The Anniversary Riders

First things First…BOP (Bulls on Parade), my Royal Enfield Motorcycle Club has completed its first anniversary…it is a big occasion and we always wanted to celebrate it with an obvious event…yes…A BIKE RIDE!!! and this is how the plan started…November was the anniversary month plus the month when the Annual Pushkar Mela is held so we didn’t waste any time in deciding our destination and straight away went ahead to get the members to accept !!! Dips was my partner-in-crime for the planning…

Pushkar was one place I had always dreamt of going to since my childhood days as long back in 1984 I had gone there as a 4 years old kid with my entire family but obviously I don’t remember anything about that trip and I had heard innumerable stories from everybody around while growing up !!! When I started biking in March 08, I had decided that in November 08 I would definitely ride to Pushkar and things fell perfectly into their place gradually…really want to thank my BOP buddies, my boss (for approving my leave!!!) and God for the same…

Totally we received 8 confirmations for the ride but Puneet Chauhan dropped out one day before the ride due to some office commitments & Kamikaze dropped out due to the worst possible reason which is not even worth mentioning here…I hate both of them for them dropping out…so finally we had 7 riders:
1. Rajiv Sir
2. Sunny Bhai
3. Dips
4. Chaddha Paaji
5. Topgun
6. Che
7. Sunny’s cousin (a mystery to be solved later)

So then the starting point was decided, it was the Leisure Valley Park in Gurgaon, the same place where the erstwhile Gurgaon Cruisers (later renamed to BOP) met for the first time in November 07 as a group…and for nostalgic reasons we decided to start & end our ride from the same place!!! See even Bikers have their emotions & feelings to whom they cling on to…we are not heartless crazy fools which so many people around think us as!!! The time was 5 AM sharp…

Day 1 (7th November 2008): Gurgaon – Ajmer – Pushkar

As always Dips was the first one to reach the venue…this guy is Mr. Perfect when it comes to punctuality and I appreciate him so much for this amazing habit…Chaddha Paaji stayed at my home overnight and we got late due to him as he got stuck in his early morning chores !!! and we reached 15 minutes late…though Dips didn’t yell at me but I felt bad at turning up late which I have never done before on any of BOP Rides/Meets…soon everybody else followed…Topgun called me up and told me that he woke up late and asked us to start and that he would catch up at the breakfast pit-stop…he is one chilled out rider you would ever meet…no worries about any damn thing…always game for everything and one rider which I truly admire…also for his sheer guts as well !!! As he rides a bullet which looks totally unfit for even city riding leave alone a long ride!!! But somehow he manages it…Topgun Bhai…hail your biking spirit!!!

We kept on waiting for Sunny Bhai’s cousin who was delaying our start with every passing minute…but then we heard the unmistakable bullet thump & we were shocked/surprised to see Kamikaze riding his bike!!! He had planned a story with Sunny that he would throw a surprise…but being him he could not digest it for long and spilled the beans to Dips as well!!! We all were happy to see him and soon my anger wavered away!!! And finally we started our ride…30 minutes behind schedule…would never forgive Kamikaze for that!!!

Soon we were blasting on NH-8 in complete pitch darkness which slowly moved to the early morning hues!!! With the Sun trying its best to break away from his sleep!!! The wind was extremely chilly and it was complete fun to ride in such weather and scenes!!! Our tummies soon started to grumble for some Hot Paranthas & Tea!!! and we decided to stop for our breakfast pit-stop…a small little joint named “Rao Restaurant”…the cooks were gradually coming out of their sleep and naturally took lot of time to dish out the breakfast but we didn’t mind that as it gave us a great opportunity for some much needed bak !!! Of course Chaddha Paaji was getting agitated as he hates wasting time waiting for the food to come!!! We started gobbling up the Paranthas without Butter which made Kamikaze quite angry to say the least and he ate just one…but Dips & Sunny were not in any kind of mood to stop and continued their binge for long!!!

After satisfying our tummies we started the blast on NH-8…I was leading the ride all the way to Pushkar…though Sunny didn’t like my way of riding alone and not as a group!!! we had to make an early lunch stop at 12:15 as Rajiv Sir had an official conference call to attend and we utilized that time perfectly…Kamikaze took a small power nap…and we also ordered for a Rajasthani Lunch…with Gatte ki Subzi & Baajre ki Roti…both of which tasted yummy…all this while Sunnny & Topgun had gone ahead and had lunch at the highway CCD…just lounging there in the open…we met them after our lunch and then started the final leg of our journey towards Pushkar…

All this while Sunny Bhai was making Live Videos of all the riders burning the roads on his Handycam and the results came out superbly…all of us are anxiously waiting to get hold of the DVD as promised by Sunny !!! just before Pushkar; me, Sunny, Topgun & Dips halted for the first & last Beer Pit-Stop of our ride to replenish ourselves in the sweltering dry Rajasthan Heat…I have quit alcohol so just had plain water !!! but Dips & Topgun enjoyed chilled beer and an interesting Bak session also took place !!! (as expected) where there is beer how can Bak stay far behind !!! post the beer session Pushkar was just 25 kms away and we reached our Hotel Oasis after some frantic searching…this Hotel was booked by Chaddha Paaji and the place was extremely cozy…had a swimming pool as well & for such a small hotel it was quite surprising…also we were quite close to the Pushkar Sarovar, Gurudwara & the market as well…we couldn’t have asked for a better place to stay at…

The group decided to rest for a bit, get freshened up and head straight for the Mela Ground & the Sarovar after roaming through the ornately dressed-up shops…enroute me & Dips also tasted the famous Rabri Malpua which is a Pushkar delicacy going strong for the last 50 odd years !!! My Dad was born & brought up in Ajmer and he used to come there with his grandfather and he had told me not to miss the Malpuas and like an obedient son I didn’t miss his advice and tasted one of the most delicious dessert I ever had in my entire life !!!

The scenes amidst the Sarovar were simply amazing…the hundreds of Diyas which were lit on the periphery of the Lake made the scenes quite beautiful …after the Lake sojourn our next stop was the Mela Ground to witness the Rajasthani Dance competition which was extremely boring and monotonous with all the groups presenting almost the similar kind of dances on similar kind of tunes…we didn’t spend much time there and headed straight back to the hotel for a Rum session !!! which was an extreme fun session loaded with unlimited Bak & snacks or snakes(as spelt in the menu card) literally forced on to us by our ever helpful attendant Sattu (Satpal) who used to speak broken English which was extremely hilarious even after telling that we were very much Indians and could understand even chaste Hindi but he never budged….his funny one-liners were quite memorable & fun…I enjoyed the delicious Israeli Dinner which was quite decent…Chaddha Paaji quietly had his dinner and went straight to the bed and had none of our non-sense !!! the drinking gang’s alcohol affair went quite late into the night and we all called it a day at 2 AM in the night after a really long day…all of us were awake since almost 5 in the morning…riding through the day and roaming around through the evening….

Day 2 (8th November 2008): A Relaxed day in Pushkar

Saturday started on a sad note when we came to know that Kamikaze had to leave all of us for Gurgaon due to some unavoidable work back home…we all bid him goodbye and started the day on a sad & lazy note…we all got decked up for the Camel & Horse dance competition which was to start at 10 AM at the Mela Ground…me & Chaddha left after a quick breakfast to catch the fun but sadly missed the Camel Race…after some time the entire gang joined us except Topgun who stayed on at the hotel as he had to finish some work…the wait for the events to start was excruciatingly difficult as the heat was painful…plus the large crowd didn’t help us at all…we witnessed all the camel dances and some of the horse dances…but then the heat got all of and we decided to leave…but surely the animal dances were really interesting and something which none of us had ever seen…also the organizers were very strict towards any horse owner caning the animal…one was even disqualified from the contest !!! Maneka Gandhi would have been so happy to see that exit…me & Chaddha had chilled Shreekhand and then went to the Hotel to enjoy in the Pool…and the weather was just about perfect for a splash…me, Sunny & Chaddha had a great time with Dips giving us company and clicking away pics…all this while Topgun was busy finishing his work so that the rest of his trip was not affected & Rajiv Sir was resting in his room…we got out of the pool after almost an hour of watery fun and got ready for our Lunch Adventure…

After some searching we reached the famous Rainbow Rooftop Restaurant which gives an amazing over-the-top view of the Sarovar and supposedly serves great food…apart from the cozy atmosphere & the great scenery the quality of food & service quality was pathetic to say the least…maybe the owner got complacent after getting listed in all Pushkar Websites and forgot that without good food & service everything else in a restaurant becomes secondary after a while…after this disappointing experience we thought of giving our tummies some good stuff to enjoy and what better than another round of Malpuas, Jalebi & Rabri !!! This time everybody joined in and feasted…the next POA was to see the world famous Brahma Temple which is the only temple of its kind in the world !!! as we have Shiva & Vishnu temples but no Brahma temples anywhere else which makes the Pushkar experience even more unique !!! Due to the mad crowds we didn’t go inside the temple but paid our obeisance from outside itself & then did some shopping …after all it was much needed…so many shops finally lured us!!! I bought a Chinese Kung-Fu Fighter Kurta in blazing fiery Red colour!!! And Rajiv Sir shopped for his wife…after that the group divided into two…me, Chaddha & Dips went to the Gurudwara and then planned for another visit towards the Mela Grounds…rest of the gang went back to the hotel and then ventured out for an Off-road-Biking adventure to witness the famous Pushkar Sunset from a view point…
The 3 of us then went back to the Sarovar Ghat & saw one of the most memorable scenes of the Ride…the sunset from the lakeside…and then Dips thought of having a power nap for a while and then meet us again…me & Chaddha decided to head straight to watch the Circus & Maut-Ka-Kuan!!! The scenes there were simply amazing with a mad rush of people enjoying themselves…some enjoying rides, some shopping and some simply roaming around!!! But still the crowd was quite manageable due to the awesome arrangements which the Rajasthan Government had planned for the Mela…the Circus time was quite decent fun with both of us watching one for the first time in our life…but the main adventure was reserved for the Maut-Ka-Kuan which was exhilarating fun…2 bikes & 2 cars speeding like mad-demons in the dome…a heart stopping feat…very dangerous but good fun…after our heart beats almost stopped we headed back to the hotel where another Bak & Sharaab session had already started !!! Once again Sattu was behind our life to order food & snakes as their busy cook used to leave the hotel at 10:30 PM sharp and after that their was no other option than to stay hungry through the night!!! We had a light dinner that night and also slept early as the next day we had to start the return journey at 7 AM…but the adventure streak in Sunny, Dips & Topgun had not finished so they took their bikes out and went to have late night tea and blast the peaceful Pushkar with their Bullet Throttle noise!!! Some crazy guys they are…and the main point to notice is that only these 3 guys had alcohol that night and the 3 sane guys (me, Chaddha & Rajiv Sir) slept peacefully!!! As they say, the bad effects of Alcohol!!! But luckily the 3 of them returned peacefully and slept off after their crazy late-night adventure.

Day 3 (9th November 2008): Pushkar – Ajmer – Gurgaon

All of us were up & running by 7 AM when we got out of the hotel and moved to another famous eating joint…the Garden Restaurant of Hotel Om but sadly only British Breakfast was available so we decided to give it a miss and decided to find a good Dhaba on the highway…so our Pushkar Sojourn finally ended…the magical city was indeed good fun and all of us had an amazing time together…soon the beasts were roaring but the tummies were empty so I slowed down and stopped at a highway Dhaba right in the middle of nowhere and not expecting anything good but atleast something to eat !!! the scene was amazing…the bulls resting before the long journey ahead and we sitting out in the open and waiting for the Paranthas to make an appearance !!! the scene was almost straight out of a Bollywood Movie and once the hot Paranthas finally arrived we were all pleasantly surprised…they were amazingly delicious & fresh…even the Dhaba was just one month old…amidst all this Chaddha was busy calculating the expenses of the ride as he was the treasurer and after his impeccable job he has been officially designated as the BOP Treasurer for time to come !!! I am sure he would do an amazing job unlike our former Navigator Dips who was unceremoniously fired from his job after his Chail Ride Misadventure!!!During this ride also he committed 2 navigating blunders…on the first evening he showed us the wrong way in the Pushkar Market and after walking for some 30 minutes we reached the same spot again!!! And for the second time, he actually took us to the wrong breakfast place…it was actually Hotel Hari Om & not Hotel Om where he took us to!!! I could make out the blunders both the time but saved Dips’ A$$ being a good friend as I knew that he won’t be spared any physical or emotional abuse by our fellow riders!!!

After another great eating experience we moved on and started the blast towards Gurgaon with me leading the pack and firing on all cylinders…I stopped numerous times to click pics of the great views around…there was lots of confusion amongst all of us as we were riding in 3 different groups and calling each other to find each others’ location…but we failed each time…Chaddha was riding alone…Topgun was riding alone…I was riding alone…only Rajiv Sir, Dips & Sunny were together!!! finally some sense prevailed & Sunny, me, Dips & Rajiv Sir met and had lunch together…but Topgun was some 60 kms ahead and kept on waiting for 2 hours for all of us to reach his location…Chaddha was some 80 kms ahead…and I told him to move on alone & reach Delhi as he hates riding in the dark so he was more than happy to move ahead…at around 5:30 we finally reached the place where Topgun was waiting for almost 2.5 hours for us!!! He spent his time sleeping and waiting for some hot babes to come!!! Which never happened and only 4 dirty riders came to him!!! After enjoying Sutta & Tea together we started the last leg of our ride amidst darkness hitting us and traffic slowly thickening up…Chaddha sent me an SMS that he reached home safely & we were quite happy for him as he reached home before sunset...

We finally reached Gurgaon at 7:20 PM at the same spot where the ride started…we hugged each other and wished each other on another ride completed successfully!!! BOP had completed the 1st anniversary celebration together and all of us bid goodbye hoping that more rides would follow & all of us would be together again in November 2009 for the 2nd Anniversary Ride!!!

It was 811 kms of unadulterated fun filled with loads of masti & fun times…and I can safely say that after my Ladakh Ride this would be my next most memorable ride…the presence of Topgun, Sunny & Rajiv Sir surely helped as I had never rode with them in the past and they are real hard riders!!!

BOP has just been one year old and I have already completed 6 rides since March 2008 inspite of 2 of our riders leaving us for further education and I am sure there are more rides to follow in 2009 with more fun and even more adrenaline rush !!!

I would like to mention here that Deepak & Ankur (from RODS Group) wanted badly to ride with us but this being an anniversary ride but we cudn’t allow them to accompany us as we only wanted Bullet Riders to ride with us…I would love to ride with them in the future on another of our rides for sure…

Che would be back on the road again…

Till then, Ride safe & enjoy safe sex…

Videos Link: http://www.4shared.com/dir/10335980/7d3e59c4/Anniversary_Ride_Videos.html

Pics Link : http://www.4shared.com/dir/10336738/883a8ad9/Anniversary_Ride_Pics.html