Cycling in India final stage to Kanyakumari

The first half of the 80 km ride followed busy secondary roads over hills and through villages. On that part of the ride, I realized I have had enough of the Indian driving with the honking, corner-cutting, and disregard for traffic coming from behind. We had to put up with it to enjoy the trip, and I am glad to have made the trip without having a collision with a vehicle or a pedestrian. 
As usual, there were some nice surprises along the way.  I was delighted to come upon a colourful set of papier mache statues from a religious procession that had been left along the roadside with their heads covered. 
As we approached Kanyakumari, we were on flat land close to the coast, and there was little traffic. We all gathered for a picnic lunch, and rode the last few kilometers in a convoy to the jetty where we could shoot the group picture with the statue in the background.  With our new "Indian Adventure " jerseys on, we  looked like a co-ordinated group!
At dinner, we enjoyed looking at pictures taken throughout the ride. We have seen so much in the past weeks, going from one experience to the next,  that the pictures will be very helpful aide memoirs.
We packed the bikes into boxes, and we have spare time to explore this little town which seems to thrive on a combination of inshore fishing and pilgrimages.

Cycling in India stage 41 to Kovalem beach

This was not the prettiest ride of the trip. We rode on state highway 1 through a lot of commercial strips. The road surface was smooth and gently hilly, so we rode fast, and it was Sunday, so we probably had less traffic than normal, but it was nice to arrive at the hotel by the beach.
The beach scene is fun, with local and foreign tourists enjoying the surf and the restaurants. Very resort like.
Throughout Kerala, we saw a lot of Communist party advertising, much of it very old fashioned. Red background, hammer and sickle, pictures of Marx, Lenin and even Stalin.

Cycling in India stage 39 to Allepy

Relaxed ride down a small coastal road for 58 km straight South from Conchin. We had breakfast at 8, considerably later than usual, so that we wouldn't arrive at our destination hotel too early.  There was relatively light traffic on the road and many trees shading us, so it was a pleasant ride through a mix of humble homes and villas on a sand ridge between the sea and lagoons. There were a few public access roads into the beach, some were used for recreation,  and some for fishing.  Elsewhere, there was often a substantial dike between the houses and the beach.  This is such flat, densely populated country that it is hard to imagine what they could do in the event of a tsunami warning, other than head out to sea.
On the inland side of the road we saw canals and lagoons.
Allepy, aka Alapuzza, looks like a busy regional centre. Some tourists come here to go houseboating in in the canals.

Cycling in India stage 38 into Fort Cochin

It was a short ride of some 40 km from the suburbs to the Fort area. We rode down busy secondary roads to a ferry terminal, and immediately felt a difference when we landed on the fort side. This is an old neighborhood that has an island feel; less busy, more vacation and tourism activity.
The afternoon we arrived, we explored the area on foot. The local palace is not very elaborate, although it does have intricate murals portraying Hindu stories.
The following day was a rest day. A number of us signed up for a tour which offered a combination of visiting an elephant training camp and going for a ride in the back waters by boat, which turned out to be relaxing and interesting.
We drove out to a place where we watched a number of elephant handlers bathing four elephants; one mature male and three small ones. We even had a chance to pat a younger elephant. Then we drove out to a lagoon, where we boarded a large pirogue with a lovely hand-woven canopy, and were quietly poled around. Very peaceful, and fun to observe lake  life from the boat. We had lunch in a funny old cabin on an island, catered by local women,  and served on a banana leaf. In the hottest part off the day, it was lovely floating about,  enjoying the breeze on the lake, although the poling crew had to work hard to keep  the heavy boat on course.

Cycling in India stage 40 to Kollam area

We rode East, through canal country, with a mix of tourism and agriculture, and then traveled through little hills to a resort on the Eastern edge of the lagoon (aka backwater) near Kollam.
Lovely ride on small, relatively smooth roads with lots of people all along.
No more bullock carts, but I saw three working elephants traveling on the road. Each elephant had two keepers; one riding and one leading.
We all rode quite fast. I averaged over 25k, despite stopping to shoot pictures. The resort is a pleasant place to relax, and enjoy the windy warmth like a hot summer day at home.

Cycling in India stage 37 to Cochin suburbs

We started a 7am at 1600 metres, where the temperature was 8 degrees, so I dug in the bottom of my bag to find my jacket and some gloves!
We set off on a small, bumpy road down the hill, which I named  the "Western Ghats White Knuckle Roller Coaster"! We dropped 1,000 metres in 35 km, which is a gentle incline,  when compared with Mont Ventoux, but gravity was pushing plenty fast.  The road surface was rough and unpredictable, and there was typical Indian traffic on the road, including big buses, tuktuks, cars, motorcycles and pedestrians operating in their idiosyncratic ways, so I rode the brakes pretty hard, and lifted off the saddle most of the time. Average speed for that stretch was under 30 kph. Good fun steering down the hill, stopping occasionally to admire the mountain scenery. By 8am, the temperature was in the low 30s.

The second half of the ride was on a fast, smooth highway with a slight downward incline through lots of busy villages. Traffic was not too busy, so it was fun riding through all the activity. I watched a rather sad looking elephant and his handlers cross the road near me.
The heat was manageable on the bike, with the air flow, but when we reached the hotel in the suburbs of Cochin, we locked up our bikes, and were sweating profusely as we walked into the lobby. Fortunately, nice waiter handed me a couple of paper napkins to clean up with!
Off to try out the pool...

Cycling in India stage 36 to Munnar

We were all glad to leave the MP hotel after a noisy and hot night, although the restaurant made a good effort of serving dinner and breakfast.
We had to ride in the vans for the first part, because the road went through a wildlife sanctuary. We drove through hilly forests, saw one herd of deer-like animals, but no other wildlife.
We were dropped off at the end of the park, after a climb of 600 meters. We rode into beautiful country; first coffee plantations where the bushes were flowering, then tea plantations, where women were trimming the bushes and collecting the leaves. We also rolled by "factories" that  were processing the tea, which smelled like freshly brewed tea.
The tea bushes look like they grow for many years, and the women use shears to collect the tea by trimming the top leaves, so the plantations look beautifully trimmed and laced  with irregular  narrow paths that the pickers walk on.  They can be planted on very steep slopes, and very high up the hills.  There are some trees within the plantings, but not the full cover of trees like coffee plantations.
There were various trees and bushes in bloom along the road, including poinsettias.
We climbed for some 30k from where we were dropped off, and finally reached a pass where there was a nice breeze blowing and it felt cool. Then we dropped down part of that altitude to the busy little town of Munnar, where it is still quite cool.  Although we only rode 45km, I feel quite tired from the climbing, but it was one of the most beautiful rides on this trip.

Cycling in India stage 35 to Udumalpet

<p>Today we rode 120km on smooth but uninspiring secondary roads. We saw relatively little agriculture, but lots of towns and villages, as well as a number of building projects along the road, although there was no evidence of prosperous industry. There were no tractors or bullock carts on the road, but quite a few private cars.
It seemed like country side without a purpose.  Where our support van stopped to set up our picnic lunch, there was a patch of flat gravel ground which had been surveyed, divided up into lots with no positive aspects, such as trees, water, or a nice view, and there was a tent set up to serve refreshments to prospects .... in the middle of nowhere!
Saw a Juggernaut parked on the main street of one of the villages. Without any decorations, it looks rather sombre, but it is probably covered with flowers when it is used in a procession.
The hotel is in a smaller regional center than last night, and it is very basic.  I am looking forward to getting back to the seaside.  </p>

Cycling in India stage 34 to Erode

A different day today; We rode our bikes  55km and then got in the buses for the rest of the ride. This was necessary because we were crossing a national park / animal reserve,  and last year the trip leader suffered serious injury from an elephant in a similar park.
The bike ride was through typical rural country, but it was Saturday, so the villages seemed busier than usual.  We also encountered an unusual number of bullock carts coming towards us; they weren't loaded, and they weren't decorated, so no apparent reason for the traffic, but it reminded me how much rural Indians use traditional methods in their rural work and living to keep their costs down. I feel this is why there are a lot of people on the land, the villages are full of people of all ages, and we seldom see abandoned fields,  like you do in so many other developing countries.
In the bus, we rode for some 50k through uninhabited forested hills in the park, with more typical rural areas on either side.
Erode is a busy town. Our hotel shares  a side street with several other hotels. We tried to go out for a walk, but found that the bigger streets are taken over by the traffic. There are no sidewalks, and there is no room to walk safely between the parked vehicles and the traffic. The city planners have coped with this by making all the adjacent residential streets dead ends, and therefore not attractive to through traffic.

So... a good time to do some reading ....

Cycling in India stage 33

We had a leisurely breakfast because we were only riding 55k today. It took a while to get out of Mysore, but after some 90 minutes we were back in typical agricultural landscape, with oxen ploughing in the rice paddies.
Villages we have seen are stretched along the highway, with no real focal point other than the bus stop, where a little cluster of tea stalls and shops develops. There is no town square, like there are in Catholic countries. The villages are structured more like settlements adjacent to plantations in Central America. 
As a result, a lot of the activity in the village is adjacent to -- or on -- the main road, which creates a little congestion. Trucks, buses, and all the through traffic tries to push through as fast as possible, making a lot of noise with their horns, creating a rather unpleasant atmosphere.
There are usually big speed bumps in villages, which slow the traffic, and in many villages the road surface is completely broken up, causing the traffic to zigzag around the worst holes. Villagers seem oblivious to the noise and commotion, as they walk on the pavement since it is the only smooth surface, but it must be tiresome.
Tonight we are staying in a "resort" by a river with basic cabins and a nice swimming pool. A change from the city, and a chance to relax. They took us on an evening ferry boat ride; it was nice to be out on the water in the breeze, especially when they cooked some French fries as a snack, given that I had skipped lunch!

Mysore rest day

We are staying at the Park Lane Hotel, which has air conditioning in the rooms, other mod cons, a competent restaurant, and a downtown location. After a series of long rides, many of us are in recovery mode.
Mysore is our last large center, and it is famous for silk and it's colourful markets. On the day we arrived, I set out with a big fellow rider to shop for silk. We started in the "government" silk factory store,  which offered a pathetic retail experience, but gave us a sense of prices. Unenthused by their selection, we wandered around until we found a small clothing and materials department store full of Indian women. We wandered around until we were approached by a charming sales woman who spoke enough English to steer us to the right parts of the store, and show us sarees. She was joking with her friends as we sorted through many sarees and scarves to select some to buy. A fun time was had by all!
I found another interesting store the next day, where I bought more silk, a couple of shirts and some souvenirs.
We visited the Mysore palace in the morning, which was built on the design of a British architect in the early 1900s, with a mix of Indian and art deco influences. Some very beautiful halls. It reminded me of the party palace in Brighton, but a lot more showy.  This palace demonstrated how to deliver a poor visitor experience, with sleeping guards, poor signage, dirty Plexiglas positioned to cause reflection issues, and the worst gift shop. It was a marked contrast to the delightful experience offered by the Amber Fort.
In the afternoon I visited the local crafts promotion center to see their collection, which was well displayed. I met a ceramic artist who was in the midst of producing an enormous quantity of delightful clay objects, and shook his hand,  but he was taking a break, so I did not see him working.

Cycling in India stage 32 to Mysore

The hotel was ready with an expansive breakfast buffet at 6:30, so we left at 7. Much to our surprise, it was foggy and moist, so that the bike felt wet, and we collected moisture as we rolled along. This happened regularly up north, but this was the first time we experienced it in the south. Couldn't wear my glasses.

It was  coil , the road was smooth, and probably a bit downhill, so we zoomed along.  Just before 9 the fog cleared off, and the temperature immediately picked up. We had a quick early lunch, and kept going, reaching the hotel by 1, having covered 129 km.

We are located within easy walking distance of most sights. Tried to do some shopping for silk, and found selection of silk by the yard very boring. Huge variety of saris to choose from. They tend to be 44" wide and 5 to 7 m long.

More exploring tomorrow....

Cycling in India stage 31 to Hassan

The hotel had a good breakfast  ready at 6:30,so we were able to get rolling shortly after 7. The temperature was below 20, so I felt a bit under-dressed in my light jersey on the initial downhill. Within 45 minutes, the temperature had picked up, and it kept rising all morning.
The first part of the ride was across a flat plain with mixed agriculture and some small reservoirs. At 40k, we climbed for 7k on a smooth but hot road with little traffic, and shot down the other side into treed and cool coffee plantations. A dramatic demonstration of what the development of tree cover does to ambient temperature.
Eventually we were back in more arid country, where we could feel the heat. The total distance was 135k, so I kept up a steady pace except for a side trip to a temple, where I couldn't see a safe place to leave my bike, so I just looked from outside.
Nice, quiet country hotel with a good shower and tea set with kettle...

Cycling in India stage 30 to Lakkahalli

We rode 120 km today, initially through irrigated agricultural land, with lots of rice cultivation at various stages in the growing cycle. For quite a long distance, we rode beside a lake behind one of the irrigation dams, where there were men deploying very fine gill nets from little home-made corricles both close to shore and well out in the lake where a nice breeze was  blowing, probably 15 kph. What a risky business!
We then went through a forest reserve, which should have been a nice ride, but the road was so rough that it was bone jarring. 20 km of terrible pavement. The bike made it with no problems, but I am still trying to protect my right arm from too much shaking, so I had to ride slowly, and in a somewhat twisted position, which was exceptionally tiring.
A mix of smooth and rough roads led us to a very nice resort on the shore of a huge reservoir. I showered and changed quickly to be ready to go on one of the safaris offered  by the resort. I went on the boat safari, because I didn't want to sit in the back of a Jeep jostling over bush roads for two hours.  Unfortunately,  both 'safaris' proved to be as unexceptionable as they were over-priced. We saw a couple of types of deer, an osprey and some other birds, but the 'naturalist' didn't know where to find particularly unique animals.  Dinner was good, so the day ended well. The weather is warm enough that we are now eating all our meals al fresco when we are outside the cities,

Cycling in India stage 29 to Davanagere

The hotel did the best job yet of serving us an early breakfast, but then things slowed down as the ferry boat drivers coped with us and our   bikes. There was plenty to watch as we waited for the bikes to be ferried across, and then it was fun to ride past many of the Bampi sites as we left town.
It was a long ride -- 140km, but the roads were generally smooth, so about 6 hours riding in the increasing heat. We rode through a lot of dry high plains, with relatively little agriculture and few settlements. There was a strong wind that blew from the side most of the time, providing air flow to relieve the heat, but also blowing various kinds of dust on us. Several times, I was blinking a lot to keep my eyes clear.  Some small farmers were taking advantage of the wind to do their winnowing: they would spread the grain on the road where the traffic would have to drive over it, then they would use a basket to throw it in the air and let the chaff blow off. Unfortunately, when I stopped to take a picture, they would stop the throwing procedure, to pose standing still.
Felt tired, sweaty and dirty when I got to the hotel, but the shower and the air conditioning work fine, so relaxed before dinner.

Hampi

<p>Our hotel is situated on a strip of laid back tourist facilities across the river from the religious and archaeological village. There is a backpacker feel to the  area: guest houses offering accommodation in thatched huts, simple little eateries offering a wide variety of menus.  Tourists are speaking a wide range of languages, and they  are dressed in a wide variety of styles, including fashionable light western clothes with scarf, colourful mix and match from the stalls that line the streets in tourist areas, hippie outfits and all types of western summer wear.
On the other side of the river, restaurants are not allowed to serve meat or alcohol because it is a religious centre, but no such restrictions apply on this side.<br>
The first morning, we crossed the small river on a specially adapted motorboat that operates as a ferry, and met our guide for a morning tour of the major sites. It was a good thing we hired him, because the monuments were spread out across a lot of rough terrain and there was little signage. <br>
The two most famous monuments are the Vitalla temple, with its musical columns, and the Royal Elephant stables. Each of the small, narrow granite columns in the Vitalla temple is designed to sound a different note when struck with a stick, so musicians entertained the court by playing music on the columns.  Throughout the temples, there are several beautiful statutes of Vishnu's bull, including a monumental one carved from a single stone.  There are many representations  of horses and elephants in bas relief.  The elephant stables were remarkable for their size and architectural design.

Hampi prospered for two centuries following 1350, serving as a trading, administrative  and religious centre. Within the rocky terrain, they built royal buildings, temples, and seven huge bazaar areas, each specializing in a different trade, including one believed to specialize in trading Arabian horses.
On the second day, we went by tuk-tuk to visit some small caves to see the ancient rock paintings. The "caves" were very shallow and low horizontal gaps between rocks, and the paintings were in places the water did not run down the rock face. In many ways, they resembled the Wari tribal art. I can't find any information about them on the web.

</p>

Cycling in India stage 28 to Hampi

We got an early start to minimize exposure to the heat over the 120k ride.
The terrain was initially quite dry flat country, with patchy agriculture. Saw a mix of mechanized tools and beasts of burden.   I stopped to photograph oxen ploughing in a field, and pulling a roller in a winnowing operation elsewhere.
The ride offered the typical mix of rough and quiet rural roads and bustling towns with chaotic traffic!
As we approached Hampi, we were in a high plateau surrounded by hills of huge boulders, and an oasis - like abundance of water, and lots of rice paddies among the palm trees.
  Our hotel is in a rural setting across the river from Hampi, looking out over rice paddies.
Very relaxing.

Cycling in India stage 27 to Ilkal

Since we only had a 60 k ride to our next stop, we were encouraged to visit a couple of temple sites.  What a treat!
The cave temples at Badami were spectacularly situated on cliffs overlooking a small lake. There were four caves carved into the cliffs 15 centuries ago. The carvings were on a par with Elephanta island: many dancing idols, and many animals, such as lions and elephants in the decorative trim. There were also some bulls featured. The combination of the location and the carvings was stunning.

A few kilometers down the road we stopped at another World Heritage temple site. A cluster of ancient temples in a flat desert location, and well maintained. The were built in a distinctive style,  and  were ornamented with many statues and friezes. Shiva's bull was represented in several places, and in one small temple, a huge black stone bull filled the inner sanctuary were offerings were being made.

By the time I had explored the two temple sites, the temperature had climbed to 40, and we were riding into a head wind. We traversed a dry region with a certain amount of agricultural activity.  There was a winnowing operation taking advantage of the highway traffic on a bridge: the grain was spread across the roadway on the bridge so that the combination of passing traffic and cross wind was gradually moving the chaff to the side.

Tonight  we are staying in a very basic hotel beside a big road. Pretty rough, but manageable for a night.

Cycling in India to Bedami Stage 26

Today's ride was 140 km with a lot of rough roads, so it was a long ride, Made longer by an error in the directions, so that I rode an extra 8km. It was the hottest and most thirsty ride to date. My thirst built up as I rode, despite the fact that I was drinking a lot of water. I filled the camel-back at lunch and again just before the end, where one of the trucks had stopped to give us water. I wore my sleeveless jersey for the first time, and didn't get the sun protection lotion on the back of my shoulders, so got a bit red there! Next day, I wore my white full-sleezed jersey.
  We rode through a lot of farming activity, most of the work focussed on harvesting sugar cane. We saw several other crops, including sunflowers. There was a lot of livestock along the road, and there were women using the pavement to winnow their grain.
I took it easy because the roads were rough, so arrived at the hotel after 3. I enjoyed its relaxing courtyard around the pool. I can't swim yet, because my road rash on my right elbow still bleeds a bit after a shower,  but it is getting better, so I should be able to swim in a few days.

Belgaum rest day

After 6 days riding, it was nice to have a rest day. We were in a modern and comfortable hotel on the edge of town.
We walked through a busy shopping district toward the fort. En route, we encountered a religious procession with musicians, elaborately dressed men and an idol on a palenquin carried by four men dressed in white. People were lined up along the street waiting to pay homage. When it was their turn, they poured water on the feet of the nearest bearer, and then placed coconut and flower donations beside the idol. Everybody was in a festive mood, laughing and kidding each other. Respectful, but no church-like solemnity.
When we got inside the fort walls, we were surprised to encounter a very low density residential / institutional neighborhood with a few old temples and a military base. They were small temples, but they provided a first chance to go inside a Jain temple to see the black statues of idols, and the elaborately decorated interior of the dome.
Although the hotel offered a good formal restaurant in air conditioned splendour, we found a well run roof top restaurant next door offering Indian food, and attracting lots of well dressed locals, so we enjoyed a couple of dinners there.

Cycling in India stage 25 to Belgaum

<p>Before lunch we climbed for some 15 kilometers to reach a higher plateau. Fortunately, the incline was manageable, there wasn't much traffic, and the road was well shaded by trees, so it was quite pleasant.</p>
<p>After lunch we rode through a farming region in the midst of sugar cane harvest. Lots of men, women and children in the fields, tractors hauling wagon loads down the road, crushing operations, and people spreading the crushed stocks in the sun to dry. We saw one place where men were boiling down the juice in a huge open vat.</p>
<p>One town we rode through had a Sunday market down the highway, many vegetable sellers, and lots of shoppers.</p>
<p>There are large trees blooming in the same way that magnolia do; large flowers on bare branches. The flowers are red, and there are thorns on the trunk.</p>
I arrived at the hotel at 3, temperature in the shade was 35c, and we had covered 120 km. I felt more tired than usual, and I drank a lot of water on arrival. I am glad that we have a rest day here.

Cycling in India stage 24 Devgarh to Kudal

<p>Only about 80 K today, initially on some very rough roads. <br>
We went through one village that was preparing to celebrate; a side street was blocked off, and the highway was being decorated with paint on the road and strings of flags between the utility poles. <br>
First part of route  was parallel to the coast, a bit inland, crossing rivers and estuaries, then after lunch turned inland. Hot day. Glad to sit around in the shade upon arrival at hotel at 1.</p>

Cycling in India stage 23 to Devgarh

My arm and hip were feeling much better, and the road was reported to be smoother,  so I decided to ride.
We rode 120 km, crossing inlets and climbing over points of land.  The inlets had fishing  villages and prettier surroundings, whereas the tops were quite dry and uninhabited, although we did see lots of evidence of tree planting; probably orchards of some type.
My thermometer read 40 in the sun in mid afternoon.
My arm was swollen again after the ride, but I gave it a good wash and a long rest at the hotel, and it is looking  better.

Cycling in India stage 22: Harnai to Ganatiphule

Another day heading South along the coast. I rode in the van to allow my arm to recuperate from the accident. It was still an interesting ride, as we followed the same route as the cyclists, including two ferry crossings adjacent to fishing towns. There was a fair stretch of rough road, which I was glad not to ride. Lots of up and down to get over points of land. A total of 1,800 cumulative meters climbed -- and descended, as our hotel is on a beach again.
Saw a number of women carrying leaves in specially designed open weave baskets.