This ride was undertaken by 2 riders of the Royal enfield group named Bulls on Parade. Having missed the ride to Corbett national park the previous weekend due to a friend's wedding, I planned this ride to compensate for it. Sariska in Rajasthan is an ideal place to visit around Jan end as the weather is pleasant.
Ride dates 31st Jan and 1st Feb'09.
Route: Gurgaon - Dharuhera - Tapookara - Tijata - Alwar - Sariska: 180Kms.
Riders:
Sachin Bhatia (Bhatiaji) on Thunderbird Twinspark
Sandeep Singh Chadha on Bullet Std 350.
31st Jan
The start and the first break
We met at IFFCO Chowk in Gurgaon at 8AM and started the ride in cold weather. I was wearing leg warmers to keep the cold out and a jacket for the upper body. NH8 was quite the way it usually is - in good condition without too much traffic. We asked for directions at Dharuhera and then took the road to Tapookara. Having passed the wonderful NH8, the following roads didn't let us down. The roads on most of the route were well maintained. We halted at a dhaaba in tapookara for breakfast and feasted on paraanthas - the standard breakfast for our group. By now the weather had turned pleasant on the cooler side and was perfect for riding. I am a slow rider and don't exceed speed of 70kms/hr and usually ride at the tail end of fellow riders. But since this was Bhatiaji's first ride, he let me take the lead. It was quite nice to do that. The other reason was that his bike was in running in condition so he could not ride above 60kms/hr.
To Alwar
The road had little traffic and the mountains at a distance on either side of the road created a beautiful view. After riding for a while, we took another short break to stretch our legs. Bhatiaji took out his GPS device and tried using it. He wasn't used to it so it didn't prove to be of much help and the good old Indian style of asking directions by people on the streets was utilized. A couple of hours later we reached Alwar. Unlike what you would expect, it is a well developed town with the usual markets and establishments you find in a major city. We took the turn towards Sariska and found ourselves riding up a mountain road. I was excited at the prospect of hill riding in Rajasthan but the hill ended before I knew it.
Alwar to Sariska
The road from Alwar to Sariska was about 30 kms long. Traffic was sparse but the road was full of patch work so we kept the speed at about 50kms/hr. There was cool breaze blowing and surprisingly I noticed lush green grasslands and a few hills along the road. It was a beautiful ride as I love grasslands and mountains. After some time, we reached our resort with the help of directions received by Bhatiaji on phone from the resort manager.
The resort.
Bhatiaji works in a travel company and had booked this accommodation named fort view resort. We had booked a tent accommodation. Sorry, a luxury tent accommodation. The tent was founded on a cemented 1 foot high platform. The beds were clean and cozy but the best part was the washroom. It was like a bathroom that you would find in a luxury hotel that is placed in a tent. I had never seen something like this before. After unpacking, a sumptuous meal was served and we obliged. A few hours of sleep followed. In the evening around 5PM, we went for a short walk in the near by rural area and saw women carrying wood and a peacock roaming around. We returned soon and were just sitting outside out tent when Bhatiaji took out a set of portable speakers, plugged in his i-pod and music started flowing like a smooth river. His i-pod was loaded with old soft music which I simply loved listening to while sitting in the garden outside our tent with the view of the Aravalli hills in front. We took some light snacks too.
The night.
As the sun set, the resort manager asked to come around the born fire in the common area. He had wordspace radio placed nearby that was dishing out romantic songs of the past. Barbeque was set up and grilled snacks were served. To complete the affair, Bhatiaji contributed Rum. Sorry- premium rum which I enjoyed in the presence of grilled snacks and music dipped in love, sitting in front of a born fire on a starry night. It felt like the sky had put up a show of stars for us. Dinner was served in some time and then it was time for a sound and deep sleep.
1st Feb'09
The morning
I woke up to a sunny morning and after a lazy packing up, we made it for breakfast. It was a royal breakfast again with milk, cereals, eggs, jam and the works. We gave due attention to each dish and then started our journey back home. About 25kms into the ride, we halted at a government guest house located adjacent to a huge lake. It was a nice place to be except for the sun that was shining a bit too strong despite the cold wave blowing. Boating was also available but we gave it a miss as Bhatiaji was not too keen and it was too sunny.
Return journey
We started from there and then kept riding for a long while since we did not find a decent establishment offering lunch on the way. We stopped for lunch at Dharuhera and then ended the ride near IFFCO chowk around 5PM from where I left for home in Delhi by myself.
The ride was unique due to the following reasons:
Bhatiaji's portable speakers
Bhatiaji's GPS
Bhatiaji's premium rum
Bhatiaji letting me lead for some portion of the ride.
Pictures of the ride:
http://picasaweb.google.com/sandeepschadha/200901RideToSariska