Bangalore to Kolkata — 1,880 kilometres; Rolling On A 150cc Yamaha FZ (Part II)
I had left Bangalore like a dog in an empty backseat of a car with open windows, puffing on a cheap cigarette (we had bought a few packs for the journey). Being the pillion, I had a black backpack on and a sleeping bag tucked behind. We lived in a locality which was beside the national highway which was to be our road for the rest of the journey, so we connected to it soon, and were travelling at a fair speed when I realised that I had left my wallet behind.
Read the first part here.
We had to go back all the way, fetch the wallet, and start again. All this time, we did not speak much but agreed upon how stressful the situation could turn out to be if we had found the missing wallet a couple of hundred kilometres from home.
For me, the journey only started after we crossed the point where we had to turn back to fetch the wallet. It was an easy one in the first part of the day. Each of us, in a single run, would ride for at least a hundred kilometres. We were looking forward to covering six-hundred kilometres every day for the next three days.
Travelling at a shirt-fluttering speed of 100 km/h for most of the time, we stopped only for tea breaks at hotels beside the highway, to relieve ourselves, and occasional stretches. Initially, since we were low on a budget, I tried to keep an account for our expenses, but soon realised that tiny expenses were to be numerous, and gave up on it.
As the day passed and more and mole miles were covered. We were relying on Google Maps for direction. The route which we had taken was not complex; in fact, it was one straight road — the NH 16 — which we were to stay on throughout the journey. However, in the evening, we took a diversion to a state highway which, in the hope that it would cut a distance, as the map showed. The state highway, after a long stretch where the roads were so fine, we saw signboards on the side of the road with the pictures of wild animals — tigers, foxes, bears, birds, and more. It was clear that we were approaching a forest are just before evening.
The transition of the terrain from villages to the forest area happened quickly. Soon, the road narrowed, and the path twisted and turned, and there were trees on either side of the road. The air turned moist and cold, and I took out my jacket and slid my arms into it and zipped the shirt. Dusk happened; headlights were switched on.
Once in five minutes or so, a car would be seen roaring slowly on the path which we would overtake soon. The roar of the bike’s engine crept over the sound of the evening — crickets buzzing, birds chirping in the safety of their nests. We were in much hurry to cross the forest before it got darker and stop at a tea shop by the road, have some warm tea, a smoke, and ride on to Vijaywada in time enough to find a cheap lodging and crash for the night.
An hour later, we had crossed the forest. Before we joined the highway back, there was a village that we found. It was around seven in the evening, and the village folks had gathered around the banyan tree beside the road. Some of them were drinking tea and smoking cigarettes or bidis, some were just talking, and some were drunk. They took notice of us when we stopped by with our heavy backpacks.
An old man who was sitting on the stone pavement around the tree, holding an old phone firmly in his hand, smoking on a bidi asked me where I was going, to which I replied: Vijaywada. I could not get myself to say that I was travelling all the way to Kolkata. For the first time, on the first evening of the trip, some five hundred kilometres away from home, comfort, and safety, I saw the vague cloud of uncertainty obscuring my mind — the idea spreading like a drop of ink in a pot of water — will I ever make it there?
“Oh, curse me!” I muttered, took a long drag from the cheap cigarette, finished my cup of tea, tightened my bags, took a piss, and headed towards the dusty, packed bike, parked at the side of the road. Rishi was tying his boots. Our next stop was to be Vijaywada.
Our next stop was Vijaywada.
Vijaywada, in the darkness of the night, seemed to me like a small town with advertisements boards of coaching institutions all around and lodges too. It was not hard for us to find our way to the bus stand, around which we were sure to find some cheap lodging. We asked a sleeping policeman for direction, and he guided us towards a series of lodges. The sound of romantic regional songs came from a hotel — Hanuman Lodgings — it was called.
We bargained down the price of a small, room with a TV, a small bed, a table and an ashtray, and a small bathroom. There were no windows, and we were too tired to find a better place.
I fetched the money from the ATM, paid the advance, went into the room, put the bags around, and took a short bath. We did not buy food. We had, with us, a pack of fried flattened rice which we had from home, a couple of onions, and three green chillies. What does a man want more in adverse circumstances? I wrote an e-mail to a dear person, munched on the flattened rice, and went to a deep sleep.
The next morning, I woke up lazily, looking up at the grey fan. I wondered, for a second or two on where in the world I was, trapped in a dank room. There were little memories of the night, except that I had changed into a comfortable piece of clothing and slipped under sheets on the bed. We took a bath, combed our hair, put on some perfume, and stepped out for a breakfast of egg dosas and tea. We re-stocked our cigarettes, tightened our bags and rode on. It was 12 in the noon.
Soon, we were singing along the hum of the wheels of our bike as they rolled on the smooth road.
We were on schedule, less tired than last night. The next stop would be the port city of Visakhapatnam, also known as Vizag. I wanted to go see the sea, play in the waves, and eat a hearty meal.
350 kilometres for two young, enthusiastic riders packed with enough cigarettes and nourished with enough sleep from last night. Everything
seemed all right, until the financial crisis came.
I will be posting the next part soon; stay tuned. :)
Update: so much more has happened since — I have started a blog to document it all. Check out Being Digital Nomad — the ultimate place for everything about the lifestyle.
