Enchanted Wayand is one of two district in kerala that I haven't been to yet.. besides I have heard so many tales about its fabled beauty.. So a visit was due.. i've been delaying as it was too far away, too big for a single day ride and hard to find somebody as crazy as me to accompany me.. Anyway, I planned this trip for 2 weeks... Google maps, wikipedia, tourist sites, travelogues, blogs, and one postponement later..finally came up with a blueprint for a 1day bike ride to Wayanad...it was a long hard ride but hoping to be worth it...
Finally sunday, 29 april dawned and I was up early at 3am.. got ready, dressed up put on my coat and with music blasting at my earphones started at3.30am from Palakkad to Wayanad.. Road was deserted but for an occassional truck or rare car. My route was Mannarkad, Alanellur,Pandikkad, Manjery, Areekode,Chungam and Thamarassery.. I haven't really gone beyond Manjery.
The weather was cool, little traffic, I was going at60 70..reached Mannarkad by 4.20am and soon turned right to stay on Manjery road.. the Pandikkad road is good one, no traffic, but full of curves and turning.. also its a bit deserted one. So if you dnt know the way better stick to perinthalmanna route.. cool climate... I was making good time untill I reached Pandikkad.. Suddenly the countryside was covered by moving mist. I could hardly see the road ahead... This mist really moistened my glasses obstructing my view... I could go only a 100metres, stop, wipe my glasses and go another 100metres and repeat... All these ensured that I was a good 45 minutes behind schedule when I reached Manjery..
From Manjery it was unfamiliar route.. but it was straight smooth road.. With Google maps at hand, I sped up trying to make up for lost time. Stopped for a much needed hot cuppa tea at Areekode, from there via Chungam and Mukkam finally reached Thamarassery at 7am.. I had thought Thamarassery would an exotic highrange town, gateway to wayanad.. but its not.. Its just an extended junction.. the famed Churam doesn't even begin from there. It begins from Adivaram.. Adivaram, true to its name, is the base from which Churam begins.. I stopped my bike for breakfast at a wayside hotel.. Food was good, though a tad bit expensive..
After breakfast, nourished well, I started for Wayanad.. The road slowly began to climb, easy curves making way for hairpin bends. Traffic was normal and importantly road is good motorable one.. The embankment offer some spectacular view of hilly mist covered Kozhikodan country side and are full of palyful monkeys.. On the way you could see the "Chain tree" with a chain around it. There is a hoary tale of deciet, murder and spirits behind it. Frankly just another tree..
At the top of Churam, a big arch bearing "welcome to wayanad" welcomes you. Time was 9.30. Not bad timing.... Next stop is Pookot lake.. lake opens at 10.00am.. A bit dissappointing as it looked like just another lake with boating..Doesn't even measure upto half of Ooty or Kodai lake nor is it that beautiful..
That done, I rode up the way towards Kalpetta road. At Vythiri, made a right turning as per plan towards Soochippara waterfalls.. the road got smaller and curvaceous with tea plantations on either side.. it was great riding there.
On the way was a signboard for Chembra Peak, which is highest peak in kerala. A must see destination. Road was a narrow pothole filled one that shook the insides of me mercilessly.. after taking a ticket at a hidden forest checkpoint, i made up my my way through narrow rocky hillside road.. I was wondering what I'd do if another vehicle came down the opposite way. Luckily no vehicle came and pretty soon I reached parking lot.. From there, it was a kilometer trek to reach a viewpoint that was half way up the hill. You can go trekking to the top of mountains but with authorised guides.. The trek also afford a great scenes of Chembra peak from below, with clouds playing hide and seek with its peak. I trekked through teaplantations, to eventually a building at lookout point that you have to clamber up to see a stunning view of valley before you.. many pictures later, I made my way down and rode back to road to Soochipara falls...
Back on road, rode till I reached Meppadi.. From there a right deviation to reach Soochipara waterfall or Sentinel waterfall as its known.. Way is long narrow but surely motorable.. reached parking, got entry ticket, and walked down to see waterfalls.. Its a good 2 to 3 km downhill. The way is nice.. the tourists are mainly from Banglore.. After the steps you havta go down anarrow alley and finally clamber up rocks to see this. It truly is a great waterfall although not as magnificent as Athirapally.. Lot of people bathing in spraying water....Soaking wet and a few photos later, I made my way up laboriously.. The way up was very tiring and I was really really exhausted by the time I reached up....
Back to Meppadi and enroute to Meenmutty waterfalls... Had decided to give Kanthanpara waterfalls a miss due to time constraints.....
The road was great, intersped with teaplantantations and great view... soon reached up junction leading to Meenmutty.. Decided to have lunch here at a nondescript hotel.. lunch was average..Learnt that Meenmutty was closed. So dissappointed.. no worry though, there was Neelimala Valley Hill view.. So rode there.. again a trek here.. The view from here of waterfalls from afar is awesome.
That done, next stop was Edakkal cave enroute to Sulthanbathery, off Ambalavayal.. nice, green, undisturbed country side.. there is a right turn abt 5 km to Edakkal caves.... Road is so terrible, potholed and its an uphill climb. Makes you kinda wonder if they keep the road in such bad condition to emphasise the primitivity of cave carvings.. Having parked my bike, found out that you have to walk uphill for along a nice gardened paved path for another km to reach ticket counter. Sigh.. all this climbing up is killing me.... After a small wait at counter, found out that I havta again clamber uphill to the original historic caves... I was really exhausted from all these climbing.
Pretty soon you are ushered into barely lit caves with paintings and carvings.. Edakkal cave drawings and carvings are really beautiful.. There are numerous lines carved into the rock which take the shape of men, dog, foxes, deer, weapons.. You need quite a few hours to stand and enjoy each carving, their beauty and its significance... With all the tourist rush, it was not possible to savour each carvings.. Some old primitive guy sure had a lot of free time on his hand..
Unfortunately for me,Time was running short, so I just
breezed through most of the carvings and headed back. After a laborious climb down, i was so exhausted that i had to rest for 15 minutes... Later refreshed with juices and Cold drinks, I started on my way to SulthanBathery.. reached it in 30 minutes. Nothing there, just another small town..
Next stop was Kuruva Dweep enroute to Manathavady.. supposed to be abt 30km.. Rode from Bathery to Meenangadi from there to Panamaram...it was good ride through Wayanadan countryside. Nothing of interest on the way.. At you havta take right turn after Panamaram to reach Kuruva dweep.. Enroute was this dilapidated Jain temple ruins. It was deserted, overgrown with green creepers... but that couldn't hide its magnificence.. There was no tourist and I had the whole temple all to myself.. there wasn't any idol in sanctum sactorum.. I went on clicking away pictures..
At 3.45pm, a good 15km later, I reached the gateway of Kuruvadweep, only to be told by guard that it closed by 3.30pm.. heart break.. this palce was highly recommended and had excellent reviews.. was so dissappointed...
Anyway ride must go on. So I decided to include Thirunelli temple in my itinerary, which is a further 30km north of Mananthavadi to make up for dissappointment.. While asking for directions, one local directed me to a short cut to go to temple.. Shortcut turned out to be a riding hell but eventually turned onto main road going from Mananthavadi to Mysore I record time..
This road was great, forested and green.. Soon having reached a small town Kattikulam, I stopped for tea.. Thirunelli was abt 23km from here. A kilometer from this town, have to left onto the road to Thirunelli temple and Tholpetty wildlife sanctuary.. This was an wooded, lonely, deserted road through the middle of forest. Some 10km later, you have to take the left diversion to continue onto Thirunelli temple, a further 13km... This was completely inside the forest, not much signs of humans.. The road, which progressively began to get worse, snaked through forest,there was a river flowing beside though I fail to remember its name.. Suddenly it began to drizzle.. It was wonderful weather to be riding out.. Slight drizzle, cool weather, lonely jungle road, awesome scenery: my idea of a riding paradise... Suddenly, banging by the side of the road stood a herd of elephants... Probable wild ones, i thought... my heart beating wildly, i slowed my bike, passed them by and didnt look back untill i was safely afar....... after that it was an uneventful,long ride... Then a sharp right turn and a very uphill road, it was Thirunelli, at the top of a hill... it was 5pm.
Thirunelli temple has a very hoary past, abt 4000yrs old.. Parts of the temple are dilapidated and quite falling apart.. they are planning to renovate it, it seems.. Lord Vishnu is the presiding diety.. Its very famous as Papavinshini and for Pithrutharpanam. Sreekovil will open at 5.30 only. So waited at temple, admiring its natural beauty. It opened at 5.30 and had a very satisfying darshanam of Lord..
It was 6pm when I started back along the jungle road back to Mananthavadi.. it was darkening and thinking of elephant herd I was apprehensive to make the way back through jungle alone. Luckily I saw an KSRTC bus and followed it.. On the way back, didn't see any elephants, probably gone back to their forest.. But about halfway back, a swiftly running herd of deer crossed the road.. I had to brake suddenly to avoid hitting them..
So Wayanad was done. Time constraints meant that I had to give Banasura Sagar Dam a miss.. but then, everyone assures me it was just another dam and boating..
Way back was through Mananthavadi.. Manathavadi was a small town. I saw a Pazhassi Raja memorial building. But no time, it was already dark. I got a long 30km ride to Kalpetta in dark, unfamiliar road. It was dark, unlit road and I couldn't speed and I didn't know if there was any turnings. All i had was Google maps to guide me.. On top of it, the road from Mananthavady to Kalpetta was the worst stretch in Wayanad..
It was 8 when I reached Kalpetta. Seems to be a pretty big town. It was base camp site for all tourists. It was bustling with hotels, restaurant, volvo buses, taxis and luxury cars.. Had dinner at a hotel.. bad food.. Anyway headed back towards Vythiri and Churam... Stopping besides the Churam, It was interesting to look down in dark night.. You could see the vehicles as small yellow and red fireflies crawling tortously up and down.. it was indeed a sight to behold.. After a few stops, headed down the Churam carefully and slowly. Havent negotiated Churam at night... so it took a lot of time till I reached Adivaram.. by now it was 10.30 and I was eaxhausted. Anyway traffic was little so rode to Manjeri via Thamarasseri, Chungam, Areekode..
Stopped at Manjeri, had a hot spicy Omlette from a wayside shop. Decided to take Pandikkad route as it was short.. but turned out to be a bad decision. Damn road was deserted and dark and once I almost went half a kilometer up the wrong turning before I realized it and turned back.. Luckily there was no mist obstructing road this time...However I was so exhausted that I had trouble concentrating... Anyway somehow managed reach Pandikkad, Melattoor, Mannarkad and finally Palakkad.. it was 2.30am.. I have spent 23 hours on this trip and off it abt 20 hours was on bike.. My bike had clocked 590km... Dont quite remember how I made it back, but I did..
Overall an awesome place. Highly recommended.. aint so crowding with tourist as other places.. Even on bike you need atleast two days to thoroughly check it out.. Thing is, in wayanad, you have to do a lot of trekking to reach any worthwhile to see places..I just rushed through everything due to time constraints.. One day I will make it back when I have time and leisure at disposal..
Whew.. what a journey.. but a most memorable and satisfying one.. Just wish, if it could have been shared, it'd be better.. but hey, thats life...
