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Day 15: Udaipur to Katoda
I had viral thoughts swirling through my head as I left Udaipur.
The plan was to get my head down and cover as much distance as possible. 5 km later I was held up by a 3 km long traffic jam. So much for my plans!
Thanks to the jam, I couldn’t stop for bread and butter and rode quite far out looking for food. Eventually I had to stop at a shady looking tea shop at a petrol pump. Shockingly, the bread pakoris I ate there were really good. Much better than what the fine establishment promised.
The afternoons in Rajasthan were killer. The heat was enough to roast me in quick time. All that I could do was take cover. I would stop for a 2-hour long lunch break at a dhaba during the worst of the noons.
Even though I was riding on arterial highways, the surroundings still felt like a backward region. It was as if I was riding through in the 90s. Chittorgarh being a bigger town, I expected to find a CCD or McDonalds there. Or something similar. Not because I am a fan of the food, but in the hope of finding a clean toilet.
There was nothing. Not even a dilapidated dhaba. The only sign of modernity around Chittorgarh was a handful of women riding scooters. A rare sight otherwise in Rajasthan.
The sun and me ready to setTouring had stopped and endurance riding had started and I rode my longest ride till that date. It was a whopping 189 km long ride. Aided by a tail wind and a long descent from Udaipur.
For the night I found a ‘resort’ behind a dhaba. At least it was called a resort. It was basically a room behind a dhaba. Tirupati Resort might have been a bit of an oversell.
Beggars can’t be choosers, because it was the last bit of decent accommodation for quite a distance. And I was lucky to find a place to stay the night.
At the dhaba there I got the news that the Prime Minister had ordered a countrywide lockdown on the upcoming Sunday.
Immediately plans started forming in my head of how to deal with this impending disaster.
Day 14: Jadavpur to Udaipur
I finally left from Jadavpur earlier than normal. Stoked about my progress, I thought my day was going to go superbly.
Little did I know that when I left early, no shops had opened. After riding for a bit, I finally found an open dhaba, but there was nothing to eat. Since the cook had not yet woken up! I had to make do with chai and fafda.
As soon as I crossed the border in Rajasthan, I stopped for food and tucked in a couple of plates of anda bhurji. It was welcome after all the vegetarian food I had in Gujarat.
It wasn’t just the food that was more succulent, the people also were much friendlier. Of course, the first signboard you see when exiting Gujarat is that of the liquor store. Dry states are so pointless.
After many days I finally got a tiny climb. It was fantastic to be back in the Aravallis. Even those small hills were a welcome distraction in comparison to the pancake flat land of Gujarat.
The tiniest bit of climbing, is better than no climbingThanks to the fear factor of the Covid-19 virus, I stayed 10 km outside the town of Udaipur. From the hotel I walked down the road to the nearest booze shop. Not for the alcohol, but for the food. Watering holes are generally good places to get non-vegetarian food and the chicken curry was a tad spicy, but great under the circumstances.
I was beginning to love Rajasthan after Gujarat.
Udaipur was also the first time that a member of the public mentioned the Corona virus and showed fear of the same.
At that point of time it dawned on me, that I needed to get home fast. The road ahead was not going to be one of dillydallying and enjoying sights like a tourer, but riding hell bent for leather, endurance style!
Check out the full route on Strava.
Day 13: Ahmedabad to Jadavpur
The plan was to exit Ahmedabad and stop outside the city for a quick breakfast.
But there was nothing outside the city as I rode through Gandhinagar. For the first 2.5 hours it was slow going on an empty stomach. The going made tougher with a strong headwind.
I had never before toured in flat land. It was always in the mountains. You see the climbs; you go slow for the climbs and you enjoy the view. Flat lands have no climbs to see, no views to enjoy and if you are unlucky a headwind to knock you out. It is far more difficult than riding in the mountains.
You are left constantly hoping and praying for a favourable wind. Because there are no gorgeous vistas to take your mind off it.
Food along the way was a lot of vegetarian fare. Temperatures were steadily creeping up as I neared Rajasthan. The water in my bottles was getting boiling mad.
I eventually stopped for the night in the middle of nowhere, in a tiny place called Jadavpur. There was a cricket ground next to my hotel, where a match was being played under floodlights! Far too much passion for that game…
The cricket match in progress…You can check out the full route for the day on Strava.
Day 12: Baroda to Ahmedabad
The latest and laziest start of this trip. I finally left Baroda at 11 AM, after enjoying breakfast at Shardul’s place.
The destination for the day wasn’t too far off. I had already spoken to Sudeep in Ahmedabad and was headed to his house.
The road from Baroda to Ahmedabad was much better than the previous highways. Because most of the vehicles take the new expressway, rather than this old highway.
This was my first time ever with aerobars on my bike. This was the 4th day of using these new bars and it was taking some time getting used to. My neck, shoulders and back muscles were stiff and hurting by the fourth day.
Thankfully it was a short ride and I had a lot of time to recover.
Aiding my recovery was a grand welcome by Sparky. Sudeep’s Labrador, or Spark Plug as he is officially known!
The evening was spent talking motorcycles and ended with lots of chicken for dinner. An excellent way to end the day.
You can check out the route on Strava.
Day 11: Ankhleshwar to Baroda
Did I mention the food in Gujarat was terrible!
Breakfast was allegedly a paratha. Because if the Supreme Court had ruled on it, they would surely have said it was a poori claiming to be a paratha. It was deep fried and crisper than a papad…
After that bowl of oil for breakfast. I stopped for second breakfast, which was egg bhurji. Eggs are succour for the human soul in Gujarat. That’s the ‘best a man can get’ in the state.
Why is this state dry? The people of the state don’t seem to smile. Nobody does. Their lips are as straight as the roads. The straight-faced inhabitants are in stark contrast to the forever smiling faces of Maharashtra.
This might sound like a rant against the state. But it was a state of woe. The traffic was horrendous. Cattle, dogs, two-wheelers, three-wheelers and jeeps would be hurtling down the wrong way on the road. Even the trucks joined the party and would be driving the wrong side with gay abandon.
I couldn’t wait to reach the border of Rajasthan!
Fortunately, every dark cloud has a silver lining. What the state lacked in every other form was made up by meeting of friends.
In Baroda I messaged and eventually met up with Akshay and then later stayed the night in Shardul’s house. Friends once again from my motorcycling days in xBhp.
Shardul, a Konkan native, understood the sorrow of dealing with the food in the state. He sweetly took me out for dinner to eat lots and lots of chicken!
Check out the full route on Strava…
Day 10: Vapi to Ankhleshwar
The direction of the wind was not what the Velo Gods ordered…Gujarat is a dry state. In every sense of the word dry. The climate, the people, the food, the alcohol availability. Everything is bone dry…
Starting with the road. The road is flat and boring. Pedalling on those roads is monotonous and unchanging. After sometime, it gets downright depressing. To make things worse, it was the weekend and crazy amount of traffic was hurtling past me from Bombay.
Food was rather horrible as well. I ordered idli sambhar for breakfast. Because the regular stuff was just dripping with oil. Of course, ordering south Indian food in Gujarat isn’t smart. And the idli was hard as stone. But it was still better than drinking a bucketful of oil!
Amongst the bleak foodscape of the land. I found an oasis. A small roadside cart was selling eggs. The best eggs I have ever eaten. It was thin strands of egg, cooked in the same masala used for bheja fry. Served with buttered pao. Oh, it was heaven on earth.
Barring that, the day was rather uneventful. Except some more irony. A guy crashed on his motorcycle with a lady behind, and no one helped him. Further along the road a cow got hit by a vehicle and there were 20 people assisting. Priorities…
The best eggs I have ever eaten…Check out the full day’s route on Strava.
Day 9: Bombay to Vapi
I left Bombay in peak hour morning traffic. Along the Western Express Highway. It was in the west, but there was nothing express or highway like about it. Even though I was going in the opposite direction of rush hour traffic, it was still exceptionally congested.
The only thing nice about the city is exiting it!
Once you enter Gujarat, there is no sign of the ghats…Near Boisar I met up with my motorcyclist friend Sandeep. Only on this occasion, I was on a cycle and he was in a car!
He was sweet enough to park my cycle at a vegetarian dhaba, pack me up in his car and treat me to lunch at a non-veg dhaba. Now that is what real friends are for…
Post a very long lunch, it was time to hit the road again. Fortunately, I could make up decent time with a strong tailwind till Vapi.
Along the way one thing struck me. Most of the dhabas were run by Muslims and with prominent ‘Vegetarian Only’ signs. Inside the dhabas, there would be multiple places where the tricolour would be placed. The dhabas run by Hindus on the other hand only had religious motifs. What would people’s reaction be if roles were reversed, I wondered?
After floundering in the dark for a bit, I finally found accommodation on the highway. The guy saw me on a cycle and immediately reduced the room rent. Without me even asking. Cycles make other people generous…
Dinner was a spicy chana masala. As I sat there and munched, I realised, in Gujarat, food was going to be the biggest challenge!
Ahmedabad 420!You can check out the full day’s ride on Strava.
Day 6: Alibag
At the Alibag jetty…Rest Day. At last.
After climbing through the ghats for 5 days, it was nice to take a break. More importantly it was Holi, and I didn’t want to get caught up in somebody’s colour war on the roadside.
The morning was spent studying the difference in mango, betel and coconut trees. Unfortunately I still find it difficult to differentiate between the betel and coconut trees from a distance.
Rest days means hogging on food. And there was incredible mutton to be had. Mutton which had been prepared for a village wedding a couple of days prior. With time for the curry to permeate through the meat, it was a feast fit for a king.
I also tried out Kalwa for the first time. A sort of rock oysters found in this part of the world. Cooked of course in the Konkan style. It was mouth-watering.
All this delicious food was prepared by Sumit’s mom, at whose house I was staying.
The evening was spent with a bevy of cyclists from Alibag Cycling Club as they discussed their upcoming community everesting ride.
Every time I begin to think that the ride I am doing is something special or cool, reality hits. On this occasion in the form of an older lady. This South African cyclist had been cycling for the past 13 years! Anything I had ever done, pales into insignificance…
Day 7: Alibag to Bombay
After taking a break for a day, it was time to hit the road again. Or more like hit the sea. Since the riding part of it was just a handful of kilometres, the majority of it was spent in the ferry.
It was Sumit’s mother’s birthday and we celebrated with superlative jumbo prawns and mutton for lunch!
After which I sleepily pedalled away from Alibag on a full stomach to catch the ferry.
On the Catamaran I had my good friend, Tanvi, for company. She provided me with all the masala stories that were needed for the ride.
But even more masaledar was the Kurkure being fed to seagulls by people in the ferry. The birds had gotten so well trained, that they would swoop down and pick one wafer from the human hand. The humans were so well trained, that they would dutifully go and buy many packets of Kurkure from the Catamaran guy, just so that they could see the seagulls performing those antics.
An unhealthy performance, quite literally. I can’t imagine what would be happening inside the seagull after eating Kurkure!
If the view of the jetty while departing Alibag was great, the one approaching Gateway of India in Bombay was fantastic.
It was already dark and the city was lit up as it always is. And through the dark sea, you crept up suddenly onto a mass of humanity.
In Bombay I met up with another cyclist friend, Hitisha, grabbed dinner at her place before heading out to the Cyclist’s Crib for the night. My break was still far from over…
On the other side of the Alibag-Bombay ferry: Gateway of IndiaDay 8: Bombay
Bombay was rest and relaxation for me and a service time for the bike. I had bought this pre-owned bike a long time back and it hadn’t been serviced since then. Post Bombay, there was no chance that I would get another opportunity for repair.
The Fuji Touring got some love at Keny’s in Prabhadevi, with the chain and bottom bracket being replaced.
The bike was like fantastic to ride with a new BB. No longer a creaking sound with every pedal stroke.
The day in Bombay was without any highlight, barring dinner.
Dinner was excellent fish thali at a tiny restaurant. Well, to be honest. Everything in Bombay is a tiny cramped up space. Matchbox city it is. Even though the city is expensive, the fish thali was cheaper than what I got along the Konkan Coast. Ironically!
You can check out the ride details on Strava.
Day 5: Harihareshwar to Alibag
I woke ravenous. Willing to eat a raven even!
The guy invested more in his flags than his boat!The uncle of the lodge expected me to be half-dead with hunger and he woke me up with tea and biscuits. 10 minutes later there was more tea, this time accompanied with parathas and a big fat omelette. The home cooked food was mouth wateringly delicious. Properly ‘fed up’ I left for the beach.
Harihareshwar Beach was not much better than Juhu Beach in Bombay. It was teeming with people and icecream carts. I ended up spending less than 5 minutes there. Even the temple was overcrowded.
The place was a bit of a let-down and I ended up leaving earlier than anticipated.
The ride was slow and easy, with not too much of climbing. But the climbing from the previous 4 days had taken a toll and I was struggling.
As a result, I focused more on the pedalling aspect, rather than the travel.
My legs, like this building was in ruins!I finally reached Dighi. The last ferry of this route. It was a much larger crossing than the previous two places, but ferries were more spaced out. As a result, I didn’t get a ferry and jumped into a tiny boat with my bike.
The boat rocked and rolled, as I held onto my bike for dear life. I was a little afraid.
Then the boatman nonchalantly started pumping out water from the boat, as it filled up. A proper handpump, stuff you see in villages, just to keep you from being swallowed up by the river! I was suitably afraid for my life by then, mentally writing my last Will & Testament.
On the far side of the river lay Agardanda, besides which was Janjira Fort. A fort in the middle of the sea. Which is why I thought that the name, Jaljira would have been more apt!
Jaljira Fort…err, I mean Janjira!All day it was a nice cool easy ride along the coast. It was pleasant.
The highlight of the day was not the coast, it was biryani. After eating enough pao to last me a lifetime. The missals and the vadas included. I finally got something different to eat in Mazgaon.
The biryani was fantastic. I knocked down a couple of plates before the shopkeeper could blink!
With body, heart and soul satiated I moved on to Alibag to meet my dear friend, Sumit.
But as is the case with Sumit, the meeting is like an Indian Railways train. It is always about to reach, but never arrives.
Sumit was to join me in Goa and ride down to Alibag. Then that plan got cancelled. He was then to join me midway and ride to Alibag. Then that plan got cancelled. He then was to join me 20 km outside Alibag and ride together. And then guess what…that plan got cancelled as well!
Eventually we met a few kilometres outside the town after dark. Spotting each other by our blinking headlights.
Once I met him, I knew what was in store…
Food. Lots and lots of good food!
A relatively flat day of riding…You can see the full ride data and route on Strava
Day 4: Velneshwar to Harihareshwar Beach
Lots of greenery was the order of the day…The fourth day of the ride began at a leisurely pace, with a walk along the Velneshwar Beach. The soothing sound of crashing waves, the feel of damp sand against the bare skin, the scenes of fishermen returning on their boats with their nights catch together provided a stellar experience.
But and there is always a but! At one end of the beach there were a bunch of folks from Pune. Playing loud Bollywood music, yelling even louder and jumping into the sea fully clothed… Even the waves recoiled with horror at the culture shock. Seawater not being habituated to seeing people wearing every stitch of clothing they owned. Beachwear the same as what is worn to office, places of worship and other formal social gatherings!
Pushing the boat back to the parking lot!A quick breakfast later I was back on the road, climbing from the beach to the highway. Sucking on a Pulse candy. I find this particular brand of toffees very helpful to climb hills. It has helped me climb Khardung La and these smaller Konkan lalas as well.
You can write a book the on the different types of heat experienced along this route. It is always hot, just in different ways. On this particular occasion of climbing, it was the heat of the ghats as you move away from the coast. Just a couple of kilometres from the sea and the temperature soars, while the spirits dip.
The day was filled with ferry rides and empty stomachs.
The first ferry for the day was from Dhopave to Dabhol. There was no food on the Dhopave side and I had to cross the river on an empty stomach. On the Dabhol side, things didn’t get much better. There was just one eatery near the ferry and everyone flocked there.
Since, I avoid crowds like the plague (now COVID), I skipped it and rode ahead. Bad decision! There was nothing to eat after Dabhol other than humble pie. And to top off the hunger, it was a constant climb through thick vegetation. I could eat leaves or grass along the way, but not much else.
So much traffic and crowds on this route!Till Dapoli, the story of the hungry climber continued. Dapoli is a big town and a major transit point from somewhere to somewhere. I think!
Dapoli had the benefit of a lot of human movement and thus peppered with eateries. I stopped at something which resembled a restaurant more than it did a dhaba. Maharashtrian economics continued to confound. Food prices at this restaurant was cheaper than what I got at dhabas along the way.
And the Misal Pao was splendid. The best I have eaten till date. This after having lived in Bombay for 3 years and having eaten a lot of it!
Delicious food later, it was descending all the way from Dapoli to the coast again at a decently fast clip. Till I hit the roads of Anjarle. Which was a few kilometres long stretch of cobblestones. The teeth chattered and the stomach lurched as I hobbled along the cobble.
Boats all docked because of HoliNear Kelshi I caught the sunset. This is a debate I have had with many a traveller. Some like to wind up the day before dark and see the sunset from a pre-decided scenic spot. I prefer enjoying it on the road, preferably in the middle of nowhere. And if you’ve never heard of Kelshi before, it is because it is in the middle of nowhere!
After Kelshi, I moved inland along the river, as darkness descended. The land was bathed in inky blackness, with my headlight cutting through like a scythe. Oh yes, this time I was prepared for riding at night and kept the headlight at hand.
The moon rose and gleamed of the river by my side. Sounds emanating from the dark beyond, both spooky and enchanting in equal measure. It was magical to pedal through that lush thick vegetation.
That’s the moon and the night sky!I was hard charging to Vesvi to catch the last ferry. But in the dark, it is easier to discharge than charge! And I reached the ferry point 10 minutes after it left. I watched the stern of the ferry disappear into the river, with the twinkling lights of the embankment visible far across.
There was not a soul in sight. I thought it was going to be a night sleeping under the stars at the ticket counter. With no mobile phone network, I felt truly alone…and at peace!
As I made myself comfortable, a guy rode up on his scooter bearing gifts. He was the ticket seller. He gave me the wonderful news that there was another ferry for the night. The LAST. But it was an hour later. To while away the time, he gave me a huge chunk of watermelon to gobble. I sat there spitting out watermelon seeds, contemplating life, the universe and everything!
The returning ferry to take me across, with gleaming nights on the opposite shore…At 10 PM I caught the last ferry, crossed the river and rode in silence towards Harihareshwar Beach.
About a kilometre before, I stopped at a guesthouse. A room was available, but no food. Dinner ended up being a packet of chocolate biscuits and chips. Thanking the watermelon, I drifted off…
The route profile!See the full route on Strava…
