"2 bikers.. 1 road... Golden quadrilateral.. 5900kms.. 100 hours.. Every day 1600kms.. Starting at 6am on 13th May.. Really tensed.. Equally excited.. Conquering golden quadrilateral.." this was our first FB post on May 13th.
As per the plan Niranjan and I were supposed to leave Bangalore at 4 AM on Monday, but at the last moment we postponed it as we didn't had a good sleep and also we were bit tired and tensed too..
As-usual this trip too like all our other trips, planing and preparation went till the end moment..Though we planned to start on May 13, I didn't had a proper bike to ride. So I tried to hire a bike from bike renters in Bangalore but didn't work out, when just 2 days left for the ride I bought a used 2011 model Karizma R, bike was in very good condition... was really lucky, It was smooth, pickup was good, only rear tyre was worn-out so on the previous day of the ride I met Niranjan we both went to JC road(Banglore) in search of tyres, most of the shops were closed and few were about the close, finally we found MRF, got the tires changed for both the bikes and also changed our helmets visor in a near by bike apparel store.(Already Niranjan had made some modification on his bike where he had mobile phone charger connected to the battery, fog lights fitted to engine gaurd and Real time web tracker(http://www.greenalp.com/RealtimeTracker/) on his Samsung).
Later Niranjan and I went to a service station to get our bikes a quick service(Changed oil, replaced head light bulb.. adjusted chain, Quick wash..etc etc) then tanked up petrol and we were set to leave home at 4 AM.
I went to bed but didn't get sleep..was awake till 2 AM, It was same with Niranjan. So instead of 4 AM we left home at noon 12:30 pm...
Day 1 (23hrs & 1500kms ride):(Bangalore to Anand, Gujarat)
Gurjarth-Rajsthan border Highway was bit wired to ride
Day 3 (Ajmer to Faridabad ~450kms)
had breakfast & after thanking them for giving us the place to sleep we continued our ride
Our FB post at 11:45 AM "Crossed udaipur, heading towards Jaipur... Extreme weather conditions (mercury touching 44 degrees) , Melted tar on the roads, heavy truck traffic, minor bike problems are slowing us down a lot. Nevertheless, The ride continues amidst all the hurdles".
Crossed Udaipur and stopped for Lunch, As requested Niranjan maintained SIELANCE and then we went to JAINTS toilet :)
Also we got our bikes serviced near Ajmer, it almost took good 3 hours for servicing.
Later Crossed Ajmer..We maintained 135-140Kmph speed..weather was bit hot and windy(dust) and then there was little rain near Ajmer...Reached Jaipur..Jaipur welcomed us with sandstorm..it was awesome..browny view all over..stopped after crossing Jaipur to tankup..
We continued the ride, crossed Rajasthan -Haryana border, by the time we reached Gurgaon it was almost 9:00PM..and there after road was very bad and lot of traffic(also it was jam), some how we managed to reach Delhi and after few stops in Delhi we reached Faridabad and then took 4 hours to find a good hotel in Faridabad it was 4:30 AM by the time we went to bed. After waking up, Niranjan had some pain in the foot and also it was bit sollowen..we thought it because of continuous ride..
After 5 1/2 hours of sleep.....we left Faridabad at 12:30 PM.
Day 4:(Faridhabad - Varanasi: 800Kms)
Well Our FB status tells the story "Extremely bad weather in rajasthan. Encountered sand storm, heat storm an all bloody hurdels. Managed to reached Delhi last evening and was caught in worst traffic in Delhi. Took 3 hrs to cover 20 KMS and a another good 4 hrs to find a place to stay. We r running so much behind the planned schedule. Nevertheless v r determined to complete the GQ ride. Now nearing Agra. Temp still sizziling at 45/46 deg. Hope it gets better as we move on...."
Somewhere in between Etawah and Auraiya(UP), I had to split up the ride with Niranjan as I lost my glove. Before, we stopped for the fuel refill and then after riding 15 kms far I realized that my of one glove is missing..that was almost dawn..so asked Niranjan to go ahead and I went back searching the glove..and found it near to the petrol station. Then at 9pm reached Kanpur and met Niranjan, he was waiting in a restaurant at Kanpur outskirts.
Best part of the ride was riding on never ending over-bridge(longest flyover in Asia), its 27 kms..it was awesome..though there was a bit traffic jam on the flyover, manged to ride in between the trucks..it was amazing though.
At Kanpur with chef..
Left Kanpur around 10:30pm, Road from Kanpur to Varanasi was awesome..Later around 3AM we reached Varansi(Kasi), it was continuous riding with couple of tea breaks..
As-usual this trip too like all our other trips, planing and preparation went till the end moment..Though we planned to start on May 13, I didn't had a proper bike to ride. So I tried to hire a bike from bike renters in Bangalore but didn't work out, when just 2 days left for the ride I bought a used 2011 model Karizma R, bike was in very good condition... was really lucky, It was smooth, pickup was good, only rear tyre was worn-out so on the previous day of the ride I met Niranjan we both went to JC road(Banglore) in search of tyres, most of the shops were closed and few were about the close, finally we found MRF, got the tires changed for both the bikes and also changed our helmets visor in a near by bike apparel store.(Already Niranjan had made some modification on his bike where he had mobile phone charger connected to the battery, fog lights fitted to engine gaurd and Real time web tracker(http://www.greenalp.com/RealtimeTracker/) on his Samsung).
Later Niranjan and I went to a service station to get our bikes a quick service(Changed oil, replaced head light bulb.. adjusted chain, Quick wash..etc etc) then tanked up petrol and we were set to leave home at 4 AM.
I went to bed but didn't get sleep..was awake till 2 AM, It was same with Niranjan. So instead of 4 AM we left home at noon 12:30 pm...
Day 1 (23hrs & 1500kms ride):(Bangalore to Anand, Gujarat)
I left home at 12:30 pm and met Niranjan at Hebbal flyover..he was coming from Marathahalli. At day one our goal was to ride 1600kms(in 24 hrs). We left Hebbal at 1PM....After 15 minutes of riding we encountered a huge traffic jam due to a under-construction flyover, we had to detour to join Tumkur road(it accounted 4 kms more on the odometer)... though weather was bit hot..didn't feel much heat while riding..road was awesome...there was little traffic...We took first break after riding 150 KMS...then after riding another 50 kms Niranjan's bike came to reserve..so we started looking for petrol station and our speed dropped from 135kph to 80kph..Bike ran out of fuel before we find the petrol station and came to halt... We had 4 liters backup fuel in the bag..so we used it...then after riding another 75 KMS we found a petrol station and tanked up our bikes(in 4 hrs we covered 275 KMS)..we continued our ride with full throttle till next stop, it was around 8pm when we stopped at HP petrol station Bagewadi(near belgum) by that time we covered almost 500KMS..Continued after tank(s)up.
"Ride going good. Covered approx 600 KMS in 8 hrs. Crossing belgaum now... Just loving it..!!" was our post on fb at 9PM.
It was really a lovely ride, though it was not an unfamiliar road for us as once we already did saddle sore(1600kms in 24hrs ride) from Bangalore to Pune and Back..and also Bangalore to Shiridi ride..
We crossed Kolhapur, Satara then took a short tea break at 1:30 AM near Pune...After Pune somehow we got into Mumbai express highway..it was fun riding in express highway and as it was around 4 AM no one was there to stop us..and it took us a while to get out of Mumbai/Thane with a stop to tankup petrol(Niranjan's bike mileage was 20-25KMpl so it made us to give more stops to fill petrol)...I was feeling bit sleepy but managed to ride with couple of tea breaks...
NH-8 was awesome but there were lot many(a queue) slow moving trucks..So we had to ride zig zag overtaking the slow moving trucks.. it was just like a road rash game we really enjoyed it...after crossing a toll booth..I missed Niranjan...As I rode bit fast I thought Niranjan is still lagging behind, I was not able reach him on the phone..waited near toll plaza for 20 mins(was bit worried too)....Then he called me and said he passed the toll long back and he is waiting in the next toll(the next toll was around 25kms away)..so after 15mins of ride I reached next toll booth and met Niranjan...later we continued. Riding in Gujarat was as there were lot many flyovers(short) it was more like a roller coaster ride..passed thorough Vappi, Atul, Ankleshwara and we reached Vadodara at 11 AM and we tried to enter Ahmedabad--Vadodara express highway..but at the toll they stopped and sent us back...So that made us to ride on under-construction NH-8..It was really frustrating..as road was not at all good and lot of traffic..To reach Anand from Vadodara it took almost an hour..As I was feeling very sleepy, was not able to continue the ride, we decided to stop at Anand(after riding 23 hrs and 1500kms...According to odometer its was 1542 KMS).
Weather was very hot at Anand , we had lunch there and then after 1 hr search we found one hotel in the center of the town..Not to say we were bit tired....I tried to sleep but didn't get sleep..so was watching tv and spent some time on terrace glancing the town..it was nice city with old buildings and half painted houses..later after dinner, we were back on the road at 11:30pm...
Day2: (Anand to Ajmer ~560 Kms)
"Ride going good. Covered approx 600 KMS in 8 hrs. Crossing belgaum now... Just loving it..!!" was our post on fb at 9PM.
It was really a lovely ride, though it was not an unfamiliar road for us as once we already did saddle sore(1600kms in 24hrs ride) from Bangalore to Pune and Back..and also Bangalore to Shiridi ride..
We crossed Kolhapur, Satara then took a short tea break at 1:30 AM near Pune...After Pune somehow we got into Mumbai express highway..it was fun riding in express highway and as it was around 4 AM no one was there to stop us..and it took us a while to get out of Mumbai/Thane with a stop to tankup petrol(Niranjan's bike mileage was 20-25KMpl so it made us to give more stops to fill petrol)...I was feeling bit sleepy but managed to ride with couple of tea breaks...
NH-8 was awesome but there were lot many(a queue) slow moving trucks..So we had to ride zig zag overtaking the slow moving trucks.. it was just like a road rash game we really enjoyed it...after crossing a toll booth..I missed Niranjan...As I rode bit fast I thought Niranjan is still lagging behind, I was not able reach him on the phone..waited near toll plaza for 20 mins(was bit worried too)....Then he called me and said he passed the toll long back and he is waiting in the next toll(the next toll was around 25kms away)..so after 15mins of ride I reached next toll booth and met Niranjan...later we continued. Riding in Gujarat was as there were lot many flyovers(short) it was more like a roller coaster ride..passed thorough Vappi, Atul, Ankleshwara and we reached Vadodara at 11 AM and we tried to enter Ahmedabad--Vadodara express highway..but at the toll they stopped and sent us back...So that made us to ride on under-construction NH-8..It was really frustrating..as road was not at all good and lot of traffic..To reach Anand from Vadodara it took almost an hour..As I was feeling very sleepy, was not able to continue the ride, we decided to stop at Anand(after riding 23 hrs and 1500kms...According to odometer its was 1542 KMS).
Weather was very hot at Anand , we had lunch there and then after 1 hr search we found one hotel in the center of the town..Not to say we were bit tired....I tried to sleep but didn't get sleep..so was watching tv and spent some time on terrace glancing the town..it was nice city with old buildings and half painted houses..later after dinner, we were back on the road at 11:30pm...
We crossed Nadiad, Modasa. ... when we were about reach Rajasthan's border my bike started wobbling and that too it happened when I was over taking a truck at night..first I thought bike got punctured, when checked everything was fine except chain was bit lose....Again bike wobbled couple of times as the road was uneven...I was feeling very sleepy as I was awake from last 45 hours and I couldn't ride anymore so we took a shelter in a roadside dabha..It was a open sky..Woke up at 8:30 AM...bikes, bags were still there.
Gurjarth-Rajsthan border Highway was bit wired to ride
had breakfast & after thanking them for giving us the place to sleep we continued our ride
Crossed Udaipur and stopped for Lunch, As requested Niranjan maintained SIELANCE and then we went to JAINTS toilet :)
Also we got our bikes serviced near Ajmer, it almost took good 3 hours for servicing.
We continued the ride, crossed Rajasthan -Haryana border, by the time we reached Gurgaon it was almost 9:00PM..and there after road was very bad and lot of traffic(also it was jam), some how we managed to reach Delhi and after few stops in Delhi we reached Faridabad and then took 4 hours to find a good hotel in Faridabad it was 4:30 AM by the time we went to bed. After waking up, Niranjan had some pain in the foot and also it was bit sollowen..we thought it because of continuous ride..
After 5 1/2 hours of sleep.....we left Faridabad at 12:30 PM.
Day 4:(Faridhabad - Varanasi: 800Kms)
Well Our FB status tells the story "Extremely bad weather in rajasthan. Encountered sand storm, heat storm an all bloody hurdels. Managed to reached Delhi last evening and was caught in worst traffic in Delhi. Took 3 hrs to cover 20 KMS and a another good 4 hrs to find a place to stay. We r running so much behind the planned schedule. Nevertheless v r determined to complete the GQ ride. Now nearing Agra. Temp still sizziling at 45/46 deg. Hope it gets better as we move on...."
We covered ~2700 KMs in 74 hours....but still it was long(half) way to go..and yes we were determined to complete the GQ ride.
We continued our ride in UP ..there were many bikers(bi-cycles) along the road and people were crossing the road carelessly as like "hit me if you can" ..at highspeed we had few near escapes...were lucky...later we stopped at hotel called Yogiraj hotel..but after entering the hotel Niranjan renamed it to Makkiraj hotel..as restaurant was full of houseflies.
In the memory of Makkis ..
We continued our ride in UP ..there were many bikers(bi-cycles) along the road and people were crossing the road carelessly as like "hit me if you can" ..at highspeed we had few near escapes...were lucky...later we stopped at hotel called Yogiraj hotel..but after entering the hotel Niranjan renamed it to Makkiraj hotel..as restaurant was full of houseflies.
In the memory of Makkis ..
Best part of the ride was riding on never ending over-bridge(longest flyover in Asia), its 27 kms..it was awesome..though there was a bit traffic jam on the flyover, manged to ride in between the trucks..it was amazing though.
At Kanpur with chef..
At Varanasi, it took 2-3 hours to get a good hotel..as almost every hotel was full and available ones were not good..finally we found one at 5AM...We were fed up in searching hotels..
Well Niranjan's foot was getting worse..was swollen more..it was very difficult for him to even lift his foot or change gear...When still Niranjan was taking rest I visited Ganges and Lord Vishwanth temple.
Well Niranjan's foot was getting worse..was swollen more..it was very difficult for him to even lift his foot or change gear...When still Niranjan was taking rest I visited Ganges and Lord Vishwanth temple.
Polluted Ganges :
Day 5:(Varanasi to Dhanbad ) 430 kms
On Dehri bridge..it's 3.6 KMs long bridge over Sone river, parallel to this there is a Railway bridge and apparently still it is the longest railway bridge in Asia..
Usually while riding at night, we follow cars..so we tried to do the same while riding in Bihar and funny part was the cars which we were following stopped, it happened thrice ...maybe they thought we are trying to mug them..
Later we crossed Aurangabad and near to Tajpur at mid night Nirnajan bike's engine started to make some noise due less oil. That area was dense forest and there was just one locked out house, we stopped there as there was a light and we were checking the bikes engine oil..then a police jeep came with an Inspector and 5 armed commandos(with AK-47, grenades)..Inspector started enquiring our whereabouts, then he said it is a naxalite area and It was bad idea to stop there. He was very friendly infact he helped us to change the engine oil..we just had one bottle of engine oil as a backup..so he asked his driver to take me to nearest petrol station to buy an engine oil. The drive to the petrol station was awesome..it was midnight and breezy, It was a nice feeling to sit in the front seat of the police Jeep..Later he took us to a nearby dabha and treated us with a tea and shared his stories about naxalite hunting and difficulties in his job(with very less salary and overtime duties as less police in his department). An awesome guy he was and a salute to him.
After the tea treat we continued the ride and reached Dhanbad, as usual it took some time to find a good hotel and it was almost 5 AM.
Well in the morning Niranjan's foot was swollen more, and we just could not continue anymore. Also the bikes got into minor problems. So we decide to stay back for another night in Dhanbad, Got our bikes serviced and consulted doctor for swollen legs. Doctor advised Niranjan to take rest and gave some antibiotics tablet.
In the evening we decided to head to a nearby coal mine. The sight at the mines was breathtaking. We were literally walking on the burning coal. We were spellbound by the sight. We had started the ride with a target in mind but the hurdles enroute had finally made us land in a coal mine. Though we were saddened for not able to make it as per the initial schedule, the experience at the coal mine washed away all our sadness.
With coal mine Manager. He explained about mining,..it was nice to know about coal mines..
Burning coal mine..
Niranjan operating the Volvo crane in coal mine..
Few pic with crane operator and the mine crew.
(Gangs of) Wasseypur
Day6: (Dhanbad to Kolkata) 280KMs
Next day Morning we left Dhanbad and reached Kolkata around 10:30 AM and there we visited Belur math and Kali temple.
Left Chennai around 11 PM and crossed Vellore, road was excellent and there was bit traffic.
I was feeling very sleepy..tried quick nap technique but dint work. So finally near to Krishnagiri we stopped riding and just slept off on the bike..later early morning we crossed Krishnagiri, Hosur and then reached Bangalore at 6:30 AM.
Niranjan's legs at the end of the ride...glad we made it..
And final ride status update on FB by Niranjan:
"Im home. FINALLY. After a long time im experiencing the cool Bangalore breeze and my bum has found a nice cushion to rest. This has been the most amazing road trip i've ever had. Covered 5972 KMS, touched 13 states, experienced the roasting weather up north, to heavy winds blowing at 100 KMPH in the west coast. The unexpected warm hospitality in BIHAR, the mechanic who helped us get our bike repaired at the devils hour in Costal andhra, and a women who got us a a torch at 2 AM for repairing the bike. The guy at a pertol bunk who provided us the shelter in a deserted stretch. Wow met many such generous people enroute. The experience of being in a coalmine in Jharkand was mind blowing. we encountered many many hurdles, first with the roasting heat, bad roads, problems with bikes at several places, the tiredness, burnt bums, swollen legs,huh the list goes on. We never anticipated this. At times many of my friends adviced us to abort the trip, and take a flight/train and get home. But we didnt relent. We started, and we had to finish no matter what comes our way. And here we are. Though we couldn't complete the ride in the expected time, we are still proud to say, we COMPLETED the ride amidst so many hurdles. Thanks to all my dear friends and well wishers who have been supporting us throughout...WE HAVE CONQUERED THE GOLDEN QUADRILATERAL. "
Day 5:(Varanasi to Dhanbad ) 430 kms
Left Varnasi in the Afternoon..crossed Dehri and reached Aurangabad
On Dehri bridge..it's 3.6 KMs long bridge over Sone river, parallel to this there is a Railway bridge and apparently still it is the longest railway bridge in Asia..
Usually while riding at night, we follow cars..so we tried to do the same while riding in Bihar and funny part was the cars which we were following stopped, it happened thrice ...maybe they thought we are trying to mug them..
Later we crossed Aurangabad and near to Tajpur at mid night Nirnajan bike's engine started to make some noise due less oil. That area was dense forest and there was just one locked out house, we stopped there as there was a light and we were checking the bikes engine oil..then a police jeep came with an Inspector and 5 armed commandos(with AK-47, grenades)..Inspector started enquiring our whereabouts, then he said it is a naxalite area and It was bad idea to stop there. He was very friendly infact he helped us to change the engine oil..we just had one bottle of engine oil as a backup..so he asked his driver to take me to nearest petrol station to buy an engine oil. The drive to the petrol station was awesome..it was midnight and breezy, It was a nice feeling to sit in the front seat of the police Jeep..Later he took us to a nearby dabha and treated us with a tea and shared his stories about naxalite hunting and difficulties in his job(with very less salary and overtime duties as less police in his department). An awesome guy he was and a salute to him.
After the tea treat we continued the ride and reached Dhanbad, as usual it took some time to find a good hotel and it was almost 5 AM.
In the evening we decided to head to a nearby coal mine. The sight at the mines was breathtaking. We were literally walking on the burning coal. We were spellbound by the sight. We had started the ride with a target in mind but the hurdles enroute had finally made us land in a coal mine. Though we were saddened for not able to make it as per the initial schedule, the experience at the coal mine washed away all our sadness.
With coal mine Manager. He explained about mining,..it was nice to know about coal mines..
Burning coal mine..
Few pic with crane operator and the mine crew.
Flames all over..
(Gangs of) Wasseypur
Day6: (Dhanbad to Kolkata) 280KMs
Next day Morning we left Dhanbad and reached Kolkata around 10:30 AM and there we visited Belur math and Kali temple.
Belur Ramakrishna math...It was dream come true for me to visit this holy place
Day7&8:(Kolkata- Srikakulam) 1500Kms
We left Kolkata around 3 PM..Continued our ride, crossed Cuttack & Bhubaneswar.
@ Tangi, Odisha, we were too sleepy, so around 3AM we stopped riding and I slept on bike itself and Niranjan's on a concert bed..And yes literally we were nomads(bikenomads) on this trip..
In the morning we continued the ride, crossed Brahmpur, Ichchapuram, Naransannapeta and then Srikakulam...Weather was very hot, so we stopped at Nagavalli river(near Srikakulam bypass road) and went for swimming...
Niranjan's Swollen foot..
Day8&9 (Srikakulam-Bangalore ) 745kms
Later in the evening around 4:30pm we reached Visakhapatnam...and after spending sometime in the beach(Arabian sea) we left Visakhapatnam around 8pm..
Road was excellent...as it was night we could not see the landscape, we crossed Annavaram, Temple on top of the hill was looking beautiful with it's lightnings deco..
Near Ellur my bike chain got cut we were in 110kmph speed.It was past mid night and a remote place, we planned to reach nearby town and So Niranjan pushed my bike with his leg for almost 6 kms, later we reached a small town. We knew we will not get a mechanic at this devils hour,so went out looking for a hotel to stay for the night. We found a guy standing alone with whom we enquired about the hotel and he directed us. We thanked him for the directions and were about to walk away from him, and Niranjan asked him, SIR BY ANY CHANCE CAN WE GET A MECHANIC here. To our astonishment, he said HE IS THE MECHANIC. Wow, God is really great. We requested him if there is any way he could help us. He was so humble person that he took us home, (since he dint have tool kit to repair), repaired the bike and asked for NO MONEY. We were literally in a shock, and at the same time delighted to see such a humble, helping human being. Later we gave him some money forcefully.
Another thing is while repairing the bike under a street light a woman came out of her house to check what's going on, we told her that we are fixing the bike chain..and after listening to that, she went inside and brought a torch for us, even though we didn't ask for the torch.
Later we continued our ride and after 1 hr of ride we stopped to tank up petrol in BP petrol station, the man (about 65 yrs old) who filled the petrol, after enquiring our whereabouts he advised us not to ride at past mid night and he also arranged us a place to sleep..as it was not so good..we said thanks and continued our ride...later after riding 2 more hours we found a lodge and slept for 4 hours.
Later in the morning we continued our ride crossed Vijaywada, Guntur,Nellore and reached Chennai around 10 PM.
From Vijaywada to Chennai I was feeling very sleepy, but quicknap technique worked out well.(used to stop the bike and just use to sleep on a bike for 10-15 mins)..It really helped me to keep riding...
We left Kolkata around 3 PM..Continued our ride, crossed Cuttack & Bhubaneswar.
@ Tangi, Odisha, we were too sleepy, so around 3AM we stopped riding and I slept on bike itself and Niranjan's on a concert bed..And yes literally we were nomads(bikenomads) on this trip..
Later in the evening around 4:30pm we reached Visakhapatnam...and after spending sometime in the beach(Arabian sea) we left Visakhapatnam around 8pm..
Road was excellent...as it was night we could not see the landscape, we crossed Annavaram, Temple on top of the hill was looking beautiful with it's lightnings deco..
Near Ellur my bike chain got cut we were in 110kmph speed.It was past mid night and a remote place, we planned to reach nearby town and So Niranjan pushed my bike with his leg for almost 6 kms, later we reached a small town. We knew we will not get a mechanic at this devils hour,so went out looking for a hotel to stay for the night. We found a guy standing alone with whom we enquired about the hotel and he directed us. We thanked him for the directions and were about to walk away from him, and Niranjan asked him, SIR BY ANY CHANCE CAN WE GET A MECHANIC here. To our astonishment, he said HE IS THE MECHANIC. Wow, God is really great. We requested him if there is any way he could help us. He was so humble person that he took us home, (since he dint have tool kit to repair), repaired the bike and asked for NO MONEY. We were literally in a shock, and at the same time delighted to see such a humble, helping human being. Later we gave him some money forcefully.
Another thing is while repairing the bike under a street light a woman came out of her house to check what's going on, we told her that we are fixing the bike chain..and after listening to that, she went inside and brought a torch for us, even though we didn't ask for the torch.
Later we continued our ride and after 1 hr of ride we stopped to tank up petrol in BP petrol station, the man (about 65 yrs old) who filled the petrol, after enquiring our whereabouts he advised us not to ride at past mid night and he also arranged us a place to sleep..as it was not so good..we said thanks and continued our ride...later after riding 2 more hours we found a lodge and slept for 4 hours.
Later in the morning we continued our ride crossed Vijaywada, Guntur,Nellore and reached Chennai around 10 PM.
From Vijaywada to Chennai I was feeling very sleepy, but quicknap technique worked out well.(used to stop the bike and just use to sleep on a bike for 10-15 mins)..It really helped me to keep riding...
Left Chennai around 11 PM and crossed Vellore, road was excellent and there was bit traffic.
I was feeling very sleepy..tried quick nap technique but dint work. So finally near to Krishnagiri we stopped riding and just slept off on the bike..later early morning we crossed Krishnagiri, Hosur and then reached Bangalore at 6:30 AM.
Niranjan's legs at the end of the ride...glad we made it..
 |
And final ride status update on FB by Niranjan:
"Im home. FINALLY. After a long time im experiencing the cool Bangalore breeze and my bum has found a nice cushion to rest. This has been the most amazing road trip i've ever had. Covered 5972 KMS, touched 13 states, experienced the roasting weather up north, to heavy winds blowing at 100 KMPH in the west coast. The unexpected warm hospitality in BIHAR, the mechanic who helped us get our bike repaired at the devils hour in Costal andhra, and a women who got us a a torch at 2 AM for repairing the bike. The guy at a pertol bunk who provided us the shelter in a deserted stretch. Wow met many such generous people enroute. The experience of being in a coalmine in Jharkand was mind blowing. we encountered many many hurdles, first with the roasting heat, bad roads, problems with bikes at several places, the tiredness, burnt bums, swollen legs,huh the list goes on. We never anticipated this. At times many of my friends adviced us to abort the trip, and take a flight/train and get home. But we didnt relent. We started, and we had to finish no matter what comes our way. And here we are. Though we couldn't complete the ride in the expected time, we are still proud to say, we COMPLETED the ride amidst so many hurdles. Thanks to all my dear friends and well wishers who have been supporting us throughout...WE HAVE CONQUERED THE GOLDEN QUADRILATERAL. "
