Ride to Yercaud and a visit to Providence hospital.
23rd September 2023, Saturday.
Starting odometer reading: 72,489 km
In the morning, I woke up at 4 am to my alarm, and my mother was already up. She prepared coffee for me. I got ready, and my wife woke up. The three of us prayed for my safe journey, and they waved me off. At 5 am, I hit the road.
Around 6:30 am, I reached the Vaniyambadi diversion, heading towards Salem via the Harur-Uthangarai road. I noticed that the road had been upgraded to four lanes with a divider, which was not the case in 2014.
It was a pleasant ride through the countryside. I crossed the Thenpennai River at Uthangarai, and the ride remained smooth. After Harur, the road narrowed to two lanes without a divider.
I stopped for breakfast at a place just 5-10 km before the Kuppanur Ghat section. I had a plain dosa and an egg dosai with chutney and kurma. It was spicy and delicious, and it only cost 40 rupees.
I enjoyed the ride through pepper vines and coffee bean plantations amidst the mist. Fortunately, there was no rain. As I approached Yercaud and it was around 10 am, I switched on my maps and went directly to Providence Hospital. The odometer reading was 72729km.
Unfortunately, I wasn't welcomed warmly at the hospital. When I mentioned that I had come to write about the hospital and its services, the sister in charge seemed to misunderstand and responded defensively, saying she wouldn't say anything and that they didn't need publicity. I tried to explain my intention, but it seemed futile. I observed that it was a small clinic run by a single doctor, providing care for children with common illnesses and adults. It had been serving for 75 years. I wasn't allowed to take pictures, so I left feeling a bit disappointed. It's disheartening that providing service to mankind these days requires such caution, as any misstep/ misinformation can lead to legal consequences.
Afterward, I drove to the lake area. My friends had informed me that they would arrive around noon, but I reached there by 10:30 am. Rather than waiting, I decided to ride the 32 km loop road in Yercaud, which was quite scenic. I enjoyed the mild drizzle at some points, and the weather remained pleasant throughout. The narrow road took me through many private coffee estates and eventually connected back to the lake road junction.
Meanwhile, my friend Preethi called and said they were waiting at the Tamil Nadu Hotel. I promptly met her there. She had come along with Selvi, both of whom were my undergraduate friends. Since there were no rooms available at the Tamil Nadu Hotel, we checked in at Guru Residency, which was located at the start of the loop road from the lake. After refreshing ourselves, we waited for our other friends to join us for lunch.
Two more of my undergraduate friends, Shiva and Sudha, joined us, and around 2 pm, we went for lunch at the nearby Saravana Bhavan Elite Hotel. Sudha and Selvi were pure vegetarians, so we decided to have a completely vegetarian lunch. The restaurant was quite crowded, and it took some time to receive all nine items we had ordered. By the time we got our food, it was already 2:30 pm. We finished our meal and left the restaurant around 3 pm, heading towards the boat house.
At the boat house, we opted for a 15-minute rowboat ride, which cost us Rs 200. Once we were on the boat, we decided to extend our ride and explore more of the lake, so we handed over an extra Rs 200 to the boatman for a longer journey.
After our boat ride, we strolled back to Guru Residency, pausing for a delightful evening tea en route. We returned to our rooms and changed into suitable attire, eager to embark on an adventure to Kiliyur Falls, where our plan was to indulge in the refreshing waters. Locals had warned us about the less-than-ideal road leading to the falls, but undeterred, we decided to press on.
We managed to find an autorickshaw driver willing to take all five of us, with the condition that he would drop us off at a point where he wouldn't venture further. We accepted the offer and agreed that he would wait at the designated spot while we made our way back. The falls were about 4.5 kilometers from the lake, with the final 500 meters requiring us to descend a flight of stairs.
The journey in the autorickshaw was quite bumpy, and we eventually reached a point at the top of the waterfall. From there, we descended the stairs to reach the base of the falls. The ladies in our group found it challenging, given that most of us were nearing our 50s. However, we managed to refresh ourselves with some mango juice, which was rich in sugar.
As I had my DSLR camera with me, I refrained from taking a dip in the falls initially. However, when all my friends had finished their bath, I couldn't resist the temptation and joined in. The cold water was invigorating, and after our dip, we mustered the energy to climb the 200-300 steps to return to the top.
Our autorickshaw driver was patiently waiting for us, and he safely transported us back to the hotel, arriving at 7 pm. After changing into dry clothing, we headed out for dinner. The ladies were in the mood for a grand dining experience, so I checked out Sweet Rascal and Altitude Kitchen at The Grand Palace.
Sweet Rascal was only a kilometer away, so we decided to walk there. However, upon arrival, we were informed that a table wouldn't be available until 8:30 pm, whereas we had arrived at 7:15 pm. Not wanting to wait, we opted to visit The Grand Palace, which was situated atop a hill. Auto-rickshaw drivers informed us that they couldn't take us there, so we took a cab.
Altitude Kitchen, located on the edge of a cliff with a swimming pool, offered a breathtaking evening view. However, their menu predominantly featured Italian dishes, which were somewhat pricey.
Consequently, we shifted our plans to dine at another multicuisine restaurant within The Grand Palace called Orange restaurant.
We had a satisfying dinner, although I wouldn't describe it as sumptuous. After our meal, we contemplated walking all the way back to our Guru Residency. As we started our walk, my friend Preethi and I picked up the pace slightly and reached the outer security gate of The Grand Palace Hotel just in time as a sudden downpour began.
Taking refuge from the rain, we entered the security room, where the kind security personnel offered us chairs to sit on. I called our other three friends, who found shelter beneath the hotel building about 200 meters away from us. During a conversation with the security guard, we learned that he was a newly employed staff member and didn't have the phone number to contact the hotel reception for arranging a cab.
The rain continued to intensify, and then, unexpectedly, a staff bus was leaving the hotel premises. The security guard requested that we be dropped at the Lake Road Roundtana, and they agreed. We boarded the bus, and I informed my three friends that I would arrange for a cab once I reached Guru Residency. Shiva was unhappy that I had left three of them behind, but I argued that it was a reasonable decision given the offered assistance and the opportunity to arrange transportation.
Upon reaching Guru Residency, I promptly arranged for a cab to pick up my friends. The rain continued incessantly throughout the night, and we all gathered in our room, reminiscing about our college days and the immature quarrels we used to have over trivial matters among ourselves. We decided to sleep in and planned to have breakfast at 9 am before heading to the Lady's Seat viewpoint.
24th September 2023, Sunday.
As is my usual routine, I awoke at 6 am, though I languidly remained in bed until 7 am before finally getting up for a refreshing bath and preparing myself for the day. By 8 am, I was fully ready and decided to check on my friends in the adjacent room. To my surprise, the ladies were already geared up and eager to head out for breakfast. I hurriedly encouraged my friend Shiva to get ready as swiftly as possible, but he initially hesitated, opting to stick to his morning prayer schedule from the comfort of his bed. Eventually, by 9 am, he was ready, and we set off for breakfast at Malar, a vegetarian eatery conveniently located near the renowned 3-star hotel, Shervaroy.
Our breakfast at Malar was delightful, featuring a selection of Idli, Dosai, and Poorie. Salem's cuisine is renowned for its spicy chutneys, and I particularly enjoyed the onion chutney served alongside our meal. Following breakfast, our plan was to stroll to the Lady's Seat viewpoint and then reconvene for lunch at 12:30 noon before parting ways for our respective homes. However, our progress was slowed as the ladies were captivated by various attractions along Church Road, including chocolate shops, a nursery garden, and perfumery boutiques.
One of the nurseries, specializing in plants, served us tea, and Preethi seized the opportunity to purchase strawberry and succulent plants. Sudha, Selvi, and Shiva indulged their sweet tooth by buying chocolates.
By the time we arrived at the Lady's Seat viewpoint, it was already 11:30 am. Consequently, we decided to return to our accommodations and forgo visiting nearby tourist spots like Gent's Seat, Children's Seat, and the Rose Garden.
Opting for convenience, we hired an autorickshaw to take us back to Guru Residency, ensuring we checked out on time at 12:30 noon. After settling our bill, we purchased some fruits, and I acquired the famous tuber known as "Aatu Kaal Kilangu," which is unique to the Servaroy, Kalvaroy, and Kolli Hills in the Eastern Ghats. I bought it for my mother, who believes it helps with joint pains. The root tuber resembles the legs of a goat or sheep, complete with fur, hence its Tamil name "Aatu Kaal."
My friends decided to have lunch in Salem due to time constraints, so I bid them farewell and embarked on my bike journey towards Kuppanur en route to Vellore. My odometer read 72,760 kilometers at the start of the ride.
Kuppanur-Yercaud Ghat road
Shortly after passing Kuppanur, I hit the reserve mark at 72,796 kilometers. I refueled with 10 liters of petrol near Harur and stopped for lunch around 3:00 pm at Harur. I savored three parottas and an "Aatu Thalai Curry." It might sound unusual to some, but coming from Madurai, we are accustomed to relishing various goat organ dishes, considered delicacies. However, preferences for meat vary across Tamil Nadu, especially between Chennai and the southern regions, where most tend to favor meat even among non-vegetarians.
Following lunch in Harur, I embarked on an almost non-stop ride back home, reaching my destination at 5:45 pm. My odometer now read 72,999 kilometers.
Trip end odometer reading 72,999km.
Distance covered on day two: 239 km.
Riding statistics
Rider: Tilak francis.
Total distance: 510 km ( onward 239km + homeward 239km + Loop road ride 32 km )
Fuel used: 14 litres
Fuel cost: Rs1,481/-
Mileage: 35.8km/ltr
Cruising speed high as 90 km/hr on highways and low as 30km /hr on ghat roads.
Repairs: Nil
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