09:00 am
Punctual as the Germans are, all 50 participants of the bike tour gather on the pier in front of the ship. There the bikes are distributed and all participants are divided into groups to the three guides Julian, Maren and Ray. Backpacks and helmets were already given out to us as a loan last night. Also the collection of the yellow shore leave cards for the passengers on the eve of each stop in India has become a fixed ritual. Our tour today will take us almost 35 kilometers over fields, through palm forests, over densely traveled, sometimes six-lane roads, where the person with the loudest horn has priority. A short sound check with the bicycle bell confirms my fear: it’s not us. But that doesn’t stop us from starting the day in a good mood, even though the temperature will still rise to 28, felt 33, degrees. The tour, to which we set out, is in itself suitable for fit riders, because there are some meters in altitude: according to runtastic, we overcome in retrospect 144 m on the way there and 196 m on the way back, and are each a good 1 hour 45 minutes at a time on the road (there 16 km, back 18 km). The altitude and distance data correspond approximately with the GPS of our guide. After the first ascent, which was waiting for the three groups directly behind the harbor exit, we will have already left behind two riders, who wanted to go along despite consultation in the apron absolutely. My purely visual assessment could have predicted this beforehand, sorry for the frankness. It happens according to the guides again and again that guests overestimate themselves, in most cases, so we are told, but then also openly advised against it. I count myself as a trained person and was also not the last at the end of a climb, but there is, assuming a certain basic fitness, always waiting for the last man (or woman). Sufficient breaks, energy bars and glucose are also part of the equipment of the guides, who will always provide us with them in between. A good liter of water in the water bottles that we have received will not be enough, but even there you will be able to supply yourself along the way at one of the many small stands on the side of the road. If that’s not enough of a workout for you after returning home around 3 p.m. (in retrospect, I definitely got my money’s worth), there’s still the spinning marathon (1.5 h) on deck at 8 p.m. tonight…. I doubt that any of the fellow cyclists will be able to bring themselves to do it. 🙂
12:20 pm
Normally the journey is the destination, but on this tour we are rewarded with a 90 minute swim stop at Bogmalu Beach and also see another almost deserted bay that is equally gorgeous. Typical for India, one should not expect showers here to get rid of the salt water, but at least the sanitary facilities in one of the restaurants on the beach (the last one on the beach with a covered terrace) are very good by Indian standards and serve as changing rooms for most of our tour. Also the food, we try chicken masala curry and take roti (dough patties baked on a hot stone) with it, is really tasty. Compared to the street stalls, however, we also pay five times as much for a portion for two people (500 instead of 100 rupees) to get full. No question, still favorable, if one considers, which one does not get for converted about 7 euro in Germany partly even a lunch for a person. Not to mention the fantastic view on the shady spot, from which you have the whole bay in view.
Leave a Reply