That’ll be cycling just under 300 miles(475km) in the South West of India, with Exodus.
Any stuff we need to know before we go?. Flying with Emirates to Bangalore, back from Trivandrum. Exodus want £2349 with flights, £1519 land only. Emirates approx £670. Five Star hotels in Bangalore for around £100 for 2 nights. One needs a 6 month single entry visa for £65 or e-visa, but that looks like only £40 if you are a non UK EU passport holder. Way to go UK plc
Plot Spoiler. There are no pictures of broken pavements, rubbish scattered along the roadside, unexpected unexpected [sic] potholes or sound files of traffic with horns blaring
Now we’ve arrived. Yep. What’s the wi-fi password?
So this is Bangalore? no, it’s Bengaluru… So, it takes 2 hours to get to the centre where we have a plush hotel. The introduction to the traffic is overwhelming, I guess they put up with this every day. It’s noisy, dusty and hot, but we get to the hotel eventually and crash out before exploring the neighbourhood after our first Indian meal (pizza). We make up for it in a modern brew-pub – the Permit Room, but are reluctant to try an authentic Indian round the corner – best leave that up to the guide when we get to meet him. Negotiating a taxi to Mysore is interesting – we have to be very clear who, when, how much, but leaving on a Saturday is mildy more relaxing – we realise they’re building an elevated metro whilst trying to keep the traffic flowing.
Mysore is nuts on the road too (and pretty much everywhere else). But at least the Pai Vista Hotel has a dining room that’s modelled as a cave. The zoo beckons and we’re the attraction, there are no westerners in the town & they love us; the zoo reminds punters that they should avoid being eaten by the animals as this will make the animals sick. Then the rest of the group arrive – one with a bag missing (hint be careful not to pack batteries or power packs in your hold luggage). They look knackered, but at least they have connected to the wi-fi.
Cycling to Seringapatam. It’s somebodys birthday and the bike is pimped but hidden – what a nasty trick. They can’t seriously want us to cycle in that traffic, can they? Well we survive and maybe it won’t be so bad after all, especially after visiting the market and the palace and with meals in real ‘native’ restaurants. Our guide Joseph says this is the 8th hotel they’ve used in Mysore, and this one is fine – really need to get in their gym though to warm up for the cycling to come. We guess it’s the Jungle themed breakfast room which sells it!?
Out of Mysore. We see the colour and practical nature of the countryside, with bright Saris and then the curious notion of a no frills threshing machine – if you put the rice in the road the cars will break off the husks, but then would you really use it for baby food?!
Wildlife. Reaching the wildlife reserve we are taken on Safari and get to see an elephant and a leopard, but it’s not the Serengeti. It rains and the driver & spotter get wet, and we’re not entirely sure the bumpy ride has shown us the best they have on show, but then that’s the unpredictability of ‘safari’. We do later learn more about farming life: growing aubergines, tumeric and harvesting tamarind and anything else that may be growing wild. Life is simple, but they have enough to book their daughter into hospital for a ceasarian the next day. We’ll race them the 20km to Ooty up the 36 hairpin hill.
The cool Nilgiri hills. Ooty has a train, sampled by who other than Michael Portillo. Up and out the 34km down we see if you’re a Bollywood star and can afford some flags you can stand for office. We imagine if you’re not literate the colours and the sunglasses leave it very clear who you need to support – saves on making up fake news for your campaign literature don’t you think?. For sure we can see why the British set up in Ooty – it’s cool if not downright cold but as we cycle along we agree they will have enjoyed the tea plantations and Eucalyptus forests that give the Nilgiri Hills the name of the Blue Mountains.
So cycling down the 88 km day to finish before the lunchtime heat we enter Tamil Nadu, but find if you want to report the crushing of Bev’s bike by a inattentive/distracted driver then you need to go back to Karnakata state. Lucky it’s only a bike but you can see why we are such a distraction – maybe it’s the ladies in their colourful lycra rather than Saris that turns eyes? We see that the Communist Party of India are big around here – but we can’t see flags with sunglasses. I wonder if that might help Jezza storm the next election here, rather than a Labour’s plainly dull rose motif?
It’s altogther hotter and gentler cycling now we leave the hills, reaching Guruvayoor temple town with some alcohol in the speakeasy now we are in Kerala state. The next morning’s reward is a banana leaf lunch in Fort Cochin.
Via some pleasant seaside cycling we get to the 2nd largest lake in India and hole up in a delightful lakeside hotel for a well earned (however short it may be) rest.
Houseboat and a hot slog Kerala. After our overnight houseboat stay, when we reach Kerala find funeral directors on the beach, the signs may well say buy one get one free, but you can contact them all by phone – 400 ruppees will get you a 3 month contract with 1Gb data and unlimited everything else, but you need 29 Lakhs to buy an apartment in Bangalore! Lakh? No not a cross between a Llama and a Yak (well who knows what the imagination can conjure up) – that’s a hundred thousand – approx 33k GBP.
Really now? Our pictures and those in the brochures are ‘picture postcard’, but if you’re wondering if the overall experience is positive or not, ask “Would you go back?”- yes.
Food Curry for breakfast, lunch and dinner 🙂 With some recipes to come from Maria’s Cooking class – 1050 ruppees in Cochin.
Journeys (Click the links):
Day 1 to Siringapatna
2. Out of Mysore to the Game reserve
3. Around Game Reserve (II)
4. Up Ooty Hill
5. Down then transfer to Temple Town Guruvayoor
6. Along the Seaside to Cherai Beach
7. Coastal Roads to Cochin
8. Free day in Cochin
9. Along to the Lake
10. Brief cycle Explore then off for a cruise
11. Seaside thrash to Verkala. (a) to the ferry, (b) Three bridges to Lunch, (c) Hotel, and Rest
12. And chill in the crashing surf on the beach
