Day –1 Bombay to Baroda I started at 11pm from house to cover 370-380 Kms। To Baroda from where the next day I was to the 1,000 Km ride। I had wrote to many people, all techies to advice me about the do’s and don’ts about this ride and no one had the time to answer, what was most surprising and annoying was some of them were people from Royal Enfield। I decided to do the ride regardless। After crossing the Bombay traffic and reaching the highway, I kept a constant speed of 85 Kms। In hot weather just to see how the bike would react to it in a longer run। The bike ran fine for 45 minutes and than gurrrrr, it lost power and died. I touched the crank for heat and it was not that hot for the bike to stop. Same problem occurred when I was doing high speeds while doing test runs in night for this ride. The problem was petrol filter, it was not sending enough petrol to the carb. I had removed that filter and put a huge maruti esteem petrol filter which used to get so heavy when filled with petrol that it had to be tied to the chassis. Not so technically sound with bullets I waited for sometime and started the bike, it came to life but was not performing well, nevertheless I started riding it but had to reduce the speed. After riding 40 odd kms. The bike was again running well, I entered Gujarat from where the roads get pathetic so you got to be a moron to speed on this roads. Bombay- Ahmedabad being the busiest highway in whole Asia traffic is endless. I took the first stop at Vapi from where I had to call Mandeep, our first member from Gujarat who was meeting me at Valsad. Valsad was another 25 Kms. so started ahead to take rest while chatting up with Mandep. The traffic was bad and the road conditions a shame. Reached Valsad and waited for Mandeep to come and he arrived a few minutes after on his 500 c.c. Chatted him for a while when I noticed major scars on his right elbow. He had multiple fractures when he had a flat in his front wheel while riding to give his exams, he lost one and half year to get the whole thing rectified and still has metal plates in his elbows. It was perfect, the next day I was to do 1,000 Kms. and this was the perfect time to see what carelessness can do to you. Bid goodbye to Mandeep and moved ahead, moved slowly and steadily when after a few hours the same problem occurred and it was getting dark. I started the bike and again after a few kilometers the bike died. I pulled up to a dhaba and cleaned the spark plug and carb but the problem kept on occurring. To rectify the problem I entered Bharuch City and went to P.U & Co. Enfield’s dealers there but they had closed their workshop as it was already past eight. The dealers recognized me from my picture in RE’s dealer magazine The Beat. He told me about kalubhai, a bullet mechanic who loved working in night. I made my way through the city traffic and finally reached Kaubhai’s garage and indeed he was working on a bullet under tong lights in his big workshop. He immediately knew what the problem was, actually two. The battery was overcharged so the bike would loose ignition on high speed, the second dirt had blocked the flow of petrol in the carb. Kalubhai also modify bullets, he took me to a bullet which he modified and told me to start it, upon doing so, it made one of the sweetest sounds, he makes mufflers which have an incredible sound. You have to listen to it to believe me. He didn’t charge me anything, very nice guy and I left for Baroda. Reached Baroda at 10.30 and checked in Royal guesthouse just opposite to the station for Rs. 65 for a single room. Called Vivek and Subbu, told them I would start at 4 a.m in the morning when the owner told me he will not wake me up and I would have to wake up on my own at 3 a.m. I decided to change the place when he told me he would give me an alarm clock, which will wake me up. Went out to a stall and had some eggs and hit the bed at 11 p.m. after 12 hours of riding .

Day-2 Baroda to Delhi The alarm rang, it seemed like I had just fallen off to sleep, checked the time in my watch and it was 2 a।m. and it was showing 4 a.m in the alarm clock, I trusted my watch and went back to sleep. By miracle I woke up again and looked at my watch, it was 4 a.m sharp. Once I sleep than it is history, it was definitely a miracle. I hastily packed everything and wore lots of warm clothing and woke the owner up. He opened the shutters of the hotel, while I called up Vivek and Subbu at 4.45 and woke the poor guys up to inform them that I was about to start. Packed up all my bags and hope that the bike would co-operate with me this day and started at 5 a.m.Speedo reading – 29,470 Sped on the empty street of Baroda and was on NH- 8 after 12 Kms. from there another 36 Kms to Vasad toll point from where I had to take left for Delhi via Modasa. I missed the left turn and went ahead a few kilometers towards Ahmedabad, returned back and saw no signboard, asked some tuck drivers and they showed me the way. The roads were fairly good with very less traffic, which meant that I could ride with my visor down in that chilling cold weather. The route doesn’t have any sign boards. So on every intersection I had to turn back and ask for directions. I was not riding above 80-85 kph as there were two options to complete this ride. Either ride very fast and take longer and frequent breaks for the bike to cool down or ride at 70-80 and take less breaks with lesser time. I choose the second option as I found it more safer for the bike, I didn’t want anything going wrong with my bike, I love this bike, seen a lot of places from it’s saddle and 1,000 Kms was not the priority, my bike was. Riding for long periods on good speeds was only possible in the morning as the bike wouldn’t heat up. I was maintaining 80-85, got some very bad patches of road, trucks coming on high beam would blind me as the visor and my glasses would scatter the light. The clod came to more tolerable limits after sunrise but nevertheless it was still very cold. Took the first fuel stop after 210 Kms. at Shamlaji, topped up 2T and engine oil and moved ahead. Shamlaji is on the Gujarat- Rajasthan border. After a few kilometers I entered Rajasthan from here the intensity of the traffic increased. Road widening work is also going on, that meant edges of the tar road don’t have a small strip of dirt track but a four feet deep trench which is dug up to lay the foundation for the new road. Lot of trucks carrying stones and other building material were moving at very slow speeds and there was no way to overtake them so my speed reduced drastically here and the bike was also heating up as it was moving on lower gears and the ghats didn’t help the cause either. After crossing the ghats at 9 a.m after four hours and 240 Kms I took my first stop. It was a village Bijhwada I think, called up Subbu and Vivek, subbu’s mobile kept on ringing, thankfully Vivek answered the call and I registered my status to him. Had a light breakfast of poha and tea and after a 15-minute break was riding again. The sun was out but the air was still very cold so gloves and warm clothing was still on and the cold from the morning was till in the bones, it is still giving me Goosebumps while writing about it . The traffic was much less from here onwards, I reduced the speed o 70- 75kph to avoid overheating. After riding continuously for two hours, bike started to how signs of fatigue, it had to it had done a run of 6 hours with only a 15 minute break. I stopped immediately before Udaipur s I didn’t want to aggravate the situation as there was another 600 odd kilometers to be done. Another 15 minutes break an the bike was running fine, crossed Nathdwara, Udaipur where I got some traffic and finally made it to Bhim, covering 500 Kms in 8 and half hours. where I took a fuel stop. Called up Subbu and Vivek, this time did finally mange to talk to Subbu. During the 20 minute stop I would hardly get time to relax as most of he time would go in filling up gas topping 2T checking the bike, topping Engine Oil, cleaning the visor, glasses. It was strange how difficult it was to cross 20 minutes on the bike and they flew by in one second once you are off the bike. After doing 50 Kms. from Bhim, my concentration was not there. I didn’t feel like speeding, it took me around one hour to finally realize that I had to put a rush on things otherwise I would not be able to complete the 1,000 Kms. My speed drastically fell here, I only did 50 Kms. in that hour. Once I started speeding Ajmer happened and suddenly from nowhere hundreds of trucks came, being a two lane road there was no way to overtake and the dirt track besides the road had sand so steering the bike was a problem. It was getting irritating, was following the trucks at 40-45kph, had no other choice and a train junction took another 10 minutes. Here I had totally lost it, I didn’t know where I was, what I was doing. Jut to get out of the groove I started speeding and had couple of close calls here. The sense of judgment was not there, overlooking that I speed more and than the bike gave up, gurrrrrrrr happened and I had to pull over, immediately cleaned the spark plug and left the lights and indicator on for the battery to decharge. Rode for a few kilometers and stopped at a dhaba to wash my face and recompose my self as there was another 300 Kms to be done. Here I fell into a cot and five minutes went past in a zip, was feeling fresh after a tea and started again. Bike was not running well, but decided to have a look after I would cross the traffic in Jaipur. After Jaipur I just removed the petrol filter and pulled another pipe straight from the tank to the carb. I had banked upon the four-lane road from Jaipur to Delhi where I would do the maximum speed, but the bike and me were not in a good shape by than an more 250 Kms to go. But the bypass before the four-lane expressway had a flip side to it, the 38-km bypass to reach it was the worst patch of road I had got until now. The road was beyond worse or it seemed like in that state. The tar had melted and taken the form of vertical speed breakers, trucks were countless and tons of dust. It took me more than one hour to complete the stretch, but it helped me in one way, my concentration was back and all the fatigue was gone after seeing all those trucks with high beams coming towards u. Now I was determined to complete the ride no matter what. Reached the highway and tanked up for the last time, 210 Kms from Delhi. Here I opened up the throttle again to 80-85, it was again getting chilly but not as much as mornings, I guess the dew factor must be responsible for that. After one hour and 140 Kms from Delhi I called up Vivek and Subbu, where I got words of encouragement from both to complete the ride safely. That helped, thanks guys. The straight road has its advantages and disadvantages. You can speed but continuously siting on the bike and doing nothing gets u in a trance. Here I felt a very funny feeling that the seat of the bike was shifting right and was about to fall off, I kept checking the seat and it was fixed to the bike, I guess it was the mind playing games. It looks funny now but it wasn’t when there was no concentration and I was riding at 80kph. Around 60kms before Delhi, called up Vivek again and told him not to come and pick me up, Vivek told me where I could find hotels. From there I started riding slowly for the last leg of the trip, traffic increased as Delhi was coming near. After 40 Kms. I entered Delhi and saw the hotels Vivek told me about. Now a funny thing happened, I had entered Delhi but was short by 17 Kms. So I rode around in Delhi for the rest of the distance, went to Vasant Vihar I think, now Delhi has a lot to learn regarding traffic rules. So after riding for 18 and half-hours the magic figure of 1,000 Kms was attained. All the fatigue went on seeing the Speedo on 30,470. All the credit goes to the bike, I don’t know how much time Rajdhani takes from Baroda to Delhi, but it doesn’t get trucks coming from opposite end and three motormen are changed for the entire journey, so I think I can take little credit in that. I have to thank all of you for all the support you have given, THANK YOU GUYS. More to come in second part, that is after reaching Delhi, but I am tired now of typing this and I guess you all are also tired after reading this. Thanks & Regards Gaurav

It was a very interesting Saturday (22.10.2005). Must be about 0030 hours in the night and I was contemplating to hit the road. Its been a while since I got a full weekend off. I started packing. One bag, two Ts, one denim jacket, toiletries, bike spares bag. Went to my sis’s room and whispered, I am off to Pushkar tomorrow. She didn’t give me that blank look this time, a perfect sis of a riding bulleteer. At 4.30am, I got up, got ready and tiptoed to the balcony. It was horribly cold for October! I was back under the quilt. At 0615 hours I was out again and I knew it’s now or never. Picked up my bag, woke up my sis and gave her a hug and asked her to lock the door behind me. 0630 hrs: Odometer Reading: 13912. I was cruising slowly and NH-8 was so enticing. It told me what ‘Freedom to Speed’ is applicable here. The result was a surprise. I was at my Pushkar Hotel, had taken my bath, enroute scouted for a suitable haveli type guest house, got my bike kick repaired (the kick spring had broken!!) and it was only 11.50am when Manas called to enquire about my well being. From my Challenge point of view of doing Delhi-Mumbai in record time on my Royal Enfield Electra 2004 – which I propose to do in less than 20 hours (subject to some corporate sponsorship though) without any modifications on my bike. I sat down by the Pushkar Lake and the soothing kirtan of ‘Hare Rama, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare’ pacified my mind. After spending an hour, I went around the great Pushkar Market, colorful, full of energy and vitality, choking me with the aroma of its famous mithais – and a bong can’t resist them you know – and innumerable Royal Enfields of various shapes and designs and thumps ferrying mostly Israeli and Swedish hunks and honeys, the ghats of the lake, each had its own story to tell. But I missed the greatest show, which the newspapers in Delhi carried that week – of a Finnish lady walking naked in the streets of Pushkar!! (Awww.. now that’s a missed scoop for a travelogue-writer-cum-photojournalist in the making.. the pic could have been my clubz wallpaper of the decade !!). Thankfully again, since that didn’t happen, I headed for Dargah Sharif, and paid my tributes there with complete peace of mind. I felt so calm and relaxed there, and it was my lucky day – ‘Kheer’ was prepared in the smaller of the two huge cauldrons there and I got to partake that, thanks to my friend and Khadim at the Holy Shrine – Kamli Bhai. The food is prepared in the two cauldrons only on important occasions like Ids, the annual Urs, and during the holy month of Ramadan. I wished him well too, its the auspicious month of Ramadan, and took leave and headed back to my Pushkar hotel. I missed the sunset at Pushkar, which they say is quite a sight. But there is always a next time for a biker… The evening serenity of the lake was amazing. As darkness enveloped the lake, reflections of the night-lights dancing slowly in the water, in harmony with the kirtan that was on, the pleasant breeze kissed the soul and the mortal body remained glued to the cemented stairs of the ghats oblivious of the worldly transactions around. I headed for the market for some snacks, mingled with some of the foreigners and locals, had Kashmiri biriyani, enjoyed the night of high pitched kirtan, traditional style, and it was indeed mesmerizing, not just for me but for each passerby, and then called Pritam in Jaipur to reconfirm the ride to the Great Sambhar Lake – Asia’s largest Salt Water Lake. He was Game, a true 60kphr! The Sunday morning chill prevented me to start early. Pritam laughed at me, and said, I have weathered the Ladakh’s inhospitable cold on a bike and I am shivering in Pushkar. Guess that was the joke of the day but a biker knows better, prevention is always better than ‘cold’. Thankfully, the joke was applicable on Pritam too, since he too was shocked to feel the chill outside, he confessed. At 7am I was ripping the Ajmer Highway and driving towards Dudu from where the road leads to Sambhar Lake. The trucks carrying tonnes of uncut marble rocks slowed the traffic down and then there were those usual accidents. Pritam reached early, almost by 25 minutes. I missed the cut and went over the flyover at Dudu, but that wasn’t my mistake. The Jaipur – Kishangarh expressway is anytime a biker’s delight and my bike touched an unbelievable 108kmph … for me that was like Mach3… I came back to the Bharat Petroleum pump at Dudu under that flyover where my travelmate and good buddy Pritam was waiting so very patiently and we had a great ‘jaduu ki jhappi’, it had to be; we were meeting after almost two months. Soon, we were on the move, stopping and taking pics, joking, our bikes rollicking and frolicking through the vast arid landscape – habited though – and suddenly there was this vast white expanse of space-the dry salt lake bed, and where there was water in the lake bed, there were flamingos – white and pink, dancing and prancing – they made an awesome site. I clicked on and on unceasingly, then I zipped my bike across the salt bed, it was rock solid, and what a pleasure it was. Unfortunately we had very less time and to see the entire lake – its huge and unending coving hundreds of square miles – we need at least a week’s time. So I guess I have to go back there, again…. We headed towards Jaipur for a quick lunch. Then, I bade goodbye to Pritam at the NH-8 dhaba where we had lunch and soon was cruising towards Delhi. Each time I have passed this NH, it had been a different experience altogether. The bike and the rider on it, that’s me, gets transformed into something rebellious, something unwarrantingly macho, the result is just one – the highway burns and people, whether pedestrians, dhaba-walas, truck-walas, car-walas, tempo-walas, all heads turns in appreciation of the majesty of the Royal Beast. Though I drove real slow, but still was at my garage at 7.30pm. The Odometer reading at my garage was 14842.2. Total distance covered in two days was 930 kms. A weekend trip that I will remember for the years to come.

It has not been a even a month that I have touched base in Delhi and I couldn’t resist riding to the Himalayas. As soon as an extended weekend presented itself, the opportunity was grabbed without much ado. Mayuresh was riding pillion with me.

The plan was to leave early in the morning so that we could reach the hills before noon. However, this was not to be. Mayuresh was expected to land at my place by 11 PM, which got extended to 1 AM. We kept chatting for a while and it must have been 2 O clock by the time we went to sleep. Obviously, we got up late and it was around 10 that we could get moving.

The first stop was a nearby filling station. The tank was filled upto the brim and the ride was on. As expected, traffic was pretty heavy and till we crossed Ghaziabad, we couldn’t gather much pace. Traffic on Ghaziabad to Modinagar route was a bit light and we were able to ride pretty fast on this track. After crossing Modinagar, we felt that it would be better if we satisfy our hunger pangs first and then move on. So, we stopped at a dhaba for a supposedly quick breakfast which turned into a brunch. It was well beyond 40 minutes that we were back on the roads.

The traffic was again back to its worst, the real trouble being with sugarcane carrying vehicles (all kinds of them – trucks, tractors & bullock carts). Still, we managed to keep good pace till Muzzafarnagar where we got stuck in a jam right in middle of the city. It was well beyond half an hour before we could get out of the city. We took a small break at Muzzafarnagar-Saharanpur-Roorke trisection, and thank God that we took the Roorke route. Saharanpur route is a real killer as we realized on our return trip. From now onwards, the traffic was not that heavy, and the ride was pretty comforting. It was around 4’ O Clock that we reached the outskirts of Dehradun and were stopped at a police outpost. All the documents were in order and in no time we were on again, but not before we got few comments on riding such a long distance from the policemen.

Once in Dehradun, city traffic caught up with us. We got stuck in a Dussera procession (folks, seems Ravan is still there to bother us mortals) it was only by 5: 30 that we could get onto the road to Mussorie. The clutch wire had gone a bit loose which was tightened and we were on again. However, our plan to do Sahastradhara today itself went for a toss and we decided to go to Mussorie straight. Riding on the ghats with the sun setting down was ultimate and the ride progressed like a dream. There were couple of stops en-route, and I remember our stopping next to a rustic, charming house. This place looked very serene and we wondered whether we could stay here itself. But then, better sense prevailed and we went on towards Mussorie, and ran into a huge jam at the outskirts. It really felt bad to be in such a situation after such a wonderful ride up the hills. It took around half an hour to get out of the jam. We checked into a hotel at a good distance from the Mall road. Good thing was that our room provided a fascinating view of the valley below, there was 9 storey temple next to the hotel and we got to park the bike right next to the room.

It was 8 O’ clock now and was getting pretty chilly. We were in the mood to have something hot and we got to have a piping hot and real thick hot chocolate drink. Having the drink sitting alone in the dining lounge of the hotel, we decided our future course. As we didn’t want to spend much time in crowded Mussorie, it was decided that we would take a early morning trip to Kempty Falls and later continue our ride to Dhanaulti. This way, we would also be able to avoid the rush at the falls.

After finishing our drink, we went for a walk around the town. It was pretty surprising to see that the place was not as crowded as it seemed to be. Around half an hour of leisurely stroll around the town, we were feeling cold again and in we went into “Gulab Vasihnav Dhaba”. Tandoori parathas, a thali and daal fry was ordered. Tandoori parathas were amazing and so was having “garam-garam daal” in this weather. Mayuresh took fancy to the parathas and daal and made me commit that we would be coming to this place again in the morning. I was too willing to do the same as the food tasted good. After dinner, I was in the mood to have a “paan” and the dhaba owner directed us to a nearby “Paan Corner”. Mayuresh asked him whether he could make “Jalta hua paan” and the man shook his head vigorously. But then, I was a bit curious about this “Jalta hua paan” and asked Mayuresh to describe it in detail. It turned out that just placing a lighted “clove (long)” in the paan made it “jalta hua paan”. The paanwala also seemed to get this, and obliged us by making jalta hua paan. Folks, those who haven’t had this, do try it out – burnt “clove” gives a different flavour to the pan.

We made a couple of calls and it tuned out that we will have to come again to some STD booth as Mayuresh had to again call up his girl friend back in Mumbai after 10 O Clock. So we walked back to the hotel with me hoping that probably the chill will force Mayuresh to let go of his plans to call his girlfriend.

We got back into the room, and while chatting, we also switched on the tele. Star Movies was showing “Miss Congeniality”. We were dead tired by this time and getting under a blanket was the only thing we could think of. Much sooner than later, Mayuresh asked for the time (this man had left his watch and cellphone at home- seemed he was in real mood to escape), and I knew that we were going out for a walk. Mayuresh pulled me out of the warm bed and we were again loitering on the deserted roads at 10:15 PM looking out for some STD booth. Though there were few of them on out way to the Mall, all were closed and we had to go upto Gandhi Chowk to catch the one open. While Mayuresh made the call, I entered into conversation with some local people there. The topic of conversation was Dhanaulti and other areas nearby which were worth visiting. Soon Mayuresh finished his call and joined us. By this time, one chap got a bit philosophical and described Dhanaulti as “Wasie to wahaan kuch nahin hai, par agar dekho to sab kuch hai”. By now, it was getting pretty chilly, and we wanted to get back to the cozy warmth of the hotel. Once inside the room, Miss Congeniality caught up with us again, and it was well beyond 12 that we dozed off.

I woke up at around 7 in the morning. The sun was shining bright, and everything looked so fresh. Mayuresh was woken up from his deep slumber, and by 7:45, we were off towards Kempty Falls. The road leading to the falls was deserted and the ride was also a bit tough with both the slopes and the climb being pretty steep and narrow at times. The early morning wind chill factor, especially on the sides where there was no sun for good enough stretches, further compounded this. But then the pleasure of riding all alone amidst the enchanting mountains with the only sound being the thump of the bike made the ride a delightful.

The falls were only at a distance of 16 Kms from Mussorie, but the ride took us nearly an hour. It was good to see that there was absolutely no crowd at the falls (only a group of 5 people was present). Before climbing down to the falls, we stooped for a break at a tea stall that was in the process of opening up. After consuming 3 cups of elaichi tea (1 by me and 2 by Mayuresh), we got the directions to the falls and reached there in no time. Again, no crowds there, but then the stalls all around were a big spoilsport. A couple of snaps were taken and we started our climb up, back to what we liked best – the bike and the roads. However, the climb up was not as easy and we stopped to have lemon Soda midway, which was really refreshing. Mayuresh also bought a pair of goggles from here, and we were off again towards Mussorie. On our way back, we couldn’t help feeling elated when we saw sundry vehicles rushing towards the falls. Soon the place will be crowded like hell.

On our way back, we got a very good view of sun shining on snow-capped peaks. The bike was stopped to capture the same in the lens, but then, I am sure it will be nowhere near the splendid view we got.

We were back at the hotel by 10:15 and while Mayuresh took bath, I spent a few moments alone basking in the Sun. By 11, we both were ready to hit the roads again, but then, after our pre-decided stop at “Gulab Vaishno Dhaba”. Mayuresh was a bit dejected to find out that tandoori parathas won’t be available and we’ll be getting only normal tawa parathas. No “garam” daal also now and we had to do with curd and raita. So after a filling brunch, we got back to the ride again. Also, while on our way up to Mussorie, the clutch wire had to be loosened a bit as it was extra tight. Same was also taken care off, and we set off on the road towards Dhanaulti. We passed right through the town and were lucky enough not to get stuck in some jam. Riding on these roads is tough as the roads are pretty narrow with shops on both the sides, the curves are pretty steep and at times it could get pretty scary to see some heavy vehicle hurtling down towards you the next moment you have negotiated the turn. Then again, that’s what gives the excitement of the ride, isn’t it?

The road to Dhanaulti is not in a very good shape. Some curves were pretty narrow and were also in bad condition, maybe due to the rains. The skyline had also turned cloudy and we were afraid that it might rain. Thankfully, it didn’t otherwise it would have been a real difficult ride as we were not carrying any raincoats etc.

Once at Dhanaulti, few enquiries were made to check out the hotels, and after narrowing down on one, we continued our ride. The idea was to visit a temple at around 5 Kms from Dhanaulti (goes by the name of “Surkanda Devi Temple”) and then get back to Dhanaulti. On our way towards the temple, around a Km from Dhanaulti, we spotted a board announcing the presence of some Apple Orchard resort with a kutcha path leading to it. The resort offered cottage and tent accommodation. Unanimously, we decided to explore it. The bike was now doing some off-roading. The path was very narrow, and the slope very steep. It was very careful and slightly slippery riding here. However, even after riding for a Km or so, we couldn’t locate the resort. The stretch was becoming even trickier and we decided to get back to the mettled roads.

Once at the temple, the bike was parked and we began our 2 Km trek to the temple. We were at 6000 feet above sea level, and the temple was at 10000 ft. As expected, the climb was very steep and at one time, Mayuresh said -“Doordarshan kar lete hain aur wapas chalte hain”. But then, that was just a thought and we continued our climb. As we kept going up, the view around kept bettering itself. We took numerous stops en-route to catch our breath, and made it to the top within 40 minutes, and yes, the view from the top was a sight to behold. After paying our obeisance to the deity, we sat outside the mandir on the stairs to spend few quite moments taking in the magnificent view around. As Mayuresh put it – it was a humbling experience. After taking few snaps here, we started our descent down, which we did in just 20 minutes. It was 4 by the clock, Chamba was only 25 Kms from here, and I felt like doing it. However, as I didn’t want to ride in the freezing cold night (it was already getting a bit misty now), the idea was dropped and we went back to Dhanaulti. On our way back, we also checked out GMVN resthouse, but the hotel that we had identified was much better and came at just Rs 50 more than the GMVN resthouse. So, it was back to the hotel and it was by 4:30 PM that we were settled in the comfortable and spacious room.

15 minutes in the room, and we were again ready to venture out, this time on foot for a leisurely walk around the place. Dhanaulti is a picture perfect place with its numerous pine and deodar trees. Thanks to Shekhar and Lalit who advise me to go to Dhanaulti as I was not at all aware of this charming place. Dhanaulti as such is a very small establishment. There are 3 or maybe 4 hotels, and around 10 odd shops alongside the road. In effect, we can call it a quaint little town with its own out of world charm. Hot coffee for me and lemon tea for Mayuresh on the terrace of a restaurant overlooking a sort of park with dense outgrowth of pine trees got back some warmth into us and we again continued our walk around the place. I had to call up Aviral as he had called me up on my cell while we were trekking up to the temple. This place has only one place where you can make STD/ISD calls. The owner is very talkative and a good salesman too, especially for “BDM” Litchi drinks. He was canvassing the drink to each and every person coming down to his place and looking at the empty bottles amassed beside his shop, one could easily guess the quantum of his sales. Few calls were made and we were back to loitering. It was only 5:30 and a heavy mist was closing in which gave the place a peculiar rustic look. Those who are fond of reading classics by Thomas Hardy can actually feel that this place comes quite near to lot of places that he has described in his novels. Magical is the only word I can think of to describe the ambience that we were in right now.

We got back to the hotel for some time, but as expected, couldn’t stay in for long, more so that Mayuresh had to make one more call and we had decided to have food at the place where we had coffee and that too on the terrace (madness…). So off we went, and while Mayuresh got back to his long phone call, I sat all alone in the magical ambience for good 20 minutes when Mayuresh finished his call and we had hot tea again to get back the warmth. Once finished, we went to the restaurant to have food. The plans to have food at the terrace were dropped (I insisted on this as both of us were shivering even within the four walls) and we sat all alone in the cozy little restaurant. Other than our favorite “garam dal fry”, we had a paneer dish too this time. By the time we finished, it was 8:30 and we went back to the hotel to retire for the night. We kept the curtains open to let the moonlight seep into our room while we talked over a lot of things. It must have been more than an hour before we dozed off.

We woke up early in the morning and after having a glass of hot chocolate each, we were on the road back to Dehradun (Sahastradhara actually). The wind chill factor made us ride very slowly, especially on the sides where the mountains were acting as sun-shade. Am sure temperature must have been below 50C. We reached Sahastradahara by 10 AM, and had a light breakfast of tea and bread pakoras besides the waterfall. The place was a big disappointment, more so that I had seen the fall in its pristine glory some 10 years back. Now, the place was also very much crowded due to numerous stalls out there and lots of people were also pouring in by the minute. We got bored of the place soon and decided to start our journey back to Delhi.

The bike was also given some “food” and we were on our ride back। The ride progressed uneventfully till Saharanpur when we realized that we had taken a wrong route and should have gone via Roorkee। The road conditions (if we can call them roads) were pathetic and we had to go through this hell for about 50 Kms and good 2 hours. We saw at least 10 vehicles stranded enroute due to some or the other problem. I was sure that I would have to give my bike a thorough check-up once I was back in Delhi. With all the bones acing, we reached Muzzafarnagar and took a real long break. As we wanted to get back to Delhi before dark, we decided to skip lunch and keep on to the roads. Heavy traffic jams in Muzzafarnagar and Modinagar further delayed our progress and it was not before 7 O Clock that we touched base in Delhi. This was Mayuresh’s first long ride on the bike, and the chap was sporting enough to book the pillion seat for the next one I would go on.

Ahmedabad – Mumbai – Pune – Mahabaleshwar

24th August 2004 has been a long day for me. Other than the regular daily grind, the evening was spent at one of my colleagues place celebrating the birthday of his 3 year old kid. I get into my flat and have a look at the watch: its 11 O’ clock, and after a delicious lunch and a long day, I want to just hit the sack and sleep off. However, this night is different because tomorrow is the d’day when I have to begin my ride to Goa. Sleep is nowhere near me and I get into packing my bags for the trip. It’s around 12 O’ clock when I am through and deicide to force my self to sleep. The mobile alarm has been set to 5:30 AM…

The alarm buzzed and I was up at the next instant. Finally, the D-day has arrived and I get into final preparations. By 6:30 AM, I am all set. I wake up my flat-mate and ask him to help me tie the knapsack on the Humming Bird. He willingly obliges and by 7 O’ clock the fun is set to begin. I message Gautam who will be joining me from Mumbai and he immediately calls back asking me to wear helmet and ride safely. I also give a ring to my folks back at home in Lucknow and they too repeat the same thing. The next instant, I kick start the bird, idle it for a minute and push off towards Baroda highway. Due to the morning, traffic in the city is light and by about 7:15 I see a board announcing – “Ahmedabad – Baroda expressway – 4 Kms”. Though I had my reservations on two-wheelers being allowed on the expressway, I still decide to take a call and pushed off towards the expressway. However, the guard at the curve towards the expressway politely said no to my bike, and I am back towards hitting NH 8. The traffic is now heavy and it’s around 7:45 by the time I reach NH8. The traffic has now trickled down to a couple of vehicles now and then (there are no lorries due to the ongoing strike) and in no time the bike is smoothly doing 70 Kph. Occasional potholes (some were really elephantine) play spoilsport but I am able to avoid them. It’s around 8:45 that I cross Nadiad. The ride’s going great and there’s no stopping. I intend to make a stop after crossing Vadodara. Soon I am nearing the Anand cross section. Somewhere before the cross section an ST bus overtook me and the next second I saw a huge pothole before me. I slam the breaks hard, the bird slows down but the front wheel takes the plunge into the pothole. However, due to the slow speed, the bird escapes from being “hurt” and the next instant, I am on again. However, from now onwards, I intend to keep a distance of at least 10 meters from any vehicle, especially buses and lorries. Next time, I may not be so lucky. The ride progresses and by around 10 I am nearing Baroda. The trip-meter reading shows 129 Kms.

By now, I am feeling slightly hungry. However, I intend to take a break once I cross Baroda. So the ride continues, and after around 15 minutes, I am again away from habitat and riding in the midst of lush green fields. However, now I am riding a bit slowly and am on the lookout for a dhaba (it seemed that I had left all of them behind and there was none to be found now). By God’s grace, I spot a gathering of trucks at some distance, and yes, a board announces the presence of “Nutan Hotel & Guest House”. The bird was brought to a halt. The tripmeter reading was 153 and the clock showed 10:30. I was pretty happy at my progress and decided to treat myself to aloo paratha and tuar daal (incidentally, this was the only stuff available). While eating, I gave smses to few people informing them of my progress and got back few calls in return.

By 11, I get onto my cruiser again and the ride begins afresh. The potholes were growing bigger and more numerous now. Also, certain patches of the road were in pretty bad shape and it was much more careful riding, more so now that the traffic was also getting slightly heavy, mostly comprising cars and ST buses. At this point of time, the skyline started to turn dark and a few raindrops on my helmet visor made me think of stopping and putting on the raincoat. However, the rain gods were not too willing and neither was I interested in riding wet, and after 5 minutes, the rain-drops simply went away. So it was a win-win situation and the ride progressed. I was able to manage a speed of around 50 – 60 here due to the poor road conditions, but then the pleasant weather and lush green surroundings made riding slow even more enjoyable. In no time I crossed Bharuch with next major establishment being Ankeleshwar. I was happy with my progress and intended to take a short break after Ankeleshwar. The road conditions bettered slightly and I was able to do 70 plus from here onwards. Just before Ankeleshwar, I stopped for a while for a swig of water. I took stock of the situation here and was pleased to note that I will be able to reach Navsari by 1:30. I had initially planned to take lunch break at Navsari and it seemed that I will be able to keep up to that.

The bird was kick started again, and it was like getting back to life. Next destination was Surat, which actually lies at nearly half the distance between Ahmedabad and Mumbai. The road conditions were bettering, the sun was at its full, and it was getting hotter by the moment. I was able to ride at 80 plus from here onwards. The bird also took fancy to the roads now and in no time touched three digits. However, I felt more comfortable driving at 80-85 and so the reins were pulled till we were again doing 80 – 85 kph. After riding for some time, I felt like taking another short break and pulled the bird into a petrol pump. I remembered that my PUC had expired and before getting into Mumbai, I wanted to be perfect as far as all the papers were concerned. Now, a very good example of rules being thrown to the winds was observed while getting the PUC done – no checks, just 20 bucks had to be given to the filling station assistant, and I had the PUC certificate in my hand. On asking whether no check was required, the attendant smiled and told matter of factly that it was not required for petrol vehicles. So, now my bird was officially pronounced non-polluting and I took it back to the roads.

It was uneventful riding till Navsari where I stopped at “Gurukrupa” restaurant for lunch. The clock showed 1:45 PM and I was riding on my schedule. The trip meter reading was 352 Kms.

After a hearty Punjabi lunch (no Gujju food was available..sigh) the ride began afresh at 2:15 PM. As I had a good rest, I wanted to do around 100 Kms before taking another break. However, poor road conditions (at lot of places, construction work was in full swing) and slow moving traffic made the ride difficult and tiring. This continued till Valsad and I had to take a short break just after crossing Valsad.

Once I crossed Valsad, I was delighted to hit the 6 lane road which tapered to 4. The road was riders delight (Mandeep, you were very right about this) and it was in no time that the bird was doing 80 plus. Hey wait, what’s this familiar thump, and yes, there was the reason, another red coloured thunderbird riding besides me. However, the guy was in a mood to race which was a strictly no-no for me. We kept riding side by side for around 15 minutes when the counterpart bird moved out of the highway, and it was riding solo again. The sun was going down and the weather was getting pleasant by the minute. This stretch was turning to be the best till now. I was able to ride at 80 plus without any hitches and soon I crossed Gujarat and entered Maharashtra. The roads became undulating now and it was like riding on waves, especially as you could see dark, beckoning roads till the end of the horizon. At this point, I spotted a nice location where some good snaps were possible. So, the bird was forced to a halt, and couple of photographs were taken, the first one being of the majestic “Humming Bird” standing solo. The photograph adorns the desktop of my notebook pc now. After spending around 15 minutes here and taking in the beautiful scenic surroundings, we got back to the roads. However, the scenic surroundings made it a task to resist stopping and basking in the nature’s glory.

After riding for half an hour (or maybe even less), I couldn’t help stopping again. The bird was given a pose on the side stand, and my, the undulating road with the bird parked on the side was a wonderful sight. The same was captured by the camera to some extent, but take my word; it’s nowhere near the real experience. The signboard here showed Mumbai to be 117 Kms. I wanted to reach the outskirts of Mumbai before dark, so we were back on the roads, and the ride now progressed with average speed of 85 plus. Good road conditions and pleasant breeze made the last leg of the ride really enjoyable. It was around 6:45 that I crossed Virar cross section, stopped for 5 minutes and gave a sms to Gautam. He called back immediately and asked me to come straight to Mahim. So we got back on the road to take a plunge into Mumbai’s city traffic. As it was already dark, it was pretty slow and careful riding now, also now that the road and traffic conditions were worsening. Soon I was negotiating heavy two and four-wheeler traffic and it was really a tiring experience, especially as the road conditions were pathetic. The ride was very tiresome now and I wanted to reach Mahim as fast as possible (was getting a bit fatigued by this time). It was around 8:15 that I took the turn towards Mahim and stopped at the junction which led to Raheja’s hospital (I hope I remember the name right). A call was placed to Gautam and it was decided to meet behind Mahim Church. I was there in 5 minutes. The trip meter showed 567. Gautam reached the place in another 5 minutes and we were off to his place. Gautam’s parents had to leave the same night and we had to go to Dadar station to see them off. So after dropping the rucksack at Gautam’s cosy house, we went straight to Dadar station. Gautam went into the station and joined his sister in seeing his parents off and I and the bird took rest after a really long drive. The feeling of completing first leg of the ride, that too on schedule and without single hitch is really something that cannot be described in words.

Gautam came back at around 9:40 and we pushed off towards some good place to eat, drink and be merry. We stopped at “Culture Curry”, and in we went after duly parking the bird right in front of the main entrance of “Culture Curry” under the watchful eyes of the guard. The place was quite as desired and we began our small celebration by ordering beer and some snacks. Chilled beer was a welcome experience and so was the food and the peaceful ambience.

We were nearly through with our drinks that a gathering started taking place right next to our table. It seemed that a parsi family was celebrating the birthday of someone amongst them. Amongst them was a familiar face, and Gautam identified him in no time – he was Bomman Irani (remember the Principal of medical college in Munnabhai MBBS…). Few Goan songs transformed the tranquil atmosphere into a lively one; however, we were not very comfortable with the transformation so we quickly finished our dinner and pushed off towards Gautam’s place once again.

The day had still something in store for us and as we were negotiating a turn at Shivaji Park crossing, one lunatic from nowhere in particular just rammed into the bike with full force, even though I was able to stop the bike. The left side handle bar took the brunt and the rear view mirror along with the cables got twisted. Still, I was thankful that we got away without any major incident. The protagonist of the incident didn’t even stop and kept on to his run (God knows whom he was running from or after…). The mirror bar was straightened and we again got back to riding. In 10 minutes, we reached our destination. Now we had to do some planning for the second leg of our ride. Gautam was not able to manage leave for Friday and was in a mood to do night driving. However, I was not very comfortable with the idea, especially as I had experienced the road conditions and moreover, Dips had informed that the roads were in a pretty bad shape due to heavy monsoon rains. Still, we left the things open and as I had to attend one meeting tomorrow afternoon and I needed to call it a day.

The morning came and Gautam was in a mood to ride to his office (which was at Worli) on the bird. I decided to accompany him and off we went. One look at the speedometer and I was surprised to see that it wasn’t working. Ditto with the tripmeter. Things needed to be checked out. Once we reached Gautam’s office, we saw that the leg guard was also turned at an angle, and the speedometer cable was hanging out. Efforts to set right the guard didn’t yield any result as it was pretty tight and we were left wondering what might be the degree of injury caused to the person who banged into the bird yesterday night. Whatever, we decided to take the bike to some mechanic in the evening and left it safely parked.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as I had planned and I had to be in Mumbai for one more day. It seems that Goa is jinxed for me as this was the third time that I had planned for the place and had to cancel it at the last moment. Whatever, I went to Gautam’s office in the evening and we decided to visit couple of our mutual friends. So few calls were placed and it was decided to have dinner at “Howrah Bridge”, a bong restaurant near Church Gate. For the uninitiated, all other three except me were bong and relished fish like anything. So I had to play ball and go along. So off we went to “Howrah Bridge” and spent couple of heavenly hours together. Once Gautam and I got back to home, a new destination was planned (the ride had to continue no?). So we narrowed down on Mahabaleshwar. A quick consultation of the road map, and the route was all set – Mumbai – Lonavala/Khandala – Pune – Panchgani – Mahabaleshwar. So instead of this being a ride besides beaches, it was turning out to be a ride amidst the mountains.

Next day was pretty busy for both of us. Gautam got back at around 7 PM and we decided to at least give the bird a glimpse of the beaches. So off we went to Band Stand, spent around an hour there and later on we rode to Worli sea face. It was by 9 O clock that we decided to head back. As we were returning, suddenly, the indicators, horn and parking light stopped working altogether. My guess was that some connection with the battery had gone loose due to our small mishap day before yesterday at Shivaji Park crossing. However, I wasn’t much bothered as this was a minor issue that could be fixed easily and we continued towards Mahim. Everything was going fine when suddenly the accelerator went free. The bike was brought to a halt and I opened the right side handle bar cap to check out the damage. My fears came true when I saw that the accelerator wire had given away at the very joint to the handle bar. The spare wire was kept at Gautam’s place in Mahim, which was around 5 Kms from the place we were stranded. The first thought was to drag the bird till Mahim (what a stupid idea), but then, the real adventure bug struck. I pulled out the broken wire from the cap, tested it, and my, was I glad when I heard the familiar thump. So from now on, it was riding the bike on wire (ghode ki lagaam jaisa lag raha tha). Initially, it was a bit tough with the wire cutting into the fingers, but it was definitely better than pulling the bird for 5 odd Kms. It was around 10 that we touched base at Mahim. Over chinese dinner, we contemplated whether we need to slightly delay our move tomorrow and get the bike in prime condition. However, I was looking forward to get out of crowded Mumbai early in the morning and we decided to stick to the plan and be on the roads positively by 7.

Needles to say, it felt as if the alarm started humming (ringing would have been a better word, but somehow, I now prefer the word “humming”, any guesses why?) at 6 and by 6:45 we were ready to go. A look at the fuel indicator and we were off to the nearest Bharat Petroleum filling station (please note that the bike was being “pulled” by the wire). Humming bird could not even take Rs 400 worth of petrol and this surprised me as it appeared that I was just going to hit the reserve. Just one minute on the road, and I realized that a few additional things were amiss. Tachometer and fuel indicator were not working. Whatever, once on the road, the ride had to continue. We were on the look-out for some mechanic who could fix the accelerator with the spare cable I was carrying. Lady luck was with us and soon we spotted a place where sundry vehicles like trucks, autos, taxis etc were parked. Gautam had a feeling that we would surely get somebody here who could fix up the wire and right he was. A supposedly truck mechanic agreed to take a look and 10 minutes later and lighter by 10 bucks in our pocket, we were off to Panvel with the accelerator working fine. The traffic was light and soon we were doing 80 plus. Gautam felt like riding and I handed over the reins to him. It was in no time that we crossed Panvel and touched the highway. The plan was to ride till 10 and the take a halt for breakfast. The ride progressed like a dream till we spotted a nice cozy restaurant beside the highway and decided to halt for breakfast. The menu announced availability of all kinds of stuff ranging from butter toast to dosa. However, only thing we were able to get out from the cook was puri bhaji, which was really good and stuffing. With our tummies full, once again we were again on the road. Riding for ten minutes brought us to a milestone which announced that Lonavala was only 8 Kms. We were on the ghats next minute, and after driving for few minutes, we hit that section of the expressway on which two wheelers are allowed. The sky was cloudy and the mountain peaks were covered with mist. The view was absolutely heavenly and we felt like stopping and clicking some photographs. However, “No Stops” on the expressway signs were numerous and we continued to ride. Soon we saw Lonavala intersection and in we went towards Lonavala.

Once in Lonavala, we rode around the town stopping at couple of places. However, we couldn’t get the kind of spectacular view we got to see while driving on the expressway. Later we rode towards Khandala and took a break at Shooting Point. We clicked couple of photographs here, sat there for around half an hour, but then the view was not very enchanting. So we were off again to romancing the roads, as the idea was to reach Mahabaleshwar by evening. The road conditions from here were not very good and it was cautious driving all the way. Around 10 Kms from Pune, we saw couple of bullets parked at a small workshop and a mechanic working on them. I felt like getting the bike checked and see if we could make the non-functional parts working. The trouble was explained to the mechanic and soon he was working on the bird. In 5 minutes the check-up was over, and the doctor announced that the battery was totally out (I was totally bewildered how this could happen) and it will have to be re-charged. The diagnosis fee was 10 bucks only and still a bit surprised, we once again set-off towards Pune. However, before that, Gautam remembered that one of our mutual friends was based at Pune. Next instant, I gave him a ring from Gautam’s cell. The chap (people call him Devender Hooda, a pucca JAT from Harayana) was surprised to hear my voice from a Mumbai number, which doubled when I informed him that I was only 10 Kms from Pune, Gautam was with me and we intended to have lunch with him (obviously, he would have to foot the bill as we were his guests). The chap smsed his location to us and it was well beyond half an hour and 2:30 by the clock that we reached his office and called him downstairs. The bird was parked in his office parking lot and we were off to a nearby restaurant for lunch. However, our Mr. Hooda had entirely different plans and by the time Gautam and I returned from washroom, a pitcher of beer and some really inviting snacks were waiting for us on the table. Tell you what folks, a mug (Reviewed) of beer after a long ride is really refreshing. Further plans were detailed to Hooda and we asked him to arrange a bike for himself and join us. This was good enough for a couple of choicest abuses to be directed towards us of informing him at the last moment. However, Hooda soon started making inquiries for arranging a bike and charting out the route and schedule. Now this is really wonderful – while making inquiries, one of Mr. Hooda’s acquaintances asked him how come the sudden plan to go to Mahabaleshwar, and Mr. Hooda replied in his typical Harayanvi ishtyle, “Arre hamare kuch saathi aayen hain ek “khatarnak” si bike lekar Ahmedabad se, aur wo Mahabaleshwar jaa rahe hain. Ab hamen bhi unke saath jaane ke liye bike leni hai na”. Heard lot of comments about my dear Humming Bird, but “Khatarnak” was something new. Ok chalta hai…

Our sumptuous lunch was over by 3 O’ Clock and by that time Hooda was able to convince us to postpone our ride to Mahabaleshwar for tomorrow and take a night halt in Pune so that he could also join us. In the meanwhile, we could drive down to Sihanghad which was around 35 Kms from Pune, supposedly a nice place and spend the evening there. Gautam also vouched for the place as he had been there for his outbound training during his induction with BASF and the plan was sealed.

After paying a short visit to Mr. Hooda’s office, we were once on the road again. Road conditions were pretty bad, especially after Khadakvasla. However, it was good to see lot of people riding to Sihanghad on variety of two-wheelers. It is around 15 Kms ride on the Ghats to Sihanghad and the roads were pretty narrow. It really gave me sadistic pleasure to hear other two-wheelers and even some four-wheelers groaning while taking the steep climb while the bird was able to do the heights smoothly. We took a number of stopovers en-route and a good number of photographs were clicked.. The weather gods were keeping us in good humour and misty peaks greeted us once we reached the top. The ride took 1.5 hours with all the stops included.

The bike was parked and up we went up into the Sihanghad fort. Soon we were walking in the clouds, and my, it was a bit cold here. So, we decided to have a cup of hot tea. It was around 5:45 that we moved towards “Wind Point”. While walking towards the point, we saw a water body formed due to excessive rains and the camera went click again. At this point of time, a burst of strong winds made the mist move in and soon the waterbody was covered with clouds. The view was really fantastic and I wish I had a handycam to capture it. We were at the wind point for nearly 20 mins, but the mist had moved in and nothing of the valley down was visible. So I had to return without getting a good shoot here, and by the way, we had only few snaps remaining now.

It was around 6 O’ clock that we decided to head back to Pune. From a distance, I saw the bird parked, but something was amiss. There were no saddlebags on it. I ran upto the bike, and my heart missed a beat, both the bags weren’t there. The bags contained spares (clutch wire, chain lock, a tube and air filter) and my raincoat. Nothing much, but still …however, Gautam observed that the bike looked pretty different (in fact, quite clean). I also realized the same and yes it was actually a different bike. My Humming Bird was parked a few feet away with both the saddlebags very much there…phew, what a relief.

A single kick brought the bird back to life and we were off once again. There were couple of stops down the slope to take in the excellent view given by the setting sun, especially as it gave a different hue to the skyline. By 7 O clock we reached Khadakvasla Lake. I took the bike off the road and parked it just beside the water body. The twilight gave the water body a different look altogether, but pardon me, I couldn’t capture it as I had already exhausted all the snaps and was not carrying any extra roll. After spending a good 20 minutes here, and talking over a lot of things, we rode back into the Pune crowd (it felt really bad to be in the crowd after such a serene ride on the ghats). Soon we met Hooda and headed back to his flat. Man, he had already arranged a bike, and was all set for Mahabaleshwar. One more thing, there was a 10 year old kid riding with Hooda, and on seeing us riding an RE, he timidly asked for a ride; and our dear Gautam got off the pillion, and the kid was on the pillion seat in no time. We rode to Hooda’s flat and the kid announced, “Wah, mazza aa gaya, mujhe bullet bahut acchi lagti hai” (folks do we see another rider in making?).

In we went into Hooda’s flat and dumped our luggage in the first corner we could spot. Hooda and I once again went out to do some shopping (I was out of camera roll). We got back at around 9:30 and once again, Mr. Hooda was in a mood to celebrate the evening with Jhonny Walker whisky, which he had carried from duty free while he was returning from Singapore recently. Though I am very selective in drinking and take only white spirits, on Hooda’s insistence, I took a peg, and take my word for it, the stuff was really good. Gautam was looking pretty tired by now and we decided to call it a day. The plan was to get going again by 7 AM. Things were all set for a ride on the ghats.

The morning came, and brought it’s own share of surprises. Gautam was not feeling well, and announced that he won’t be riding further (remember, the bugger was planning to do night riding to Goa). So now it was I and Hooda and the bird, and off we went. A cool breeze was blowing and I felt like taking some jacket as it was a bit chilly. In about 15 minutes, we were on the Satara highway. The roads were not in their best shape, but we were able cruise along at around 60 Kph. We got onto the ghats and went into a pitch dark tunnel. Initially, it felt a bit scary, especially with the headlights of the oncoming traffic dazzling one’s eyes. The roads were wider here we could see few lorries here. It felt great to see them groaning while negotiating the steep curves (sadistic pleasure again) while the bird smoothly rode up the hills. The ghats finished up fast and we were on flat grounds once again. The roads here again were 4 laned but at places, reconstruction was going on. Mahabaleshwar is around 130 Kms from Pune and I wanted to do at least 70 – 80 Kms before we took a break. However, Hooda was not used to riding for long distances and hence, we took at break once we touched 60 Kms at a decent looking restaurant. One more reason for stopping was that I saw another RE parked there. It was around 8:30 AM and we decided to have some breakfast here. Unfortunately, only tea was available and we had no option but to go for it. However, the tea also felt like salted boiled water, so after taking down half a glass of it, we gave up. The cost of boiled water called tea was 10 bucks per cup. Hooda was just going to launch his tirade, but I was in no mood to enter into an argument here and was able to restrain him. Off we went again on the roads, the conditions of which were pretty fine now. We were able to do 80 plus from here. Soon we saw an intersection that announced Mahabaleshwar to be about 52 Kms. In we went and searched again for some hotel to have breakfast, but then again nothing was available. So we decided to have breakfast on the hills itself. Just before the beginning of the Ghats, we again took a break as Hooda felt like having a fag. Mahabaleshwar was 35 Kms from here, and I also wanted the bird to take long look at the Ghats before negotiating them. Hooda had apparently forgotten to carry a matchbox and went to search for it while I took rest lying down beside the bird on a mound. Hooda soon returned emitting smoke from his lips and sat besides me. The best thing about this man is that he adapts to any condition pretty fast and can be a very enjoyable company provided he wants to. Luck was on my side and Hooda was in a mood to make the best of the short break he was getting.

After 10 minutes, we were again on, negotiating the ghats. The good thing was that the roads were a rider’s delight and they were also pretty wide. Negotiating the steep turns and taking in the marvelous view of the valley down was an ultimate experience. This was my first ride on the ghats and I was enjoying every moment of it. The bird was riding smoothly and was enjoying all the attention of the people around. We reached Panchgani by around 10 AM. This place was a bit crowded though the view of the valley down was spectacular. However, we decided to keep going and reach Mahabaleshwar first. Panchagni was left for the return trip. Beyond Panchgani, the traffic was also lighter. We could see lot of small waterfalls and the white water flowing amidst the lush greenery was a welcome sight. We were enjoying every moment of it. There were lot of stops enroute and we kept capturing the nature’s beauty in the lens.

By around 11:30, we reached Mahabaleshwar “town” (read as crossed the bus station). The city looked deserted and wet roads gave inkling that maybe the rain gods had visited the place in the morning. We decided to take a slightly long break here and also get some grub. So the bird was brought to a halt next to a restaurant right in the middle of the town. We were feeling very hungry and were sure to get something here. However, inquires about the stuff available gave us the shock of our life – nothing. Lunch will be available only from 1 PM. We were the only persons in the restaurant and the area outside was also pretty deserted. Enquiries from the people around revealed that it was off-season that was compounded by incessant rains for past 15 days which stopped only a couple of days back. That way, we had been pretty lucky as we didn’t ride wet even for a single minute. Thankfully, tea and coffee were available and I managed to get a pack of coconut biscuits from a nearby general store. While having our “breakfast”, we also gathered some info on the places to see and narrowed down on few points. The Sun was out now and the mist was closing in. It was also getting a bit cold now. Hooda was wearing a windsheater, but I was in a cotton shirt and as I was in the front seat, I was feeling the wind more. But then, I was not carrying my jacket here. So I had to make do with my rain coat jacket which thankfully did the job. The weather had grown pretty misty now and I was afraid that it may rain. However, there wasn’t any but it was very careful riding now on as the roads were wet due to the condensing mist. But then, the misty atmosphere was a welcome delight and cruising in the same felt eternal. Our ride was soon interrupted by few people who asked that whether we had paid the corporation charges for taking this road to some God forsaken point. Obviously, we hadn’t. So we were asked to cough up Rs 10 each for both of us and Rs 30 for the bike (the bird was one-up here too). However, firmly believing in the view that the best things if life come for free, and having actually seen lot of beautiful places for which there was no charge, we made the decision of not to pay a single buck. The next instant, we were on our way back, more so that we were more concerned with the ride than the place.

We were on our way back to Panchgani. While on our way up, we had identified few points which offered a good view of a mountain river flowing across the valley. It was like taking a break after every 10 minute of the ride, taking in the magnificent view of the lush greenery & mist covered Mountain River and capturing whatever we could in the camera.

We touched Panchgani by 1:30. Both of us were feeling pretty hungry by now, and a “Hotel Ravines” looked inviting by its looks and the name too. So in we went straight into the restaurant. Once inside the hotel, we could realize why it was named “Ravines”. This hotel offers a magnificient view of the valley and we sat right next to the window opening into the valley, both of us not wanting to miss the view for even a single moment. The glass doors of the window were closed tight which were a hindrance to the view. So we asked the waiter to open the same. We were informed that the winds always remain heavy at this time of the season so the doors are kept shut. We still wanted to sit with open windows and the waiter obliged by slightly opening the doors, and the next instant we were hit by a blast of ice-cold winds that were making ear-shattering noise. We had to close the windows the very next instant.

After a leisurely lunch, we were back to what we liked best – the ride. The clock showed 2 O’ clock and we wanted to touch Pune by 4. While on our way back, we noticed a mud track leading to a jutty into the valley. It looked lonely and inviting, and the next instant the bird had taken the route. We rode till the point we could without rolling down into the valley. As a matter of fact, the place offered the most magnificent view of the mountains and the valley below. It was here that my “Humming Bird” got the best compliment till now– a family took liking to the bike, and asked for taking a snap with their two little kids on the bike. Obviously, I obliged. While the kid’s mom was taking the photograph, their dad insisted – “Bike ka photo pura aana chahiye, bacchon ki to phir lete rahenge”. Man, this was one of the greatest moments for my Humming Bird.

We were getting late now and got back to the road to Pune. Couple of water breaks en-route and we reached Hooda’s house by 5 PM. Gautam was ready to move and at 5:30, we got on the road to Mumbai. Gautam was riding now and I was on the pillion. We stopped to refuel after 15 minutes and decided to ride without a break till the horizon turned dark. We touched Lonavala at 7 and took a break at the outskirts. It was getting cold here and as I do not prefer riding in the night, I suggested that maybe we should take a break here itself. However, Gautam had to attend office next day, so we shelved that plan and were on the road again by 7:30. At this point, another Thunderbird with Delhi registration overtook us. Whoever was riding that bike, I confess that he was hell of a rider. I tried to keep pace with him, but gave up soon as he was going too fast for my comfort. Still, it once again felt nice to have the company of another RE, though for just a few moments. Just as we got out of the Lonavala, suddenly, the engine went dead. With all kinds of doubts, I brought it to halt. But then, the engine came back to life in one kick and we were on again. We had a magnificent view of the valley below, now that the lights were on. Felt like stopping and taking a snap, but then, we kept going. Riding on the ghats in the night, though for a short distance will remain a memorable experience till I do a longer stretch of this sort. Couple of breaks en-route and we were in Mahim by 11 (got stuck in a Jam near Sion). The best part of the ride was over and tomorrow I ride back to Ahmedabad.

The ride back to Ahmedabad was uneventful except for few issues:
¨ I planned to spend one night in Daman, but once I saw the place, after being to such beautiful places, I couldn’t really tolerate the muddy sea and the smell of the booze. So the plan to take a halt at Daman was shelved and the ride to Ahmedabad continued. Moreover, I had got a call (work had caught up with me) which made it imperative for me to be in Mumbai couple of days later and hence all the more good that I reached Ahmedabad at the earliest.
¨ The ride was much slower now, thanks to the heavy lorry traffic, which I suppose was on the higher side as the strike recently got over,
¨ I rode till11:30 in the night and took a break at Anand at one on my colleague’s place who was really delighted to have me, even though at this hour of the night.

I reached Ahmedbad and my abode next day by 11 AM. Total distance covered was 1903.6 Kms. The ride began on 25th August and got over on 31st August. Taking out the two days which were spent in Mumbai, average distance covered per day works out to 380.6 Kms.

God, when do I get the chance to go on the next ride?