tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-108560412024-03-14T12:32:07.209+05:30Chapter ZER0Ramblings of a Riders' mind... starting the story of life with it's CHAPTER ZERO...Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-83087532788023944612015-11-03T13:01:00.003+05:302015-11-03T13:02:49.439+05:30Goodbye doesn't always mean we will meet again<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal">
You became a stranger over the past few decades. I remember I
was only 15, raging hormones and all; and we stopped communicating… I never
forgave you for all that you made us go through, you were one of the reasons I closed
up to the world and became an introvert, always afraid to open up to others in
fear of them going away in the end. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then I met you again a few months ago; wrinkled, tired and
living on borrowed time. The people who you had listened to and distanced
yourself from us were the ones who were now tired of your existence and
regularly hoped and prayed for you to pass on. What a shame! We loved you so
much! And yet you had to take sides, instead of showing your authority, you
chose to go away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Later, looking at you lying on the bed, hardly breathing…
people around waiting for you to stop. End the struggle and move on! And I wondered,
do I really know you anymore? You were a stranger who didn’t talk, didn’t even
open his eyes, you were just there… breathing, because you didn’t have anything
else to do. Nothing to say, nothing to convey, you looked tired. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I got the call that night, everyone around you and me
were calm, composed and collected; they had waited for this moment for a long
time, and when it came… it came a bit too late. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We came to see you in the morning, to bid our farewells one
last time… there you were, an object instead of a being, on the floor tied up
and weighed down by the flowers. Your eyes half open or half closed, the mouth
that I remember was gasping for air had been left open, toothless, and
expressionless, a piece of cotton rudely shoved in as if to gag and choke you
of all that sounds that never came out throughout your lifetime. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When I carried you on my shoulder, I realized that you had
reduced down to nothing! The only weight we felt was of the heaps of the
flowers. Putting you on the pile of wood, smearing ghee on your face, hands,
feet and torso… that cold flesh that meant nothing now. I still remember almost
blurting out to the guys to be careful not to hurt you while they were piling
up the wooden logs on top of you. And the
fire was lit. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The wood caught fire pretty quickly! And so did you… the skull
popped like a fire cracker, leaving a trail of fireworks around. Then popped
the kneecaps and your titanium joints that costed hundreds of thousands just
plonked off like scrap metal… they couldn’t help you stand on your feet or walk
away from the fire… I will not easily forget the sick fervor with which the dom
was going at your remains to hasten the process of burning… it was more than 2
hours that you took to turn into a pile of ash and a few scattered bone bits. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The bits were gathered and washed in milk and water, then
you were placed in a small little earthen pot with a parchment containing your
details and a small prayer to the gods to take you where you belong… these will
be floated in a river someday. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now, you are gone… your memory lingers and the people who
wished and prayed for your departure are sitting there tired of crying and
feeling guilty about everything they said and did to hurt you, cribbing about
how they could have told you this and asked for that before you left. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Goodbye! May you find whatever you are looking for in the
eternal time and space…. We might meet someday, then we will sit and talk. Till
then, find your peace. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-51236838235980319182015-11-03T12:59:00.000+05:302015-11-03T12:59:24.588+05:30Wild Weekend @ KolliMalai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div>
After getting inspired by Doc. Raval's pics of his Kolli Hills ride, I had already decided that I'm gonna ride out to this destination...Last weekend's BN G2G brought up this topic... Ashish Chamoli jumped to the idea of going for a ride, any ride! As long as it is a long ride :) </div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
Made a few calls and sent out emails asking friends who would be interested; and only Arijit Ghosh reverted, saying that he is interested, he roped in another of his friend Dilip who has done extensive riding across India, specially the northeast part... </div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
So the planning was done, date and time decided, all that was needed was to turn up for the ride! We met up at 5am on Hosur Road, and started for our destination by around 6ish (it took some time for everyone to assemble) the roads were butter smooth and the climate was perfect! </div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
First stop was at around 7 near Krishnagiri for some awesome idlis and omelets. After getting a fill of food we started again, next stop was Salem, asked for directions and hit the right road towards Rasipuram, here funny thing happened! A kid comes up and asks in Tamil if this is a college trip, I just shook my head and didn't say anything; he then asks if we are the Police! I shook head again, so his mum tells him, they are the army... :D </div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
From here, the great NH7 turns into a modest State Highway… but kudos to TN govt for making such great roads, not too many potholes on the way and perfectly picturesque scenery to give us company all the way! </div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
After Rasipuram we had to start climbing the ghat section… the dreaded 70 hairpin turns! But to my surprise, the road condition was so smooth that the dread turned into sheer joy after every turn! And by the time we reached the top, the adrenaline and the joy both were on a full high! </div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
Now bearing in mind from Doc's instructions we knew that there are not too many accommodation options here, and hence Ashish had carried his 4person tent (just in case!) there are 2 famous resorts and a couple of measly lodges that provide accommodation… to our luck, everything was full! Finally the owner of a resort allowed us to pitch our tent in his coffee plantation (of course after charging 1K for it) but it was exactly what we wanted! We pitched our tent in the middle of nowhere, with coffee plants all around us and the noise of all the birds and insects around :) </div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
After pitching up and resting for a while, we set out on our bikes to do a look-see of the place. We were surprised to find that the place doesn't have much to offer from a `touristy' option… just 2 `points' for witnessing the sunsets and loads of liquor stores to buy cheap beer and brandy… we did our `shopping' and went to one of the points to see the sunset, saw hoards of people come, pose for pics, and go while were sat there unmoved.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
After sunset and some basic `appetizers' we headed for dinner, ate dinner and crashed in the tent amongst total darkness and sounds of all the insects… the sky was totally clear so saw a lot of stars… </div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
Woke up early in the morning, packed our stuff and rode out before the local traffic increases… after some photo-ops on the ghats, we descended to Rasipuram for some breakfast of dosas and parathas… ate our fill and rode out… next stop dharampuri for tender coconuts then again rode till Electronic city, stopped looking for lunch options and realized that we are too close to home to eat out now… so, said good byes and ripped all the way home… </div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
Total ride distance, door to door: 650kms</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
Riders:</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
Ashish Chamoli – LB500</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
Arijit Ghosh – TB350</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
Dilip – STD350</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
LJ – RedEye</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
Arijit's Pictures: h<a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/106810833727605113966/KolliHillsMay782011?feat=directlink">ttps://picasaweb.google.com/106810833727605113966/KolliHillsMay782011?feat=directlink</a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
Ashish's Pictures: <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/ashishchamoli/KolliHills">https://picasaweb.google.com/ashishchamoli/KolliHills#</a> </div>
</div>
Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-63223736934796192962015-01-13T16:51:00.000+05:302015-01-13T16:51:52.094+05:30KADAK BADSHAHI - When Ahmedabad Happens<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Here is my take on the on the recent performance of Kadak Badshahi that I witnessed in Ahmedabad...<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For someone who grew up in this glorious city of Ahmedabad
and moved out at the prime of the youth, without knowing what this city is all
about or the so intriguing history of how the city came into existence the play
Kadak Badshahi was a perfect eye-opener and an echo to most of my questions and
qualms about the present situation of the city. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The experience of the play starts the moment you step into
the gates of the venue and walk towards the amphitheater. There are small
floats and stalls that are a live experience of the joys we Amdavadis enjoy on
a regular basis and have started taking for granted… be it the food, the garba,
the colors and the explosions of experiences. I for once was completely
speechless and mesmerized with the experience here and the play hadn’t even
started. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will try not to share the spoilers as the play is an experience
in totality and I don’t want to spoil it for you by telling you everything
about it, yet I will give you enough enticement of why you don’t want to miss
it for anything. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The play starts with the history of Ahmedabad, the famous
story of the rabbits getting together and winning over the wild dogs… there are
multiple audio-visual treats all over the venue going on and you as a spectator
will not want to blink your eyes worrying that you might miss out on some of
the grandeur of the performances on the stage and the “screens” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The cast of the play was almost 50 if not more, and I shouldn’t
be calling it a play, it is more of a performance or a treat to your audio
visual senses. The performance very easily and convincingly blends the history
of some of the very famous monuments of the city, and how they got their names
or why some of the things that happen there that are happening and you forgot
to notice. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are also very subtle yet strong digs taken on the
government and the administration from the Amdavadis’ perspective that the
performers have portrayed very candidly yet with perfect conviction. Most of
the audience will remember the stories of the famous foods and drinks that we
are so used to in Ahmedabad, but the performance also pointedly asks and probes
you as an Amdavadi to think what is happening to your city. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The multiple times of the cast asking us the audience, “what
the city was and what did you do to it?” was an echo to my feelings and
frustration that I have experienced as a ‘returning’ Amdavadi. For the past
decade, I have visited this city as a ‘guest’ live here for a week and fly back
to my base… this time, I was here for over 3 months, and at every step on the
way I asked myself why? What the F@#& happened to the city I left a decade
ago? This time I roamed on the roads and experienced this city as a part of the
population. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are many parts in the performance that will completely
move you and bring you to tears when they talk about the goings on of the city
and the historical significance of it all… be it the story of the Kankaria
lake, or the Ellis bridge, or the story of a flower vendor selling her wares on
a carpet on the roads outside the Bhadrakali temple. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The performers keep reminding us how the gardens, and
forests gave way to the concrete jungle over these years and how the normal
Amdavadi has become apathetic, money minded and worried about only one thing “what
is in it for me?” there is also a very emphatic statement that lingers in your
head well after you walk out, the rough translation of it is “Lakshmi doesn’t mean
money, it means prosperity” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The finale of the performance is one of the best I have seen
in my life, a glorious celebration of the foods, drinks and everything of
Ahmedabad, the audience are so involved in this that they are thrilled when
someone hands out gotas and vadas during the performance… guess I have told too
much about it already. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bottom line is that if you are an Amdavadi, or curious about
Ahmedabad or someone who has lived here even for a few months… you MUST watch
this play and relive your experience of the great city of Ahmedabad. My kudos
to the never ageing and every graceful Mallika Sarabhai who not only is part of
the performance but also directed the play with Yadavan Chandran and Nisarg
Trivedi. You all have created history, let me rephrase, you have recreated
history. <o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-44969121737527436642011-05-09T15:45:00.007+05:302011-05-09T15:58:29.828+05:30<div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div><br /><div>After getting inspired by Doc. Raval's pics of his Kolli Hills ride, I had already decided that I'm gonna ride out to this destination...Last weekend's BN G2G brought up this topic... Ashish Chamoli jumped to the idea of going for a ride, any ride! As long as it is a long ride :) </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604659032251442322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJIYbxznvZM8QMoCWHy3DgQHEWwxLxG9P1Njrf5BfL6rK3URDcs_QnV7kOEpvfzFRYIleJlN16XVqBxU0dNjEiKqdm9wSRqt6ZHCeav1S97cpGJ-708d_Ux1ke_RFYIT-ufOVNdw/s400/DSC02001.JPG" border="0" /> <br /><div>Made a few calls and sent out emails asking friends who would be interested; and only Arijit Ghosh reverted, saying that he is interested, he roped in another of his friend Dilip who has done extensive riding across India, specially the northeast part... So the planning was done, date and time decided, all that was needed was to turn up for the ride! We met up at 5am on Hosur Road, and started for our destination by around 6ish (it took some time for everyone to assemble) the roads were butter smooth and the climate was perfect! </div><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604659343250653490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWeLrhc7Xj-dZrWARsJihhTbNvylsm6mBWFuEPWfKJH1XkCpQkrbmZD0bp3U1urctv2CFS7cTmAkIzbj9ORu9QhFPMcnMmVvkDoN1fOuFFpzoR7KQA9qKvi6-_Me3Wvl3-18IUuQ/s400/DSC01879.JPG" border="0" /> <br /><div>First stop was at around 7 near Krishnagiri for some awesome idlis and omelets. After getting a fill of food we started again, next stop was Salem, asked for directions and hit the right road towards Rasipuram, here funny thing happened! A kid comes up and asks in Tamil if this is a college trip, I just shook my head and didn't say anything; he then asks if we are the Police! I shook head again, so his mum tells him, they are the army... :D </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604659722684234818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheklCLffQqOhySNjs4AL903txZ53CV9fF-spfdxIIX0ubOCJF7NuLQHDEC40Wq7A_BSXY7dkeV7fH9Eag9lDbhrzKO_vxeOLDod_EyCY3hYJX_WyGE_PpW3cj8lnjq1x3d8xdqQw/s400/DSC01882.JPG" border="0" /> From here, the great NH7 turns into a modest State Highway… but kudos to TN govt for making such great roads, not too many potholes on the way and perfectly picturesque scenery to give us company all the way!<br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>After Rasipuram we had to start climbing the ghat section… the dreaded 70 hairpin turns! But to my surprise, the road condition was so smooth that the dread turned into sheer joy after every turn! And by the time we reached the top, the adrenaline and the joy both were on a full high! </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Now bearing in mind from Doc's instructions we knew that there are not too many accommodation options here, and hence Ashish had carried his 4person tent (just in case!) there are 2 famous resorts and a couple of measly lodges that provide accommodation… to our luck, everything was full! Finally the owner of a resort allowed us to pitch our tent in his coffee plantation (of course after charging 1K for it) but it was exactly what we wanted! We pitched our tent in the middle of nowhere, with coffee plants all around us and the noise of all the birds and insects around :) </div><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>After pitching up and resting for a while, we set out on our bikes to do a look-see of the place. We were surprised to find that the place doesn't have much to offer from a `touristy' option… just 2 `points' for witnessing the sunsets and loads of liquor stores to buy cheap beer and brandy… we did our `shopping' and went to one of the points to see the sunset, saw hoards of people come, pose for pics, and go while were sat there unmoved.</div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604660179520341490" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix7i7Jgu4ShbWQ179JS27YwxQZB1DDd9e7XSxyGBA2m2RaIj7qOyHPo55RUT8RDX7P9JHA_RpDMFJKSm-gRfR46CPO8tJ2Glo4bu5Nq6RTlusqtg6Gr7W5glF5wd-wBrJa_F8axA/s400/P1010768.JPG" border="0" /> <br /><div></div><br /><div>After sunset and some basic `appetizers' we headed for dinner, ate dinner and crashed in the tent amongst total darkness and sounds of all the insects… the sky was totally clear so saw a lot of stars… </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Woke up early in the morning, packed our stuff and rode out before the local traffic increases… after some photo-ops on the ghats, we descended to Rasipuram for some breakfast of dosas and parathas… ate our fill and rode out… next stop dharampuri for tender coconuts then again rode till Electronic city, stopped looking for lunch options and realized that we are too close to home to eat out now… so, said good byes and ripped all the way home… </div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604660705698867458" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 267px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMru5p_vhI6YIhlXzWBS3OtJoRcybCV5oXq__PLKU5XcbRhX4MCtvyXTFGgMrXqLcKnmLPOTGbMcgnNB6i0RasA3UU9ptOs399PC0DVsmFuLkDy7OtL7Joapo1r9IT-GUZ9zv0kg/s400/P1010785.JPG" border="0" /> <br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Total ride distance, door to door: 650kms</div><br /><div>Riders: Ashish Chamoli – LB500</div><br /><div>Arijit Ghosh – TB350</div><br /><div>Dilip – STD350</div><br /><div>LJ – RedEye</div><br /><div>Arijit's Pictures: <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/106810833727605113966/KolliHillsMay782011?feat=directlink">https://picasaweb.google.com/106810833727605113966/KolliHillsMay782011?feat=directlink</a></div><br /><div>Ashish's Pictures: <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/ashishchamoli/KolliHills">https://picasaweb.google.com/ashishchamoli/KolliHills</a></div></div></div></div></div>Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-55739021759371756912010-12-20T18:03:00.001+05:302010-12-20T18:05:29.583+05:30ITERATIONWe were sitting, sipping the nectar from the goblets of life; and suddenly she asks me, “Why don’t you say anything nice about me? Don’t you feel the same like how you felt earlier about me? “I was speechless, flabbergasted is the right word actually, and didn’t know what to tell her…<br /><br />When I was sitting alone; reminiscing, contemplating, anticipating… I realized that I really don’t feel like how I felt about her earlier, I feel much more! That was the time when we were still strangers, trying really hard to know each other, keeping up the respect and not reacting the way we would want to to a lot of things that the other did. Now we are almost one, we know what the other will say even before we begin to speak.<br /><br />Relationships are a very funny thing. You try hard to build them, once they are strong, you start taking each other for granted, start ‘hurting’ the other one even without realizing that our actions or words might be really hurtful!<br /><br />Well, I have to confess… I am cursed with a twisted tongue; no matter what I say, even if I try to make it sound good… it comes out either blunt or rude or crude or sarcastic, basically something vile… and this happens only for people who I love and care about. For the insignificant ones, I can build castles in the air with my words but unfortunately the same castles turn to ash when I turn my face towards someone close…<br />It’s a curse, what to do?<br /><br />Coming back to the point… something nice for her? What do I tell her? I am who I am because of you? I am the man that you wanted me to be? I changed my entire existence just to match your liking? I am alive just for you… else why would I even bother to write this for her?<br />She is the meaning of my life, she is my life…Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-91876488488396743912010-12-07T18:13:00.001+05:302010-12-07T18:15:44.198+05:30See U on the road :-)<p>I know I know; </p><p>guilty as charged… there has been a terrible silence and a really long gap on this<br />Blog. So long, that even I started to wonder if I should just close the blog and delete the account!<br /><br />Then, I realized that the sabbatical from biking was long over a few months ago; I rode till the<br />maddur lake with a few BN biker friends.<br /></p><p>Now, again it will be time for our annual ‘distancing of selves’ where the wifey will<br />go off to places that she yearns to go to, and I will slog my behind in the office… heh heh<br /><br />But this GAP is going to gift me with 2 wonderful weekends which I intend to put to complete use<br />and go out riding… destination is not known as of now, but I know I will be out riding my butt off :-)<br /><br />See you on the road then! </p>Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-35335916020166104152010-06-22T19:15:00.000+05:302010-06-22T19:16:03.787+05:30Sabbatical OverFinally broke the silence from riding… did a small ride (couple hundred kilometers) the last Sunday….<br /><br />My sabbatical is now over and I will be riding and writing more… the blog that had absolutely dried up, might just start getting random posts again :)<br /><br />Wish me luck on my future rides… and do contact me if you want to join in any of them!Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-78779045349363491922010-04-13T16:13:00.001+05:302010-04-13T16:15:14.771+05:30No more...We all were sitting close by, there was some heavy breathing for a few seconds and then all went quiet… he left us exactly at 11:05 on a Friday… this was the blow by blow (or should I say a breath by breath) account of my Grandpa’s death given to me by my dad over the phone.<br /><br />Now since my imagination is still a bit too wild, I got transformed in the room where my gramps spent some of his final weeks… I had met him in January, and he was joking, “This is the last time we are meeting, you will not be able to see me again after this” and I commented back, “you will be alive even when my kids get married, you would probably outlive all of us” if only I had known…<br /><br />Fact is, we all knew… his cancer was growing really bad and that there was no way we could bring him back to the healthier side… we all were just waiting for him to pass on… now that he has actually gone, there is such a big gap! Now way this lacuna can be filled by another person.<br /><br />It’s so funny that you look up to one person all your life… you love them, and then you despise them, sometimes you hate them… but, you know that they are right there. And then suddenly they are not; they suddenly become a memory of a lifetime!<br /><br />We all were sitting around that empty bed that was occupied by the memory… a nice laminated picture frame sat on the table across the bed looking at us, a few of us wiping the tears that flow down, uninvited; the other brave ones console the weak and then breakdown themselves.<br /><br />Death is a very funny thing, cousins who didn’t even acknowledge each other’s presence are now urging the others to take care of their health and ensure that we stay in touch!<br /><br />Condolences are shared across all the modes of communication, calls, messages, tweets…<br /><br />The biggest thing will be to go to the online genealogy and put the ‘deceased date’ in front of that name…<br /><br />Deceased…. Not here any more… Rest In Peace!Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-50489290634861066542010-03-25T20:27:00.000+05:302010-03-25T20:28:32.868+05:30wishin'If you like what you do… you don’t have to do what you like…<br /><br />Unfortunately this is not the case most of the times. I know a lot of people who spent their lives till now trying to figure out what they like to do and what should they do to do what they like :)<br /><br />I am now gearing myself up to get off this silly chair and get on the seat of my bike… ride down at least 100 kilometers and feel alive again.<br /><br />Inshallah that should happen pretty soon now… I can see the leaf turning…<br /><br />In the words of Richard Bach, “<em>what the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls the butterfly</em>”Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-54735194011989745172010-03-19T18:27:00.000+05:302010-03-19T18:29:08.593+05:30still swimming underwater...After swimming underwater for such a long time… I just bobbed my head over the surface to whine…<br /><br />I haven’t done a single ride in more than 15 months now, the creativity is drying up slowly, all my friends think that I have moved to another planet because I am hardly available… sometimes even I feel that I have moved to a different planet coz the type of people I am dealing with nowadays are definitely not human!<br /><br />I guess I need a change; pronto… otherwise I would probably turn into one of those boring uncles who turned old before their time and who just sit and whine and pass really sarcastic comments.<br /> God?!! Are your listening??? If God is busy, any of his assistants listening???Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-23845142198233798912009-12-16T17:02:00.004+05:302009-12-16T18:00:20.268+05:30Accidentally falling LOVE…<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1xkYrh0n5XOaClZ1CRYJXUPy77Wdp-hDSNY8Wn6XNof6GWLvnNaOBO0QL1k58KPdrT6K_sr6NV8JWAF7zfzoCIuExfG9JGbX3eDiNwTa4eKK2nyV-P0fOBWwpxcBG2mopM1Wkw/s1600-h/6867_bike_cartoon.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415795692355349714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 303px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu1xkYrh0n5XOaClZ1CRYJXUPy77Wdp-hDSNY8Wn6XNof6GWLvnNaOBO0QL1k58KPdrT6K_sr6NV8JWAF7zfzoCIuExfG9JGbX3eDiNwTa4eKK2nyV-P0fOBWwpxcBG2mopM1Wkw/s400/6867_bike_cartoon.gif" border="0" /></a> Just the other day a young man in my team crashed his bike head-on into a moving car and got severely bruised… His bike was almost totaled and it took him quite a lot of cash and time to bring both his ride and himself back on track.<br /><br />I was talking to him a few evenings ago and told him the importance of having proper riding gear. Since I am older and a bit more experienced in the riding scene, I almost bragged about my vast array of riding gear… from multiple pairs of gloves to a few riding jackets; a couple of riding pants to the set of knee & shin protector and my collection of various helmets…<br /><br />The morning after this talk to him, I was getting ready to go to work as usual. The weather in Bangalore is slightly different these days, it’s been raining on and off (sort of reminds me of Seattle, only dirtier and more crowded) It has been my daily regime since a few weeks that I wear my knee & shin guard along with my city riding jacket, gloves and helmet every time I ride out of the house…<br /><br />This morning, I was feeling cocky and decided that I don’t need to wear the knee & shin guard since they need to be worn over my office pants and they spoil the LOOK! (Big Mistake!) I rode the bike out from my house to the open road, it was still drizzling and the roads were all covered in slush, I reach the first main road crossing and as usual took the showoff lean turn, the bike was impressively tilted at low speeds on the busy crowded area… I noticed a few people admiring me and smiled at myself and my skills inside the helmet… just a split second of attention diffusion… and suddenly in the turn I notice a car blocking the onwards road and I panicked (another big mistake) I hit the front brake hard and the bike spilled taking me along… all the show that I was giving just a second ago had turned into a crash. Thankfully RedEye seems to have a mind of her own, she didn’t give a very fabulous looking crash with sparks flying all over, she just dipped and dropped on her side… this was one of my crashes where I actually got thrown away from the bike and sprawled on the road.<br /><br />A few guys huddled around me and pulled me to my feet; two of them even used some brut force and pulled RedEye on her feet. They asked me to sit down for a while and assess the damages done to me and RedEye… I was hurt, not physically but my ego was totally shattered… how can an experienced biker like me crash?!! Why didn’t I wear my Knee guard? Coz my left knee was bruised pretty bad. I got on the bike to notice that she had done some damage to herself just to ensure that I am safe… her foot rests were broken.<br /><br />I managed anyway to get her running and took her to a garage on my way to work. Got her damage fixed, while the mech was doing what he does best, I realized that just a little bit of cockiness and overconfidence and bring you down bad…<br /><br />Now, I am back to normal with my feet firmly on the ground… the bruise and the pain in my left knee reminding me that it’s human to be humble… and I am thanking RedEye for being the beauty she is… She has saved me and my grace so many times…<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">(Image Courtesy: T. McCracken </span><a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mchumor.com/00images/7783_accident_cartoon.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.mchumor.com/accident2_bframe.html&usg=__A1v_VQPsZZD2zGtF8i80QZ0sq40=&h=435&w=330&sz=34&hl=en&start=8&tbnid=9mdjUAKDh24R2M:&tbnh=126&tbnw=96&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmotorcycle%2Baccident%2Bcartoon%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den"><span style="font-size:85%;">http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mchumor.com/00images/7783_accident_cartoon.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.mchumor.com/accident2_bframe.html&usg=__A1v_VQPsZZD2zGtF8i80QZ0sq40=&h=435&w=330&sz=34&hl=en&start=8&tbnid=9mdjUAKDh24R2M:&tbnh=126&tbnw=96&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmotorcycle%2Baccident%2Bcartoon%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den</span></a><span style="font-size:85%;"> )<br /></span><div></div>Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com106tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-81847593721255143592009-12-15T22:06:00.002+05:302009-12-15T22:08:35.664+05:30Have you ever...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vkHGgfqy4JbqEdwAlmBShxnIvSlyFrM_JRlXjHjXEX2grJeRlrAXCWy4khMykzpGeDbbgMuY_YEjIXNbUhypkVwVRbWGJfPUCrwcGloEYm76fNrrj7sTIRWHqXhHNiICoQLRgg/s1600-h/mind-power.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5415502951427600274" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 261px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vkHGgfqy4JbqEdwAlmBShxnIvSlyFrM_JRlXjHjXEX2grJeRlrAXCWy4khMykzpGeDbbgMuY_YEjIXNbUhypkVwVRbWGJfPUCrwcGloEYm76fNrrj7sTIRWHqXhHNiICoQLRgg/s400/mind-power.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Have you ever dreamt a dream so true and so many times that after a while you start mistaking that dream to be a reality?<br /><br />Have you ever changed your past in your mind as per your taste?<br /><br />Have you ever thought about changing your future to something completely different from what it seems to be?<br /><br />The human mind is an amazing tool and has unending potentials… you can live your life the way you want to in your mind and then the mind takes over the realities… the mind strives to change all the realities to your whims, thoughts, ideas, wants, and every other synonym you use for it!<br /><br />The mind also lets you choose your own FAMILY (yes you did read it right, I did say family) the family that the mind chooses is not made of the people who you live with in the same house or who are fruits and leaves of the same tree that you belong to… This family is the people who you choose to share your plane with, who are on the same sphere as you, and they are not off a tangent…<br /><br />Some people have really large families and some brave it out alone on their plane coz their minds are not as open as others’ to let anybody in…<br /><br />I dedicate this post to all those people who always wished for more but couldn’t actually get it coz their mind was too busy pulling them away from the goal…<br /> </div>Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-3268987393965772532009-11-27T16:41:00.001+05:302009-11-27T16:42:52.923+05:30P.S. I Love You!!!There are stages in your life when all you do feels mundane and monotonous and still you find really small pockets of time out of the monotony and name them weekends…<br /><br />Over these weekends you are allowed to and supposed to have all the fun that you have missed out in the past 5 days.<br /><br />A few days ago, over one of these days of joy… I got some time just to myself; since this seclusion has become a very dear experience I decided that I wanted to invest this time to sit, meditate, ponder and think about a lot of things that have happened in my life in all these past years…<br /><br />I realized that we rarely get a chance to tell our family, our friends, our loved ones, and all the ones in between… how happy we have been with them and how much they have contributed to make our life a learning experience; sometimes the happy way and the other times with a pinch of salt.<br /><br />So this day relishing the few spare moments that I had to myself I just wanted to mentally, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually thank all the people who had touched my life in one way or the other…<br /><br />I sat and in my mind called out all those names that I remembered… some known, some ghosts of the past and some who had now become strangers… and then I thanked each and every one of those individuals.<br /><br />Just a note to say… P.S. I Love You!<br /><br />Incase if I haven’t mentioned this to you on your face or over the phone or in any other way.<br /><br />If you have landed here, you landed here to be thanked for being what you are!Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-183371762318793712009-10-22T14:04:00.001+05:302009-10-22T14:05:54.743+05:303 Years and counting...<span style="font-family:arial;">Today apparently marks the 3rrd anniversary of the day when I first met my wifey… A lot of people find it very hard to digest that ours is an ‘arranged marriage’ this means that our parents ‘arranged’ for us to meet before we hit it off…<br /><br />I wouldn’t forget that day… I was still recovering from my devastatingly bad breakup from an ex-flame. I had decided to go to my parents’ home and recuperate from the emotional, mental, intellectual, spiritual and every other ‘al’ drain…<br /><br />The first 2 days I was there, I spent my time lazing in front of the idiot box and catching up on all my reading… I reread my collection of Richard Bach books for a super boost since they usually help me out when I am feeling low.<br /><br />On the third day, sometime in the afternoon post lunch when I was sprawled in my bedroom sleeping with a book; my mum unceremoniously announced that someone has come to visit me. Well since I was at home and I didn’t expect any visitors I was dressed in my usual ‘ghar ka attire’ ganji and chaddis I step out in the living room and find a pretty looking girl sitting on the couch with a bunch of flowers, I jog my brain trying to place her in my memory… was she an ex classmate? A friend from my old college? Someone who I worked with? But all the slots came blank… she was a beautiful stranger.<br /><br />She introduced herself and I went through an immediate whirlwind of emotions… first anger (why did my mum try to set me up with someone when she knows that I came home to recover from a breakup?) then blushing (first time she came to meet me and I am dressed in tanks and shorts?) and then elation (yaar ladki to badi sundar hai)<br /><br />We sat and talked random things for a while and then she left… leaving me wanting for more…<br /><br />The next morning she called, she wanted to meet me again! We decided to catch-up over coffee… I had a haunt whenever I was in Ahmedabad and that was a café called Mocha, I invited her to meet me there.<br /><br />We met sometime in the morning, around 10ish ordered coffees and started talking… after a while I ordered a hookah (this was more of a test to check if she agrees to me smoking or not) and to my utter surprise, shock and elation she didn’t mind but actually joined in! Wow, I do like this girl...<br /><br />And then I felt as if I was talking to a long lost friend… in fact we had a lot of friends in common! Couple of her school friends were my girlfriends in college and some of my school friends were her friends in college. We talked and talked and talked some more…<br /><br />By the time we realized that we have had buckets full of coffee, stomachs full of chow and lungs full of the hookah smoke it was already past 6 in the evening! We had spent over 7 hours on our first date! And there still was a feeling that there was a lot of catching up to do…<br /><br />We met everyday for the next 4 days and on the fifth day we decided that we are ready to spend the rest of our lives with each other. So on the 6th day we got engaged and early morning on the 8th day; I left back for Bangalore…<br /><br />In four months we were married and since then, every day I wakeup smiling and thanking my stars that I decided to go for a 7 hour long coffee that morning… </span>Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-61795202460744377942009-08-03T14:01:00.000+05:302009-08-03T14:03:29.703+05:30Generation GAP...Over the weekend I met a group of young women who all were in the range of 18-21. We were having a strangely ‘mature’ discussion about life, experiences, and things in general.<br /><br />They all were overly intelligent and ‘grown up’ and a lot more matured than what I used to be when I was doing my graduation.<br /><br />One thing that hit me real hard is that in just 10 years the threshold of being ‘grown up’ has narrowed so much! I still remember when I was 21 quite a few years ago, I sported the perfect devil may care attitude; the only priorities in life for me were pumping iron, hanging out with my friends and have as much FUN as I could… this didn’t consist smoking up, drinking or getting laid<br /><br />I thought that I had seen a lot in life when I was 20 but now I sit here wondering how much more do I still see to say that I have seen it all…<br /><br />These girls were so ‘matured’… they had the experience of rolling joints and smoking them up, they had downed buckets full of spirits, had lost their virginity a really long time ago and yet, all of them were just kids!<br /><br />Do I think of this as the beginning of the end? The kids are not kids anymore… they all are desperate to grow up… Most of them have already started looking overly matured for their age and they also behave as if they have seen it all… the little girls want to be women and the boys well, they will still remain boys but they all seem to be in an awful hurry to get laid as soon as they realize that they are able to hold on to a hard-on…<br /><br />I really hope and pray that some of the youngsters read this post and they all try to retain and relish their innocence, childishness, youth, and the optimism that only they can hold… please hold on just a little bit longer guys, you still have a long way to grow old and trust me, when it finally hits that you are OLD, you will miss all the innocence that you left behind a long time ago…<br /><br />GOD BLESS!Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-89533231306953636942009-07-31T21:50:00.001+05:302009-07-31T21:52:08.526+05:30Doing it in the rainsShe looked so fine standing there in the sunshine… smiling at me… taunting me… asking me if I’m game… I looked at her shyly at first, brewed some confidence deep within… walked over to her and touched that glistening, silken smooth surface…<br /><br />She asked again, so are you gonna do it or not? Aren’t you man enough? All men do it at least once in the rain… getting wet, riding hard…<br /><br />I finally mustered the courage and mounted her… put the little magic piece into her and pressed all the right buttons… and she roared... SHE’S ALIVE! SHE’S ALIVE!!!<br /><br />There was the RedEye growling and purring at the same time…<br /><br />Ready to take on the wet roads once again… my partner in most of my crimes…Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-24840258780626862512009-07-23T11:33:00.000+05:302009-07-23T11:34:52.338+05:30Thought...It was a long arduous walk through the maze in the forest, a few beams of sun filtered through the gaps in the canopy of the foliage…<br /><br />I looked up at the tall blades of grass, through them, beyond them… looked at the blue wonder. Where life seemed to be…<br /><br />Now, I trod the long forgotten grasslands… with my head in the clouds… looking down, wondering, how wonderful it would be to get lost again in that foliage…<br /><br /><br />Does everyone go through this???Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-82485179758762038772009-04-29T23:28:00.001+05:302009-04-29T23:30:48.093+05:30ain't no sunshine when she is gone<div align="center">Ain't no sunshine when she's gone.</div><div align="center">It's not warm when she's away.</div><div align="center">Ain't no sunshine when she's gone</div><div align="center">and she's always gone too long</div><div align="center">anytime she goes away.</div><br />once again the annual ‘distancing of selves’ happened yesterday when I saw off my sweet wifey… she went away to her parents’ for a month and it actually hurt seeing her go! Maybe coz I had just returned from my two month long ‘stint’ in the UK.<br /><br />A lot of smart and experienced people have told me, the distancing of selves in a close relationship is very important for both the people involved to better understand and appreciate each other along with knowing your own self.<br /><br />Hmm, so what more do I need to know about me that I didn’t catch in the past almost 30years? Did I accidentally or intentionally stop talking to myself? Did I cease diving inside my head and getting lost into my thoughts? Humph, maybe…<br /><br />Thankfully, this time around the not so new job in the new company and the transition of the processes is taking up so much of my conscious time that I hardly notice or acknowledge the passing hours, days and now weeks… since everyone who still has a job cribs and complains about the dwindling market conditions and the uncertainty of the job market globally, I’ve decided that I am not going to join the crib gang or take any stupid hasty decision like quitting my last job on a day’s notice…<br /><br />This time I will hopefully take it easy, try and manage two different teams… though I am getting methodically drawn and quartered in a very gradual process at the office by my bumbling team of newbies and some really rusted oldies :-) I like it in here since it is still new…<br /><br />Thanks that the wifey has decided to go away for a month so that I can invest this time in the office and update blogs like these at an ungodly hour of midnight (especially when my day started at 10 in the morning) I do miss her…<br /><br />I think about her almost all the time… just when I wakeup, thinking that she looks pretty when we wakeup together and smile at each other thanking god for one more day of togetherness and love…<br /><br />While having my breakfast I wonder if she would’ve had eaten or not?!! Wondering if she will be taking her vitamins…<br /><br />During the tough times at work when I realize that she will not be waiting for me when I go back home all tired and battered in the evening…<br /><br />During the long and mindlessly dragging meetings I happily slide in my day dreams about us…<br /><br />Dreaming about her in my sleep and then the whole cycle starts again the next morning as soon as I wake up :-)<br /><br />This year I will not complain, crib, or stay cross at my wifey going away… instead, I am going to cherish, relish and treasure this amazingly special relationship that I have with one of the most wonderful souls on this planet.Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-45725862732390680442009-04-18T01:09:00.001+05:302009-04-18T01:09:54.390+05:30wishful thinking?!!From 14 hour workdays to 12 hour and then again to the same 14hour day grind! Sometimes a tired mind would venture to wander a bit and wonder, “is this all really worth it”?<br /><br />Titles change, people change, surroundings change and even the goddamned ‘work culture’ changes! But you realize that the grind is still as tiring as always and the politics are as murky as every…<br /><br />Someone asked me a few weekends ago… LJ what would be your dream job? Honestly I was caught unprepared and I started fumbling with my answer; I started by saying how I always loved writing poetry and prose, then moved on my love towards music and thinking about ‘RJ’ing or ‘VJ’ing… for a while I also talked about becoming an international travel show host! (Anybody out there listening???) then settled to one of my personal favorite dreams… my own Restaurant!<br /><br />But honestly, I don’t know what I enjoy doing for a living now! Been doing the same work and hitting the same grind since so many years now that this industry looks like a pool of quicksand and I would give anything to step away from it and do something where I could use my brain’s creative sides a little bit… off late I have actually started feeling extinct when I look and talk to some of the ‘youngsters’ who manage to wiggle some spare time out of their schedules and still pursue a hobby or do something interesting!<br /><br />Even the books now look at me from the bookshelf like long forgotten friends who try to strike up a chord of knowingness but I just can’t recollect where I met them last.<br /><br />I was told once when I was very young and then had the same thing reiterated and burnt in my brain for so many times by personal experiences and hearing others’ stories…<br /><br />NEVER LOSE FAITH!<br /><br />If you are a good person, good things will happen to you… if not now, maybe when you are ready for them… wait is the best thing that will work…<br /><br />Hoping for the best!<br /><br />INSHALLAHLove LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-19808382286105455322009-03-10T23:00:00.001+05:302009-03-10T23:09:23.521+05:30Long SpaceThere has been an absolutely huge gap between my last post and this one…<br /><br />There have been too many reasons; if I can try and remember a few of those!<br /><br />The main reason, I was getting bugged with my job and had to get a change in my life, so one fine day I put my resignation on my boss’ table and walked away… just like that! Had no back up plans thought but just had to get away from all that I was going through.<br /><br />After that I rode with RedEye around Karnataka for a while, stayed at home and watched lots and lots of TV and basically recuperated my broken self.<br /><br />Joined the rival company in January and started working with them… got moved to Bournemouth (UK) for a project and writing this post from the UK…<br /><br /><br />Things have been so different in all these months of silence! I’ve experienced a rollercoaster of emotions in the last 3-4 months… feeling of restlessness, helplessness, hopeless, tired, low, heady, stressed, fear of rejection, feeling unhealthy, and from that to bliss, joy, smiles, belonging, reason to live, elation, peace, feeling wanted, rediscovering the self-respect.<br /><br />Well, I am back and hopefully I am here to stay :)<br /><br />Will surely try to stay connected now…<br /><br />Cheers! And Hello World…Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-31210845890716588462008-10-20T22:57:00.001+05:302008-10-20T22:59:22.518+05:30K Gudi - Weekend Ride<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; "><p dir="LTR"><a name="11d1a51bfaba835c_" style=""><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">There are times</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">when</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> you are just bugged of your mundane week and pray for a decent weekend when you can just escape the rigmarole, even if only for a couple days or a few hours</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> you want to just break free.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">This</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Saturday</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> thankfully was one of those weekends. The wifey had a day off from her</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">college</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and we</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">actually</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> had the complete 2 days to ourselves. Two</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">full days to do whatever we want to!</span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Planning was pretty prompt, a few calls made on</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Thursday</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and confirmation</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">s</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> done on</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Friday</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">; we were all set for a nice day trip to BR Hills</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">–</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">a</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">nice patch of the wildlife sanctuary not too far from Bangalore. Since it was a day trip, there was not much packing to be done, the tank bag was stuffed</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">with</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">spares, some basic food and only one set of clothes (in case of any emergency)</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">we</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">decided</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> that we</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">’</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">d roll out by 5:30 am and had thought</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">that</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> would be back latest by 8pm in the worst case scenario.</span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Come</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Saturday</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> morning, we left around 6am, the way to the Mysore highway was all dug up</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">from my locality till the highway and we took around 10 different diversions before actually reaching the highway at 6:30 (thanks BBMP for screwing up my timing</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">here</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">)</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> once on the highway RedEye growled for speed and</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> promptly obliged her to pickup some</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> thanks to the free-flow</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> goldie</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">exhaust</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and the bigger carb added wit</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">h a K&N air</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">-</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">filter. We were cruising around over 100kph without even realizing</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">.</span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Off late (after the Coorg ride) my lovely co-rider has actually impr</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">oved her endurance levels on the road and</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">doesn’t</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> flitch till around 70kms of nonstop riding. Our first pit</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">stop</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">was the Maddur</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">tiffany’s</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> for their idli and filter coffee.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The handicraft store there was already open at 7:25 and we decided to check it out just for kicks</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> recently</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> had noticed a website online that speciali</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">z</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">ed in something called the</span></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></span><span lang="en-us"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://www.beadrider.com">Bead Rider</a></span></span></b></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the idea was very simple put a layer of beads bound together in a mat between your butt and the bike</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">’</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">s seat and see the difference.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> I saw a very crude version of similar beaded mat</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">for a very cheap rate and decided to pick it up and experience if it</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">actually</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> makes a difference.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">From there we started towards Mysore; took the ring Road at Mysore towards Chamrajanagar and then managed to take a wrong turn (</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> know</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> am blessed with</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">being geographically challenged.)</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">and</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> suddenly noticed that the milestone saying BR Hills</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">28 Kilometers turn into BR Hills 96kms. (</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Double</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> whammy!)</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> sky was cloudy and the morning was pleasant so</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">was not complaining, strangely the wifey was also not complaining!</span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The roads led us back to Malavalli from there to Kollegal and then some really bad roads took us to Yellandur (this is the last town before entering</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">sanctuary) at the check post of</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> sanctuary</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> noticed that we had clocked over 250kms for a usual</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">ly 180km journey! And we</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">hadn’t</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> taken any butt breaks till now</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Upon entering the sanctuary the roads amazingly changed into a buttery smooth</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">well tarred blacktop narrow road. The twisties were just amazingly mouthwatering and the climb up was just</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">exhilarating…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> imagine riding through a lush green thick forest on an amazing smooth road and the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">only</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> sound you hear is the thump of your beast and the blood pumping into your brain.</span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">We continued on from the BR Hills temple towards K Gudi</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">–</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> our</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> most</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">favorite joint destination of all till now, along the twisties and</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">suddenly noticed to my horror that on</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> tight twisties</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">couldn’t</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> somehow manage to turn right! Gosh</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> this is deadly, you lean with your bike completely and instead of turning, the bike keeps going straight into the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">steep fall and you start to panic</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> after bravely managing a few of these right banks (without the co rider know about it)</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> finally gave into once of the corners where the front tire just refused to turn and</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">almost crashed into</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> trench below</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> somehow managed to brake in time and the got back some balance and composure. The wife noticed this particular turn and asked what was wrong, why was</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">riding straight into</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> trench</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> made up some vague story about rider fatigue, fed some crap and</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">carried</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> on</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> only slower.</span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Reached K Gudi at 11:25; met our dear friend Nahar there and</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">talked with him for a while</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> in the next 15 minutes he convinced us that since we</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">don’t</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> have any special plans for Sunday we should stay back at</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> wilderness camp and arranged for a room for us</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> so by noon we had stowed our tank-bag and riding jackets into</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">room and emerged into</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> camp as if we have been permanent residents of the place.</span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Had some sumptuous lunch and retired</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">to rest for an hour. In the early evening we were introduced to</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> new (well, actually 10 month old) naturalist Narayan at K Gudi. He took us for a jeep safari into</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">jungle</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> our jeep was shared with an old Swedish gent and 2 south</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Indian</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> couples (guess they come for some real</span></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span><span lang="en-us"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">jungle</span></span></i></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><i></i></span></span><span lang="en-us"><i><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">e</span></span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">time) the old gent was pretty reserved and kept to himself all through</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> safari and talked only with Narayan couple times in the next 2 hours. The</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">two couples on the other hand were the typical yuppies that</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> hate to interact with and thankfully kept to them</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">-</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">selves talking in</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Tamil</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> or</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">K</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">annada or whatever they talked in behaving like a bunch of</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">juvenile</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">retards.</span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Halfway through the safari, we got a radio message from the other jeep that they had spotted a leopard and informed us on the exact coordinates to</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> location. Narayan like a pro rally driver</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">drove the jeep through some unbelievable terrain and in less than 7 minutes we were at the rendezvous point with the other jeep oohing and aahing at</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">amazing beauty of a</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">leopar</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">d</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">just</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> a few</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">hundred</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> meters away from where we were.</span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">juvenile</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> retard group in spite of several</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">reminders and reprimands for</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">maintain</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">ing</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">silence</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">couldn’t</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> contain</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">their</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">excitement</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> and behaved in such a disgusting manner that for a while</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">actually felt like beating then up and feeding them to the leopard</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">guess the leopard read my thoughts and scooted</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">scene in a while probably fearing the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">idea of eating</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">meat made out of only rasam rice and curd rice</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> ugh!</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">After that we continued our safari. S</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">potted</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> some spotted deer, some Sambar (not</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the one</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> you eat but the one people hunt) and a few very pretty birds</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> but</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> was not interested in this any more</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> two main reasons,</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> was already content of looking at a wild cat in the wild for the first time in my life and also because the juvenile retards were now acting as if they were on an</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">African</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">safari and were hanging almost out of the jeep while pushing their bums into our heads and groping each other (maybe while thinking of the orgy they will have later on in</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">night)</span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">After going back to the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">camp</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> had some amazing onion pakoras and saw a documentary on</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">a gang of</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">macaques</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">based out of a town in Tamil Nadu. Sitting around the campfire later Nahar and we discussed about his future plans of moving to the land down under and studying for his PHD</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> made vague plans of doing a vacation together</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">sometime</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> in</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">future</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> in Gujarat covering all the wildlife sanctuaries and the Rann of Kutch.</span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Had a nice dinner and slept in the royal bed of the maharaja</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">’</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">s royal bungalow</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">woke up at 7am just to</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">realize</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> that the morning safari had already left and</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">we missed it only by 20minutes</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> boohoo</span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Ate breakfast, and packed our tank bag, started planning on a proper route to go back to B</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">’</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">lore</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> the previous evening Nahar had</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">already</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> told us about some temple at Somnathapura which falls on</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">way to Bangy; so were thinking if we want to do it or go straight home.</span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Narayan came at 8:30 with the news that he spotted a sloth bear and the wife was literally in tears</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> she</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">’</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">s been raving about spotting one since the first time we landed at K Gudi for our honeymoon. N</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">arayan</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> promised her that he</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">’</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">ll keep a bear ready next time we come again. Said our goodbyes and left.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Halfway through the twisties</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">confessed about my inability of banking right on the twisties to</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> wifey and rode down the ghats at a very slow speed</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> the wifey was exceptionally helpful and supportive during</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> ghat section and once we got out of the sanctuary we turned towards Yellandur and then to the onward journey to Bangalore.</span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Just</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">entering in Yellandur we</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">realized</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> that the state government was not content by digging up all the roads in</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Bangalore</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> so</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">they</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> had actually come all the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">way</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> to these small villages and dug up all the roads and highways here as well! Saw a bus trying to take a tight turn in less than 6feet radius, dodged the buss and rolled off towards Malavalli. The</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">roads now turned from good to bad and bad to worse and then just stopped to exist! It was more like doing an off-road stint with a pillion on the Bull and poor RedEye was</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">grumbling and screeching at every pothole and every ditch. But she bravely carried on.</span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">It took us more than two and a half hours for us to cover around 70</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">kilometers</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">! My nerves by now had completely frayed and</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> was grumbling and bitching at every SOB driver on</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">road.</span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Finally some smooth roads shown and they brought all the maniacs drivers and riders of</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">India</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> along with them</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> people not understanding</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">the</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> light signals, the hand signals or even the abusive curses that</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">screamed inside my helmet. The return was generally uneventful and we reached home around 2:30 in the afternoon. Had a quick shower and then both of us sat and brooded about being back in this godforsaken city.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Now we are waiting for 17</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><sup><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">th</span></span></sup></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">November</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> when we go back to K Gudi along with my parents and my older sister</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"></span></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Till then,</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> just sit and wait and hope and pray</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span lang="en-us"></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Cheers!</span></span></span></p></span>Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-87471018558988752832008-10-19T21:01:00.001+05:302008-10-19T21:03:57.477+05:30WebBikeWorld<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial; font-size: 13px; "><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">I</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">’</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">ve been a motorcycle</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">aficionado</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> since a while now</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">…</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">Initially was impressed only by the Royal Enfield beasts (well, honestly still am impressed) but now</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">I</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"></span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">do see quite a few new machines coming in our local Indian market and of course</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">the</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> ever expanding international</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">motorcycle market. Whew there are so many new bikes out there!</span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">And more bikes mean more and more bike related products; be it cleaners, waxes,</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">apparel, luggage, protection, performance parts, upgrades, u get the idea. I</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">t’s a</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">whole unending plethora of products that you might need for your bike or maybe you are</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">a crazed maniac like me who just WANTS things even if</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">I</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> get to use them or not</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">…</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"></span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">Now the confusion starts,</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">there</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> are so many products and almost everything comes with either the</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">similar features or a few nicks and changes. How do you decide what is good enough (if not perfect) as per your requirements?</span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">I very happily stumbled upon this website a few months ago and honestly, just got hooked onto it!</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">T</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">he</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> website</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">I’</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">m talking about is</span></span><span lang="en-us"><b></b></span><span lang="en-us"><b> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.webbikeworld.com">webbikeworld.com</a></span></b></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"></span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">I</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> think the name says it all. It actually is the bikers paradise on the internet! They</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">have</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">reviews</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> of almost everything that comes out in the international markets which relates to motorcycles or the love of</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">motorcycling</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">.</span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">T</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">he</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> reviews are pretty sharp,</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">accurate</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">, informative and in-your-face</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">…</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> the last part is what</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">I</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> personally appreciate, they use a no-nonsense</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">approach</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> for their reviews and are brutally honest when it comes to giving conclusions and verdicts.</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">Another good part about this site is that they also feature user comments and</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">reviews</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">of the things featured.</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">Again, these guys are not hesitant if</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">they</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> need to give out</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">‘</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">constructive criticism</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">’</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"></span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">or just say that the product is not value for money.</span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">I</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">’</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">ve</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">personally</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> ordered a few things online after going through</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">the</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> reviews and must admit that the reviews were bang on! I got what</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">I</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> was exactly expecting to get in</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">the</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">package.</span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">Our</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">Indian</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> buyers still need to think about a lot of alternative ideas to get the stuff shipped</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">here</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> as</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">the</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> shipping costs are usually pretty high.</span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">Either ship it to your friends/</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">family</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"></span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">in the USA who are</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">traveling</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> to</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">India</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> or place multiple order with your fellow bikers and then split the shipping costs amongst yourselves (this still is costly, but saves much more when compared to individual shipping)</span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">So those of you still</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">haven’t</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> gone to this site, click</span></span><span lang="en-us"><b></b></span><span lang="en-us"><b> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.webbikeworld.com">here</a></span></b></span><a href="http://www.webbikeworld.com"><span lang="en-us"></span></a><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"><a href="http://www.webbikeworld.com"> </a>and</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">I</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> promise you</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">’</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">d happily surprised to see the amount of reviews,</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">comparisons</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> and</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">links to vendors for products that you had thought about but</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"> <span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">didn’t</span></span><span lang="en-us"></span><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;"> know where to buy from.</span></span></p><p dir="LTR"><span lang="en-us"><span style="font-family:Century Gothic;font-size:85%;">Cheers and happy riding!</span></span></p></span>Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-59883436627160287342008-08-21T19:19:00.007+05:302008-08-22T12:09:41.318+05:30Independence day weekend ride<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicC24sWzrCEMSKOdXfWOvAU8-5D-iogZWbKqQAIQkpBDS8W9qiHF9pBXrOS2uFKEvGjSN_FUV-w3Sj32xJ5KxR3JpsnuUQO2q9WU8Mpqz09wKky8eGC3uyP8Xg92ZeeNGFUo98-Q/s1600-h/Athur_village-_Cardamom_House_15th_August_104.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237224947451512994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicC24sWzrCEMSKOdXfWOvAU8-5D-iogZWbKqQAIQkpBDS8W9qiHF9pBXrOS2uFKEvGjSN_FUV-w3Sj32xJ5KxR3JpsnuUQO2q9WU8Mpqz09wKky8eGC3uyP8Xg92ZeeNGFUo98-Q/s400/Athur_village-_Cardamom_House_15th_August_104.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div>After the <a href="http://lovejoshi.blogspot.com/2008/07/lepakshi-ride-june-29th.html">Lepakshi ride</a>, we had decided that we need to do a longish weekend ride with the same group together… <a href="http://www.pointofreflection.com/">Pallavi</a> took up the responsibility of looking for a very exotic and remote location that can be easily covered in day’s ride. She came up with this place <a href="http://cardamomhouse.com/">Cardamom House</a>; somewhere in Tamil Nadu past Dindigul and off a small town called Athoor… and boy did she find us the best place to stay?<br /><br />The discussion on logistics and all started a week prior to the ride, I as always get a bit hassled about longish riding and started looking up the weather websites checking on the weather forecast for the coming weekend… I generally get more worried when I have to ride with the wifey; otherwise I am generally a very careless biker. Not only did I look up the weather forecast but also shared the same with the entire gang! And the reactions I got on that…. Guess will have to write another blog entry for those :p<br /><br />Anyway, we were to start at 5am on Friday. Thursday evening onwards it rained and rained and rained and then rained some more (u get the idea) it was pouring till 4am… I was mighty scared that we’ll get stuck in the rains and the ride will turn into a disaster. Anyhow, we finished our coffee and shared a can of Red-Bull, donned our rain pants and finally rolled out at 4:30 made it to the meeting point at 05:10 Doc had decided that he would join us in his car, everyone was there and we started off, the rain had turned into a very slight drizzle but the rain lashing the entire night had washed out the roads and there was a thin mist of mud that got onto the helmet visor too easily, must say the truck traffic was amazing for 5am!<br /><br />Our first stop was at Hosur at the IBP GHAR, it’s like the Reliance A1 plaza but the service was okayish, and fuel was cheap (58/- for hi octane speed!) just had a chai there and rolled out again, the rains had relatively stopped but we still were too chicken to remove our rain pants. Then came Dharampuri, strangely the cops here were diverting the traffic towards the new NHAI bypass and I happily turned on that route just to realize that all the other bikers had gone ahead through the town :( after around 10kms I turned back and regrouped with the biker guys at a small chai tapri that was also serving hot puri-bhaji and omelets for breakfast. Hogged amazing food here, met some <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.rtmc.info/">RTMC</a> guys who were riding towards Dhanushkodi near Rameshwaram… after our breakfast and pleasantries we started again, took relative breaks for chai and some butt-breaks and reached Dindigul at around 1:30 from here asked for directions for Cardamom House and reached this amazing destination at around 2pm.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237224943630901570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPT4mOye_0eyWvshX32ODkR7WEM353Re3QGGiOhT1zweMmzQVHHzlHp5bYsWfTlqXlCFHwhf2QY_r-Jc0YnXxNUW4g1Sem6-nnihvKTCwhzKJOkdJuMl51FoGU0bTfvMR06r2fLA/s400/Athur_village-_Cardamom_House_15th_August_049.jpg" border="0" />This place is managed by an elderly British gent who meets, greets and befriends all his guests. We were welcomed with an amazing mocktail of mango juice with cardamom here after the mocktail and a nice beer, I rushed to freshen up; this is when I discovered the amazing rooms! I think the resort has around 10 rooms (not sure though) with an amazing view of the lake below and the hills in the distance. My room was the last on the verandah, with cane chairs in the porch and a complete bookshelf. I had a shower and went for lunch, after lunch we tried to sleep and relax for a while but I woke up in less than an hour and went out to explore the resort. Oh what an amazing place! So much lush greenery! Only problem was that the air was heavy with humidity.<br /><br />The owner of the place had organized a party in the evening celebrating the Indian independence, met some amazing people from Texas, New Zealand and Europe; chatted with them and then took the party back to Rocky’s cottage, sat there in the moonlight talking, laughing and just having fun.<br /><br />Morning came at 6am! The area had a very fresh aroma; I sat out in the porch over a cup of coffee. Once the wifey woke up we strolled out to walk around the lake. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237224948629250962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9wP3tM-RONPieoe1KxRy7j977xoTLDogIJBPBLA3Toe0hneHO_xKjqP7x3eY8CKKxKTzxqkzbrg3FakihuMIRUG-G0oB3N_g7zzYEbDAOB_4YDmiaAfFkw-wokp6hT0_G81xjw/s400/Athur_village-_Cardamom_House_15th_August_088.jpg" border="0" />Clicked a lot of pictures and saw much too many birds! Came back and had an amazing breakfast, one great thing about this place is that everything they cook is made at the resort and grown on their farm, even the bread we ate was baked in their ovens! Post breakfast we retired to our room I tried reading a wild western and the wifey read ‘The Lost Horizon’ (the story of the Shangri-La) I was sitting here and thinking that we are in our Shangri-La… after lunch I sat with Mr. Ramdas who I nicknamed RD over a bottle of beer and talked for hours… snoozed off in the afternoon only to wake to a heavy rain! Yes, an amazing view… rains falling on the lake, the plains and coming over the hills…<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237224944431415842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCrWngHdYABG5uBuDduO-bAFbdUw96vOm4ShGqUCdWomuU14FPeUL7y0OGFWzzO_UyM4ndLOQ4tYs0jVMLfVaTblNWE7sU1OJZ8fiMYMOi_ntBlCmiQimTOWTTrfvxoVrJpt0WdA/s400/Athur_village-_Cardamom_House_15th_August_066.jpg" border="0" /> the rain lasted just long enough to make the entire area more beautiful, I was too tempted to ride out solo on those beaten country roads; road for a good 10kilometers, oh I forgot to tell you, the resort also housed two twelve year old Diesel bullets! Prateek and I tried our hands on those as well just to realize that the bulls need a lot of servicing and maintenance.<br /><br />The evening was a quiet affair with some nice dinner and again a session at Roky’s cottage under the moonlight.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5237224946893495666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJZWhL0soZf7BtBSLtMdAm-E3hgIC6xNQw0u3ytZkWVgmjeXK185zaUoYEkhiy3L-H5rfy0SRwYIh8-GDu3WeJZWPJp3AKL926haGVHfD6QagOesLWVwUNeTL6UiDgIl4w-EhEpQ/s400/Athur_village-_Cardamom_House_15th_August_091.jpg" border="0" /><br />The next morning we started at 7am after a nice breakfast, wifey had decided that she will come with Doc and RD in the car so I was solo… YIPPIEEE! I had such an amazing time ripping the bike to speeds I couldn’t even think about generally, especially after getting the K&N performance air-filter. We stopped straight at Salem for a small butt break, after that the roads just became too inviting for me… I broke formation and rode like a crazy maniac for kilometers together… just to stop at the Tamil Nadu tourism hotel at Hosur. Had a heavy lunch and came back to Bangalore by 5pm.<br /><br />Overall this was an amazing ride with amazing friends and a very well deserved weekend away form Bangalore. A few pointers that I would want to suggest if you plan to go there any time soon…<br /><br />1) carry loads of water along<br />2) there are enough dhabas to eat on the way but keeping something handsy will help a lot<br />3) most of the people in TN do understand English and will not give you wrong directions.<br />4) The resort is slightly expensive but worth every penny you spend here.<br />5) The last 20kms from Athoor to the resort are a bit bad, if you are in a 4wheeler make sure you have decent ground clearance.<br /><br />link to <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/love.joshi/AthurVillageCardamomHouse15thAugust">my pictures</a>, <a href="http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/remman/CardamomHouse">Rocky's Pictures</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/jilmil/sets/72157606826760149/">Pallavi's pictures</a>,</div>Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-13998253579701079202008-07-29T18:40:00.001+05:302008-07-29T18:40:48.146+05:30changeChanges, some needed some requested <br />Some fall on you unwarranted… <br /><br />Beg for some, pray for some, <br />But the change will happen…<br />…Only, when you are ready for one. <br /><br />Wished on shooting stars,<br />Prayed on all the scars <br />Darned life felt so stagnant <br />Will this ever change and take me far? <br /><br />This might sound a little bit strange,<br />But all we crave for now is a new change.Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10856041.post-69810755558059370572008-07-21T15:52:00.004+05:302008-12-09T02:48:08.992+05:30Inked again...Another busy Saturday came and went past…<br /><br />I had so many things to finish!!! Since a while RedEye has been giving me troubles, she just doesn’t go beyond 80kph when I ride with a pillion and I had taken her to the mechanic to figure out why was she behaving like a lazy bull… spend almost half a day at the mech but we couldn’t figure out too many things… eventually it was decided that I change the air-filter on her and get he a high performance free flow filter to satisfy her appetite.<br /><br /><br /><br />After finishing that, went home to find out that wifey is a bit late and we would have to rush out to meet <a href="http://xhtheexperthand.blogspot.com/">XH</a>, we were supposed to have a quick lunch and go to Russell’s place XH was going to get inked! Yes, he was going to get a tattoo and I was going to be his moral support and the expert commentator ad critic… we had a nice and economical south Indian lunch and then went to meet Russ.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwG4dp7q3VqAGrNIY1xVfo19K9oFEkgAa6yXhUU0XtAeSBGkIKptdzn78OaGzGfkwyTkPj4GdtYeiuWvPk2FOo2DxrB0zf6h08R-bB1-sxsVZDhpj3LwwZiBApcF0l41hZa5B4OQ/s1600-h/DSC_9280.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225412070486731922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwG4dp7q3VqAGrNIY1xVfo19K9oFEkgAa6yXhUU0XtAeSBGkIKptdzn78OaGzGfkwyTkPj4GdtYeiuWvPk2FOo2DxrB0zf6h08R-bB1-sxsVZDhpj3LwwZiBApcF0l41hZa5B4OQ/s400/DSC_9280.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKTdgZlAecU9nbyP_1lUiPLeMIGjNym9TtOVIi6o1hsouwsYCpWIbSSTsUY2UbC6FZf8Emca3uFpFvcocPYXhDDmcxWWWp4C8S2-wUPINWUruNLl-F9dpawzIrbNmnindYwcP0w/s1600-h/DSC_9286.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225412072718378466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKTdgZlAecU9nbyP_1lUiPLeMIGjNym9TtOVIi6o1hsouwsYCpWIbSSTsUY2UbC6FZf8Emca3uFpFvcocPYXhDDmcxWWWp4C8S2-wUPINWUruNLl-F9dpawzIrbNmnindYwcP0w/s400/DSC_9286.JPG" border="0" /></a> I was too excited to be there and to see XH go through the pain (yeah, I’m a sadist sometimes) XH had selected a very safe and sober Hindu design of an Aum in the center of a sun… while Russ inked XH I too decided that I wanted to add a bit to my own tattoo… so after XH was done, I sat to get my tattoo done, thanks to the lack of exercise; my arms felt like jelly and the needles hurt a lot :( but I got a very neat design, I added to my Native American collection and a bit of my biker spirit…<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNv-CT1Sfta3Qb6kJwiIiD1tR2r9XLgcl8fonNMsu98zdLzBbXITAR0N4wKnAH7diM4a4TYVuYhYb-MRhHSwXPFTE3sNfbUUzuGk9gvQe8F7D9DMiHg8HcwziKqcr1QTELEQP3Q/s1600-h/DSC_9309.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225412072095658402" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNv-CT1Sfta3Qb6kJwiIiD1tR2r9XLgcl8fonNMsu98zdLzBbXITAR0N4wKnAH7diM4a4TYVuYhYb-MRhHSwXPFTE3sNfbUUzuGk9gvQe8F7D9DMiHg8HcwziKqcr1QTELEQP3Q/s400/DSC_9309.JPG" border="0" /></a> The wifey was also interested in getting one tattoo but she was not sure if she wanted it or not… after a lot of deliberation she decided to get a nice small design which was part floral and part tribal. She was very brave, didn’t flinch at all!!! After all the tattoos we said our thanks and rode back home… now the wifey and I are already contemplating another tattoo anytime soon!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iwq7Fs4Z3iJ7t8d-pwn6myGz7EuEFZwEKaua0yCB0JbTuKARjdlUk5k3-yLw74P2o0kjTddYBy8zDiQ5YPRrbIpCh4yJdBfGyNveb82EHfhrAkNsDUelDAWTCZKmaroKnljtHg/s1600-h/DSC_9350.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225412073002443586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1iwq7Fs4Z3iJ7t8d-pwn6myGz7EuEFZwEKaua0yCB0JbTuKARjdlUk5k3-yLw74P2o0kjTddYBy8zDiQ5YPRrbIpCh4yJdBfGyNveb82EHfhrAkNsDUelDAWTCZKmaroKnljtHg/s400/DSC_9350.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESabCkgQ_QvA2O5D36iee-kTvhjQqM20hr1a-S4dB1hDWnGx7rSQHOP2ZGpoI64UWLk1EX2dF8BhCcUtySDAqXH9FNXrQjm-VVwaJgO3Rs9Fs1u6fvORvoickpNTpJLiWnyXvEg/s1600-h/DSC_9353.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225412077826561890" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESabCkgQ_QvA2O5D36iee-kTvhjQqM20hr1a-S4dB1hDWnGx7rSQHOP2ZGpoI64UWLk1EX2dF8BhCcUtySDAqXH9FNXrQjm-VVwaJgO3Rs9Fs1u6fvORvoickpNTpJLiWnyXvEg/s400/DSC_9353.JPG" border="0" /></a>ALL HAPPY ALL INKED :)Love LJ Joshihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14121141139469463786noreply@blogger.com3