India on a motorcycle - check :)

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.