Day 3 continued: Exploring Mt.Abu

Day 3 continued: Exploring Mt.Abu
12 Feb'11

Brahmakumari peace park

03:00PM - After exploring Trevor's tank the next place which we went to visit was Brahmakumari Peace park.
The Brahma Kumari Serene Peace Park is the realization of a dream, silence and recreation which co-exists here in natural environs.
As soon as we entered the park there was a man who stopped tourists for security check up and unlike any other place where you would find people checking our pockets to check if we are carrying camera, or any other checks things he asked us gently whether we have cigarettes, tobacco or alcohol with us.
It was really surprising someone asking that but it made us realise the how religious people are staying here. There is a place where they ask you to throw cigrattes if you are carrying and they tell to take an oath never to touch that thing again.
Thousands of tourists visit here to experience the practical effects of Rajyoga. As soon we entered the park we were told to attend to be part of a lecture where other tourists where already seated engrossed in listening.
Since the man was talking lot about GOD [Generator Operator Destroyer] and about various other factors surrounding our life I was not that keen to be honest with you all. It was looking more like sitting in a classroom on the back bence,
After this lecture attended we were told to visit the park.
The park reminded me more of my Botany excursion where our teachers used to take us to show various different types of flowering plants.
A Unique Rock garden greets you upon entrance, which plays host to a wide variety of succulents.
An orchard area, a citrus corner as well as exotic floral displays, which include ornamental shrubs, are an attraction in the park.
Even the boundary walls surrounding the eight- acre park are adorned with Rose creepers, Oleanders and Night Queens for fragrance and Bougainvilleas to add that vivid colour.
There was one instance where I stepped into the garden to click snap of a rose plant and there came a man form behind thinking that I m plucking the flower. Then he realised that i m clicking the picture of the flower and not plucking it.
Another place visited and checked off our list.

































It was coming to around 4pm and we were tired and very hungry too. We decided to head back to hotel room and get fresh quickly and move out again for lunch.
Rode back to hotel and in no time we were out for lunch. We wanted to eat this time really good food. Firstly we went to CCD drank nice cold coffee and did some calculations about how much we spend so far.
We came Mt.Abu on a total 4 day trip with a total budget of Rs.8000/person but we managed to complete our entire trip with a total expenditure of around Rs.5000/person. We were very happy as no where did we hold ourselves back from spending.
After a nice coffee break we ate Pav Bhaji and Tava Pulav. It was prepared very nicely and one thing we noticed when we ate food in Rajasthan is that people here show extra love in adding butter. Be it Butter roti , Butter in Pav Bhaji or any other dish where they can put butter.
After finally having something filled in our stomach we decided to do some shopping in Mt.Abu. My mom always complains that I go bike rides but never bring anything back. So we bought show pieces from Chacha Museum and we also bought bangles from a nearby shop.
It was fun roaming around in the market.

Dilwara Temple

05:30PM - We had heard a lot about this temple. At the enterance of the temple we heard a very loud voice strictly telling to keep cameras and all other electronic devices in the storage space provided and collect the coupon.
Since I was carrying my bag we stuffed all our mobiles, SLR & camera's in the bag and deposited it at the counter.
These temples were simply awesome and are world famous for their stunning use of marble. This is a sacred pilgrimage place of Jains. There are lot of beautiful temples in Rajasthan but nothing comes close to the architectual perfection of this one.
We were all amazed by the complete carvings especially the ceiling. The ceiling looks so damn beautiful that you cant stop looking at the ceiling.
The best part about this temple is they carry a lot message and history. We met a security person inside the temple who found us discussin about the beauty of the temple and he also stepped in the conversation and gave us a lot of information about this temple.
He said to us that elephants paid a high devidence in making of this temple at that time and told us some minute detailing like one particular status on left side of the idol consists of 55 elephants & right side has 56 elephants since at right side the idol was elder to the idol on the left. Wow.
Wish we could have clicked pics here but it is a strict NO for clicking pics here. Someplaces have to be visited to be seen. We were glad that we saw such a beautiful temple by far the best architectual temple I have ever visited.
There are 5 unique temples that you ll find in Delwara and its awesome. People visiting to Mt.Abu do not forget missing this temple. Its worth a watch.

07:00PM - After Dilwara temple visit we had almost seen most of things in Mt.Abu if not everything. We then visited an aquarium sorry I forgot the name of the aquarium it was not good at all. Nothing good to visit inside. A big NO NO to this aquarium and waste of money. Spent Rs.20/person
We left aquarium and in middle of the road saw a snake. A man using a stick was trying to move the snake back towards his home towards bushes in jungle. It was very good seeing people caring so much here for animals.
After aquarium we were hungry and headed staright back towards Nakki lake to eat US Pizza.

After a very long day coming to an end we were happy overall with our visit to Mt.Abu. We saw places which we dreamt of seeing once and was definitely enjoyable since we were on bikes.



















Visit to next door biker
We headed back to room for sometime and decided to eat our dinner at some lavish hotel for a change. We went to a nearby hotel name Dawat also called as Chacha garden restaurant.
We decided to sit in A/C room for a change and the food was really awesome. No complaints whats so ever. I did not drink Bloody Mary here which I had drank on Goa's new year night which was really bad.
This time I drank some other mocktail and enjoyed it. We ate Chicken Tikka's and various other starters. It was good and Viraj excused both of us and went to make a quick call.
Meantime Puneet & I continued our chat. I suddenly get a call from Viraj and I start thinking why on earth is he calling me from outside.
Viraj: Dude come outside there is a Hayabusa parked here with a MH number.
Sachin: Kya baat kar raha hai.
Viraj: Yes MH06 number Orange color Suzuki Hayabusa with Yoshimura exhausts.
Sachin: Wait hum log abhi bahar aa rahe hai.

When we went outside we saw a Busa standing right in front of us. It was an amazing sight. Never expected to see a Busa in Mt.Abu but we did see it. What a treat to our eyes.
We enquired with the staff of Hotel as we wanted to meet the biker who had stopped by. We found out that the guy was none other than the owner of the hotel.
The staff took our message and returned to back to our table with a message that we can meet him at the bar.
As soon as we were done with our dinner we went to the bar and spoke with the guy who owns the hotel and rides a Busa.
His name was Nirav Gujral a Thin short guy with Tattoo all over his arm and carrying a pistol. He was a nice guy to talk and we discussed with him about our trip to Mount Abu and thought of meeting him seeing the Busa parked outside.
He said to us that the Busa standing outside is his Cousin brother's bike and not his. He has his own SBK Yamaha YZF R1 and he also told to us that he soon going to purchase Hypernotard.
Nirav suggested us to go via Palanpur route to go back to Mumbai which was safer and quicker. He was also kind enough to escort us till outside and spoke with us as if he had found someone of the same kind. Biking Brotherhood !!!
Here came a drunken man looking at our discussion and started asking questions about the Busa which was answered very courteously by Nirav. Then this drunken man decided to sit on the bike which was not appreciated by any one of us and Nirav told that guy "Sir bike pe se please uth jaaye"
Nirav showed us his beautiful pics that he had clicked from Mt.Abu and we also has very big bike group from Rajasthan. His cousin was feeling bored so he decided to go for a ride on the Busa and we heard the Busa fire up. Man it was simply awesome.
It was really good meeting Nirav something totally unexpected I guess we all like surprises and it was time for us to head back to our room.





A scintillating day full of action and adventure had come to an end. We will cherish Ride to Mt.Abu for a very very long time for sure and now it was time to pack our luggage and head back home tomorrow early morning.

Watch this space for more action from Day 4.

Mahn oh mahn a busa in Rajasthan...
10 years of living here and i never got as much as a hint. I guess Rajasthan only reveals its true self to the tourists ergo the saying "Padharo mhare desh"

He he he... Not only Busa You'll find all the SBK's in Rajasthan. There is a group of SBK owners in rajasthan. They all ride with all safety measures. Nirav Gujral whom we met rides R1

I have seen R1s and Gixxers and ever a bunch of Harleys in Raj but i always scan for Busa and have never located one
guess a trip to Mt. Abu is due for me

These guys ride in group called "Gun Runners" he mentioned that there are around 25 SBK's

Day 4: Epic ride back home


Day 4: Epic ride back home
13 Feb'11

Route taken - Mt.Abu - Palanpur - Ahmedabad - Vadodara - Surat - Thane
Total Distance - 736 kms covered

06:00AM - Mt.Abu - We started off early in the morning from Mt.Abu as we had to cover the complete distance right from Mt.Abu to Thane. It was around 750 kms distance that we had to cover.
With all our luggage tied back to our bikes it was time to say BYE BYE to Mt.Abu and ride back home. Kept the bike idle for 2 mins before we started and since it was still dark and we had to ride down hill on Abu road we were initially very careful the way we rode.
Downhill on Abu Road with Viraj riding in front followed by Puneet and then me we slowly but steadily covered 18 kms of Abu road and successfully came down. The climate was very cold and I m glad I had bought new Cross Gloves which was pretty good and helped my hands from getting frozen.

06:30AM - Abu Road - We took our first break for around 20 minutes and decided to have coffee. Coffee was pathetic. I think it was Mr.Coffee which I did not prefer. We checked our route again as we were going from a different route this time which would make our ride more swifter and faster.
This route is via Palanpur all the way to Ahmedabad. While going to Mt.Abu we came via Ambaji so this was a new route. It was good that we checked out both routes as both had their own advantages. Via Ambaji will give you more corners to ride on and scenic views all the way & Via Palanpur is 4 lane straight highways which is a treat for speed demons.
If you want to go Via Palanpur then just be careful of taking the right turn when you come out of Mt.Abu. After that it is a straight highway with no turns.
The route Via Palanpur is NH14. Superb butter smooth roads to say the least and with the crack of the dawn it made things perfect to start.
We were steadily increasing our speed and were now criusing between 75-85kmph. Since we had to cover as much distance as possible in daylight we soon started hitting 3 digits. If anyone wants to check their bikes top speed this is a good place to do that. I wish I get a chance of riding a SBK here on this roads.
We had reached Palanpur by around 8AM covering around 80 kms. Next place to reach was Ahmedabad and as soon as we saw that we thought having breakfast directly at Ahmedabad which was around 140-145 kms away.
Here was time when I suddenly decided to go fast. I do not know why I wanted to go fast all of sudden but I was doing speeds constantly around 115-120 kmph and I was happy to see R15 & Karizma R in my RVM. So I never reduced the speed and was for a very long time doing speeds of above 100 kmph.
I started enjoying the ride and I can see Ahmedabad fast coming in our radar. Around 70 kms before ahmedabad Puneet stopped for Re fueling and we moved on.

10:00 AM - Ahmedabad - We reached Ahmedabad covering healthy 225 kms from our start point - Mt.Abu. Wow!!! that was good going for starters. Next location where we wanted to reach was Vadodara which was around 120 kms.
I felt this section was rather slow for us and we got some traffic on the way. Anyways you can't keep ripping the bike throughout the ride after all our bikes also need some breathing space to say the least and can't be pushed all the way.
As we had not taken a break in between Viraj was feeling sleepy and he badly wanted a Red Bull to keep him alive unfortunately for him we did not find one. We stopped to a nearby fast food centre and had South Indian dishes.
Here we met with a funny instance as when we stopped a small boy came running all the way and asked Viraj, "Uncle aap Indian ho kya" Ha ha ha ... I could n't stop myself from laughing looking at their brief conversation and Viraj said , "Haan hum Indian hai"
This was the last thing we could have heard that are we Indians do we look so different that our own breed do not know if we are one of them.
We discussed on our progress and were very happy as we had covered around 250 kms in less than 5 hours. After this 15 mins break we moved on however the highway from Ahmedabad to Vadodara was a 2 lane road but we still managed to keep a steady speed of around 80 kmph.
It was long wait before we could find the right open raods to get back to good speeds.

01:00 PM - Vadodara - We finally reached Vadodara and it was time for a quick break. It was getting very hot indeed. We felt the heat and it was taking a toll on us to say the least. It became very important to keep taking breaks at regular intervals and also to keep drinking water in between.
We had to reach Surat which was our next aim and if we could reach Surat by 4 - 4:30pm it would not be difficult reaching home much before what we expected. I still remember calling my mother yesterday and saying her that we will reach Thane by 1:00 AM around. At that time I thought 750 kms will take at least 16-17 hrs.
With real hot conditions we again began our ride with a hope of reaching Surat by 4:30pm. Surat was around 150 kms away. This was the time when all 3 of us were riding at good speeds of around 100-120 kmph. We kept riding our bikes in hot sun and all eyes focussed on roads and tackling and menuvering bike in limited traffic found on NH8 highways.
All the while we kept our focus and always had a glimpse at the Sign board to check how many more kms to go before we reach Surat. It was quite an experience racing against time.
We stopped in between for fuel and I filled my tank to full again. This was enough to make me go all the way to home.

04:00PM - Surat - We did it. We managed to reach Surat in 3 hours. We were starving and stopped at a nearby hotel for lunch. Here we met couple of traffic policeman who looking at us started to ask weird questions.
They asked us what speed we ride at to which Viraj replied, "Depend karta hai, jo speed main chalana chayeh woh speed main chalate hai" I was least interested in speaking as I was very hungry.
Viraj possibly would be able to share more on this conversation with traffic policeman as he was drinking Sprite and having a conversation with him.
Puneet & I had lunch while Viraj ate sandwich I think. Puneet was not in his best shape due to cold but he managed to ride well. Even I was having Throat infection for which I carried tablets. I m glad I did that.
Again we discussed that we have come pretty close now to reach Thane and we wanted to cover real quick ground before dusk. If managed to cover another 100-150 kms before sunset then reaching Thane would become much more easier before 9PM.
With a good 30 minutes of lunch break we started our ride from Surat. By now we had covered around 480 kms of distance. I was a bit concerned if Puneet would be able to manage the speed and time as this was the first time he was doing such a long distance riding.
I had done 696 kms of riding in a day & Viraj had also done around 800 kms in a day so we had the experience.
Now I was not that sure whether it was a good idea to rip the bike as we did not need to do this as we were going well as per schedule but the feeling of reaching home early and also to ensure we cover maximum distance in daylight kept us twisting the throttle.
It was real fast riding we did here and I did try and speak with Viraj in between the ride and said to him, "Dude we should ride slowly" and with hand gestures tried to tell him that we are going real fast and I was more concerned about Puneet who was also ripping his bike with us.
But looks like the rippers were not in any mood of slowing down. It looked as they were enjoying the race against time. Well there was no stopping now. We rode at really good speeds and managed to cover the distance real quickly. With no breaks we kept riding and thought of taking break only after sunset.

06:00PM - Somewhere close to Dahanu - We finally decided to take break after around 90 minutes of superb riding. It was around 6 pm and guess where we had reached. We reached somewhere near Dahanu and had covered mamoth 650 kms by now.
It was a tremendous feat and what else you can expect with good amount of breaks we managed to cover in total 650 kms in 12 hours. Almost as good as a mini saddlesore
Here Puneet and Viraj had the limbu sharbat and I was feeling the pain in my throat only managed to swallow halls. All I could say when we stopped was , "Salle Rippers tum log ne mujhe bhi ripper bana diya" but understanding the need of the hour and rhythm in which we were riding it was not dangerous and no where was the safety part compromised.
Hats Off to Puneet who surprised us with his riding as he was always riding in the group with us. Viraj was taken by surprise more than me as he did not ride with him unlike me who had rode with Puneet earlier in Velneshwar ride. To say the least Viraj was damn impressed with Puneet riding skills.
Now from this point onwards to Thane riding was more difficult as we met a lot of traffic and with still around 100 kms to go we decided to cut down our pace and reach home safely. It was getting darker by every minute and riding became much more difficult as we met with some huge traffic.
As you can expect by the time we reached the strecth of Vasai- Virar it was complete traffic jam Well riding for the complete day and now with almost on the verge of reaching our home we get traffic.
This traffic separated the group and we were no longer in sights of each other. I was stuck behind while Puneet & Viraj managed to move ahead of me and from here onwards till we reached Fountain Hotel, G.B. Rd we had to face the brunt of traffic.
I wonder if this route is ever going to be traffic free in peak hours. I thought not to stop and call them as they were ahead and decided to keep riding till Fountain and catch up.

08:00PM - Fountain Hotel, G.B. Rd, Thane - Yes we did it. What a feeling it was!!! We covered 736 kms in total from Mt.Abu Till Thane. Covered this distance in 14 hours and this was my longest journey covering 736 kms in a day so it was for Puneet.
We congratulated each other on our safe return and for a very successful trip to Mt.Abu.

I also took the opportunity here to say to my fellow riders that they were simply awesome in the ride and very good company to have around.
During our recent sojourn to the beautiful roads on NH8, I was a witness to, the recipient of, and a participant in the benefits of what I call Biker Brotherhood. That is the uncanny dedication other bikers have to one another, when help is needed.
I thank XBHP from the bottom of my heart for creating such a beautiful website unifying the riders under one common roof. I thank Puneet & Viraj for being the most loved companions in one of the most memorable rides of my life so far.
I never thought I would pen down a road trip which I did and would write a log for it, the inspiration to put the fingers to the keyboard came from within and looking at others logs which help many people like me to plan things and what to expect before planning trip.

What a Ride This was for me,My first Long Ride and i did it Successfully.From Mt.Abu to Thane in 14 hrs.Thanks Sachin and Viraj for all the company on the trip,Looking forward to many rides in the future.

That boy really amazed me, when he came me running and pulled my jacket I though he may be asking if we were racing or something like that but not "Are you Indian" I removed my helmet and mask and showed him my face and said "YES YES I AM INDIAN ONLY" and the boy ran away

These were interceptor guys now my conversation with them went like this,

Cop 1: Kitne ke speed pe turn marte ho??

Me: I looked at Sachin and though for moment to answer if I tell him I was driving at 130+ and turning at whatever speed I had too he might write me a chalan so said politically correct answer "Jaise jarurat pade waise jada nahi bhagate"

Cop 1: Appka jacket saro che girne par lagata nahi na??? per me bhi ye kya pehana hai??

Me: Ab tak kabhi gira nahi lekin haan yeh sab pehnese lagne ke chance kam hote hai (by the time he took my jacket in his hand)

Cop 1: (Calling his senior) Sahbji ye dekho kya chiz hai

Sr. Cop: Badhiya hai kaha se aaye ho?? kaha jaoge??

Me: Mt. Abu se aa rahe hai Mumbai jayenge

Sr. Cop: Tumhe Busa pata hai?? hamare gujrat me 10-15 hai badi wali

Me: Nahi sir mumbai zada nahi dikhti 1 dekhi Mt. Abu me mene

Sr. Cop: Chalo aaram se jao aage traffic lagne wala hai

Me: Ok sir thank you...

Dude be ready we are covering remaining Rajasthan next year for sure

You ride well dude. But next carry extra bag to keep your SLR

But on a quater litre at least hopefully

Wow Sachin loved the log. seems like you'll covered most of abu.Brings up so many old memories man. Should have done some more offroading there the place is awesome for motocross.
BTW At which hotel did you'll put up?

zabardast ! glad to see that the garden is now even more beautiful and well-maintained

Nice log & great pics. The golden rims on R15 are looking great!
These 3 are the best touring machines currently in India.

We did off roading for sometime..It was fun.
We met a guy at the entry gate of Mt.Abu and her took us to his cottage.
i do not remember the name of the place but it was really good.

Yes the garden was really well maintained. I remember i stepped inside the garden to click a beautiful Red rose and the gardener thought I was plucking the flower and started shouting at me
Thanks Amit
Ya man we had super fun while riding. The bikes performed really well.

Hi Sachin,
Congratulation on a successful Mt. Abu tour on 2 wheels. Thanks for the wonderful log. I read your colleague mention doing a full Rajasthan tour, are you doing it and when? I and my friend would like to join you on this tour from Mumbai. I guess December will be better due to cool climate.
Henry

Hey Henry, glad you liked the log and yes we have full Rajasthan Ride on the card.

Be in touch you might get chance to celebrate new year in Rajasthan Desert this December