Destination Unknown...

[rkbharat]

wow, finally you are home. Relax and enjoy home after so long

[megham]

Congratulations!.Hope you had good sound sleep in sweet home..

Really very curious about ur expenditure for 175days mega trip.. so I can also start savings for one long trip..

Waiting for the data how much u spent for bike, petrol, repairs, boarding n lodging etc.. thats would be very interesting.

Now my friends ask what do u do for living.. they wondering how u able to manage leave thinking u didnt quit job..

[anupmathur]

Praveen, a final WOW!!
Take a bow!

Suddenly, it feels like a void of some sort, without your travelogue to read.....

[psrinivasan63]

congrats praveen. speechless ! no words can express your achievement.
srini

[hiambuj]

Congratulations dear !!

Please summarize your experience in 2/3 sentences !!

Must be feeling restless at home !!

[pulsurge]

Welcome back home Praveen...you'll be sleeping for the whole month now I guess

The dream finally ends on a good note. It is said that travel changes a man, am sure there'll be a lot of changes in your personality after this epic run from what all you saw and experienced.

Bangalore BCMTians- organise a nice get-together to felicitate Praveen Sir!

[kamikaze]

Time for pics and a travelogue.....oh wait!

Not a big deal if you ask me...I mean he rode for 175 days, 25k kms, through three countries, went to Mt Everest, went through cold and hot deserts, got trouble in a foreign country and got out, saw whole of india, spent his 5 years savings on a dream..i mean wats all the big deal about anyways....

I think it was just another trip!

[vinodpv]

Bangalore at Last! Great going... You need a well deserved rest. Suddenly there is a void in this log without your posts.

[praveenkm]

Originally Posted by Yogesh Sarkar

Get two jobs and you will be doing RTW in 25 years!

On a serious note, how does it feel to be back home?

Feels great for sure and must say i was tired as well. Plus no more loosing sleep over bloging to look on the bright side.

Originally Posted by Vinod

So happy to hear you are back home.=D>=D> =D>=D>

You have done and achieved something no one imagines, forget about doing. I am not only talking about those 25+k kms, but also living life on your terms.

Thanks man. Just taking it one day at a time and step by step piles on. So kinda me never imagined too

Originally Posted by rkbharat

wow, finally you are home. Relax and enjoy home after so long

Yeah rkbharat. Enjoying the luxury of home

Originally Posted by megham

Congratulations!.Hope you had good sound sleep in sweet home..

Really very curious about ur expenditure for 175days mega trip.. so I can also start savings for one long trip..

Waiting for the data how much u spent for bike, petrol, repairs, boarding n lodging etc.. thats would be very interesting.

Now my friends ask what do u do for living.. they wondering how u able to manage leave thinking u didnt quit job..

Thanks Megham. Did not keep any notes on statistics. Expenditure should be 2.5L plus, 50k for petrol i guess cos bike runs on 2rs per km. Repairs including spares 6-7 k. and rest goes for lodging and spending i suppose...

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Praveen, a final WOW!!
Take a bow!

Suddenly, it feels like a void of some sort, without your travelogue to read.....

i bow back sir. I still have 5 days of log more to write about.

Originally Posted by psrinivasan63

congrats praveen. speechless ! no words can express your achievement.
srini

Thanks srinivasan

Originally Posted by hiambuj

Congratulations dear !!

Please summarize your experience in 2/3 sentences !!

Must be feeling restless at home !!

Thanks Amit. Err that would mean lot of thinking Now just resting

Originally Posted by pulsurge

Welcome back home Praveen...you'll be sleeping for the whole month now I guess

The dream finally ends on a good note. It is said that travel changes a man, am sure there'll be a lot of changes in your personality after this epic run from what all you saw and experienced.

Bangalore BCMTians- organise a nice get-together to felicitate Praveen Sir!

I am not sure pulsurge i still feel almost the same. Guess the change if any would have been gradual for me to notice.

Originally Posted by kamikaze

Time for pics and a travelogue.....oh wait!

Not a big deal if you ask me...I mean he rode for 175 days, 25k kms, through three countries, went to Mt Everest, went through cold and hot deserts, got trouble in a foreign country and got out, saw whole of india, spent his 5 years savings on a dream..i mean wats all the big deal about anyways....

I think it was just another trip!

Hehe sure. In coming

Day 171 - Aug 26 - KanyaKumari to Trichy

Aug26 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: Share GPS Tracks

337 KMs Trip meter 24769 KMs

It was time to head back up north. Cos there is no south after this point. Arun suggested me to ride along the east coast all the way up to pondy chennai. But i admit i was tired. Was tired after ladakh and reaching Kanyakumari after Kashmir was what kept me going. Now i wanted check a couple of temples in TamilNadu and ride ECR and head home all on good roads. Its going to be all fast roads till madurai some 200 kms and the plan for the day is Tanjavur getting of the NH 7 at Madurai. Looks like i have some time so take it easy in the morning. Even get rid of the irritating month old beard of my face! Break fast in the comfy sea facing hotel and could have spent another day there. But there is not end to it. So i start by like 11.30 am. Ride through some narrow road first. See windmills popping out here and there above the houses. That should be some nice click props i thought but it was also a sign of wind in the area! It hit me only when i got on to the open 4 lane highway! Was kinda slow in the beginning stopping n number times for clicking wind mills. There are lots and lots of them. Looked pretty in the mountain background. Once i got tired of clicking windmills and picked up the pace thats when i realized the wind there. Boy was it windy. I had never leaned the bike and still went straight! There would be these sudden gaps and bursts of wind that jerk my balance. Overtaking trucks causes same thing. Some times cant ride above 80. It was very unerving for sure. The wind pressed the helmet one side of my face. No wonder there are wind mills in such great numbers here.

As i rode north wind subsided making me able to ride more and more verticle and i picked the pace. Wanted to keep it in cruise mode and steady. But with open roads with minimal traffic and the previous 4 days of cramped roads on west coast, meant throttle is going to be max. It sure was fun for change. Bike was behaving awesome. I also had thought that road off Madurai is interior narrow roads and i would reach Madurai by like 2 pm. That would take me to darkness to cover then 150kms if the roads are small. Road at good pace upwards of 100 and nearing madurai by 2.15 and got off the nh7 towards Trichy. After a few kms found a hotel at highway junction as i was hungry for like an hour.

start of by 3pm and hoping to cover the remaining 150 kms before darkness. But what do you know its a four lane highway!! With every thing feeling right, (err though i had this small fear of my bike from couple of days) with music in my ears it was throttle happy. Though would reach tanjavur in good time and catch up on rest for my aching body. Nearing Pudukotai got of the highway. Had to ride through a village Veralimalai to catch the road to pudukotai and tanjavur from there. Was like 4.30 pm and stoped for adjusting the chain. Obviously i was the center of the attention with all the gear and luggage. wanted to scuttle out of there soon and put the first gear and as i engaged the second gear a noice from the engine and the kicker went back! O ooo thats not good. Neutral and and gear and again a noice and yes i have a break down. After taking me around the country for 24.8k kms show its first breakdown. Knew something inside relating to the gear. Cos the engine would run fine if i hold the clutch. Being very very optimistic called on to the mech and pushed the bike to his show a few feet away. Now i have no escape from the curious eyes.

Now i am sure the mech would not have worked on Karizma and i was right. Its a small village town after all. He checked to see if the chain got stuck in front sprocket. Nope it was fine. Called My friend syed who manages a HH service center at Bangalore and let him talk to the mech over there for diagnosis. Then syed tells me that surely a couple of gear cogs must have broken! Oh man!! By then the senthil the mech over than discovers the source. The front sprocket's bearing is broken and the balls have been thrown around in the gear box. Boy o boy. Are we in trouble. Syed said that he would start immediately from Bangalore on his CBZ with the parts so that he could work on the bike and get it going. Cos the it was doubt full weather senthil who had never worked on zma would be able to put it back. But then i could let syed take the risk of riding all the way on the traffic infested highway that too at night. Spent 15 mins fiddling with the mobile acting busy but actually was thinking what to do. Must say i was putting on quite a show cos i dont speak full tamil and the ppl over their speak just tamil. Rode all over the country, two other countries with no language problem and here i am struggling to communicate in a state just next to mine! Then thought would give this mech a try. Thoughts went on about how the trip is going to end. 200 kms short of 25k kms and back on a truck?? wanted to give all the try to fix the bike and ride home.

It was decided that the mech would open up the engine the next day, see what parts are required. They would be fetched from trichy 30km away and he would work on it by the end of the day. Now there was no place to stay there. i said i could stay with the mech! He said if it gets delayed he stays in the shop for the night. I said no problem. I know i was not thinking straight but was ready to do anything to avoid trucking the bike back to Bangalore. Its funny like how i wanted to run away from the same people kinda fearing them to be honest. Now i have to trust them and they were very nice people as well. Called up Arun telling about the same. It did not take him a second to give me the best possible suggestion in the situation. Just truck the bike till trichy 30kms away and give it to a HH service center. Man that sounds so simple and would make my life very easy. Plus availability of parts was even doubtful in Trichy. And here i was ready to open up the engine with an inexperienced mech and be in a town with no place to stay! Well like i said i was not thinking straight. Arun talked to the mech to arrange me a luggage auto or something to get my bike shipped. Yup thats very very logical thing to do. Have to hurry cos it was getting late in the evening. What luck a very mini truck or a very big luggage auto kinda vehicle parked opposite to the road and mech talked to him and he's free to take the bike! 500 bux sounds very reasonable. out of no where there are 10 ppl loading the bike into the carrier and fade away before i got to thank them. Or guess i was involved in thoughts. The mech and a bike parts dealer ther suggest KRT Service center in Trichy.

Any way looks like there is some plan. Bike is up and now we drive. Half way through the drive Arun calls me saying that he had informed the service center of my coming and they will wait for me though its gonna be late. That was quite something thanks Arun. Else was thinking what to do with the bike which does not move unless the clutch is applied! Reach Trichy and its a big city! which means lot of traffic. Make it to the service center by 8 and they were open waiting for me. It was a sigh relief. Manager Mr Arun and Suberviser Mr Albert assured me that things will be taken care of. The bike was placed in the service center. Then even dropped me off in a comfy hotel to stay which was walkable distance to the show room. Knew would be here for couple of days. Phew now things looks like they are in right place if not in right shape!

As i just lie down trying to get my bearings right, get a call from Mani asking when i would be in chennai. After the situation is revealed it turns our he is in Salem right now and has the next few days off. So he coming over the trichy! No point of him waiting at chennai. It does not matter which place for two old friends since school to catchup. Looks like things are falling into place and i doze of.


The fantastic comfy room at Kanyakumari Tri Sea hotel...


With a view of the indian ocean with a offseason price of 650 bux!


Before i leave Me, my bike and the Indian ocean


Ride through the small roads. Wow hardly any traffic...


Windmills and windmills every where...


Looked pretty in the mountain back ground..


Never seen a windmill with just two blades..




















A windmill a chimney another windmill another chimney yet another windmill yet another chimney!


Cant believe my eyes seeing the empty road. Ride down NH17 in Kerala can do that to you...


Last of the mountains south of india...


Where have all the vehicles gone...





Thats how bike a windmill blade is!!


And thats how windy it was!!


Had to run to catch the gloves being blown away. Now why did i go to the other side of the road to pee? well din wanna face the the wind you see !


Finally some solitude for a change...


Looks like a desert over here...


Greenery increase as i head north and off the NH7


The hotel was strategically placed at a junction cos there is nothing else on either direction for hours!


Heading towards Trichy before i get of the highway...


Interesting looking rock formation and this was like a KM long!


And i thought the strech of road would be single laned, bad and through villages


TamilNadu green carpet for you...


A farm house...


There you can see the broken bearing. The balls are missing on the top. The bearings rings did not break but actually the metal strips that hold the bearing balls together...


And the bike is being lifted into the carrier...


Front wheel up...


Bike almost in... Help full people who did this without being asked or thanked. Humbled at the simplicity and helpfull ness of these village people. Else i would be been even charged for load was it in big city.


Bike strapped on to the carrier...


My cam not really good at taking pictures on a moving vehicle at night...

[popsha]

Good to see that you are home....