Tourisme à moto libère l'âme..Relax.It’s just the effect of the ‘French kiss’ on me. It simply means “Motorcycle touring liberates the soul”. Come weekends, true to the adage that ‘the best alarm is sunshine on chrome’, the riding spirit in the Vizeroys, Vizag Royals Bullet Club is awakened and we become greedy with wanderlust. When we were looking around to decide on a suitable destination, far enough to satisfy our bull ego, yet close enough to be back in time for Monday blues, we stumbled upon Yanam.
Yanam won the club’s vote, unopposed, because of the enticing fact that it belongs to the erstwhile French territory of Pondicherry(Puducherry, to be parliamentarily correct), a different state, different culture altogether against Andhra Pradesh, but still geographically was very proximate to Vizag.Yanam being situated in the Godavari delta, promised a treat to the eye, in terms of lush greenery and natural beauty. So we saddled up our bulls and set out on our ride.
Yanam won the club’s vote, unopposed, because of the enticing fact that it belongs to the erstwhile French territory of Pondicherry(Puducherry, to be parliamentarily correct), a different state, different culture altogether against Andhra Pradesh, but still geographically was very proximate to Vizag.Yanam being situated in the Godavari delta, promised a treat to the eye, in terms of lush greenery and natural beauty. So we saddled up our bulls and set out on our ride.
We put our engines, all 350 cc of it to full use and were quick to take the NH5 from our start point the Royal Enfield Showroom, Daaba Gardens. We stopped at Annapurna Agencies, IOC outlet on the Highway to tank up and continued along NH5, crossing Old Gajuwaka Junction. It is here, that the locals appear highly disapproving of a National Highway running through their land and hence try to scare you away by zipping across the road, as if blindfolded. The kids seem to enjoy playing Dodge-the-Wheels, and most are fortunately good at it. So you might want to take it easy on the throttle in this stretch. From here, ease it out till you reach Vizag Steel City Arch on the highway itself, 24 km since you started your ride. It might appear protocol to continue along the highway towards Vijayawada and reach Kakinada en route. But that might cost you kilometres extra and you will also miss out on some breathtaking landscape. Take our advice, and swerve left from NH5, under the steel city arch. Yes, we know how you feel relieved to see an empty straight road away from the maddening highway. Let your steed canter, right towards the steel city main gate and take the last right before entering the gate. Welcome, to the Great Escape. Now you are riding parallel to NH5, still saving miles and dumbstruck by the peaceful scenery moving past you. Notice, the brown stone architecture of the Ukkunagaram Jagannath temple to your right. Enjoy the ride and don’t miss the Power grid to your left. The road now joins Achuthapuram road. Break left and ride on, beyond Achutapuram junction.(SBI ATM here might save you if you are running low on cash.) The HP petrol bunk you crossed about 5km ago on your left, is the only one on the entire stretch until you reach the highway again. So if you had left home in a hurry, this your last chance.
Stop at the Kothuru bridge, and take a minute to devour all you can, the majestic hills behind you and the sprawling fields all around. A must stop photo point for the shutterbugs among you.You are 62.5 km into the ride and your steed can use a little cooling down and check up too. From here, follow straight ahead along Line Kothuru road and when your trip meter is 73 km old, you will merge into NH5 again. Sprint past Annavaram temple, thanking God for making NH5 one of the smoothest in the country.133km into your ride, you must be hungry, tired at least. Stretch your limbs and tank up your tummy at any of the Dhabas that dot the road past Annavaram.Sai Satya Dum biriyani dhaba was our choice and did not disappoint us. The cots laid out in the open are so inviting, you might be tempted to take a quick nap. If you were losing time, like we were, resist the temptation and ride on.15 km into it, at Kathipudi junction again get ready to get off the highway and save some more time and miles. Swerve left into the single road. Enjoy the feeling of riding right through people’s houses, the best part is, they do not seem to mind it. Most of them are lost in trance, swinging to the thump, gaping at the convoy of roaring bulls going through their village. Usual sights are kids waving, men exchanging information and their perspective about the bullet, and woman giggling shyly at us, whispering secrets into each other’s ears. You can see the regard and respect in their eyes for the’ Raja Gaadi’. It feels good, it always does.
The road has some serpentine curves and you might want to take it slow, especially after dark. Not for long, until the road meets a main road. Turn right and you reach Pithapuram after your about 155km run. Thump on straight to hit a fork when your odo hits 162 and stick to the right. Leave the HP bunk to your left and reach the next junction .A right from here will take you to Samalkot, left leads to Uppada. Take neither, continue riding straight across the railway crossing into Kakinada. Your trip meter has spun 185km.Stop and pick up some Kakinada Kaja from the famous Kotiah store.It’s almost a ritual if you are passing through Kakinada.Start again along the Amalapuram pommaru route out of Kakinada and ‘breathe’ the fresh greenery on either side.The road forks and the board points left side to Yanam,8km ahead from there. But, the locals direct you to go right.Relax, its not a trap, you will discover later that Yanam has multiple entrances. And either way you’ll enter the town. We took the right road and reached the Indira Gandhi Entrance into Yanam.Rode into it for a kilometre and reached the Govt. Guest House .Home, away from home. 215.8 km away.
So the next time you have just a weekend to spare and wish to teleport to another world, a new dimension in itself, ride to Yanam.Get ready to be French kissed. Ride safe and “Garder circonscription !”(Figure that one out by yourself when you go to Yanam)
Stop at the Kothuru bridge, and take a minute to devour all you can, the majestic hills behind you and the sprawling fields all around. A must stop photo point for the shutterbugs among you.You are 62.5 km into the ride and your steed can use a little cooling down and check up too. From here, follow straight ahead along Line Kothuru road and when your trip meter is 73 km old, you will merge into NH5 again. Sprint past Annavaram temple, thanking God for making NH5 one of the smoothest in the country.133km into your ride, you must be hungry, tired at least. Stretch your limbs and tank up your tummy at any of the Dhabas that dot the road past Annavaram.Sai Satya Dum biriyani dhaba was our choice and did not disappoint us. The cots laid out in the open are so inviting, you might be tempted to take a quick nap. If you were losing time, like we were, resist the temptation and ride on.15 km into it, at Kathipudi junction again get ready to get off the highway and save some more time and miles. Swerve left into the single road. Enjoy the feeling of riding right through people’s houses, the best part is, they do not seem to mind it. Most of them are lost in trance, swinging to the thump, gaping at the convoy of roaring bulls going through their village. Usual sights are kids waving, men exchanging information and their perspective about the bullet, and woman giggling shyly at us, whispering secrets into each other’s ears. You can see the regard and respect in their eyes for the’ Raja Gaadi’. It feels good, it always does.
The road has some serpentine curves and you might want to take it slow, especially after dark. Not for long, until the road meets a main road. Turn right and you reach Pithapuram after your about 155km run. Thump on straight to hit a fork when your odo hits 162 and stick to the right. Leave the HP bunk to your left and reach the next junction .A right from here will take you to Samalkot, left leads to Uppada. Take neither, continue riding straight across the railway crossing into Kakinada. Your trip meter has spun 185km.Stop and pick up some Kakinada Kaja from the famous Kotiah store.It’s almost a ritual if you are passing through Kakinada.Start again along the Amalapuram pommaru route out of Kakinada and ‘breathe’ the fresh greenery on either side.The road forks and the board points left side to Yanam,8km ahead from there. But, the locals direct you to go right.Relax, its not a trap, you will discover later that Yanam has multiple entrances. And either way you’ll enter the town. We took the right road and reached the Indira Gandhi Entrance into Yanam.Rode into it for a kilometre and reached the Govt. Guest House .Home, away from home. 215.8 km away.
So the next time you have just a weekend to spare and wish to teleport to another world, a new dimension in itself, ride to Yanam.Get ready to be French kissed. Ride safe and “Garder circonscription !”(Figure that one out by yourself when you go to Yanam)
