It was last weekend(sat-01/04/07) when we tightened throttles of our bikes over a stretch of 85-90 Kms to reach Sangam-mekedatu, an outing spot where Kaveri flows. Sangam is the place where two rivers arkavati and kaveri meet. One would find just knee-deep water in most part of this place. Cross it and go to Mekedatu by a bus or by walk if you are of trekking type. This would be a trek of 4-5 Kms. The name is derived from the legend that the distance between the banks was so less that even a goat could leap over. Meke(goat) + datu (Leap) = Mekedatu.
On the way to Sangam/Mekedatu
Although I had been to this place 2 yrs back, but not by bike. In fact, it was my roommate's(Avinash) interest in biking that resulted in this trip. We three roommates and 6 collegues of one(Vipin) of us, started-off on 5 bikes on sat morning. We initially planned to leave bangalore latest by 6:30, but as usual there were two members(Ravi & Shakti) on one bike(had a interesting incident later), who ensured our departure to be not before 7:30.
Sangam
Around 10:00 we were at sangam, after having 3 stops (1 planned + 2 forced). I cannot move forward before recalling what made us to stop, twice more than planned. As soon as we took the first of these two stops, it was evident that there is one guy among us who did a 'believe it or not' stuff, by taking out his bike, which was almost nil on brakes. You might have guessed what happened next!!. It wouldn't have been a guesswork indeed for anyone of us had we knew the state of that machine before the start. Ravi, who was the driver of this story, was either too courageous or too enthusiatic to take that bike, which promises its rider a tough time even inside the city. This fact came to the fore soon as the inevitable happened, barely after entering the ghat-section. It was lesser than usual ghat turn but steep enough to test brakes of each one's bike. Although it seems to be serious incident, but I should mention here that it had a great deal of comic touch in the way it happend. The biker infront of Ravi applied the brakes and in an attempt to save himself from banging in that bike, Ravi went straight to fall over after covering 10-15 mtr of ground. I happened to be the helpless witness of the incident as I was the next to take turn. I could tell that I had enough time to think every fraction of second that they are going to stop, as they covered a long stretch, without much difficulty. But, in the end as the bike stopped, they toppled over to be later found unhurt. We found that they were not the first one, as there were lots of broken parts already on the ground stating the tale.
The reason for the second stop was more intense in both, seriousness and hilariousness... :-) . As soon as we started back for our destination, within a KM, we found another turn but little more riskier than the previous one. This time I was ahead of Ravi, and just after succesfully handling the turn, made sure by turning my head back, that I happen to be the witness of this one too. I, frantically started blowing my horn to signal two bikes which were ahead of me to stop. Unfortunately, Ravi and Shakti were not second time lucky as they suffered bruises, which ensured that they remain a mere spectator to the enjoyment we had inside water later on... :-( . Ofcourse, on the way back these two guys were made to have pillion ride.
The first stop(exact moment) Second turn
Ravi expresses
Coming back to Sangam; we thought that it will be good to walk till mekedatu, and decide once we reach there about taking a bus back or not. It was moderately tiring as bright sunlight shown us the way. Gaurav(Vipin's collegue), told us the horrid but exciting time he had when he made it to that famous sakleshpur-abondoned-railway-track trek. Me and Avinash have been feeling for that for a long time; don't know when it will come true. Gavurav had the only digicam in our group to keep the memories of trip captured. We reached mekedatu after an hour or so, to find that as sangam this place too is having many visitors(was quite obvious on a saturday). Me and Avinash, who was there in my previous visit, decided to go near water to check if it is possible like last time, to take a bath here itself. What we heard before last visit and couldn't witness was very much visible this time; the gushing sound and ferocious flow of water. We decided that unlike last time we'll have to make a u-turn and hope to find water-solace back at sangam.
We took the bus on our way back, which, if addressed as four walls of metals, sounds more appropriate. The water-flow here too was little more than what we experienced last time, but it is always a risk-free zone. We spent around 1-1/2 hours there in the water before getting struck by the thought of possible bike-driving in night. Well, when we knew that we have to drive those bikes which includes the one that already kissed earth twice before, it was very difficult to delay our expedition back to bangalore.
Came back to bangalore around 7-7:30 p.m. Gaurav was the courageous one who took upon the brave task of driving the cursed bike, albeit alone. We were happy to reach back with no more untoward incidents. I couldn't remember clearly what exactly I had that night in dinner, anyway it didn't matter as the more enticing task was left....what else but sleeping!!!
woke up just to give a recount of this trip.... Zzzzz.....!!!
Original post timing: Monday April 10, 2006 - 02:53pm (IST)
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