Bangalore to Kolkata — 1,880 kilometres; Rolling On A 150cc Yamaha FZ (Part I)
So you have a bike, or your friend has a bike.
You like travelling, and share this enthusiasm with your friend.
The shared enthusiasm for travelling and the possession of a bike invites for a road trip.
Earlier this year, in the month of October — 2nd October — I realised that I had enough of dealing with stagnation in my life; it was time to create a stir. So I, along with my friend, decided to embark on a road trip from Bangalore, a major city in South India to Kolkata, another major city in East India. The distance between these two cities through road is 1,880 kilometres on the national highway.
Well, the decision was made on the first day of the month. Me, and my friend Rishi who would accompany me on the journey, who also was the owner of the bike, gave it away for servicing to the neighbourhood mechanic. We told him that we planned to travel all the way to Kolkata, and so the bike had to be tuned accordingly. It was delightful to know from the mechanic that Rishi’s 2-year-old Yamaha FZ was in good condition to kiss the roads all-the-way.
The excitement grew, the money was counted — in our pockets and in the bank . We looked at the cities we’d be crossing, and decided our first stop to Vijayawada — 662 kilometres from Bangalore; 662 kilometres in a day, which we thought was fair enough for two young, enthusiastic riders who, in order to reach home for the coming Diwali, were willing to cover the distance by road, irrespective of the numerous known discomforts they thought it would provide. And thus, we decided to leave the same night, around 11 pm, so that we could leave the city without much traffic and reach Vijayawada — our first checkpoint. But before leaving the city, we decided to see a friend mid-way.
We saw the friend, talked for an hour, but then it was too late.
“Let us leave on the next day, early at four,” said my friend, “I would not like to sleep while I am riding a bike at 100 kilometres per hour.”
I agreed. The night was cold, and sleep seemed to be a comfortable choice.
So, we left on next day, at 8 in the morning. A friend of us helped us tie our two bags to the bag. We had an old, ragged sleeping bag with us. The engines roared to life with the push of the button, farewells were exchanged, a few pictures were clicked, and we left amid the bright yellow light of the morning, amid people in coats driving their cars, amid the life buzzing on the streets; and soon, we had left all of it behind to be greeted by empty stretches of highway, the warm breeze of the day, and the air which seemed to fill our lungs with a sense of contentment.
In the duration of the next four days, what was to come had me contained for quite a while, which I feel should be shared.
And for that, I would like you, my dear reader, to stay tuned for the next part.
Update: The next part is up. Read it here.
