Back in the Saddle after 14 Years : Exploring Lepakshi and Penukonda Fort

My last ride was a long one. Almost 14 years back. In 2010, I rode my Yamaha across the country with friends. Post that motorcycle trip, I stopped riding for some reason and did a lot of driving, including a similarly long epic drive with Anju in 2015. I don't remember any specific reason not to ride. May it was just a season driving with parents and friends. I did drive a lot, and I enjoyed it. 

This year, I wanted to return to riding; I still love driving. I enjoy both. They are different and the same in some ways. Anyway, I took my first step last friday by going for a one-day ride with friends. My Yamaha has been standing in the same place for 14 years; I will work on it at some point. But currently, I don't have a working motorcycle. So, I hired a Honda CB350 for RoyalBrothers. The booking and hiring process was easy. 

When I left the Royal Brothers showroom, I was nervous and excited. But it felt easy; suddenly, I was like a fish in the water. I took the bike around 8:30 PM, navigating weekday traffic in Koramangala traffic to reach home, which filled me with enough confidence. 

The next day, we left around 05:30 AM; I was slow, gently cruising around 60KMPH and watching many other motorcyclists zipping around me on the Hyderabad highway. I enjoyed the slow pace. Also, the conversations with Manju on the go, thanks to the BluArmour setup.

By around 08:00, we reached Lepakshi and had breakfast. Then, I visited the temple and took some photos.  From there, we went to Penukonda fort. The ride up the hill was beautiful and was good.

Then, around 02:30 PM, we left the fort. We had nati chicken curry on the way for lunch and reached Bengaluru by late evening. 

Penukonda was the second capital of the Vijaya Nagara empire. After Talikote, it became the capital of the kingdom. Hoysalas built the initial fort. Many other domains later ruled it. It's also one of the revered places for Jains. There are many things to explore. I want visit again.

The thing I missed about the motorcycling was being alone and with people. I am glad Manju and Sandeep could join me on this return-to-riding trip. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I plan to do more rides and car drives this year. 

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