Bums on the saddle from Mangaluru to Goa !!!
"The endless open road offers infinite thoughts and perceptions". There is nothing more liberating than riding a cycle along the coast, aided by the sea breeze, divine music of the lapping waves and the sight of golden sand against the shimmering blue sea. Winay and I began this epic journey from Mangaluru - a good 400 kms away from Bengaluru, during mid- January, while Winay's purpose was to understand the people, fishing culture , languages ,and traditions of the Konkan coast , mine was to just cruise along the coast, and savour the local cuisine, exotic beaches coupled with impressive sunsets. At the end of the journey, it was a role reversal of sorts as he was charmed by the terrain and I , with the simplicity of the country folk.
Our next stop was the Malpe Fishing harbour- it is a natural harbour and the biggest in the state. The harbour was teeming with workers, fishermen , traders , wholesalers , to have a first hand impression of this million-dollar business was overwhelming. The harbour was bustling with energy and it was quite a sight to see umpteen number of ships with the signal flags flying at mast and eagles soaring high in the blue sky . The workers and traders were more than happy to interact with us and answer our queries regarding the types of fishes , trading zone , profit estimates ,and many more.
Next in store was the refreshing 20 minute ferry ride to the St Mary's Island, known for it's distinctive geological formation of columnar basaltic lava which was formed by sub-aerial volcanic activity at the time when India was attached to Madagascar (INTERESTING !!!). Upon reaching the islands, the feeling was one of being sky rocketed to a completely different world. A swim in its cool pristine waters is quite a divine experience. We saw a couple of kids, half immersed in the blue water , reading Bible - no better place than to stir your spiritual thoughts , I must say. Seated on top of the rocks , thoughts drift in my mind like the waves in the sea , the sea breeze helping it to flow from one end to another, trying to find that sweet spot which could reveal the hidden meaning behind all these thoughts. The columnar lava structures with all its different polygonal sizes and shapes , seemed to teach me a lesson in geometry :P :P and brought me back to this ever calculating world.
After a divine intervention to the thoughts in our minds, we felt we would have to do justice to our stomach,with some divine food and went back to the Udupi, Sri Krishna temple for a sumptuous lunch.Thanks to the day in the Hindu calendar,being Dwadasi(a day after Ekadasi - on which people fast through out the day ) , it was a special South Indian spread with payasam, palya, rice , sambar , bisibele bath, curd , buttermilk and sweets made with extra love. We then set out to cycle forty odd kilometres to reach Kundapur, our resting place for that night.
Day 1 - A saga of punctures and flat tyres :( :(
It was a quite sunny morning when we set off from the broad inviting streets of Mangaluru. The only people out on the streets were the joggers, chaiwalas, and the newspaper/milk delivery boys. After cycling through the calm localities we hit the highway in no time and reached the first of the numerous beaches we would visit during the course of the tour - Surathkal beach . The beach is less than a kilometer away from NITK, a premier engineering college and the lighthouse at the end of the beach on a rocky hillock adds to its charm. Resting on the sands of the beach , we thought we had hit a perfect start , but the universe had other ideas , as we proceeded we had to encounter flat tyres and mechanical issues. We stopped briefly to service our cycles and then advanced towards Kapu, a quaint village in Udupi district - only 15 kms away from the renowned Sri Krishna temple . Similar to the Surathkal beach , the Kapu beach has a light house at the end, which is open from 10 am to 7 pm . We spent a good couple of hours at the top of the light house, it was a delight to watch the sunset with the sunlight painting an orange tinge on the faces of rocks and the waves crashing them and exploding in utter glee. I just stood there withdrawn,wishing the moment never recedes.If I could only break free from my desk job and see such a sight everyday !!!Day 2 - Blue Thoughts ""
We had halted at the guest house of the Sri Krishna Temple trust in Udupi. Early in the morning we went for a darshan of the deity through the Kanakana kindi, a small hole through which Kanaka Dasa , a 16th century poet, composer and philosopher had darshan of Sri Krishna. Kanaka Dasa , being of a lower caste was not allowed to enter the temple , one night there was an earthquake and a crack appeared in the wall through which he was able to see the deity , after this event the crack was enlarged into a window and christened as "Kanakana Kindi".
Our next stop was the Malpe Fishing harbour- it is a natural harbour and the biggest in the state. The harbour was teeming with workers, fishermen , traders , wholesalers , to have a first hand impression of this million-dollar business was overwhelming. The harbour was bustling with energy and it was quite a sight to see umpteen number of ships with the signal flags flying at mast and eagles soaring high in the blue sky . The workers and traders were more than happy to interact with us and answer our queries regarding the types of fishes , trading zone , profit estimates ,and many more.
Next in store was the refreshing 20 minute ferry ride to the St Mary's Island, known for it's distinctive geological formation of columnar basaltic lava which was formed by sub-aerial volcanic activity at the time when India was attached to Madagascar (INTERESTING !!!). Upon reaching the islands, the feeling was one of being sky rocketed to a completely different world. A swim in its cool pristine waters is quite a divine experience. We saw a couple of kids, half immersed in the blue water , reading Bible - no better place than to stir your spiritual thoughts , I must say. Seated on top of the rocks , thoughts drift in my mind like the waves in the sea , the sea breeze helping it to flow from one end to another, trying to find that sweet spot which could reveal the hidden meaning behind all these thoughts. The columnar lava structures with all its different polygonal sizes and shapes , seemed to teach me a lesson in geometry :P :P and brought me back to this ever calculating world.
After a divine intervention to the thoughts in our minds, we felt we would have to do justice to our stomach,with some divine food and went back to the Udupi, Sri Krishna temple for a sumptuous lunch.Thanks to the day in the Hindu calendar,being Dwadasi(a day after Ekadasi - on which people fast through out the day ) , it was a special South Indian spread with payasam, palya, rice , sambar , bisibele bath, curd , buttermilk and sweets made with extra love. We then set out to cycle forty odd kilometres to reach Kundapur, our resting place for that night.
Day 3 - Sleeping under the stars ***
After scouting the streets of Kundapur at the midnight hour for an ideal spot to sleep, we ended up at a resting place by the roadside where the labourers had taken most of the spots , but were more than happy to accommodate us and even shared their pillows, bedsheets and warm rugs with us. As the saying from Bible goes "The sleep of the labourer is sweet, not only because he is tired, but because he has little care to break his sleep" , all of them were sleeping peacefully oblivious to the worries of the world. Sleeping under the stars, with the homeless, made me realise how we tend to take simple things in life, such as food, clothes and shelter for granted and always complain about things we do not/or want to possess.It might take a long time for me to acquire the wisdom of labourers - work hard for your daily morsel, eat heartily and sleep without giving a damn!!!
When we had woken up, the sun was still contemplating to rise, few birds were already up and flying away in search of food, greeting others on their way , few of them just resting on their nests and chirping a beautiful composition , the dogs had their eyes half open, wondering what had got the birds to rise up so early, the skies were still dark waiting for the twilight hour to blend into a magical display of colours. The temptation of a beautiful sunrise got us back to the saddle and we were back, riding on the highway in no time. With a beautiful rising sun to our right, a free flowing Souparnika river to our left, an open road in the front,lots of memories behind our back and a twilight sky above us, we forged ahead drinking in the nectar of this beautiful moment.
An hour of breezy ride coupled with a cycling race with the local kids brought us to Maravanthe beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in Karnataka. The thin strip of NH-66 separates the beach and the Souparnika river resulting in a one of it's kind spectacular scenery in India.Twenty kilometres ahead, we met another beauty - Ottinene beach, a little known place, this spot provides you some much needed solitude. An uphill hike from the beach takes you to Kshitija Nesara Dhama. Heat not withstanding, we took a cold water bath in the temple premises and offered our prayers to the Shiva linga. Instead of taking the highway route to Bhatkal(our next stop) we decided to cycle along the beach,on the interior country side roads. It was worth the gamble as there was habba (festival) in one of the villages, and we were treated with some special local delicacies for lunch , after which we volunteered to serve food for the people partaking in the habba.
Bhatkal, a prosperous little town, is known for its imported goods market - Dubai market and Mirchi market. Post 2013 , the town has been in the news for being a home ground of terrorism. After window shopping at the markets, we headed towards Murdeshwar , just twenty-odd kilometres away , the last stop for the day.
After the bath under running tap water we headed for a breezy stroll at Kumta beach, exchanging pleasantries at all the school-going kids on the way. We stopped at a fruit shop run by an old couple on the highway, en route to Mirjan Fort(about 20 kms away from Kumta). As we devoured on the fresh cut fruits,they spoke about how they had been running the shop for close to thirty years , the hardships they had to face, saving every penny for the well-being and education of their kids. Buoyed by their story of resilience we pedalled with renewed vigour, reaching Mirjan Fort in less than an hour. Located on the banks of Aganashini river, Mirjan fort is a fusion of Deccan and Mughal architecture , several versions exist about the origin of the fort - which makes for an interesting read (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirjan_Fort).
Twenty kilometers ahead, Gokarna awaited us with all its beauty and splendour. As we hit the narrow streets leading to the main temple , different shades of craziness sets in - holy cows moo loudly and roam freely , blocking the motor traffic from all possible ends , drivers blare horns to shoo them away, without any luck, male devotees dressed in saffron/white panche, hold it up tightly and walk hurriedly between the spaces left by stranded vehicles while the female devotees dressed in traditional saree/langa-dhavni follow them trying hard to keep up with the pace, the shopkeepers go about their business unperturbed by all the commotion, foreign tourists dressed casually- some in OM t-shirt with the Rudrakshi beads around their neck and casual shorts, some sporting matted hair, trying to resemble sadhus, walk at a deliciously slow pace checking out artifacts at each store, giving a broad smile whenever a shopkeeper speaks in their native language. The devotees head towards the main Gokarna temple housing Shiva's atma linga, while the foreigners head towards the beach in search of soltitude. No matter what the destination is, both go, in a search to find oneself, in a search to find answers, in a search to find the meaning of life.
Away from the hustle and bustle of the town , we went in search of Paradise beach. The trek began at Kudle beach, an idyllic spot with large expanse of soft white sand, where we met a British national, who agreed to guide us to OM beach. In about twenty-odd minutes, we reached the calm but densely populated Om beach. The sun in the west was yet to touch the horizon and the skies had just started to turn orange when we were on the way to Half-moon beach. We then took a motor boat to Paradise beach , the option to hike is also available which would take another twenty minutes to get to the beach. True to its name Paradise beach is isolated and cut off from civilisation , Covered majorly with rocks , the rest of the beach is filled with white sand. Its an amazing place to camp at night , cook food on your own , given that fresh water well is available , and witness the stars in all. its glory with the cool sea breeze taking away with it all your sorrows and despair. PARADISE beach does gives you timeless harmony with nature.
When we had woken up, the sun was still contemplating to rise, few birds were already up and flying away in search of food, greeting others on their way , few of them just resting on their nests and chirping a beautiful composition , the dogs had their eyes half open, wondering what had got the birds to rise up so early, the skies were still dark waiting for the twilight hour to blend into a magical display of colours. The temptation of a beautiful sunrise got us back to the saddle and we were back, riding on the highway in no time. With a beautiful rising sun to our right, a free flowing Souparnika river to our left, an open road in the front,lots of memories behind our back and a twilight sky above us, we forged ahead drinking in the nectar of this beautiful moment.
An hour of breezy ride coupled with a cycling race with the local kids brought us to Maravanthe beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in Karnataka. The thin strip of NH-66 separates the beach and the Souparnika river resulting in a one of it's kind spectacular scenery in India.Twenty kilometres ahead, we met another beauty - Ottinene beach, a little known place, this spot provides you some much needed solitude. An uphill hike from the beach takes you to Kshitija Nesara Dhama. Heat not withstanding, we took a cold water bath in the temple premises and offered our prayers to the Shiva linga. Instead of taking the highway route to Bhatkal(our next stop) we decided to cycle along the beach,on the interior country side roads. It was worth the gamble as there was habba (festival) in one of the villages, and we were treated with some special local delicacies for lunch , after which we volunteered to serve food for the people partaking in the habba.
Bhatkal, a prosperous little town, is known for its imported goods market - Dubai market and Mirchi market. Post 2013 , the town has been in the news for being a home ground of terrorism. After window shopping at the markets, we headed towards Murdeshwar , just twenty-odd kilometres away , the last stop for the day.
Day 4 - Sands of time ~~
Having spent the previous night, watching an enthralling display of folk dances , esp..
Yakshagana - (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakshagana ) , by the time we got up it was late in the morning and there was a serpentine queue for the darshan of the aatma linga and the huge towering statue of Lord Shiva , the second tallest in the world , was sparkling under sunlight. The darshan was followed by a typical south Canara breakfast - the delicious Mangaluru buns, served with coconut chutney and peas curry. High on energy, we paced along the highway, towards Apsarakonda, which has a unique combo of waterfalls and a beach. A little less than fifteen kilometres away we decided to chuck the highway route and take the country side dusty roads. Another gamble, and it paid off. After five kilometres of exhausting uphill-downhill rides , we came across a beautiful landscape - covered by miles and miles of sand, shaded by few trees on the either side , dotted by cactuses all along the path - a Texas desert feeling.
Riding on this stretch , gave us the feeling of being enclosed in an Hourglass - the clear blue sky resembling the outer glass layer, our thoughts and memories - the sands in the glass, one bulb representing the past and the other, future, the narrow neck being our present. As we rode along, our memories trickled along every second, like sand particles, from the past to the future, the present in-between converting each memory into beautiful thought.An hour later, when all the sand particles had trickled down to the future , the past being void , few thoughts still in the present, a concrete dream in the future , we met Apsarakonda, a beautiful secluded spot, the ideal place at that moment to reverse our Hourglass.The sand from the future flows back in time to the past, the present converting each thought into memories of the past.
After a refreshing shower in the waterfalls and a soothing massage to the feet , courtesy - Sea waves , we headed towards Kumta, close to twenty kilometres away from Apsarakonda. Thanks to the temple authorities of a Shiva temple in Kumta, our hunt for a place to sleep was brief and we were allocated an entire function hall for ourselves. Post dinner, we had charcha with a few senior folks in the town about a range of social issues - inequality, ethnic tensions, access to quality education and healthcare , etc...,
Yakshagana - (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakshagana ) , by the time we got up it was late in the morning and there was a serpentine queue for the darshan of the aatma linga and the huge towering statue of Lord Shiva , the second tallest in the world , was sparkling under sunlight. The darshan was followed by a typical south Canara breakfast - the delicious Mangaluru buns, served with coconut chutney and peas curry. High on energy, we paced along the highway, towards Apsarakonda, which has a unique combo of waterfalls and a beach. A little less than fifteen kilometres away we decided to chuck the highway route and take the country side dusty roads. Another gamble, and it paid off. After five kilometres of exhausting uphill-downhill rides , we came across a beautiful landscape - covered by miles and miles of sand, shaded by few trees on the either side , dotted by cactuses all along the path - a Texas desert feeling.
Riding on this stretch , gave us the feeling of being enclosed in an Hourglass - the clear blue sky resembling the outer glass layer, our thoughts and memories - the sands in the glass, one bulb representing the past and the other, future, the narrow neck being our present. As we rode along, our memories trickled along every second, like sand particles, from the past to the future, the present in-between converting each memory into beautiful thought.An hour later, when all the sand particles had trickled down to the future , the past being void , few thoughts still in the present, a concrete dream in the future , we met Apsarakonda, a beautiful secluded spot, the ideal place at that moment to reverse our Hourglass.The sand from the future flows back in time to the past, the present converting each thought into memories of the past.
After a refreshing shower in the waterfalls and a soothing massage to the feet , courtesy - Sea waves , we headed towards Kumta, close to twenty kilometres away from Apsarakonda. Thanks to the temple authorities of a Shiva temple in Kumta, our hunt for a place to sleep was brief and we were allocated an entire function hall for ourselves. Post dinner, we had charcha with a few senior folks in the town about a range of social issues - inequality, ethnic tensions, access to quality education and healthcare , etc...,
Day 5 - In search of paradise ^_^
Early in the morning we were woken up by the shouts of "Savdhan-Vishram Savdhan-Vishram", a RSS (Rashtriya SwayamSevak Sangh) training camp was in progress within the temple premises. Young and energetic boys from the town , of all age groups were dressed in white shirt , khaki shorts held up by black leather belts , neatly combed hairstyle , their actions emanate patriotism esp.., when they shout "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" , "JAI HIND", and march around the temple like protectors of the nation, ready to fight any battle, undoubtedly future leaders in the making.After the bath under running tap water we headed for a breezy stroll at Kumta beach, exchanging pleasantries at all the school-going kids on the way. We stopped at a fruit shop run by an old couple on the highway, en route to Mirjan Fort(about 20 kms away from Kumta). As we devoured on the fresh cut fruits,they spoke about how they had been running the shop for close to thirty years , the hardships they had to face, saving every penny for the well-being and education of their kids. Buoyed by their story of resilience we pedalled with renewed vigour, reaching Mirjan Fort in less than an hour. Located on the banks of Aganashini river, Mirjan fort is a fusion of Deccan and Mughal architecture , several versions exist about the origin of the fort - which makes for an interesting read (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mirjan_Fort).
Twenty kilometers ahead, Gokarna awaited us with all its beauty and splendour. As we hit the narrow streets leading to the main temple , different shades of craziness sets in - holy cows moo loudly and roam freely , blocking the motor traffic from all possible ends , drivers blare horns to shoo them away, without any luck, male devotees dressed in saffron/white panche, hold it up tightly and walk hurriedly between the spaces left by stranded vehicles while the female devotees dressed in traditional saree/langa-dhavni follow them trying hard to keep up with the pace, the shopkeepers go about their business unperturbed by all the commotion, foreign tourists dressed casually- some in OM t-shirt with the Rudrakshi beads around their neck and casual shorts, some sporting matted hair, trying to resemble sadhus, walk at a deliciously slow pace checking out artifacts at each store, giving a broad smile whenever a shopkeeper speaks in their native language. The devotees head towards the main Gokarna temple housing Shiva's atma linga, while the foreigners head towards the beach in search of soltitude. No matter what the destination is, both go, in a search to find oneself, in a search to find answers, in a search to find the meaning of life.
Away from the hustle and bustle of the town , we went in search of Paradise beach. The trek began at Kudle beach, an idyllic spot with large expanse of soft white sand, where we met a British national, who agreed to guide us to OM beach. In about twenty-odd minutes, we reached the calm but densely populated Om beach. The sun in the west was yet to touch the horizon and the skies had just started to turn orange when we were on the way to Half-moon beach. We then took a motor boat to Paradise beach , the option to hike is also available which would take another twenty minutes to get to the beach. True to its name Paradise beach is isolated and cut off from civilisation , Covered majorly with rocks , the rest of the beach is filled with white sand. Its an amazing place to camp at night , cook food on your own , given that fresh water well is available , and witness the stars in all. its glory with the cool sea breeze taking away with it all your sorrows and despair. PARADISE beach does gives you timeless harmony with nature.
Day 6 : Sleeping in prison []
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| With Adi, from Israel , age 55 and still cycling strong. |
Away from paradise , and after the early morning darshan of atma linga in Gokarna , we cycled towards Ankola , again cutting off from the highway and taking the country roads. After every two-three kilometres, central streets snakes between village markets, where we see women wearing traditional clothing, taking their produce to the market. Though the streets were narrow , we drove along at our usual speed , scaring these women and the school-going kids . After an hour of fun ride , we hit a dead-end , where we had to cross Gangavali river by boat to get to the town on the other end - Manjaguni. The ferry ride with the locals was entertaining marked by local songs , chit-chatter , one-liner , disparaging remarks , political talk all in twenty minutes. Not fully satisfied , we decided to take the ride again :P :P , yes after a sixty minute ride , we rode on to Ankola. An hour of uphill ride brought us to this fishing village , where we met Nilesh , an young fisherman . Nilesh invited us for lunch , which we kindly obliged, and needless to say the coastal food was quite mouth watering.
After some food for thought (thanks to Fishing Business 2.0 lessons from Nilesh) as well as tummy, we bid him good bye and resumed our journey. An hour of eventful ride , and we hit another road block where we had to cross a river to get to the other side of the village. Before we got on to the boat, the local guys took us on a short tour of the village , which included an industry , a beautiful sight-seeing point and finally ship hopping on all the ships that were anchored at the coast. Only after we boarded the boat and loaded our cycles on it , did we realise that the boat man was high on the local drink - Neera made from coconut , with a fragile body , and red eyes the aged boat man , rowed against the river currents , and we held on to our hopes , how foolishly we had placed our lives in his trembling hands. Winay , tried to talk him into handing over the Oar to us so that we could row, but the boat man did not give a damn , he just rowed and rowed the boat , as high as ever.
We did safely land on the other end , else I would not be writing this piece , as a sign of celebration we went in search of Neera, but to no avail , looked like the entire village had emptied that day's stock by four in the evening, pretty impressive :) :) . It was a tough and an exhausting ride to Karwar , given the uphill hair pin roads , for an hour or so . At the end of it all , it was the worth the climb as we hit upon another beautiful sunset at the Karwar beach. Until about nine in the night we rode in the city , going to fairs , tasting local food , and then the usual hunt for a place to sleep began. Almost an hour later , we came across a prison where there were a couple of additional rooms for officers to take rest, intrigued by our cycling journey from Mangalore , they allowed us to crash there for the night.
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| Jaggu - growing organic plantations - just by the side of the beach. |
After some food for thought (thanks to Fishing Business 2.0 lessons from Nilesh) as well as tummy, we bid him good bye and resumed our journey. An hour of eventful ride , and we hit another road block where we had to cross a river to get to the other side of the village. Before we got on to the boat, the local guys took us on a short tour of the village , which included an industry , a beautiful sight-seeing point and finally ship hopping on all the ships that were anchored at the coast. Only after we boarded the boat and loaded our cycles on it , did we realise that the boat man was high on the local drink - Neera made from coconut , with a fragile body , and red eyes the aged boat man , rowed against the river currents , and we held on to our hopes , how foolishly we had placed our lives in his trembling hands. Winay , tried to talk him into handing over the Oar to us so that we could row, but the boat man did not give a damn , he just rowed and rowed the boat , as high as ever.
We did safely land on the other end , else I would not be writing this piece , as a sign of celebration we went in search of Neera, but to no avail , looked like the entire village had emptied that day's stock by four in the evening, pretty impressive :) :) . It was a tough and an exhausting ride to Karwar , given the uphill hair pin roads , for an hour or so . At the end of it all , it was the worth the climb as we hit upon another beautiful sunset at the Karwar beach. Until about nine in the night we rode in the city , going to fairs , tasting local food , and then the usual hunt for a place to sleep began. Almost an hour later , we came across a prison where there were a couple of additional rooms for officers to take rest, intrigued by our cycling journey from Mangalore , they allowed us to crash there for the night.
Day 7 : In Nature's lap /*\/*\
This day being the last leg of the tour, we left Karwar with mixed feelings, on one hand the excitement of completing a challenging tour and on the other, missing out on the culture, language, food and most importantly the enterprising people of the Konkan coast. Winay and I, had already started conversing in the local Kannada dialect (for ex:- Mande bisi marayare translates to too much of an headache man) right from day one and had developed a longing to learn the beautiful local language - Konkani. The ride from Karwar to the state of Goa is one of it's kind - narrow highway , greenery greeting you on either sides, cool fresh air swaying along with you , the state transport private bus pops up now and then driving at dangerous speeds unmindful of the turns , the clouds open up intermittently to shower fine drops of rain. This relaxing ride and a green carpet welcome after six days of pedalling was an ideal treat for the mind, body and the soul.
We don't see much traffic on the roads or the footpath , all thanks to the laid back Goan people. Late in the afternoon, shutters were still down on the liquor stores , no sooner did we find the first open shop, than we had a beer bottle in one hand, the cycle handle in the other , a smile on the face and renewed energy in our legs , we pedalled along the green high-way , people in the bus waving at us, probably appreciating us for getting into the true Goan spirit of life. Though the distance from Karwar to Canacona , our final destination , was only thirty odd kilometres , we pedalled at a delicious pace, savouring every moment of the Goan ride, and finally took close to five spectacular hours to reach Palolem beach , in Canacona.
The last sunset of the tour, and it was as simple as it could get , seated on the rocks , with sand in my feet , sea waves soaking it every now and then, light on my face , salty breeze in my hair , a French beer in my hand , and the orange sun far way, slowly going down, a boat or two from either sides whizzing across the scene. Every moment magical as Nature strokes a beautiful painting on its canvas , and I sit on its lap , lost forever in nothingness.
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