The tour came about after I had 'missed' doing the Manali-Leh tour earlier that year... it was_not a serious plan, but I had been hoping to do that long awaited tour that year. But it did_not work out due to work schedules, so when work eased up towards mid of 2018-Sep, I decided to do a tour, "closer home".
The Karnataka-Goa-Maharashtra tour, again had been something that me and some friends had discussed on-and-off. But I had been wondering how to get info about specific routes/stay options in advance, for a tour on inner roads, avoiding highways; especially national highways.
Meanwhile, in my weekend rides around Bengaluru, I had been trying out a nifty idea to locate new routes on google maps, along inner roads, which were suitable for cycling -- figuring out the zoom level on google maps, which showed roads, which were wide enough for a ~car, which would automtically mean those roads were ok for cycling; though the surface could always be a surprise.
With some trial and error, I confirmed that setting google maps to ~1km zoom level, worked well... roads visible at that zoom level, were wide enough for a ~car. I did ~half a dozen rides around Bengaluru, exploring new roads using the above technique, and the experience was quite good.
So I felt confident that I could use this technique to head out for a 2-3week tour, and select routes day-by-day, on the fly. Also found that the plotaroute.org website was a good resource, to plan daily routes, based on elevation profiles.
Finally, with mobile data connectivity improving considerably, and apps/services like MakeMyTrip, Oyo, and Google Maps hotel search having improved considerably, I felt confident that I would be able to plan routes and stays, on a daily basis; and adjust plans as needed. Ofcourse, keeping 1-2 BSNL SIMs was also important, incase the private mobile providers, were_not having proper coverage in rural areas.
So with 1-2days final preps, I reviewed some routes, and decided I would start cycling from Mangalore. Did the vovlo booking from Bangalore-Mangalore, and on 2018-09-13 night at ~2000hrs, I headed out to Anandrao Circle, which was the starting point for the volvo. There had been a shower at ~1900hrs which delayed my start from home, but I still had ample time to get to the starting point.
I started out in a mild shower, and after few kms, I realised that my front derailleur was_not working. So the bike was stuck in top gear (#3); within the city it was_not an issue, so I continued riding, and figured I would look for a good shop in Mangalore the next day, to fix the issue, and start the tour.
I got to Anandrao circle, and was pleased to see that the private bus operator had their own area, with good lighting and some seating area, etc. I got a luggage ticket for my cycle, and then loaded the bike once the bus arrived. The overall experience was quite pleasant, since this was the starting point, and the area was_not crowded.
The bus started more-or-less on schedule, and I settled into an uncomfortable sleep, since the vovl bus seats usually give me limited leg space. I got limited sleep during the night.
Near the morning, I was watching the outside scenery, which was quite forested, and was wondering where we were. Near dawn, I saw a section of the landscape which was very similar to something I had seen few years back during a cycle tour through Kudremukh National Park (KNP). The bus was_not supposed to go through KNP, so I was surprised.
After we exited the forested section, it was daylight, and the bus stopped for a break. I got out of the bus, and looked at the road behind; it showed the gate for KNP, so we had indeed some through Kudremukh
Once the bus ride resumed, I checked with the driver, and did_not get a clear answer for why we came via Kudremukh, but seemed like there was some issue on the regular Hassan-Mangalore route. I asked the about the ETA for Mangalore, and realised that the bus was going to go via Karkala, to Udupi, and finally to Mangalore. Since my plan was to ride from Managlore towards Udupi, I asked the driver to drop me off at Karkala. I decided to start riding from Karkala, after freshening up at a lodge/restaurant there. I had stayed at the lodge few years back, during the cycle tour via Kudremukh/Karkala.
I setup my bike after the bus dropped me off near Kalakala, and rode the few kms to the lodge/restaurant. They had a very good restroom in the restaurant, and I freshened up there, and a good breakfast, and was ready to start my tour.
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