This is the longest ride I made as of now. It covers over 323 kilometers as planned. The plan was to check the coastal route which is NH66 highway that connects Thiruvananthapuram to Alappuzha. It was once said by Bharath, when I asked him about a flat road. I decided to give it a try. I fixed the lighthouse in Alappuzha as my target.
I started from campus by around 5:30 AM today and went through back gate. The route I planned was that I first reach Pazhakutty, Nedumangad and take the Vembayam route to reach Venjaramoodu. I reached Venjaramoodu and took the road towards Attingal, the same route which I first mistook when I was trying that 179km ride. This is first time for me to go to Attingal.
Till I reach Attingal, or most of the places like Aryanad, I was with the mindset that those are far away places and thats why there are many buses that bear the route name as Attingal or Aryanad. But, I was surprised and happy to reach these places with my bike.
I reached Attingal and took bathroom break at an Indian oil fuel station where they luckily had ice water. I refilled the bottles and tought of having the cakes there itself which I was carrying. I knew that I will become hungry on such a long ride. But, I couldn’t take a seat anywhere in the fuel station, so I moved on.
On the way, I found a place to take a short sit break and had cakes. I saw a dog which was crossing me along the road side, she was weak. I was calling her to give the cakes, but she was seeing me on one eye and moving away and dissapeared around the corner of a shop. I had some cakes left for later crunching and continued the ride.
On the way, I saw the road starting to get flatten. But, soon I realized that the road ahead is full of construction works. Till I reach Kottayam, I was going on the diversion roads only, and they are so bad in condition. On the way, I saw the sign board that points to Varkala.
I reached Kottayam and took the road that takes me into the town, all because of that road constructions. But, it was nice. Kottayam was a small decent town. They didn’t even had a proper train station yet. Till that time, I was in a mindset that the Kottayam station will be big as most trains are starting from there, but it isn’t even as big as Thiruvananthapuram station.
I had breakfast in one of the stores there at Kottayam and continued the ride towards Alappuzha. I reached Kottayam around 8:30 itself. It was so fast in my point of view as I compare with bus timings and travel comfort with it.
I rejoined that broken NH66 and continued to travel along each diversion roads. On the way, there were many people who looked me like a stranger or so. One among them asked me like where I am from etc… I didn’t answer properly as I was under frustration with the road condition. On the way close to Alappuzha, there was a road way close to shoreline, that was beautiful.
Finally I reached Alappuzha and was happy that I reached close to the target. I continued to go on the road ahead of me, thinking that it will take me into the town. On the way I saw the lighthouse too, assuring that I am on the right road. The road is along the shoreline, so it must be the road that takes me into the town right? No!
I was on a bypass road, an hover bridge that hovers me over the entire Alappuzha town and put me out on the northern side. I again took another route towards lighthouse and finally reached it around 1:30. I took a couple of pics with my bike parked in front of it. Asked a nearby person to take a pic of me with the tower and bike. It was nice.
The lighthouse was closed and will open at 2pm. I don’t have time for that, so I started to go into the town and was looking for a shop to have lunch. I had lunch in a briyani shop. It was worth the 130 rupees. After that, I moved to catch the main road that will connect me to the highway.
On the way I saw a signboard pointing to Iron bridge. I wanna know what it is, so I moved in that way and saw the bridge. It was nothing big. Took a pic of it and moved to catch the highway.
I catched the highway and continuted in the same route I came through. I was thinking on the way, whether should I go in the same damaged route or I can take a detour. If I continued on the same route, the road is flat, but the route is so dry with no shops. If I took a detour, I have to face the climbs, but I can reach my friend’s home in Adoor.
I decided to take the detour and took the road that takes me to Adoor. On the way, I saw a few school children, one among them gave me a highfive on the ride. It was first time and it was nice.
I continued and reached Adoor, where my friend Swethaji’s home is. She shared her home location a while ago. It was around 85 kms from the campus, and I thought of making a separate ride for it. Now, I reached her home location and took a pic with my bike layed on her house’s compound wall, or the house which I thought to be hers. A video also I took to show that I am in her area.
The blue house where I layed my bike was not her home, instead later she showed one brown door in the video and thats her home. After enjoying that experience, I continued the road to reach Ayoor, where I have already been in my previous inter-district rides. After Ayoor, I was setting each town as the target and hitting it one after the other until I reach Venjaramoodu.
After reaching Venjaramoodu, I took a road that takes me to the Vembayam route. But, it was too steep that I was walking on the road. Then, reached Vembayam, Nedumangad and finally campus by around 11pm. The CISF ppl didn’t ask anything and let me inside. I was completely exhausted the next day. It was an excellent experience I had on this ride.
Below are the photos and videos I took on the ride.
Below is the Strava log of this ride.
