So finally the trip starts..

So finally I started. You know when you are starting a journey like this, there are a lot of thoughts running through your head. Will women just go crazy and fall for you when you tell them of your trip ? Will people on the roads stop their cars and give a standing ovation when you pass by ? Will people shower flowers on you when you are passing by villages ? Will oriental looking children run out of their homes and fight with each other to wave at you ? and so on and so forth. And finally the moment when I am about to embark on my journey I call up my Mom and in a voice that would give any Bollywood hero a complex I tell her "Maa mere liye aason mat bahana. mein sahi salamat wapis aaonga tere paas" (Mom don't shed tears for me, I'll come back to you fit and fine). And she says "Just give me five minutes. Let this serial finish and I'll call you back in 5 min". So I wait and after half an hour I call back and say the same thing again and she says "Beta jab bhi ghar pahunchega 2 packet doodh le aana" (Son whenever you come home, get 2 packets of milk). And she cuts the call. So with a heavy heart I kick start my bike and when I am about to put it in gear a message from mom on my phone. With moist eyes I open the message and it says "Make sure you check the expiry dates on those packets".

So with a foul expression that lasted for some 150 Kms in the ride I started. Heading out of the city in peak Bangalore traffic is always a pain. And on top of that when you have to wear a riding jacket in this hot weather because it won't fit in your bags you are not in the most cheerful of moods.But then people did stop their cars and give me a standing ovation. Well pointing their hands at me and laughing like crazy might not be a conventional definition of a standing ovation. But some minor twisting of facts never hurt anyone.

Anyway I trotted along and finally hit the Bangalore - Mumbai NH - 4. Riding on the highway was pure bliss. Stopped for lunch in some dhaba and while waiting for lunch to be served, the Dhaba owner instantly struck a conversation with me. I may have asked him "Do you know what I am upto with all these bags and all ? " some 18 times, but these are minor details which can be conveniently ignored. But I have a feeling he could not hear me properly because he kept on looking here and there. But after the 18th time he tried to convey something in sign language using his hands and fingers, mostly the middle finger. That was my cue and then I started to tell him about my plans of riding through all states of India and so on. But I guess he was really tired. I mean how often do you see a man sleeping while he is standing. He was snoring too. Guess he was really really tired.

So then lunch over I quietly resume my journey. And while listening to songs on my ipod I realize one can listen to Britney Spears and Justin Bieber without being embarrassed when one is riding alone. By the way I hope you guys are not assuming that I would do that. I am a cool guy who only listens to HEAVY METAL. So anyway its evening already and Davangare is the next exit. I decided to head off there for the night.

Now Davangare is like any other small town in India. Narrow roads, Curious people and porn movie posters covering 80% of the city walls. Suddenly an idea struck me. I could check into a lodge quickly and catch the night show of one of these movies. Oh don't start assuming that I am a pervert. Its just that all movies playing there are in Kannada and since I don't know the language I wanted to see a movie wherein I would get the story and the twist and turns in the plot without much difficulty. But for a small town this place has a lot of lodges. Or maybe I am just in that part of the town which is reserved only for lodges. Whatever it is, I was bloody impressed by the fact that room tariffs were displayed very prominently in the lobby. And the rooms were bloody cheap. Rs 250 for a single bed, with attached bath and a TV with cable. wow. You know when you are on a tight budget every penny saved is worth it. So I check in and head out to drink without any guilt.

 The next morning I check out and head to Goa. That story some other time.

The clueless rider

I am on the wrong side of twenties and I have a dream. I dream to travel. Travel on a motorcycle - far and wide. But if you ask me why I want to travel, I have no answers. Travel for me is the like the girl you are in love with. The mere sight of her brings in a range of emotions that feels wonderful but can't be really explained. But travel is different also. I mean if you ever express your love to a woman, you are suddenly relegated to the friend zone. Traveling does not have such a caveat. So nothing really to stop you from traveling. And if you don't have a job, the best thing is to travel.

So yes I am riding. But then I am clueless as to what to do. I really need to pass time for the next 6 to 7 months. Hence the need for a plan. So I plan to pass through the capital city of every state in India. This gives me a direction and I could use big words like national integration on gullible people I happen to meet. Also some shit about national integration could give me an edge in the race for Bharat Ratna if I am ever in contention for that. I even have a speech ready.

Anyway, I planned to start the trip yesterday but procrastination comes naturally to me. So I'll probably start the trip on Sunday. Maybe Monday who knows. But then that is the whole point of the journey. I am not going to stick to any deadlines and I decide how, when and what to do. I won't be answerable to anyone. Honestly if I was allowed to do all this in  my office, I wouldn't be doing this trip. But then you know managers are a bit touchy on these things. So I have to go on this trip. I have realized something and its a very important lesson in life -  "If procrastination is your only aim, try to make it look cool".

So here's my tentative route.

Bangalore -> Panjim -> Mumbai -> Gandhinagar -> Jaipur -> Delhi - > Chandigarh -> Jammu -> Srinagar -> Leh -> Shimla -> Dehradun -> Lucknow -> Patna -> Katmandu -> Gangtok -> Bhutan (if possible) - > Dispur -> Itanagar -> Kohima -> Imphal -> Aizwal -> Agartala -> Shillong -> Kolkatta -> Ranchi -> Bhubaneshwar -> Raipur -> Bhopal ->Hyderabad -> Chennai -> Kanyakumari -> Trivandrum -> Cochin.

And the places in between or places out of the way also whenever I am in the mood. I might change the order but the above mentioned places are something I intend to pass through. I would love to share my experiences and other stupid stuff I would do on the way with you guys. Here's the link to my fb page. I would be grateful for your support, likes and shares

https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Clueless-Rider/101961743344289

When I am passing by your city your company would be very much appreciated. I am traveling alone and would love anyone who cares to listen to my stories. With liberal doses of alcohol I can get very creative with my stories - trust me.

And finally I really need to express my gratitude to friends who ensured that I do not let go of the plan. These are people I have irritated the hell out of but still they helped me. Also to parents so cool, who instead of clobbering me to death agreed to the idea and now seem quite excited about it.

But most importantly to that son of a bitch who rejected my job application. Ahh, I could have just worked peacefully had I got that job. Sigh :)