip, my fate is intertwined with NH5!

NH5 is a very nice road - I am amazed by the infrastructure! The medians are clearly marked with rods having red coloured reflectors; I'd love to zip around this road on my motorbike - anyday and any time!

However, such roads are neither interesting nor challenging for a cyclist - they can even be positively boring.

To escape boredom, I was just trying to enjoy the scenery. An occasional palm tree and the few coconut trees provided the much needed diversion from the paddy fields. (This was to be expected, given that I was going towards Andhra Pradesh, the Rice Bowl of India !!!) A few ponds with lotus stalks were a sight to see.

Raghava becomes the first person to call me on the trip - as early as 5:45, if memory serves!

I made two stops - one for tea, and the other to much a few bananas in Yelavur. In Yelavur, there is a big statue of Vali (from Ramayana) - the statue looks like the typical vanar from Ramanand Sagar's magnum opus. Yelavur has a few pleasing sights - a reservoir and a flowing river and a lot of greenery (read: paddy fields).

I pedal on and reach Tada by 9:30 AM. Tada is in Andhra Pradesh - and I have missed the "welcome to andhra" board! I immediately stop for the much needed rest and breakfast (in that order!). Please note that, by this time, I have covered 70 km. 3 plain dosas make me feel strong enough to fill my tour dairy. Tea is available at a separate shop (Note: it is normally the case that you dont get Tea and Tiffin/Meals at the same place. Why I don't know - this is just my general observation).

It is 10:30 AM by the time I continue from Tada. The road after turns out to be a real bore. The monotony of the paddy fields is broken by the many sugarcane fields. I see many people harvesting the crop. As I come closer to Sullurpeta, I don't fail to notice that the water bodies are becoming bigger and cleaner (getting nearer to Pulicat lake). I do see a few birds in the distance, but there is nothing that I can recognize (I'm no bird watcher!). After Sullurpeta, there is a right turn to Sriharikota which I just don't have the time to go to (and permission is also needed, I think). A thirst-quenching break leaves me with a bad mouth - the culprit being the taste of the water. In general, I have observed that the quality of water varies quite a lot (this wasn't the case with any of my previous trips).

Hunger makes me pull up at a what looks like a hotel. The hotel has nothing but idlis, but what I need is a proper lunch! So, on the directions of Sharanappa (a VRL driver), I continue on and 7 kms later, reach the end of my search (Sharanappa had said 2kms!). I settle down and have a full meal.

Post lunch the pace of cycling is always slow - and today was no different! I took the occasional tea/banana break and managed to reach Nellore by 6:15 PM.

I must have covered around 160 kms today!

I have taken a room in Karthika Lodge - a double room he gave me, coz he had no single room. Quite pricey - 175 Rs per day. This is a waste since I will have to leave tomorrow morning early!

Supper at hotel Muralikrishna was good - a complete andhra meal; not as good as at Nagarjuna (Residency Road). I have shopped for a few apples for tomorrows journey. The last activity is what I am doing now - publishing the blogs!

Check a few photos that I have uploded to http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/shreekumar3d/album?.dir=3800&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/shreekumar3d/my_photos.

Nothing fancy there yet - but keep checking! If the link doesn't work, then try http://photos.yahoo.com/shreekumar3d and check the "East Coast Rally" album.

Tomorrow promises to be really hectic. I have to reach Guntur tomorrow night - and that means covering atleast 220 kms! Nothing that I can't handle, but I might have to start at 4 AM tomorrow.

Here is today in a nutshell:

Time Odometer Reading Place/Purpose
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
5:15 AM 9617.9 Koyambedu (Chennai)
6:25 9632.9 Tea Stop @ Red Hills (Chennai)
7:40 9650.9 Kavaraipettai
8:30 9661.8 Yelavur/Bananas
9:30-10:30 9675.5 Tada/Breakfast
11:20 9687.5 Sullurpeta
12:20-12:25 9699.6 Rest break
1:05 PM 9709.1 Nayudupeta
1:35 9715.1 Meet Sharanappa(VRL driver)
2:10-2:50 9722.3 Lunch
3:45 9733.2 Gudur
4:20-4:30 9739.9 Coffee break
5:30-5:35 9753.3 Venkatachalam
6:15 9761.1 Nellore
7:05 Lodge!

Total Distance = 144 km (according to meter)
However, my meter underestimates by atleast 10% :(
So, actual distance = 158 km, or 160 km approx!

Thanks for reading !!

Departure from Bangalore

I reached Majestic (Kempegowda Bus Stand) by 10:45 PM.

Ravi and Nagesh were there already, waiting for me. Ravi had a pack of Sri Krishna Mysurpa as a farewell gift!

I decided on taking the Airavata to Chennai - it was already very late and chances of getting stranded in Bangalore were also there. Going by private bus was considered a no-no.

My cycle became luggage; I became a passenger! We ripped open the sweets pack and enjoyed ourselves.

The bus started at 11:30 PM. A few phone calls later, I was asleep !

Thursday, December 16, 2004

All Set...

I got my cycle serviced and most nuts checked. Front and back tyres, tubes are also replaced. I asked my cycle mechanics Lalu and Akram to thoroughly check everything and am quite satisfied with how everything has turned out. I had a short(!) test ride today. Hope I get a zero percent downtime due to the cycle. This time I have decided not to carry a puncture kit - it hasn't turned out to be useful in most of my previous trips. If something happens, let it happen!
I've made a shortlist of things which I will be taking with me in my bag. It always helps for the last minute cross-check!
I will carry two bags - one on my back and one will sit on the cycle carriage.
The bag on my back will contain my digital camera - a Fuji FinePix S5000, a 3.2 MP camera, SLRish looks with 10x Optical Zoom -- good enough! Also in the bag will be a small diary for noting down place, time, odometer reading.

The bag that sits on the carriage will have (it will be fastened using an elastic cord):
  1. Clothes - 3 pairs for cycling, 1 pair for sight-seeing, and any spares!
  2. Dailty use items - sunscreen(getting sun-burnt is not an option), soap, brush, toothpaste, towel, panche(dhoti), socks, underwear ...
  3. Electronics - Camera charger + accessories, Mobile charger, CD with software for camera and other utils
  4. Stationery - Pen, Travel Diary (yes!), Lonely Planet Map, Survey of India Map(maybe)
  5. Cycle Headlight
  6. Return ticket from Kolkata!
  7. Cash - an unspecified amount ;)
  8. Hawaii Chappal
  9. Spare plastic covers

I will be carrying my HSBC debit card which I works in most ATMs (except SBI :().

I will reach Majestic (Kempegowda Bus Stand) at around 10:30 PM. Getting a bus to Chennai should be a breeze. Ravi has planned a send off for me - I am really looking forward to what they will do!

The route for the journey is tenetatively: Chennai - Nellore - Guntur - Vijaywada - Rajahmundry - Vishakapatnam - Chlika Lake - Puri - Konark - Bhabaneshwar - Cuttack -- after this I have not decided how I will reach Kolkata!

The important tourist places identified are: Amaravati, Vijayawada, Kolleru Lake, Vishakapatnam, Chilika Lake, Puri, Konark, Gopalpur(?), places near Kolkata - preferrence to Sunderbans...

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Thanks!

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

Return Journey Finalised...

Yay! Just got my train ticket for the return journey.

I'll come back by the Howrah Tirupati Express. Need to alight from Howrah (Calcultta) at 23:40 on 31st Dec, 2004. Scheduled to reach Tirupati at 16:00 on 2nd Jan, 2005. So New Year Celebrations will be in the train ! From Tirupati to Bangalore I haven't decided yet - but this should be a cakewalk...

However, I am still cursing myself for the delay in ticket reservation. I did try reserving a direct ticket to Bangalore - but unfortunately tickets weren't available. The direct journey would have taken 36 hours to Bangalore. Anyway, it's over now - no use crying over spilt milk!

I would be failing duty if I didn't mention my colleague, Vijay Sai. I appreciate his zeal in ensuring that I got a ticket ! He planned it all out for me. Thanks, Vijay!

New Mobile Number...

Brought a new Airtel SIM card yesterday from Anil. I intend to use this for the duration of the trip.

The number is : 98807 71898

Preparations...

Most news after now will be regarding my cycle trip, a.k.a East Coast Rally.

I intend to go from Chennai to Kolkata in 15 days. I'll start from Chennai on 17th and reach Calcutta by 31st. The estimated distance is 2000+ kilometers. I plan to return to Bangalore by train.

I will leave Bangalore on 16th night and reach Chennai on the 17th morning. My cycle will accompany me in the dicky of the bus!

For now, I am busy finalising my luggage, travel related planning and catching up on some much needed practise!