Green & Scenic Climb : Mangalore to Coorg

8 am on a Sunday morning is indeed too early for sleepy town of Mangalore. Most shops and restaurants shut. As we pass thru the city, we can see the advantage of an uncrowded place - sprawling bungalows and individual houses. But also the lack of planning in town development. But hey, is there any town in India which can boast that?

The winding road is quite motorable, but a 2-lane with no divider. So average speeds are low since its difficult overtaking slow vehicles. The 140 km taking about 4 hours.

Once you leave Mangalore, the road stretchs along orchards of betelnut, coconut and banana giving a cool and pleasant view. The fertile land ensures lots of greenery on both sides of the road. Much of the road is also lined with cottages and bungalows - probably the owners of the orchards.

There is a continuous stream of houses and civilisation. Nothing to symbolise the passing of one village/town/district and entering another one. (Not as populated as Kerala though) Passed the 80 km milestone to Madekeri (Coorg).

....... More of the same - downhill and uphill. Ads of submersible pumps, AC sheets, Jewellery and Cement. Thankfully, no speed breakers on the way. (Especially since I am on the last seat of a Qualis)

Passed through Sullia - a large-ish town - more like a one street town with shops, establishments on both sides. It is amazing that State Highways pass right through the middle of towns instead of taking a by-pass around it. Not only is it a public hazard for the residents, but also reduces the average speed of travel.

Now 20 km away and vegetation becomes thicker, road bumpier, climb steeper, and lost mobile signal. Now rubber trees with contraptions to collect the sap. Reach Madekeri.

How to drive in the city without losing your sanity!

It is not uncommon to have a conversation about the traffic in the city and more so the outrage over the frustrating driving experience. By the time, you are through with the week, the combination of bad roads, errant taxi drivers, long traffic jams, jay walking pedestrians, morchas and processions, prove to be a lethal cocktail which knocks you out for the weekend. Is there a way to combat all this and yet keep your cool? Can you drive in the city without driving yourself insane? Probably....

I wish I could say that the God of driving revealed to me the five magical solutions in a resonant, well-modulated voice! No, its not that dramatic. These are five ways that have worked for me. Here are the first two (in no specific order) :

1. Have faith in Darwin : Have you ever noticed how incensed we get when some other driver cuts our lane? We just want to overtake the driver and 'teach him/her a lesson'. Do we now? Are we really interested in teaching that errant driver? why take all that trouble and improve his driving? (especially if he has cut your lane!). Nah! Just let them be. I believe in Darwin's Law of Natural Selection..... people unfit to drive, will wind up losing their right to drive one way or another. So just smile and wish him good luck. Don't interfere with that process and try to upgrade their skills.

2. Select your Music : If you love music, your problem is half-solved. If you don't have an ear for music - develop one! Music has the power to influence one's mood - so selecting the right music is also important. The best option is to burn a CD or make an appropriate playlist on your iPod/MP3 player. FM stations tend to have a lot of chatter and less music.... some attempts at humour are actually counter-productive (observe the shenanigans of Ghanta Singh). Keep two playlists - one for easy listening (for tight traffic conditions) and other for when your mood is upbeat and you are on a clear road maintaining a good speed. I have a list of recommended songs for both lists for listeners preferring Indian and Western music. (Surprise find : AIR FM 107.1 has less chatter and more music - its just that the selection can be rather erratic)

Next 3 Tips follow soon......

The Genesis

There are many facets to Roads and Rides. The issues concerning the conditions of roads in cities, are starkly different from the pleasures of riding on the picturesque road from Gangtok to Lachung. Technology to build Autobahns and the issues governing the policies of speed limits at 180 km/hr, is a totally different ball game from the slippery mastic asphalt roads built over Mumbai's eastern express highway leading to speed limits of as low as 40 km/hr on some parts. So, what is this blog about? Well, it does concern Roads and Rides, but will focus on city roads and issues to start with.

Living in a metro implies that one would spend a lot of time travelling - whether on work or personal matters. For several years now, I, like many other city dwellers, spend over a couple of hours travelling to work and back every day. And this journey is on the road. i.e. if we agree that it is worthy to be called a road. Time and again I have wondered whether this is the best we can hope for. Everyday I have seen fellow travellers on the long road (I travel 36 km to work) - some driving and some driven - patiently drudging away, negotiating all kinds of obstacles on the way. Some of us travel much more than this and face greater difficulties and hats off to those who have been bearing these appalling conditions - and have managed to retain their sanity.

This blog is a forum to share our issues, experiences, knowledge and techniques to ultimately improve the hours we spend on the road. Will it make a difference? Will things improve? As long as it makes a difference in the lives of few travellers, the purpose is well acheived. Read on.....