WCR 1108

8^th Nov 2014: Delhi to Mumbai:

We reached Mumbai at 8:30 AM. On the way from Borivali to Mumbai Central I was hit by many waves of nostalgia crossing the same tracks yet again after 9 years. Rohit and I thought of taking a taxi to CST and then take the local from there to Panvel. We had to reach Kalamboli. But outside the station, Rohit negotiated a deal with the driver to take in one more passenger to Navi Mumbai. This way we wouldn’t have to load and unload the luggage so often. Little did we know that this wasn’t going to happen.

Enroute I called up the Mumbai contact of the Fleet Carrier only to be told that our Bullets were not at Kalamboli. Instead they were stored at a warehouse in Uran. By now we had reached Kharghar where we dropped off the extra passenger. Uran was a good distance away from here. We had a lot of planning to do. Meanwhile our other two Riders, Zaheer and Ashok had landed at Mumbai and they were on a cab directly to Uran from the airport.

To sharpen our thinking, first we stopped to have Mumbai’s cutting tea with wada pav. Our driver discussed with another person on possibilities to reach Uran. He also told us the option of taking a ferry back from Mazgaon docks near the Central station. Although the idea was very attractive but having come so far, we were not interested in returning all the way back.  So we took the cab till Belapur crossing from where we could catch a bus to Uran. Loading our extensive luggage inside loaded buses was taking a heavy toll. But we were finally seated. Meanwhile, our co-riders had reached the spot and were in possession of the motorcycle.

The bus dropped us off at the landmark spot that was provided to us. But on enquiring further we found that this wasn’t the correct landmark. Another place with the same title, Hotel Timepass, was 10 kms further from here in another direction. We negotiated with an auto for the last stretch. The auto driver was the first genuine person we met on this journey. He dropped us at the correct location and the fare charged was very appropriate. We thanked him heartily.

Finally, all of us were united. The Bullets were in perfect condition, exactly as we had dropped them. When 4 BoPians meet, there’s bound to be some bakchodi. Ashok narrated how Zaheer left his wallet full of cash lying unattended on his seat because he was distracted by a passenger. Zaheer narrated how Ashok had eaten away his breakfast. This Ride will have lots of such great moments.

Zaheer fixed up the Ladakh carrier on my motorcycle. We took the Bullets down from the stairs, confirmed the receipt of delivery with our Gurgaon contact and started to Ride. Finally, the West Coast Ride had begun.

The time was nearly 2 pm and we had to cover 150 kms to Pune today. The four of us stuck together in a single file all the way. It is always a great feeling to ride your own Bullet in a new state. It gives an extended feeling of exploration. We were making good progress along the old Mumbai-Pune highway. Rohit stopped to buy some famous Lonavla chikki. A short distance later we stopped to have our lunch too.

Chicken curry was ordered along with veg for Zaheer. These vegetarians always spoil the expenditure calculation at the end of the ride. We were 60 kms from Pune. So we took our time in finishing our lunch. By sunset, we had reached the outskirts of Pune. Of course now the outskirts of Pune are quite wide.

Our navigation benefitted us again. We had entered the city even when we were told by Nilu that he would be meeting us at the point where the highway and expressway coincide. But no surprises there as our navigation skills help us on familiar roads too. Nilu caught up with us on his KTM in front of Alfa Laval factory and escorted us to his place. I remembered Pune as a laidback town. There’s no trace of that now. It’s a hustling and bustling city now, and not very friendly.

The time was ripe for the evening BBB. Another comrade, Ajit joined us a while later. I was meeting two more of my old friends, Amardeep and Satish after a very long time. The evening had brightened. We were drinking in moderation as we had to leave early the next day and a long distance, 465 kms to traverse. But when old friends unite, moderation goes out of the door. Rohit and Zaheer indulged in their self-made coffee.

Finally our goal for next day was heavy enough to make us say good night. Actually, even bottles were empty now, so we had to stop. Amardeep promised to ride with us for a short distance the next day.