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Mystical Malwan : Srivardhan - Ganpatipule - Tarkarli - ??
Riders: Loy, Moiz & Diago (me)
Pillions: Loraine, Smita and Princee
Mile munching mules: Bullet Electra, Pulsar 150cc & Pulsar 200 NS
Destination: We had planned Goa...but lady luck had other plans for us
I have been dreaming of riding from Mumbai to Goa and back on a bike since as far as I can remember. My friend from work (Loraine) was going to getting married with another of my good friends (Loy) in a few months and she wanted to have an adventurous start to her married life with an unconventional honeymoon.
She brought up this topic one day at work and I was equally excited at the idea of a 10-15 day bike trip. We started planning for the trip by reading travel blogs and speaking with folks who have made long bike trips to get an idea of what we should prepare for and also discussing possible destinations and routes. I must confess I wasn\\\\\\\'t 100% sure that she & Loy would join us for the trip so soon after their wedding.
The longest ride I had made before this trip was from Mumbai to Mahabaleshwar and back in 3 days, and I had just resumed making bike rides over weekends after a gap of almost 2 years. I know Loy since the last 9 years & know he is a good and safe rider. Met Moiz at work just a few months ago and to get an idea of how we ride, he, another friend from work Lloyd and I made a quick half day ride to Mahuli & back. Was glad to see that Moiz is also a good rider with decent highway manners.
When Loraine first discussed the trip with me, she shared with me that she wanted to ride as far south as possible...maybe even till Kanyakumari & take a train back...all within 10-15 days. Although I shared her enthusiasm I didn\\\\\\\'t feel it was practical and also we would miss all the wonderful experiences with the places and people along the way. We chopped and changed our plans over the next couple of months and eventually agreed that a good trip would not only include riding for a long distance but also spending some quality time at the halts along the way.
5-6 more friends from work had initially showed interest in joining us for the trip but as with all trips, a few backed out soon giving some excuse or the other. Our plans hit a minor roadblock when I had an issue with my leaves from work and had to settle for a week of leaves
. The rest had already applied for leaves from their respective companies so we decided to ride from Mumbai to Goa. I\\\\\\\'ve driven to Goa and back countless times and know the route and roads quite well but we wanted to really explore the Konkan coastal belt.
I came across a very insightful travelogue shared by a fellow XBHPian ( [MENTION=54393]neverforgetniraj[/MENTION] http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/tourer/3...r-mystery.html) on this site with some beautiful pictures of the same route that we were planning... This sealed the deal for us and although we were aware that state highway roads would be bad as compared to the national highway (NH17), this was the route we decided as it would be more fun and adventurous. The next few weeks Loraine and I who were the main planners for the trip spent hours deciding on the budget, halts, places of interest and activities that were available along the route.
Cut to a few weeks later and Loraine & Loy were finally married!! By then I had my doubts about them joining us for the ride as it was barely a couple of days since their wedding and they had not yet purchased their jackets and helmets!! I had decided that regardless if anyone else joins or not, I was going to make the trip...come what may...but boy, did they surprise me!
Teaser pics below
**Please note that we were all geared up when riding and any pics taken without helmets or jackets are either when stationary or when riding at slow speeds within villages. **
Riders: Loy, Moiz & Diago (me)
Pillions: Loraine, Smita and Princee
Mile munching mules: Bullet Electra, Pulsar 150cc & Pulsar 200 NS
Destination: We had planned Goa...but lady luck had other plans for us
I have been dreaming of riding from Mumbai to Goa and back on a bike since as far as I can remember. My friend from work (Loraine) was going to getting married with another of my good friends (Loy) in a few months and she wanted to have an adventurous start to her married life with an unconventional honeymoon.
She brought up this topic one day at work and I was equally excited at the idea of a 10-15 day bike trip. We started planning for the trip by reading travel blogs and speaking with folks who have made long bike trips to get an idea of what we should prepare for and also discussing possible destinations and routes. I must confess I wasn\\\\\\\'t 100% sure that she & Loy would join us for the trip so soon after their wedding.
The longest ride I had made before this trip was from Mumbai to Mahabaleshwar and back in 3 days, and I had just resumed making bike rides over weekends after a gap of almost 2 years. I know Loy since the last 9 years & know he is a good and safe rider. Met Moiz at work just a few months ago and to get an idea of how we ride, he, another friend from work Lloyd and I made a quick half day ride to Mahuli & back. Was glad to see that Moiz is also a good rider with decent highway manners.
When Loraine first discussed the trip with me, she shared with me that she wanted to ride as far south as possible...maybe even till Kanyakumari & take a train back...all within 10-15 days. Although I shared her enthusiasm I didn\\\\\\\'t feel it was practical and also we would miss all the wonderful experiences with the places and people along the way. We chopped and changed our plans over the next couple of months and eventually agreed that a good trip would not only include riding for a long distance but also spending some quality time at the halts along the way.
5-6 more friends from work had initially showed interest in joining us for the trip but as with all trips, a few backed out soon giving some excuse or the other. Our plans hit a minor roadblock when I had an issue with my leaves from work and had to settle for a week of leaves
. The rest had already applied for leaves from their respective companies so we decided to ride from Mumbai to Goa. I\\\\\\\'ve driven to Goa and back countless times and know the route and roads quite well but we wanted to really explore the Konkan coastal belt. I came across a very insightful travelogue shared by a fellow XBHPian ( [MENTION=54393]neverforgetniraj[/MENTION] http://www.xbhp.com/talkies/tourer/3...r-mystery.html) on this site with some beautiful pictures of the same route that we were planning... This sealed the deal for us and although we were aware that state highway roads would be bad as compared to the national highway (NH17), this was the route we decided as it would be more fun and adventurous. The next few weeks Loraine and I who were the main planners for the trip spent hours deciding on the budget, halts, places of interest and activities that were available along the route.
Cut to a few weeks later and Loraine & Loy were finally married!! By then I had my doubts about them joining us for the ride as it was barely a couple of days since their wedding and they had not yet purchased their jackets and helmets!! I had decided that regardless if anyone else joins or not, I was going to make the trip...come what may...but boy, did they surprise me!
Teaser pics below
**Please note that we were all geared up when riding and any pics taken without helmets or jackets are either when stationary or when riding at slow speeds within villages.
**
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