Where the road meets the sky - Kiki's odyssey to Ooty

Unlike Kodaikanal, Ooty is not a dead end. In fact, there are many interesting and unexplored routes around Ooty, which was the main reason for me to head towards this otherwise most popular hill station in southern India. The route via Masinagudi would be thrilling for those fond of hairpin bends. It is the other route through Gudalur that I personally like, as it has smooth-flowing curves, and leaning around the corners at good speed is doable on this stretch. Do remember, too much traffic is a disadvantage on this route. On a Friday early morning, before the traffic build-up on the Nanjangud-Gundulpet road, I reached Gundulpet in less than an hour and filled up with petrol. The next one would be in Tamil Nadu or Kerala, which are higher than in Karnataka. The Bandipur on this side of the forest seems to be teeming with more wildlife, and I saw peacocks strolling on the side of the road. It was breathtaking to witness a bevvy of deer crossing right in front of me and herds of them grazing on the forest floor. I could see them all along the Bandipur Tiger Reserve until Theppakadu. This is where one deviates towards Masinagudi. This is a small town nestled in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve, which has become a popular destination with many resorts and guest houses. 

 

The 12 kilometres from Masinagudi to Ooty has 36 hairpin bends and goes through the Kalhatty Ghat. With a steady climb, some hairpin bends are steep as well. It is not for a novice driver/rider. The advantage of this route is that heavy vehicles don't ply here. Once you are up the ghat and at Kalhatty, you will start seeing colourful houses perched on hilltops. This is the picture I imagine of a village on a mountain sans the bright neon colour. The only thing I had on my to-do list in Ooty was to buy some chocolates. This was accomplished in a matter of 15-20 minutes. A good-hearted local old lady was selling peanuts just outside the chocolate shop and was excited to see a girl coming there on a motorcycle on her own.

 

Bordering with Palakkad in Kerala, some of the remote places around Ooty have surprisingly excellent interior roads. One such route was to Mulli, which is very close to Kerala. There are a few tourist attractions on this route, but I didn't see any tourists that day. It could be because it was a weekday or owing to the distance. The scenery only gets better with each twist and turn on the road. I had two encounters with Indian Gaur on this stretch, one was munching on tea leaves by the side of the road. Mulli is approximately 50 odd kilometres from Ooty. Exiting Ooty on the Coonoor road, I soon turned towards Lovedale, passing through the railway station, Lawrence School, and so on. The captivating landscape kept me company on the winding road. Passing through numerous tea gardens and some forest, it was at one of the tea estates that I spotted the Indian Gaur munching along the roadside. I skirted around the great beast, hoping not to provoke it with the roar of my bike. The calm creature was minding its own business, ignorant of my anxiety. Manjoor is the next main town, and the milestones announce the distance to this place. Gliding on the nine hairpin bends towards Kundah and Manjoor, one can catch a glimpse of the Kundah Dam.  

I could go as far as Manjoor and had to turn back, as it was noon by then, and I had to return to Ooty and eventually to Wayanad the same day. While returning towards Ooty, on one of the hairpins, a mischievous Gaur was sleeping in the bushes, with its head resting on the road. This was the second rendezvous and quite an alarming one. Lunch at A2B in the heart of the town was a good stop for lunch and a delightful chance to meet with the security guard, who spoke impeccable English. He studied in one of the convents in Ooty and holds a PhD but was working here due to some unfortunate turn of events. It was nice chatting with him and bidding adieu to Ooty headed towards Wayanad via Gudalur. 

Gudalur to Ooty is one of the most popular routes in South India, thanks to Ooty - the most favoured hill station down south. The place is thronged by tourists year-round, especially during the weekends. It being Friday was a respite, but towards late afternoon, the traffic towards Ooty started building up. On my way down, gliding on the curves and enjoying the scenery, I was thankful that I was going away from the maddening crowd that was building up. The tarmac of the road is excellent for the most part, except for some stretches nearing the Gudalur town. These bad stretches are rather bad, with deep potholes. From Gudalur, there are two routes to enter Kerala. One is via Devala, Pandalur, towards Vaduvanchal (the border town on Kerala's side). Choosing the other option, I headed towards Biderkad via Devarshola. The route traverses through forests, tea estates, and every hundred metres of the road with boards warning about Elephant crossing. Though a few hundred metres lower on the western ghats, these mountain roads with sensuous twists and turns are equally impressive. Biderkad was a good pit stop to fuel the bike and the biker. The next main town in Wayanad on this route is Sultan Bathery. Cherishing the glorious day of the ride, I reached the homestay by five in the evening. A full day (eleven hours) of the ride came to an end.