One of the most difficult times for a long distance rider is when his body stops listening, starts malfunctioning and lands him into a soup! Last night had taken a terrible toll on my body, thanks to the high fever I had developed in the evening! I had been shivering all night under doses of antibiotics and antipyretics and things were looking extremely grim when I went off to sleep, thinking about calling off the trip.

The first light of the morning came dazzling through the balcony and the first signal I got from within was that, I was feeling much better! The medicines had done their job and I was in good shape to ride on. We decided to stay at Munnar today and explore the sights around. Everyone agreed and we pushed ourselves for Mattupetty Lake, skipping lunch.

Mattupetty Lake and Dam is situated at a distance of 11 kms from Munnar town and boasts of a huge water body encircled by wooded hills and tea plantations. It’s a natural hotspot for tourists and Onam being round the corner, the crowd was more than the normal average for a rainy season. The roads were silky smooth with twisties all over, soaked in rain and invigorated by the aroma of the tea gardens. I was enjoying my curvy cruise and the pulsarians were enjoying sprinting at the corners. We hardly stopped at Mattupetty as the desire to ride on, was mounting up. Our next destination was Top Station, 30 kms away. Looking at the roads and the scenery around we had almost forgotten about our lunch, when we spotted a resort proclaiming to have a restaurant. We ordered some fiery non veg dishes to satiate the hunger, which was created instantly after the smell from the kitchen hit our nostrils! I had a chat with the hospitable owner who took us around his resort at the hill top only too make us realize that he had set up a mini paradise for nature lovers and bird watchers with a well maintained flower garden nestled in the woods offering panoramic views all around.

The next hour or two was spent around Kundalay Lake and dam which is at a stone’s throw distance from the resort. We spent our best times together, enjoying the moving clouds and breathtaking green mountains in the backdrop. We clicked, laughed, cracked jokes, pulled legs and also performed biking stunts on the lake water. After spending some wonderful time, we decided to make a move towards Top Station. Top Station was reached in no time but we could hardly find any views from there. We moved ahead further only to reach a forest department check post, with a signboard having an interesting proclamation: “You are entering the highest road, South of Himalayas”. The entry was restricted on that road and it is expected to connect Kodaikanal to Kochi by 2015.

We started our return from there and decided to stop at many places to feed our lenses. I planned to move ahead of the pack and told them to start five minutes after I leave, so that I can click them on motion. I chose a perfect location for shoot and started waiting for them. The wait which was supposed to be for five minutes kept on increasing and I stood there all alone in the lap of Mother Nature. The clouds were successfully combing down on the hills, hiding them from vicinity. The cacophony of the insects was getting louder, bringing in the darkness and the drizzle along. I stood there still with the wind engulfing my senses and giving me a high. The thump of some wheels suddenly broke the silence and I got out of the trance I was in. My pals were arriving and I got to click!

It got dark pretty fast and we hurried back to the town, only to land up at the same hotel. Another day in a rider’s life was about to set soon, but this day was so fulfilling and satisfactory. It proved the worth to ride down so far from the madding crowds, all the way from Bangalore. With a contented heart I entered the room, off with the high, but with the hangover still on!