Lonely Ride to Mount Abu Documented

7 days and 2600 Kilometers of solo ride on Classic Desert Strom Royal Enfield was an experience in itself. I must say it was once in a lifetime experience since I was all alone during this whole road trip with music buzzing in my ears by earphones connected to my cell phone and eyes incessantly surveying the road ahead.

Why I went on to such a trip, frankly I don’t know.

Did I plan this trip, again, frankly I didn’t plan a bit except a rough route plan that I had intended to follow which later didn’t work out so well.
It’s been 2 years since I am riding Classic Desert Strom and never did a ride that needed me to cruise beyond 200 Kilometers. Since, I own a Bullet I always boosted that I am a rider, love to ride long distances and a fearless guy that actually aren’t true. I always lived in a safe zone, played safe games and only dreamt crazy. I am one of those cushion warmers who only has big crazy dreams in head and not willing to let that cushion go away else the ruggedness of the chair would kiss his ass and force him to stand in the queue where only two possibilities are there, either to have these dreams turned into ashes by the fire of realism or to budge that burnt ass to attain the dreams, and both of these things are the most difficult to do in the world.

I hit the road around 10:00 AM while fear of riding alone still lingering in my head. Rationality trying to prevent me from going ahead and kept on compelling to reconsider the decision, eventually the irrationality won over my rationality by shutting it off; I said it loud under the protective layer of helmet ‘Rab Raakha’. The progress was slow, despite the good road of NH8. I reached Vapi around 1:00 PM.

While on road people looked at me with prying eyes since lonely rider is a rare sight to most of them. Even, wherever I stopped for tea or smoke people approached me with questions on tongue and surprise in eyes, where are your fellow riders? Where are you going? Where are you coming from? Why riding alone?

So many questions and every time my answers were different – My fellow Riders are joining me in Surat (Lie), I am going to Ahmedabad for a friend’s wedding(another lie), I am coming from Mumbai (True), I am not riding alone (another lie).

Few innocent people even considered me a military man because of my Desert Strom, camouflage pants and tall built. They would innocently asked where am I posted or they have their brother or cousin or uncle too in the Army. I would simply respond saying that my unit is posted in Mumbai and I am on vacations (Complete lie).

Here is an advice for lonely riders – never reveal your destination or purpose to any stranger – this way one can keep the danger at bay. Besides, carry an aggressive posture so that you don’t attract people who have curiosity lingering at the faces and intentions underneath the head.

By the time Sun decided to call it a day I was in the outskirts of Vadodara but as per the plan I should have been in Ahmedabad. Anyways, a friend from my college days residing in the city so I called him and he asked me to meet at a particular McDonalds . Eventually I reached the McDonalds and entered with riding gears still on to look for him. He wasn’t there but everyone had eyes on me as if I am an alien from Mars entered the McDonalds to order a McSpicy Chicken Burger.

I looked around and walked out without ordering anything and there I saw him crossing the road he wore quite exquisite Pajama-Kutra that is only meant to be donned when one is attending a marriage and mere look of him left me astound.

“Chaitu, what is this? You told me you were in meeting.”

“It’s my cousin brother marriage Yaar.”

“You should have told me yaar.”

“Don’t worry, here is the hotel we go in, you get ready, and then will have dinner after marriage.”

I attended marriage in the same clothes I have ridden Bullet whole day and again I was shot by prying eyes but the friend had saved me by telling them in my introduction that how I have arrived in this marriage function uninvited.

Despite going to bed as early as possible I roamed the city with him till 2:00 AM. Next morning he took me to a restaurant called Zaffran, there I had the most authentic south Indian breakfast and experienced the taste I had never before in my life.

At 12:00 PM I again hit the road and my destination for the following night was Mount Abu. But by the time I reached Ahmedabad it was already 4:00 PM, all due to the under construction highway between Vadodara and Ahmedabad. People of Ahmedabad have strange way of showing the way if one asks them. They will tell you all the options and present an expression where they themselves look entirely confuse as if not me but they have to travel further. After struggling for almost half an hour I decided to take a road to Palanpur that will take me to Rajasthan. I knew I was running late so I decided to take a little risk and drive as much distance under the sun as possible. By the time Sun found the refuge beyond the mountains I have entered the Rajasthan.

[Photo]

I stopped at a dhaba, ordered a tea and asked the owner for Mount Abu, as per him it will take 2 to 3 hours to reach the top of Mount Abu. That means by the time I reach mount Abu it would already be 9:30 PM. I am a kind of riders who avoid driving in the night. I needed to reconsider my decision of night halt in Mount Abu but then again I said ‘Rab Rakha’ and punched the Bullet through cold Wind at smooth but empty highway. Both sides of the road had barren land stretched to the horizon and one has to be very careful in driving as the ambience remains pitch dark and only light you can see is the head light of your Bullet.

At 8 or 8:30 PM I had reached the Abu road which is the bottom of Mount Abu and before climbing up to the top i.e. 30 KMs of mountains terrain I bought a bottle of wine to celebrate if I would reach safe and sound. I began climbing the narrow road at slow speed; there was no way I could go beyond 3^rd gear. The turns were abrupt and blind, left side of the road had Steep Mountain while right side had 75 to 100 meters deep ditch and whole area was filled with vegetation. Soon a couple of Hero Honda Karizma motorcycle zoomed by. It felt annoying but I maintained my control, soon after some distance I found that motor cycle lying by the side of the road and while the guy was trying to lift it up his girl stood by the side as if nothing had happened. I helped the guy to lift his motorcycle and advised him to drive carefully in mountains and he give me a silly reason for his reckless driving ‘we were getting late hence I was driving fast.’

Eventually I reached top and checked into a hotel that had no guest that night. After settling down and having hot shower I went out in the hotel verandah, sat by the side of the fire where already housekeeping guys were sitting and opened the bottle of wine to celebrate my safe arrival at the top of the mount Abu.

Next Morning, I woke up around 8 and after having tea got ready set out again. Whole day I roamed on my Bullet in an around Mount Abu. I experienced the nature the way I had never done before.  

Stay Tuned for Ride to Jaisalmer …