Episode 229 : The Devbhoomi Experience- Part 2

Delhi welcomes me in a way I am totally not used to- with heat and humidity. The kind I usually encounter in Madras at the same time.

After collecting my saddlebags and helmet, which were in excellent condition, I leave for the hotel. The taxi takes me through the familiar parts of southern Delhi, to Connaught Place and finally to a hotel near the railway station.

What the baggage handlers at the airport did not do, I do at the entrance to the hotel.

I drop my helmet.

The bikes aren't expected till the afternoon of the 2nd, so I spend the whole day sleeping and venture out in the evening to take a ride in the famed Metro to Connaught Place.

Something about the place makes me uneasy and I am glad to be back in the hotel. Tiger and Ron had landed by then and had booked themselves into a hotel in nearby Paharganj. Zim and Muthu are expected the next morning.

It isn't until 4pm the next that we finally get the motorcycles out of the unloading yard. And a little miscommunication makes sure I wait at the wrong end of Nizamuddin station. It is going to be long ride on the first day. But 280km is something we cover in the rides down south, so there aren't any worries there.

One of the accessories I packed for the trip is a Sigma digital speedometer. Originally meant for bicycles, it can also be fitted into motorcycles after a little improvisation. I intend to measure the top speed my bike is capable of. You see, the speedometers on all Royal Enfield bike are inaccurate beyond a certain speed. So 110kmph could be 100kmph or 120kmph.

Day 4: October 3, 2008

Paharganj, New Delhi @ 59255km

The plan is to start from Paharganj, which is where the rest of the gang are staying, and ride to India Gate for some photos. An early (!) morning shoot at 8am is nothing new at India Gate, but the guards there don't let us hang around for too long.

'Photos are allowed, but not with bikes and bags like yours. We'll give you a minute to finish taking your photos.' one of them says.

So before we find ourselves at the wrong end of a rifle, we snap a few photos and set off towards Noida. I, for the first time, am travelling without knowing the route. The feeling of being completely ignorant of the route is scary yet exciting.

It could have been an uneventful ride till Hapur, where we stop for breakfast. But Zim had to have a tryst with a punctured rear tyre less than 60kms into the ride.

Hapur, NH24 @ 59318km

We all have alu-parantha for breakfast. Might as well get used to it now, I think, instead of having idli-vada-sambhar which will not be like what I am used to having.

I keep fiddling with the speedometer, hoping to get it to work. For some reason, the speedometer refuses to function, so I use it as a clock!

The road to Moradabad is a lot like the Madras-Bangalore highway. Smooth and straight accompanied by warm weather! The only difference is the green fields by the roadside.

We cross the Ganges for the first time at Garmukteshwar. I do not expect it, but then it would not have surprised me if I had looked at the map before!

The drop in temperature is apparent as we swing off the NH24 at Moradabad and turn towards Kashipur. Trees by the roadside add to the shade, and the ride gets enjoyable.

I trail the gang by half a kilometre for some time. I do not want to speed up to catch up, but not knowing the route or the day's destination has a certain disadvantage. It is at this time that I notice something a little ahead moving by the side of the road.

It happens so quickly that I do not have time to react. A large dog was waiting for the bikes to cross where it stood, unaware that I am yet to cross it. The next moment I see a large hairy shape right in front of the motorcycle.

I am done for; my ride ends right here, I think in despair.

The next moment, I find myself still on the bike, and the bike still on the road. And the wheels are turning!

The dog is nowhere to be seen. I lean over to the side to see if it is entangled in the bike. Nothing there.

That marks the end of the gap between me and the bike in front of me.

The day's destination is at a camp in Dikhuli. Three tents houses the six of us. And the ride has gotten off to a good start, punctures and large dogs notwithstanding.

Dikhuli, Uttarankhand @ 59436km