Dave and his Bike

Days 61, 62, 63, 64 & 65.

Day 61.

Early start today. Didn’t bother with breakfast at the hotel as I didn’t think it would be worth the wait. Navigated easily through Calangute which is bigger and busier than Anjuna, where I visited an ATM again just to make sure I’ve got enough cash for the next few days.

My route took me across the impressive bridge to Panaji. There are three bridges stacked together which is quite an engineering feat. It was followed by the Ponte de Linares Causeway which is a good few kilometres long. Traffic wasn’t too bad, but there was some resurfacing work going on which slowed me down slightly but not for too long. I didn’t go into the centre of Panaji (or Panjim). There was no need, and I didn’t have any motivation to ride through a city.

Breakfast of vada pav (still my current favourite) and a cup of tea, was at a roadside stand after about 25km. Another stop for water and biscuit supplies followed soon after.

The road then started to climb a bit. It had been rolling a bit, but now it was more so. Not massively, but by the time I reached Mollem I was at 75m. I’m pleased, and actually wish it was a bit more because tomorrow I’ll get to the high end of 700m so every bit today helps!

The first couple of places which advertised rooms didn’t have any. Not that they were full or anything, they just don’t do that anymore! The third place I tried, the Roshan Restaurant and Guest House did. The smell in the room made me laugh. They’ve used so much disinfectant that it smells like a hospital. I hope I’ve still got two kidneys when I wake up in the morning. So it’s really clean, tidy, no a/c, and a price I negotiated down from affordable to cheap. The vegetable thali I had for lunch here was also good.

After an accidental nap, I walked to the shop to replenish my dried food supplies (Ok, biscuits, but I did get some orange juice too). I also managed to get a photo of one of the local primates outside the guest house. Not a great pic, I’ll try harder next time. Evening meal was a default chicken masala. It wasn’t the best I’ve had, but you can’t win them all! Early start again tomorrow I think, that way I can get most of the climbing done before it gets stiflingly hot.

Mileage so far: 3588km

Day 62.

Early start again. On the road by 0705hrs. It was relatively cool which was just as well, as the climb started immediately. The road was good (mostly) on the way up, and the traffic light. By the time I had climbed a few hundred metres the temperature was a very pleasant 24°C, which is lovely to ride in. That said, as I was working quite hard I was sweating like never before!

If anything, I was a bit disappointed by the lack of wildlife in the national park. I didn’t expect to see tigers, leopards or elephants to be honest, although they are apparently present in these parts, but if anything I saw fewer monkeys than usual, and not much else.

The views were good though. I stopped a couple of times to demolish some biscuits, take water on board, and admire the view. After climbing for an hour and a half I reached the top. There was a restaurant there, so breakfast of pav bhaji and two cups of tea was had. It also gave me the chance to cool down a bit. There was no real descent to speak of, as the hilly countryside just rolls for a good few kilometres now. I passed from Goa into Karnaka province, therefore negotiating a police checkpoint. Sometimes they completely ignore me, today they wanted to chat. I was also held up for a short while at a railway crossing.

The scenery had also changed. The coastal holiday feel has been replaced by forest, interspersed with fields of crops which I haven’t seen before. The road was also being replaced in several large stretches – a physical and bike handling challenge.

Once at Ramnagar after 42km, I got a message from Clayton. He’s about two hours behind me, but generally rides faster than I do, so chances are that if I waited a while he would catch me up. I’m thinking of stopping near here tonight. It’s a short day, but a tactical stop. If I go another 30km it looks like I will struggle for accommodation which will be compounded tomorrow. If I stop here, it’s two nice days ride to Laxmeshwar – my next target – with conveniently placed hotels on the route. So a tea stop it is while I wait…

After a short WhatsApp conversation, I met up with Clayton (and his newly functioning bike) again and we headed to the Nature’s Paradise home stay. It’s great. Clean, inexpensive and very rural. No WiFi again though unfortunately, but that really is a first world problem. On arrival we had a cup of tea, then I showered, washed my cycling kit (daily routine) and chilled, with a bit more route planning and decision making thrown in. Clayton is heading to Hampi. I am partly tempted as it looks interesting, but then so does Laxmeshwar. I’ll probably stick to my plan, as it’s also on a more direct route to Chennai.

There is some interesting wildlife here. Nothing extraordinary, but nice to see all the same.

Dinner was good. It was freshly cooked for us while we waited, drinking several cups of tea as we did. Chicken biryani with pickles, curry sauce and chapatis. It was excellent! Whilst we ate, an electric storm approached, then the rain started. It was a proper tropical storm. The staff didn’t want us to interrupt our meal, so kindly went out and put our bikes under cover. An early night followed, with the rain still lashing down.

Mileage so far: 3636km

Day 63.

The rain had stopped overnight. It felt quite fresh as a result but our early start was thwarted by the staff who had agreed to breakfast at 0700, which they eventually provided at 0800. Oh well. It was good though – idli, which is a steamed rice cake, more like a rice dumpling, with curry sauce and yoghurt. I love curry, but three times a day is becoming a bit of a challenge! It didn’t agree with Clayton this morning. Before we got on the bikes he said his stomach didn’t feel right, and he didn’t look too great either.

The ride today was rolling. We varied between 550 and 750m altitude all day, with plenty of steady climbs but nothing serious. Clayton struggled because of his stomach though. We stopped for drinks, but that was all. It wasn’t too hot or humid – about 29°C – so we pushed on in order for the sickly child to be able to rest up.

Whether it was a result of the storm or not, we saw a few recent crashes – basically lorries which had left the road. Not a great thought when you are riding alongside them. The unpaved bits had turned to mud which brought its own challenges as well as a filthy bike. I kept it upright.

The landscape continues to impress. The forest with its ‘jungle’ sounds of birds and monkeys is great.

Clayton decided to stop in Dharwad, the same as me. He picked a hotel above some shops which was really cheap, but I didn’t like – no safe place for bikes for a start. He didn’t either after checking it out, so headed off to the nearest one he could find as he felt so rough. I went a couple of kilometres out of the centre and found a great place that actually looked like a hotel. It’s very inexpensive and has a basement car park so my bike is safe. Hopefully.

Usual admin stuff followed by a recce for tonight’s dinner then followed. I also found a new iPhone charging cable, as mine has split and I don’t want to be without communication or mapping! The first shop was very smart, and tried to sell me a genuine Apple charger and cable for 2900 rupees. I declined the kind offer and went 50m down the road and paid 350 rupees for the cable I wanted.

Dinner was next door to the hotel. Air conditioned luxury and one of the best chicken tikka masalas I’ve had so far.

Mileage so far: 3706km

Day 64.

By 0710 I was already on the road. Between Dharwad and Hubballi (Hubli locally) it’s a dual carriageway which yesterday was busy. It was a good call, because at that time of the morning there was barely any traffic, and with a very slight descent for the first 17km it was easy going. Hubli I found very interesting. Quite a big city with all of the hustle and bustle that goes with it. I chose a route out of town which took me through the fruit and vegetable market area and avoided the main roads. It was lovely to experience, and I could have watched and listened for ages.

I continued to be smug about my choice of route. In avoiding the highway, once out of town I was about as rural as you can get. Great roads, apart from the bits which hadn’t been surfaced at all (!), peace and quiet. Fields being harvested by hand, and ploughs pulled by gaur (Indian bison), parrots, bee-eaters and storks. I loved it.

It was all over too quickly really, as I soon reached Kundgol. It was time for breakfast though, so I grabbed a seat in a little restaurant (everyone shares tables here – no seats go to waste) and ordered some idli and a bottle of water. The food was good, and the staff very attentive – so much so that one lady almost fell over herself trying to help. I think she took a bit of a shine to me, as the other staff and customers seemed to be teasing her. When she asked for a selfie with me they all laughed! I took one as well.

Now I’m away from the coast and its tourist haunts, I’m becoming a bit more of a novelty. Nearly every time I stop in a town or village, in addition to the ‘which country’ question, I get asked for photos. Bloody paparazzi. It’s quite endearing – at the moment. It can also be useful, as a couple of people have asked if I need help finding my way.

The road to Laxmeshwar was bigger and busier. A sneaky headwind had also appeared from somewhere which slowed me down a bit, but I’m in no hurry as the daily mileage I need to achieve to get to Chennai is easily achievable, to the extent that I’m aiming to do my mileage in the morning if I can then explore a bit in the afternoon. There will be some days when I’ve got longer distances to ride, purely from an accommodation perspective.

My route planning had estimated a total of 75km today, but my rural route was more direct, to the tune of 10km, so a 65km day it was. Laxmeshwar looks similar to many other places I’ve passed through. When I arrived I had an ice cream whilst researching accommodation and being asked ‘which country’ by a throng of school children. There appeared to be only one hotel available, and it’s as clean and cheap as I would expect. No A/C – no problem. No WiFi – slightly frustrating.

After a shower and a rest for an hour or so I ventured into town. I think I’m going to have tomorrow off, so I left the main temple visits until then. I had a walk up Bazaar Road (genuinely), which describes it well; anything and everything for sale. At the end of the road was a temple to the Hindu god Narasimha (lion headed incarnation of Vishnu) which is impressive but not too grand. I went for a couple of cups of tea in a restaurant, and people-watched for a while before going back to the hotel to rest my legs.

For dinner I went vegetarian. I also (strangely for me) tried to avoid heavily spiced food, and ordered vegetable fried rice and a couple of chapatis. Clearly it came with two small dishes of curry sauce and some spicy pickle. I didn’t eat the curry sauce or pickle as I feel that I need a rest from the heat and some slightly more bland food. The rice had fresh chillies in it. Sometimes you can’t win.

I forgot to mention Clayton. We had a text exchange this morning, and he was leaving a bit later and definitely heading towards Hampi. I decided to stick to my route so that’s the end of cycling company for a while unless I bump into someone else.

Mileage so far: 3771km

Day 65.

Day off. Again.

Rubbish nights’ sleep. I woke up a good few times, and despite the ability to have a lie-in this morning I was greeted by the call to prayer at 0515hrs, which wasn’t really what I wanted.

Breakfast was just around the corner – idli again with a couple of cups of tea (they are tiny). I then ventured forth on the quest for a haircut. For 100 rupees (about 94 pence) I got a trim, a head and neck massage, and my neck cracked, which caught me by surprise. Not the best haircut I’ve had, but tidied up a bit for the next few weeks. Im not complaining at that price. On my way back to the hotel I picked up some oranges from the market. They cost the same as the haircut.

Names for accommodation vary. What I would call a hotel is either referred to as a home stay, lodge or residency. What is known locally as a hotel is usually a street café or restaurant. It can be confusing – you need to know what to ask for, and also not rely on google maps for a hotel.

Mid-morning I headed out to explore more. Laxmeshwar is famous for the Sameshwara temple complex.

It dates back to the 11th century and was restored around 10 years ago. It’s an impressive place, either very intricate and finely detailed Chalukya architecture. The internal pillars of the main temple are lathe turned and very beautiful. It is dedicated to Shiva and his incarnation Nandi, and has sculpted idols of both. Also inside the complex is an open stepped well. No access was allowed to the part though, I suspect for health reasons. From the outside it looks very fort-like, but is tucked away in the back streets of the town. If you didn’t know it was there you could easily miss it.

From there I kept meandering through the streets, and found the Jumma Masjid mosque. It was time for prayers, so I didn’t go in.

By the time I had started walking back I was due a cup of tea. A small restaurant provided the appropriate refreshment, with a couple of potato fritters to go with it. A rest in my room to cool down a bit (not air conditioned) followed. After a FaceTime conversation with Liv, Lottie and Grandma (and a bit of a lie down) I ventured into town again. There’s not much more to see, but a cup of tea and a bit of people watching always entertains.

Dinner was a chicken tikka masala at the restaurant in the same building as the hotel. Back to the curries! Topped up the data on my phone. Lovely FaceTime chat with my wife. Bed.

Back on the bike tomorrow, with a slightly longer day planned. I hope the headwind that is forecast isn’t too bad.