Dave and his Bike

Days 71, 72, 73 & 74.

Day 71.

After an early night I felt fresh this morning. I had breakfast at the lodge of poori and tea which saved me from having to stop early. On the road for 0745hrs. Just outside the village I rode past a man taking a dump on the hard shoulder – an image I didn’t need, and I’m glad I’d already eaten. I stopped briefly at Demakethepalli for a bottle of water, where I was given free sweets by the stall owner. A lovely gesture.

The roads were great. Not much traffic and lovely tarmac. I soon hit a dual carriageway, but it had wide hard shoulders and felt really safe – with the exception of oncoming traffic clearly going the wrong way up the road! I stopped again for tea at the nicest roadside place I’ve seen. It resembled a European motorway services, and was clean and efficient with staff in uniform and a car park attendant. Bizarre. The main road didn’t last long, and I was soon back on smaller stuff.

Just outside Bagepalli I stopped at a large Venkataramana Swamy temple for some photos. A kind man informed me about the temple, then took some pictures for me. Nice chap. I continued on past lots of small brickworks, firing bricks the old way (no kiln) which was interesting to see.

As I spent most of the day over 700m altitude, it was slightly cooler – around 29° for most of the ride, which made it really pleasant cycling. There wasn’t much wind, and the climbs were gentle. So all-in-all pretty much perfect touring conditions. The scenery did get hillier again, adding more interest to my day.

Lunch today consisted of a couple of spicy vegetable pasties (for want of a better description), eaten at the roadside in peace and quiet. Unusual in itself. I saw the most amusingly overloaded motorbike so far. What looked initially like balloons turned out to be (empty) water containers. The record so far for people on a motorbike stands at a disappointing four. The tuk-tuk record however, is an impressive twelve. It wasn’t moving very quickly.

My planned stop for the night was in B.Kothakota. I’ve no idea what the B stands for. I was a bit dubious about the accommodation situation before I got there, and was right to be. The first place I went didn’t exist any more. The second (and only other one) was on the wrong side of an open sewer and up two flights of stairs. I didn’t even bother trying. So, back to the map. Less than 20 kilometres away Google suggested that there was a choice of places to stay. I was enjoying the ride and my legs felt good today, so it wasn’t much of a chore to continue. I turned up at the Varun Vihar lodge which is beautiful. It’s next to the Horsley Hills (named after a ‘Britisher’ I am told) and reasonably remote, so really peaceful. The lady who runs it is from Bedfordshire, therefore speaks excellent English. Nice room, very clean, beautiful views. And they have a washing machine. I’ve booked in for two nights.

To comfortably get to Chennai, I need to do about 50km a day. I knew today was going to be over 80, but ended up at 107. I’m well ahead of schedule, so a day chilling here and going for a walk will be nice. I’m probably going to have more days off than riding in the time I’ve got left in India.

Dinner was a chicken biryani delivered by a local restaurant. There was lots of it. I needed the fuel though. I then went up to the roof terrace to check on my washing. Unfortunately I tripped on the stairs, and being barefoot when I stubbed my toe I think I broke it. It’s rather swollen and has gone black and blue. Sadly, having broken several bones previously it’s an all too familiar feeling.

Overall though, a brilliant day.

Mileage so far: 4234km

Day 72.

Day off.

After a bit of a lie in, a check on my washing (not quite dry), being careful on the stairs as I went, I had a short walk to the ‘village’ at the road junction. My middle toe this morning is very sore. I’m still convinced it’s broken, but I can still walk without too much pain and hopefully it won’t hurt too much on the bike. I’ll find out tomorrow.

I found a chai stall, but no food available to speak of unless I wanted a raw chicken. So a very sad breakfast consisting of a small packet of bourbons with three cups of chai. They are very small. The chicken seller was blow-torching the chickens, I assume to remove the remains of the feathers, but a slightly bizarre sight all the same.

For the rest of the day I didn’t do much. Early afternoon I went for a walk towards the viewpoint a few kilometres away up in the hills, but cut that short due partly to the humidity, but mainly because of my toe. Idiot. On the way back I stopped for an ice cream and some chai, but again there was nothing really for lunch. Kindly though, when I got back to the hotel I was offered some vegetable fried rice, which was served with a curried boiled egg and was delicious. Every mouthful was watched by the hotel dog. That’s what Labradors do.

My usual afternoon nap followed. A bit of route planning, hotel research, flight checks and other admin then kept me busy. I also downloaded a couple of books onto my phone and had a couple of FaceTime calls with family.

My evening consisted of a paneer butter masala and an early night. Back on the bike tomorrow.

Day 73.

It was overcast when I got up. Not such an issue, as it was also cooler, a very pleasant 21°C when I set out. Despite not rushing, I was still on the bike by 0800hrs. I was off it a couple of minutes later, as I stopped at the first tea stand I came to for my first bit of refreshment. In trying to lift my bike up a kerb I must have bent my foot or put different pressure through it, and was instantly reminded about my toe, which made me wince a bit. I won’t be doing that again. Tea drunk, and I was on my way again. The hills were shrouded in mist, which was beautiful in a different way, but it disappeared quickly as it warmed up.

Navigating was simple today – pretty much a straight line heading east. The road for most of the route was being replaced, which wasn’t great from a scenic perspective, or for finding places to stop for a drink. I’m not drinking whilst riding as the roads and traffic (and dogs) are unpredictable, so I stop every time I want some water. The roadworks also mean that in the future the traffic will flow better, but the character of the journey will change as you won’t be passing through villages – pros and cons.

After a mere 22 kilometres I fancied another cup of tea. Luckily enough I happened across a tea stall – the Tea Den. The chap who runs it speaks good English and asked all of the usual questions, plus the ‘do you have Instagram?’ query. After a couple of selfies, and a video discussing the merits of his tea, I had drunk three cups of the stuff and eaten several biscuits. None of which he would let me pay for. Another kind gesture, which I am experiencing from so many people in this country.

I still hadn’t really eaten anything, so welcomed the sight of a bakery a few kilometres later where I bought a couple of samosas and some onion bhaji. I ended up eating the samosas at the side of the partly constructed road, as unfortunately I couldn’t find anywhere more suitable.

By around 1230 I was in Piler (Pileru?). A couple of helpful guys on a motorbike asked me where I was going, then showed me the way to the lodging that I was aiming for and spoke with the owner. It’s not the cleanest place I’ve been, but I had anticipated that tonight’s accommodation could be tricky as there’s not much around here even though it’s quite a big and very chaotic town. I negotiated the price a bit, and my 1000 rupees had got me a double room with A/C and a fridge. I’ll be in my sleeping bag liner though. After a ‘shower’ (bucket of warm water) I had a walk around the area and picked up some cold drinks and an ice cream (this is becoming a habit). Not much to see here I don’t think.

I was directed to a family restaurant not far away where I had another paneer butter masala (also becoming a bit of a habit). I’ve stopped eating chicken dishes as they’re a bit of a faff – nothing is boned, and sometimes not skinned which makes for a messy experience. Vegetarian dishes are easier, and I think possibly a bit safer.

My toe has survived the day. I’m sure it will be fine after a week or so – I’ve just got to be careful with it I think.

Mileage so far: 4297km

Day 74.

Knowing that it was a short day again, I was in no rush to get away. No breakfast at the hotel, so I headed out of town and found a great little stall (hotel) for something to eat. I had dosa today for the first time, which is basically a masala pancake with the usual curry and yoghurt sauces. It was really nice and not as stodgy as some breakfast items I’ve had.

The roads for the first half of the ride were a continuation of yesterday – a dual carriageway under construction, and all that goes with it. Not great riding. The monotony was broken by being hailed to a stop several times in the first 10 kilometres. Firstly by a family on a motorbike, then by an army officer and police officer, also on a motorbike. They both proudly insisted on showing me their ID cards, I think to reassure me who they were and that I was safe with them! We were joined by the family I had just met, and a round of obligatory photographs took place. The police officer (Chandraiah) then insisted on giving me his phone number to call if I had any problems. What a nice thing to do.

The young boy gave me a piece of fruit, which I now know is a custard apple (sitaphal). I haven’t eaten it yet, but I will.

After about 25 kilometres a couple of things changed. Firstly the road works ceased and I was back on a normal road in a more hilly and forested area, secondly it started to drizzle. I had been warned yesterday (at a tea stall) not to ride to Tirupati in the dark (not that it was ever an option) as there was a stretch of jungle, and the elephants and leopards sometimes come down to the road at night. In daylight all I saw were the usual macaques. A few kilometres later the road began to go downhill. I had the best part of 20 kilometres of really nice descent and lost over 400m in altitude. Mostly good tarmac and sweeping bends, the only bad part was that it was now wet and a bit greasy, but I still enjoyed it.

Tirupati feels big. It only has around 300 000 inhabitants but it felt like they were all on the road when I arrived. The usual traffic chaos kept me on my toes as I fought my way to the hotel I had picked out as being quite good. It probably is, as it was full. The one opposite was too, but the owner took me to another place he owns, which was kind of him, except that the hotel was grim. After a five minute search I decided to blow the budget and went to a hotel which is really nice, even by European standards. Pool, gym, bar, restaurant, and staff falling over themselves to help me.

After a brilliant shower I went for a walk around the locality. Not much other than traffic and motorbike repair shops. I’ll venture further tomorrow – I’m staying two nights here as there is a big temple complex not far away which looks worth a visit.

After discovering that there is a swimming pool here and feeling obliged to use it, I went for dinner, which was a bit of a cop-out. There was nothing that took my fancy within easy walking distance, so I went to the hotel restaurant and had a chicken fillet burger. I felt guilty eating western food, but it was nice for a change. It was also the cheapest thing on the menu (strangely).

Another day exploring tomorrow which I’m looking forward to, despite the fact that it’s a 45 minute taxi ride to the temples.

Mileage so far: 4355km.