Friday, September 13, 2013

An octogenarian Motorcycle Expedition to Ladakh over high passes.

 http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2013/sep/09/backpackers-diaries-ladakh-rohtang-pass#start-of-comments
 MOTORCYCLE EXPEDITIONS-SIMON GANDOLIF-WWW.GURDIAN.COM-HIMALAYA
Simon Gandolfi (The Gurdian.com Travel writer)
Tourism in Manali is for bikers. The road north to Leh is the challenge: the road crosses four passes, including the 5,328m Taglang La, which is the second-highest motorable pass in India. Three of the passes are in the desert lands of Ladakh, where the road is rough but dry. Not so the Rohtang Pass: it's the closest to Manali, and monsoon rains are thrashing its south flank, triggering landslides and churning the upper sections of the road into deep mud.
I am tempted into making the climb by two local bikers, Buddhi Singh Chand and Rahul Bhod. Buddhi is co-founder of Motorcycle Expeditions, which has been organising motorbike tours in India since 2005. He and Rahul both have more powerful bikes than mine. Rahul is a Buddhist and makes videos; Buddhi wears dreadlocks halfway down his back. Buddhi's mother detests the locks; Buddhi argues that the locks project a positive image to foreign bikers (tough, beer-swilling, would-be He-men).
Rain has freshened Manali most days over the past fortnight, which is good for the valley's apple orchards, but bad for road conditions. The day starts with broad tarmac following the Beas river. The road swings right through a half-horse village, immediately narrows and climbs through deciduous woodland.
A breeze stirs patches of sunlight on the dark tar. Wild flowers, mostly in blues and pinks, dust the grass. The cliffs are bright with sunlight and with crystal cascades of snow-melt. Massive pines lay claim to crevices and stand sentry along the crest. And this picture-postcard beauty is just the hors d'oeuvre.
Crossing the treeline we face the main course: no peaks, but a great wall of dull green, across which shiny bugs crawl … and what I had hoped was the crest is merely a small plateau before the next, steeper wall. Cars and trucks and buses inch through stretches of deep, wet, slippery mud. Feet down, I follow close behind a small white Suzuki car. The driver stops every few metres – it's impossible to see ahead and plot the best track.
My legs tire. I am out of breath and scared of not being able to make it; of giving up; of failing as one of Buddhi's beer-swilling He-men. The traffic ahead is halted while a massive yellow machine plucks boulders down on to the road, shatters them with a pneumatic spike and hammers them into the mud. To be first in line, Buddhi and Rahul creep along the precipice edge. I follow. This is not fun.
At last, the summit. Buddhi and Rahul are ecstatic. They have helped set a record: I have become the oldest man to ride the pass. Now, surrendering to physical and emotional fatigue, I sprawl at the foot of a mound decorated with prayer flags ...

Backpackers' diaries: a ride over the roof of India, Simon crosses the towering mountain passes of Ladakh, taking in landslides, breathtaking views, and his own piece of history.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

Chopper Girl on Royal Enfield 500cc On Top of The World. -Ladakh-Himalayas & Karakroum.


Traveling the Himalayas on a Royal Enfield 500
Riding Royal Enfield 500 motorbikes, getting around the dirt roads of the Himalayas can be challenging on so many levels!
written by Betsy Huelskamp with photos by Calamity
7/11/2013







Taking in the view of the mountains surrounded by prayer flags

The Himalayas have been calling to me since I was a young woman. Having visited there half a dozen times, I cannot even begin to explain in a page of words…why. A page is flat, and the words are black and white. The Himalayas surround you with 360 degrees of visual splendor that can never be captured fully by the lens of a camera. And it is more than a visual masterpiece.

It is a journey of the spirit that cannot be described with words, it can only be felt. Much like the magnificent mountains that surround your physical being, the spirituality of the people and their connection to their higher power is what makes the hills feel alive. The hills ARE alive, but not with sound... it is with emotion.

I remember the first time I landed in Tibet. The nomads on the plane began to cry as the plane touched the ground, which made all of us cry, and we weren’t even sure why. They were happy to return to that emotion…to that spiritual place and connection. And now they have been driven from Tibet, which is the very place that connects them. The northern Himalayas of India is where many of the Tibetan refugees have fled seeking a new place to call home and the freedom to keep the beliefs that are the very essence of their existence.


Me with Buddhi Singh Chand with his new Royal Enfield 500’s that can handle just about any road condition you challenge yourself with!

Not wanting to flee the place they love, yet prisoners in their own country if they stay, the nomads who live in these mountains are pure in heart. Their lives exemplify the pleasure of simplicity. Their smiles are genuine, and their curiosity is inviting. As I look around my living room at the trades I’ve made over the decades, I remember the nomad and the story behind every one of them. The interactions were priceless. There is no other place on earth that calls me back, time and time again like these magical mountains, and these spiritual people.


 Riding through this virtually untouched landscape, the roads are in constant need of clearing and reparation. The work is most often done by the hard working nomads of the land. As we came across a group of women sweeping and doing road maintenance, I offered to take over their jobs to allow them some free time to go off for a motorcycle ride with my friend Buddhi. At first they seemed reluctant, but they are never too serious or busy to laugh, learn and be silly

 Having traveled through the various countries of the Himalayas mostly by foot, I wondered how it would feel to be traveling through a place that virtually stands still in time……….on a motorcycle. It has been my main source of transportation in America, and has taken me on nearly every back road between the west coast and the Mississippi.  

But part of what I love about traveling through third world countries is doing it at their pace, and blending into the fiber, which allows for a natural interaction with the surroundings. I worried that traveling at warp speed would be passing the very things I come there to experience. So along the road, whenever I caught someone looking at the motorcycle, or smiling and waving in my direction, I took the opportunity and stopped for the exchange. 

There is an art to stopping to interact with locals, and Buddhi has a wonderfully easy and inviting nature. It is always polite to ask before you point your camera at someone, especially older native peoples who have long feared that a camera can take away from their spirit. Respecting the beliefs and ways of the country I am in, is very important to me, even for a liberal thinker who may or may not agree with those ways. I always ask before taking out my camera, and I have learned it helps to have chocolate or cookies. Just about every being I encountered enjoyed sharing my sugar coated crackers that I always had a full bag of!!


The animals in third world countries must struggle for survival. Money and food are scarce, and they are at the bottom of the chain of who gets the food. Even when they are treated poorly and never shown compassion, man’s best friend still sticks around, hoping for scraps and leftovers. Most have never been shown compassion, and are afraid to even take the food, or let you touch them. Their faces are scarred from fighting. Their legs are broken or missing from fighting with the older, stronger dogs, or being hit by people or vehicles. If I was Noah, I would have filled the entire arc with every dog and brought it home. There are conditions in this world that break your heart, and leave you wondering, what can I do? The problem is so overwhelmingly out of control, what kind of solution could there ever be?



The sad elements never prevent me from wanting to visit and experience a place. There is no place on earth without those elements. They are just present in different forms. “Break my heart for what breaks yours”.  I have LONG believed that if something truly touches and breaks my heart, then it breaks God’s heart too. And the ONLY way that change ever occurs, is when we are MOVED to change. I want to see everything, and feel everything, and then come home and share it. Answers are only followed by questions, and questions evolve from the heartbreak of wondering “how can we change what needs changing in our world?”

I LOVE to travel...and I LOVE to ride. I love taking pictures, and I love writing stories. I wanted to experience combining the things I love most. Buddhi Singh Chand of www.motorcycleexpeditions.com and I connected on Facebook. He is the co-founder of a motorcycle expedition company that travels throughout India, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan.  Being the “Backroads” rider and traveler that I am, I mostly like to travel and ride alone. I seek out the path less traveled, and I like to go in the opposite direction of the crowds. I had never been on an organized motorcycle expedition, and didn’t know if it would feel right to me. But Buddhi Singh Chand is not your typical person, and I knew I was in for a unique adventure before I even arrived!


..
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Buddhi and I planned a trip to ride the highest motorable passes in the world. And we scheduled it slightly before the season kicks off and gets more crowded with tourists from all over the world. And as it is in life, every situation has its advantages and disadvantages. But what I set out to learn was if we could generate interest and organize small group expeditions to amazingly untouched roads in faraway places. Can we?

The price of such an expedition is not cheap, and the truth of the matter is, you could probably do it yourself for less money. But I can tell you, I have traveled that way most of my life. So I tried to pay attention to all of the pros and cons of going on an organized expedition, as opposed to winging it yourself. From the moment you land in a foreign country, if you do not speak the language, you are in for some difficulties.

At the ripe old age of 28, Buddhi spoke 10 languages & dialects, and never once did we encounter someone he could not communicate with! This is an incredible asset! Not to mention that he grew up in this region, and went off to Paris to study tourism in college and personally knew most everyone, everywhere we went. We were always welcomed warmly and taken good care of. This is especially helpful when you are crossing into areas where special permits are required just to be there. These official boarder people can be very problematic and hold you up or turn you away for no reason. We sailed past check points, and moved to the front of lines without question. 

Then getting around the dirt roads of the Himalayas can be challenging on so many levels! The roads are either not marked at all, or poorly marked. Finding your way is beyond challenging. Plus, they all drive on the wrong side of the road! And they pass in the middle, so it feels like a constant game of chicken, and at a pretty rapid pace! Not to mention the roads are cluttered with trucks, cars, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, people on foot, holy cows that can walk, stand or lay in the roads, wild donkeys, mountain dogs, goats, chickens………..just about everything! Buddhi just said follow me, and I did! 


I followed him through puddles the size of lakes, through rain and snow, mud and ice, cold and wind, hot and dry, potholes upon potholes upon potholes...every condition possible in a month of travel. We stayed in local guest houses, with families of friends, and mostly with his good friend who just happens to be a Buddist Monk, and lives alone in a small house on the grounds of a monastery just on the outskirts of Leh, Ladakh in the Himalayas of northern India.  

The experiences I had with Buddhi are not what you can always expect on an expedition where you would be partly camping or in guest houses. I appreciated having the opportunity of getting to meet, stay with and spend quality time with these local people. It is the part of the journey I seek, and the experience I will never forget.

When you are staying at altitude, there are a multitude of problems to overcome. You can get headaches, nausea, sleeplessness, and general fatigue. It’s important not to overdo yourself, and having a knowledgeable guide helps you to acclimatize at the correct pace. Once you get altitude sickness, sometimes the only cure is to descend to a lower altitude, which can interrupt your whole journey. Life in the Himalayas is harsh, and if you are not prepared for the elements, it can really beat you up. The extreme sun, wind, and snow reflection takes its toll.

Rule of thumb for food...boil it, peel it, or leave it! Rule of water is boil it, bring a filtering bottle, or drink bottled water with a good seal. I tell you all of these bizarre little details, because it is the little details that can make or BREAK you having a spectacular adventure. Having an experienced guide keeps you safe. He keeps you well, he keeps you healthy. He keeps you from being lost, or scared, or in danger.

Being in a third world country can be dangerous, confusing, scary, frustrating, and darn uncomfortable! Having a hilarious and silly guide can turn even the most difficult of situations into the funniest memories you take home. And with the right guide, it can be the amazing journey of a lifetime. 



Buddhi showed me an amazing journey of a lifetime in the Himalayas of northern India. He and Tupstan showed me incredible hospitality and taught me many things about the Buddhist culture and way of life. Mostly I learned that Buddhist Monks are just people like you and I. The oldest son of every family has the privilege of being a Monk, and is sent away to worship for his entire life. Only recently are some questioning this tradition, and making choices to live a different way.

I learned that a monk lives according to the economic ability of his family. For example, Tupstan had his own three bedroom house on the monastery grounds. I learned that even though he has tremendous compassion toward people, he doesn’t want stray dogs shitting in front of his house, so he didn’t want me feeding the strays in front of his house. They started waiting there for me every day. Nor does he want lizards living in his house, and when I found one in my room, he squashed it and threw it down the hole! I learned to be careful brushing my hair, because it is disrespectful for your hairs to be beneath a man’s feet.

I learned that a Monk can have a nice house, a car, an i-phone, a nice gold watch, and a TV. He cannot, however, ever wear pants. So even when it was freezing, there he was with his robe flapping on the back of my motorcycle! Tupstan is a very good person, and took very good care of me. We enjoyed shopping for groceries, peeling, chopping and cooking dinner together. We watched Bollywood videos, and the Animal Planet. He spoke almost no English, but still he taught me much.

The Buddhist religion and culture is based around compassion. Compassion is not something that you inherently have because you were the first born. I don’t even believe it is something you can force as a way of thinking, feeling or living. Compassion is something we are here to learn. The human beings who have walked the earth and shown the greatest compassion are remembered far and wide. They are our greatest examples of how we can be, even when we are not given compassion, we can respond with compassion.

You can call that whatever you want to call that. I call him Jesus Christ. People argue and fight wars over religious contradictions. It doesn't matter to me if Jesus was THE son of God, or if it was Buddha, or Yoda. We are all sons and daughters of God. We are all human, and less than perfect, and on different paths seeking our own version of nirvana. Hopefully what we learn along our path is compassion.



If you have ever dream't of this type of adventure, you can contact Buddhi for upcoming expeditions. He and I discussed several possibilities for expeditions we would like to do together. You can check out my website, monthly column, or Facebook for plans in the making. I would love to begin putting together a small group to adventure to Bhutan...who’s with me??? If you are not living life on the edge, you’re missing the view! Let’s plan the next adventure!!!


The endless spectacular views!

www.motorcycleexpeditions.com – Buddhi Singh Chand
www.womenridersnow.com “Backroads With Betsy”












The Himalayas have been calling to me since I was a young woman. Having visited there half a dozen times, I cannot even begin to explain in a page of words…why. A page is flat, and the words are black and white. The Himalayas surround you with 360 degrees of visual splendor that can never be captured fully by the lens of a camera. And it is more than a visual masterpiece.
It is a journey of the spirit that cannot be described with words, it can only be felt. Much like the magnificent mountains that surround your physical being, the spirituality of the people and their connection to their higher power is what makes the hills feel alive. The hills ARE alive, but not with sound... it is with emotion.
I remember the first time I landed in Tibet. The nomads on the plane began to cry as the plane touched the ground, which made all of us cry, and we weren’t even sure why. They were happy to return to that emotion…to that spiritual place and connection. And now they have been driven from Tibet, which is the very place that connects them. The northern Himalayas of India is where many of the Tibetan refugees have fled seeking a new place to call home and the freedom to keep the beliefs that are the very essence of their existence
- See more at: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/My_journey_through_the_high_Himalayas_on_a_Royal_Enfield_500_Motorbike.aspx?fb_action_ids=660454670651160&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%22660454670651160%22%3A363973433725820%7D&action_type_map=%7B%22660454670651160%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D#sthash.HVbGKHVK.d
The Himalayas have been calling to me since I was a young woman. Having visited there half a dozen times, I cannot even begin to explain in a page of words…why. A page is flat, and the words are black and white. The Himalayas surround you with 360 degrees of visual splendor that can never be captured fully by the lens of a camera. And it is more than a visual masterpiece.
It is a journey of the spirit that cannot be described with words, it can only be felt. Much like the magnificent mountains that surround your physical being, the spirituality of the people and their connection to their higher power is what makes the hills feel alive. The hills ARE alive, but not with sound... it is with emotion.
I remember the first time I landed in Tibet. The nomads on the plane began to cry as the plane touched the ground, which made all of us cry, and we weren’t even sure why. They were happy to return to that emotion…to that spiritual place and connection. And now they have been driven from Tibet, which is the very place that connects them. The northern Himalayas of India is where many of the Tibetan refugees have fled seeking a new place to call home and the freedom to keep the beliefs that are the very essence of their existence
- See more at: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/My_journey_through_the_high_Himalayas_on_a_Royal_Enfield_500_Motorbike.aspx?fb_action_ids=660454670651160&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%22660454670651160%22%3A363973433725820%7D&action_type_map=%7B%22660454670651160%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D#sthash.HVbGKHVK.dpuf
The Himalayas have been calling to me since I was a young woman. Having visited there half a dozen times, I cannot even begin to explain in a page of words…why. A page is flat, and the words are black and white. The Himalayas surround you with 360 degrees of visual splendor that can never be captured fully by the lens of a camera. And it is more than a visual masterpiece.
It is a journey of the spirit that cannot be described with words, it can only be felt. Much like the magnificent mountains that surround your physical being, the spirituality of the people and their connection to their higher power is what makes the hills feel alive. The hills ARE alive, but not with sound... it is with emotion.
I remember the first time I landed in Tibet. The nomads on the plane began to cry as the plane touched the ground, which made all of us cry, and we weren’t even sure why. They were happy to return to that emotion…to that spiritual place and connection. And now they have been driven from Tibet, which is the very place that connects them. The northern Himalayas of India is where many of the Tibetan refugees have fled seeking a new place to call home and the freedom to keep the beliefs that are the very essence of their existence
- See more at: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/My_journey_through_the_high_Himalayas_on_a_Royal_Enfield_500_Motorbike.aspx?fb_action_ids=660454670651160&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%22660454670651160%22%3A363973433725820%7D&action_type_map=%7B%22660454670651160%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D#sthash.HVbGKHVK.dpuf
The Himalayas have been calling to me since I was a young woman. Having visited there half a dozen times, I cannot even begin to explain in a page of words…why. A page is flat, and the words are black and white. The Himalayas surround you with 360 degrees of visual splendor that can never be captured fully by the lens of a camera. And it is more than a visual masterpiece.
It is a journey of the spirit that cannot be described with words, it can only be felt. Much like the magnificent mountains that surround your physical being, the spirituality of the people and their connection to their higher power is what makes the hills feel alive. The hills ARE alive, but not with sound... it is with emotion.
I remember the first time I landed in Tibet. The nomads on the plane began to cry as the plane touched the ground, which made all of us cry, and we weren’t even sure why. They were happy to return to that emotion…to that spiritual place and connection. And now they have been driven from Tibet, which is the very place that connects them. The northern Himalayas of India is where many of the Tibetan refugees have fled seeking a new place to call home and the freedom to keep the beliefs that are the very essence of their existence
- See more at: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/My_journey_through_the_high_Himalayas_on_a_Royal_Enfield_500_Motorbike.aspx?fb_action_ids=660454670651160&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%22660454670651160%22%3A363973433725820%7D&action_type_map=%7B%22660454670651160%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D#sthash.HVbGKHVK.dpuf

Traveling the Himalayas on a Royal Enfield 500

Riding Royal Enfield 500 motorbikes, getting around the dirt roads of the Himalayas can be challenging on so many levels!

written by Betsy Huelskamp with photos by Calamity
7/11/2013 - See more at: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/My_journey_through_the_high_Himalayas_on_a_Royal_Enfield_500_Motorbike.aspx?fb_action_ids=660454670651160&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%22660454670651160%22%3A363973433725820%7D&action_type_map=%7B%22660454670651160%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D#sthash.HVbGKHVK.dpuf

Traveling the Himalayas on a Royal Enfield 500

Riding Royal Enfield 500 motorbikes, getting around the dirt roads of the Himalayas can be challenging on so many levels!

written by Betsy Huelskamp with photos by Calamity
7/11/2013 - See more at: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/My_journey_through_the_high_Himalayas_on_a_Royal_Enfield_500_Motorbike.aspx?fb_action_ids=660454670651160&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%22660454670651160%22%3A363973433725820%7D&action_type_map=%7B%22660454670651160%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D#sthash.HVbGKHVK.dpuf

Traveling the Himalayas on a Royal Enfield 500

Riding Royal Enfield 500 motorbikes, getting around the dirt roads of the Himalayas can be challenging on so many levels!

written by Betsy Huelskamp with photos by Calamity
7/11/2013 - See more at: http://www.bikernet.com/pages/My_journey_through_the_high_Himalayas_on_a_Royal_Enfield_500_Motorbike.aspx?fb_action_ids=660454670651160&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%7B%22660454670651160%22%3A363973433725820%7D&action_type_map=%7B%22660454670651160%22%3A%22og.likes%22%7D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D#sthash.HVbGKHVK.dpuf

Friday, July 5, 2013

Trans-Himalayan Motorcycle Expedition Is On ---LADAKH-LEH

Ladakh-Trans-Himalayan Ride:- commenced on 15 June, our first group has come back safe to Manali (starting point) after two weeks ride up in the high Himalayas, we had a big fair-well at the hotel.  They were 16 riders from France, they have been dreaming this beautiful adventure past three years; finally they decided to do it with us (Motorcycle Expeditions).
 Moti (our road captain) was leading this ride with our all time rocking man Jasaji (mechanic).
Riders on the road to Ladakh-Indo-Tibet frontier.
They all have their different stories to tell; it was indeed one of the toughest rides they have ever done in their life. For most of them, it was the first time to ride the high mountains specially going up to 5,600 meters on motorcycle was just a dream come true, although they had sufficient time to get acclimatized at Manali-2000mtrs. There were seven lady riders too, for them it was more than an achievement to tackle 180k machine at 5,600mtrs.
Dealing with snowy road at 4,500mtrs. 



   Our road captain believes that the riders were very much determined and ready to chase this outreaches Himalayan road despite of snowfall, rain, harsh weather conditions. They continuously tackled all five high passes with a big smile.
Our machine master Jasaji had to work a lot on bikes every evening as there had been a loads of miner falls due to the snowy and muddy form of the road during three days.
Jasaji, doesn't like when his babies are hurt, he would rather keep himself busy to look after the bikes than gossiping with friends.

on the way back to Sarchu, the highest accommodation of the tour 4,500meters. 
 This ride is evidently a dream ride for all motorcycle enthusiasts from all around the world; however it's only known among the riders, those who are looking for a life time motorcycle adventure. This ride is full of cultural, geography diversities, faces change, landscapes change as the day passes by.
on the way to Himalaya
  Ladakh: literally means " The land of high passes". remains close and isolated from rest of the world during 8 months of year due to the harsh climate condition.  

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Kerala, South India Motorcycle Expeditions


Kochi-Alleppy-Munnar-Coimbator-Kodiakanal-Priyer-Elephant valley-


While high Himalayas rest under the white snow blanket during the winter up in the northern India, south India opens up its sandy golden beaches and dense specie forest for the bikers. If you’re planning, to spend your motorcycle holidays in beautiful Kerala and Tamil Nadu, (south India), ride a predictable 500cc Royal Enfield Bullet. Traveling through natural Parks, negotiating High Mountain passes; NIL GIRI Mountains; in the Western and Southern Ghats, staying in the India’s most beautiful colonial hill stations. Riding this legendry motorbike is a fantastic experience the brilliant roads, stunning scenery, great hotels, the rich south Indian cuisine. You will ride parts of India with us tha
t few tourists get the chance to ride.  There are plenty of opportunities to stop and explore this beautiful countryside and you will not be herded and hurried along the route.  Your motorcycle expedition in south India will be supported by our own dedicated team of mechanics, back-up van to carry luggage and spare bikes; backwatering in Kerala is the best to offer you at the beginning of the tour. This specie route ride will allow you to discover the richness of the region, Kerala the aboard of Gods, waits your motor biking trip to take you to the land of elephants.

Chinese Fishing Nets, Fort Kochi
  The chinese fishing nets (Cheenavala) are distinctly unique to Cochin. It is believed that traders from the court of the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan introduced these nets here. Oddly, these nets are found only in Kochi, outside China! Many fishermen earn their livelihood by fishing using these massive nets. A whole stretch of the coast along Fort Kochi and Vypeen are dotted with these nets.


The Ancient history of Kerala is deeply shrouded in the mists of tradition. The most popular legend would have it that the land crust that forms the State of Kerala was raised from the depths of the ocean. The legend goes like this. Parasurama, a Brahmin avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu, had waged an epic series of vengeful wars on the Kshatriyas. Came a moment when Parasurama was struck by remorse at the wanton annihilation he had wrought. He offered severe penance atop the mountain heights. Furthermore, in a mood of profound atonement, the sage heaved his mighty axe into the midst of the distant ocean. The waves foamed and frothed as a prawn-shaped land extending from Gokarnam to Kanyakumari surfaced from the depths of the sea to form the present State and hence the sobriquet - "Gods own Country".


Munnar is a beautiful hill station, offers plenty  of opportunities to the riders, it was the summer resort of the British. Tourists come here to see the vast tea plantations of the area. The town itself is typically Indian with the usual shops, guest houses and is really beautiful and traditional. It is a good place to stay to see the surrounding countryside. It is also a popular place for Indian honeymooners.
The town is divided into two parts, Old Munnar, where the tourist information office is, and Munnar, where the bus station and most guest houses are located, we rest our head in a traditional Kerala house built right in the middle of tea plantation.


 our motorcycle tour in South India is designed as per the western taste, keeping in mind that what type of accommodation riders would love to have after a harsh day on the road.
This itinerary is elaborated after years of ride in South India, the highlight of the ride itinerary is not always been appreciated by the riders.
During our rides,  we do our best to bring our guests close to the local population to have an interesting cultural exchange with he locals.