I recently undertook something I had always wanted to do—a road trip on bike. What a helluva experience it was! Driving a boring car to office since more than four years, I had simply lost this love to the mundane activities of life.
A few things were weighing heavy on my mind so I just jumped at the idea when a friend suggested visiting the Jaisalmer desert festival. Four of us biker friends hired Bullet Enfields and impulsively took off for the trip. The best part being: it was largely unplanned and we often took the road less traveled.
The following text may bore you to death but some of these snaps will amuse you for sure. Our camera was pretty ordinary but some of these snaps are of out-of-this-world beauty—only proves that it is not the equipment but the captured ‘moment’ that matters most.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32163513@N08/sets/72157614077578698/show/
We covered 2100 kilometres across five days; rode in the early morning with dense fog to late in the cold night on narrow deserted roads with just the moonlight to guide us through and the assurance of the company of our partners via the thump of their bike's exhaust notes.
Why a bike? Well, how else could we have delved into the smells and sounds of the local villages we passed by—every speck of dust that settled on our glass shades had a unique story to tell. Besides, the wind turbulence trying to sweep us off the bike while riding it at 120 kilometres per hour, or the snail-pace careful maneuvering required to stay afloat on rough terrain, is an experience you just can't relish in a car. The man-machine unison that a motorcycle offers is simply incomparable.
The summit was not the point, the journey was. It taught us so much—lessons about teamwork or averting near-death experiences on the highway—and gave us a lifetime's high with memories that will never fade away. For instance, incidents such as a friend's bike faltering mid-way and how we went into the village searching for a mechanic gave us some bits of irritation but it was real fun and a worthwhile experience.
Then, at Jaisalmer, we got coaxed into trying out "Bhang Lassi" (Bhang: psychoactive cannabis, better known as marijuana) at a government authorized shop (of all the things in the world, government-authorized!) and it hit us after an hour—what an amazing high! It gave us hallucinations and some of us decided to abandon the bikes and return to the hotel. It was one of the most bewildering experiences—we couldn’t walk or think straight but somehow our consciousness had increased ten-folds, though it came with a time lag. I still wanted to ride as it felt as if I was flying but the team's collective wisdom prevailed; I could have been dead had I done so. The next day, our abandoned bikes in the market evoked a bomb scare and we had to face the music with the local police who, ironically, turned out to be quite friendly and cooperative. In short, that's a script for a movie!
The rawThar Desert ’s sand dunes were beautiful and the scenic rocky-sandy mountains were out-of-this-world. Our footsteps in the desert sand got swept away by the light winds in front of our eyes and I realized how insignificant we humans are in front of nature.
We also ventured near the Pakistan border after Sam Village
Looking back, none of our folks agreed in principle (two of my mates conned their folks into believing that they were leaving by train) as they found the idea quite dangerous. But life is too short to not venture out and experience nature's beauty, at least once in a while. For all practical reasons, one could even die after slipping in the bathroom! We could have died on the road but we now can proudly say that we can't die by the bullet as we'd be riding one—quite literally!
I always wanted to ride across theGrand Canyon on a Harley but would I have enjoyed it as much? No! It is company that matters most and had it not been for the camaraderie of the fellow bikers, or Bulleteers, it wouldn’t have been half the fun. Here’s an introduction to the gang.
Anirban Ghosh: The rock star and a maverick entrepreneur who left a hi-fi career to pursue his true calling via starting a music school and production house, Art Tree. It was he who floated and initiated this bike trip’s idea. Anirban, you’re a true inspiration.
Anshul Dabral: A young prodigious creative genius and entrepreneur who runs an enormously successful 3D-modelling creative shop, Paintbox. A true biker who is always ready to leave everything behind and go trippin’ on his thumper. The photos that you see here (see his album's link above for more) are primarily the handiwork of his keen eyes.
Gaurav Chauhan: The only member deeply ensconced into corporate life with a hi-fi stature and position. Yet, he still finds the time to venture out on exciting expeditions. “What good is money if you can’t even enjoy life with it” is his philosophy in life. Gaurav, it’s good to know that men tied up in business suits are not all that boring.
Yes, let us not forget the purpose of the daily grind to earn our livelihoods; at times we get so consumed by life’s mundane affairs that we don’t even find the time to reflect and introspect on our own lives. This bike trip was one of the best things I have done in this life so far and we are already planning our next trip to Leh-Laddakh. Perhaps the snaps in the link above will evoke some interest so I invite all of you who read this to join me as a pillion or a rider alongside, riding the Bullet.
As an after-thought, such trips are the least about the thrills of speed or the excitement of venturing into unexplored territories; they are a reflection upon nature and life itself. And unlike the sands of time that will one day sweep away our existence, such experiences leave indelible memories to last a lifetime.
A few things were weighing heavy on my mind so I just jumped at the idea when a friend suggested visiting the Jaisalmer desert festival. Four of us biker friends hired Bullet Enfields and impulsively took off for the trip. The best part being: it was largely unplanned and we often took the road less traveled.
The following text may bore you to death but some of these snaps will amuse you for sure. Our camera was pretty ordinary but some of these snaps are of out-of-this-world beauty—only proves that it is not the equipment but the captured ‘moment’ that matters most.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/
We covered 2100 kilometres across five days; rode in the early morning with dense fog to late in the cold night on narrow deserted roads with just the moonlight to guide us through and the assurance of the company of our partners via the thump of their bike's exhaust notes.
Why a bike? Well, how else could we have delved into the smells and sounds of the local villages we passed by—every speck of dust that settled on our glass shades had a unique story to tell. Besides, the wind turbulence trying to sweep us off the bike while riding it at 120 kilometres per hour, or the snail-pace careful maneuvering required to stay afloat on rough terrain, is an experience you just can't relish in a car. The man-machine unison that a motorcycle offers is simply incomparable.
The summit was not the point, the journey was. It taught us so much—lessons about teamwork or averting near-death experiences on the highway—and gave us a lifetime's high with memories that will never fade away. For instance, incidents such as a friend's bike faltering mid-way and how we went into the village searching for a mechanic gave us some bits of irritation but it was real fun and a worthwhile experience.
Then, at Jaisalmer, we got coaxed into trying out "Bhang Lassi" (Bhang: psychoactive cannabis, better known as marijuana) at a government authorized shop (of all the things in the world, government-authorized!) and it hit us after an hour—what an amazing high! It gave us hallucinations and some of us decided to abandon the bikes and return to the hotel. It was one of the most bewildering experiences—we couldn’t walk or think straight but somehow our consciousness had increased ten-folds, though it came with a time lag. I still wanted to ride as it felt as if I was flying but the team's collective wisdom prevailed; I could have been dead had I done so. The next day, our abandoned bikes in the market evoked a bomb scare and we had to face the music with the local police who, ironically, turned out to be quite friendly and cooperative. In short, that's a script for a movie!
The raw
We also ventured near the Looking back, none of our folks agreed in principle (two of my mates conned their folks into believing that they were leaving by train) as they found the idea quite dangerous. But life is too short to not venture out and experience nature's beauty, at least once in a while. For all practical reasons, one could even die after slipping in the bathroom! We could have died on the road but we now can proudly say that we can't die by the bullet as we'd be riding one—quite literally!
I always wanted to ride across the
Photo: Anirban, Anshul, Gaurav, and me (Faezal) lounging at the roof-top cafe of our Jaisalmer motel. The cafe was strangely named "Bob Marley Cafe"!
Anirban Ghosh: The rock star and a maverick entrepreneur who left a hi-fi career to pursue his true calling via starting a music school and production house, Art Tree. It was he who floated and initiated this bike trip’s idea. Anirban, you’re a true inspiration.
Anshul Dabral: A young prodigious creative genius and entrepreneur who runs an enormously successful 3D-modelling creative shop, Paintbox. A true biker who is always ready to leave everything behind and go trippin’ on his thumper. The photos that you see here (see his album's link above for more) are primarily the handiwork of his keen eyes.
Gaurav Chauhan: The only member deeply ensconced into corporate life with a hi-fi stature and position. Yet, he still finds the time to venture out on exciting expeditions. “What good is money if you can’t even enjoy life with it” is his philosophy in life. Gaurav, it’s good to know that men tied up in business suits are not all that boring.
Yes, let us not forget the purpose of the daily grind to earn our livelihoods; at times we get so consumed by life’s mundane affairs that we don’t even find the time to reflect and introspect on our own lives. This bike trip was one of the best things I have done in this life so far and we are already planning our next trip to Leh-Laddakh. Perhaps the snaps in the link above will evoke some interest so I invite all of you who read this to join me as a pillion or a rider alongside, riding the Bullet.
As an after-thought, such trips are the least about the thrills of speed or the excitement of venturing into unexplored territories; they are a reflection upon nature and life itself. And unlike the sands of time that will one day sweep away our existence, such experiences leave indelible memories to last a lifetime.
