They say when death is staring
down at you, your whole life flashes before you. They lied. But then I have
been fed so many lies in my life that another one doesn't surprise me. There is
a man pointing a gun at me and by the looks of it he has the physical and the
mental strength to pull the trigger. My whole thought at that time was only one
thing "What had I done to deserve this". Well probably something
about me pisses him off. The guy had his reasons and I kind of forgive him. Not
that I became a changed man suddenly but its just the fact that I can't figure
out a way to make that son of a bitch pay. Four months ago when I started this
motorcycle trip I would have never imagined this fate to beckon me. What went
wrong ? Was I a victim of bad decisions or was God just having fun at my
expense. For whatever its worth, forgive me Lord for I have sinned.
(Loud Gunshot)
A second later I open my
eyes and I can't believe it. That guy holding the gun just fell down with a
thud with his blood splattered all over me.
Ahh alright this shit never
happened. Although the motorcycle trip would have sounded so much more cool if
I had such a story. Unfortunately I do not have such a story to tell. I have
been alone on the road for seven months travelling across every state in India,
parts of Nepal, Bhutan and yes one town in Burma too lest I forget. If I had to
tell you only one thing about the whole trip then it would be this "The
world is a much nicer place than what people generally give it credit
for". Also women don't go crazy over men riding motorcycles if they happen
to be handicapped in the looks and the intellect department which sadly is true
in my case.
A motorcycle trip at the end of
it is not about the different places or cultures you see. I mean if you have an
IQ which allows you to tell that dogs and foxes are different animals or for
that matter elephants and dogs are different animals you will definitely be
able to experience the subtle and the not so subtle differences in geography
and cultures as you pass by. The diversity in terms of culture, people and landscapes across the
country is mind boggling. You have to see it to believe it.
The colorful clothes in Rajasthan, the lush fields in Punjab, the
breathtaking lakes and gardens in Srinagar, the naked mountains in Ladakh that
change colours, the mighty almost impossible passes in the Himalayas all through
from J & K - Himachal - Uttrakhand- Nepal - Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh,
Small winding roads through the misty tea gardens in Darjeeling, the
almost inaccessible beautiful Buddhist town of Tawang on the China
border, Majoli Island in Assam, the memoirs of the historical world war 2
battles fought in Kohima, the Scotland of the east as the Meghalaya countryside
is called, the architectural beauty of Calcutta buildings, the Sun temple in
Konark, the rice fields in Chattisgarh, the temples in Tamilnadu, the lush greenery
with backwaters snaking through in Kerala. This is just a glimpse of what you
pass across on a bike ride. Add to it the difference in dressing habits,
culinary habits and languages. One cannot help but wonder that how is it that
we manage to stay as one single country
But in my opinion a motorcycle
trip is more about the small small interactions you have with people and the
goodwill you earn. Its about the hotel boys in small towns who provide you the
best service compared to the other guests there not because they think you are
rich but just because you somehow managed to impress them. Its about the two
young guys on a bike near the Mizoram Tripura border who led me to the highway
lodge in a Tripura town cos it was dark and I was confused. From free lemonades in a dhaba
in Rajasthan, to kids waving at you in the remote countryside of Ladakh, to
tourists from Allahabad helping me get my bike in a truck when I faced an
accident, to people in Nepal patting my back when I tell them of my trip, to
people in Bhutan who always gave me a smile when I passed by them, to the
person in Orrisa who stopped me on the road to offer me some Sai Baba prasad
for my successful journey, to people who lead me to a rest house in some remote
place in Mizoram as I had a language problem and we were not able to
communicate, to people in Manipur who gave me Rs 1000 when I was short of cash,
to a lady in Manipur who gave me a place to sleep when I was stuck in some
remote village, to truck drivers in Manipur who transported my bike free of
cost some 100 Km when my bike needed repair and with whom I slept under a truck
on the side of a road, to people in Tamil Nadu who shook my hands when I was
asking for directions, to a fruit vendor in Nagaland who gave me pineapple
slices free of cost. Oh and by the way I forgot to tell you the best part about
the guys in Tripura I just mentioned a few lines above. After helping me find a
lodge we had some whisky mixed with beer (as we were short of water) and a
wonderful dinner. Needless to say I was never allowed to pay for these things.
It was on them. I could go on and on.
Its the goodwill you earn that
will just humble you. When you think about it there is nothing noteworthy you
are doing that makes you think that you deserve all this kindness being
bestowed upon you by people you meet on the way or the hospitality you are
subjected to by your friends when you call on them on the way. I mean I am not
making a change to anyone's life. Very often while I am riding I am searching
for these answers. Well to be fair to myself I don't think I give out the kind
of vibe that makes people want to clobber me to death. But then the closest I
came to finding an answer was when I was drinking with truck drivers on the
roadside in Manipur. One of the truck drivers after we all were pretty high
looked at me and said " You know you are riding alone across the country
on a motorcycle. Your family must be financially well off" What do I say.
I nod a Yes. Then he's like "you know even if I had the money I would
probably do it in a car or something, I would never be able to do it on a
motorcycle". I was elated. I guess every man at some point in his life has
thought about a long motorcycle trip and sleeping with Angelina Jolie. So I
guess somewhere it does tend to impress people. But then when good things are
happening I guess you shouldn't question them or seek answers - just enjoy the
attention and be grateful for it.
And yes about the travelling
alone part. I have been asked a lot of times that would it not have been
better if I was travelling with a friend. Does it not get boring and all that.
Well yes it does get boring but I think travelling alone makes you more free
and you are more open to talk to other people. Talking to more and more people
broadens your horizons in a way that you find hard to explain. No doubt
travelling with friends is a lot of fun but I guess the number of new people
you will meet and talk to would be a lot less than when you are alone. When you
are alone as opposed to the popular belief that you are more scared, I have
always felt it makes you fearless and you are more likely to trust people. Also
being turned down by women does not hurt that much when you are alone.
At the end I'll just say do
travel around India if possible. Preferably on a motorcycle, preferably alone.
Its a wonderful country and you'll have wonderful experiences. Solo travelling
is a very personal experience too. Your stories will be different but they will
only be your stories. Whatever you are looking for be it spirituality, inner
strength, love, patience, kindness or alcohol you might get it or you might not
get it everytime but alcohol is something trust me you'll get most of the
times.
