Road Trip!

Yesterday I had the good fortune of going on a small 1 day bike trip to Mulshi Dam, about 70 kms from Pune city proper. Needless to say, Mulshi is a great place whichever time of the year - always enough water around - and the numerous dhabas are affordable and provide you with a memorable rustic ambiance. Just - don't trust the local petrol or alcohol!

I had a great time. It was the perfect weekend break, along with great friends, good food and good amounts of decent whisky. We went to a quaint little place a hike away from the lake - and also managed the quintessential swim in the waters.

But what really stood out was the ride. And WHAT a ride. Once you get out of city limits (beyond Chandini Chowk) you are greeted with very smooth stretches of asphalt - I didn't encounter a single pothole! I'm even willing to bet my money that the PMC had nothing to do with construction/maintenance of this area.

And that made my day. Minimal traffic even on a Sunday.. and being a thoroughly capable bike the Bajaj Pulsar, I couldn't stop myself from zooming away. My two other friends were on an Apache and since I knew there was no way they could keep up with me, I had pre-decided to take it easy - but the road just beckoned me and my bike into taking it to the extreme. And thus, once again I experienced the familiar adrenaline rush, 90kmph average speeds, peg-scraping turns, and inner peace. I was instantly reminded of the following words, which I think came in a recent Outlook magazine: "I'd rather be on a motorcycle thinking about God than in a church thinking about my motorcycle". Needless to say one should be thinking about God in church anyways - or maybe of the countless sins you committed; but that's for another day.

Yesterday, was for riding. And experiencing the freedom a bike gives you. Sometimes it's like flying, you know. Your eyes are constantly on the road and you have to be acutely aware of the motorcycle dynamics going on under you. All the time the wind hits you making you more aware of how fast you are going. It's like - you and your machine are just going so fast it's unnatural - and that is how it feels.