Belgaum and the highway ride

One such ride of all so far that didn't require sun glasses. It was a clean and green ride throughout. Not very promising detours but got to know that one could go for dudhsagar waterfalls from castle rock by boarding a goods train.
Next foggy morning left belgaum and have reached a place 20kms short of satara and halting at a dhaba. Will be reaching pune tomorrow.

More water...Goa

Not the first time in this journey was I admiring the water but it was the first time I was in the water. Got to see lot many fishes and corals at Bat island. My cameras are not waterproof so will not be able to share this part. To get a feel, go goa :-)

Off the ghats...almost

From sagara I had a lot of ground to cover to reach the coastal town, Karwar and so I left before sunrise (and after breakfast). Had a superfast journey till jog falls which is a bit shy at this period of the year.
The second cool place was a prphibited area, the gerusoppa hydle project. I managed to get a glance of the reservoir and dam after I hid my cycle in the bushes.
Ride till the coast was not expected to be hilly as it turned out to be. So as of now I am at sea level and still among the ghats...the best it can be.

Aqua again

A relaxed day out at the linganamakki water reservoir. It is a great place for bird watchers. Near to jog falls but haven't yet visited the falls.

Malgudi II and the Mani water reservoir

Getting to mani water reservoir made me want to check the other parts as well. But the plan was to reach Shimoga leaving a side the water. Fortunately, two cyclists invited me for dinner at doddamane and advised to skip Shimoga. So I could now go for the reservoir route and finally end up at Sagara near jog falls.
Detouring is always fun and I took one such deserted road which drowned after a while. The submerged road could be followed till some distance after which it was way too deep.
Turning back and taking the usual new road was the way to reach the other side from where I could go to the Mani dam. But crossing dams is now generally prohibitted and I followed the rule.

Malgudi

The image one has in mind of Malgudi resembles Agumbe. Not a coincidence but malgudi days had some of its shootings in Agumbe. A calm village... But I was in high spirits and went exploring the jungle and the Mani water reservoir. I took over 15 deep off routes sometimes even walking trails in the hope to reach the water body...the happening place in a forest.
Managed to hit the water body twice and on the second occassion I met a large rat snake which agreed that it was too scared of me.
Exploring was fun along with amazing trails to ride on.

Kochi-Kozhikode-Kasargod

Leaving Kochi was not an easy task after I decided to take the marine route that borders Ernakulum as well. Prepared for a distance of 200km, an early start at 0545hrs just gave me some more leisure time. By 0730hrs I had covered merely some 17 kms. The later part of the journey reciprocated the start well.
Met some of my friends at Kozhikode and pushed of early next morning.
Enough shore. Plan to get back to mountains and this time mountains of Karnataka...my home state(one of the :-) )