The Way Home

The Way Home

The next day would unfortunately be our last day riding through the mountains. Our initial plans included riding to Munnar from Kodai via Udumalpet, Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary etc. But something came up and we had to ride back home. The morning at Edwin’s guesthouse in Vatakkanal was splendid.

We saw the beautiful sunrise and then walked down the 50 odd steps in search of our morning tea. We found nothing there at that time as it was only 7 in the morning and Vattakkanal was still sleeping. We sat there looking at the view and waiting for a shop to open. That’s when we met Geoff and Tyana. 

Geoff spends 6 months in India and the remaining of his time in a year in Canada and England and Tyana flies down from Canada to join Geoff depending on her work/leave schedules. We quickly become friends as they saw our Bullet 500s and they had a RE Machismo themselves. Geoff is a serious biker and he knows his way around India and Tyana joins him whenever she can. Edwin's cafe was open by then and we sat there chatting about Vineeth's July plans to ride to the Himalayas from Kerala, places they could visit, wildlife photography etc. Geoff said he will probably be there at the Himalayas around that time as well. We discussed routes and places. Geoff was amused to hear about the Mulli road to Ooty. That’s when Tyana mentions how he lights up when he hears about the roads he hasn’t taken yet, to be taken soon. After a good morning coffee, toast and a crisp conversation, we bid adieu to Geoff and Tyana and we exchanged emails in the hope of keeping in touch. 

We get back to the cottage and get set to get out. It was a good day to ride. We get our heavy saddlebags down to the place where our bikes were packed and set up the bikes for the ride. It takes time to get the saddle bags on the bike and getting our riding gear on. We always get people looking at us when we are getting ready to get on the road. We say goodbye to Edwin and were on our way. We stop to buy plums as energy supplements for the road ahead. We go further down and stop for coffee at the same shop where we stopped on our way up. That shop had an excellent view of the mountains and the valley. We sat there and looked at it for some time as we were mentally preparing for the onslaught of heat waves when we reach Palani. We rode down the mountain stopping whenever we can and taking it slow. As soon as we reached the planes, the heat started working against us. The roads were good so we rode hard. The familiar heat of Kerala welcomed us back we were to go our separate ways from Palakkad. We break for one last time and then I moved Kozhikode and Vineeth and Sanal, to Cochin.   

The heart is content. For now. 

The Tamarind's Shade