Diary Day x1-2

The 4 months journey is about to end in 2 weeks. But then everything that has a beginning must have an end. I could have chosen infinite paths, but I chose this one. What perspective did I wish to learn, did I achieve all that mattered to me when I had started - it’s all debatable, even to me. Among all these, only beginning is known to me, that’s the true answer. Rest I don’t know, the path that I have chosen, is going to be difficult, painful and most certainly messy - the path of spiritual awakening is quite simple but at the same time very tiresome and I knew only one way, I could be in the moment - that’s riding, riding Nowhere to go Nowhere and when I ride - nothing matters, past doesn’t bother me, future doesn’t exist, what exists is the moment, that’s when I absolutely surrender to self, that’s when my mind becomes thoughtless. The only thing, at that moment, which matters to me is the beauty, the chaos around me in the truest form. This is the beginning of another beginning for me.

Coming to the topic, I am quite glad that I didn’t write much during the middle of my journey because I feel, beginning is almost always cosmic and end seems either terrifying or buoyant, and the middle, when you still have miles to cover, you are prone to most likely deviate from the purpose, and instead of processing, I simply wanted to absorb all the emotions I could have.

So here is the thing, that I do every day. Mostly, I don’t plan where to go, I chose my direction what I feel like. Though I do have some preference, I don’t like National Highways (NH) - they are indeed the best way to reach your destination in minimal time, but I don’t have any particular destination, yes I do keep a rough idea. Besides most of these NHs are so destination-oriented that they lack any character (my version). Instead, I prefer State highways that go through the heart of villages and small towns. I don’t like staying in crowded cities as well, they repulse me. Besides, staying in a village or small towns are quite affordable and you could feel how happy these people are with so little but still willing to share, to help.

I am not a great motorbike rider on Indian roads or any road, I am terribly slow according to few friends who joined me on the way for a while. What I truly am is a very careful rider, I follow all the traffic rules, I don’t race, I don’t even ride 400 kms in a day, at most I cover 250 kms in a day - as most of the time I prefer state roads and I like enjoying my solitude, the scenery, the calmness around me. 

This last phase of the journey started from Bangalore (eventually leading to Delhi, that’s where I return my bike) and it took me around 3 hours to finally find the sight of a village and then I decided to stay in any hotel that is deep into any of the village and thus I booked a room in Seebi (Country Club Coconut Grove Resort). The path leading to the resort was absolutely deserted in the darkness and somehow I lost my way and ended up in a graveyard - some night birds (possibly owls) were flying and making sound. All of these, the dark, the bird, the graveyard, there was no one there - I was scared for few minutes but then I realized there is nothing to fear, all of them were alive once, and a majority of them would have been good souls, they will protect me, guide me, if needed. And then I saw a flickering light coming from distant and moved in that direction slowly and that was the resort. I was the single guest of that night (it happens quite frequently) and it was gorgeous, the peace was heartwarming. In the middle of the night, the staffs were singing songs together while having booze once they were off duty. And even that was awesome - happiness is contagious indeed. I woke up the next morning and decided to move in the direction of Goa and I did for an hour and then I took a small road leading to somewhere, I didn’t know. Waze kept screaming through the earbuds to take U-Turn, and it was pretty annoyed when I kept ignoring for many hours, I took the turns that I felt like and then I found a Dhaba which I could have never visited, had I listened to Waze. After lunch, I slept beneath a tree and it was already getting dark and then finally I listened to Waze and managed to reach Chitradurga - only 105 kms from where I started. Should I be disappointed that I am still so far from Goa. I don’t think so, because for me, the journey matters more than the destination. Tomorrow I might move in the direction of Udupi, or Haveri, or perhaps Hubli, I don’t know at this moment, right now I just want to taste the local cuisine and sleep in this placid city of Chitradurga. Saba Kher!

- written with phone -