This is my first multi-day trip. When i embarked on it, i have picked a direction, not a destination.
I was tired of single day trips. Still, i enjoy them, but while returning, the thought of reaching the home used to annoy me. For few days i want to roam like a nomad without a destination. I started preparations for just two days i.e told to my parents i will be going to Nellore with my friends to attend a marriage.
Upgraded the bike headlight bulb to H.I.D. Increased the bike height by modifying the seat. Bought new leather gloves. Replaced the rear mud-guard with a new one. Refilled the engine oil with semi-synthetic oil. At home, i told that the marriage was on 18th. So i started on 17th January, 2012 at 5:30 AM from home.
Day 1
First halt at Hayathnagar, not even 10KM from my home. But i had to have to tea. Its against trip-ritual, to start the journey without a tea. I had a Rajasthani chai there.
Bike felt different. Its like, i was riding another bike, or i was in some others body and riding my bike. The new handle bar grips, the gloves and the heightened seat making me feel uncomfortable. I took the gloves off, and swore not to use them again.
Nobody knows where i was going, even i didnt know where i was going. But i had to inform my friend Raju or somebody about it, but what to inform? I updated my facebook status saying i was going south.
Pulikat was in my mind then. Its in nellore, there are two routes to go there. 1. Via vijayawada, 2. Via Miryalaguda . I was scared of vijayawada highway then. I stopped at Narketpalli, where
I bought nylon rope to tie my backpack to the saree-guard of the bike. But the bag is slipping. So, i bought a chain and a lock. The chain gave support to the backpack and nylon rope made sure that it wont wiggle. Now me and bike, attained long-drive-look-and-comfort.
I was in no hurry at all, as i dont have to reach home by night. On the way to Miryalaguda, i crossed a bridge over a canal. Instead of going straight , i took left turn and started riding on the bank of the canal. After few minutes, i reached serene place. I parked my bike, removed the shoes, tied them to the bike with laces. Then sat at
the canal with legs immersed in water and listening to the songs from the farmland on the other side of canal. The landlord setup two speakers in the land for the entertainment of employees at work. Cool !!
It was almost noon when i reached Miryalaguda. On the outskirts of Miryalaguda, where i stopped for a chai, i met few college students. Didnt talk to them much. when they asked me to take few snaps of them together, i obliged. They must be in engineering first year or so. There was railway track just beside the road. I always wanted to have a photograph of me, while resting on tracks. First they were awed then giggled and said ok. Thats how i got my dream picture. I wish i took off the goggles, but still fine.
The road from Miryalaguda to Guntur was under construction then. For more than 100 KM , the road is half laid, and there were road rollers everywhere i go. As i said earlier, i was in no hurry at all. I was having tea wherever i wished . Not many hotels or dhabas on the way. I found a dhaba on road side and went inside. Its not a dhaba, its a Janatha Bar. No rice items are available to eat. I ordered khaju fry and to remove dust in the eyes i planned to use eyedrops. However, i ended up with ear-drops in my eyes. I have cleansed the eyes cursing myself for picking up the wrong one. By the time, my eye-fiasco ended, khaju fry was ready. I had little, poured the rest in my jacket pocket and started off.
Soon i reached Guntur boarder. There is a bridge connecting Telangana and Coastal Andhra, which serves as the boarder between Nalgonda and Guntur. I shouted "Jai Telengana" before riding on the bridge.
Had lunch at Piduguralla. Guntur is famous for red chilly. They add it in everything, that lunch was the spiciest meals i ever had. Even daal was spicy. I had to drink lot of water to calm my tongue.
I was going real slow. Stopping and admiring the nature whenever it is possible. After a couple of Tea-breaks the sun is set. Its dark by the time i reached Addanki. Its the birthplace of famous telugu poet Errapragada, the last member of Kavitryam who translated Mahabharata in to Telugu. I expected to a statue of him on the main road, but all i have seen are the statues of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
After few kilometers the road got merged with NH5. I was able to go fast now, in fact i had a race with couple of Ongole bikers there, i could continue that, but i have stopped to see Taj Mahal. The local exhibition fellows built a replica of it. It was so good, and could fool anybody. I entered the Ongole town, and called my friend Samrat who is from the same place to take his advise on accommodation. He suggested Hotel Mourya beside Bus stand. I checked in, then went to meet him at the bus stand, gave send off to him and went on searching for food. After sitting for a long time on bike, bums feel funny when i started walking. So, i strolled for sometime before i slept.
Day 2
Next day i started at around 9 AM. When i checked Google Maps, i found Kavali ahead. Kavali is the background of the book "Poleramma banda kathalu " and "Dargamitta kathalu ", a telugu equivalent of "Swamy and his friends". Both the books are full of wit and comedy and personally i gave those to at least six friends as gift.
There is a beach in Ongole but, i have decided to skip it. After travelling for some time on the highway, i saw a board which says "Tanguturu" is few KM away. Tanguturi Prakasham panthulu a.k.a Andhra kesari ( The lion of Andhra) flashed in my mind. Without a second thought i have
decided to go there. On the way to Tanguturu i stopped for chai. The owner seen the bike and bag then asked me about my journey. His jaw dropped when i told him that i started from Ongole that morning and going to Tanguturu. May be he would have got a heart attack if i told him that i was coming from hyderabad.
I asked a man with Telugu-teacher-looks for the house address of Andhra kesari in Tanguturu. He enlightened me that, the forefathers of Prakasham pantulu lived there but not him.
Kavali
Then headed to kavali. Its few KM from the highway. Kavali is not as bad as i thought. "Poleramma banda kathalu " is the collection of short stories of kids of local high school. I
was able to find the school easily. Then to "Poleramma banda". Shockingly, not a single soul heard the name. I was having tea at the hotel opposite to school and enquired. No use. I asked the SI who was also having tea. He said he had no idea. I told him about the book, the publishers , the authors,
he denied any knowledge of them. Then he asked how old that book was. I vaguely guessed that the incidents might have happened about 15 to 20 years ago. When i said that, he asked me to go and check in the old-town. And yes, i found poleramma banda there.
The distance between kavali and ocean is not more than 5KM. The ocean air is inviting me to the beach. So i have decided to go to a beach. There are two beaches in Nellore. Maipad and Kothakoduru. Due to logistics i have decided to go to kothakoduru beach.
Kothakoduru beach.
Its a long way from Highway to the beach. But the way is serene with fishponds and coconut trees. I was in a very good mood with all the greenery around me and going slow, as I was passing through a village, a kid with cycle started racing with me. I cant say he was "on" the cycle because he was not sitting on the seat, he was peddling with one through the frame of the bicycle , i
dont the right word to describe that style of riding a bicycle but in telugu its called "Pakka Tokkudu". I bonked the harn loud and shouted at him to go faster. All of a sudden , he started crying but kept on peddling it. I started riding beside him and bonking the horn, at that point he started sobbing. I thought thats enough and left the kid alone.
Soon i reached kothakoduru beach. Though its January, the area was hot. The beach is not well maintained. It must be the holiday-resort to the nearby villages.
I was enjoying the beach view and saw two bikers on the beach. Suddenly, i had the urge to ride my bike on the beach. I went to the parking place and started riding it. Its not easy to ride a bike on sand, it requires a technique. Naturally, i thought i should ride on the first or second gear as friction would be more, but i was wrong, biker should maintain an optimum speed or the wheels get stuck in the sand. Naturally, i though i should not ride on the wet sand as it cant support the weight of the bike and me. Again , i was wrong, riding on the wet sand with optimum speed is all it requires to enjoy the ride on the shore. It took me some time and lot of petrol to learn these things. A fellow
rider on beach and me helped each other to preserve those memories by taking snaps of each other. I rode till i reached an abandoned construction protruding in to the sea. May be its used to carry goods to the ships.
I scaled that construction, planned to hit the road and then have my lunch. On the beach, i found many hotels which only serve fish and crabs. I have little experience in eating fish and none regarding crabs. The men procure the fish and crabs and the ladies fry them and sell them. I always appreciate the equality in gender regarding economics. However, its more predominant in low class than in educated upper or middle class. However, domestic violence is more in lower class than in other classes. When the woman is financially independent , then why she has to tolerate domestic violence is the question which always beats me. May be i need some more understanding regarding, family, economics and women.
With little difficulty, i finished the fish. Its more like a snack than a meal. I started back and reached the highway, and started searching for a dhaba to eat. Again , i got myself into a janatha bar. I guess this trip is jinxed with janatha bars. Luckily, they also serve food. I had roties and resumed the journey.
I found many villages in Nellore whose names are hilarious. Dont understand how they got those names. The core city of nellore is called "Buja Buja nellore". I fueled the bike there and went on driving, laughing at the names. I have decided to make a halt at Sullurupeta.
It was dark, when i reached Sullurupeta. I started enquiring for lodges and about ten members eagerly surrounded me and trying to help me. The shining snake emblem on bike must have attracted them. I followed their directions and found a lodge near vegetable market. Rent is cheap and room is clean. The owner adjusted other vehicles so that i can park my bike inside the building. Surely, long driver gets lot of help from others. After dinner, i bathed and slept. But, woke up couple of times because of the trains on railway tracks which is not even 100 yards from the building. At least the building is not shaking , like shown in old bollywood movies.
Day 3
Woke up late and decided to visit nearby tourist spots. I started towards Pulicat lake. I had breakfast in the market and had a coffee near national highway. Then changed my mind and went to Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary. Its few kilometers from Sullurupeta. The place is crowded with
Pelicans and Flamingos. Few years back i read "Pelican brief" by John Grisham , but didn't know how to looks till then. However, Flamingos look beautiful than Pelicans. They are categorized based on size of beak, color and body weight mainly. Locals organize Flamingo Festival to promote tourism. The bird sanctuary is a group of isles in a large lake, where the migratory birds breed.
On the way to Pulicat lake, i met two saints walking on the highway. I considered them as fellow travellers and chatted with them for a while. Apparently, they are coming from Varanasi and their destination is Rameswaram. It took them 5 months on foot to reach Nellore and they are confident that they would reach the
destination in 3 months. When i asked them about their fooding and lodging , they simply shrugged and said almighty takes care of them. Well, thats faith, and i lack it.
Pulicat lake
Pulicat is in the village Thada which is at the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu. Though, geographically its in A.P, Tamil culture is predominant there. There were no sign boards to Pulicat. I was asking for directions for everybody is confusing me, including Google Maps.
Finally, god sent an angle with white beard on old Luna. I followed him and reached Pulicat. Everything was great so far. I dont know Tamil and the fishermen don't know Telugu. We communicated in pidgin language and finally settled on Rs 200 for a trip in the lake. This is my
first trip on a sail-boat. Raising the sail is a tricky job.
Pulicat is a lagoon. Its salty and with less depth. We have gone one KM from the bank and other fisherman standing in the lake arranging their Nets. I was able to show those sailors how to take a snap and they convinced me that its safe to walk in the lake. I got excited , left my wallet, mobile, bag, bike keys and shoes on the boat and jumped in the water. The cold water touched the face, then cold fear touched me. What can i do , if they hit my head with an oar and sail back to bank? Well, if they want to do something like that, they can hit me and throw in me water even from boat. I got a sailor who is walking with me holding the boat. I thought may be his job is make sure that i was drowned. Then i thought, i must start trusting people if want to travel alone. Then i thought about the saints i met earlier that day, and planned to walk back to home like them, if they rob me. At least i would become lean that way, but nothing of the sort happened. The fisherman walking with me offered Beedi, and encouraged me to swim in those waters.
Well, world is not a bad place at all. I swam for a while, then came to boat. I ditched the thought of getting back in to the boat and started walking. The mud under my feat is little slippery but the aquatic plants compensate that. I asked for one more beedi and walked while smoking. The month was January, the weather is chilling, i was waist deep underwater , there is water everywhere in half kilometer radius , and there are some fish jumping off the water like dolphins. At least i got one lifetime memory which i cherish till i die.
When we reached the bank, i paid the money. Interestingly, they offered me a fish which is still alive, as a gift. Or at least i thought it was a gift as i dont understand their language, but i don't know how to cook it, so i returned it to them and left.
I reached Thada but the problem of Tamil is still there. I never went out of Andhra pradesh after i grew up. I am at Tamilnadu border now, Chennai is about 40 KM, suddenly i had the urge to eat Idli - Sambar at Chennai. I crossed the state border towards Chennai. I travelled about 10KM on the highway, then i started contemplating things again. I dont know a bit of Tamil, none of my friends were living in Chennai, I remember someone saying that Chennai Traffic police are hostile towards vehicles from Andhra Pradesh.. so, I returned to Thada, called a friend who used to live in Chennai and asked him how to say " Is Idly available ?" in Tamil. The answer is "Idly irukaa".
Then i searched for Idly for sometime. Its almost 2 PM, so hotels stopped serving Idly. One guy said something in Tamil when i asked for Idly , and i heard the word "Dosa", i said ok and sat. He served a Dosa with sambar. Well, that Dosa is more like large idly.
I had lunch at a mess, then started towards Thada falls. However, thada falls is so large and have to walk so much that, i should have been there by 11 AM or so. I reached the place at closing time, i took few snaps of the small pond at the entrance and returned.
The detour to Thada is not a disaster, though i could not see the water falls. My bike tyres touched the dirt road for the first time. A lonely road , and the calmness is guarded by the hills around. The dried lands around me made me feel that i was riding for months. The beauty exhausted me. In the last three days i have seen new things, travelled on the road which i have not travelled before, talked to people with different accents. Its all too much to take for guy like me, who never really travelled before.
I thought of going to Sri kalahasti, spend the night there and travel back to hyderabad via chittoor, but dropped that idea as i am running our of money. With little money, i found the known places safe. I have returend to Sullurpeta, had a coffee and started off to Ongole.
Angles at midnight - police
After driving for a long time, fighting with insects , making my way through the darkness , a couple of teas , two rotis at a punjabi Dhaba, i reached Ongole by 1 AM.
I was searching for hotels to stay. Every where i go i get the reply "No rooms" from the watchman or attendant who is half asleep. Apparently, all the students who came to Ongole to write B.Ed exam next day occupied cheap hotels, including dormitories and costly hotels were occupied by a Cinema company. I was hopping from one Hotel to another in search of room. While roaming on the empty roads of Ongole, after half an hour, police zeep started following me. They stopped me and asked me about my details. After listening to my long drive, they got impressed and promised to help me out.
I have to mention , SI Sultan Khan. He took me to a Hotel , woke the manager up and told him that i was cousin and demanded a room for me. The greedy manager, who rented his own room , could not help me. Then one of the constable reminded the SI that , there was a new lodge in the adjacent lane. SI sent me there with two constables. Both lodge and its owner are small. First he said there are no rooms with droopy eyes, but the constables, lifted him up, threw him in the air and again caught him, just like we do with little kids. When safely landed, his mind is active and suddenly he remembered that there is a vacant room. I thanked the police, stayed in the hotel that night.
Day-4
Woke up a bit late in the morning , and started off to Hyderabad after thanking to SI once again. Few Kilometers of the road from Ongole is blocked because of the police selection. But i got bored to ride on the same road again and again. I have decided to take detour. I started off on Guntur
Highway. Then , via , Macharla , Nagarjuna Sagar, i reached home. On the way back home, i have seen two statutes of Police constables who died in Naxal encounter. Never seen police getting such respect.
As i was having chai, i noticed sand on the bike. It must be from Kothakoduru beach. I had my bike water washed at Piduguralla. That waterwash cut the horn wire. Got it repaired at Macerla.
At Nagarjuna Sagar, i have seen little Romeos. Kids of about 10
years age, offering flowers to girls on the way. When i asked them to give a pose, they did their best to look like a true Romeo.
Unlike many trips before, this trip gave me new experiences, i ventured into distant lands, i have seen people of different culture and language. Most of all, this trip proved my stamina.
One lesson i learned from this trip is to use sunscreen lotion.
I was tired of single day trips. Still, i enjoy them, but while returning, the thought of reaching the home used to annoy me. For few days i want to roam like a nomad without a destination. I started preparations for just two days i.e told to my parents i will be going to Nellore with my friends to attend a marriage.
Upgraded the bike headlight bulb to H.I.D. Increased the bike height by modifying the seat. Bought new leather gloves. Replaced the rear mud-guard with a new one. Refilled the engine oil with semi-synthetic oil. At home, i told that the marriage was on 18th. So i started on 17th January, 2012 at 5:30 AM from home.
Day 1
First halt at Hayathnagar, not even 10KM from my home. But i had to have to tea. Its against trip-ritual, to start the journey without a tea. I had a Rajasthani chai there.
Bike felt different. Its like, i was riding another bike, or i was in some others body and riding my bike. The new handle bar grips, the gloves and the heightened seat making me feel uncomfortable. I took the gloves off, and swore not to use them again.
Nobody knows where i was going, even i didnt know where i was going. But i had to inform my friend Raju or somebody about it, but what to inform? I updated my facebook status saying i was going south.
Pulikat was in my mind then. Its in nellore, there are two routes to go there. 1. Via vijayawada, 2. Via Miryalaguda . I was scared of vijayawada highway then. I stopped at Narketpalli, where
 |
| At the canal near Vemulapally village |
I was in no hurry at all, as i dont have to reach home by night. On the way to Miryalaguda, i crossed a bridge over a canal. Instead of going straight , i took left turn and started riding on the bank of the canal. After few minutes, i reached serene place. I parked my bike, removed the shoes, tied them to the bike with laces. Then sat at
the canal with legs immersed in water and listening to the songs from the farmland on the other side of canal. The landlord setup two speakers in the land for the entertainment of employees at work. Cool !!
It was almost noon when i reached Miryalaguda. On the outskirts of Miryalaguda, where i stopped for a chai, i met few college students. Didnt talk to them much. when they asked me to take few snaps of them together, i obliged. They must be in engineering first year or so. There was railway track just beside the road. I always wanted to have a photograph of me, while resting on tracks. First they were awed then giggled and said ok. Thats how i got my dream picture. I wish i took off the goggles, but still fine.
The road from Miryalaguda to Guntur was under construction then. For more than 100 KM , the road is half laid, and there were road rollers everywhere i go. As i said earlier, i was in no hurry at all. I was having tea wherever i wished . Not many hotels or dhabas on the way. I found a dhaba on road side and went inside. Its not a dhaba, its a Janatha Bar. No rice items are available to eat. I ordered khaju fry and to remove dust in the eyes i planned to use eyedrops. However, i ended up with ear-drops in my eyes. I have cleansed the eyes cursing myself for picking up the wrong one. By the time, my eye-fiasco ended, khaju fry was ready. I had little, poured the rest in my jacket pocket and started off.
 |
| Bridge connecting Guntur and Nalgonda |
Had lunch at Piduguralla. Guntur is famous for red chilly. They add it in everything, that lunch was the spiciest meals i ever had. Even daal was spicy. I had to drink lot of water to calm my tongue.
I was going real slow. Stopping and admiring the nature whenever it is possible. After a couple of Tea-breaks the sun is set. Its dark by the time i reached Addanki. Its the birthplace of famous telugu poet Errapragada, the last member of Kavitryam who translated Mahabharata in to Telugu. I expected to a statue of him on the main road, but all i have seen are the statues of Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.
After few kilometers the road got merged with NH5. I was able to go fast now, in fact i had a race with couple of Ongole bikers there, i could continue that, but i have stopped to see Taj Mahal. The local exhibition fellows built a replica of it. It was so good, and could fool anybody. I entered the Ongole town, and called my friend Samrat who is from the same place to take his advise on accommodation. He suggested Hotel Mourya beside Bus stand. I checked in, then went to meet him at the bus stand, gave send off to him and went on searching for food. After sitting for a long time on bike, bums feel funny when i started walking. So, i strolled for sometime before i slept.
Day 2
Next day i started at around 9 AM. When i checked Google Maps, i found Kavali ahead. Kavali is the background of the book "Poleramma banda kathalu " and "Dargamitta kathalu ", a telugu equivalent of "Swamy and his friends". Both the books are full of wit and comedy and personally i gave those to at least six friends as gift.
There is a beach in Ongole but, i have decided to skip it. After travelling for some time on the highway, i saw a board which says "Tanguturu" is few KM away. Tanguturi Prakasham panthulu a.k.a Andhra kesari ( The lion of Andhra) flashed in my mind. Without a second thought i have
I asked a man with Telugu-teacher-looks for the house address of Andhra kesari in Tanguturu. He enlightened me that, the forefathers of Prakasham pantulu lived there but not him.
Kavali
Then headed to kavali. Its few KM from the highway. Kavali is not as bad as i thought. "Poleramma banda kathalu " is the collection of short stories of kids of local high school. I
 |
| Poleramma Banda |
The distance between kavali and ocean is not more than 5KM. The ocean air is inviting me to the beach. So i have decided to go to a beach. There are two beaches in Nellore. Maipad and Kothakoduru. Due to logistics i have decided to go to kothakoduru beach.
Kothakoduru beach.
Its a long way from Highway to the beach. But the way is serene with fishponds and coconut trees. I was in a very good mood with all the greenery around me and going slow, as I was passing through a village, a kid with cycle started racing with me. I cant say he was "on" the cycle because he was not sitting on the seat, he was peddling with one through the frame of the bicycle , i
Soon i reached kothakoduru beach. Though its January, the area was hot. The beach is not well maintained. It must be the holiday-resort to the nearby villages.
I was enjoying the beach view and saw two bikers on the beach. Suddenly, i had the urge to ride my bike on the beach. I went to the parking place and started riding it. Its not easy to ride a bike on sand, it requires a technique. Naturally, i thought i should ride on the first or second gear as friction would be more, but i was wrong, biker should maintain an optimum speed or the wheels get stuck in the sand. Naturally, i though i should not ride on the wet sand as it cant support the weight of the bike and me. Again , i was wrong, riding on the wet sand with optimum speed is all it requires to enjoy the ride on the shore. It took me some time and lot of petrol to learn these things. A fellow
I scaled that construction, planned to hit the road and then have my lunch. On the beach, i found many hotels which only serve fish and crabs. I have little experience in eating fish and none regarding crabs. The men procure the fish and crabs and the ladies fry them and sell them. I always appreciate the equality in gender regarding economics. However, its more predominant in low class than in educated upper or middle class. However, domestic violence is more in lower class than in other classes. When the woman is financially independent , then why she has to tolerate domestic violence is the question which always beats me. May be i need some more understanding regarding, family, economics and women.
With little difficulty, i finished the fish. Its more like a snack than a meal. I started back and reached the highway, and started searching for a dhaba to eat. Again , i got myself into a janatha bar. I guess this trip is jinxed with janatha bars. Luckily, they also serve food. I had roties and resumed the journey.
I found many villages in Nellore whose names are hilarious. Dont understand how they got those names. The core city of nellore is called "Buja Buja nellore". I fueled the bike there and went on driving, laughing at the names. I have decided to make a halt at Sullurupeta.
It was dark, when i reached Sullurupeta. I started enquiring for lodges and about ten members eagerly surrounded me and trying to help me. The shining snake emblem on bike must have attracted them. I followed their directions and found a lodge near vegetable market. Rent is cheap and room is clean. The owner adjusted other vehicles so that i can park my bike inside the building. Surely, long driver gets lot of help from others. After dinner, i bathed and slept. But, woke up couple of times because of the trains on railway tracks which is not even 100 yards from the building. At least the building is not shaking , like shown in old bollywood movies.
Day 3
Woke up late and decided to visit nearby tourist spots. I started towards Pulicat lake. I had breakfast in the market and had a coffee near national highway. Then changed my mind and went to Nelapattu Bird Sanctuary. Its few kilometers from Sullurupeta. The place is crowded with
On the way to Pulicat lake, i met two saints walking on the highway. I considered them as fellow travellers and chatted with them for a while. Apparently, they are coming from Varanasi and their destination is Rameswaram. It took them 5 months on foot to reach Nellore and they are confident that they would reach the
Pulicat lake
Pulicat is in the village Thada which is at the border of Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu. Though, geographically its in A.P, Tamil culture is predominant there. There were no sign boards to Pulicat. I was asking for directions for everybody is confusing me, including Google Maps.
Finally, god sent an angle with white beard on old Luna. I followed him and reached Pulicat. Everything was great so far. I dont know Tamil and the fishermen don't know Telugu. We communicated in pidgin language and finally settled on Rs 200 for a trip in the lake. This is my
Pulicat is a lagoon. Its salty and with less depth. We have gone one KM from the bank and other fisherman standing in the lake arranging their Nets. I was able to show those sailors how to take a snap and they convinced me that its safe to walk in the lake. I got excited , left my wallet, mobile, bag, bike keys and shoes on the boat and jumped in the water. The cold water touched the face, then cold fear touched me. What can i do , if they hit my head with an oar and sail back to bank? Well, if they want to do something like that, they can hit me and throw in me water even from boat. I got a sailor who is walking with me holding the boat. I thought may be his job is make sure that i was drowned. Then i thought, i must start trusting people if want to travel alone. Then i thought about the saints i met earlier that day, and planned to walk back to home like them, if they rob me. At least i would become lean that way, but nothing of the sort happened. The fisherman walking with me offered Beedi, and encouraged me to swim in those waters.
Well, world is not a bad place at all. I swam for a while, then came to boat. I ditched the thought of getting back in to the boat and started walking. The mud under my feat is little slippery but the aquatic plants compensate that. I asked for one more beedi and walked while smoking. The month was January, the weather is chilling, i was waist deep underwater , there is water everywhere in half kilometer radius , and there are some fish jumping off the water like dolphins. At least i got one lifetime memory which i cherish till i die.
When we reached the bank, i paid the money. Interestingly, they offered me a fish which is still alive, as a gift. Or at least i thought it was a gift as i dont understand their language, but i don't know how to cook it, so i returned it to them and left.
I reached Thada but the problem of Tamil is still there. I never went out of Andhra pradesh after i grew up. I am at Tamilnadu border now, Chennai is about 40 KM, suddenly i had the urge to eat Idli - Sambar at Chennai. I crossed the state border towards Chennai. I travelled about 10KM on the highway, then i started contemplating things again. I dont know a bit of Tamil, none of my friends were living in Chennai, I remember someone saying that Chennai Traffic police are hostile towards vehicles from Andhra Pradesh.. so, I returned to Thada, called a friend who used to live in Chennai and asked him how to say " Is Idly available ?" in Tamil. The answer is "Idly irukaa".
Then i searched for Idly for sometime. Its almost 2 PM, so hotels stopped serving Idly. One guy said something in Tamil when i asked for Idly , and i heard the word "Dosa", i said ok and sat. He served a Dosa with sambar. Well, that Dosa is more like large idly.
I had lunch at a mess, then started towards Thada falls. However, thada falls is so large and have to walk so much that, i should have been there by 11 AM or so. I reached the place at closing time, i took few snaps of the small pond at the entrance and returned.
The detour to Thada is not a disaster, though i could not see the water falls. My bike tyres touched the dirt road for the first time. A lonely road , and the calmness is guarded by the hills around. The dried lands around me made me feel that i was riding for months. The beauty exhausted me. In the last three days i have seen new things, travelled on the road which i have not travelled before, talked to people with different accents. Its all too much to take for guy like me, who never really travelled before.
I thought of going to Sri kalahasti, spend the night there and travel back to hyderabad via chittoor, but dropped that idea as i am running our of money. With little money, i found the known places safe. I have returend to Sullurpeta, had a coffee and started off to Ongole.
Angles at midnight - police
After driving for a long time, fighting with insects , making my way through the darkness , a couple of teas , two rotis at a punjabi Dhaba, i reached Ongole by 1 AM.
I was searching for hotels to stay. Every where i go i get the reply "No rooms" from the watchman or attendant who is half asleep. Apparently, all the students who came to Ongole to write B.Ed exam next day occupied cheap hotels, including dormitories and costly hotels were occupied by a Cinema company. I was hopping from one Hotel to another in search of room. While roaming on the empty roads of Ongole, after half an hour, police zeep started following me. They stopped me and asked me about my details. After listening to my long drive, they got impressed and promised to help me out.
I have to mention , SI Sultan Khan. He took me to a Hotel , woke the manager up and told him that i was cousin and demanded a room for me. The greedy manager, who rented his own room , could not help me. Then one of the constable reminded the SI that , there was a new lodge in the adjacent lane. SI sent me there with two constables. Both lodge and its owner are small. First he said there are no rooms with droopy eyes, but the constables, lifted him up, threw him in the air and again caught him, just like we do with little kids. When safely landed, his mind is active and suddenly he remembered that there is a vacant room. I thanked the police, stayed in the hotel that night.
Day-4
Woke up a bit late in the morning , and started off to Hyderabad after thanking to SI once again. Few Kilometers of the road from Ongole is blocked because of the police selection. But i got bored to ride on the same road again and again. I have decided to take detour. I started off on Guntur
As i was having chai, i noticed sand on the bike. It must be from Kothakoduru beach. I had my bike water washed at Piduguralla. That waterwash cut the horn wire. Got it repaired at Macerla.
At Nagarjuna Sagar, i have seen little Romeos. Kids of about 10
Unlike many trips before, this trip gave me new experiences, i ventured into distant lands, i have seen people of different culture and language. Most of all, this trip proved my stamina.
One lesson i learned from this trip is to use sunscreen lotion.
