August 6, 2010

Solo ride to Horsley Hills...!!


The destination was decided, the people were decided and a time of 5am was also decided. However when I got up at 7am, the people weren't there and the alarm didnt buzz. Suddenly I realize that if I get out of my bed am gona make my first solo ride. Got up in a jiffy and left for Horsley Hills by 8am.

I dint know much about the route and the destination. However with the help of the locals and the sign boards I hoped to reach Horsley Hills. The roads till Hoskote were quite bad as there were a number of flyovers that were under construction. At Hoskote I took a deviation towards the left and headed to Chintamani, a small town on the way. From Hoskote, the roads were decent enough despite being single lanes. I crossed Chintamani and had my first tea break at a small tea shop. I asked the shop keeper for directions and he guided me well. He also gave a remark that there is hardly anything to see in Horsley hills. I told him that I just wanted to enjoy the ride. His next question was why I had come all alone and where my friends were. However I just replied that with a smile and headed for Madanapalle, which is another small town enroute Horsley hills. I passed by many villages, paddy fields, bullock carts, beautiful trees, red soil, curious on-lookers and enjoyed my first solo ride. Bliss...!!

After crossing the Andhra border near Rayalpadu, I never had to ask anyone for the directions, as the AP tourism boards were displayed very frequently with the directions and the distance to Horsley hills. There were a lot of turnings and deviations that had to be taken and I almost missed a couple of them. At the base of the hills, a huge gate welcomed me. I was in for a disappointment as there were only a couple of hair-pin bends. However, the roads were quite winding and the views got better as I went higher. At one view point on the way you can see another hill which is known as Gurram Konda. The solo ride became all the more lonely as I didnt see any vehicle on the way till I reached the top.

At the top of the hills, there is a resort run by the AP tourism dept. I went around the resort and found that infact there is nothing much other than the resort and a children's park. Towards the left of the resort is a huge slopping rocky area from where you get wonderful views of the hills nearby and the valleys below. This place is known as Gali Bandalu in Telugu. Its a nice place where you can enjoy the surrounding scenery and the lovely winds. After a couple of photoshoots and a nice lunch at the resort, I started my return journey.

I stopped at the same tea shop for a break while returning. This time the shop keeper just offered me tea and did not ask anything. It started getting cloudy after Chintamani and I ripped to make sure that I dont get drenched. However the rain Gods werent that kind enough and it started drizzling after Hoskote. A lovely ride to the hills came to an end with a beautiful shower. 

Horsley hills is nice little hill station, where you can head to if you have a day in hand and are tired of the more famous and frequently visited places. It can well be defined as an off beat destination from Bengaluru.

Signing Note: Destinations are not the only reason for travel because sometimes the ride to the same also becomes equally significant.

Route: Bengaluru- Hoskote- Chintamani- Madanapalle- Horsley Hills

Distance- 165kms.



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