Trithala To Bangalore Road Trip

vickysuryaputra

Route -

Trithala – Pattambi – Perinthalmanna – Malappuram Town – Edavanna - Areacode – Thamarassery – Adivaram – Vythri – Kalpetta – Sulthan Batheri – Gundulpet – Nanjangud – Mysore – Chinnapattna - Bangalore

Distance = 482 Km

We are three dentist friends, Ravi, that is me, Anand and Sujith, classmates in Dental College, Calicut. We have a successful general practice including orthodontics. So we thought of going on a road trip to Bangalore with our families, to experience the new age sights there. As it was Ramadan time here practice was a little on the lean side and we felt we could take leave for 2 days. We settled on 21st and 22nd of September for our sojourn from hectic practice. Also we could club together a visit to the Expodent show in Bangalore International Exhibition Center.

We planned to go by Nilambur – Gudallur – Mysore –Blangalore route, but due to a landslide about a month before it was closed in the Nadukani stretch. Hence we had to settle on Edavanna – Areacode - Thamaraserry – Sulthan Batheri – Gundulpet – Nanjangud - Mysore – Chinnapatana – Bangalore route. Myself and Anand was to meet at Sujith’s house on 20th evening and start for Bangalore on 21st morning. Return frm B’lore was planned on 23rd evening. We decided to take my Maruti Zen and Sujith’s Maruti Swift cars.

I started frm home that is Trithala, on 20th at 6.00 pm and went to Pattambi to pick Anand. We started at about 7.00 pm and reached Sujith’s home at Edavanna at about 9.30 pm. We had to go in a circuitous route thru Malappuram town as the road between Perinthalmanna and Edavanna was in a very bad state, total 85 km frm Trithala to Edavanna.

21st morning we started at about 7.00 am, Edavanna – Areacode road is in a very bad state, with pothole and in some places it looks like just a stone and dirt track. Fortunately it was not raining much, for which we were very thankful. From Areacode onwards the road was good and from Thamaressery it was the new rubberized road upto Muthunga. In some places we could clock 100 Km/hr speeds. The hairpin bends frm Adivaram to Vythri was exhilarating. We had nadan breakfast frm Kalpetta, I had my cars Pollution Control ticket renewed and then started for the border at Muthunga. We spotted a herd of elephants browsing in the forest. After Muthunga the roads are potholed and we could maintain a speed of 60 km/hr only. Gundulpet to Mysore road is good so we could go b/w 90 – 100 Km/hr. We reached Mysore by 3.00 pm and went to the Pizza Hut at Mysore for Lunch. Everyone had a taste of different types of Pizzas as they had World Food festival there. All were of the opinion that mine and Anand’s selection of Indian Chicken Hot and Spicy Pizza, was the best. We went to Chamundi Hills and had a bird’s eye view of Mysore. We started frm Mysore at 6.00 pm, going at 120km/hr on the Mysore-Bangalore road.

Reaching Bangalore at 9.30 pm Sujith and Anand went to their accommodation at Hotel Golden Bell, near Forum Mall and I went to my brother-in-law’s house at JP Nagar Phase VI. According to their report, Hotel Golden Bell is a good place to stay, with non-a/c double-occupancy room costing only 1050-/ Rs. per day inclusive of tax. Being in a centralized location, all major shopping centers are within walking distance. We had to spend about an hour in B’lore traffic to reach our destinations.

The climate in Bangalore was pleasantly cool, but the monster of pollutions is rearing up its ugly head. So watch out those with asthma, Anand developed wheezing on the second day in Bangalore.

On 22nd morning I hired a call taxi and went to the Expodent at BIEC. The call taxi in Bangalore is a gr8 idea and they don’t overcharge. The autowallas also tamed as they have to go by the fare meter. If u don’t kno the route, then they are liable to take u for a ride. There is no such problem with the call taxi ppl as they are so busy that they don’t have time to cheat u. So even if u pay more, best and more comfortable method is to go by a call-taxi / call-auto. You can confirm the distance and route at the call center itself and so you can be assured that you will not be taken for a ride. I called Spot City Taxi at Phone number 25510000. BIEC is a sprawling complex, but the food is expensive there. I bought some dental material and the new Optra-Dam for my clinic at Expodent.

In the afternoon we went to the Purple Haze pub and had a good time. I had a cocktail but didn’t enjoy it much and had to settle for good Old Monk Rum. Unfortunately they had a Twenty20 cricket match going, so we could enjoy only after it was over with head banging music. Next stop was at Forum Mall. It’s a gr8 shopping experience if u have loads of cash to spend. We had food at Transit in Forum Mall and I lost 20 Rs trying to get a Diet Coke frm a vending machine, no complaints, as I lost bcoz I didn’t read the instructions carefully. The food selection there is good with lots of cuisine frm around the world. I had a hot dog and I felt that it was not to my liking. Probably the mayonnaise in it was not upto my taste buds. Watching a movie in the multiplex there was awesome experience, but a little expensive at 500-/ Rs a ticket.

On 23rd we went around the malls there. Big Bazar is crowded and economical. Total is just coming up but good. Vishal Mart is cheap. I had my first experience with McDonalds Chicken Burger and KFC original recipe. Nothing finger sucking about it as they show in the adverts. Next time I will stick to Indian cuisine. Western food does not go well with my palate.

We started frm B’lore at about 5.00 pm, reached Mysore at 8.00pm and at Gundulpet at 10.00pm. We had dinner there. 10 Km frm Gundulpet I remembered that I had to fill petrol so we had to go bck and fill frm Gundulpet. Sujith advised me that there r no petrol pumps frm Gundulpet to Sulthan Batheri, a distance of 45 km. We saw elephants sleeping on their legs, very near the road.The hairpin bends in night was a gr8 experience. We reached Sujith’s house in Edavanna by 3.30 am, slept there till 7.00am and reached Trithala by 11.00 am after dropping Anand at his house.

Synopsis

Always fill up petrol at the nearest pump…..dont wait for anything.
Bangalore First Impression = Dusty and Crowded
Bangalore Final Impression = Dusty and Crowded
Pubs = A gr8 thing to experience……..Kerala when r u going to start pubs.
Roads = Good, Bad and Ugly – Way to go India
People = as usual very helpful with directions
Malls = gr8 experience, and a drain on pocket
Multiplexes = same as above
Food = Traditional. Indian. Cuisine. Always scores………Out with western fattening foods…….
I LOVE INDIA