After about one to one and half hours of passionately discussing about AVL's vs Cast Iron, I, Vijay or maybe Diwakar Da half heartedly pointed out that maybe we should do a trip from Bangalore to Sikkim / Darjeeling. And on the 21st of September 2009, approximately 2 yrs after the discussion happened, I and Diwakar Da (Mini Austin) would be finally doing this trip. Sadly, Vijay (Chota mechanic) would be missing the trip as he has been working in Dubai for almost a year now.
On the preparation part, the usual servicing was done 4 days prior to the trip. My mechanic advised me to change the clutch plates and also the acc cable just incase. Austin Da in the meanwhile also changed his stock handle bar to RD 350's which in the long run turned out to be a very smart one.
Apart from that we had carried throttle cable, clutch cable, spark plug, chain link, an extra tube, all tools to change the punctured tube if needed, an extra head lamp, indicator lamp, a screw driver set and the complete spanner set. We also bought cramster gloves (which didn't turn out to be a good investment as I used my old comfy gloves almost all through the ride) and Austin Da also bought a pair of cramster riding shoes. I on the other hand would be relying on my old red tape boots (given by my brother) which has been with me in each and every ride I've been ever since my first ride to Nandi Hills back in Dec 05.
I was quite nervous as well as excited about the ride as the max distance I'd done before this was about 1500 kms. Anyways, after almost 2 yrs of having joked about doing this trip, we would be finally doing it which was a very good thing to happen. And tomorrow, 21st of September we would finally ride on our Royal Enfields.
Day 1: Bangalore - Nellore
We were supposed to leave at about 5:30 to 6 am but for Austin Da who came 45 - 60 mins later after he said he was just ''coming down the stairs'', his place being a 2 min walk from mine. Anyways, when he came, we clicked some photographs with friends and family (whatever we have here), did some final touchups with the bungee cords and cramsters and finally left home.
We filled up our tanks, what will be a daily event for some days now on at 5th Block and were off from the city to the place where my heart and my best friend's heart lies…..HIGHWAY. I was really happy that we were doing this, and it took sometime for the feeling to sink in to realize that we were actually doing this trip.
After an hour or so, we had cleared the city and it felt real good just to get the old mixed feelings. One of them being on the highway with my best friend RE, one which I am sure makes every riders face shine just to think of it.
4 to 6 hrs later, after passing through small towns and the National Highway we connected to the 4 lane highway which was one of the best roads my bike has ever laid his wheels on. This was bliss and I stood on my bike for some time to celebrate this in my own small way, of course I wanted to pop out wheelies but I'm still working out on how to pop one. Cruising along at constant 85 - 90 km/hrs, we reached Tirupati at about 4 - 5 pm. The last time id been to tirupati was in 2006 and I realized how long the journey and far the destination was than, it had seemed then. Filled gas at the same petrol pump I'd filled 3 yrs back and couldn't wait to get off from the place as a decent crowd had gathered there asking all sort of questions which on some other day I would have loved to answer, but this was not the time.
We hit the road once again maintaining the same speed at the same time trying to avoid any unnecessary breaks so as to not spoil the rhythm. Our initial plan was to reach Vijaywada and it seemed impossible to reach Vijaywada today itself unless we ride at night, which I wanted to avoid unless completely unavoidable.
We started looking for a lodge to crash for the day in, what looked like a proper town just along the Highway. After about 45 mins - 1 hr, we finally found a decent place which turned out to be the worst stay among all the places. It was so bad that we could not sleep at a stretch for more than 20 mins, thanks to the mosquitoes and bed bugs. The place was already very hot and humid and we were sweating like crazy just 2 mins after taking bath.. Add to that Diwakar Da, blabbering and adjusting his bungee chords in his sleep with his hands outstretched right in front of my chest.
Irony lies in the fact that this room was the most expensive of all the rooms we stayed in throughout the ride. Yes, I do agree with Alanis Morisette that life is Ironic.
Day 2: Nellore - Vizag
Next morning, we left early at 5 with incomplete sleep; anyways it turned out pretty good. With proper road, we would keep our foot relaxed on the crash guard and go on for half an hour to 1 hr, cruising at the same speed I mentioned earlier. A stop for breakfast - then the road - a stop for late lunch - then the road, that's how the whole day went and by nightfall we were 200 kms odd to reach Vizag. We decided we should cover this stretch tonight itself and with a can of Red Bull, we hit the road. This is where the LUCAS headlight id installed came to full efficacy, its as good as a cars headlight and Diwakar Da tailed my bike all along the way. With just two stops, we made it to Vizag by 11 pm. Arranged for a room, took a quick bath and then hit the sack for good.
Day 3: Vizag - Puri
Early next morning, the usual process of packing saddle bags, tank bags, and backpacks made us sweat like crazy. Throughout the journey this routine would literally make our shirts half wet with sweat. Vizag to Puri was a combination of good 4 lane highways, then single narrow bad conditioned road followed by 4 lane highways again after a railway crossing. On the way, a slight downhill road where we got the first view of Chilka Lake was mesmerizing. It was one of the views which I shall never forget in my life. After some confusion with the directions, we finally reached Puri at around 8 pm. I also felt a bit relieved to know that people speak fluent hindi. If people understand what you speak and vice versa, life does become a bit easier. After booking a hotel just beside the Ocean, we had a quick visit to the beach, followed by dinner and then hit the sack.
Day 4: Puri to Jalasa
Next morning, we did Darshan of the world famous Jagannath temple and also managed to pay a visit to the beautiful Konark temple. So it was 10:30 or 11 am that we actually started the onward journey cruising along at the usual 85 - 90 km/ hr. Soon enough, we reached Bhubaneshwar and then Cuttack and we were on our way to Kolkata. After crossing Cuttack, we were caught by sudden downpour which gave us no way out but to halt for sometime at a pan shop. Though we had carried proper rainwear, the sudden rain had completely drenched us and it was pointless to put raincoats over drenched clothes. After some 1:30 hrs of standing under that shop, completely drenched and cold, it finally looked liked it would stop now. Diwakar Da in the meanwhile had sheltered under a small house beside and was already changing his dress. I too parked my bike beside the house, pulled out the saddle bags and started changing to warm clothes. It was a great relief to have changed back to warm clothes, especially after standing soaked for long, it almost felt like I won a prize.
So after our pointless ordeal, we hit the roads once again but the roads kept getting worse giving us surprises every now and then was a deep mud hole, diversions out of nowhere or sudden bumpers. After this, maybe it would be fair enough to say that I don't like surprises after all. Dusty stretches with huge stones, mud and gravels consisted a good part of the road.
It was already getting dark and I knew that it would not be possible to reach Kolkata tonight. So plan B was to find some place nearby and crash for the night. And that place turned out to be Jalasa a small town somewhere near the Orissa - Bengal border. At the room where we stayed, when the room service guy asked Diwakar Da in a serious tone........Bhaiyya aap khidar ka hai??.........................''South Africa'' made me laugh a good deal.
Day 5: Jalasa - Kolkata
This day was the day when we clocked the least distance. After packing up and sweating like crazy as usual we were off to Kolkata. After about an hour or so, we stopped for a smoke break, just then we saw a 13 - 14 yr boy coming by in his cycle. Then, suddenly, Diwakar Da asked to that guy ''Estu time macha''. Now, it was alright if he'd asked that question in Karantaka, or even in Andhra, but now after having crossed KA, AP and almost all of Orissa, him asking an Oriya guy in Kannada was really funny and I couldn't stop laughing and wondering what made him ask that sort of a question.
As we carried on along the road, we faced a massive 25 - 30 km traffic jam. It seemed that a trailer truck had had some kind of a minor accident which dropped huge construction pipes along the narrow bridge. We learned that trucks and Lorries were stuck in the jam for over three days now.
We however crossed onto the other side of the road and drove on the furthest r.h.s of the road until we reached the bridge where it all started. Thankfully, the traffic cops at least allowed two wheelers to take this route. When we reached the bridge, we were happy to see that at least the smaller vehicles were allowed to pass in a one way basis.
We finally did manage to get through the dreaded bridge but as though it was not enough, we faced bad traffic and congestion and rain all the way until we reached Kolkata where we halted at Capital Hotel in Sudder Street.
At Kolkata in Hazia road, we went to a very experienced Bullet mechanic named Mr Sharma where we did a check up of our Bulls. Mr Austins bike had been leaking engine oil all along the way and he was he bit concerned. The surprise however was that while his engine oil had reduced only by half a litre, my bull's engine oil was bone dry. So I had to fill up one and a half litres again.
We had some time to dispose so we roamed around all the important places in Kolkata for sometime before hitting the sack.
Day 6: Kolkata to Siliguri
Undoubtedly, the most irritating part of the trip with uncomfortably narrow roads, diversions, rickshaws, cycles, cows, goats, ducks, and thousands and thousands of people all along the highway. It was like people had gathered for a rock festival. For about 575 kms of the total journey, we faced such congestion for at least 400 - 450 kms.
However, we maintained our rhythm and roared along and by evening we had reached Farraka. It was a nice feeling to ride across Farakka having been earlier through it only via trains. The same scrappy roads followed until we reached a point where we finally could step the wheels on 4 lane highway again. We were off to cruising speeds again but only a bit careful after we nearly missed a diversion. It was by 10 pm when we finally reached Siliguri where Da's friend had booked a room for us. After a quick bath and chilled beer, we could finally collect our thoughts as to how the whole trip went.
Day 7: Siliguri to Kalimpong / Sikkim (Gangtok)
Next morning we were pretty relaxed and started the journey quite late. We were supposed to go towards Kalimpong from where I would head to Gangtok tomorrow but then all of a sudden the plan changed and now we wanted to take the longer route via Mirik (a beautiful hill station).
We however returned midway from Mirik as our other friend (who had booked the room for us) was driving very slow and then decided that we would turn back and take the direct route instead.
Soon enough, we reached Teesta, from where Kalimpong is just an uphill drive of 14 kms with hair pin loops and bends all along the way.
After about half an hour we reached the beautiful hill station of Kalimpong. As we entered the town mixed feelings of happiness, accomplishment, peace was running over. What had begun as a joke had changed into reality and we had completed the ride in 7 days.
I thanked God, my bike and then lastly congratulated myself for I knew that if the first two had failed, I would have never made it.
Next day, I went to the place where I was born, Gangtok and it felt so good to ride in these roads as it flooded back memories of my college days. I was singing all songs possible and couldn't help myself smiling all along as my bull thumped along the beautiful roads and scenery.
What a journey it has been, what an experience. And I know I have been lucky to have had experienced this, something which a non - biker would never understand.
And this ride even more exerted the feeling which I've felt long before that this is what I live for, this feeling of me and my best friend thumping away is what I crave for, and ride I shall for this is not just about covering up miles or reaching destinations but being in peace and content with myself.
Route taken: -
Bangalore - Tirupati - Nellore - Vijaywada - Vizag - Puri - Jalasa - Kolkata - Malta - Dalkhola - Siliguri - Kalimpong - Gangtok.
Total distance: - 3426 kms.