WCR 1109

9^th Nov 2014: Pune to Goa:

All of us were ready to go by 4:45 AM. Then Gyan took some time to find Nilu’s place and we were ready to leave by 5:45 AM. Amardeep was also awake and ready. He had to attend a full day training today starting 9 AM having slept for only 3 hours. Still he provided us with company for some distance before saying goodbye.

The whole bunch was together now. Things didn’t go smoothly. Zaheer’s Bullet started to lock its front tyre. This went on for a long time. He tried some basic fixing but it didn’t work. So he just carried on riding it in the same condition. We covered a good distance in the cold, early morning. The first pit stop was taken at Satara after covering 120 kms.

We didn’t dare order parathas during this trip. They are suitable only in the North. Our diet would be entirely new here. Upma and dosas were ordered. I, however ordered missal-pav. When in Maratha Land, eat like Marathas. I’m sure there are more dishes to be had, but ordered the one I knew. Nilu aptly described it as just a chakhna served with pav. Over breakfast began another session where Zaheer and Ashok pulled each other’s legs, much to everyone’s laughter.

Meanwhile, the bikes were attracting their share of looks, specially Nilu’s KTM. Gyan and I caught one onlooker asking if it was Yamaha, much to Nilu’s annoyance and our entertainment. The label of “Chinese Yamaha” was now stuck on his KTM. There were few more enquiries in the group from the public but we didn’t pay much attention to them. In retrospect, I think we should answer the curious questions. We are representing the Riding community to people and by not responding we do give an arrogant image.

The farther we moved from Pune, the better were the highways. Nearing Kolhapur, they turned excellent. Caught in that excellence, Zaheer disappeared. He was in the lead for the first time and since he had forgotten to bring his rearview mirrors, there was no looking back. While the rest of us fuelled up, we tried to reach him. After much effort, a connection was established and he was told to wait at Nipani, 14 kms ahead. Meanwhile, the rest of us hydrated ourselves on oranges bought by Rohit.

Some more distance ahead we reached a quizzical point. The six lane highway continued to Belgaum. A second single road would take us to Sawantwadi. The former was 80 kms longer but quicker. Looking at the time and also considering that we would need to stop for lunch soon, we opted for the Sawantwadi route. Moreover, Riders usually prefer state highways to NHs.

We sure were glad we took that turn. The road snaked through beautiful countryside. Little traffic was found on this road. We had only 110 kms more to cover. A stop was taken at roadside theka. KnockOut beer was on offer. It’s a pity this brand is not served in the North. Snacks were consumed in the form of Gobi Manchurian. We had earlier planned to taste the famous Kolhapuri mutton. But that would’ve required us to venture into the city. Fortunately, the theka offered that dish for lunch. 

Maybe it was the Riding effect, but the dish tasted wonderful. The underlying spice without too much chili tasted our beer-laden buds just fine. We were now refreshed to continue our journey.

The remaining kilometers were covered quickly on the smooth road and we reached Calangute just after sunset. Goa was in its usual swing. The pre-booked furnished apartments were excellent. We had covered a long distance today, but we were not that tired. Order of Kings beer was immediately placed. Quickly after refreshing ourselves we stepped out to go to Calangute beach. Man, it was crowded. We found a spot near the sea and cheered. Some of us were seeing the sea for the first time. I envy their feeling.

We were then caught by a patrolling cop to pick up our beers and go home. Drinking wasn’t allowed at the beach because many leave broken bottles around. It sounded typical of Punjabis and Delhi-ites. We obliged and went away. For dinner, we stopped at a roadside restaurant. Meat dishes of all kinds were ordered except for the vegetarian. I tried the local preparation fish vindaloo. It was damn spicy. The gravy was made in chili. I could finish it only with the help of some beer. But even more stinging was the price of Pomfret. They were being sold at Rs 600. We decided to skip it and have it in some other state instead.

The next day would be a leisurely cruise around Goa, only this time it wouldn’t be on rental bikes.