Day 6 – 17th November
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We wake up at 1230 PM. Breakfast is at 130 PM, so we call it lunch!!! Start drinking at 200 PM. Meanwhile someone suggests that we should play carrom, so the board was set, and guys get a chance to show off!!!
Nothing of any mentionable importance happens; we drink till 800 PM. Then VS wants to meet up a friend, so we spend some time getting dressed (me more than him) and then leave. Catch up with his fren at 32nd Milestone, a pub at Gurgaon (actually calling it a pub will be an insult – it’s a huge place with everything – pub, bowling alley, garden restaurant, family restaurant and what have you). We decide that this is not the place we want to be, so we park our bike there and go with the fren (in his car) to a pub (now this is what I call a pub – dark with half naked girls and music so loud that you can’t talk!!). I don’t remember the name of the pub, but I it was a great place.
We drink (I drink while VS sips an orange juice); VS and MJ (not me, his fren) catch up on their old times – VS narrating how their college has changed in all these years (we had just been there 5 days ago, so VS wanted to tell it all). I am busy looking at the girls around and trying to figure out which ones are available for pick up!!!!! (OK I AM very bitchy, I know it).
Suddenly the music stops and someone interrupts – “Gurrls and guys, if you want to have sexy tattoos done, it’s on the house”.
TATTOOS – and why not!! I run and queue up before VS can realize what happened. This is a temporary tattoo – I don’t have the guts to get a permanent one done!! I patiently await my turn. Finally the patience pays – I am sitting on the stool examining the designs. I choose plain and simple “Om” to be tattooed on my back (not the word OM, but the symbol). I remove my jacket, and turn my back towards the guy. He paints it on my bare back – shows me the tattoo in the mirror, and says with a smile – “you have a nice back, and that’s a nice top. You should remove the jacket”. I have no idea if that was a compliment or what!!! I smile, say thanks and sprint away.
I walk to VS and show off my new asset (the tattoo!!!!!!) he says I should get one done on my neck too!! Cool! So I go back again. He smiles at me, and I get a preference over others!!! (Wow man, I like that!). I jump the queue and tell him "I want a snake on my neck."
"You should go for a butterfly."
"OK. If you say so!"
"And instead of the neck, you should get it done on the collar bone!!!!"
"Amhuh!!!OK. I agree."
He patiently paints the butterfly on my “collar bone” (I thought it was a little lower than that.. but what the heck – it was a nice tattoo!). I wait till he has finished.
Then I turn and tell him – “Thanks. I am sure my husband will love it!!!” and I walk away while he stares at me in disbelief. Good fun, I like doing this to people who are over smart!
We drink till 1130 PM, have food and then head back. On the way back, I get into some stupid argument with MJ, I don't even remember the topic now. But at the end of the day, it was a good evening.
We reach home (Gurgaon) at about 1200 midnight. VS is dying to sleep but carom is calling!! And for me, booze is calling!!
We drink till 200 AM again and snore off to sleep.
Day 6 ends. No trip to talk about. But loads of fun time with friends.
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Adventures of Venom - 5!!!
Day 5 – 16th November
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The day starts late. We wake up at 930 AM. And then the rush begins. What about the Taj Mahal plan!! Weren’t we supposed to leave at 600 AM. Everyone conveniently blame me for being a lazy bum! Oh yeah rite, so I am the one who over slept! And what about you all? As if you are ready to leave!
I forgot to mention that my brother was also at my friend’s place in Delhi (Gurgaon). And whenever VS and my bro are together, their favorite pass time is to bitch about me and how lazy I am and how VS is a gentleman coz he copes up with me …. and …. and ….. and…...
We finally manage to leave at around 1200 noon. By the time we are on our way, its already 1230, thanks to some shopping on the way – essentials you see – you have to be prepared for that if you are traveling with a 10-month old baby!!!! (Friend’s dumbo, not mine)…
Getting on the highway takes us a lot more time than was expected. That happens when you don’t know the way, and think that you do, and you claim that you do, and try bragging about a short-cut!!!! No, I wasn’t driving, it was my friend. Actually my fren’s hubby, but since he has become so close to us that he is also counted as one of our frens! And what makes it interesting is that he is as crazy as I am!! (And my fren is as sane as VS is, so it’s a purrrrfect jodi!!!)
As everyone had predicted, I doze off to sleep as soon as we leave home (actually I manage to keep awake for good 15 minutes). I don’t know of what happened while I was sleeping so I shall skip it – VS can narrate it better! I am shaken awake at around 4.00 when we stop for lunch at a Dhaba on the highway. The break is much needed. We have good food – that’s one thing I really miss in Mumbai. Though I am a Maharashtrian by birth, I have been born and brought up in north of India, and that explains my liking for north-Indian food!
We reach Agra at around 600 PM. We head straight to the Taj Mahal. We notice that it was unusually less crowded. “It’s the evening chill” VS tells me. I am surely excited at the thought of watching Taj Mahal at near moon-light and having a good view in absence of the maddening crowd. We quickly park our car in the lot, and jump out.
An annoying shrill sound hits our ear-drums – “Kahan jaana hai?”
What a funny question – “Ab yahan aaye hain to Taj Mahal hi jaana hia”.
I am sure I saw a smirk on that fat face. “Aaj Friday hai”.
“Haan maloom hai ki aaj Friday hai”. Now, what’s THAT got to do with this? I am losing cool now!!!
“Haan to Friday ko Taj Mahal band rehta hai”
WHAT!!!!! SAY THAT AGAIN. Says who? I want to know. We stand there for the next 10 minutes, not knowing what to do.... But there nothing that anyone can do about it
We are all hysterical by now.. Giggling and laughing at ourselves – driving down 220 Kms to figure out that we cant see the Taj Mahal!!!!
We paid 50 bucks to a Tangawala to take us some place from where we can get a glimpse of Taj Mahal. We stand at the roof of a 2 storyed building looking at the monument hidden behind trees.
We just click some snaps of this disaster…. Buy a small marbel Taj Mahal souvenir and head back.
I sleep all the way back. We stop by at McDonalds for a quick meal. We reach home at around 1130 – way back is much faster.
We drink till 200 AM and doze off to sleep.
Day 5 ends… nothing achieved at the end of the day.
----------------------------------------
The day starts late. We wake up at 930 AM. And then the rush begins. What about the Taj Mahal plan!! Weren’t we supposed to leave at 600 AM. Everyone conveniently blame me for being a lazy bum! Oh yeah rite, so I am the one who over slept! And what about you all? As if you are ready to leave!
I forgot to mention that my brother was also at my friend’s place in Delhi (Gurgaon). And whenever VS and my bro are together, their favorite pass time is to bitch about me and how lazy I am and how VS is a gentleman coz he copes up with me …. and …. and ….. and…...
We finally manage to leave at around 1200 noon. By the time we are on our way, its already 1230, thanks to some shopping on the way – essentials you see – you have to be prepared for that if you are traveling with a 10-month old baby!!!! (Friend’s dumbo, not mine)…
Getting on the highway takes us a lot more time than was expected. That happens when you don’t know the way, and think that you do, and you claim that you do, and try bragging about a short-cut!!!! No, I wasn’t driving, it was my friend. Actually my fren’s hubby, but since he has become so close to us that he is also counted as one of our frens! And what makes it interesting is that he is as crazy as I am!! (And my fren is as sane as VS is, so it’s a purrrrfect jodi!!!)
As everyone had predicted, I doze off to sleep as soon as we leave home (actually I manage to keep awake for good 15 minutes). I don’t know of what happened while I was sleeping so I shall skip it – VS can narrate it better! I am shaken awake at around 4.00 when we stop for lunch at a Dhaba on the highway. The break is much needed. We have good food – that’s one thing I really miss in Mumbai. Though I am a Maharashtrian by birth, I have been born and brought up in north of India, and that explains my liking for north-Indian food!
We reach Agra at around 600 PM. We head straight to the Taj Mahal. We notice that it was unusually less crowded. “It’s the evening chill” VS tells me. I am surely excited at the thought of watching Taj Mahal at near moon-light and having a good view in absence of the maddening crowd. We quickly park our car in the lot, and jump out.
An annoying shrill sound hits our ear-drums – “Kahan jaana hai?”
What a funny question – “Ab yahan aaye hain to Taj Mahal hi jaana hia”.
I am sure I saw a smirk on that fat face. “Aaj Friday hai”.
“Haan maloom hai ki aaj Friday hai”. Now, what’s THAT got to do with this? I am losing cool now!!!
“Haan to Friday ko Taj Mahal band rehta hai”
WHAT!!!!! SAY THAT AGAIN. Says who? I want to know. We stand there for the next 10 minutes, not knowing what to do.... But there nothing that anyone can do about it
We are all hysterical by now.. Giggling and laughing at ourselves – driving down 220 Kms to figure out that we cant see the Taj Mahal!!!!
We paid 50 bucks to a Tangawala to take us some place from where we can get a glimpse of Taj Mahal. We stand at the roof of a 2 storyed building looking at the monument hidden behind trees.
We just click some snaps of this disaster…. Buy a small marbel Taj Mahal souvenir and head back.
I sleep all the way back. We stop by at McDonalds for a quick meal. We reach home at around 1130 – way back is much faster.
We drink till 200 AM and doze off to sleep.
Day 5 ends… nothing achieved at the end of the day.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Adventures of Venom - 4!!!
Day 4: 15th November 2007
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The day starts late – as usual. This time for a change, I am in bad shape. The dust has caused my sinus to aggravate and I can’t breathe. I have a running nose and am cranky. (I usually am, but when I am unwell I can be intolerable).
We have breakfast at the Hotel and then push off, of course after clicking a picture of where we were staying. We needed to know right? it was too dark at night to realize how shady the place was. Ajmer is still almost 70-80 kms away. We again realize that someone has been playing with the trip meter, and it is again set to zero. Damn!!!!
We have enough time at hand, and we cruise away. Nothing of mentionable importance happens on our way, except for my insistence of having an ice cream, which we never managed to get.
We reach Ajmer – our 1st stop being the “Ajmer Sharif” dargah. It is said that this is a very holy place and that whatever you ask for here, is always granted. We are asking for directions every 2 minutes – it is in the old city, and we all know how congested and confusing can that be. The lanes are extremely narrow – to the extent that 2 bikes cannot pass each other in parallel. It’s amazingly crowded and it feels like sunlight never touches these lanes. We have trouble finding ourselves any parking. Suddenly we hear someone creaming “yahan aao”. We obviously do not know anyone there and this is very surprising. We turn around to find out that one extra helpful gentleman is calling us out to follow him. Not knowing what to do, we stand there, while he insists that we come with him. Having no other choice, we follow him deeper into the intricate lanes. Finally he helps us park in front of an over crowded food shop and points towards a gate which reads “khwaja Garib Nawaz Guest House”. We are asked to deposit our bags there, as no bags are allowed inside the dargah. We reach the cloak room – a fat lazy guy looks at us from head to toe and says “Isme kya hai”.
I am amused by this question and say “Kapde hain, aur kya hoga?” He clearly takes offence to that and says, “Check karana padega”
OK. If you say so! VS promptly emptied the handbag. Then he turns towards the saddle bag and wants us to empty that as well. I am annoyed by now.
I tell him “Packing kya aap kar ke doge wapas”. This is too much for him and he goes on a tangent. “I can check all bags, I am a defense personnel”.
OK. “Show me your I-card” (That was of course me, while VS is banging his head on the wall, literally). He promptly takes out his card which reads “police constable”. I am almost laughing at this!!!!
Needless to say that after all this story, the ‘defense personnel’ insisted on us taking out each and every piece of clothing. VS, by now, has lost his patience and refuses to keep the bags there. He picks up (more like throws it over his shoulder) the bag and walks out. I run after him.
The guy who had taken us there in the 1st place, now offers to let us keep our bags in his shop. “Why is he being so helpful?” is what VS wants to know, but I tell him “Learn to trust people, Bhagwaan to darwaze pe khade ho”. We accompany this character to his shop, and he lets us keep the bags. Now its time to buy flowers – 350 bucks for a Chadar & some flowers. OK now I know why he was being so helpful!!!! LOL
The Dargah is crowded and like most other places of worship, there are people at every step trying to fleece you! Thanks to VS’s bad mood, we manage to get out of there without paying too much.
Then we head towards Taragarh Fort. I am insisting on it as I am a sucker for Forts / Palaces. The way to Taragarh is very cool. It is steep and the turns make it sexy. After a strenuous ride, we reach the top, only to find that the fort has been demolished (long long ago, by some invader) and all that remains is a Mosque which was built after demolition of the fort!!!!!!! Enough of worship for the day, so we decide not to go in.
We just click some snaps and push off. On our way back, the inevitable search for loo starts!!! LOL!!! We stop by “Prthviraj Smarak” hoping to find something interesting (monuments AND the loo), but all that we see is some couples seeking privacy. Again, we are unwelcome, so we push off.
We enquire about Pushkar, but people tell us that its no fun going there now. The world famous Pushkar Mela is due to start on 18th and that is the time we should visit it. OK. We will do it on our way back then.
We plan to take a night halt at Kishangarh. Again, for the fort. The plan is that we will see the fort in the morning and then push off to Jaipur.
Somewhere down the line we have already ditched the Jaisalmer plan, and I am cribbing about it. Jaisalmer has amazing sand dunes I am told. So that’s a regret I have – traveling all the way to Rajasthan and not seeing the sand dunes!!! Some other time, maybe!
Its already 330 PM and it will get dark before we realize. So we are on our way. By this time, my running nose has made my life miserable and I am unable to enjoy anything. We decide to skip Kishangarh and head straight towards Jaipur. By 400 PM it is clear that I am in a bad shape and could do with some rest. So we decide to head to Delhi (Gurgaon) to our friends place, and do Jaipur on our way back. I can’t keep my eyes open, have a terrible headache and am claiming high fever (which VS does agree to). I cling to him like a monkey and try and get some sleep. (Remember, I told u that I sleep on any moving vehicle unless I am the one diving /riding it!). It is getting dark and cold. The Ajmer – Kishangarh road is bad and takes maximum time for us to cover. Once we cross Kishangarh, the road to Jaipur is just beautiful. It’s a 4 lane highway nicely planned and better constructed. It is chilling on the highway. But we decide to cover as much distance as possible before it gets dark. At around 700 PM, after riding for 3 hours non-stop, VS’s fingers are numb coz of the cold; he can’t see a thing, coz he is wearing shades; and there is no fuel in the bike.
We search for a petrol pump and with each km I feel that I will have to push the bike any minute now. Finally just after crossing Jaipur (on the highway), we spot an IOC petrol pump. We take the opportunity to wear warm clothes, gloves, fuel up and change glasses. Back on the road again.
At around 800 PM, I create a ruckus. Just coz I haven’t asked for a break, VS is not giving me one!!!! I need food! We stop by at some dhaba for Kadhi-Chawal – yummy!!! Hit the road again, hoping that the next stop will be Gurgaon. But we need to stop at 930PM again – we need a coffee to thaw ourselves. VS is wearing all his T-shirts one over the other by now (he is looking funny and fat, but I will skip that!!). I am not that cold, coz I am clinging to him and avoiding the wind all along!! LOL!
The last 20 kms were most killing. Just when you feel that you have reached now, you hit a traffic jam – just outside Gurgaon. The jam took us 30 mins and a lot of off-roading to clear.
We finally reach the friend’s place at 1030 PM. Want to hit the bed right away, but as soon as I reach home, I am already feeling better.
We chit chat till 200 AM, planning about the next day and the trip to Agra. VS has never seen the Taj Mahal and I think that it’s a crime to come all the way here and not see it.
I finally doze off around 230, not realizing that people are still probably talking to me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 4 ends. Trip meter reads apprx 475 or something.. I am losing track of kms
------------------------------------------
The day starts late – as usual. This time for a change, I am in bad shape. The dust has caused my sinus to aggravate and I can’t breathe. I have a running nose and am cranky. (I usually am, but when I am unwell I can be intolerable). We have breakfast at the Hotel and then push off, of course after clicking a picture of where we were staying. We needed to know right? it was too dark at night to realize how shady the place was. Ajmer is still almost 70-80 kms away. We again realize that someone has been playing with the trip meter, and it is again set to zero. Damn!!!!
We have enough time at hand, and we cruise away. Nothing of mentionable importance happens on our way, except for my insistence of having an ice cream, which we never managed to get.
We reach Ajmer – our 1st stop being the “Ajmer Sharif” dargah. It is said that this is a very holy place and that whatever you ask for here, is always granted. We are asking for directions every 2 minutes – it is in the old city, and we all know how congested and confusing can that be. The lanes are extremely narrow – to the extent that 2 bikes cannot pass each other in parallel. It’s amazingly crowded and it feels like sunlight never touches these lanes. We have trouble finding ourselves any parking. Suddenly we hear someone creaming “yahan aao”. We obviously do not know anyone there and this is very surprising. We turn around to find out that one extra helpful gentleman is calling us out to follow him. Not knowing what to do, we stand there, while he insists that we come with him. Having no other choice, we follow him deeper into the intricate lanes. Finally he helps us park in front of an over crowded food shop and points towards a gate which reads “khwaja Garib Nawaz Guest House”. We are asked to deposit our bags there, as no bags are allowed inside the dargah. We reach the cloak room – a fat lazy guy looks at us from head to toe and says “Isme kya hai”.
I am amused by this question and say “Kapde hain, aur kya hoga?” He clearly takes offence to that and says, “Check karana padega” OK. If you say so! VS promptly emptied the handbag. Then he turns towards the saddle bag and wants us to empty that as well. I am annoyed by now.
I tell him “Packing kya aap kar ke doge wapas”. This is too much for him and he goes on a tangent. “I can check all bags, I am a defense personnel”.
OK. “Show me your I-card” (That was of course me, while VS is banging his head on the wall, literally). He promptly takes out his card which reads “police constable”. I am almost laughing at this!!!!
Needless to say that after all this story, the ‘defense personnel’ insisted on us taking out each and every piece of clothing. VS, by now, has lost his patience and refuses to keep the bags there. He picks up (more like throws it over his shoulder) the bag and walks out. I run after him.
The guy who had taken us there in the 1st place, now offers to let us keep our bags in his shop. “Why is he being so helpful?” is what VS wants to know, but I tell him “Learn to trust people, Bhagwaan to darwaze pe khade ho”. We accompany this character to his shop, and he lets us keep the bags. Now its time to buy flowers – 350 bucks for a Chadar & some flowers. OK now I know why he was being so helpful!!!! LOL
The Dargah is crowded and like most other places of worship, there are people at every step trying to fleece you! Thanks to VS’s bad mood, we manage to get out of there without paying too much.
Then we head towards Taragarh Fort. I am insisting on it as I am a sucker for Forts / Palaces. The way to Taragarh is very cool. It is steep and the turns make it sexy. After a strenuous ride, we reach the top, only to find that the fort has been demolished (long long ago, by some invader) and all that remains is a Mosque which was built after demolition of the fort!!!!!!! Enough of worship for the day, so we decide not to go in. 
We just click some snaps and push off. On our way back, the inevitable search for loo starts!!! LOL!!! We stop by “Prthviraj Smarak” hoping to find something interesting (monuments AND the loo), but all that we see is some couples seeking privacy. Again, we are unwelcome, so we push off.We enquire about Pushkar, but people tell us that its no fun going there now. The world famous Pushkar Mela is due to start on 18th and that is the time we should visit it. OK. We will do it on our way back then.
We plan to take a night halt at Kishangarh. Again, for the fort. The plan is that we will see the fort in the morning and then push off to Jaipur.
Somewhere down the line we have already ditched the Jaisalmer plan, and I am cribbing about it. Jaisalmer has amazing sand dunes I am told. So that’s a regret I have – traveling all the way to Rajasthan and not seeing the sand dunes!!! Some other time, maybe!
Its already 330 PM and it will get dark before we realize. So we are on our way. By this time, my running nose has made my life miserable and I am unable to enjoy anything. We decide to skip Kishangarh and head straight towards Jaipur. By 400 PM it is clear that I am in a bad shape and could do with some rest. So we decide to head to Delhi (Gurgaon) to our friends place, and do Jaipur on our way back. I can’t keep my eyes open, have a terrible headache and am claiming high fever (which VS does agree to). I cling to him like a monkey and try and get some sleep. (Remember, I told u that I sleep on any moving vehicle unless I am the one diving /riding it!). It is getting dark and cold. The Ajmer – Kishangarh road is bad and takes maximum time for us to cover. Once we cross Kishangarh, the road to Jaipur is just beautiful. It’s a 4 lane highway nicely planned and better constructed. It is chilling on the highway. But we decide to cover as much distance as possible before it gets dark. At around 700 PM, after riding for 3 hours non-stop, VS’s fingers are numb coz of the cold; he can’t see a thing, coz he is wearing shades; and there is no fuel in the bike.
We search for a petrol pump and with each km I feel that I will have to push the bike any minute now. Finally just after crossing Jaipur (on the highway), we spot an IOC petrol pump. We take the opportunity to wear warm clothes, gloves, fuel up and change glasses. Back on the road again.
At around 800 PM, I create a ruckus. Just coz I haven’t asked for a break, VS is not giving me one!!!! I need food! We stop by at some dhaba for Kadhi-Chawal – yummy!!! Hit the road again, hoping that the next stop will be Gurgaon. But we need to stop at 930PM again – we need a coffee to thaw ourselves. VS is wearing all his T-shirts one over the other by now (he is looking funny and fat, but I will skip that!!). I am not that cold, coz I am clinging to him and avoiding the wind all along!! LOL!
The last 20 kms were most killing. Just when you feel that you have reached now, you hit a traffic jam – just outside Gurgaon. The jam took us 30 mins and a lot of off-roading to clear.
We finally reach the friend’s place at 1030 PM. Want to hit the bed right away, but as soon as I reach home, I am already feeling better.
We chit chat till 200 AM, planning about the next day and the trip to Agra. VS has never seen the Taj Mahal and I think that it’s a crime to come all the way here and not see it.
I finally doze off around 230, not realizing that people are still probably talking to me.
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Day 4 ends. Trip meter reads apprx 475 or something.. I am losing track of kms
Saturday, December 15, 2007
Adventures of Venom - 3!!!
Day 3: 14th November 2007
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Two days of biking and the enthusiasm is at its peak, but our bodies are not. Given that we went to sleep very late the night before, we have an excuse to start the day late.
We wake up at 800 AM, and laze around for a while. Finally we are ready to leave at 930 AM. A good Idli Dosa breakfast is filling. And it’s lovely to have a sambhar which does not taste ‘sweet’. Now that we are out of Maharashtra and Gujarat, the food is no longer sweet and that feels nice.
The ride is good and boring – nothing much is happening. And then suddenly we see something!!! By the time we realize what it is, we have already crossed it. But we turn and go back to have a good look at it. And we have a good laugh as well!!!
“Talk about competition” – this one is an ad painted on a huge rock, and says “Reliance se sasta Diesel”. If only Reliance was to ever see this! LOL! While I am trying to climb up, I see an ugly looking red and green huge chameleon, waiting to pounce on me, obviously hating that I am trespassing in its territory! I am shit scared but also want to act brave!!! Well the snap comes out really funny!
The next stop is Jodhpur which is still a good 250 Kms away. I insist on purchasing some singharas. For those who don’t know what it is – it is a triangular thorny fruit (or is it a vegetable, not sure) which is peeled and the sweet pulp is eaten. NO - It’s not as bad as it sounds here, it’s actually nice. So there I am – peeling and eating singharas on the pillion seat. Also trying to put some in VS’s mouth – sometimes missing the mouth and getting the nose!! Some way down the road, we get stopped by the police (I had been thinking since long – we look like terrorists, how come we haven’t been stopped as yet). Didn’t I tell you I have a black tongue?
So back to the police story – the policemen want us to show them all the bike papers. They seem disappointed at not finding anything suspicious. Then they want us to tell them all about the 2 of us and where we are off to. They are more disappointed. And then they finally come to the point – “Chalo Diwali karte jaao” Simply translated, that would mean they want money. This annoyed me and I asked them “Hum acche bhale jaa rahe the, hume roka kyu?” So one of them grins and says, “Namaste karne ke liye”. Translated again, that would mean, ‘we stopped you for money’. VS has no intentions of dragging this issue, and he promptly pays them and we walk towards the bike. I hear one of them calling, “kya kha rahe hian madam?” Translated to - we want to eat it too. So gave my packet of singharas to them and we rode off (sob sob)
Today is the day of detours – so we take a deviation – don’t know where, but follow the signs to a Jain temple. It’s worth the extra 60 kms. The temple, like all other Jain temples, is pure marble and is almost 900 years old. It’s the “parshwanth temple”. The pujari doesn’t seem to like the way I am dressed and makes a face, but he doesn’t have a choice. The temple is quiet and serene, and a Jain family (a very large one I must say) is performing some sort of rituals. We are clearly unwelcome and so we take leave after spending good 20 minutes over there.
We reach Jodhpur at around 400 PM. The trip meter reads 1110. We are pleased with ourselves.
Our 1st destination is the Mehrangarh fort. The entrance is grand and standing at the gate, I am thinking about how cool it would be to be living in this, in those days. Shit! Why wasn’t I born a princess!!! VS parks the bike and we can't find a place to keep the bags. So VS has to carry it in his shoulders. He promptly decides that he wants to take the lift to the top (the fort is very well managed. The tour starts from the top and ends at the ground floor. You have an option of climbing to the top or taking the lift – the top is 12 floors high, though the fort only has 4 floors!!). We finally manage to get a place to keep our bags, now its better!
Each room in the fort has its own story and the history is fascinating. My “wow, imagine” is driving VS nuts.The fort took us a good 2 hours to complete. And it was beautiful. I have no words to describe it here. The glass rooms are out of this world. They apparently were the bedroom! Wow man, imagine waking up in the morning to such a beautiful room! There I go again!
There is the dining room, the children’s room, the kitchen, the meeting room, the entertainment room, the guest room and what have you. I almost had a debate with VS on whether I would marry him if I were a princess… maybe if he agreed to come and live with me in the palace. He promptly refused. And that was the end of the discussion.
It is now that we realize that all the forts / museums close at 500 PM. It’s a miracle that we were allowed till 600 inside Mehrangarh. We have loads of places to see and no time at hand. We compromise on just visiting the places – the thought of being a part of it is enough. We are just short of running towards our bikes, but then it’s of no use – it’s already 615 PM.
It’s now that we notice that some a%&^hole has reset our trip meter to zero. Can you believe that!!!! We are pissed, we are upset, but there’s nothing we can do. So we move on.
We visit the “Jaswant thada” which is just outside the ‘Mehrangarh’ fort. This used to be the Royal crematorium – it still is. We tried to click a picture of the actual monument, but bad light and no access didn't do any good! We had to come back without one. Next we tried to visit the "Umedh Bhavan Palace". We were not even allowed entrance, leave aside getting any snaps. The watchman (or should I say the royal guard), shooed us away. . We then tried the “Mahamandir” – which as the name suggests, is a HUGE temple. It has now been converted to a school (a good thing to do, but has taken away the historical value of the monument)
We now started worrying about the night halt. It was only 800 PM and it didn’t make sense for us to stay back in Jodhpur. We should proceed towards Ajmer. But Ajmer is another 250 Kms from Jodhpur and there is no way we can make it all the way. We decide to take a night halt at Byawar. It’s a small town almost 70 Kms before Ajmer and is a decent place to stay. We reach Byawar at around 1200 mid-night. Dead tired and sleepy - looking around for a hotel. We tried Raj Darbar, but no rooms available. Then we tried Vinod, still no luck. Damn the wedding season!!! Raj Darbar and Vinod were the only 2 big hotels that we had done a ref check on – now what to do?? The receptionist at Vinod helped us out by telling us of another one – Hotel Vikrant. He said it is small, but a place where families live and you could stay with your wife. That’s all we need dude, give us the directions. Finally we managed to check in a room at around 1230 AM.
The only room available was a single room - means, we have to sleep on a single bed now… well well I don’t mind ;) The room was one of its kind, it had a basin in the room!!!!! Yes you heard it right. But we didn’t have any choice, nor the enthu to go and find some other place!
So we sleep like logs again.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 3 ends. Trip meter reads 165 (remember that a%$^hole who set it to zero)….. 10 more days to go
------------------------------------------
Two days of biking and the enthusiasm is at its peak, but our bodies are not. Given that we went to sleep very late the night before, we have an excuse to start the day late. We wake up at 800 AM, and laze around for a while. Finally we are ready to leave at 930 AM. A good Idli Dosa breakfast is filling. And it’s lovely to have a sambhar which does not taste ‘sweet’. Now that we are out of Maharashtra and Gujarat, the food is no longer sweet and that feels nice.
The ride is good and boring – nothing much is happening. And then suddenly we see something!!! By the time we realize what it is, we have already crossed it. But we turn and go back to have a good look at it. And we have a good laugh as well!!! “Talk about competition” – this one is an ad painted on a huge rock, and says “Reliance se sasta Diesel”. If only Reliance was to ever see this! LOL! While I am trying to climb up, I see an ugly looking red and green huge chameleon, waiting to pounce on me, obviously hating that I am trespassing in its territory! I am shit scared but also want to act brave!!! Well the snap comes out really funny!
The next stop is Jodhpur which is still a good 250 Kms away. I insist on purchasing some singharas. For those who don’t know what it is – it is a triangular thorny fruit (or is it a vegetable, not sure) which is peeled and the sweet pulp is eaten. NO - It’s not as bad as it sounds here, it’s actually nice. So there I am – peeling and eating singharas on the pillion seat. Also trying to put some in VS’s mouth – sometimes missing the mouth and getting the nose!! Some way down the road, we get stopped by the police (I had been thinking since long – we look like terrorists, how come we haven’t been stopped as yet). Didn’t I tell you I have a black tongue?
So back to the police story – the policemen want us to show them all the bike papers. They seem disappointed at not finding anything suspicious. Then they want us to tell them all about the 2 of us and where we are off to. They are more disappointed. And then they finally come to the point – “Chalo Diwali karte jaao” Simply translated, that would mean they want money. This annoyed me and I asked them “Hum acche bhale jaa rahe the, hume roka kyu?” So one of them grins and says, “Namaste karne ke liye”. Translated again, that would mean, ‘we stopped you for money’. VS has no intentions of dragging this issue, and he promptly pays them and we walk towards the bike. I hear one of them calling, “kya kha rahe hian madam?” Translated to - we want to eat it too. So gave my packet of singharas to them and we rode off (sob sob)
Today is the day of detours – so we take a deviation – don’t know where, but follow the signs to a Jain temple. It’s worth the extra 60 kms. The temple, like all other Jain temples, is pure marble and is almost 900 years old. It’s the “parshwanth temple”. The pujari doesn’t seem to like the way I am dressed and makes a face, but he doesn’t have a choice. The temple is quiet and serene, and a Jain family (a very large one I must say) is performing some sort of rituals. We are clearly unwelcome and so we take leave after spending good 20 minutes over there. We reach Jodhpur at around 400 PM. The trip meter reads 1110. We are pleased with ourselves.
Our 1st destination is the Mehrangarh fort. The entrance is grand and standing at the gate, I am thinking about how cool it would be to be living in this, in those days. Shit! Why wasn’t I born a princess!!! VS parks the bike and we can't find a place to keep the bags. So VS has to carry it in his shoulders. He promptly decides that he wants to take the lift to the top (the fort is very well managed. The tour starts from the top and ends at the ground floor. You have an option of climbing to the top or taking the lift – the top is 12 floors high, though the fort only has 4 floors!!). We finally manage to get a place to keep our bags, now its better!
Each room in the fort has its own story and the history is fascinating. My “wow, imagine” is driving VS nuts.The fort took us a good 2 hours to complete. And it was beautiful. I have no words to describe it here. The glass rooms are out of this world. They apparently were the bedroom! Wow man, imagine waking up in the morning to such a beautiful room! There I go again! There is the dining room, the children’s room, the kitchen, the meeting room, the entertainment room, the guest room and what have you. I almost had a debate with VS on whether I would marry him if I were a princess… maybe if he agreed to come and live with me in the palace. He promptly refused. And that was the end of the discussion.
It is now that we realize that all the forts / museums close at 500 PM. It’s a miracle that we were allowed till 600 inside Mehrangarh. We have loads of places to see and no time at hand. We compromise on just visiting the places – the thought of being a part of it is enough. We are just short of running towards our bikes, but then it’s of no use – it’s already 615 PM.
It’s now that we notice that some a%&^hole has reset our trip meter to zero. Can you believe that!!!! We are pissed, we are upset, but there’s nothing we can do. So we move on.
We visit the “Jaswant thada” which is just outside the ‘Mehrangarh’ fort. This used to be the Royal crematorium – it still is. We tried to click a picture of the actual monument, but bad light and no access didn't do any good! We had to come back without one. Next we tried to visit the "Umedh Bhavan Palace". We were not even allowed entrance, leave aside getting any snaps. The watchman (or should I say the royal guard), shooed us away. . We then tried the “Mahamandir” – which as the name suggests, is a HUGE temple. It has now been converted to a school (a good thing to do, but has taken away the historical value of the monument)We now started worrying about the night halt. It was only 800 PM and it didn’t make sense for us to stay back in Jodhpur. We should proceed towards Ajmer. But Ajmer is another 250 Kms from Jodhpur and there is no way we can make it all the way. We decide to take a night halt at Byawar. It’s a small town almost 70 Kms before Ajmer and is a decent place to stay. We reach Byawar at around 1200 mid-night. Dead tired and sleepy - looking around for a hotel. We tried Raj Darbar, but no rooms available. Then we tried Vinod, still no luck. Damn the wedding season!!! Raj Darbar and Vinod were the only 2 big hotels that we had done a ref check on – now what to do?? The receptionist at Vinod helped us out by telling us of another one – Hotel Vikrant. He said it is small, but a place where families live and you could stay with your wife. That’s all we need dude, give us the directions. Finally we managed to check in a room at around 1230 AM.
The only room available was a single room - means, we have to sleep on a single bed now… well well I don’t mind ;) The room was one of its kind, it had a basin in the room!!!!! Yes you heard it right. But we didn’t have any choice, nor the enthu to go and find some other place!
So we sleep like logs again.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Day 3 ends. Trip meter reads 165 (remember that a%$^hole who set it to zero)….. 10 more days to go
Friday, December 14, 2007
Adventures of Venom - 2!!!
Day 2: 13th November 2007
------------------------------------------
We wake up at 6.00 AM to leave. But VS is unwell – has a stomach infection. Already!!!! And someone talks about me being dainty darling!!!
VS is in a bad shape and no medicine seems to be working! Finally the Gharelu Ilaaj & Dadi ma ke nuskhe come to his rescue. After having a horrible tasting kaadhaa & some heeng (eeeks!!!), he seems fine (or at least claims to be).
We leave home at 1100 AM. Still debating whether he is fit to ride for such a long distance.
My bums are stiff and I have come up with a brilliant idea. Remember the hot water bottle that I had packed for back aches? Well, it’s now being used for bum aches. I use the bottle as a water bed. :D – fill it to half, press it to push the air out and close it. Your water-bed is ready; and trust you me – it is SO VERY helpful ;) Don’t forget the hot water bottle if you are planning a bike ride!!!!
The next stop is scheduled to be Mt. Abu. We ride smoothly and having ball of a time (It’s on the highways that you realize that India is REALLY changing). I am busy hogging sitting in the pillion seat. And then, as is inevitable and expected (Suruchi can vouch for this), I need to use the loo. VS is pissed, and gives me “I told u not to hog like a pig, but you wouldn’t listen to me” expressions!!!
Then the search begins. I am getting anxious by the minute and he is getting annoyed. Finally we spot a “highway authorities” office. It looks like it’s been closed for ages. But fortunately the loo isn’t locked. But there’s another challenge – the way to the loo is covered with thick bushes and thorny ones at that!!!! Well, desperation is the mother of all adventures – so I decide to tread the path. 5 minutes and I am back – relieved, but wailing like a baby – I have thorns all over my body, jeans and some of them have been daring enough to be found inside my jeans (how, is a mystery). Then the mission begins, to pick each one of them. And VS is doing a good job at it. It takes 30 minutes for me to be back to normal and for him to pick out all visible thorns.
We are already late – it’s almost 200 PM. We rush off on our journey. I am too scared to talk about lunch now so we have to skip it!
We are on our way to Abu road (it’s a small town which is the “flats” for Mt. Abu). There is a steep climb to Mt. Abu from Abu Road. The road to Abu Road is quite bad – ‘Four-laning’ in progress and practically half the road is closed down. The truck drivers in this part of India are crazy – they take sharp turns and cut from tiny spaces; they will drive on the wrong side of the road (there is no divider to mark change of direction) and while you are cruising away, you will suddenly see a truck right in front of you, who will not budge nor respond to your light indication. Finally, if you don’t want yourself crushed, you will have to get off the road on the mud (if you are lucky) or in the fields (there is no shoulder) and stop by till the truck is gone.
We reach Abu road by 430 PM. The stretch between Abu Road and Mt. Abu is beautiful and steep. We manage to reach Mt. Abu at around 5.30 PM. Our aim is to get to the famous ‘Dilwara Temples’ before 600 PM. (It closes at 600). We reach at our destination at 5.55 PM, and I run to queue up, while VS searches for a parking space. We have to leave our luggage on the bike (no place to keep your bags). We are amongst the last batch that was allowed to enter (thank God!). The ‘Dilwara Temples’ live up to their reputation and only when you are inside do you realize why they are famous the world over. The marble carvings are out of the world and the temples are more than 1200 years old. It’s a pity that what has lasted for 1200 years is damaged in 100 years – thanks to the pollution that our comfortable lives result in!!
Sorry, no snaps – no camera allowed!!!!!
By 630 PM we are thrown out of the temple, though I couldn’t get enough of it! The next stop is the lake. It is a sure disappointment – too commercialized and artificial (maybe honeymooners will enjoy it!!!). Didn’t even spend 15 minutes there, and are already on our way back. By the time we reach Abu road, its dark and cold and we are hungry. We stop by in a small dhaba for food. Either the food is just too good or we are too hungry, I can’t decide – so I concentrate on food. Now the important question – where should we spend the night? There are no hotels available in Abu road (the entire Gujarat is in Mt Abu - they have 5 days vacation after Diwali). We decide to push off towards Jodhpur and stay in some motel on the highway wherever we find one.
The journey is chilling! Its cold, visibility is bad and the truck drivers in this part are worse at night!!!! We ride on for what seems like eternity – no motel in sight. Finally at around 1145 PM we spot a restaurant (more like a dhaba). We walk in to ask for directions. We are told that there is a motel around 5 kms down the road.
Those 5 KMs took us 15 minutes but the anticipation made it much longer. We finally stay in a motel called “Arbuda” (what a weird name!!!). The name is bad, but the motel was decent. It turns out that the motel was the official guest house for many a JK cement employees. We thank god that the factory is closed for Diwali vacations and that there rooms available. We don’t even know the name of the place – guess it was Sirohi if my memory serves me right!
----------------
Day 2 ends. Trip Meter reads 857.. 11 more days to go..
------------------------------------------
We wake up at 6.00 AM to leave. But VS is unwell – has a stomach infection. Already!!!! And someone talks about me being dainty darling!!!
VS is in a bad shape and no medicine seems to be working! Finally the Gharelu Ilaaj & Dadi ma ke nuskhe come to his rescue. After having a horrible tasting kaadhaa & some heeng (eeeks!!!), he seems fine (or at least claims to be).
We leave home at 1100 AM. Still debating whether he is fit to ride for such a long distance. My bums are stiff and I have come up with a brilliant idea. Remember the hot water bottle that I had packed for back aches? Well, it’s now being used for bum aches. I use the bottle as a water bed. :D – fill it to half, press it to push the air out and close it. Your water-bed is ready; and trust you me – it is SO VERY helpful ;) Don’t forget the hot water bottle if you are planning a bike ride!!!!
The next stop is scheduled to be Mt. Abu. We ride smoothly and having ball of a time (It’s on the highways that you realize that India is REALLY changing). I am busy hogging sitting in the pillion seat. And then, as is inevitable and expected (Suruchi can vouch for this), I need to use the loo. VS is pissed, and gives me “I told u not to hog like a pig, but you wouldn’t listen to me” expressions!!!
Then the search begins. I am getting anxious by the minute and he is getting annoyed. Finally we spot a “highway authorities” office. It looks like it’s been closed for ages. But fortunately the loo isn’t locked. But there’s another challenge – the way to the loo is covered with thick bushes and thorny ones at that!!!! Well, desperation is the mother of all adventures – so I decide to tread the path. 5 minutes and I am back – relieved, but wailing like a baby – I have thorns all over my body, jeans and some of them have been daring enough to be found inside my jeans (how, is a mystery). Then the mission begins, to pick each one of them. And VS is doing a good job at it. It takes 30 minutes for me to be back to normal and for him to pick out all visible thorns. We are already late – it’s almost 200 PM. We rush off on our journey. I am too scared to talk about lunch now so we have to skip it!
We are on our way to Abu road (it’s a small town which is the “flats” for Mt. Abu). There is a steep climb to Mt. Abu from Abu Road. The road to Abu Road is quite bad – ‘Four-laning’ in progress and practically half the road is closed down. The truck drivers in this part of India are crazy – they take sharp turns and cut from tiny spaces; they will drive on the wrong side of the road (there is no divider to mark change of direction) and while you are cruising away, you will suddenly see a truck right in front of you, who will not budge nor respond to your light indication. Finally, if you don’t want yourself crushed, you will have to get off the road on the mud (if you are lucky) or in the fields (there is no shoulder) and stop by till the truck is gone.
We reach Abu road by 430 PM. The stretch between Abu Road and Mt. Abu is beautiful and steep. We manage to reach Mt. Abu at around 5.30 PM. Our aim is to get to the famous ‘Dilwara Temples’ before 600 PM. (It closes at 600). We reach at our destination at 5.55 PM, and I run to queue up, while VS searches for a parking space. We have to leave our luggage on the bike (no place to keep your bags). We are amongst the last batch that was allowed to enter (thank God!). The ‘Dilwara Temples’ live up to their reputation and only when you are inside do you realize why they are famous the world over. The marble carvings are out of the world and the temples are more than 1200 years old. It’s a pity that what has lasted for 1200 years is damaged in 100 years – thanks to the pollution that our comfortable lives result in!!Sorry, no snaps – no camera allowed!!!!!
By 630 PM we are thrown out of the temple, though I couldn’t get enough of it! The next stop is the lake. It is a sure disappointment – too commercialized and artificial (maybe honeymooners will enjoy it!!!). Didn’t even spend 15 minutes there, and are already on our way back. By the time we reach Abu road, its dark and cold and we are hungry. We stop by in a small dhaba for food. Either the food is just too good or we are too hungry, I can’t decide – so I concentrate on food. Now the important question – where should we spend the night? There are no hotels available in Abu road (the entire Gujarat is in Mt Abu - they have 5 days vacation after Diwali). We decide to push off towards Jodhpur and stay in some motel on the highway wherever we find one.
The journey is chilling! Its cold, visibility is bad and the truck drivers in this part are worse at night!!!! We ride on for what seems like eternity – no motel in sight. Finally at around 1145 PM we spot a restaurant (more like a dhaba). We walk in to ask for directions. We are told that there is a motel around 5 kms down the road.
Those 5 KMs took us 15 minutes but the anticipation made it much longer. We finally stay in a motel called “Arbuda” (what a weird name!!!). The name is bad, but the motel was decent. It turns out that the motel was the official guest house for many a JK cement employees. We thank god that the factory is closed for Diwali vacations and that there rooms available. We don’t even know the name of the place – guess it was Sirohi if my memory serves me right!
----------------
Day 2 ends. Trip Meter reads 857.. 11 more days to go..
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Adventures of Venom!!!
For those of whom wondering where have I been: there was long break. The post explains half of it!
This post comes in a little late – actually a lot late – but that’s what happens when you are back to work after a 15 day break!!!!!!
I had truck loads of thoughts running in my head, but I had vowed that I will not write about anything else, till the time I have finished the post on my trip!!!!
Venom, VS and me! The three of us set out for some adventure. And before you ask – who’s Venom? Let me tell you, Venom is the new love in VS’s life. Venom is the bike – a beautiful silver-coloured Royale Enfield.
OK, so now the trip – the biking trip! Yes, we did it, finally! After months of planning and anticipation, it’s already over and it feels great. Though it leaves us with a desire for another longer one and NOW, but I guess the 2nd trip will have to wait for sometime.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE PREPARATION:
---------------------------------
There was a lot of thinking and preparation put to this plan. It started from choosing the route. We knew we had to start from Mumbai, coz that’s where we live. But where to go and how, needed route planning. The 1st thought was to do Himachal via Rajasthan and Delhi and it spanned for 3 weeks. But then the “cool” boss butted in and shortened the leave to 2 weeks.
The plan had to change. Himachal had to be struck out of the plan.
Finally we agreed on
Mumbai – Anand – Ahmedabad – Mt. Abu – Jodhpur – Jaisalmer – Jaipur – Delhi – Agra – Delhi – Jaipur – Ajmer - Pushkar – Udaipur – Vadodara – Mumbai.
Then the work began
1. Buying helmets (while you are in the city the pillion rider doesn’t wear a helmet, but it surely is needed on the highway)
2. The “how to carry luggage on the bike” discussion, which led to the purchase of a saddle bag (I had never even heard of such a thing’s existence before this day)
3. “How to carry my clothes in that saddle bag? It’s so small” – such questions are almost always met with VS’s icy stare, which means – “Shut Up”. And so, I knew all I could carry was 3 bottoms and 7 tops.
4. Then came the spare parts for the bike – including the extra tyre tubes!!!! Needless to say that the spares took up almost half the available space. OK, I am down to 2 bottoms and 5 tops now.
5. Purchase of glucose and Tang, and a small First Aid box (very essential)
6. Collection of my skin care products – let me tell you – nothing's more important for you (if you are a girl) than sunscreen on such a trip!!!!!
7. Getting glares done for VS with power, so that he can wear them while riding during the day (he wears spectacles, remember!!)
8. Remembering to keep the hot water (rubber) bottle for back aches.
THE TRIP BEGINS:
---------------------------------
Day 1: 12th November 2007
We started at 6.00 am. This was an achievement in itself, considering that we had partied till 2.00 am the night before.
Trip meter set to Zero.
The 1st break came almost immediately – around 9.00 am for breakfast - at Kamat’s on way to Surat. The 1st day of riding can be tough. My bums were already hurting and I was begging for a break.
At around 2.00 pm I was tired and dozing off (yeah on the bike). I ate VS’s brains out till he stopped by at a road side tapri for a break. I promptly lay down at one of the benches, much to VS’s embarrassment.
I had to drag myself up to the bike within 15 minutes, coz VS threatened me (with a straight face) that he was going ahead with the trip and I could catch the 1st flight back! (And I was like – yeah rite, this tapri is the swankiest of the airports, rite!!!!)
At around 3 PM we were nearing Anand. OK…for the curious ones who are wondering ‘Why Anand??’ … Anand is a small town in Gujarat famous for AMUL MILK. And as to why we were visiting it, VS has graduated from BVM engineering college in Anand. SO I wanted to relive his memories with him.
By now I had created a ruckus about VS not letting me ride the bike. Finally I succeeded and VS handed over Venom’s control to me. (Thats an achievement, and those who know what a control freak VS is, will agree)
We reached Anand by 400 PM. It was a beautiful experience watching VS in full action around his campus. Telling me stories related to every nook and corner of the building, showing around the hostels, the canteen, the mess, the dhaba, the shady theatre where they spent hours watching porn movies – all of it. Lovely!!!! Worth the back breaking ride.
At about 600 PM, we proceeded towards Ahemedabad. It was getting dark and riding on the highway after dusk can be dangerous. I was obviously scared. I wish to spend many more years with VS and have kids by the dozen!!!
It was complete darkness all around us by 645 pm - 1st realization of "Shit man! We should have gotten the headlight replaced by the Halogen one”. We almost had a disaster when VS tried to get on the shoulder of the road to let a speeding car pass. Before we could realize the shoulder had metamorphosed into a pavement!!!!! We missed it a fraction of an inch!!!!! Heart beats pacing and with a sinking feeling of what could have happened – there was silence for the next 15 minutes. We didn’t speak with each other for what seemed like ages.
We got to Ahemedabad at around 800 PM, safely and decided to take a night halt at a friends place. My shoes had given way by then – thanks to the silencer! Once in the city, we were fairly relaxed (though the bums were emphasising on every muscle they had - if they have any under all that fat!!). We spent some time looking around for shoe shops. Couldn’t manage to buy any shoes – I either didn’t like them or they didn’t have my size!!!!
930 PM we were at Mitul’s place happily chit chatting about our 1st day and the plans for the remaining days. Had nice home cooked food and dozed off like logs.
----------------------------------
Day 1 ends. Trip Meter reads 573... 12 more days to go....
This post comes in a little late – actually a lot late – but that’s what happens when you are back to work after a 15 day break!!!!!!
I had truck loads of thoughts running in my head, but I had vowed that I will not write about anything else, till the time I have finished the post on my trip!!!!
Venom, VS and me! The three of us set out for some adventure. And before you ask – who’s Venom? Let me tell you, Venom is the new love in VS’s life. Venom is the bike – a beautiful silver-coloured Royale Enfield.
OK, so now the trip – the biking trip! Yes, we did it, finally! After months of planning and anticipation, it’s already over and it feels great. Though it leaves us with a desire for another longer one and NOW, but I guess the 2nd trip will have to wait for sometime.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE PREPARATION:
---------------------------------
There was a lot of thinking and preparation put to this plan. It started from choosing the route. We knew we had to start from Mumbai, coz that’s where we live. But where to go and how, needed route planning. The 1st thought was to do Himachal via Rajasthan and Delhi and it spanned for 3 weeks. But then the “cool” boss butted in and shortened the leave to 2 weeks.
The plan had to change. Himachal had to be struck out of the plan.
Finally we agreed on
Mumbai – Anand – Ahmedabad – Mt. Abu – Jodhpur – Jaisalmer – Jaipur – Delhi – Agra – Delhi – Jaipur – Ajmer - Pushkar – Udaipur – Vadodara – Mumbai.
Then the work began
1. Buying helmets (while you are in the city the pillion rider doesn’t wear a helmet, but it surely is needed on the highway)
2. The “how to carry luggage on the bike” discussion, which led to the purchase of a saddle bag (I had never even heard of such a thing’s existence before this day)
3. “How to carry my clothes in that saddle bag? It’s so small” – such questions are almost always met with VS’s icy stare, which means – “Shut Up”. And so, I knew all I could carry was 3 bottoms and 7 tops.
4. Then came the spare parts for the bike – including the extra tyre tubes!!!! Needless to say that the spares took up almost half the available space. OK, I am down to 2 bottoms and 5 tops now.
5. Purchase of glucose and Tang, and a small First Aid box (very essential)
6. Collection of my skin care products – let me tell you – nothing's more important for you (if you are a girl) than sunscreen on such a trip!!!!!
7. Getting glares done for VS with power, so that he can wear them while riding during the day (he wears spectacles, remember!!)
8. Remembering to keep the hot water (rubber) bottle for back aches.
THE TRIP BEGINS:
---------------------------------
Day 1: 12th November 2007
We started at 6.00 am. This was an achievement in itself, considering that we had partied till 2.00 am the night before.
Trip meter set to Zero.
The 1st break came almost immediately – around 9.00 am for breakfast - at Kamat’s on way to Surat. The 1st day of riding can be tough. My bums were already hurting and I was begging for a break.
At around 2.00 pm I was tired and dozing off (yeah on the bike). I ate VS’s brains out till he stopped by at a road side tapri for a break. I promptly lay down at one of the benches, much to VS’s embarrassment.
I had to drag myself up to the bike within 15 minutes, coz VS threatened me (with a straight face) that he was going ahead with the trip and I could catch the 1st flight back! (And I was like – yeah rite, this tapri is the swankiest of the airports, rite!!!!)
At around 3 PM we were nearing Anand. OK…for the curious ones who are wondering ‘Why Anand??’ … Anand is a small town in Gujarat famous for AMUL MILK. And as to why we were visiting it, VS has graduated from BVM engineering college in Anand. SO I wanted to relive his memories with him.
By now I had created a ruckus about VS not letting me ride the bike. Finally I succeeded and VS handed over Venom’s control to me. (Thats an achievement, and those who know what a control freak VS is, will agree)
We reached Anand by 400 PM. It was a beautiful experience watching VS in full action around his campus. Telling me stories related to every nook and corner of the building, showing around the hostels, the canteen, the mess, the dhaba, the shady theatre where they spent hours watching porn movies – all of it. Lovely!!!! Worth the back breaking ride.
At about 600 PM, we proceeded towards Ahemedabad. It was getting dark and riding on the highway after dusk can be dangerous. I was obviously scared. I wish to spend many more years with VS and have kids by the dozen!!!
It was complete darkness all around us by 645 pm - 1st realization of "Shit man! We should have gotten the headlight replaced by the Halogen one”. We almost had a disaster when VS tried to get on the shoulder of the road to let a speeding car pass. Before we could realize the shoulder had metamorphosed into a pavement!!!!! We missed it a fraction of an inch!!!!! Heart beats pacing and with a sinking feeling of what could have happened – there was silence for the next 15 minutes. We didn’t speak with each other for what seemed like ages.
We got to Ahemedabad at around 800 PM, safely and decided to take a night halt at a friends place. My shoes had given way by then – thanks to the silencer! Once in the city, we were fairly relaxed (though the bums were emphasising on every muscle they had - if they have any under all that fat!!). We spent some time looking around for shoe shops. Couldn’t manage to buy any shoes – I either didn’t like them or they didn’t have my size!!!!
930 PM we were at Mitul’s place happily chit chatting about our 1st day and the plans for the remaining days. Had nice home cooked food and dozed off like logs.
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Day 1 ends. Trip Meter reads 573... 12 more days to go....
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