Just a quick post to fill you in with a little more of what we’ve been up to.
Last night we stayed in jungle safari lodges in Bandipur National Park. From here we set off on a ride to Wild Haven Lodge. It was only a short ride but it was hilly and at 36 degrees C it was hard going.
Our accommodation last night.All lined up and ready to get goingEnjoying a well earned local brew.
Today’s ride was nothing compared to what tomorrow’s will be like. Our tour guide said, “It starts off really hard. Then it gets harder” and, “you won’t enjoy it, but the sense of satisfaction at the top is fantastic.”
Want to know what we’re riding? Look for the big hill in the background of this photo….
We have a date with that big hill in the distance tomorrow. Gulp!
See you at the top with defibrillators at the ready!
Wifi wasn’t working at the hotel, but Candy managed to get on somewhere else, so here’s the latest….
Yesterday we did a 4km ride up Chamundi Hill to see a large bull statue. It is a Hindu god and not actually as impressive as we’d been led to believe. The view however, was much more inspiring. Then there was a lovely long downhill ride, although we did pass several signs saying “Protect the leopard”, that was a little disconcerting!
After lunch at the resort we headed out on a safari. Apparently it’s not very common, but I SAW A TIGER! Also lots of deer, two different types of monkey, elephant, mongoose, chipmunks and lots of beautiful birds including peacocks (the national bird of India).
Admiring the view from Chamundi HillMe, Di and Nich at a temple. I don’t think all the wiring was part of the original design!It all happens down at the Cauverie river – people were washing themselves and clothes, playing and doing some blessing ceremony so a woman could get married.Me blending in with the locals on the river bank.Smile for the camera!Enjoying the shade of the palm trees
At 06:00 today we’ll be going to visit the park again as it is one of the best times to spot the birdlife. The original plan was that after breakfast we cycle southwards through the tiger park, with the chance to spot more animals, such as monkeys, deer and peacock. That has all changed; cycling through the park has now been prohibited after a cyclist came off second-best in an incident with an elephant. We’re not quite sure what the plan is now, but presumably it will be a comparable.
In the evening, we will have time to visit a nearby orphanage and to go on a village walk.
Our total cycling distance today was scheduled to be 33 km.
So, if you’re counting, that’s roughly 131km so far… but we’ll have to wait and see.
We’ve not heard from Candy overnight – she won’t have internet access for a few days, so this is what was scheduled for today’s ride….
Leaving Mysore this morning we start cycling, heading south, on country roads. We continue along the quiet back roads and after an hour and a half of leisurely biking, we should reach the town of Nanjangud and visit the impressive Srikanteshwara Temple, dedicated to the Hindu god, Shiva. After the visit, we continue cycling to Bandipur (once the hunting preserve of Mysore’s Maharajas) passing through a patchwork of cultivated farmland, interspersed with scattered villages.
We’ll arrive in Bandipur National Park and check-in to our hotel. In the late afternoon, we have a jeep safari in the park. Apparently we will see lots of spotted deer and monkeys and possibly some elephants too. It will be interesting to see how this experience compares with the many safaris I’ve done in the Kruger National Park, South Africa.
Our total cycling distance today is approximately 50 kilometres
That’s 98km down and only 450 to go.
P.s. Don’t forget – somewhere on this page is a place you can sign up to be notified of updates by email – I’ll try to keep you posted and include a few photos whenever I can.
What a long day. Its 21:30 and I’m typing this on the coach as we still have over an hour until we get to our hotel. We were due to get there before dinner and have a walk around town but we’re really late. We did a detour to drop off the bags for El Shaddai and I think possibly we got lost; I’m sure I saw the same place at least 3 times!
It really is just like on the movies. The roads in town are crazy. Hooting is incessant. There really are no rules… at least none that I can fathom! Road direction just seems to be a suggestion. Cows, dogs and people are all over the roads and I never realised you can fit an entire family on a moped.
We were supposed to be at the hotel for dinner but instead we stopped off to eat en route. We had a madras dopas which was like a crispy pancake made from rice/lentils with a couple sauces, and a potato filling. Very yummy and only cost one pound.
Back on the road now and we are continuing our drive through to Mysore. Its been dark for a couple hours already, so we can see all the lights. Buildings are literally covered with strings of lights.
…
First night’s hotel reception lobbyPhone battery died last night, but I’m charged up now and able to post this. Apparently our itinerary for some days has changed – so some of my morning posts may need to be updated by the time I get home in the evening! Chris has the basic itinerary at home so he will update that each day and I’ll add in anything else along with photos where I’m able to.
This morning we take to the saddle. It’ll be the first time in about a week for me. We’ll be cycling out of Mysore and riding on to the island of Srirangapatna, just to the north-east of the city.
Lying in the Cauvery River, Srirangapatna has long been a Hindu site of pilgrimage, but it is more famous for its connections with Tipu Sultan, the ‘Tiger of Mysore’. A thorn in the side of the British, Tipu posed a real threat to Britain’s imperial expansion in 18th century India. Allying himself to the French, his 17 year reign was
finally ended in 1799, when he was killed during the bloody battle of Seringapatam.
Our visit to his stronghold includes a chance to explore the old Summer Palace and Tipu’s mausoleum before driving back to Mysore. This afternoon we then head out into the surrounding Chamundi Hills, home to the towering Sri Chamundeswari Temple and the five metre high representation of Shiva’s sacred bull, Nandi, one of the largest in the country.
Getting our bikes set up and ready.… but right now, it’s time to get my breakfast
Our total cycling distance today is approximately 48 kilometres
Yesterday we did a 4km ride up Chamundi Hill to see a large bull statue. It is a Hindu god and not actually as impressive as we’d been led to believe. The view however, was much more inspiring. Then there was a lovely long downhill ride, although we did pass several signs saying “Protect the leopard”, that was a little disconcerting!
It really is just like on the movies. The roads in town are crazy. Hooting is incessant. There really are no rules… at least none that I can fathom! Road direction just seems to be a suggestion. Cows, dogs and people are all over the roads and I never realised you can fit an entire family on a moped.
