Chasing the Sun, is what you do when you do Biking in Northern India during winters as the day is very short & it becomes pitch dark by 6 pm.
After every 15 minutes you look at the Sun to see how much it has set.
This was the season when we were returning to Delhi from a disappointing Tiger Safari in Ranthambore.Four of us were on Bikes,
We wanted to reach Delhi comfortably and avoid riding in the dark & hence as a bold move we decided to get up early and start riding at 5 am. Next day sharp at 5 am we are ready to leave(yes we got up in the freezing cold).
I start my Bike(First Kick)*...It gives a nice Dhug,Dhug,Dhug,Dhug sound of the Royal Enfield
My 2nd Friend starts the Bike(First Kick*) ...And again there is a Dhug Dhug Dhug
The Third friend tries to start...First Kick- no response, Second Kick( I got an ego boost) -No response, Third Kick- We all got anxious to check what’s the issue.
After 30 minutes of trial & error we agreed that we need a mechanic.
Further we came to know from a local source that there is a
legendary figure called "Raju" in town that repairs Royal Enfield.
But he will be available only by 8 am and boy it was not until 11 am did Raju
come on to the scene and started working on the bike.
This guy was a small with a big moustache and he was a very popular chap.
Over a cup of Chai we were discussing riding in the dark, and I would be lying if the thought of staying in for one more day didn't cross our minds.
While discussing, the chaiwalla started his tape recorder and the song played in the background was-'Pardesi, Pardesi jaana nahi"(Foreigner don’t leave) from Raja Hindustani but we decided to go ahead with the plan as some of us had some errands the next day.
So we started our return journey at 12 pm, we had lost seven hours by then :) Rajasthani landscape is beautiful; you come across small lakes, villages, vast stretches of land and mountains as well. But more importantly when you are on Road,
It is the quality of Roads which matter ,yes the wide tar roads, give nice grip to tyres which makes the journey a comfortable experience.
Further on the road we came across this beautiful Sand dune, & I wanted to click some snaps
This guy was a small with a big moustache and he was a very popular chap.
Over a cup of Chai we were discussing riding in the dark, and I would be lying if the thought of staying in for one more day didn't cross our minds.
While discussing, the chaiwalla started his tape recorder and the song played in the background was-'Pardesi, Pardesi jaana nahi"(Foreigner don’t leave) from Raja Hindustani but we decided to go ahead with the plan as some of us had some errands the next day.
So we started our return journey at 12 pm, we had lost seven hours by then :) Rajasthani landscape is beautiful; you come across small lakes, villages, vast stretches of land and mountains as well. But more importantly when you are on Road,
It is the quality of Roads which matter ,yes the wide tar roads, give nice grip to tyres which makes the journey a comfortable experience.
Further on the road we came across this beautiful Sand dune, & I wanted to click some snaps
Now suddenly on the horizon we see a guy on a bike, just like the entry of Omar Shareef in Lawrence of Arabia.
The Bikes noise did get our attention but we carried on with our activities. In the next second we heard a thud and what we saw next was unbelievable J
The very same guy riding the bike had banged the very same bike we had repaired in the morning, but what were the chances on such a wide road this guy picking our bike.
We ran towards him as he was injured too
We asked him" Bhaiya intni chaudi sadak, aapne accident kiya hi kaise"(How did you manage to bang the on such a wide road)
He had a simple answer to this
"Main aapko dekh raha tha"( I was watching you guys).
All four of us were in splits; we quickly bandaged him from our first aid kit
We now had a broken headlight and accelerator wire and now walking towards a mechanic in a nearby village.
After getting the Bike repaired ,at Six ‘o’clock in the evening we saw a direction sign -Jaipur 50 kms, New Delhi 250 kms :)
Chasing the Sun was now out of question & in fact it was Moon which chased us all the way
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Bikes noise did get our attention but we carried on with our activities. In the next second we heard a thud and what we saw next was unbelievable J
The very same guy riding the bike had banged the very same bike we had repaired in the morning, but what were the chances on such a wide road this guy picking our bike.
We ran towards him as he was injured too
We asked him" Bhaiya intni chaudi sadak, aapne accident kiya hi kaise"(How did you manage to bang the on such a wide road)
He had a simple answer to this
"Main aapko dekh raha tha"( I was watching you guys).
All four of us were in splits; we quickly bandaged him from our first aid kit
We now had a broken headlight and accelerator wire and now walking towards a mechanic in a nearby village.
After getting the Bike repaired ,at Six ‘o’clock in the evening we saw a direction sign -Jaipur 50 kms, New Delhi 250 kms :)
Chasing the Sun was now out of question & in fact it was Moon which chased us all the way
*First Kick-An Ego boost to Boys if the Bike starts on the first
attempt
The Bike,which could have won a lottery
