A Pleasant Drive

It has been a long time since i posted my last blog....!!!well....nothing motivated me to write a blog all these days....but..this drive...as soon as i came back from this place...i decided to write a blog about this place!!!
Date : 27.08.2005
7.00 A.M
I woke up hearing some rustling sound in the room.I found something was different.Only then i realised, i'm not in Indiranagar.I had come to BTM Layout the previous day to meet anand , praga and everyone. But to my dismay everyone there except Anand was goin' to some DLPD Exam Invigilation.So myself and Pomi were kinda disappointed.Everyone left at around 7.30 A.M. I turned towards Pomi and Anand.Both of them were asleep.Neither did i expect them to be awake.I turned on the computer.I started watching some movie.
10.00A.M
Pomi woke up slowly.Then Anand woke up.We were feeling hungry and decided to get our breakfast soon atleast before 11 !!!! All of a sudden, I asked them....if we could leave to "Mekedatu"? Anand wasn't too impressed with the idea.But i told him that it really a nice drive in NH. Almost immediately Anand agreed and we decided to leave as quick as possible.

Destination : Mekedatu Vehicles - me and pomi in Wind 125, Anand in his pulsar. Distance- 95 Kms (approx)

11.00 A.M
We started from BTM Layout.I read about this place in a blog.So as per the blog we decided to start from JayaNagar and follow the same route.On the way, we filled in fuel and also got the money from the atm.(Dont look for any ATM centers r Petrol Bunk near Mekedatu....there isin't any).We went to JayaNagar and asked for KanapuraRoad.We were given direction and we followed that route.We were again in BTM!!! then we somehow reached the NH-209 (Mysore highway).We went 2 kms along the highway and stopped to have our breakfast.We forgot to get the Digi camera.So we had brought Anand's conventional one.So we thought we 'll get the film role and batteries.
11.30 A.M
We started again and decided to cover a decent distance before the next stop.As we covered some 10 kms, the traffic eased out.The concrete jungle of Bangalore vanished.We were travelling along nice green fields. We stopped again to have some tea.We took our first snap here.Then we started again.The sun was playing hide and seek.It was cloudy at times but mostly sunny.It was disappointing that we had to travel in that hot weather.We reached Kanakapura (approx 45 kms from Bangalore).
1.15 P.M
We didnt stop at kanakapura.We went along the Mysore highway till we reached a place where there was a board saying the right fork of the road leads to "Sangama".We took that one.The road looked very bad with lots n lots of potholes.But surprisingly the rough road ended in not more than half a kilometer.Then we were travelling in a very well maintained Country road.The drive was pleasant.The surroundings were much more green than we expected.We reached a checkpost.We were asked to travel straight for Sangama.The uphill wasn't too steep for we couldn't differentiate much between the uphill n plain's journey.The road wasn't too plain.They were full of ups n downs.We travelled another 25 kms with occasionally stopping for snaps.
2.45 P.M
We saw an arch which led to Chunchi Falls.We skipped that.We travelled straight for Sangama.Then it got gloomy and started raining.It was too good.The distant fields were covered by slight mist and the scenery was awesome.We enjoyed the ride in rain.Then again in another 7-8 kms we came to the Ghat road.The climb down was steep.We came across 3-4 hairpin bends.Then we reached our first destination-Sangama.The road ended there.We parked our bikes there.
3.30 P.M
Sangama is the place where river Cauvery and river Arkavathy confluence.We crossed the river and we were surprised to find a bus on the other side of the river.We took that bus.We travelled 4 kms in that bus to reach "Mekedatu".This is the place where river Cauvery flows through narrow gorge where even a goap can leap across the river.But legendary Mekedatu(Goat's leap) no longer exists as goap's leap, i guess.The gorge has been widened because of the constant erosion by the river.But the sight was awesome.The swift flowing river.Water splashing against the rocks.But we were cautious and didnt try to get near the water.It was too fast with lot of swirls.So we stayed on the rocks and enjoyed the sight for another half an hour before the bus driver called us.We had to leave that place as the bus was about to start.But we decided to come back to this place and spend atleast a day here.
5.45 P.M
We had tea in Sangama and started our bikes.We wanted to reach Kanakapura before it was dark.As we planned we reached Kanakapura and it started raining again.But this time,it was not a drizzle.We continued driving in the rain.At times, we stopped in some tea stall as the rain got heavy.We reached Bangalore at 9 P.M.
No doubt, Mekedatu is awesome.If you think MG Road and Brigade Road are the only places to visit when you come down to Bangalore, you are wrong. You can see the true colours of Karnataka only outside Bangalore. Village girls carrying pots of water on their head,thatched roofs,huts,cattles,lush green fields,dense forest.....what else....you name it....you 'll find it....If you are a nature lover.....you 'll surely love this drive.