###Hello, again Steemit community!
###First I would like to thank each and every one of you for Upvoting and encouraging me on my first post on Steemit. It gave me that extra boost that every newcomer requires :)
The first travel story that I would be sharing with you all is the recent ride to Mangalore for the Surf Festival where I got to meet @firepower.
I had found yet another reason for me to wander out onto the highways, away from the life in the city, its hustle bustle and this time, the reason was to catch some waves! I was very excited to hit the beach and the thought about riding 850kms for it didn't worry me.
It was a typical morning, we started off early to avoid the city traffic, there was a chill in the air and the surrounding hills and fields were covered in mist. I should have stopped to take a picture, but I was enjoying the ride so much that I didn’t feel like stopping.
A couple of stops on the way for coffee, breakfast, selfies at a church we passed by, followed by riding through the lush green forest ghat roads and bridges for the last 90kms, we arrived at our destination just in time for lunch. Hence I had the opportunity to taste the finest and the most authentic coastal delicacies (Crab fry, Prawn roast, Fish Fry) there. It was pure bliss, whatever we ordered was so tasty and fresh that even words can't describe them.
After a hearty meal, we rode for another 30kms to Sasihithlu beach from then onwards for the next 2 days it was beaches, culture, food and fun!
All these years no one knew that India had beaches for surfing. But thankfully with the initiative taken up by the government and tourism department in Karnataka which aims at promoting Surfing, Stand up paddling and other water-based sports activities. So many talented surfing individuals have emerged from India and it's so amazing to see so many more enthusiastic local women and children that are taking up this new sport. With proper training and support from trained professionals, the local youth here can be masters in surfing, which is an obsessive hobby. Also, helps tourist that are visiting our beaches to catch some waves.
Even though this was the 2nd edition there was a good turnout of over 120 surfers from the US, France, Maldives and Australia.
It was a blend of different cultures and traditions coming together... Live music, food festival, ziplining, skateboarding and meeting so many talented people were the highlights of this event. But the best was that we got to camp by the beach, thanks to WickedRide/Karnataka Tourism... as it is usually not allowed in most parts of India.
Camping by the beach is my happy place, so as I opened my tent in the morning I felt a breeze of fresh air greeting me, a cup of coffee awaited me. I took a stroll on the beach and then flew a kite. Patterns of shells washed ashore because of the low tide, with the leaves fallen from the trees that stood like a canopy by our tents.
The still morning air slight offshore is an atmosphere like no other, in those early hours when the sun is rising and the waves are glassy and peeling off is like the morning enlightenment.
The highlight of my trip was getting to meet and interact with South African cricket legend Jonty Rhodes (also a good surfer and biker) and Bollywood superstar Sunil Shetty!
That's all for today folks. I hope you enjoyed my riding adventure as much as I did.
Don't forget to follow @BikerGirl for more travel blogs!
I would also appreciate your votes and comments.