Indi Motorcycle Diary - xBhp.com : The Global Indian Biking Community

Pankaj trivedi · 01-12-2010, 06:56 PM

Day 1, January 10, 2010

Mumbai to Nalsarovar (Gujarat)

Km: 620 
Hours of riding: 9 with breaks 
Money spent today: Petrol: Rs 650 
Bike repairs: Rs 20 
Food in dhaba: Rs 55 
Tea: Rs 15 
Hotel Nalsarovar: Rs 300, single occupancy 
Dinner: Haven’t paid yet 

After lots of planning and preparation, I started rolling for my biking trip this morning. It was difficult to get up early because I couldn’t sleep all night thinking about the big trip ahead. Somehow I managed to haul myself up at 6 a.m. As I did my final packing in the morning, I decided not to take my big camera bag and threw my camera in my tank bag. It’s always good to have one less bag.

Left at around 8 a.m., but nothing went smoothly. My early morning start was full of fumbles and my initial excitement was short lived. After about two km, my first big realization -- I had left my money on the kitchen table! Nothing else to do but take a u-turn and head back home. I never imagined I’d have to see my own door again quite so soon, but there I was. Started off again and after a half kilometer, my second realization -- this time I’d left my driving license behind! Again, I retraced my steps back home. The security guard looked puzzled and asked, “Sir, wapas aa gaye?” (You came back?). I just nodded my head and said yes, I forgot my wallet. It was a bit of an embarrassing situation.

As I headed down the road across the domestic airport bridge, my mind wondered to the possibilities of making a sleek, aerodynamic saddlebag, thinking of how I could make that a reality... Ahead in the fast lane, one taxi was chugging along very slowly. People were honking from behind and everybody was overtaking from the left. I was thinking about traffic sense (or lack thereof) and wanted to give a piece of my mind to the taxi driver, but as I overtook him I realized the driver was just an old sardar uncle. I smiled, kept quiet, and kept going.

I was able to do around 80 to 90 k in the morning crossing Mumbai, going easy and just trying to get the feel of the bike, trying to sense how it handles with luggage and to understand how it balances and brakes with load. I was happy with my choice of bike. The Karizma is a very good touring bike for India. I have used this bike in the past for my Kanyakumari to Leh Limca Book record run, for Raid the Himalaya, and for a Northeast India trip. As soon as I crossed out of the city, I was able to open the throttle and the bike went smoothly at 100 and 110. It felt stable, and I started enjoying the ride.

Soon I forgot everything else, and just became one with my bike. Forgot to drink, to eat... just pure passion for riding overtook me. The road condition is great from Mumbai to Vadodra, a four-lane road. Just as I reached close to Surat, the first rider of the day tried to overtake me. I think my ego got a little dented. He was on an Apache RTR 180 with his girlfriend, and as he overtook me he turned his head to look back, laughing at me. I couldn’t control myself, started giving more gas, overtook him and continued going at my pace. He again overtook, cutting in front of me where I could have fallen and been hurt. I couldn’t resist now... no looking back... opened full throttle, zoomed past him and was gone with the wind. After ten minutes, when he was nowhere to be seen, I began to worry for him, hoped he was fine and hadn’t had a crash. Both of them were not wearing any proper gear, not even a helmet, only glasses.

I stopped near Vadodra, after almost 450 km, as I was low on gas. I realized I needed to put fuel in both the bike tank and in myself. I’d just finished 450 km in 4 hours 40 minutes, so after refueling both tanks, I decided to go easy. On checking the bike, I saw the bolt that connects the engine to the chassis was out and the nut was missing, so I picked up a stone and banged the bolt back into chassis again, a temporary fix, and started looking about for a mechanic shop. Twenty rupees paid for the new bolt and the grease-monkey to put it on, and I was back on the road to Nalsarovar.

ken cool · 01-12-2010, 08:25 PM

Tour Report Approved

rachitkohli · 01-13-2010, 10:30 AM

Hey great going Pankaj. You have completed really wonderful distance in short time.
Its nice to receive your live updates. I was waiting for this man..!
All the best. Now, One day less from your 3 months journey

Will have my eyes fixed to this thread. Any pix will be great if possible.
Ride Safe..

darkknight · 01-13-2010, 10:33 AM

awesome...this is going to be one hell of a thread if pankaj manages to update it regularly throughout the journey including photos...

all the best dude

Pankaj trivedi · 01-13-2010, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ken cool

Tour Report Approved

Thanks ken

Quote:

Originally Posted by rachitkohli

Hey great going Pankaj. You have completed really wonderful distance in short time.
Its nice to receive your live updates. I was waiting for this man..!
All the best. Now, One day less from your 3 months journey

Will have my eyes fixed to this thread. Any pix will be great if possible.
Ride Safe..

Hehe ya i shall try my best to update this thread

Since i will be travelling i will be able to upload the pics only on my blog....uploading pictures here will be costing me extra time and obnoxious amount of money

So please visit my blog for the pics buddy...shall upload videos too

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkknight

awesome...this is going to be one hell of a thread if pankaj manages to update it regularly throughout the journey including photos...

all the best dude

Thanks darkknight

i shall update it regularly.

Pankaj trivedi · 01-13-2010, 11:35 AM

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Day 2

Damages for the day are:
Rs110 for lunch tea and mineral water
Rs150 for guide
Rs50 tip
Rs300 hotel
Rs165 for two days dinner and tea
Day two of my dream journey commenced at 7.30 a.m. with my teeth rattling in the biting cold, and just the thing I needed most -- a hot steaming cup of masala tea -- to keep me warm. Today I

planned to go bird-watching at the Nalsarovar lake. Gaining warmth from the hot cup of chai, I started my bike, riding a distance of 2 km from my hotel down to the lake's edge. In just a jersey and 3/4 length pants, the cold bit in deep. As I parked the bike I was mobbed by a herd of boatmen haggling for my business. The rates ranged from 50 – 150 Rs for the boat ride. I finally made my choice, going with the cheapest one at Rs50. He agreed to take me deep inside the lake, covering a distance of 7 km, where I could see lots of migratory birds like Pelicans, King Fishers, Flamingos, etc...

Of course, cheaper is not always better. My fine choice of boatman turned out to be a conman who tried to hike up the rates to 1500 from just Rs 50 as soon as the boat had taken off and we were mid-lake. Bastard! Let this be a warning, you get what you pay for! It got a little heated and I demanded to be dropped back ashore. Either that, or I was going to toss him into the lake! Back on dry land, I entered into the super-haggle to end all haggles with the crowd of boatmen, all eager for my money, not only looking for a good rate and but also -- now the wiser -- looking to find someone with integrity. This time, I selected a boatman named Ramazan, and agreed upon a price of 150Rs.

What a prince this one turned out to be... We started our day with a warm cup of tea at his little hut, but I think it was the warmth of his family members that moved me, more than just the cup of tea. I was invited for a lovely lunch at their little home where big-hearted souls dwelled in simplicity. The purity of our Indian culture and true love for guests is what I experienced, in abundance.
We were all set to go onto the lake and there I witnessed the beauty of the so many winged species from faraway lands.

After a good boatride, witnessing the incredible variety of nature in its untouched form, we returned to our base for a scrumptious delicious Indian meal of bajreki roti, baingan ka bharta, lasun chatni, onion and buttermilk. I could not ask for more than just that! A real treat for my appetite, it was! When I returned to the hotel, the realizatin of my third screw-up of the trip was awaiting me. This time, now some seven hundred kilometers away from home and too far to return, I realized the USB data cable I need to upload my pictures was sitting back on my bed, left behind in the hectic chaos of my departure. How many things have I discovered left behind in just two days! And what else have I forgotten? It just reconfirmed the fact that I am (as many have commented) ever-so-slightly absent-minded. After searching practically every house in Nalsarovar to no avail, I decided I would have to go to Viramgam, about 35 km away, to search for a data cable.

It was then I was in for part two of the surprise... as I tried to kick start the bike, there was no response, just a sickly, unhappy little noise. This disheartening noise only thing I could hear. I was left with no other option but to open the panel of my bike to realise there was a problem with my relay switch. I dug in, removing the carbon form every lead, and finaly after an hour and a half, three rounds of serious cleaning, my bike decided to start. Success at last! But by this time it was now almost dark and useless to set off for Viramgam.
Back at the hotel, I saw another biker come storming in. He had a UK number plate on a Suzuki make machine. I couldn't resist striking up a conversation with someone who obviously shares the same passion as I do. I found out his name was Alex and he had ridden from the UK to India following almost the same route as I had back in 2006. It was like finding a brother in someone I had just met. Sharing stories and comparing travel tales, we had lots to talk about and continued the conversation for about an hour or so. We not only bonded over our mutual love of biking, but he proved to be a real savior, as he carried with him the very USB cable for transfering data that I had left behind! Trust in the Universe; it has its own way of providing things at the right time in the right place!
Data transfer successful !! This marks the end of Day 2.

darkknight · 01-13-2010, 11:36 AM

No issues pankaj...we will upload some pics from your blog onto here too with your permission ofcourse...

I was rather hoping you will tour India On the yam bike that you had used earlier

Pankaj trivedi · 01-13-2010, 11:37 AM

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Day 3

January 12th 2010

Damages for the day

Rs 20 puncture repair charges
Rs 5 chai
Rs 100 lunch
Rs 200 boat

Distance travelled

4 km on the walk
8 km on the bike
12 km by boat

Day 3

Wake up time -- 6.30 am. First action for the day, made myself a hot cup of Earl Gray Tea. This was refreshing enough for me to pack my bags and get rolling for the day. My day begins with a surprise any guess what it could be? Yes its a flat tyre today! Adventure for the day has already begun and so has the hunt for a puncture repairer. Luckily, I found one at the end of the road, just round the corner.

Just that, I had to wait for the person to arrive at the shop. This happened only at 7.30 am. Meanwhile I decided to have another cup of Earl gray tea and make waiting its worth. As soon as the man was there I fixed the puncutured tyre and decided to get going for the day. I Rode the distance of two kilometers and reached the lake.

Here comes something familiar to me, time for retake number four. It is my tripod this time that I left behind at the hotel room. Once again amended on the goof up, rode back to the hotel, getting my tripod along. Arriving at the lake I was looking for Ramazan, my trusted guide into the Nalsarovar but could not find him. Today he had taken the Deputy Forest Officer for a boatride.
Ramazan's father in assurance said, he would join us soon, and requested his brother to take me on

the boat instead. I was not very comfortable with the temporary arrangement, of a new guide but was not left with much choice. So I decided to go along with the flow of events. I began the action with the camera and gadgets. It wasnt long before Ramazan joined us while I was shooting kingfishers with my camera. I was happy to have my friend back on board. We went further into the lake for about 6 km and here was a site worth seeing, a flock of feathery flamingos in multitude. A treat from natures reserves, what a gorgeous site! I was soaked in enjoying every moment of the vision through the lens, capturing the moment for ever in time.

Further on we ventured onto a fishing island, where I saw fishermen lay thier nets and catch fish in numbers unimaginable. A thought just perched upon my mind, how can the government allow this kind of extensive fishing in a place thats a natural habitat for migratory and inland birds. Can we not leave this sacred space just for them? With this dilema of thought I left the fishing island and a lingering question on my mind to which I have no answer. Who is to be blamed?
It was nearing lunch time and our stomachs were rumbling. It was time to get to Ramzans home for round two of the staple diet. Bajra ki roti, baingan ka bharta, lasun ki chatni and some fresh onions and buttermilk..sounds familiar does it not? We were in the lake for more than three hours and decided to head homeward.
As we got off the boats heading towards the hutment and the community, my eyes wandered around soaking in the culture and feel of the place. It had an engulfed aura, warm as sunshine, it was the warmth of love, compassion and togetherness in the community. People here had something so special about them. A realization dawned upon me looking at their uncurropted simple world, a shed covered in blue plastic sheets from above and sides was something they identified as a home. Mother earth lay there as the ground to protect them and cuddle them in comfort, when tired. An earthern oven on the ground with some fire wood burning was the kitchen for them. Not much they owned in the name of possesion, probably this made them the happy people they really are with nothing to worry about losing. Living each day as it comes.

We reached his home, when Ramazans mother wasnt around to make us the meals, a helpful neighbour and his wife did the needful to cook a delicious meal. This was most exciting for a foody like me, I witnessed how they roasted the brinjal ( aubergines) on the clay oven and a pile of firewood. The aromas filled the air, ever increasing my appetite. The garlic chatni was freshly ground between two stones with a pinch of salt and red chilli. A mouth watering combination indeed. Just right to go with the hand made bajra rotis (a sort bread made of millet). As we began eating the yummy food freshly cooked for us, Ramazans mother came from out. She wore the warmest smile I have ever seen, so full of love and warmth. To me that was one of the most priceless gifts I could recieve. It had more value than the most expensive possessions on earth! The food I ate today will ever remain deeply engraved in my mental journal. It is not just the food, more so its the culture the warmth the love and affection I was fed the meal. So very Indian in tradition and culture.

It was time for some play with his father, I refer to Ramazan and his six year old, learning to fly kites from daddy. It took me down memory lane and got a glimpse of my childhood days. Kite flying was my favourite too. Co incidently I was born on the 14th of January and it happens to be Uttrayan, the kite flying day. Is that why I love to fly and be one with the breeeze ? I wondered as we walked along the waters edge.

I for the first time witnessed and Egret catch a frog and managed to capture the moment in the nick of time !

Pankaj trivedi · 01-13-2010, 11:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkknight

No issues pankaj...we will upload some pics from your blog onto here too with your permission ofcourse...

I was rather hoping you will tour India On the yam bike that you had used earlier

Hey i thought copying and pasting directly from my blog wont paste the pics but its Happenning

But i what is the maximum size allocated to a particular thread.

rachitkohli · 01-13-2010, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pankaj trivedi

Hey i thought copying and pasting directly from my blog wont paste the pics but its Happenning

But i what is the maximum size allocated to a particular thread.

Superb pankaj. Am loving it.! Feeling sick sitting here on this office chair.. Shucks..!!

Btw, Where are you right currently.
I think you can put 100 pix in one post.

01-12-2010, 06:56 PM	#1 (permalink)
Pankaj trivedi Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: mumbai Posts: 160	Indi Motorcycle Diary Day 1, January 10, 2010 Mumbai to Nalsarovar (Gujarat) Km: 620  Hours of riding: 9 with breaks  Money spent today: Petrol: Rs 650  Bike repairs: Rs 20  Food in dhaba: Rs 55  Tea: Rs 15  Hotel Nalsarovar: Rs 300, single occupancy  Dinner: Haven’t paid yet  After lots of planning and preparation, I started rolling for my biking trip this morning. It was difficult to get up early because I couldn’t sleep all night thinking about the big trip ahead. Somehow I managed to haul myself up at 6 a.m. As I did my final packing in the morning, I decided not to take my big camera bag and threw my camera in my tank bag. It’s always good to have one less bag. Left at around 8 a.m., but nothing went smoothly. My early morning start was full of fumbles and my initial excitement was short lived. After about two km, my first big realization -- I had left my money on the kitchen table! Nothing else to do but take a u-turn and head back home. I never imagined I’d have to see my own door again quite so soon, but there I was. Started off again and after a half kilometer, my second realization -- this time I’d left my driving license behind! Again, I retraced my steps back home. The security guard looked puzzled and asked, “Sir, wapas aa gaye?” (You came back?). I just nodded my head and said yes, I forgot my wallet. It was a bit of an embarrassing situation. As I headed down the road across the domestic airport bridge, my mind wondered to the possibilities of making a sleek, aerodynamic saddlebag, thinking of how I could make that a reality... Ahead in the fast lane, one taxi was chugging along very slowly. People were honking from behind and everybody was overtaking from the left. I was thinking about traffic sense (or lack thereof) and wanted to give a piece of my mind to the taxi driver, but as I overtook him I realized the driver was just an old sardar uncle. I smiled, kept quiet, and kept going. I was able to do around 80 to 90 k in the morning crossing Mumbai, going easy and just trying to get the feel of the bike, trying to sense how it handles with luggage and to understand how it balances and brakes with load. I was happy with my choice of bike. The Karizma is a very good touring bike for India. I have used this bike in the past for my Kanyakumari to Leh Limca Book record run, for Raid the Himalaya, and for a Northeast India trip. As soon as I crossed out of the city, I was able to open the throttle and the bike went smoothly at 100 and 110. It felt stable, and I started enjoying the ride. Soon I forgot everything else, and just became one with my bike. Forgot to drink, to eat... just pure passion for riding overtook me. The road condition is great from Mumbai to Vadodra, a four-lane road. Just as I reached close to Surat, the first rider of the day tried to overtake me. I think my ego got a little dented. He was on an Apache RTR 180 with his girlfriend, and as he overtook me he turned his head to look back, laughing at me. I couldn’t control myself, started giving more gas, overtook him and continued going at my pace. He again overtook, cutting in front of me where I could have fallen and been hurt. I couldn’t resist now... no looking back... opened full throttle, zoomed past him and was gone with the wind. After ten minutes, when he was nowhere to be seen, I began to worry for him, hoped he was fine and hadn’t had a crash. Both of them were not wearing any proper gear, not even a helmet, only glasses. I stopped near Vadodra, after almost 450 km, as I was low on gas. I realized I needed to put fuel in both the bike tank and in myself. I’d just finished 450 km in 4 hours 40 minutes, so after refueling both tanks, I decided to go easy. On checking the bike, I saw the bolt that connects the engine to the chassis was out and the nut was missing, so I picked up a stone and banged the bolt back into chassis again, a temporary fix, and started looking about for a mechanic shop. Twenty rupees paid for the new bolt and the grease-monkey to put it on, and I was back on the road to Nalsarovar. __________________ http://www.hornokplz.tv/ http://blog.hornokplz.tv/

01-12-2010, 08:25 PM	#2 (permalink)
ken cool Been Around Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: New Delhi Posts: 4,649	Tour Report Approved __________________ The Wheel was a great invention; Two Wheels with a Motor in between was even better! BMW Motorrad Days 2011 Xbhp's Indo-French Kashmir-Ladakh Tour

01-13-2010, 10:30 AM	#3 (permalink)
rachitkohli HardRider Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: New Mumbai Posts: 1,930	Hey great going Pankaj. You have completed really wonderful distance in short time. Its nice to receive your live updates. I was waiting for this man..! All the best. Now, One day less from your 3 months journey Will have my eyes fixed to this thread. Any pix will be great if possible. Ride Safe.. __________________ ..»».. I will rather ride my Bike thinking about God, then sitting in a Temple thinking about my Bike.. »».. Mumbai - Leh - Mumbai June '09 :On xBHP: Ride With me to Leh Blog : Mumbai - Leh - Mumbai : 21 Days, 6500kms. Journey to Heaven..June'09 GreatIndianRide - West India on a 110cc for over a month 2nd, Mumbai-Leh-Mumbai : July'11 (blog coming soon)

01-13-2010, 10:33 AM	#4 (permalink)
darkknight RAJE Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Panvel , Navi Mumbai Posts: 3,262	awesome...this is going to be one hell of a thread if pankaj manages to update it regularly throughout the journey including photos... all the best dude __________________

01-13-2010, 11:35 AM	#6 (permalink)
Pankaj trivedi Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: mumbai Posts: 160	Tuesday, January 12, 2010 Day 2 Damages for the day are: Rs110 for lunch tea and mineral water Rs150 for guide Rs50 tip Rs300 hotel Rs165 for two days dinner and tea Day two of my dream journey commenced at 7.30 a.m. with my teeth rattling in the biting cold, and just the thing I needed most -- a hot steaming cup of masala tea -- to keep me warm. Today I planned to go bird-watching at the Nalsarovar lake. Gaining warmth from the hot cup of chai, I started my bike, riding a distance of 2 km from my hotel down to the lake's edge. In just a jersey and 3/4 length pants, the cold bit in deep. As I parked the bike I was mobbed by a herd of boatmen haggling for my business. The rates ranged from 50 – 150 Rs for the boat ride. I finally made my choice, going with the cheapest one at Rs50. He agreed to take me deep inside the lake, covering a distance of 7 km, where I could see lots of migratory birds like Pelicans, King Fishers, Flamingos, etc... Of course, cheaper is not always better. My fine choice of boatman turned out to be a conman who tried to hike up the rates to 1500 from just Rs 50 as soon as the boat had taken off and we were mid-lake. Bastard! Let this be a warning, you get what you pay for! It got a little heated and I demanded to be dropped back ashore. Either that, or I was going to toss him into the lake! Back on dry land, I entered into the super-haggle to end all haggles with the crowd of boatmen, all eager for my money, not only looking for a good rate and but also -- now the wiser -- looking to find someone with integrity. This time, I selected a boatman named Ramazan, and agreed upon a price of 150Rs. What a prince this one turned out to be... We started our day with a warm cup of tea at his little hut, but I think it was the warmth of his family members that moved me, more than just the cup of tea. I was invited for a lovely lunch at their little home where big-hearted souls dwelled in simplicity. The purity of our Indian culture and true love for guests is what I experienced, in abundance. We were all set to go onto the lake and there I witnessed the beauty of the so many winged species from faraway lands. After a good boatride, witnessing the incredible variety of nature in its untouched form, we returned to our base for a scrumptious delicious Indian meal of bajreki roti, baingan ka bharta, lasun chatni, onion and buttermilk. I could not ask for more than just that! A real treat for my appetite, it was! When I returned to the hotel, the realizatin of my third screw-up of the trip was awaiting me. This time, now some seven hundred kilometers away from home and too far to return, I realized the USB data cable I need to upload my pictures was sitting back on my bed, left behind in the hectic chaos of my departure. How many things have I discovered left behind in just two days! And what else have I forgotten? It just reconfirmed the fact that I am (as many have commented) ever-so-slightly absent-minded. After searching practically every house in Nalsarovar to no avail, I decided I would have to go to Viramgam, about 35 km away, to search for a data cable. It was then I was in for part two of the surprise... as I tried to kick start the bike, there was no response, just a sickly, unhappy little noise. This disheartening noise only thing I could hear. I was left with no other option but to open the panel of my bike to realise there was a problem with my relay switch. I dug in, removing the carbon form every lead, and finaly after an hour and a half, three rounds of serious cleaning, my bike decided to start. Success at last! But by this time it was now almost dark and useless to set off for Viramgam. Back at the hotel, I saw another biker come storming in. He had a UK number plate on a Suzuki make machine. I couldn't resist striking up a conversation with someone who obviously shares the same passion as I do. I found out his name was Alex and he had ridden from the UK to India following almost the same route as I had back in 2006. It was like finding a brother in someone I had just met. Sharing stories and comparing travel tales, we had lots to talk about and continued the conversation for about an hour or so. We not only bonded over our mutual love of biking, but he proved to be a real savior, as he carried with him the very USB cable for transfering data that I had left behind! Trust in the Universe; it has its own way of providing things at the right time in the right place! Data transfer successful !! This marks the end of Day 2. __________________ http://www.hornokplz.tv/ http://blog.hornokplz.tv/

01-13-2010, 11:36 AM	#7 (permalink)
darkknight RAJE Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Panvel , Navi Mumbai Posts: 3,262	No issues pankaj...we will upload some pics from your blog onto here too with your permission ofcourse... I was rather hoping you will tour India On the yam bike that you had used earlier __________________

01-13-2010, 11:37 AM	#8 (permalink)
Pankaj trivedi Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: mumbai Posts: 160	Wednesday, January 13, 2010 Day 3 January 12th 2010 Damages for the day Rs 20 puncture repair charges Rs 5 chai Rs 100 lunch Rs 200 boat Distance travelled 4 km on the walk 8 km on the bike 12 km by boat Day 3 Wake up time -- 6.30 am. First action for the day, made myself a hot cup of Earl Gray Tea. This was refreshing enough for me to pack my bags and get rolling for the day. My day begins with a surprise any guess what it could be? Yes its a flat tyre today! Adventure for the day has already begun and so has the hunt for a puncture repairer. Luckily, I found one at the end of the road, just round the corner. Just that, I had to wait for the person to arrive at the shop. This happened only at 7.30 am. Meanwhile I decided to have another cup of Earl gray tea and make waiting its worth. As soon as the man was there I fixed the puncutured tyre and decided to get going for the day. I Rode the distance of two kilometers and reached the lake. Here comes something familiar to me, time for retake number four. It is my tripod this time that I left behind at the hotel room. Once again amended on the goof up, rode back to the hotel, getting my tripod along. Arriving at the lake I was looking for Ramazan, my trusted guide into the Nalsarovar but could not find him. Today he had taken the Deputy Forest Officer for a boatride. Ramazan's father in assurance said, he would join us soon, and requested his brother to take me on the boat instead. I was not very comfortable with the temporary arrangement, of a new guide but was not left with much choice. So I decided to go along with the flow of events. I began the action with the camera and gadgets. It wasnt long before Ramazan joined us while I was shooting kingfishers with my camera. I was happy to have my friend back on board. We went further into the lake for about 6 km and here was a site worth seeing, a flock of feathery flamingos in multitude. A treat from natures reserves, what a gorgeous site! I was soaked in enjoying every moment of the vision through the lens, capturing the moment for ever in time. Further on we ventured onto a fishing island, where I saw fishermen lay thier nets and catch fish in numbers unimaginable. A thought just perched upon my mind, how can the government allow this kind of extensive fishing in a place thats a natural habitat for migratory and inland birds. Can we not leave this sacred space just for them? With this dilema of thought I left the fishing island and a lingering question on my mind to which I have no answer. Who is to be blamed? It was nearing lunch time and our stomachs were rumbling. It was time to get to Ramzans home for round two of the staple diet. Bajra ki roti, baingan ka bharta, lasun ki chatni and some fresh onions and buttermilk..sounds familiar does it not? We were in the lake for more than three hours and decided to head homeward. As we got off the boats heading towards the hutment and the community, my eyes wandered around soaking in the culture and feel of the place. It had an engulfed aura, warm as sunshine, it was the warmth of love, compassion and togetherness in the community. People here had something so special about them. A realization dawned upon me looking at their uncurropted simple world, a shed covered in blue plastic sheets from above and sides was something they identified as a home. Mother earth lay there as the ground to protect them and cuddle them in comfort, when tired. An earthern oven on the ground with some fire wood burning was the kitchen for them. Not much they owned in the name of possesion, probably this made them the happy people they really are with nothing to worry about losing. Living each day as it comes. We reached his home, when Ramazans mother wasnt around to make us the meals, a helpful neighbour and his wife did the needful to cook a delicious meal. This was most exciting for a foody like me, I witnessed how they roasted the brinjal ( aubergines) on the clay oven and a pile of firewood. The aromas filled the air, ever increasing my appetite. The garlic chatni was freshly ground between two stones with a pinch of salt and red chilli. A mouth watering combination indeed. Just right to go with the hand made bajra rotis (a sort bread made of millet). As we began eating the yummy food freshly cooked for us, Ramazans mother came from out. She wore the warmest smile I have ever seen, so full of love and warmth. To me that was one of the most priceless gifts I could recieve. It had more value than the most expensive possessions on earth! The food I ate today will ever remain deeply engraved in my mental journal. It is not just the food, more so its the culture the warmth the love and affection I was fed the meal. So very Indian in tradition and culture. It was time for some play with his father, I refer to Ramazan and his six year old, learning to fly kites from daddy. It took me down memory lane and got a glimpse of my childhood days. Kite flying was my favourite too. Co incidently I was born on the 14th of January and it happens to be Uttrayan, the kite flying day. Is that why I love to fly and be one with the breeeze ? I wondered as we walked along the waters edge. I for the first time witnessed and Egret catch a frog and managed to capture the moment in the nick of time ! __________________ http://www.hornokplz.tv/ http://blog.hornokplz.tv/

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