Between the fronds of the trees the sun peeked out in splatters, throwing long shadows across the spindly road, and these flits of sunlight that shone through the dense foliage ever so sporadically just added to the mystique of the moment. If you plan on taking the same route we did, it’s only fair I should warn you that there’s a whole cluster of near-blind, sharp turns that you need to be at your sharpest to navigate around without mishap; so keep your eyes peeled. I had personally switched the Santa Fe’s adjustable steering function to the Sport mode at this juncture, allowing me maximum steering feel and feedback on those curvy roads. As the roads slowly evened out for longer stretches and the forest gave way to small towns, we edged closer to our designated lunch stop of Sultan Bathery in the Wayanad district of Kerala. Interestingly, the name Sultan Bathery is the localisation of its English version – Sultan’s Battery. Tipu Sultan used an abandoned temple in this town as his stronghold way back in the 18th century, which earned it this name, one that has endured to date. After a quick lunch at Sultan Bathery, we made an even quicker exit, heading towards Madikeri.
The road quickly melded back into one that passes through forests, and traffic was sparse, allowing me to quicken the pace. I put the car in the manual mode so that I could eke the absolute maximum out of each gear change and floored the pedal. With a grunt and a growl the Santa Fe was off, tearing down the roads as we crossed over into Karnataka and took the route via Panamaram and Payyampally. Our route also took us through the outer reaches of Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. In this area, the roads were wide, sweeping and full of lazy banks that were an absolute pleasure to drive on. The ease with which the car steers was never more apparent here; in fact, I could have navigated this entire section using just my pinky.
Soon enough, we found ourselves in the middle of a whole swath of coffee plantations, a clear sign that we had arrived in Kodagu (Coorg) district. Driving through the plantations was interesting too. As an ardent coffee junkie, it was interesting to see this veritable ambrosia in its most nascent stage. We took a quick stop to grab a bite, and, of course, sample the locally produced coffee too (it was delicious), as soon as we exited the plantation area, just outside the capital of the district – Madikeri. Having re-fuelled both ourselves and the car, we set off again with a new spark of vitality, heading towards the city of Mangalore. The roads leading away from Madikeri were smooth for the most part, and as is always the case with hill stations, cut a path full of twists and turns. The setting sun filtered through the canopy of tree cover, giving the road an eerie orange glow and the play of sunlight and shadows threw the entire surroundings into sharp relief. As twilight arrived we picked up on a unique method the local pedestrians used to make sure they were visible when the lighting was low (lack of street-lights meant everything save what was illuminated by the Santa Fe’s headlights was near invisible). They carried lit battery torches in their hands indicating their presence, a simple yet clever solution that makes these parts that much safer for both vehicles and pedestrians.
