06 Mar - Masinagudi to Mysore - Out of the nature reserves onto the Karnataka plateau

Day's run: 102 km
Total: 731 km
Start:  07:00
Saddle Time:   06:13
Total Climb:    718 m
Total Descent: 872 m
Average: 16.4 kph

Through the national park which was a bit African-bush like with open under-storey. Peacocks and spotted deer mostly. It's very dry and I know that forest fires are a problem. Then a long hair-pinned descent - with rim-cooling stops again - and then out onto the Karnataka plain towards Mysore.

There are lots of signs with rules, no litter, no feeding,, no noise, no photos, no stopping, no picnic-ing and so on. Lots of environmental bull while meanwhile in the town high street.............

...........the local safari jeep maintenance garage pours it's engine oil into the drain that runs straight into the river 50m down the hill.  

My breakfast tea stop in Masinagudi.

The black-faced Langur monkeys were very pretty but a bit shy. To be honest the animals don't bat an eyelid at the cars, trucks and buses but when I pedal by on my bike they run like hell. I'm starting to get a complex.

This is the reserve where the  'man-eating' tiger was shot recently. This is the only road through the park and I can see the animal trails leading off into the bush. At the back of my mind is the thought that I am showing quite a lot of leg flesh.

This is the first accident I've seen in nearly two weeks on the road. Nice tarmac!

Another reminder of Portugal, and yes, I've seen oxen ploughing the fields.

I finally decide to go for the coocnut drink. 25 rupees. This man's top is solid with grime. Not nice.

However, the drink is absolutely delicious and when your done drinking, he skilfully chops it open so you can scrape out the soft flesh inside with a piece of the shell. The cows then come along and lick out the empty shells. Bargain! Note the good tarmac and hard shoulder on the approach to Mysore.

Empires come and go

This is Nick from Chichester. No, he is not sick, he got dragged into the Holi paint-spattering  festivities in town..........and it doessn't come off. We've loosely agreed to meet up in Hampi in 10 days time.

......and this is Younus, very friendly. He insisted on paying for my meal and took me back to the hotel on his scooter afterwards because it was lashing down with rain and the roads were flooded. While we were eating a big Honda kerosene fueled generator suddenly appeared in the restaurant and was fired up right next to our table. The noise and fumes were incredible but no-one batted an eyelid. Apparently in the thunderstorms the power fails and in the pitch dark everyone clears off without paying! No, that's not true actually....it's so we can continue our meal .......in clouds of blue smoke.