Amma's Decree

Easha, standing where the buck stops.

This is the Kerala side of the Kerala - TN border, and the board and chains have been put up by Amma’s minions from the other side. We could have squeezed our bikes through the gap in the chains, except that…

a little farther on, we hit upon this. Whew, no way we’re gonna make it past this. This is like an addendum to the board and chains.

"Road Closed for Traffic - and WE MEAN IT"

Way back. We just put the engines in a low gear and coasted down, using only engine braking. No clutch and no brakes, or we would have toasted them. We meet up with Vipin and Arun, who were rather worried by now and were considering following us up. The three bikes start down, and shortly run into Ligeo and Joy, on their way UP! Now these guys were fed some cock and bull story about leopards and elephants, and came up after the rest of us.

Now all of us head down, and run into some sodden ding-bats claiming to be forest officials whose permission we had omitted to take. Some yelling, some canvassing and a couple of fifties exchanged hands. The bleeding jokers were just looking to fleece us.

35 kms later we are nestled safely in Munnar in a cosy little bar attached restaurant. Joy, Vipin and Ligeo headed out for a new chain for Ligeo’s bike while the rest of us drowned… our joys ? Man what a ride that was. Easha says it was the toughest and most exhilarating one he’d ever done, Khardung La included.

We finished off the day with a trip to a Tata Tea showroom, where they had plenty of the local produce. Oh, and I nearly forgot to mention… copious amounts of alcohol and Kerala style beef fry.