I was the only frog in the well who had not tried whitewater rafting before.  Since everybody enthusiastically recommended the activity, Starbucks and I joined a half day Ayur Whitewater Rafting tour at 200,000 IDR each on our last day at Bali.  R and T intended to have some romantic time alone.

For breakfast this time round, we requested for Nasi Goreng and Mee Goreng.

I like the chillies in Bali, fiery and sweet.

The tour bus picked us up in the morning and took us to the starting point of the water rafting area.  Different companies start off at different locations along Ayur river.

Try not to bring too many things or you might be asked to deposit your bags at the staging area as there will only be a small waterproof bag in the raft to store our items.

For people who wear spectacles, the staff provides some rubber bands to secure your glasses so they don’t fall off.  For attire, most people were in simple tshirts and shorts.  A few were in swimming attires.

The whitewater rafting photos below were taken by Starbucks who brought along a waterproof camera.

5 of us were assigned to a guide.

Waiting for the rafts to be prepared.

Off we go!  One of the fun parts of whitewater rafting is to engage into water battle with other boats.  We were all wet with glee.

Falling in the river is optional.

We stopped regularly along the river especially before tight spots so that there would be ample space between different boats.

The Ramayana scenes was crafted into the walls of the banks.

A waterfall!

We all took turns going under the waterfall.

We spent almost 2 hours on Ayur river before proceeding to an area for bathing and lunch.  Lunch was a simple affair with 4-5 dishes.

When we got back to Rumah Roda, I saw a few missed calls on my mobile phone from a strange country code.  After seeing a flight reschedule email from KLM, I guessed the calls must be from KLM.  According to the email, there was an over-booking and we were rescheduled to a SIA flight the next morning with a rather miserable 75 dollars compensation voucher.

We didn’t see how KLM can expect we read their email during vacation especially on the same day as the flight departure.  And it’s apparent they would have sent the same email to as many people as possible in the hope that some of us would have accepted the reschedule.  We decided to feign ignorance and just turn up at the airport anyway.  Actually, delaying the flight to the next morning is not a big deal for us but 75 dollars cannot compensate an extra night’s hotel accomodation, dinner, transport and and additional half day’s leave.  Well, my travel insurance would probably get me another 100 or 200 dollars but that’s still not attractive enough for me to spend another night in Bali.

Back at Rumah Roda, R and T were not around and we had left our room key with them.  So I asked Ilu if she had a spare key to our room.  She playfully refused as we still didn’t get her any Starbucks treat.  Just at that moment, Starbucks appeared with a hot chocolate.  Ilu was all smiles and we could go back to our room.

With some time to spare before our arranged transport to Jimbaran for dinner, I visited Threads of Life located just beside Rumah Roda and bought A Little Bit One O’Clock by William Ingram.  In the book, William Ingram shared his stories staying with the Rumah Roda family.  It’s quite an interesting read about the Roda family.

Our driver, Ketut, took us to Jimbaran for seafood dinner before our night flight home.   One would probably be curious why there are so many Wayans, Mades, Nyomans and Ketuts in Bali.  Actually, they meant first born, second born, third born and forth born respectively.  The naming cycle goes back to Wayan for the fifth born and so on.  Females usually have different names.  Read more about Balinese names at Wikipedia.

Jimbaran beach.

Ceremonies at the beach. Along the way to Jimbaran, we also saw religious possessions.

Tourists from nearby resorts.

Kids enjoying sweet corns on the beach on a rainy day.

Our dinner place!

The food was great.  I especially like the clams.

After dinner, we headed to the airport and managed to negotiate our way to a flight seat.  Ketut waited patiently throughout in case we would need to leave the airport and find accomodations for the night.  If you need to book transport in Bali, you can find Ketut at mobile number +62 81933034876 or email lagas_200@yahoo.co.id.  He drives a comfortable Toyota.

Well, that’s all for the Bali trip. 

It rained torrendously over the night.  I had to wake up, roll down the shades and moved our stuffs away from the balcony.

When I woke up again at 630am, it’s still raining and there was a small pool of water in the room.  Just a perfect day to laze around.  But we had plans.

Not wanting to eat banana pancake for breakfast again, we preordered black rice pudding the night below.  To Singaporeans and Malaysians in the know, it’s basically Pulut Hitam.  I cannot remember having it in the past ten years because of an overdose during my two years in green.  So I had almost forgotten its good taste.

Read up a bit on rice pudding and realised that it’s a common dish around the world.  Maybe it would be a good idea to open a dessert stall that sells different varieties of rice pudding.

Daydream, delusion, limousine, eyelash
Oh baby with your pretty face
Drop a tear in my wineglass
Look at those big eyes
See what you mean to me
Sweet-cakes and rice puddings
I’m a delusion angel
I’m a fantasy parade
I want you to know what I think
Don’t want you to guess anymore
You have no idea where I came from
We have no idea where we’re going
Lodged in life
Like branches in a river
Flowing downstream
Caught in the current
I carry you
You’ll carry me
That’s how it could be
Don’t you know me?
Don’t you know me by now?

- Misquoted from Before Sunrise

It’s one of the rare times that I travel in a group where all the travelers can ride a motorcycle.  In fact, R and T had rode in Bali before.  They had also rode in Vietnam.  YC rode a motorcycle in Singapore.  But since we were four, we booked 2 motorcycles.  There were not a lot of choices and we got Honda automatics.

(I suddenly recalled that I have a way overdued Bukittinggi Trip Report.)

Before the ride, we visited the local market.  We heard that to see the local produce, it’s better to visit in the mornings.

R read about a famous food stall in the market and we paid it a visit.

We were unsure of what to order and a local who spoke English helped us.

The chicken meat was really tender and the innards were crunchy.

We headed back to Rumah Roda for our bikes which we paid 40,000 IDR for a day’s rental of a bike.  Helmets were provided free-of-charge.

The GPS map I had was really helpful and I depended on it for navigation.

There were helpful signs along the way.

And kilometer stones.

Petrol here was really cheap.  When we were in the region around Amed, we did not find any petrol stations.  But there were stalls selling bottled petrol.

Our first rest point was Padangbai, a popular beach town where tourists dive and snorkel.

We stopped at Topi Inn for drinks.

Soon we were on our way.  Getting off the main roads was more fun as there were less traffic and village scenes to see.  We followed Lonely Planet’s advice to take the longer, twistier and more adventurous road much less travelled that runs from Ujung right around the coast to the Amed area

The kids loved us.  How do they know we aren’t locals?

A glimpse of the black-sand beaches.

Lunch at Wayan’s Warung in Lipa, a small village near Ahmed.

While we waited for food, R haggled over some fruits with the villagers.  She returned standing tall and proud.

Our lunch.  I really need to learn how to remove automatic focus for such photos.  I had the cuttlefish which I thought was really well-done.

After lunch, we continued our way back to Ubud via the inland route.  R and T had a fall but it’s not serious.  They remained in high spirits throughout.  Nice to be traveling with positive people.

Back in the comfort of our guesthouse, we had a scrumptious dinner.  We had ordered smoked duck aka bebek betutu the day before as it needs one day of preparation.  There were also some side dishes.  We cheered to a fun day!

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There are two main mountains or volcanoes in Bali for climbing – Gunung Batur and Gunung Agung.  Gunung means mountain in Malay.

Gunung Agung, at 3142m, is Bali’s tallest mountain and holds special spiritual significance to the people of the Island.  Agung is a challenging climb that involves a 6-7 hike from Besakih to the summit.  To be in time for sunrise, the hike usually starts at around 11pm.  Getting down requires the same amount of time.  A shorter climb from Pura Pasar Gunung takes 3-4 hours but the route ends around 100m below the summit.  In march, it is still a bit wet and not exactly the best time to climb Agung.

Mt Batur is a much easier climb at 1717m that requires about 2 hours hike one way.  It’s a very popular trip among tourists because of its rewarding views and relative accessibility.  Our 225,000 IDR package included pick-up from our accomodations at 300am which arrived on time.

We reached Kintamani at around 410am and met our guide who issued us a bottle of water each.  He would be carrying our breakfast for us.  I carried an extra 2 litre of water in case the climb requires it and also for the exercise.  There was a light drizzle and some of the tourists put on their ponchos which were available for sale.  Torchlights would be essential for the night climb.

As it was dark, I did not managed to get much photos.  It’s relatively an easy climb on rather barren land.  But we still need to be careful of the loose rocks on the ground and the strong wind.

At 545am, we reached the viewpoint for sunrise.  There is a small hut which sells hot drinks where we can sit around protected from the cold winds.

R curled up in sleep while we waited for sunrise.  Our breakfast were bread and hard-boiled eggs.  The world is in love with hard-boiled eggs.

No glorious sunrise because of the clouds but the views were magnificent all the same.

A cave which our guide brought us to.

The volcano is still constantly spewing steam.

Heading downhill

There are villages and fruits/vegetables plantations.

When I was his age, I was just learning how to ride a bicycle.  Even at my ripe old age now, riding a motorcycle has been met with much opposition.

Yes, my mouth is sealed.

Back at Ubud, we visited nearby River View Restaurant for lunch.

YC playing with my Sony Nex 3 camera while waiting for our lunch.

Our lunch of Nasi Goreng, Nasi Campur, Rendang and some vegetables.

Despite waking up at 2 plus am, we were still not very tired and we had a drink at Rumah Roda.  T (R’s hubby) and I tried Arak while R had fruit juice.  Starbucks well, went to Starbucks for coffee and to buy some sourvenirs.

Arak or Arrack is usually made from either the fermented sap of coconut flowers, sugarcane, grain or fruit.  Our version includes limes and honey which gives the drink a nice sweet and sour taste.

Feeling a little light-headed, we finally headed back to our rooms for a rest.  I realised that a T-shirt which I had hung out for drying had fallen to a neighbour’s place.  I informed Ilu and Darma managed to retrieve it back for me.

People of Rumah Roda.  The family and the staff.  Ilu kept teasing Starbucks for not buying her any Starbucks.

Sunday night buffet at Rumah Rodah.  The food was decent and you get a sample of various Indonesian dishes.  Don’t expect Babi Gulings or Smoked Ducks in the menu though.  Still, at 35,000 IDR each, it’s value enough.

After dinner, we ventured off to town again.  The locals were out in their traditional garbs for ceremonies and celebrations.

We had some drinks and gelato at Oops restaurant.  I was probably very lucky to travel with R, T and YC.  They take charge when needed, hold interesting conversations, are easy-going and fun.  Glad I didn’t travel alone this time.

Count the number of lizards you can find, first correct answer get a prize from me!

Next

We were woken up by the sounds of nature.  Our room boasted a splendid view over the surrounding houses.

View from our bathroom

More shots around Rumah Roda Homestay.

Rumah Roda Homestay has a restaurant on its premise.  In fact, the restaurant is listed in Lonely Planet Guidebook but not its homestay.  Anyhow, our rooms came with free breakfast.

Banana pancake and rather powdery coffee.

After breakfast, we went for a Penestanan and Sayan walking tour listed on Lonely Planet.

We started off at Ubud Palace and headed west along Jalan Raya Ubud.

After Campuan Bridge, we walked pass Blanco Renaissance Museum before heading up a steep road.

Eat, drink and exercise them away at the same time.

We got a little lost around Sayan but a helpful local led us across padi fields to Sungai Ayung river.

Near Sayan Terrance is a path down to the Ayung river.

The Sungai Ayung is the popular river where tourists go for white-water rafting.

We planned to walk along the river to Kedewatan but was misdirected by a guide to a steep and dangerous path after we refused his service.  When we headed back, he was there waiting for us.  We wanted to ignore him and go down the other path but noticed that he had made signals to his friends down at the river.  We gave up and headed back to the main roads and continued north.

Had a chendol.  It’s slightly sour compared to the Singaporean version but still a soothing drink all the same for the hot weather.

Roundabout where we turned east.

Not your usual Absolut Vodka.

Along Jalan Raya Lungsiakan, a mini bus asked if we would like a lift at 10,000 IDR each.  We haggled and I proposed 15,000 IDR for a ride for all of us back to Ubud palace.  But R refused and said 10,000 IDR was the limit for all four of us and we walked away.  The driver shouted for us to come back.  I shall now also call R The Negotiator.

Next, we visited the famed Ibu Oka for Babi Guling or suckling pig.

The special set came with some choice cuts. The meat was very tender and went well with a mug of Bintang beer.

I was the only person who has not been to Bali and I took a stroll on the grounds of Ubud Palace.

We headed to the market.

Time for some dessert.

Cool-looking bike.

The Pura Taaman Saraswati (Ubud Water Palace).  There are weekly dance performances here at night.

Nearby is Starbucks which YC is a fan of.  He shall now also be known as Starbucks.

We stopped by at Padma tourist services near Rumah Roda to find out about the different tours available and booked a Mt Batur tour for the next morning.  Of course, The Negotiator took charge.

Then we headed back to Rumah Roda for a rest.  It’s a pleasure to sit by the balcony, read a good book and watch the sun goes down.

In the evening, we went for massage.  The Negotiator got us a 100 minutes scrub and massage session at just 80,000 IDR each.  It got to be the cheapest massage I ever had!

Oh, the stuff they used for my scrub.

A night performance at Pura Taman Saraswati.

Only apes can cross.

There were ceremonies at the local temples almost everyday we were in Ubud.  Not too sure if it’s because of the upcoming festival.

Dinner at Bebek Bengil aka Dirty Duck.

Not that cheap by Indonesian standards but the food was good and the atmosphere was great.

Eating at pavilions set by lush green padi fields.  Not that you can see much in the dark.

So crispy that you can eat the bones.  Came to realised that T has married a bone-eater.

Even the toilet was nice.

It rained heavily on the long walk back to Rumah Roda.  A taxi offered to take us back for 20,000 IDR but we were too cheap to take it up.  Yet, we paid half a million IDR for our dinner.  Illogical urban folks we were.

Passed by more Ogoh-ogoh statues.

Back at Rumah Roda, we took a group photo of our wretched selves in drenched clothes.  Haha, it was fun.

Next

Our flight was in the evening so I took just a half day leave and left for the airport directly from office after lunch.  As usual, I parked my scooter at Changi Airport T3, sheltered Carpark 3B before transferring to the skytrain to T1.

There are a few budget airlines flying from Singapore to Bali (Denpasar) but we opted for KLM (Royal Dutch Airlines) as their prices were competitive.  It’s always nice to have meals on board and movies to watch during the flight.  I didn’t know Meg Ryan was so pretty until I watched When Harry Met Sally.  Youth is indeed fleeting.

Even though the plane was almost packed, YC and me had an empty seat between us.  I selected seat 33A and YC, surmising it unlikely that someone would pick the middle seat, selected seat 33C.  In the case that someone did turn up, we would just request to switch seats.  His strategy worked and we had some additional space.

We reached Bali, Denpasar on schedule and Ketut, the driver of our arranged transport to Rumah Roda Homestay in Ubud was already waiting at the arrival gate. Traffic near the airport was heavy.

Along the 1 hour plus drive, Ketut pointed out to us the various Ogoh-ogoh statues being built for the Ngrupuk parade.  The parade takes place a day before Nyepi Festival or The Day of Silence.  The Day of Silence marks the new year according to the Balinese calendar.  It’s a day for self-reflection and things come to a standstill in Bali.  There would be no fires, no entertainment, no traveling, no flights and tourists are not exempted.  It’s an interesting custom but we would be leaving Bali just a few days before the festival.  So we only get to see some of the pre-festival preparations and celebrations.

Ogoh-ogoh are symbols of demons.  They are paraded around Bali before being burnt as a representation of self-purification.  We managed to see many Ogoh-ogoh during our stay in Bali and see them as creative works of art.

Rumah Roda Homestay is conveniently located at Jalan Kajeng which is a quiet lane off the main road of Jalan Raya Ubud.  Their address and contact details are as follow:

Jalan Kajeng 24 Ubud, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Telp     : +62-361-975487
Fax     : +62-361-976581
Email     :info@rumahroda.com

We made the reservation over the internet and was quoted 225,000 IDR for each room.  The low floor twin bed room for YC and I which we requested was not available so all four of us got upgraded to the third level for the better rooms.

After settling in, we ventured out to a bar for some drinks.

Next

Bali, the famed Island of the Gods, with its varied landscape of hills and mountains, rugged coastlines and sandy beaches, lush rice terraces and barren volcanic hillsides all providing a picturesque backdrop to its colourful, deeply spiritual and unique culture, stakes a serious claim to be paradise on earth.

With world-class surfing and diving, a large number of cultural, historical and archaeological attractions, and an enormous range of accommodations, this is one of the world’s most popular island destinations and one which consistently wins travel awards. Bali has something to offer a very broad market of visitors from young back-packers right through to the super-rich.

Bali is just a 2-3 hour flight from Singapore but somehow, I had never visited the island.  So with some annual leave to clear and some good people (R, T and YC) joining for the trip, I made my maiden trip to Bali.

We visited the places and took the roads shown in the map below.  On our forth day where we rode an eastern loop to Ahmed on motorcycle, I tracked the journey on my Garmin GPS receiver.  So if you are interested in the routes in GPX format, just leave a comment on this page and I will send the download link to your email address.  You can also download very good maps from Cloudmade which makes Garmin compatible maps from OpenStreetMap data.

The Bali trip report is divided into the following sections:

1. Introduction (You are here)
2. Journey Day 1 (Arriving at Bali Ubud)
3. Journey Day 2 (Ubud Walking Trail)
4. Journey Day 3 (Mt Batur)
5. Journey Day 4 (Motorcycling to Eastern Bali – Amed)
6. Journey Day 5 (Ayur Whitewater Rafting)

Disclaimer: This trip was taken in March 2012. The information is provided ‘as is’ with no warranties and confers no rights. If you are interested to know more, please add a comment and I will update the post with more details.

Next

I took a half day educational tour with Reality Travels to the Red Light District, Mahalaxmi Dhobi Ghat and Dharavi Slums. Above photo shows the 140-year-old dhobi ghat which literally mean “washing place”. There is also a recently released movie titled Dhobi Ghat starring Aamir Khan. It’s currently showing in Singapore with English Subtitles. Despite the huge number of movies churned out from Bollywood every year, I could only count 3 Indian movies which I have watched – Water, Slumdog Millionaire and 3 Idiots.

(Update Feb 2011: My colleague, Raj, decided that I need more doses of Bollywood and so I ended up watching the highly recommended Chak De India!, My Name is Khan, Rocket Singh and Like Stars on Earth.)

Reality Travel has a strict no-camera policy for tourists visiting the slums but they would provide some photos upon request. So the photos you see below are provided by Reality Travel. Before visiting the slums, I had expected that I would see skinny children, makeshift huts and in general, very bad living conditions. It must be the movies and the books. After the tour, my impression is that Dharavi Slums is basically a very oversized village (or town) with various cottage industries. Here are some interesting statistics about Dharavi slums:
- Annual turnover of business is estimated to be above USD650 million
- Population density is around 315,000 per square kilometer
- 60% of mumbai police lives there

Read more about Dharavi here.

After the tour, I went back to the hotel and read/chitchat with the staffs until evening when I took a taxi to the airport. Luckily, the plane reached Kuala Lumpur on schedule and I was able to clear the customs quickly. I was at the departure gate for my flight back to Singapore 1 hour before departure time. Reached Changi Airport and rode my Vespa back home. Had a good sleep before going back to office.

Thanks for reading.

Running route of the full marathon. For this run, I brought along my handphone in case of emergencies, also to take photos and track my run. Click for a bigger view.

Woke up at 4am and walked to Azai Maidan, the holding area for the marathon. There were 2 starting times for the full marathon – 6:15am and 7:40am. 7:40am was meant for the elites competing for prize money. Needless to say, I joined the earlier group.

There was a sense of camaraderie in the air as we all knew we were in for something difficult together. I had people coming up to me checking where I came from and wishing me luck. The runners with the balloons were the 5 hour pacers.

This was the only photo I took along the marathon. It gave me an excuse to stop and rest.

I completed the marathon in 4:48hr, a slight improvement from my previous marathon in 2009. As evident from the cramps I got from the 30km mark, I certainly did not train enough. I should have at least jogged up to 30km during the trainings. Hopefully, I would be inspired enough for another marathon and achieve a more respectable sub 4:30hr timing in future. Overall, the Mumbai Standard Chartered Marathon 2011 was a well-organised race with ample running space and drinking water. The atmosphere was great with locals cheering the runners on and offering homemade food to the lethargic runners. Click for a bigger view.

I limped back to my hotel, took a nap before catching a taxi to Mani Bhavan, a museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. This should be a must-visit on everyone’s itinerary. My favourite Gandhi’s quote is “An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.”.

Chowpatty beach is a short walk away. There were many people flying kites. I was told that it’s the Makar Sankranti festival which is celebrated with kite flying.

Kid at play, simple good fun

Sunset by Chowpatty. Actually, even before I started planning for my trip, I have read about places such as Chowpatty, Chor Bazaar and Dhavari Slums in books. Some of my favourite novels are set in India. I highly recommend the following:

- Family Matters by Rohinton Mistry
- Such a Long Journey by Robinton Mistry
- A Fine Balance by Robinton Mistry
- Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra
- Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
- Village by the sea by Anita Desai

I used to think that reading about the country before the trip and during the trip are important for better appreciation, understanding and to get one into the mood. Now that I am back from the trip and have just rewatched Slumdogs Millionaire and reread Shamtaram, I find that I recognised and learnt a lot more about India from the movie and book.

Oh, fans of Shantaram might be pleased to know that there is an upcoming sequel to the book. A movie adaption has also been planned for some time. Visit the official Shantaram site for more information.

Took a walking tour of Mumbai from Fort to Colaba

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), still fondly known as Victorial Terminal (VT), is the city’s most imposing building.

St Thomas’ Cathedral is the oldest English building standing in Mumbai.

Mumbai city is quite clean and the roads are in good condition. However, I do see people sleeping on the streets and some beggars (mostly mothers and children).

The Gateway of India at the tip of Apollo Bunder. It was built to commemorate the visit of King George V but ironically, it’s used later by the leaving British as India gained independence. I was here to take a one hour ferry to Elephanta Island to see the rock-cut temples.

Mini museum near the entrance of the cave temples described the various carvings I will see in the caves and also gave an introduction to the caves at Ajanta and Ellora.

Shiva. Once upon a time in school, I learnt that Shiva is the destroyer, Vishnu is the preserver and Brahma is the creator.

Cleverly advertised as the Indian Burger. I took the bait.

Return ferry ride to Mumbai mainland. On the left is the majestic Taj Mahal Palace and Tower. It was built in 1903 by JN Tata after he was refused entry to a “whites only” hotel.

I continued my walk to World Trade Centre further south in Colaba for the Mumbai Standard Chartered Marathon 2011 Expo. The goodie bag collection was well-organised and I took back many tidbits and healthcare products. I also visited the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (Prince of Wales Museum) on the way back to my hotel.

I spent the rest of the night preparing for my marathon tomorrow morning. I hope my well-worn shoes can bring me far.

Decided to visit Cherai beach on Vypreen Island about 25km from Kochi before my train ride to Mumbai in the afternoon.

A family was having fun in the sea.

And this guy was deep in meditation. Talking about meditation reminded me of Osho. Osho (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh) might be a controversial figure but I find his views on Freedom and Courage thought-provoking and there are some points which I can relate to.

Was on my way back to Kochi when I saw something huge coming up from my side mirror.

It’s an elephant!

Chicken Biryani again, my comfort food. It’s white, not the usual yellow/orange dish we see in Singapore.

Took a rickshaw (motorised 3-wheeler) to Ernakulam Junction Station for my 26 hour train ride to Panvel, where I need to switch to a local train via the harbour line to CST (South Mumbai).

I booked a AC 2 berth back in Singapore through cleartrip.com. Indian trains have quite a complex reservation system. Even if the bookings are full, you can still be on RAC (reserve against cancellation) or WL (waiting list). You would automatically move up if someone drop their reservation. Do vist seat61 for more information on Indian trains.

I reached Panvel according to schedule. Friends advised me to take first class for the local train to CST. So I queued up for a ticket only to be informed by the staff that I could jump queue if I am buying first class tickets.

First class carriage. The train was not very crowded. I find it interesting that cancer patients are represented by a crab

My first impression of Mumbai was the stately architecture of the numerous colonial buildings. The photo above shows the Mumbai Postal Office. My hotel (Hotel Travellers’ Inn) in Fort was just a short walk away.

I had mushroom biryani at Anubhav The Veg Delite. It’s one of the best biryanis I ever had. But I still do not like the taste of buttermilk.

Took off early in the morning (6am!) for Top Station (34km away). The photo above shows Mattupetty Dam.

It’s freezing cold but I couldn’t find any hot chai shops at Echo Point. Please bring warm clothes if you intend to ride so early.

Entrance to Top Station view point, the smaller sign says Tata Tea Ltd – Private Property.

View from Top Station

On the way back to Munnar, I rode pass tea plantations and more tea plantations.

Took a sneak photo of 2 plantation workers

Rolling hills of tea plantations

Another shot of the water dam.

Fun winding roads.

It took me almost 4 hours to get back to Kochi from Munnar. Traffic at Kochi was heavy. I settled back at Biju’s Tourist Home and took a stroll along the coast.

In Kodaikanal, I stayed at Greenlands Youth Hostel. It’s one of my most expensive accomodations in India at 1200Rp. It has sweeping views of the mountains.

It’s very cold in the morning and some hot chai and Idli were definitely welcomed.

Took a leisurely walk around Kodaikanal lake. Being alone gives plenty of time for contemplation.

Scenery from Coaker’s Walk.

Left Kodaikanal for Munnar. On the map, Munnar is just around 81km from Kodaikanal. That was what I thought when I decided to visit Kodaikanal. But after some internet research, I realised that the road has not been operative since 1990. I could get to Munnar either via Theni or Palani. I opted for Palani as going by Theni would mean repeating some of the roads I had taken. I also gave Mr Niaz a call and he recommended the road via Chinnar (west of Palani) as well.

You probably realised that I started taking photos along the ride. Yes, I am getting more confident with the Enfield Bullet and grew to like the engine sound, stability and power. I see almost zero traffic along the way and that worries me.

I was 1 hour out of Kodaikanal towards Palani when I came across road constructions. The poor car had to u-turn and climb back up the winding roads. Ah, that explains the low traffic.

I almost wanted to follow the car and take the Theni route until I saw a local coming out of the hut. I asked him about a bypass and he directed me to a small unblocked path only passable by motorbikes. By asking, I did not mean talking to him in English, Hindi or Tamil. It’s just hand signals and a face that looked lost.

Road constructions. Talking about roads, most of the roads I rode on are in good conditions.

One of the 17 hairpin bends of Palani hills.

I stopped by another view point.

After a rather long ride (5.5hr) and passing through Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, I settled down at Westend Cottages of Munnar town.

As there was still time, I took a rickshaw (tired of riding) to Tata Tea Musuem. But wait, why did the sign says Kanan Devan Hills Plantations? The plantations used to be owned by Tata Tea until they distributed the ownership to the planters and the plantations are now known as Kanan Devan Hills Plantations or KDHP for short. The excellent video and write-up found in the museum gives a history of the plantations and the lives of the planters.

A staff explaining the tea growing process. He also taught us how to prepare tea properly and introduced white tea to us.

As the population of tea estate workers grew, houses, schools and facilities were built. Today, Tata Tea continue to maintain and fund the High Range School and the Tata General Hospital at Munnar.

My Nokia C7 at Hotel C7

Indian snacks

Having hot mutton soup by the road side in cold Munnar (1500m above sea level) is an enjoyment

View of Munnar town

Masala dosa. I was not adept with my fingers and broke dining etiquettes by putting fingers in my mouth and licking my fingers. Don’t blame me, I am just a stupid tourist.

This is a shot of Periyar Lake taken from a KTDC boat. To get to this boat was an experience to be told. At 530am, I reached the entrance of Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary only to find hordes of vehicles behind the closed gate. I squeezed my Enfield to the front, parked it and joined the human queue for park entry tickets. In front of me was Hiren, an Indian from Australia. He told me that he was here yesterday as well but couldn’t get any boat tickets for him and his wife. Looking at the long queues, I could see how that can happen and I was not too confident about catching the 7am KTDC boat today either. Hiren then asked if I could pillion him on my motorcycle from the park entrance to the KTDC boat office by the lake as his car was way behind the other vehicles. I readily agreed but not before informing him of my incompetency with the bike. We soon bought our park entrance tickets, started our engines and readied ourselves on the motorcycle while giving fierce looks to our competitors. At 610am, the gates of hell opened and the world’s most dangerous rally race flagged off. As vehicles sped and jostled for space, I gradually fell out the top 10 positions. It’s definitely not helped by the dark. There were also humps along the way. Every time we spotted a hump, it’s too late and we went “Wooooooaaaaaaahhh” as we flew through the air, half-expecting ourselves to fall off our bike. Realising that our bike remained on solid ground and our continual survival in the 3km race, we laughed hysterically. It’s really crazy. Near the KTDC boat office, we quickly abandoned the bike and sprinted to the ticket queue. We made it!

Hiren and his wife

The sanctuary is 777 sq km and consists of a 26 sq km lake. In the morning, the boat ride is very peaceful with great scenery. The guides on the boat highlighted the various wildlife.

There is the Lake Palace Hotel in the middle of the Periyar reserve on a tiny island. It is very expensive but imagine the exclusivity and tranquility. Perfect for a honeymoon. No, it’s not shown in the photo. I am not going to spoil it for you.

Wild boars. We also spotted deers and bisons.

The wildlife office is now very particular about safety especially since the 2009 Thekkady Boat Disaster. Not sure if the boat in the photo is the capsized boat.

Next, I visited Highrange Spice Gardens for an educational tour on Indian spices.

Stopped by a view point, en route to Kodaikanal. The roads out of Kumily were flat and straight but as I neared Kodaikanal, the roads turned winding. It’s always scarier to ride on the side the mountain roads where a mistake will see you at the bottom of mountains.

We can read the distance to the next destination from these Kilometer stones. Just kidding, most of the kilometer stones I spotted had English spelling of the destinations. If kilometer stones are not available, there should be obvious signs near every junctions.

Kodaikanal is a compact and misty town situated 2100m above sea level. Click for bigger image.

Dinner was Paneer Pulav with Masala Tea.

I visited Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary in the morning. Early morning is supposed to be the best time for bird watching.

“I see my path, but I don’t know where it leads. Not knowing where I’m going is what inspires me to travel it.” – Rosalia de Castro

Continue walking down the path after a u-turn and you would pass by 2 watch towers.  End of trek was marked by a huge pool of water.

I did see some birds.

Spotted another house boat in action.

Back to hotel, packed up and ready for another ride to Kumily.

Reached Rose Garden Homestay in Kumily. I was introduced to a slew of activities that I can participate in Kumily. There are boating, hiking, martial arts and dance performances. Most people come to Kumily for a boat ride in Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary. Me too. But I was told that it’s too late (4pm) and I should do it early tomorrow.

Took a walk around Kumily town.

Popular Indian sweets

Had a banana fritter and chai at a snack house. It cost me 12 Rp.

I noticed many pilgrims in Kumily and Kochi. I even met some on the flight from Kuala Lumpur to Kochi. I later learnt that the famous hill shrine at Sabarimala attracts thousands of Ayyappan Devotees every year. Read more about Sabarimala here and the sad news I received when I was in Mumbai.

Ever wonder why people look up when they think?

Attended a Kalaripayattu (a form of Indian martial arts) demonstration. It’s more interesting than I originally imagined.

After that, I went for a Kathakali (a form of Indian dance-drama) show. There were English explanations.

Kochi is made up of a few islands and peninsulas. I stayed at Ernakulam and took a stroll to the boat jetty in the morning. Above photo shows a bus stand near the jetty.

Checking my GPS. I originally thought that my newly acquired Nokia C7 can replace my Garmin Legend Cx. While the Nokia C7 comes with free but detailed Ovi-Maps for many countries which can be used without mobile data plan, the Garmin Legend Cx is still more suitable for mounting on a motorcycle for its waterproofing capability, better durability/ruggedness, long battery life and non-touch screen interface. As I did not have any good physical maps for this trip, I was quite dependent on the Garmin’s map. To be exact, the maps are not provided by Garmin but are actually created from OpenStreetMap data. It’s fortunate that I managed to get this map loaded to my Garmin the night before my departure.

Various boats docked by the jetty as I waited for my ferry to the historical town of Fort Cochin. The ferry is located just a short walk away from Biju’s Tourist Home.

Reached Fort Cochin and took a stroll to the various sights. There are ample signage around. One would notice Kerala’s tagline -God’s Own Country everywhere we go.

Chinese fishing nets

Catholic church Santa Cruz Basilica was original built in 1506

Car and motorbike ferry

Took another long stroll from Fort Cochin to Mattancherry

Roaming goats

I like the colours of this photo.

Pardesi Synagogue and Jew Town

Mattancherry palace was built by the Portuguese for the Raja of Kochi. It now stores Hindu murals with scenes from Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranic legends.

Back in Ernakulam and visited the garage of the motorbike rental company which is located just 2 doors down from Biju’s Tourist Home.

Rusty at parts, difficult to kick start, no electric start, gears on the right, foot brake on the left, kick up to to gear 1, kick down to gears 2-3-4, no signal lights, no fuel lock, heavy and more than 30 years old (manufactured in 1979), needless to say, my first impression of the bike was not good. I took a test ride and my confidence was so low that I asked if there are any alternate bikes like the Bajaj Pulsar. Well, since I am in India, I should at least ride an Indian bike right? Mr Niaz was patient with me and tried to explain to me the virtues of the Enfield Bullet. Realising that it’s around 2pm and I need to start moving or I might not reach Kumarakom before dark, I decided to bite the bullet (pun intended). So I quickly followed Mr Niaz and his mechanic to top up the petrol and bought a full-faced helmet (less than USD 10) for myself.

Indian traffic is not too scary. I would say that the traffic situation is similar to that of countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand or Vietnam. I find the amount of honking acceptable too. But then, maybe I have a higher threshold. My main problem was with the bike. Often, I needed to brake urgently and I stepped on the gears instead. And I was frequently worried that the engine would go off and I had to kick start the bike in heavy traffic. So I kept my right hand tight on the throttle even when neutral. Did I mentioned that it’s hard to engage neutral? Above was the only photo I took during the ride from Kochi to Kumarakom. As you can see, there were useful road directions.

I survived my first 70km on Indian roads and reached Tharavadu Heritage Home in one piece. Most tourists chose to stay in a boat house to explore the Kerala back waters. But it’s quite expensive and would probably make me feel more lonely. Oh, Arundhati Roy, booker-winning author of The God of Small Things, used to live in the nearby Aymanam village.

Glad to leave the Enfield Bullet behind and visited the Vembanda Lake and surroundings.

A house boat at Vembada Lake. Some house boats have modern facilities like air-conditioned rooms, kitchen and dinning room. I first saw a house boat and Ayurveda in action in the movie Backwaters (don’t watch, it’s quite bad).