Bulls On Parade to Bikaner

The Bikaner Boomerangs

The "One Month One Ride" campaign continues. Bikaner. This was to be the full stop for the year. We had covered the following places in the last 11 months:

1. Corbett and Rider Mania

2. Rakhigarhi

3. Chakrata

4. McLeodganj

5. Lansdowne

6. Jalori

7. Binsar

8. Bhangarh

9. Nahan

10. Camp Redstone

11. Ranthambhore

Bikaner was the ride that would mark a completion to our campaign. The destination earlier planned was Khajuraho, but given the long distance and 4 days duration, it was later changed to Bikaner. After the Anniversary ride, Nishant and I were all the more eager for this ride as it allowed non-Bullet friends to also participate with Bulls On Parade(BoP). Two of our best riding buddies - Gyan and Vihans. Both of them are such a joy to ride with.The final tally of the riders was:

1. Nishant Jha - Royal Enfield Electra - "Mangal Mangal"

2. Sanket Tomar - Royal Enfield Electra - "Badhayi hove"

3. Vibhor Bhardwaj - Royal Enfield Machismo 500 - "LPG shot"

4. Ajit Singh - Royal Enfield Thunderbird - "Click Click"

5. Amit Mukherji - Royal Enfield Standard - "35 kms"

6. Gyan Moshahari - Hero Honda Karizma - "Bartender"

7. Rohan Kaushik - Bajaj Pulsar 180 - "New Dump Lord"

8. Vihans Gupta - Yamaha FZ-16 - "Thehelne aaye ho?"

9. Mrinal Doley - Bajaj Avenger - "HEE HEE"

10. Diptinder Singh - Royal Enfield Electra - Shhhhh

11 Dec 09
(Gurgaon)

Gyan, Vihans, Rohan and Mrinal arrived at my place the night before. Now a group of young men together on a Friday night with the next 4 days as vacation, cant simply exchange hellos, have dinner and go to sleep early. It has sort of become a tradition with our rides to have lots of booze, sleep for 3 hours, get up and go for a 400+ kms ride. Some might shake their heads at such behaviour, but I kid you not, we are the most punctual of the lot and the most enduring. Not that I would recommend such an approach to every rider. Its your system and you are the best judge.

12 Dec 09
(Gurgaon - Rewari - Shahabad - Kothputli - Neem ka Thana - Sikar - Bikaner)

We reached the gathering point at Leisure Valley Park in time just before 5 AM. Nishant and Vibhor were already waiting. The weather was expected to be quite cold and we were well dressed up for it, although it did not turn out to be that cold. We were on our way at 6:30 AM as the other riders joined in. NH-8 is getting more and more crowded by the day. Even at that time, there was traffic. We turned off the highway after Dharuhera towards Rewari. I have not seen Haryana state highways so neatly paved. We reached Rewari quickly. Then began the circles. We were to take the road to Narnaul. Directions kept pointing right, then left, then right, then left, and so on. After crossing a few villages, we reached back to NH-8 at Shahabad, just before Neemrana.

Somewhere, we had missed a turn. The result was 150 kms of distance covering less than 100 kms displacement. But such miscalculations have become almost habitual and even considered as a good omen for the ride. We stopped at the nearest dhaba for breakfast. Its strange how you dont feel so cold while moving than when you are stationary. During breakfast, the riders got to know each other's names. A modest breakfast of aloo pyaaz parathas, curd and butter. The money pool was also formed and we were on our way half hour later. Vibhor pointed out that my chain was slack. We rode through Behror and Kothputli, where I found someone who could do the job for a Bullet. Here we turned towards Neem ka Thana. These roads were new to BoP. The state highways of Rajasthan have always been found as smooth, much better than the National Highways. By now, the sun had climbed and that meant, beer. We stopped at a rural theka to be greeted with warm Kingfishers.

This was the first time that we did not have to form a separate pool for the alcoholics as everyone eagerly grabbed a bottle. Vihans, being his gracious self, volunteered to share. Amit took out chakhna he was carrying along. Nishant had this crazy idea of getting balloons fitted onto his motorcycle, "Just Married"-inspired.Energised we continued our journey. We made good progress across the swell roads amazing many villages. Whenever, the lead motorcycle stopped and waited for the others, they were mobbed by onlookers. Crossing Sikar, we stopped at ________ restaurant.

The cold weather made it appropriate to take out half bottle of Old Monk and distribute. A delicious meal of gutta, paneer, dal was ordered. After stuffing ourselves, we just lay out on the lawns. Ajit chose to move ahead as he was driving slowly owing to piston trouble. His slow speed was 80. Now we were on NH-11. This is one of the best highways. The sandy surroundings provide a good contrast to the dark grey of asphalt. Add to that the colour of bushes and you get a fantastic art on canvas. It was earlier planned to visit Churu, but seeing that Bikaner was still 200 kms to go and it would be dark in another 2 hours max, we skipped that idea. That still didnt stop us from taking pics of the dazzling display of the setting sun with clouds. The road was absolutely straight and like a wave. Some of us took a halt as it grew dark. Our destination was still 60 kms away. Nishant, Sanket and Vibhor had stopped to answer nature's big call. Just as we started our way again, my Bullet stopped. It had been giving some acceleration lag earlier too, but I had not bothered to check what the problem was. It was the big petrol tank I had got installed specially for this ride. The primer on the inside of the tank was mixing with the petrol and flowing into the engine. That was creating the misfiring. Fearing the worst, I first called up Nishant and asked him to come back, which he did promptly. Then called up our Bullet specialist, Zaheer bhai to ask for a temporary solution. He suggested to clean the float area below the carburetor thoroughly. As soon as Nishant heard this, he was up and ready with his Leatherman. Its a pretty handy device to carry along. I should get one soon. By now, Nishant has become quite proficient in solving mechanical problems and he did the cleaning quickly. Praying, I gave the kick start slowly. And it worked. We were quickly on our way. But after another 10 kms, it stopped again. This time, without delay, Nishant was back by the side of my Bullet and opening the float. By now, the others were also alongside. My Bullet rarely gives trouble, and I was embarassed and somewhat mad that the first modification I had done, was causing trouble for the whole group. But such incidents are to be taken as part of the complete experience. I have always believed that there should be some trouble during a ride. That makes the ride much more memorable.This was going to be the routine for the remaining 25 kms until we reached the Camelman Guest House. The place looked real nice and roomy. The rooms were spacious. There was an open verandah with a stove to burn coal. We were going to have a blast; can't say the same about the other guests though as we tend to somewhat disturb the peace of the area. What else can you expect when 10 monsters crash into your place.

After dumping all the luggage and freshening up, all of us assembled into the biggest bedroom and the party was on. These are the times when you stop looking at the clock. The Great Escape.

After some time, we were notified that dinner was ready. And it was a banquet laid out in the verandah. The center of attraction was Laal Maas. Its loaded with red chillies. Its so tasty that you cant stop eating it and at the same time, so hot that you cant eat it. Its a battle of mind and stomach which are mostly won by the stomach. We were sweating like hogs, but still continued to gobble up. Exhausted and panting, we sat out around the bonfire. Amid the starry sky and cigarette snoke, the night was peaceful. Amit has a penchant for singing and he started. It had been a long ride and just sitting around, we were regaining our energy.

13 Dec 2009

(Bikaner)

We woke up lazily. 4-day rides are always better than the 3-day ones as it offers the opportunity to relax, the way vacations are supposed to be. Waiting for breakfast was slightly long. So, to compensate, we improvised on whatever was available. Bread, jams, pickles. Loaves of breads disappeared in seconds. The plan ahead was to visit the Junagarh Fort. Sanket began to prepare his water bottle and hip flask for the day ahead. But first, I had to take care of my fuel tank. Nishant had already dismantled the tank by that time. We took the tank to a nearby washing facility and asked the person to give the tank a thorough wash to clean away the floating primer particles. After that we carried on towards Junagarh Fort.

The unusual thing about visiting this Fort was the parking area is within the gates. We rode our steel horses inside like true warriors, half expecting rose petal showers. Unlike other forts, this particular one is managed by the Royal Family themselves and not ASI. The result is clearly visible. The entry fee is Rs 10 and with that you get a free guide. And a knowledgable one too. We were called as 'The Motorcycle Group' and exclusively treated. He even volunteered himself to take the group photos. The weaponry and Deewan-e-aam and Deewan-e-khaas are worth watching.

While returning, we loaded on the stuff for the night. The plan ahead was to go for a Camel Safari to Camelman's Desert Camp. We had filmy visions of that place. We drove 10 kms to the point where the Safari starts. 10 Riders, 10 Camels. Each selected his own. At the end, two were left, one was quite short in height. Thankfully, Vibhor agreed to take the shorter one and I took the taller camel. It is somewhat scary when you are on the seat and the camel gets up. You are first thrown forwards and then backwards at awkward angles. Unfortunately, nobody fell. It would have been so much fun to see someone take the tumble, the favoured choice being Gyan.From this point on, it was a two and half hour journey to the desert camp. Being motorcycle riders, we showed our formation riding skills here too. Nishant picked up his pace, just as he does on his motorcycle and charged ahead to the head of the pack. Then everybody fell in a single file. As is true with our rides too, he also strayed away from the designated path and wandered some distance off in the wrong direction. The vast open desert and camelback provided very interesting photograph opportunities. Some deers were also seen scampering here and there.

Now, the camel seats may look comfy and for a brief amount of time, they really are. But two and half hours of having a huge beast's spine whacking against your buttcracks does tend to sore. As the sun started to set, we reached the camp site. It was over a raised sandy area. Other guests were also seen. We went over to a nearby hillock to click a photographer's favourite subject, the Sun. As it grew dark, lamps came on. Local musicians set up their instruments near the bonfire. Our table was set up close. A separate bonfire was lit for the other guests. As it happens in such cases, people tend to get wary of motorcyclists. We didnt waste anytime in celebrating this fine occassion and soon 10 pegs were laid out. Cheers and music came on. The Rajasthan Folk music has a very enchanting soul. Bonfire, Folk music, Rum and you get the picture.

It wasnt long before the riders started to dance. Sanket was specific in his song requests. We were to see more of his magic later. As the rum was exhausted, the drinkers were not. Unfortunately for Mrinal, his whiskey was also not spared and was soon finished. The merriment was still not over. When the folk singers were finished, we headed towards the hillock to sing our own songs. Sanket brought along an instrument(what do you call that? the one which you use while worshipping). To our utter surprise, he started singing as well. Those who know Sanket can vouch that he is a rare speaker. But that night, another beast had risen inside him. His favourite song was "Ye laal rang kab mujhe chhodega?". This song was repeated again and again until we had our guts strewn over the desert and then still more.

As we reached back to the camp for dinner, the menu again had Laal Maas. The same watery conditions of previous night followed. I believe, no other dish was touched. By now, the other guests had left for the hotel and we had the whole camp to ourselves. Good for them, as they wouldnt have had any sleep that night. Because what followed after the good nights is understandable only to unstable minds. Sanket was still not done in his mischief. He brought along the dholki of the musicians. Along with Nishant, Rohan and Vihans, he formed a singing troupe. The band played marriage songs entering every tent and wishing everyone. If "laughing your guts out" is a superlative form then that night we thrashed that expression to pieces. Words cant describe and so let me not even try to.

14th Dec 2009

(Bikaner - Jalwali - Indira Gandhi Canal - Bikaner)

For three people, the day started early. The earliest was for me. I stepped out before sunrise and went to our hillock. In my opinion, witnessing a rising sun is akin to a holy bath. As I soaked in the tranquility, I could feel my mind cleansing itself. There was still some time left for sunrise. So I went back to wake up Ajit. Ajit and Vibhor were to take sunrise pics with their powerful cameras. That done, we returned to the camp to wake the others up. As Nishant and Sanket woke up, they got back into their singing sensation. This time there were "train-beggar" songs. This went on till everybody woke up. Breakfast was laid out on the table. After breakfast, we were to take a new mode of transport. The Camel Cart. As we reached back to the village from where the camel journey started, we saw an old couple playing folk songs on the sarangi. Since there was still some time since our final transportation to the hotel arrived, the couple was invited over to play for us. Hearing them playing in soulful melody makes you feel completely welcome as in "Padhaaro Mhaare Desh".

As we reached back to the hotel, we started to plan on the time ahead. Some were interested in visiting the Deshnok Mata Mandir, some 45 kms away. The temple is unique where people worship rats. Others wanted to visit Indira Gandhi Canal, 40 kms away in the opposite direction. So, the group split up. Ajit, Vihans and Rohan went for Deshnok temple. The rest took the Ganganagar highway to Indira Gandhi Canal. We stopped for lunch at Jalwali, the point where the turn cuts off from the highway to village Pugal. Since the beer that was available at the neighbouring theka was flaky, out came the rum. We are always well prepared for any natural calamity. After a satisfying lunch, the village roads began. The quality of these roads are in dark contrast to what we have in other states. Even the connecting roads were silky smooth, though narrow. But riding on these roads is so much pleasurable.

The canal was touched at Panchtosna.

From here it would not have been more than 40kms to the Pak border. BoPians love water. We greatly respect the fact that life on Earth began in water. If it hadnt been December, we would have surely had a dip in the canal. So, we just settled for the next best thing, wetting your feet. Seeing us, some village sarpanchs also stopped their Jeep and came out at us with questions. They were much pleased when we took their photograph. They even invited us to come to their village some kms ahead. Since it was getting dark, we had to opt out. On the way back, the petrol ran out in Vibhor's Bullet. This guy has a powerful thrust control in his legs. So, as I steered his motorcycle, he rode on Sanket's Bullet and leg-pushed. We rode this way till the next petrol bunk. As we all regrouped at the hotel, we wondered on what to do next. This was our last night in Bikaner. After two nights of Laal Maas, this time we thought of having some simple Veg thali dinner. Hotel Suraj in the city came highly recommended. As we reached the place, we noticed a baraat passing by. At BoP, we have very slippery feet. The sound of dhol quickly moved them and we danced in full glory. Our energy was much more than the wedding participants themselves and this was acknowledged by their strange looks as well.

After the procession had moved some distance away, we returned for dinner.The dinner was nice, simple and tasty. Just what we needed. As a sweet dish, we had some delicious creamy ghewar. As we reached back to the guest house, sleep came early as the next day would be the return leg.

15 Dec 2009

(Bikaner - Ratangarh - Churu - Jhunjhunu - Charawa - Singhana - Narnaul - Behror - Gurgaon)

We woke up early before dawn. Considereing the other guests, we pushed our motorcycles outside the main gates before starting them. The roads were deserted and wet. Yes, it never fails. Whenever BoP has visited Rajasthan it always rains. It seems we are not the only ones breaking myths. Thankfully, it was only drizzling. We fuelled up on the nearest petrol pump and continued. As already mentioned, these roads are amazing. But in those weather conditions, riding was just heavenly, although chilly. Hey, its not hot in heaven either.Some 80 kms travel and Nishant's petrol ran out. He was the only guy who had not gotten his Bullet fuelled after leaving Bikaner. Vibhor's locomotive legs again came to the rescue and he pushed at speeds sometimes exceeding 60 kph. As we stopped for tea, another showman came on. This time a snake charmer. A foreigner's impression of India is that its a land of snakes and magicians. But we see so few of them. This opportunity was not to be missed and we watched the snake dance.For the return leg, we rode through Churu. This place has the highest recorded temperature in India. That fact alone makes it worthy of our visit. Also, it is the hometown of our dear buddy, Vihans.

We had parathas at a hotel near the railway station. While continuing the ride towards Jhunjhunu, the sun started to rise. And you very well know what that means. I had been riding at a steady speed all this time due to the primer speed. But by now, I was completely tired of it. With Lamb of God playing in my ears, I opened the throttle. After ripping for a few kms, noticed a theka and braked. The bottles opened for another round of cheers. Vihans and Sanket opted out as they wanted to visit the Sati temple at Jhunjhunu. And Nishant just opted out because he did not want to drink.At Jhunjhunu, we also tasted some special kachoris and kanji. That was supposed to suffice for the road ahead. We made good progress after that and touched Behror just before dark. Being just 100 kms away from home and now on familiar terrain, we took it easy. Vibhor and I took it a little easier and made the others wait as we finished a quarter of rum. We expected the final 100 kms to be uneventful, but things hardly turn out that way. Short of Dharuhera, Ajit's clutch cable snapped. Although, he was carrying a spare one, finding a mechanic was tough as all shops were closed. The clutch cable of Thunderbird is trickier than the other Bullets. Still, with the help of our Bullet ace, Zaheer bhai over the teleconference and Nishant and his leatherman by the side, we got it somewhat fixed. Our final regroup was at Gurgaon Toll Plaza where we said goodbyes to the riders moving on towards Delhi. They had been waiting there for an hour. Then came our customary final pit stop of Tuborg pints, this time at Rajiv Chowk theka.

This was my last ride before I undergo a knee surgery and my brothers helped make me the most of it. Now I can spend the next 6 months recovering without a regret. The year 2009 must have been depressing for most of the world, but for BoP, it was one of the most amazing. Truly well celebrated.

JAI BOP !!!!!!!