Another solo roadtrip - Pictures of the Western Ghats, meeting fellow Steemians and a blast of a ride!

Hi all, how was your weekend? Mine went quite good actually. Infact, 800km of good time. I had been looking forward to this weekend for quite some time now. Firstly, I was going to meet my buddy @firepower in his hometown of Mangalore, and then catch up with some more friends and fellow steemians @oceanchild and @serenyx

I had a fun time on the road (for the most part of it, at least). I started from Bangalore at 15:00 hours , directly from work. It took me a good hour to escape the insane traffic that is a hallmark of Bangalore and hit the highway. Once the road opened up, Hope ran wild and free, revving comfortably and munching miles. I covered the first 200 km while the sun shone bright.

On the National Highway towards Mangalore. A first stop after 150km.

I told her "You have no idea how fast my heart races when I see you. She said "13,500 rpm".

My initial feeling was to arrive at the start of Charmadi ghats just before sunset so I could complete the descent in twilight and before night fell. Unfortunately I arrived only at around 19:00 hours and the descent down the ghats was one heck of a ride. I think I did a decent time though. So decent that my fingers are all aching from the braking I had to do.

Anyways, I reached Mangalore pretty late, just after 22:00 hours and about 7 hours on the road.

Rest day is Saturday! All I did was meet @firepower, catch up with some more friends, and eat ice cream. And click this photo.

Ice cream was #1 agenda on my mind after meeting @firepower. I cannot help it when Mangalore has some amazing ice cream. I was so overtaken by the ice cream that I forgot to take pictures of it.

With @serenyx, and @oceanchild, my hosts in Mangalore. Did I mention their cat, Bubbles?

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Sunday was the day to ride back and on a whim, I decided to ride via Kudremukh National Park back to Bangalore. It wasn't the ideal start however, for the rains poured and poured all morning. I left in the rain, but it just got heavy and I was forced to take shelter twice.

Rains at this time was unexpected, but proved to be a blessing later on, keeping temperatures down and the ride cool.

But the sight of Kudremukh blew away all discomfort and any misgivings about the weather. Let's start the journey via the pictures, shall we?

Give me adventure, she said, and I will give you the world. That is exactly what we have been doing.

At the viewpoint where you can see the valley right next to the road. The place is a popular stop for tourists, but today it was surprisingly (and thankfully) empty.

A view of the valley.

They tell me that the roads here were laid nearly 30 years ago, when mining activities were at its peak. If it is true, it is unbelievable how good the road conditions are!

It had rained in Kudremukh for sure, but thankfully before I arrived. Getting caught in the rain here would have been a wet and cold proposition.

At Kidambi waterfall. Ignore the no parking sign, please :)

There is not much water, as this is peak summer time here. The greenary is still wow!

And of course, my favourite part - The main straight.

Amazing panoramic views to be had here. The road cuts a straight line between the section of the forest for a kilometre. Always a favourite place to stop and take a few pictures and admire the beauty of nature.

Tea plantations are a common sight in the Western Ghats.

And it was time to say goodbye to Kudremukh. Until next time.

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And that's that. Once I crossed the Kalasa checkpost, I had nothing else to look forward to than to avoid riding in the afternoon heat. With that in mind, I had a quick ride towards Belur and on to the Mangalore - Bangalore highway. The only stop I gave was for breakfast at around 12:00.

Akki Roti in Dakshina Kannada style. It is not the typical roti you get in Bangalore or Mysore. Filling and tasty!

With breakfast done and a full tank of gas, I made decent time to Bangalore and reach home at 15:00 hours. Time to take a shower and some rest.

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And that's the end of the photo blog!

Let me know your thoughts, comments or questions in the comments below. I hope you enjoyed the pictures as much as I did.

If you liked this post, do follow and upvote. Check out some of my other posts via the links below:

Check out my blog posts on Kudremukh and the Western Ghats via the links below:

The Ghost Town of Kudremukh in Haunting Images

The unparalleled beauty of the Western Ghats

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Read some of my travel stories and photologs via the links below:

Motorcycling India

Up above the Arctic Circle - Tromso and the Northern Lights

A solo backpacking trip across the UK

Cycling 500km across Europe: Netherlands - Belgium - France

Pictures from my solo roadtrip – An eventful ride, meeting my favorite dog, riding with like-minded bikers and walk in the woods!

Exploring God’s Own Country on a Motorcycle – A Dtube Video

Exploring lesser known parts of the Western Ghats

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Read some of my opinion posts via the links below:

Opinions - We need to travel to develop empathy

Opinions - The importance of anchors in our lives

Opinions - Our toys have not changed. They have only gotten bigger

Opinions - Of Mortal Dreams and Motorcycles

Opinions - Of motorcycles and love stories

Of Scuba Diving and Motorcycle Racers - A slow life between fast lanes?

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Read some of the letters my bike writes on a regular basis:

Hope writes a letter - Crazy fridays and I find out I am not a car person

Hope writes a letter - Hello world! I am Hope!

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Check out some of my popular posts below:

Motorcycle Stories - How I got into Motorcycle racing

A high-speed crash and life lessons

Year One of Racing in Images

Introduction Post - My introduction for Steemit

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