This trip has to go down as one of the most memorable trips I have ever had. It all started when a couple of friends in my office got bikes. Some of us were getting restless and wanted to get away for the weekend. All the people who work in MNC's, five days a week, know the importance of a nice, adventurous weekend. The idea of a road trip on a bike was brewing in our minds for quite some time now and everything substantiated on one fine friday evening. We planned to leave on the very next Saturday morning ( impromptu plans are always more exciting) but due to some prior engagements, it had to be postponed. The complete next week passed in anticipation and preparation. We included few more enthusiastic people in the adventure and finally we were a group of 8 people ready with our bikes and raring to brave the winds.
On the eventful day, I woke up at 5. We had planned to meet at Gachibowli circle, at the head of the Outer ring road and start the trip at 7. Owing to my notoriously deep sleep and my past experiences, I always take the precaution of putting some buffer time ahead to prevent any unintended events. I called up a few people to make sure that the plan was still on. With such plans, you never know when a simple event can trigger a no-go signal and destroy the whole thing. Luckily, for this particular trip, this wasn't so. Everybody reached the circle by 7:45. Well, in some people's defense, their tap had run out of water and nothing could have been done about that. We had some early morning snacks with hot 'chai'. There is nothing like a hot 'chai' to revive your senses and put you in the mood.
By 8, all engines were fired up and we were cruising beside the outer ring road. We had a few, actually a lot of, speed breakers. I can't imagine what the contracter must have been thinking while putting in so many of them. It did slow us down but our spirits were still up. Initially, everyone was very excited, picking up good speed but only 1 of us was navigating and it did lead to some confusion. We missed a couple of turns, sometimes taking the wrong route or going further ahead instead of making a turn. After an hour or so, everything smoothened out and we were moving in perfect sync. We took our first major break at a roadside restaurant just opposite to Ramoji film city. As we were settling down
with our breakfast, another incident unfolded. I took out my camera and decided to take some snaps. To my complete bewilderment, the memory card had been corrupted. Luck being with us, the restaurant was situated in a small town like place and it didn't take me much time to find a cyber cafe and format the card. Phew, one mishap successfully averted!
After refreshments, some back straightening exercises and photo sessions (I had to double check this time), we were back on the road. We left Ramoji behind and caught NH9. One of the reasons of choosing this route was this stretch of NH9 which some bikers refer to as an excellent biking experience. It is a multi-laned road with very scarce and predictable traffic. Each one of us were hitting 100+ on our bikes and the winds gushing past us just screamed as to acknowledge our spirit. It was a pure biking delight for the next 80-90 kms. We took to SH2 and continued driving all the way to Nalgonda where we had to pass through a very crowded market and after so much of speed biking, it was getting difficult to ride at a snail's pace. We were already 4-5 hours into our trip and everyone was feeling the brunt, especially the backs and the behinds. At one point, I considered the idea of a standing motorbike and contemplated as to why it never crossed the minds of these automobile giants but I suddenly realized, it would have been a far more painful experience. As we continued, a couple of more incidents took place, like Ghoda venting out his anger on a poor goat and mysterious liquid coming out of M's bike( which was later on, successfully tested to be none other than petrol.) The reason of the leak is, however, still a mystery.
We finally reached our destination at around 2 in the afternoon. We were exhausted, dehydrated and with our asses on fire. It was time to reap the fruits of this long journey. Each one of us sat down with our feet dipped in the cool, sublime water which, by the way, was not very clean. This day will also be remembered as when our lambu ascended to being the 'Chaddha-man' and started flaunting his not-so-sexy legs. After a short rest, we started off towards a nearby waterfall. If the NH9 was all about speed, the treacherous hilly roads were more about control. We reached the waterfalls in around an hour. It presented a very mesmerizing sight. Everybody was eager to splash in but somebody commented that this waterfall is a breeding ground for crocodiles. Looking at all the people in there, it did not seem very likely but no one was about to go and check such a claim. We just enjoyed it's beauty from a distance.
It was already late afternoon and everyone was quite famished. We decided to take our lunch at the small food joint within the campus. The food was nothing to brag about but after 250 kms, who cares? After a hearty meal, we sat down on the cool grass and just gazed at the sky. Also, an attempt was made to play mafia but nobody was much of a game for it. We started our return at around 5:30 in the evening. It was decided to make the return journey via the other route, through Nagarjuna Sagar road and SH19. It was getting dark pretty fast and biking on a highway with trucks coming from the other side is another challenge in itself. There were occasional scares, unspotted speed breakers ( 1 which gave lambu a hell of a shock.) and some risky overtaking. We stopped in between for some 'chai' and 'samose', a necessity when half the junta is snoozing at behind and once the energy was back, nobody was stopping anyone from having some fun. Who would have thought road pipes could also be used for posing. We reached Hyderabad at around 10 in the night. We had a breezy stop near Himayath Sagar.The lake looked very serene and calm in the moonlight as if inviting you to gaze. It took another 30 mins or so to reach our areas. After the tired goodbyes, some left for their homes. A couple of us decided to give priority to our hunger and reached my college,IIIT-Hyd in search of some food. Luckily for us, it was the night of the annual fest and there were plenty of food stalls to choose from. After having a sandwich, everyone left. As my flatmate and I rode back to our house, with every speed-breaker, the pain in my ass kept reminding me about this marvellous trip and a memorable day.
[P.S. The actual names have been substituted to add more insult to injury. :) ]
On the eventful day, I woke up at 5. We had planned to meet at Gachibowli circle, at the head of the Outer ring road and start the trip at 7. Owing to my notoriously deep sleep and my past experiences, I always take the precaution of putting some buffer time ahead to prevent any unintended events. I called up a few people to make sure that the plan was still on. With such plans, you never know when a simple event can trigger a no-go signal and destroy the whole thing. Luckily, for this particular trip, this wasn't so. Everybody reached the circle by 7:45. Well, in some people's defense, their tap had run out of water and nothing could have been done about that. We had some early morning snacks with hot 'chai'. There is nothing like a hot 'chai' to revive your senses and put you in the mood.
By 8, all engines were fired up and we were cruising beside the outer ring road. We had a few, actually a lot of, speed breakers. I can't imagine what the contracter must have been thinking while putting in so many of them. It did slow us down but our spirits were still up. Initially, everyone was very excited, picking up good speed but only 1 of us was navigating and it did lead to some confusion. We missed a couple of turns, sometimes taking the wrong route or going further ahead instead of making a turn. After an hour or so, everything smoothened out and we were moving in perfect sync. We took our first major break at a roadside restaurant just opposite to Ramoji film city. As we were settling down
with our breakfast, another incident unfolded. I took out my camera and decided to take some snaps. To my complete bewilderment, the memory card had been corrupted. Luck being with us, the restaurant was situated in a small town like place and it didn't take me much time to find a cyber cafe and format the card. Phew, one mishap successfully averted!
After refreshments, some back straightening exercises and photo sessions (I had to double check this time), we were back on the road. We left Ramoji behind and caught NH9. One of the reasons of choosing this route was this stretch of NH9 which some bikers refer to as an excellent biking experience. It is a multi-laned road with very scarce and predictable traffic. Each one of us were hitting 100+ on our bikes and the winds gushing past us just screamed as to acknowledge our spirit. It was a pure biking delight for the next 80-90 kms. We took to SH2 and continued driving all the way to Nalgonda where we had to pass through a very crowded market and after so much of speed biking, it was getting difficult to ride at a snail's pace. We were already 4-5 hours into our trip and everyone was feeling the brunt, especially the backs and the behinds. At one point, I considered the idea of a standing motorbike and contemplated as to why it never crossed the minds of these automobile giants but I suddenly realized, it would have been a far more painful experience. As we continued, a couple of more incidents took place, like Ghoda venting out his anger on a poor goat and mysterious liquid coming out of M's bike( which was later on, successfully tested to be none other than petrol.) The reason of the leak is, however, still a mystery.
We finally reached our destination at around 2 in the afternoon. We were exhausted, dehydrated and with our asses on fire. It was time to reap the fruits of this long journey. Each one of us sat down with our feet dipped in the cool, sublime water which, by the way, was not very clean. This day will also be remembered as when our lambu ascended to being the 'Chaddha-man' and started flaunting his not-so-sexy legs. After a short rest, we started off towards a nearby waterfall. If the NH9 was all about speed, the treacherous hilly roads were more about control. We reached the waterfalls in around an hour. It presented a very mesmerizing sight. Everybody was eager to splash in but somebody commented that this waterfall is a breeding ground for crocodiles. Looking at all the people in there, it did not seem very likely but no one was about to go and check such a claim. We just enjoyed it's beauty from a distance.
It was already late afternoon and everyone was quite famished. We decided to take our lunch at the small food joint within the campus. The food was nothing to brag about but after 250 kms, who cares? After a hearty meal, we sat down on the cool grass and just gazed at the sky. Also, an attempt was made to play mafia but nobody was much of a game for it. We started our return at around 5:30 in the evening. It was decided to make the return journey via the other route, through Nagarjuna Sagar road and SH19. It was getting dark pretty fast and biking on a highway with trucks coming from the other side is another challenge in itself. There were occasional scares, unspotted speed breakers ( 1 which gave lambu a hell of a shock.) and some risky overtaking. We stopped in between for some 'chai' and 'samose', a necessity when half the junta is snoozing at behind and once the energy was back, nobody was stopping anyone from having some fun. Who would have thought road pipes could also be used for posing. We reached Hyderabad at around 10 in the night. We had a breezy stop near Himayath Sagar.The lake looked very serene and calm in the moonlight as if inviting you to gaze. It took another 30 mins or so to reach our areas. After the tired goodbyes, some left for their homes. A couple of us decided to give priority to our hunger and reached my college,IIIT-Hyd in search of some food. Luckily for us, it was the night of the annual fest and there were plenty of food stalls to choose from. After having a sandwich, everyone left. As my flatmate and I rode back to our house, with every speed-breaker, the pain in my ass kept reminding me about this marvellous trip and a memorable day.
[P.S. The actual names have been substituted to add more insult to injury. :) ]
