So finally it's here - it as in the moment, time to go, blah blah. Am sitting with Brijesh's laptop with the funny mouse so I have double-tap the track-pad to do a left-click. What's on my mind right now? That I need to wash my feet - I have this syndrome since childhood (my grandmom is responsible) - wash my feet. Am thinking of the route I need to take to get to Chandigarh - I have no idea - got to get out and figure it out. One min. Ok I washed my feet and more at peace.
Last night we ate at Masala Junction - a spot right across campus and gives iit folks 10% discount. Brijesh's friend - a faculty member in kanpur came in last night - he saw the Maharashtra number plates and was curious and then when he got answers to his questions, responded, kya baat kar raha hai?, What are you talking about?! :-) Surprisingly I don't have much on my mind right now - I just want to go. There's a slight thrill - very slight but other than that I don't feel much else. I just want to be between mountains - I've seen enough visions of it.
Friday, August 31, 2007
Thursday, August 30, 2007
In the capital
So I'm sitting outside an Enfield workshop in Yusuf Sarai. I surprised a few folks there that I came "all the way from Mumbai for 2nd service!" "How can you come from Mumbai in just 3.5 days and your mileage is just 2,500km - it takes 2 days for us by train!" The tobacco-chewing mechanic, Dharmendar drove my Bull and while juggling tobacco-laden saliva with his lower lip said, "alignment, alignment ho gaya" - I said, "You mean the wheels are misaligned." "No, alignment, alignment." "Ok, ok alignment hogaya." So he's replacing my wheel rims because they jumped on too many potholes - thank you UP.
I keep getting an odd look whenever people learn that I'm going to Ladakh and by myself. First, it's a surprise, then fear, then thrill, then amazement. Kyon, why? Aysehi, just-like-that? Wah, amazing! Aapko dekhe hum ko man karta hai, seeing you, even my heart yearns (to do it!). I shy away from telling them that I'm actually going to Khardungla and then to Kargil and to the heart of our riotious country, beautiful Srinagar (am I glad my folks don't google much).
Had breakfast with Brijesh at one of IIT-delhi's cafeterias - idli, wada, uttappa and excellent tea. He's been driving my Bull in campus the past few days and has decided to get one himself. Srik called earlier in the morning, also spoke to Patta in the plane - his Raminator is ready to pop anytime now.
More later...but it doesn't look like I'll get out Delhi today - it'll be tom early AM.
I keep getting an odd look whenever people learn that I'm going to Ladakh and by myself. First, it's a surprise, then fear, then thrill, then amazement. Kyon, why? Aysehi, just-like-that? Wah, amazing! Aapko dekhe hum ko man karta hai, seeing you, even my heart yearns (to do it!). I shy away from telling them that I'm actually going to Khardungla and then to Kargil and to the heart of our riotious country, beautiful Srinagar (am I glad my folks don't google much).
Had breakfast with Brijesh at one of IIT-delhi's cafeterias - idli, wada, uttappa and excellent tea. He's been driving my Bull in campus the past few days and has decided to get one himself. Srik called earlier in the morning, also spoke to Patta in the plane - his Raminator is ready to pop anytime now.
More later...but it doesn't look like I'll get out Delhi today - it'll be tom early AM.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
What's a Himalayan trip without some masala in it?!
So B sent an sms sometime back that said: I cant make it for phase 2 too many issues my main guy is leaving he tells me now also money stealing is happening....
So that's that - it's now me and the Bull again. :-) It makes the trip more amusing and increases the risk quotient. I can't stop thinking about punctures in Himalayas! Munish advised me to rent a satellite phone so I don't get stranded. Amusing. I've been so busy with work stuff that I've not done much planning this time but I guess I'll have to do some more home work and be more prepared within the next 48 hours. The fun part is I'm leaving for Delhi day after early morning. Parashuram just brought me tea and cookies (he just can't give me 2 when I asked him only for 2!). I also posted details of my trip on the Enfield website to check if there's someone going but I doubt very much it'll work out (half of me, doesn't want it to work out). Actually in some ways I find this more interesting because it increases the challenge element and stretches the boundaries of mental tolerance for risk a wee-bit more and this'll reflect in other aspects - all this I like. But again am not the first guy to do this ride alone and neither will be the last. But I'll never be 32.5 again so I gotta go, I gotta go, I gotta go.
So that's that - it's now me and the Bull again. :-) It makes the trip more amusing and increases the risk quotient. I can't stop thinking about punctures in Himalayas! Munish advised me to rent a satellite phone so I don't get stranded. Amusing. I've been so busy with work stuff that I've not done much planning this time but I guess I'll have to do some more home work and be more prepared within the next 48 hours. The fun part is I'm leaving for Delhi day after early morning. Parashuram just brought me tea and cookies (he just can't give me 2 when I asked him only for 2!). I also posted details of my trip on the Enfield website to check if there's someone going but I doubt very much it'll work out (half of me, doesn't want it to work out). Actually in some ways I find this more interesting because it increases the challenge element and stretches the boundaries of mental tolerance for risk a wee-bit more and this'll reflect in other aspects - all this I like. But again am not the first guy to do this ride alone and neither will be the last. But I'll never be 32.5 again so I gotta go, I gotta go, I gotta go.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Next week it is...
By this time next week I should be in the Himalayas and right now my head is clouded with work stuff. I don't know how the day passed - it's already 9.39. Talking to Satish right now...a million issues, million things going on. What do I feel about starting this Friday - am not feeling anything at all at this time. Going away for so many days in between a lot of activity is really difficult. On Friday my plan is to get the Bull for servicing, changing seat for Bhaskar etc. But I guess all this will change once am in between mountains.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Describing what musn't be described
My friend Sachin said this earlier today about Ladakh and confused me further about my plans in Leh-- (I can't wait!)
"I don't want to impose all my thoughts but it's mind blowing - you can't understand what it is to experience Leh by stand on a temporal plane - you got to be between mountains. If you are going up to Khardung La, you should go past it and stay at Nubra valley in the army camps. The other thing you just can't miss is the Pangong Tso lake - it's mind blowing - can't even describe what that lake is. Even sitting at the Shanti stupa in Leh and looking at all the mountains around makes everything else very, very trivial."
"I don't want to impose all my thoughts but it's mind blowing - you can't understand what it is to experience Leh by stand on a temporal plane - you got to be between mountains. If you are going up to Khardung La, you should go past it and stay at Nubra valley in the army camps. The other thing you just can't miss is the Pangong Tso lake - it's mind blowing - can't even describe what that lake is. Even sitting at the Shanti stupa in Leh and looking at all the mountains around makes everything else very, very trivial."
Monday, August 20, 2007
Phase 2: Where sh*t freezes
planning for Phase 2 - here's B's mail from y'day...:-)
**
Begin forwarded message:
From: Bhaskar Chatterjee
Date: August 17, 2007 11:53:54 PM GMT+05:30
To: Praveen Suthrum
Subject: yeLEHmerawalaticket
Have beer with your iit friend on 31st evening
i shall be in delhi by the time you are done.
IndiGo flight
6E304
31Aug07
Hyderabad (HYD)
Delhi (DEL)
Departs Hyderabad : 22:30
Reaches Delhi : 00:30
Chandra said khardungla is overrated. not so so tough etc.
chandigarh - manali is cool. not at all dangerous etc.
he said to fill 2 jeery cans of petrol at the last petrol pump before leh.
he felt sarchu was the highest and coldest and toughest, leh was fun and khardungla is ok.
suggested we dont sleep at sarchu, try to spend the night at lower altitute places.
he did manali leh in 2 days with mostly nightdriving .that was one thing he said
we should not do. start early, reach early.
have very thick socks and good shoes.
they say even shit freezes at sarchu.
and water on the shoes becomes ice in no time
sarchu was the only place where he felt uncomfortable. he puked. and his cousin had an upset stomach after eating
in the army camp there.
have multiple layers of clothing thermal, windsheeter, raincoat etc.
leh - srinagar is cool. very nice.
be safe in srinagar - jammu route. day travelling only.
all else is all cool.
it seems the road goes down 30 kms from khardundla....and then ends....
he also said there is some lake that changes colors ....thats somewhere from leh towards china...he said its a must see..
according to chandra tent not needed
passport not needed. pan should be enough. he said that too is not needed.
he said food is all shit between manali till you reach srinagar. eat good at manali, wont get it for a long time after that.
spent 1 day in manali to acclimatize. he said he didnt even know about AMS, when he puked at sarchu, he just thought he
must have been too tired travelling from kanyakumari.
**
Begin forwarded message:
From: Bhaskar Chatterjee
Date: August 17, 2007 11:53:54 PM GMT+05:30
To: Praveen Suthrum
Subject: yeLEHmerawalaticket
Have beer with your iit friend on 31st evening
i shall be in delhi by the time you are done.
IndiGo flight
6E304
31Aug07
Hyderabad (HYD)
Delhi (DEL)
Departs Hyderabad : 22:30
Reaches Delhi : 00:30
Chandra said khardungla is overrated. not so so tough etc.
chandigarh - manali is cool. not at all dangerous etc.
he said to fill 2 jeery cans of petrol at the last petrol pump before leh.
he felt sarchu was the highest and coldest and toughest, leh was fun and khardungla is ok.
suggested we dont sleep at sarchu, try to spend the night at lower altitute places.
he did manali leh in 2 days with mostly nightdriving .that was one thing he said
we should not do. start early, reach early.
have very thick socks and good shoes.
they say even shit freezes at sarchu.
and water on the shoes becomes ice in no time
sarchu was the only place where he felt uncomfortable. he puked. and his cousin had an upset stomach after eating
in the army camp there.
have multiple layers of clothing thermal, windsheeter, raincoat etc.
leh - srinagar is cool. very nice.
be safe in srinagar - jammu route. day travelling only.
all else is all cool.
it seems the road goes down 30 kms from khardundla....and then ends....
he also said there is some lake that changes colors ....thats somewhere from leh towards china...he said its a must see..
according to chandra tent not needed
passport not needed. pan should be enough. he said that too is not needed.
he said food is all shit between manali till you reach srinagar. eat good at manali, wont get it for a long time after that.
spent 1 day in manali to acclimatize. he said he didnt even know about AMS, when he puked at sarchu, he just thought he
must have been too tired travelling from kanyakumari.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
3.5 days and 1,700km of independent India
Today is India's 60th Independence Day. Driving on a motorcycle for 3.5 days from Mumbai to Delhi, I experienced a lot more of India this past weekend than I ever have on the eve of an Independence Day. The experiences don't hit you instantly but they are more likely to soak in and add up over a period of time.
The first thoughts that come to mind is that there's a lot of work ahead of us (who is us?) - a lot. It's just difficult to imagine the size of India and the scale of its opportunities and problems while staying in the cities and commuting between cities for meetings or commuting to India itself for family reunions. First of all, it's a big country and most of our population dwells in the villages and small towns than in the cities. This is not a new insight - of course we read a lot about it but it is quite something to actually keep seeing villages after villages after villages, to keep seeing farmers (men, women and children) doing their thing everywhere. They are preoccupied in their own day-to-day activities - most of it is very basic - food, clothing, shelter, security, education and healthcare. We in the cities are preoccupied too but our wants are many, many layers above these fundamental wants. I observed that our people are basically thin - nearly everywhere because they are involved in physical labor. Childhood obesity is a problem of the cities but in the villages I saw kids walking miles before they could get to their schools. People used a cell phone everywhere I went (the networks worked everywhere - little better than I've experienced in the US). My favorite sight was that of a man taking photographs of his buffaloes grazing, using his mobile phone.
There's vibrancy everywhere. The fact that India is young is obvious to anyone's eyes. A happy sight is seeing children going to school everywhere. It appears that everyone's figured out that education is key. I recall seeing more children in school uniforms than seeing them working. At one point in Rajasthan, it just hit me that there are a million business opportunities out there - from WiFi/ Internet connectivity everywhere to private school education to highway coffee shops and food courts to entertainment to rural retail stores to travel needs to healthcare access to English speaking skills to software education. Mobile phones is super successful example.
India is getting built everywhere. Riding through Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi, you can easily separate the chaff - where it's working, where's it's not, where the government is interested, where's it's not, where people are eager, where they are disappointed. Often times, you'd see one part of the highway being repaired for miles together. NH8, the highway of Vajpayee's dreams is pretty good in most parts. The highway connecting Ajmer to Jaipur is much like the good parts of I-95. However, a lot more development is required in the internal parts of our country - mostly from an infrastructure standpoint (and that's also where new opportunities lie). Our people are ready and waiting. I didn't see a sense of disappointment among people (except in Agra) but I saw a sense of hope, energy and excitement. As customers, they are ready and waiting for solutions that meet their wants. If businesses create solutions (regardless of how sophisticated they are or not) that fit their needs, they will buy - you can really feel that they want to join the global marketplace. They have a good sense and awareness of it and really, really want it. The Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) model definitely will work - in fact, it is obvious to me as a logic that one can't even argue about. Analysis is something that we desperately try to put a control over something that we already sense - what I'm talking about is this sense part.
Somewhere on the borders of Rajasthan, a school boy in a checkered shirt was walking casually and listening to the evening news on an old transistor radio. His matter-of-fact responses to my queries on distances, the location of the village, his school and education and so on were very precise - so precise that I can easily see him fit into our line of work - quite easily. All that is missing in the puzzle is Internet bandwidth and language skills - the latter is becoming less important (not that it can't be taught). I recently heard that mimicking of American cartoon characters (particularly animal and bird sounds) is happening in India and a software okays the sound of someone chirping like a bird at a predetermined frequency - this type of work makes language altogether redundant!
The excitement of India's development and future is definitely felt in the insides - chiefly among its peoples but tangible development - not as yet. This gap in aspirations of the customers and lack of sufficient solutions presents a fundamental macroeconomic demand-supply opportunity. Businesses are bound to close this gap soon; the ones that lay the seeds now will take the first bites.
The first thoughts that come to mind is that there's a lot of work ahead of us (who is us?) - a lot. It's just difficult to imagine the size of India and the scale of its opportunities and problems while staying in the cities and commuting between cities for meetings or commuting to India itself for family reunions. First of all, it's a big country and most of our population dwells in the villages and small towns than in the cities. This is not a new insight - of course we read a lot about it but it is quite something to actually keep seeing villages after villages after villages, to keep seeing farmers (men, women and children) doing their thing everywhere. They are preoccupied in their own day-to-day activities - most of it is very basic - food, clothing, shelter, security, education and healthcare. We in the cities are preoccupied too but our wants are many, many layers above these fundamental wants. I observed that our people are basically thin - nearly everywhere because they are involved in physical labor. Childhood obesity is a problem of the cities but in the villages I saw kids walking miles before they could get to their schools. People used a cell phone everywhere I went (the networks worked everywhere - little better than I've experienced in the US). My favorite sight was that of a man taking photographs of his buffaloes grazing, using his mobile phone.
There's vibrancy everywhere. The fact that India is young is obvious to anyone's eyes. A happy sight is seeing children going to school everywhere. It appears that everyone's figured out that education is key. I recall seeing more children in school uniforms than seeing them working. At one point in Rajasthan, it just hit me that there are a million business opportunities out there - from WiFi/ Internet connectivity everywhere to private school education to highway coffee shops and food courts to entertainment to rural retail stores to travel needs to healthcare access to English speaking skills to software education. Mobile phones is super successful example.
India is getting built everywhere. Riding through Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi, you can easily separate the chaff - where it's working, where's it's not, where the government is interested, where's it's not, where people are eager, where they are disappointed. Often times, you'd see one part of the highway being repaired for miles together. NH8, the highway of Vajpayee's dreams is pretty good in most parts. The highway connecting Ajmer to Jaipur is much like the good parts of I-95. However, a lot more development is required in the internal parts of our country - mostly from an infrastructure standpoint (and that's also where new opportunities lie). Our people are ready and waiting. I didn't see a sense of disappointment among people (except in Agra) but I saw a sense of hope, energy and excitement. As customers, they are ready and waiting for solutions that meet their wants. If businesses create solutions (regardless of how sophisticated they are or not) that fit their needs, they will buy - you can really feel that they want to join the global marketplace. They have a good sense and awareness of it and really, really want it. The Bottom of the Pyramid (BOP) model definitely will work - in fact, it is obvious to me as a logic that one can't even argue about. Analysis is something that we desperately try to put a control over something that we already sense - what I'm talking about is this sense part.
Somewhere on the borders of Rajasthan, a school boy in a checkered shirt was walking casually and listening to the evening news on an old transistor radio. His matter-of-fact responses to my queries on distances, the location of the village, his school and education and so on were very precise - so precise that I can easily see him fit into our line of work - quite easily. All that is missing in the puzzle is Internet bandwidth and language skills - the latter is becoming less important (not that it can't be taught). I recently heard that mimicking of American cartoon characters (particularly animal and bird sounds) is happening in India and a software okays the sound of someone chirping like a bird at a predetermined frequency - this type of work makes language altogether redundant!
The excitement of India's development and future is definitely felt in the insides - chiefly among its peoples but tangible development - not as yet. This gap in aspirations of the customers and lack of sufficient solutions presents a fundamental macroeconomic demand-supply opportunity. Businesses are bound to close this gap soon; the ones that lay the seeds now will take the first bites.
The Taj Mahal
It was the final morning of our Phase 1. We arrived in Agra the previous night - tired with the drive, disappointed with the dark welcome that Agra gives in trying to conserve its power. However, the next morning we stepped out at 7am and ruminated on whether we should drive or walk to the Taj. We didn't have discuss much - a few steps and we saw the main dome in all its whiteness. As we approached the east gate, we were really excited - you hear so much about it and seen so many pictures of it and read so many quotes of it that - there's a mild rush of adrenelin.
Inside, we found a 35 year old guide called Parvez Ali who explained to us the stories that he's memorized and repeated since his childhood. He was obsessed with the dates, the distances, the counts - anything to do with numbers. How the 11 + 11 mini domes represented the 22 years it took to build the Taj. How the fountains represent the year. He showed us the hooks on the main dome where India wrapped up the Taj in a black blanket during the India-Pak war to protect it from air attack. He pointed to the four main pillars and explained that they lean outwards so during an earthquake they fall out and not in. The foundation includes water tanks that also protect it from earthquakes. The older two queens have got smaller mausoleums but the Taj of course is reserved for Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan. Shah Jahan was keen on building a black Taj Mahal on the other side of Yamuna but it was then that his son Aurangazeb arrested him. Later, Parvez explained that it's a little known secret that one of the reasons that Aurangazeb, a staunch Muslim arrested his father because the latter had inscribed the Holy Quran on the Taj and when it rained, the water would touch the words and drip to the floor and this would be very disrespectful. An alternate, common view is that Shah Jahan spent Rs. 4 crores (350 years ago) in building one Taj and spending that kind of money again on another one would completely empty the kingdom's treasury.
As I looked on across the Yamuna where the black Taj was supposed to be built and at the Taj - the symmetry was overwhelming. How could an architect - just by his andaz or sense of proportion build everything so symmetrically. Here I was struggling to hold the camera in a coordinated angle and there was this structure that looked exactly, exactly the same on all 4 sides. You stand right in the middle in some areas and you can't really tell the difference when you look left or right - it's precise. How did that architect whose two thumbs were chopped off after the monumental effort pull on for 22 years and coordinate 22,000 laborers to build a structure with so much precision? How did Shah Jahan have the vision to commit to a project like this that stood the tests of time? I sat near the left pillar (facing) towards the mosque and looked on and on (Parvez who got comfortable with us by then - was explaining that the Taj had done no good for them in Agra because all industry is banned and it's a big burden). From that angle, you can really see the geometrical angles - sharp and correct - I can still see it in my mind's eye. The whole effort is complicated in its simplicity. It's simple because all that one did is to figure out one side - precisely and correctly - for measurement, beauty and everything. After that the effort involved is accurate replication on all 4 sides and on the side structures - that is the real difficult part. Parvez explained to him, look just like the human body - you first have the skeleton and then lumps of flesh on it, the Taj's main structure was first built on marble and then the other stones and gems were fitted in.
Another thought occured to me by that pillar. The beauty of Taj and its structure cannot be argued against - you can't just say it's bad looking (Parvez corrected that some tourists do but that's a minor exception). It is very beautiful and magnificent and monumental - even literally. If you view it as a product - it's fundamentally very, very simple and in order to make it that simple, the underlying effort is extremely complicated - and one perceives this - anyway one wants to view it. The beauty therefore lies in the sheer simplicity and the awe-inspiring outlook is brought about by the underlying complexity. The same is true with any disruptive idea or product - iPod for example - this rule or logic holds.
Inside, we found a 35 year old guide called Parvez Ali who explained to us the stories that he's memorized and repeated since his childhood. He was obsessed with the dates, the distances, the counts - anything to do with numbers. How the 11 + 11 mini domes represented the 22 years it took to build the Taj. How the fountains represent the year. He showed us the hooks on the main dome where India wrapped up the Taj in a black blanket during the India-Pak war to protect it from air attack. He pointed to the four main pillars and explained that they lean outwards so during an earthquake they fall out and not in. The foundation includes water tanks that also protect it from earthquakes. The older two queens have got smaller mausoleums but the Taj of course is reserved for Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan. Shah Jahan was keen on building a black Taj Mahal on the other side of Yamuna but it was then that his son Aurangazeb arrested him. Later, Parvez explained that it's a little known secret that one of the reasons that Aurangazeb, a staunch Muslim arrested his father because the latter had inscribed the Holy Quran on the Taj and when it rained, the water would touch the words and drip to the floor and this would be very disrespectful. An alternate, common view is that Shah Jahan spent Rs. 4 crores (350 years ago) in building one Taj and spending that kind of money again on another one would completely empty the kingdom's treasury.
As I looked on across the Yamuna where the black Taj was supposed to be built and at the Taj - the symmetry was overwhelming. How could an architect - just by his andaz or sense of proportion build everything so symmetrically. Here I was struggling to hold the camera in a coordinated angle and there was this structure that looked exactly, exactly the same on all 4 sides. You stand right in the middle in some areas and you can't really tell the difference when you look left or right - it's precise. How did that architect whose two thumbs were chopped off after the monumental effort pull on for 22 years and coordinate 22,000 laborers to build a structure with so much precision? How did Shah Jahan have the vision to commit to a project like this that stood the tests of time? I sat near the left pillar (facing) towards the mosque and looked on and on (Parvez who got comfortable with us by then - was explaining that the Taj had done no good for them in Agra because all industry is banned and it's a big burden). From that angle, you can really see the geometrical angles - sharp and correct - I can still see it in my mind's eye. The whole effort is complicated in its simplicity. It's simple because all that one did is to figure out one side - precisely and correctly - for measurement, beauty and everything. After that the effort involved is accurate replication on all 4 sides and on the side structures - that is the real difficult part. Parvez explained to him, look just like the human body - you first have the skeleton and then lumps of flesh on it, the Taj's main structure was first built on marble and then the other stones and gems were fitted in.
Another thought occured to me by that pillar. The beauty of Taj and its structure cannot be argued against - you can't just say it's bad looking (Parvez corrected that some tourists do but that's a minor exception). It is very beautiful and magnificent and monumental - even literally. If you view it as a product - it's fundamentally very, very simple and in order to make it that simple, the underlying effort is extremely complicated - and one perceives this - anyway one wants to view it. The beauty therefore lies in the sheer simplicity and the awe-inspiring outlook is brought about by the underlying complexity. The same is true with any disruptive idea or product - iPod for example - this rule or logic holds.
Ajmer Dargah
When we reached Ajmer on Day 2 night, both Bhaskar and I were fatigued, irritated and all that. Someone helped us along the way and we made it to a hotel that provided us with beer and food - all that we were craving for. The next morning we stepped out for breakfast and on the way back I saw a direction to the Dargah...when we inquired, someone said it was just 5 min away. So we kept asking for directions and kept driving. The lanes got narrower and narrower - until we finally reached the Dargah area. The area has a potpourri of shops selling whatever you can possibly imagine - from chikki sweets to fried stuff to religious items to meat to Internet services. It's so crowded that I wonder how I decided to take the Bullet in. Like with most religious sites in India, there are beggars - in this case, there were women with their children all over. We stood outside the Dargah wondering what to do. A moderately portly man in a bright white kurta-pyjama stepped up and inquired if we would want to come inside. Having never been to a Dargah, I was of course curious and looking at Bhaskar suggested that he felt the same. The man told me that I wouldn't be allowed with my silk red boxer shorts and they'd give me a towel - so I wrapped a towel - just low enough so it would cover my knees.
Inside, it is surprisingly clean. It somehow reminded me of Kali temple in Kolkata. It's a little wilder at the Kali temple and the priest will not really hesitate to put his hand in your shirt pocket. The man...by this time I learnt his name was Miraj Chishti and that he's a 10th generation descendent of the Saint Chishti who's buried in the Dargah. He took us where we could buy the offerings and a cap to cover our hair. After that we went close to the main area where we were blessed by a priest. Crowds were thronging to get into the main Dargah area. Per Miraj's advice, we squeezed in - much to the angst of the crowds. We went closer to the center - a little confused - where the Saint is worshipped. Miraj turned out to be a priest himself and we saw him inside the railing that blocked out the Dargah. He made us touch our forehead on the silver railing, covered us with the green cloth that we offered and said the prayers in simple, understandable Hindi - broadly, he prayed that we are healthy and successful, our families and parents are healthy and happy and that we are protected from anyone's evil intentions and that we should come back to Dargah Chishti with our larger families. We then stepped out. I wanted to sit and we did for a few minutes. We also wondered if we should pay Miraj Chishti - we finally didn't but thanked him.
I don't think I perceived the impact of Ajmer at that moment when I was at the Dargah - my mind was semi-occupied in trying to grasp what was going on. We felt really good when the prayers were offered - it was so sincere and positive. I felt a sense of or field of energy or calm once we completed the experience and that stayed for a bit. I was able to see Ajmer in new light - all this is very difficult to express in words because the minute one tries to express the unexpressable he fails. But I felt that Ajmer - in spite of its crowds, dust and hustle-bustle, was enveloped by a peaceful charm like one of those Christmas toys that snow when overturned - there's a semi-spherical glass that covers a city or tree and when you turn it upside down and back, you see that it snows - Ajmer was in a sense like that - covered by a field that makes you very grounded. It left a very positive impact inside.
Inside, it is surprisingly clean. It somehow reminded me of Kali temple in Kolkata. It's a little wilder at the Kali temple and the priest will not really hesitate to put his hand in your shirt pocket. The man...by this time I learnt his name was Miraj Chishti and that he's a 10th generation descendent of the Saint Chishti who's buried in the Dargah. He took us where we could buy the offerings and a cap to cover our hair. After that we went close to the main area where we were blessed by a priest. Crowds were thronging to get into the main Dargah area. Per Miraj's advice, we squeezed in - much to the angst of the crowds. We went closer to the center - a little confused - where the Saint is worshipped. Miraj turned out to be a priest himself and we saw him inside the railing that blocked out the Dargah. He made us touch our forehead on the silver railing, covered us with the green cloth that we offered and said the prayers in simple, understandable Hindi - broadly, he prayed that we are healthy and successful, our families and parents are healthy and happy and that we are protected from anyone's evil intentions and that we should come back to Dargah Chishti with our larger families. We then stepped out. I wanted to sit and we did for a few minutes. We also wondered if we should pay Miraj Chishti - we finally didn't but thanked him.
I don't think I perceived the impact of Ajmer at that moment when I was at the Dargah - my mind was semi-occupied in trying to grasp what was going on. We felt really good when the prayers were offered - it was so sincere and positive. I felt a sense of or field of energy or calm once we completed the experience and that stayed for a bit. I was able to see Ajmer in new light - all this is very difficult to express in words because the minute one tries to express the unexpressable he fails. But I felt that Ajmer - in spite of its crowds, dust and hustle-bustle, was enveloped by a peaceful charm like one of those Christmas toys that snow when overturned - there's a semi-spherical glass that covers a city or tree and when you turn it upside down and back, you see that it snows - Ajmer was in a sense like that - covered by a field that makes you very grounded. It left a very positive impact inside.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Top 15 tips to ride safely on Indian highways
These tips are for motorcycle riders and avoid the mundane like wear a helmet and don't drink.
1. Have a disciplined way to fill gas/petrol (e.g. if you filled at 1,700km, mentally remember that 2,000 is when you should fill next). Check your tires and lights periodically.
2. Honk a lot – while overtaking, at every highway intersection, whenever you see a vehicle waiting to join or cross the highway.
3. Watch out for lots of animals (alive and dead) on the highway - honking will help for dogs; you'll just have to avoid cows, buffaloes and donkeys.
4. You will come across unexpected potholes - if you can't avoid them, don't hesitate to go through them (you'll be okay).
5. Cars and SUVs are far more dangerous than truck drivers; do not occupy the right-most lane when you see them in the mirror.
6. On highways with no dividers, be assured that vehicles will be driven on your lane; be prepared for trucks that’ll force you into the very end of your own lane. Even if you drive carefully, remember that there's no guarantee of safety from vehicles driving in the wrong direction – just prepare for it.
7. Carry map, water, pain-spray, cash and torch at all times.
8. Wear sunscreen - lots of it - even if you are driving in the rain or a cloudy weather.
9. Keep SMSing someone periodically about your whereabouts.
10. Who your pillion rider is - is very important - it should be someone you can have fun with and can trust fully.
11. Carry a hand sanitizer and use before every single time you eat and after you pee or poop (I got one at CVS but Cinthol also makes it).
12. Do not pick fights with vehicles or people on the highway - just keep doing your thing, ignore everything else.
13. Eat moderately before the rides - don't fill yourself up (digestion begins in the brain).
14. If you like to read, take a book (yes, you can read as a pillion and it's fun).
15. Wear elbow and knee pads; wear a radium sticker on the back of your jacket.
1. Have a disciplined way to fill gas/petrol (e.g. if you filled at 1,700km, mentally remember that 2,000 is when you should fill next). Check your tires and lights periodically.
2. Honk a lot – while overtaking, at every highway intersection, whenever you see a vehicle waiting to join or cross the highway.
3. Watch out for lots of animals (alive and dead) on the highway - honking will help for dogs; you'll just have to avoid cows, buffaloes and donkeys.
4. You will come across unexpected potholes - if you can't avoid them, don't hesitate to go through them (you'll be okay).
5. Cars and SUVs are far more dangerous than truck drivers; do not occupy the right-most lane when you see them in the mirror.
6. On highways with no dividers, be assured that vehicles will be driven on your lane; be prepared for trucks that’ll force you into the very end of your own lane. Even if you drive carefully, remember that there's no guarantee of safety from vehicles driving in the wrong direction – just prepare for it.
7. Carry map, water, pain-spray, cash and torch at all times.
8. Wear sunscreen - lots of it - even if you are driving in the rain or a cloudy weather.
9. Keep SMSing someone periodically about your whereabouts.
10. Who your pillion rider is - is very important - it should be someone you can have fun with and can trust fully.
11. Carry a hand sanitizer and use before every single time you eat and after you pee or poop (I got one at CVS but Cinthol also makes it).
12. Do not pick fights with vehicles or people on the highway - just keep doing your thing, ignore everything else.
13. Eat moderately before the rides - don't fill yourself up (digestion begins in the brain).
14. If you like to read, take a book (yes, you can read as a pillion and it's fun).
15. Wear elbow and knee pads; wear a radium sticker on the back of your jacket.
But my butt...
Mujhe lagta hai mera woh area mein skin cheel jayega - Bhaskar, my fellow-rider
I never imagined that riding on the Bullet's seat as a pillion would be so difficult - at least for Bhaskar ;-) It's also got to do with the saddle bags - the material is water resistant and so made with tough material that is not easy on the skin. Sitting on it continuously for hours can indeed rupture your butt. At one point - I think somewhere in Rajasthan on the way to Udaipur, B got off the Bull and said, I can't take this torture anymore - it won't be possible to go to Khardung La on this. I said, What?! Then later in the day in Ajmer he clarified it would be impossible to go with this seat - he would decide to go next year or something. Hell - I thought. The next day morning, I waited for breakfast to be over (stomach-happy is always good) and broached the topic again and that we need to find solutions to the problem and not become part of the problem and finally we decided that the seat could be replaced or we'll find a way to get around this.
I never imagined that riding on the Bullet's seat as a pillion would be so difficult - at least for Bhaskar ;-) It's also got to do with the saddle bags - the material is water resistant and so made with tough material that is not easy on the skin. Sitting on it continuously for hours can indeed rupture your butt. At one point - I think somewhere in Rajasthan on the way to Udaipur, B got off the Bull and said, I can't take this torture anymore - it won't be possible to go to Khardung La on this. I said, What?! Then later in the day in Ajmer he clarified it would be impossible to go with this seat - he would decide to go next year or something. Hell - I thought. The next day morning, I waited for breakfast to be over (stomach-happy is always good) and broached the topic again and that we need to find solutions to the problem and not become part of the problem and finally we decided that the seat could be replaced or we'll find a way to get around this.
India is getting built everywhere
This was another observation. There's construction going on everywhere. You almost get the feeling that - every part or every other part of India has this fear that it might get left behind. Along with all the big cities and everyone touting India's development everywhere - no one wants to get left behind and they are almost in a hurry. I've not seen this kind of hurry before. Highway construction is happening everywhere - in Rajasthan, in Haryana, in Gujarat and in Maharashtra. Some credit to UP - most parts of the highway from Agra to Delhi were new and good. India is getting built at a rapid pace - whether that pace will sustain the pace that is needed for development is the question.
India goes to school
Bhaskar said that on his recent drive from Hyderabad to Pune, he kept seeing a lot of school children everywhere in Karnataka and AP. The same is true of the other states we drove through. You see in every other village children going to school - in proper uniforms. They walk a lot, taking lifts along the way and get to centralized schools. There was this 8th grade boy we spoke to in Rajasthan. He was lazily walking with an old radio - listening to the local news. I asked him, how far the next location was - he told me in a precise number the answer and then I asked him the distance between the next one and the one after that. He responded quite casually with that too. The name and details of the location - all his answers were very precise. It was interesting - the feeling I got was he had all this knowledge and wore it lightly. He was very hireable!
Monday, August 13, 2007
Impressions of cities and states
You can get a good feel of a place even when you pass through it - you don't even need to stop there. Below are roughly what was going on in my head as we passed through different places.
Maharashtra - Getting out
It was around 4 or 5PM on Thursday (Day 0) by the time we wrapped up everything and left Mumbai. You feel fresher and can see better as you get out of the city because the pollution and smog levels dramatically drop - the air is clean and the monsoon makes life look greener and more beautiful than they do in a dry summer. We stopped near Manor as the rain got really bad and we were both tired with the activities of the day that began at some 5.55 when Bhaskar's flight from Hyderabad landed. Manor didn't make any particular impression on me - we stopped at Vittal Kamat's hotel and the guy refused to bargain (we paid some Rs.400 for the night) and had beer at a neighboring bar - from what I recall now, we were clearly still in the city mode and conversations were confined our busy lives - kinda catching up and sometimes infused with excitement of the upcoming ride. Once you get to some 100km or so out of Mumbai, Maharashtra shows off its Sahayadri mountains and is mostly an agricultural land - dotted with villages. The men either dress like suburbans or in their dhotis...depending on where they are economically and mentally. The women too are sometimes like city dwellers but sometimes sarees wrapped in a traditional styles with no accompanying blouses (and interestingly how the saree traverses changes from state to state). I wondered if this type of dressing kept the men folk perpetually horny in those villages! Bhaskar clarified with his own gyan from his cooks and staff (who come from all over the country) that indeed they are!
Surat - A traffic jam of 5,000 trucks and Vadodara
How is this even possible?! As approached Surat, we noticed that trucks were lined up one after the other, one after the other and as we navigated through the narrow openings in between the stalled trucks, we realized it never seemed to end. We traveled some 10km on the extreme side of the road with the trucks parked (they were not even moving!) to the right. Trucks and cars were stalled even on the other side of this 2-lane highway. Finally after some 30km of driving and navigating, we got into Surat and were really curious what the source of this traffic squeeze was - it was the construction of one single flyover - just one! How can the local government be so, so silly? It took another 10km after the flyover for the road to open up. We lost a lot of time here. Surat as a tier-2/3 city option for operations is definitely out - for now.
The young people in Vadodara definitely looked 'hireable' - I can't pinpoint and say why I'm saying this but you can get a sense. They are eager and enthusiastic - and seemed interested in doing something - sounds like a lame way of saying but trust me they are hireable.
Ahmedabad - City of no-lights
It was nearly dusk by the time we reached Ahmedabad and we were both surprised and disappointed with what we saw - or rather didn't see. You are welcomed to a city that doesn't have enough juice to power its own traffic lights. Added to that it's crowded and unruly (of course nothing compared to Agra in UP). It's also very dusty and has all the ill-effects of an industrialized city. Ahmedabad as a tier-2 destination is also out. You get a very clear signal that there's an ineffective government.
Anand - Lush green
Anand is the birthplace of India's white revolution that made the country one of the top producers of milk globally. It's a lovely place. The air is fresh and clean. The highway crossing Anand is marvelous - not only is the road really smooth and is laid with trees on either side for miles and miles. Bhaskar's butt-travails started somewhere here (pic)...I took it lightly but little did I know what was to come the next day.
I thought of Dr. Verghese Kurien's dreams and ideas (incidentally, he went to Michigan State) and also about Amul's latest innerwear ad (where a washerwoman gets excited washing someone's Amul innerwear) as we drove by - what must've gone through his head back then and now(!). People have interesting goals, different goals - they may not be meaningful to everyone but it does become so when you get to the platform - when Dr. Kurien must've started his efforts in consolidating milk production from various farmers, it must not have appeared as a big deal but he must've known it all along. With focus and relentless action a thought or dream becomes a reality - a big reality - something that can change the situation of a whole country - not only make it self-sufficient but put it right on top - even if the top is milk production.
Gujarat - A vibrant state
Despite what I felt about Ahmedabad and Surat, you can't deny Gujarat its firm spot as one of India's vibrant and entrepreneurial states. Unlike Maharashtra where there are pockets of industrialized activity or development, you can sense continuous activity in Gujarat. The state seems developed (in a modest sense of the word where basic development is complete) and in a different league. None of the cities I saw are there yet and may not be for quite a few years but the state as a whole is more developed than other states as a whole. To put in an other way, if you were offered a choice of putting your finger anywhere on the eastern side of Gujarat and anywhere in Maharashtra - its much more likely that your finger will land in a developed area as far as Gujarat is concerned. At one point, Bhaskar scream, "Hey, Manikchand Ghutka" - at another, we noticed another known name and so on. NH8 highway in Gujarat is mostly smooth and good - except near the cities. Gandhiji's state is also very pretty in pockets (you can't sometimes really tell which state you are in on the eastern belt - Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan?). We stopped for lunch at Ankaleshwar and had an ok, ok Gujju thali (you get better ones in Mumbai). At sunset we were on a bridge on the Wartak river (pic).
I spoke to a villager carrying grass on his back - despite his obvious fatigue and sweat dripping through his mustache, he smiled warmly (I still remember his face) and responded to my queries on the river and his village etc. We had driven nearly for 12 hours on Day 1 (Friday) and stopped on the border of Gujarat-Rajasthan in a place called Shamlajee and stayed at a hotel that looked like a fort (pic).
Udaipur - City rooted in past
We were itching to get into Rajasthan the night of Day 1 but finally did 10km later on Day 2 (Saturday) morning. I had different images of Rajasthan - ones that formed with constant brain-washing through ads, glossy magazine photos, movies etc. - that of a desert, camels and Lambadi women swaying with their backs open. What I saw was a bright green Mewri and Aravali mountain range, some camels that dragged load on the highways and women with their backs and faces completely wrapped with their elongated sarees. We reached Udaipur (pic) a little before lunch.
Udaipur is one of the many Indian cities that is firmly rooted in its past. The city seemed lazy and very laid back. Bhaskar said, "Everyone seems to have a lot of time and nothing to do." Eagerly they pointed us to the City Palace. On the outside, the palace deceives one of its real size and complexity. It looks like a simple building from the outside but has a complicated and well thought-out architecture inside (pic - taken by a couple from Barcelona). 
You can get lost easily - guess, that's the idea. It's impossible for an outside to find his way through the various quarters (particularly the queen's quarters) and find his out of the palace once he gets in. There's a big terrace that almost looks like something on the ground floor. On top, you can see the entire city of Udaipur in its bone-white marvel. There's a museum that details the entire Mewri dynasty - the longest living ruling dynasty it says. More entertaining than the palace was finding the best local place to eat and that was Santosh Dal Bati near Saroj Paul (or something that sounds like it).
We snaked through the city's twists and turns and finally reached Santosh restaurant - a small non-descript place that was bustling with the local population. We went up to the 33 year old first floor and had a thali. In the neighboring kitchen, I could see some 500 rotis being taken out of the tandoor. Dal bati is a wheat based dish (bati is like a wheat laddoo) - they drown it with ghee and pour dal on it and then watch and wait for you to eat it. Udaipur like Agra is all to do with tourism and the past. It's an India that is unable to let go of its past - forget letting go, it doesn't want to find out about the future - it relies on its fantastic past and that's about it.
Ajmer - Land of peace
I will write separately about my experiences at the Darga. But the net-net is Ajmer has all the dirt, pollution (less) and crowds of a tier 3 city but yet -- but yet, it is enveloped by a mystique charm and peace. There's a lot of energy that covers the city and makes it very calming - something like a large rock in a rough ocean - the waters are rough and bustle about incessantly but the rock is there - stable and calm and unnerved by the commotion - it's something like that. We had breakfast at a not-much-to-speak-of restaurant called Swad inside Pravasi Palace (never make the mistake of asking a local which is the best restaurant in the city -- they'll point you to the most decent looking -- not the best tasting and the one that the locals frequents). On the way out of Ajmer, I saw a donkey lying nearly dead after being knocked down by a moving vehicle. It's neck had been cut and it was struggling for breath, jerking its head intermittently - the eyes already seemed dead. We aren't supposed to think twice about donkeys right? - in fact, even calling a donkey, a donkey almost seems demeaning but yet - seeing that donkey waiting to die was something else - it brought into perspective a lot of things - Upanishads say tatvam asi - you are that - or in other words and in more scientific words (my own interpretation of course), all matter is made up of atoms and therefore, you are the donkey, the donkey is you - all these thoughts ran through my ahead in that single instant. Ajmer neither stands in the old nor the new India - it has a well known university and seems to occupy its own distinct place. We spent the night of Day 2 (Saturday) in Ajmer.
Jaipur - Surging ahead
We passed through Jaipur and it's distinctly impressive. The Ajmer-Jaipur highway is the best on NH8 - as good as a I-95 on the east coast. It's a 3-laned highway on either side - so smooth that could comfortably read my book as a pillion rider. Hardly any animals on this highway. Despite its glorious 'pink' past, Jaipur is surging ahead and building a modern future. The government seems interested in creating a spot for the city in the new India. They are taking full advantage of its proximity to Delhi and have already laid out a quick, seamless highway. The roads and infrastructure in the city are pretty good.
Agra - Is this world #1?
We decided somewhere near Jaipur to go to Agra instead of to Delhi. 220km - we thought the highway would be like that of Ajmer-Jaipur. It was far from it. UP is a different ball game altogether. If I had said Vapi, Gujarat is unruly earlier - I was mild - Agra and UP is takes the first spot in unruly and symbolize the baggage that India has to carry if it has to move forward. The entrance to the world of Taj is narrow and pothole ridden with bad directions. Once you enter the city - if you make the mistake of talking to anyone - they are likely to hound you to stay here or stay there, how the cops will get you into trouble etc. The traffic is bad, bad, bad. As we got closer to the Taj (dusk had fallen and we wanted to "see" it before finding a hotel room), there are no traffic lights - it's not like there's no power - it's just that the traffic lights have been cut off. Whole of India voted online etc. to rig Taj into the #1 spot of world's top 7 wonders - and neither the central nor the state government don't have the money to light the Taj on a no-moon night! I mean, how is this even possible?! There's desperation and disappointment among its people. And they have a natural dislike towards the government. More than one person commented - oh, the government can't take care of itself, forget the Taj and the roads and water and electricity. Our guide said, Shah Jahan made the Taj Mahal and gave us all a big burden; Agra can't progress because no industry is allowed. But is that true? No one stopped Agra from educating it folks and joining the software bandwagon? I was deeply disappointed. The Taj itself is spectacular - more on this later.
Haryana - Damn Good
Haryana has beautifully exploited its proximity to Delhi with cities like Gurgaon. It's much like what New Jersey is to New York or what Virginia is to DC. The highways are great and the state is a good blend of villages and modern life- you can almost see the building up towards to Delhi.
After more than 1,700 km of driving, we approached smog-filled Delhi - it's really surprising how visibility drops as you near big cities everywhere. It's the price of development - how much we keep squeezing out of Nature and how patient Nature is in spite of everything.
Maharashtra - Getting out
It was around 4 or 5PM on Thursday (Day 0) by the time we wrapped up everything and left Mumbai. You feel fresher and can see better as you get out of the city because the pollution and smog levels dramatically drop - the air is clean and the monsoon makes life look greener and more beautiful than they do in a dry summer. We stopped near Manor as the rain got really bad and we were both tired with the activities of the day that began at some 5.55 when Bhaskar's flight from Hyderabad landed. Manor didn't make any particular impression on me - we stopped at Vittal Kamat's hotel and the guy refused to bargain (we paid some Rs.400 for the night) and had beer at a neighboring bar - from what I recall now, we were clearly still in the city mode and conversations were confined our busy lives - kinda catching up and sometimes infused with excitement of the upcoming ride. Once you get to some 100km or so out of Mumbai, Maharashtra shows off its Sahayadri mountains and is mostly an agricultural land - dotted with villages. The men either dress like suburbans or in their dhotis...depending on where they are economically and mentally. The women too are sometimes like city dwellers but sometimes sarees wrapped in a traditional styles with no accompanying blouses (and interestingly how the saree traverses changes from state to state). I wondered if this type of dressing kept the men folk perpetually horny in those villages! Bhaskar clarified with his own gyan from his cooks and staff (who come from all over the country) that indeed they are!
Surat - A traffic jam of 5,000 trucks and Vadodara
How is this even possible?! As approached Surat, we noticed that trucks were lined up one after the other, one after the other and as we navigated through the narrow openings in between the stalled trucks, we realized it never seemed to end. We traveled some 10km on the extreme side of the road with the trucks parked (they were not even moving!) to the right. Trucks and cars were stalled even on the other side of this 2-lane highway. Finally after some 30km of driving and navigating, we got into Surat and were really curious what the source of this traffic squeeze was - it was the construction of one single flyover - just one! How can the local government be so, so silly? It took another 10km after the flyover for the road to open up. We lost a lot of time here. Surat as a tier-2/3 city option for operations is definitely out - for now.
The young people in Vadodara definitely looked 'hireable' - I can't pinpoint and say why I'm saying this but you can get a sense. They are eager and enthusiastic - and seemed interested in doing something - sounds like a lame way of saying but trust me they are hireable.
Ahmedabad - City of no-lights
It was nearly dusk by the time we reached Ahmedabad and we were both surprised and disappointed with what we saw - or rather didn't see. You are welcomed to a city that doesn't have enough juice to power its own traffic lights. Added to that it's crowded and unruly (of course nothing compared to Agra in UP). It's also very dusty and has all the ill-effects of an industrialized city. Ahmedabad as a tier-2 destination is also out. You get a very clear signal that there's an ineffective government.
Anand - Lush green
Anand is the birthplace of India's white revolution that made the country one of the top producers of milk globally. It's a lovely place. The air is fresh and clean. The highway crossing Anand is marvelous - not only is the road really smooth and is laid with trees on either side for miles and miles. Bhaskar's butt-travails started somewhere here (pic)...I took it lightly but little did I know what was to come the next day.
I thought of Dr. Verghese Kurien's dreams and ideas (incidentally, he went to Michigan State) and also about Amul's latest innerwear ad (where a washerwoman gets excited washing someone's Amul innerwear) as we drove by - what must've gone through his head back then and now(!). People have interesting goals, different goals - they may not be meaningful to everyone but it does become so when you get to the platform - when Dr. Kurien must've started his efforts in consolidating milk production from various farmers, it must not have appeared as a big deal but he must've known it all along. With focus and relentless action a thought or dream becomes a reality - a big reality - something that can change the situation of a whole country - not only make it self-sufficient but put it right on top - even if the top is milk production.
Gujarat - A vibrant state
Despite what I felt about Ahmedabad and Surat, you can't deny Gujarat its firm spot as one of India's vibrant and entrepreneurial states. Unlike Maharashtra where there are pockets of industrialized activity or development, you can sense continuous activity in Gujarat. The state seems developed (in a modest sense of the word where basic development is complete) and in a different league. None of the cities I saw are there yet and may not be for quite a few years but the state as a whole is more developed than other states as a whole. To put in an other way, if you were offered a choice of putting your finger anywhere on the eastern side of Gujarat and anywhere in Maharashtra - its much more likely that your finger will land in a developed area as far as Gujarat is concerned. At one point, Bhaskar scream, "Hey, Manikchand Ghutka" - at another, we noticed another known name and so on. NH8 highway in Gujarat is mostly smooth and good - except near the cities. Gandhiji's state is also very pretty in pockets (you can't sometimes really tell which state you are in on the eastern belt - Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan?). We stopped for lunch at Ankaleshwar and had an ok, ok Gujju thali (you get better ones in Mumbai). At sunset we were on a bridge on the Wartak river (pic).
I spoke to a villager carrying grass on his back - despite his obvious fatigue and sweat dripping through his mustache, he smiled warmly (I still remember his face) and responded to my queries on the river and his village etc. We had driven nearly for 12 hours on Day 1 (Friday) and stopped on the border of Gujarat-Rajasthan in a place called Shamlajee and stayed at a hotel that looked like a fort (pic).
Udaipur - City rooted in past
We were itching to get into Rajasthan the night of Day 1 but finally did 10km later on Day 2 (Saturday) morning. I had different images of Rajasthan - ones that formed with constant brain-washing through ads, glossy magazine photos, movies etc. - that of a desert, camels and Lambadi women swaying with their backs open. What I saw was a bright green Mewri and Aravali mountain range, some camels that dragged load on the highways and women with their backs and faces completely wrapped with their elongated sarees. We reached Udaipur (pic) a little before lunch.
Udaipur is one of the many Indian cities that is firmly rooted in its past. The city seemed lazy and very laid back. Bhaskar said, "Everyone seems to have a lot of time and nothing to do." Eagerly they pointed us to the City Palace. On the outside, the palace deceives one of its real size and complexity. It looks like a simple building from the outside but has a complicated and well thought-out architecture inside (pic - taken by a couple from Barcelona). 
You can get lost easily - guess, that's the idea. It's impossible for an outside to find his way through the various quarters (particularly the queen's quarters) and find his out of the palace once he gets in. There's a big terrace that almost looks like something on the ground floor. On top, you can see the entire city of Udaipur in its bone-white marvel. There's a museum that details the entire Mewri dynasty - the longest living ruling dynasty it says. More entertaining than the palace was finding the best local place to eat and that was Santosh Dal Bati near Saroj Paul (or something that sounds like it).
We snaked through the city's twists and turns and finally reached Santosh restaurant - a small non-descript place that was bustling with the local population. We went up to the 33 year old first floor and had a thali. In the neighboring kitchen, I could see some 500 rotis being taken out of the tandoor. Dal bati is a wheat based dish (bati is like a wheat laddoo) - they drown it with ghee and pour dal on it and then watch and wait for you to eat it. Udaipur like Agra is all to do with tourism and the past. It's an India that is unable to let go of its past - forget letting go, it doesn't want to find out about the future - it relies on its fantastic past and that's about it.Ajmer - Land of peace
I will write separately about my experiences at the Darga. But the net-net is Ajmer has all the dirt, pollution (less) and crowds of a tier 3 city but yet -- but yet, it is enveloped by a mystique charm and peace. There's a lot of energy that covers the city and makes it very calming - something like a large rock in a rough ocean - the waters are rough and bustle about incessantly but the rock is there - stable and calm and unnerved by the commotion - it's something like that. We had breakfast at a not-much-to-speak-of restaurant called Swad inside Pravasi Palace (never make the mistake of asking a local which is the best restaurant in the city -- they'll point you to the most decent looking -- not the best tasting and the one that the locals frequents). On the way out of Ajmer, I saw a donkey lying nearly dead after being knocked down by a moving vehicle. It's neck had been cut and it was struggling for breath, jerking its head intermittently - the eyes already seemed dead. We aren't supposed to think twice about donkeys right? - in fact, even calling a donkey, a donkey almost seems demeaning but yet - seeing that donkey waiting to die was something else - it brought into perspective a lot of things - Upanishads say tatvam asi - you are that - or in other words and in more scientific words (my own interpretation of course), all matter is made up of atoms and therefore, you are the donkey, the donkey is you - all these thoughts ran through my ahead in that single instant. Ajmer neither stands in the old nor the new India - it has a well known university and seems to occupy its own distinct place. We spent the night of Day 2 (Saturday) in Ajmer.
Jaipur - Surging ahead
We passed through Jaipur and it's distinctly impressive. The Ajmer-Jaipur highway is the best on NH8 - as good as a I-95 on the east coast. It's a 3-laned highway on either side - so smooth that could comfortably read my book as a pillion rider. Hardly any animals on this highway. Despite its glorious 'pink' past, Jaipur is surging ahead and building a modern future. The government seems interested in creating a spot for the city in the new India. They are taking full advantage of its proximity to Delhi and have already laid out a quick, seamless highway. The roads and infrastructure in the city are pretty good.
Agra - Is this world #1?
We decided somewhere near Jaipur to go to Agra instead of to Delhi. 220km - we thought the highway would be like that of Ajmer-Jaipur. It was far from it. UP is a different ball game altogether. If I had said Vapi, Gujarat is unruly earlier - I was mild - Agra and UP is takes the first spot in unruly and symbolize the baggage that India has to carry if it has to move forward. The entrance to the world of Taj is narrow and pothole ridden with bad directions. Once you enter the city - if you make the mistake of talking to anyone - they are likely to hound you to stay here or stay there, how the cops will get you into trouble etc. The traffic is bad, bad, bad. As we got closer to the Taj (dusk had fallen and we wanted to "see" it before finding a hotel room), there are no traffic lights - it's not like there's no power - it's just that the traffic lights have been cut off. Whole of India voted online etc. to rig Taj into the #1 spot of world's top 7 wonders - and neither the central nor the state government don't have the money to light the Taj on a no-moon night! I mean, how is this even possible?! There's desperation and disappointment among its people. And they have a natural dislike towards the government. More than one person commented - oh, the government can't take care of itself, forget the Taj and the roads and water and electricity. Our guide said, Shah Jahan made the Taj Mahal and gave us all a big burden; Agra can't progress because no industry is allowed. But is that true? No one stopped Agra from educating it folks and joining the software bandwagon? I was deeply disappointed. The Taj itself is spectacular - more on this later.
Haryana - Damn Good
Haryana has beautifully exploited its proximity to Delhi with cities like Gurgaon. It's much like what New Jersey is to New York or what Virginia is to DC. The highways are great and the state is a good blend of villages and modern life- you can almost see the building up towards to Delhi.
After more than 1,700 km of driving, we approached smog-filled Delhi - it's really surprising how visibility drops as you near big cities everywhere. It's the price of development - how much we keep squeezing out of Nature and how patient Nature is in spite of everything.
End of Phase 1 (Mumbai-Delhi)
I've got a million mails...finished up with the client ones...and want to release my thoughts so I can focus back on work (and release is the right word). Also, these thoughts just keep changing - what I felt as soon as I crapped (literally) in the open outside of Udaipur I don't feel now! And for good reason...Thank Gawd, Suz would say! I'll just write whatever gets transmited to my fingers from my head - sometimes it might seem like I'm writing for myself, sometimes to inform an imminent rider and sometimes to provide vicarious pleasure to those watchers out there - but if I have to choose as I write, it'll be mostly for myself so excuse me. Anyways, here is the route map - the blue is the path we took, the yellow dots are where we stopped for an extended period of time (2 clarifications - we stopped at Manor just 50km from Mumbai so it doesn't count, Surat was a forceful stop because of an insane traffic jam so it counts!).
So what do I feel right now - back in Mumbai. I kinda feel expanded - in every sense of the word - mind, heart and spirit. Independent India is at the cusp of the ripe young age of 60 years (tomorrow) - ripe because you can kinda sense that the efforts of development are about to bear fruit - I feel happy having experienced it. A motorcycle journey is different from car, bus, train, walk and definitely airplane journeys. You don't just experience one or two senses like sights and sounds or sights and smell - particularly in a car you are locked up from the world outside but in a motorcycle you experience all of the 5 senses while driving - you see, you hear, you smell and you feel - your skin feels the experience and sometimes you taste things too because your mouth is exposed to whatever!
I've made broad observations in terms of business, people and their aspirations and fears, the intermingling of old and new India, of a present glued to a past, of a present gearted to a future, of our land, our farmers, of different states, cities and the surprising consistency and inconsisency in people's behavior, food, sounds - in a rational calculated way these may or may not be correct but again the mind has far more computational power when it relies on intuition than when it does with rational thinking so the subtle signals might as well be right.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Sitting behind the Taj
We're right now behind the South gate of the Taj Mahal in Agra...after negotiating with Bhaskar that we'll eat Biryani at Pakeeza restaurant near the fort, I was able to get to this Internet cafe. The Taj is absolutely absolutely amazing - our guide Parvez did a pretty passionate job explaining the background. The whole city seems to be based on tourism...
It's been an amazing journey so far - arduous, exciting, happy, enlightening, painful everything...and it's just been 3 days of driving. Will write later more peacefully - want to finish up email.
It's been an amazing journey so far - arduous, exciting, happy, enlightening, painful everything...and it's just been 3 days of driving. Will write later more peacefully - want to finish up email.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Words before flight...
Am at the office and in transit - Bhaskar is impatiently waiting my room...had a real hectic day picking up Bhaskar at 5.55am, giving a quick Bullet 101, buying saddle bags, jacket, adding a nitrogen-based mixture into tires blah blah...
What am I thinking now? I had multiple thoughts throughout the day but right now, I'm just feeling a little rushed but reminding myself to take it slow. Came to cut a check and check my emails...I just feel happy I guess...that's about it.
What am I thinking now? I had multiple thoughts throughout the day but right now, I'm just feeling a little rushed but reminding myself to take it slow. Came to cut a check and check my emails...I just feel happy I guess...that's about it.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Can't wait...
I don't know who gave the moronic idea of 'planning' the trip...I just want to go now (there's no rain either) and just can't imagine that I'll have to come back after Delhi, wait for 2 weeks and then go again...sounds terrible! But I have a lot of work-work to do.
Bhaskar sent an sms y'day...the sights and smells of India and the bull...can't get better than this. Poetic eh? Should ask once the butt starts hurting.
Out of desperation to do something today, I went and bought some first aid stuff like pain killers, neosporin, bandaid, Move etc. Bhaskar lands at 6am tomorrow...and some action would begin like buying saddle bags and jackets and stuff. But I'm like I don't need all this stuff - I just want to drive now.
Bhaskar sent an sms y'day...the sights and smells of India and the bull...can't get better than this. Poetic eh? Should ask once the butt starts hurting.
Out of desperation to do something today, I went and bought some first aid stuff like pain killers, neosporin, bandaid, Move etc. Bhaskar lands at 6am tomorrow...and some action would begin like buying saddle bags and jackets and stuff. But I'm like I don't need all this stuff - I just want to drive now.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
The Big W
It's raining like crazy in Mumbai since the weekend and I can't help but wonder how the weather will be during the trip. The National Informatics Centre (Weather Resource System for India) runs a website to provide the 5-day forecast: http://www.weather.nic.in/. Surprisingly, it links to Yahoo's weather forecast.
Anyways, it looks like it'll rain in Mumbai but not as much in Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Delhi (the Phase 1 path). We'll just have to get used to driving in the rain. I just got sidetracked - the enfield website featured my Bull - heh, heh - http://royalenfield.com/app/IN/trip.asp or http://royalenfield.com/app/IN/trip.asp?sID=17563.
But a lot will depend on the weather - now during Phase 1 and more importantly - later - during Phase 2.
Anyways, it looks like it'll rain in Mumbai but not as much in Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Delhi (the Phase 1 path). We'll just have to get used to driving in the rain. I just got sidetracked - the enfield website featured my Bull - heh, heh - http://royalenfield.com/app/IN/trip.asp or http://royalenfield.com/app/IN/trip.asp?sID=17563.
But a lot will depend on the weather - now during Phase 1 and more importantly - later - during Phase 2.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
How to prepare the Bullet and yourself for long drives (e.g. Leh)
This functional article will be of particular interest to those who are preparing the Bullet for a long drive.
These are following spares to consider (for a full list, check your Enfield manual):
- Bulbs - headlight (Rs. 40), tail lamp, fuse
- Cables - accelerator, clutch (Rs. 125), front brake and decompressor
- Rear chain link lock
- Tyre puncture repair kit - cold vulcanizing type, a tube that can temporarily seal punctures (about Rs.500)
- Foot operated air pump (costs Rs. 450)
- Insulation tape (Rs. 10)
- Spark plug (Rs. 72), fuel hose (free!)
On Saturday, I went to the Enfield service center in Mahim and spent close to 3 hours with the lead mechanic Pervez and others. He started by explaining to me the basic principles. He told me in Hindi: look, just like your body needs oxygen and your stomach burns the food and gives you energy - the Bullet also requires air, petrol - these burn to give it power. The carburettor gets air supply from the filter box, fuel from the tank, spark from the spark plug and sends this to the engine box - everything catches fire there and gives the motorcycle its energy. Simple. Brilliant. Looking at all my notes and diagrams of the engine box, carburettor etc. amused him and he kept subtly smiling to himself. Before I left he told me, Inshallah, aapka safar safal hoga (God willing, your journey will be successful).
There's another enthusiastic gentleman called Gisad at the Enfield service station who's been on 21 long trips and a few times on the Leh, Khardung La stretch (he deliberately painted the national flag on his Bullet during the Kargil war because it wasn't allowed in Kashmir) - talk to him for some really good perspective and advice on the Leh trip. The best thing about the Bullet community - be it mechanics, managers, suppliers, dealers, other customers, anyone -- everyone is maha enthusiastic about the machine and is very interested in seeing you succeed in your endeavors and they come forward for the sheer pleasure of it to help you in more ways than one. It's truly a cult experience.
Below are my notes on the various parts (for Electra 5S) and some additional info. The most important ones here are: 1) clutch cable 2) carburettor tuning 3) rear chain link lock 4) Punctures.
Clutch cable. Of all the cables, the clutch cable is the most vulnerable on the Bullet. Here's what you need to do:
- Remove the kick lever
- Remove the 5-speed cap and bolt below
- The cable needs to be inserted from the bottom of the vehicle and pushed to the top - in case of problems doing so, you can always let it hang from the outside
- Unscrew the nut on the left side
- Use your fingers to feel the cable inside (behind the 5-speed cap) - the cable needs to sit in a lock
- 3mm LN key, 12 mm and 5 mm spanners are required (not available in the tool box).
An easier way would be to open the gear box but you'll need a plate to hold the gear oil that'll leak when you do this (it's a 90 # gear oil).
Accelerator cable. It's rare that this has to be replaced. But it's the cable that goes on top of the carburettor. Loosen the top of the carburettor. You'll notice a spring, clip to lock it, make sure that the cable aligns and when you replace the whole thing, it has to align as well -- to lock it.
Decompressor cable. The cable goes from the decompressor, from under the tank in between the engine chamber. This is a rare issue with Bullets and will not stop you from driving anyways.
Carburettor Tuning. On higher altitudes, it's possible that the Bullet will not get the required air as would you - it's rarefied. So the filter needs the capacity to suck in more. To do so, you'll need to tune and open the carburettor more. On the left side of the carburretor, there's a small screw like thing - that's the tuning device. To tune, rotate clockwise all the way through until it locks. After that rotate 360 degrees to complete one full circle, then rotate 180 degrees to do another half-circle -- 1.5 circles is normal tuning. For higher altitudes, you need to open it more - so make it 2 or so (turn more to left/ anti-clockwise). This is only when you are up a slope and the Bullet is not starting or not getting enough air to start.
Rear chain link lock. Knowing to change this is important - due to wear and tear this can break. It's a small piece of metal that locks the chain together. It's fairly intuitive but one needs to remember that the open end needs to point down.
Punctures. There's a gas station called the Chaganmitha petrol pump at Sion Bus Depot (Mumbai); they put a nitrogen-based mixture into your tires - this tends to cool the tires more and reduces the risk of punctures while on long drives. However, I'm also buying a temporary puncture fixing kit (it's a small pump) and a foot operated pump (recommended) -- this'll help until the time one can take the motorcycle to a proper mechanic. Once you open the hole, there's a valve (technically called Shredder Valve, commonly called Valve Die) and there's a spring. Then you'll see the hollow space, inject the solution into this hollow space and replace everything as it was before.
Tire pressure. While doing a long drive with a pillion, the front tire needs to be at 22 units and rear at 32 units. This is particularly critical while driving up the mountains because it helps in balancing the motorcycle with the heavy load at the back.
Other considerations.
- By rule, put 140ml of 2T oil for 14 litres and 100ml of 2T oil for 10 litres. Particularly important for long drives.
- Do not drive Bullets with the old engines at constant speed (e.g. don't keep driving at 70) - keep changing the speed because it is believed to seize sometimes. This issue isn't there with the AVL engines (Thunderbird, Machismo).
- There's something called 'missing' that happens on the Bullets on long drives - this is the putt, putt, putt sound -- to avoid that one needs to seal the area between the tank and carburettor (am getting it done on Thursday).
- In Manali, there's a good Enfield mechanic called Raju Mechanic (that's it!) - he won't service anyone's Bullet until it comes with a reference (so refer Ram Motors Mumbai - below).
Locations to buy Bullet stuff in Mumbai.
- The most popular place for Bullet accessories seems to be Ali Bhai Tirewalla near Minerva theater on Grant Road.
- Ram Motor Cycle Co. (authorized spares dealer) - Shop # 3/C, Ganesh Bhavan, Senapati Bapat Marg, Opp. Mahim Station, Mahim. (Prem Malik owns and runs the shop -- he's very enthusiastic, has been to Ladhakh and gives you loads and loads of advice - some of which is in this article). His phone number is 93230-25335. At his shop, I met a Thunderbird driver who had just completed Mumbai-Leh last month.
- Under Grant Road bridge (East side of Grant Road station) on the same side of Navjivan society and somewhere close to Ali Bhai is another useful shop where you can buy Bullet related accessories.
- Chaganmitha gas station, Sion Bus Depot, Sion, Mumbai - where you can get the nitrogen-mixture to reduce risk of punctures.
These are following spares to consider (for a full list, check your Enfield manual):
- Bulbs - headlight (Rs. 40), tail lamp, fuse
- Cables - accelerator, clutch (Rs. 125), front brake and decompressor
- Rear chain link lock
- Tyre puncture repair kit - cold vulcanizing type, a tube that can temporarily seal punctures (about Rs.500)
- Foot operated air pump (costs Rs. 450)
- Insulation tape (Rs. 10)
- Spark plug (Rs. 72), fuel hose (free!)
On Saturday, I went to the Enfield service center in Mahim and spent close to 3 hours with the lead mechanic Pervez and others. He started by explaining to me the basic principles. He told me in Hindi: look, just like your body needs oxygen and your stomach burns the food and gives you energy - the Bullet also requires air, petrol - these burn to give it power. The carburettor gets air supply from the filter box, fuel from the tank, spark from the spark plug and sends this to the engine box - everything catches fire there and gives the motorcycle its energy. Simple. Brilliant. Looking at all my notes and diagrams of the engine box, carburettor etc. amused him and he kept subtly smiling to himself. Before I left he told me, Inshallah, aapka safar safal hoga (God willing, your journey will be successful).
There's another enthusiastic gentleman called Gisad at the Enfield service station who's been on 21 long trips and a few times on the Leh, Khardung La stretch (he deliberately painted the national flag on his Bullet during the Kargil war because it wasn't allowed in Kashmir) - talk to him for some really good perspective and advice on the Leh trip. The best thing about the Bullet community - be it mechanics, managers, suppliers, dealers, other customers, anyone -- everyone is maha enthusiastic about the machine and is very interested in seeing you succeed in your endeavors and they come forward for the sheer pleasure of it to help you in more ways than one. It's truly a cult experience.
Below are my notes on the various parts (for Electra 5S) and some additional info. The most important ones here are: 1) clutch cable 2) carburettor tuning 3) rear chain link lock 4) Punctures.
Clutch cable. Of all the cables, the clutch cable is the most vulnerable on the Bullet. Here's what you need to do:
- Remove the kick lever
- Remove the 5-speed cap and bolt below
- The cable needs to be inserted from the bottom of the vehicle and pushed to the top - in case of problems doing so, you can always let it hang from the outside
- Unscrew the nut on the left side
- Use your fingers to feel the cable inside (behind the 5-speed cap) - the cable needs to sit in a lock
- 3mm LN key, 12 mm and 5 mm spanners are required (not available in the tool box).
An easier way would be to open the gear box but you'll need a plate to hold the gear oil that'll leak when you do this (it's a 90 # gear oil).
Accelerator cable. It's rare that this has to be replaced. But it's the cable that goes on top of the carburettor. Loosen the top of the carburettor. You'll notice a spring, clip to lock it, make sure that the cable aligns and when you replace the whole thing, it has to align as well -- to lock it.
Decompressor cable. The cable goes from the decompressor, from under the tank in between the engine chamber. This is a rare issue with Bullets and will not stop you from driving anyways.
Carburettor Tuning. On higher altitudes, it's possible that the Bullet will not get the required air as would you - it's rarefied. So the filter needs the capacity to suck in more. To do so, you'll need to tune and open the carburettor more. On the left side of the carburretor, there's a small screw like thing - that's the tuning device. To tune, rotate clockwise all the way through until it locks. After that rotate 360 degrees to complete one full circle, then rotate 180 degrees to do another half-circle -- 1.5 circles is normal tuning. For higher altitudes, you need to open it more - so make it 2 or so (turn more to left/ anti-clockwise). This is only when you are up a slope and the Bullet is not starting or not getting enough air to start.
Rear chain link lock. Knowing to change this is important - due to wear and tear this can break. It's a small piece of metal that locks the chain together. It's fairly intuitive but one needs to remember that the open end needs to point down.
Punctures. There's a gas station called the Chaganmitha petrol pump at Sion Bus Depot (Mumbai); they put a nitrogen-based mixture into your tires - this tends to cool the tires more and reduces the risk of punctures while on long drives. However, I'm also buying a temporary puncture fixing kit (it's a small pump) and a foot operated pump (recommended) -- this'll help until the time one can take the motorcycle to a proper mechanic. Once you open the hole, there's a valve (technically called Shredder Valve, commonly called Valve Die) and there's a spring. Then you'll see the hollow space, inject the solution into this hollow space and replace everything as it was before.
Tire pressure. While doing a long drive with a pillion, the front tire needs to be at 22 units and rear at 32 units. This is particularly critical while driving up the mountains because it helps in balancing the motorcycle with the heavy load at the back.
Other considerations.
- By rule, put 140ml of 2T oil for 14 litres and 100ml of 2T oil for 10 litres. Particularly important for long drives.
- Do not drive Bullets with the old engines at constant speed (e.g. don't keep driving at 70) - keep changing the speed because it is believed to seize sometimes. This issue isn't there with the AVL engines (Thunderbird, Machismo).
- There's something called 'missing' that happens on the Bullets on long drives - this is the putt, putt, putt sound -- to avoid that one needs to seal the area between the tank and carburettor (am getting it done on Thursday).
- In Manali, there's a good Enfield mechanic called Raju Mechanic (that's it!) - he won't service anyone's Bullet until it comes with a reference (so refer Ram Motors Mumbai - below).
Locations to buy Bullet stuff in Mumbai.
- The most popular place for Bullet accessories seems to be Ali Bhai Tirewalla near Minerva theater on Grant Road.
- Ram Motor Cycle Co. (authorized spares dealer) - Shop # 3/C, Ganesh Bhavan, Senapati Bapat Marg, Opp. Mahim Station, Mahim. (Prem Malik owns and runs the shop -- he's very enthusiastic, has been to Ladhakh and gives you loads and loads of advice - some of which is in this article). His phone number is 93230-25335. At his shop, I met a Thunderbird driver who had just completed Mumbai-Leh last month.
- Under Grant Road bridge (East side of Grant Road station) on the same side of Navjivan society and somewhere close to Ali Bhai is another useful shop where you can buy Bullet related accessories.
- Chaganmitha gas station, Sion Bus Depot, Sion, Mumbai - where you can get the nitrogen-mixture to reduce risk of punctures.
Friday, August 3, 2007
FROM THE CAR TO THE BULL
Sitting in the comfort of my car with roy orbison playing in the background the thought crossed my mind that the last time i rode a 2 wheeler was in 1996.
have always had a windshield in front on me since then.
this would be fun though, where the windshield gets replaced by the a helmet screen.
i am sure this trip would be filled with fun. Every past trip that i did added a piece to me (made me cooler as a person or stronger as a person or both).
i am really excited and looking forward to this one. This trip would definitely add a lot of pieces to us (me and praveen) humans living in this insane world.
CANT SLEEP, CANT THINK.
This is like those virgin days when one always wonders when itwill first happen.
have always had a windshield in front on me since then.
this would be fun though, where the windshield gets replaced by the a helmet screen.
i am sure this trip would be filled with fun. Every past trip that i did added a piece to me (made me cooler as a person or stronger as a person or both).
i am really excited and looking forward to this one. This trip would definitely add a lot of pieces to us (me and praveen) humans living in this insane world.
CANT SLEEP, CANT THINK.
This is like those virgin days when one always wonders when itwill first happen.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Mountains on my mind...
The last thing before sleeping and the first thing after getting up that I think about are the Himalayas. I watch the weather portion of the news with particular interest -- it's pouring all the way from Mumbai to Ahmedabad to Jaipur to Delhi and will continue to this weekend -- we'll be driving there next weekend. Driving to Daman anyway has given my body and mind enough practice to sustain the rain.
Also called up the Cramster's store in Mumbai - here's the address:
Smart Designs
207, Hanuman Industrial Estate
G.D. Ambekar Marg, Wadala,
Mumbai - 31
Phone:022-2412 2030 / 6663 5228
It's close to Ram Mandir near Dadar-TT circle, 10 min from Dadar station. Planning to get saddle bags, motorcycle jackets and gloves from there. I bought my ticks back from Delhi y'day for the 13th evening (JetLite) -- so rain or shine we got to get to Delhi by then.
Also called up the Cramster's store in Mumbai - here's the address:
Smart Designs
207, Hanuman Industrial Estate
G.D. Ambekar Marg, Wadala,
Mumbai - 31
Phone:022-2412 2030 / 6663 5228
It's close to Ram Mandir near Dadar-TT circle, 10 min from Dadar station. Planning to get saddle bags, motorcycle jackets and gloves from there. I bought my ticks back from Delhi y'day for the 13th evening (JetLite) -- so rain or shine we got to get to Delhi by then.
Phase 1 (email)
From: Bhaskar Chatterjee
Date: August 2, 2007 2:41:40 PM GMT+05:30
To: Praveen Suthrum
Subject: thehimalayamdream : my phase 1 air tickets
my tickets for phase 1
hyderabad - mumbai - spicejet SG402 - reaching mumbai 11:20 pm on 9th august thursday
delhi hyderabad - spicejet SG211 - leaving delhi at 8:15pm on 13th august monday
lets plan phase II as early as possible - that way we can get cheaper tickets.
Date: August 2, 2007 2:41:40 PM GMT+05:30
To: Praveen Suthrum
Subject: thehimalayamdream : my phase 1 air tickets
my tickets for phase 1
hyderabad - mumbai - spicejet SG402 - reaching mumbai 11:20 pm on 9th august thursday
delhi hyderabad - spicejet SG211 - leaving delhi at 8:15pm on 13th august monday
lets plan phase II as early as possible - that way we can get cheaper tickets.
Kya hua, no call?
So Bhaskar called...saying he's waiting to book his tickets to Mumbai. Up till now he didn't have a license -- then his parents found his license from 12 years ago in Pune (adviced, "Don't drive motorcycle in Hyderabad, roads are bad" -- he has never driven a geared motorcycle and plans to learn during this trip! - his last 2-wheeled experience was on a Kinetic Honda more than a decade ago ufff...). Oh boy, this is just too crazy and exciting (I was in splits telling Norbert that I'm driving to the Himalayas -- can't believe it myself)! Anyways, here are distances:
Aug 10: Mumbai - Ahmedabad: 585km (planning 9.8 hrs)
Aug 11: Ahmedabad - Jaipur: 655km (planning 10.9 hrs)
Aug 12: Jaipur - Delhi: 267km (planning 4.5 hrs) >> Alternate, Jaipur - Agra and Agra - Delhi -- will add 229km. (depends on mood, butt and itch to see the Taj)
Aug 13: Fly back to Mumbai (me) and Hyderabad (Bhaskar)
Aug 31: Fly back to Delhi
Here's an Internet store in India like REI or EMS: www.cramster.in (they don't accept credit cards)
One big question currently is: can both of us drive from Manali-Leh on the Bull along with the tents, sleeping bags etc. If not, the plan B is to rent a Bull from Delhi.
Here's the funny thing about this whole Internet and blogging thing -- I haven't 'told' anybody about this but yet I'm telling everybody.
Another idea I had last night was to carry a NextServices/ iNexter flag or t-shirt (for sure) and put it up right there where it belongs -- on top of the world's highest motorable pass, Khardung La.
Aug 10: Mumbai - Ahmedabad: 585km (planning 9.8 hrs)
Aug 11: Ahmedabad - Jaipur: 655km (planning 10.9 hrs)
Aug 12: Jaipur - Delhi: 267km (planning 4.5 hrs) >> Alternate, Jaipur - Agra and Agra - Delhi -- will add 229km. (depends on mood, butt and itch to see the Taj)
Aug 13: Fly back to Mumbai (me) and Hyderabad (Bhaskar)
Aug 31: Fly back to Delhi
Here's an Internet store in India like REI or EMS: www.cramster.in (they don't accept credit cards)
One big question currently is: can both of us drive from Manali-Leh on the Bull along with the tents, sleeping bags etc. If not, the plan B is to rent a Bull from Delhi.
Here's the funny thing about this whole Internet and blogging thing -- I haven't 'told' anybody about this but yet I'm telling everybody.
Another idea I had last night was to carry a NextServices/ iNexter flag or t-shirt (for sure) and put it up right there where it belongs -- on top of the world's highest motorable pass, Khardung La.
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