Trip in CBZ : Odometer reading - 2999 to 3802

9 March 2002: Saturday

5.30 AM

Start from HSR Layout, Bangalore Fill up at Bharat Petroleum petrol pump, Mysore road, Bangalore Ride through Bidadi, Mandya to Mysore

- State Highway - Reasonably good road - chaotic traffic - un-warned speed breakers Bangalore to Mysore
- 140 km - Travelling time - 2 hrs 15 minutes Navigate through Mysore city - no ring roads - ask for directions for Nanjangud From here on not even state highways - broken and narrow roads to be tolerated Pass Nanjangud - Concrete roads - broken at places - cattle, pedestrian traffic Reach Gundlupet - Go straight for Bandipur - Enter ghat section for Bandipur - Few kilometres - Enter Bandipur National Park - Practise utmost caution - Deer, pea-fowl on road, road side Warnings: Elephant zone, stopping of vehicle is dangerous, practise extreme caution - Ride slowly - Varieties of monkeys seen - enjoy view Do not feed the deer - Ride through the jungle - reach Bandipur National Park reception center - pass - dense jungle ahead - do not stop - Wild elephants on the road side - grazing - go slow for good view - do not disturb - deer, peacocks, wild boars, antelopes, lion tailed macaque, Langurs on road sides - reach Karnataka border - checkpost - cross bridge - Enter Tamilnadu Border - Checkpost - police stop vehicle - License, RC Book, ID card shown - Further advance allowed after inquiry - enter Tamilnadu - Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary - Project Tiger - Parking of vehicle is not allowed - Ride slowly - single road - dense forest - elephants on road side - enjoy scenery - Reach Theppakkadu - Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary Reception Centre - Small road on left is short-cut to Ooty - Steep, with 37 hair pin bends - very Narrow - Distance 36 km . Proper road goes straight to Ooty through Gundlupet Road on left taken - Very steep with sand on bends - practise utmost caution - extremely slippery - full concentration on road - 7 kms - reach Masinagudi - Small town in the jungles - pass - few kilometres, Bison valley - stop for view - break - proceed - steep curves - Ooty - enter from Finger Post - Go Straight - For Coonoor - through Wellington - Army installation - Coonoor - pass - start descent of Ghat section - to Mettupalayam - practise caution while negotiating curves - Oncoming vehicles might surprise you in curves - Mettupalayam - pass - ask directions for Bhavanisagar - 30-40 kilometres - hot ride - long and winding roads Through Deserted valley - Bhavanisagar dam in view - ask directions for Bannari - Bannari - big police checkpost - hundreds of police - enquiry conducted - ID card shown - Further progress allowed - pass Bannari - to Thimbam - Thimbam ghat road starts - extremely well-laid roads - wide and smooth - tight corners - lots of U turns - Ride with caution - traffic thin - reach Hasanur - petrol pump - shops - water and biscuits - break - proceed for Chamarajnagar - very bad roads ahead - roads fully broken - can't ride above 20 kmph - for a few kilometres - pass through jungle - Chamarajanagar - ask directions for Gundlupet - proceed - bad village roads - cattle and Pedestrians on road - Gundlupet - pass for Bandipur - Bandipur - Hangala - pedestrian traffic ahead enter ghat section for Bandipur Tiger Reserve Forest - enter forest - Bandipur reception centre - enquire for accommodation - directed to Mudumalai - pass Bandipur - elephants, deer on road side - pass - reach Karnataka-Tamilnadu Border - checkpost - show previously paid toll receipt - proceed - pass Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary - dense forest - near darkness - go slowly - reach Theppakakadu -Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary reception centre - enquire for accommodation - directed to Masinagudi - through road on left - road on right is proper way to Ooty - ride Through narrow ghat road - elephants on road side - Elephant camp on right - pass - 7 kms for Masinagudi - ride 4 kms - small checkpost - no questions asked - pass non stop - 300 metres from checkpost - turn bend - leopard in full view crosses road - 50-75 metres ahead - ride slowly non-stop - leopard dissappears into jungle - from right side of road to left side - pass - reach Masinagudi - small town - book room at a Malayali lodge for Rs.100 for the night - single room - neat - with bedding and sheets - Refresh - it's 7.30 pm - change - ride back to Theppakkadu - through same checkpost - halt at checkpost for chatting with foresters - leopard presence confirmed - even bears seen often - pass - reach Theppakkadu - Pepsi and snacks for supper - wild boards on road side - relax in moonlit night - not much traffic - most traffic for Ooty - which go to Ooty through Gudalur - Ooty is 65 kms if you take the proper route through Gudalur - Else if you take the road I took - through Masinagudi - it takes 37 kms to reach Ooty - but is too steep and dangerous - 9 pm - get up, head for Masinagudi for sleep - the jungle is too dark and eerie - wild elephants still on road side -grazing - very very scary ride through the night - all sorts of jungle noises - can't distinguish - everything on road side resembles a tiger or a leopard - ride slowly and carefullly - to prevent skidding or falling - sand on road bends - speed breakers too - with warning reflectors - pass checkpost - wave to foresters - reach Masinagudi - some music concert in progress - police on night duty - reach lodge - relax - sleep - Sleep often broken by eerie silence

10 March 2002: Sunday

Get up at 5 AM - refresh - change - wake up lodge boy - check-out - leave lodge by 5.30 AM - Again ride through the forest - head for Theppakkadu - pass - ride slowly through Mudumalai - cross checkposts enter Karnataka no questions asked - pass - enter Bandipur sanctuary - ride slowly - hundreds of deer on road, roadside - peacocks - monkeys - very beautiful sight - in early morning - sun on rise - leave main road - take a broken road to left - zero traffic here - big antelopes grazing - wild boars on road side - stop - park bike - get on foot - walk inside jungle for a little distance - with bike and road in sight - wild boars and antelopes dissappear on sight - only jungle sounds - frightening enough - get back to road - make up mind to leave the jungles - head for Mysore - ride through Nanjangudu - Mysore - break for breakfast - Pooris at road side motel - proceed - pass Mysore - hectic and chaotic city traffic - pass - touch Bangalore state highway - proceed - very bad traffic - close calls - proceed - thick traffic - two accidents witnessed - pass - ride with Great care - since traffic is very bad - trucks and buses wreak havoc - beware of the red colored state transport buses - do not challenge - plenty of private vehicles -cars and vans en route to Bangalore lots of tender coconut vendors on roadside - stop for some - refresh - ride again - touch Bangalore outskirts - Bangalore is hot now - it's 12 PM - take right turn for Hosur road - outer ring road - ride for some 15 kms - pass through dense city traffic - touch Hosur road - cross - enter HSR Layout - Reach house - 12.30 pm - Safe.