Breaking the Shackles

So many people get into the vicious circle of the monotony of life that it becomes impossible for them to break the shackles of the drudgery and they keep moving like a bloody wheel…taking along with them professional pressures & the pains of the Family Life...kids & wives combined!!!…but some amongst us are brave, rebellious & adventurous enough to get their act together and then do the things which they always wanted to do since their days of growing up…

One of such brave men is a gentleman by the name of P.G Tenzing, a 44 years old Sikkimese; he studied at the Delhi University, qualified the Civil Services Examinations and joined the Kerala Cadre as an IAS Officer, worked as one for 20 odd years and was heading 5 Government Departments and one fine day in 2007 decided to quit his monotonous and shitty job to go for a Bike Journey through India with no set agenda or plan…just 2 things were sure in his mind, one that he would ride an Enfield Bullet and second that come what may he would be riding through all possible terrains of India.

He has written a book by the name of “Don’t ask any Old Bloke for Directions : A Biker’s whimsical journey across India” …Sachin Bhatia of www.makemytrip.com fame shared this book with me last weekend and I read the 218 pages book in 4 hours flat and what a helluva experience it was going through his travelogue…one amazing write-up this guy has written…



He travelled a total of 25,320 kms in a journey spanning 9 months starting from Kerala and going through almost all states of India, he took his breaks in-between but as a lone-warrior kept riding through some unimaginable terrains of Naxal-infested Jharkhand -Chhattisgarh & also through some tough roads of Arunachal…



The best part reading his book was when he has mentioned some of the roads which I have travelled through my Bike Rides, namely the West Coast Ride, Mcleodganj, Landour & the Ladakh Ride…also the subtle humour he has used is extremely hilarious, ripping the IAS System apart, exposing the Mafia-Government Nexus and the Police Corruption on the Highways of India…

His book sounds a little confusing at times as he has tried to connect lot of his actions with the Buddhisht tenets which I could not completely understand but tried connecting them with his experiences; nonetheless it is not a major dampener…

I am sure his book would definitely inspire many people to take the similar path which he has taken and hopefully those people would find the real meaning of their life rather than just surviving…

Luckily I would not be one of them as I am living my passion of riding today and am sure by the time I turn 44 I would have covered atleast covered 2 Lakh kms. riding through India, I can say that with confidence on my passion & abilities as I have already covered 22,000 kms in 14 months of my Bullet experience…

Hats off to Mr. Tenzing for living his dreams and coming out victorious…I would love to meet him one day and hopefully ride along with him…

Che would be back on the road again…

Till then Ride safe & have safe sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

The Mcleodganj Mavericks

When God is on the same side then nobody can stop achieving one’s goals!!! Whatever be the obstacles, God would help sailing you through…The Mcleodganj Mavericks Ride is dedicated to God…due to the fact that at each step he was always there saving me and guiding all of us through all the challenges & roadblocks…

I had planned 2 earlier rides to Mcleod in 2008…one got cancelled due to heavy rains & the second one due to no co-rider available…

But 2009 was to be the year when BOP was to break the Mcleod Jinx…Dips & me were determined to make the ride happen…come what may…and boy we were successful…

Read on to share the Pain & Ecstasy of the MM Ride…I am sure you would start believing in God more than ever before after reading through the Travelogue…

The Mcleodganj Mavericks:
1. Surjeet on his Red Standard 350 CC
2. Doegar on his Silver-Black Thunderbird
3. Virender aka Veeru on his Black P220 CC
4. Dips on his Black Electra
5. Che on The Mighty One

Day 1 - 8th April 2009 – Wednesday – (Landfill Site – Murthal – Ambala Cantt.)

This day started with a short Hailstorm in Delhi-NCR and we thought it would just pass over like the normal Delhi Rain but it kept pouring through the day on and off & God was playing mind games with us as it was raining for some time and just 5 minutes later it was bright & sunny…which made us think that the evening weather would be clear…but we were absolutely wrong…God was to continue this game of Ping-Pong for a long-long time…



We finally started from Gurgaon at 5 PM and it wasn’t raining…we reached the legendary Landfill site where Surjeet & Doegar was to meet us and start for Chandigarh…the moment we started there was a drizzle…and we just got ready for the wet challenges ahead !!! our plan that night was to stay over at Chandigarh at the Army Guest House but God had different plans for us…our first forced stop was The Gulshan Dhaba in Murthal as it was raining like crazy…we had hot pakodas, Paranthas & tea here and considering the weather it was the best food we could hope for… we started again and some 2 hours later we again had to stop at a Dhaba to take shelter from the merciless rain…after that we decided that we would keep riding till we reach Chandigarh and won’t stop anywhere…

God was on my Side – Part – 1 Gurgaon
And then it happened…I was riding at some 70 kmph and it was drizzling…just before Shahpura on NH-1…I could not see a Buffalo Carcass on the road and trucks had drove over it…the body parts were strewn all over the place and before I could brake…I slipped and I was dragged on the road for some 300-400 metres with my bike…luckily no traffic was coming from behind as I was lying on the road with my right arm stuck under the bike… when I got up I realized that the Buffalo’s body parts were stuck to my cargoes & jacket…and I got saved just because of my new Riding Protective Gear Jacket otherwise I would have been in deep trouble…had minor bruises on my Left Leg but that’s it…plus no damage whatsoever to my Bike…I gathered my thoughts and lifted the bike and got it to the side of the road…and just seconds later traffic was zooming & zipping on the same road where I was lying some minutes back !!! What a save I had…Thanks God…



I had tea & Sutta to get over the shock & delight and then started again…the next 40-50 kms were next to hell…it was raining like there was no tomorrow…it was very cold as well…my shoes were completely filled with water…there was a Thunderstorm…I was forced to ride at a max. speed of 20 kmph…and trucks were zipping away throwing away water, mud and what not at me!!! straight out of a Biking-Hell scene…I was looking for some Dhaba or Petrol Pump but there was none…finally after crossing the Ambala Flyover I found a Pump where Surjeet & Dips had taken shelter…their condition was even worse as they were completely drenched…we called up Doegar and he was waiting below the Ambala Flyover…amidst all this we started to laugh at our miseries as this was the best way to drive the gloomy mood away…we took a consensus decision and decided to skip Chandigarh and stay in Ambala for the night…we found a hotel on the lines of Hotel Decent in the movie “Jab we Met” and took a double room…Doegar left for his Naniji’s place and told us that he would join us early morning…we 3 left our luggage and headed straight to have a session of Dinner, Beer & Rum!!! Got to a shady restaurant and had a long 2 hours Bak session…all this while it was raining cats & dogs…we left the decision to continue the ride till the next morning after seeing the weather condition… Reached our room at 3 in the night and finally called it a day…with a prayer on our lips…that the weather clears up and we could finally break the McLeod jinx as the plan was in tatters…but our spirits were still high and we were willing to fight it out…after all we were the Mcleodganj Mavericks and we were not ready to become The Ambala Assholes!!!

Day 2 - 9th April 2009 – Thursday (Ambala – Chandigarh – Nangal – Mcleodganj)

I woke up at 7 AM…went out and it was still raining heavily…slept back again…then woke up at 9 AM when Veeru called me and told me that he had reached Ambala…by that time the 3 of us were having second thoughts about continuing the ride and taking a bus or changing our destination…but Veeru’s call changed it all and it brought back the energy which had fizzled out…if he could ride all the way non-stop from Noida to Gurgaon in the rain we could also do that…so we decided to start the ride and despite of the rain we were determined…you might call us mad bikers but we have no qualms in accepting that as Mavericks we were being true to our name!!! so we started and then it started to rain heavily…God was still trying to keep our spirits down but after some time even he got bored and then there were clear & sunny skies once we reached Chandigarh where we met JK…my Ladakh Ride buddy…we had a re-union of sorts…he was meeting Ken with whom he had interacted virtually since long…we left after bidding goodbye to him and then stopped for Breakfast where Doegar also joined us…after doing some much needed Pet-Pooja we rode ahead towards some real awesome roads waiting for us near The Anandpur Sahab Gurudwara…we stopped again near the Bhakra Nangal Dam and where we deliberated for a while whether to stop or not but decided against it due to paucity of time…at 5 PM we stopped for a light meal which soon changed to a heavy brunch as the food was really good…with our minds & body satisfied we moved along…and then made our first Beer Stop…as our body was demanding alcohol before the mountain roads ahead…and we didn’t disappoint our body…we were ready with Chilled Kingfisher Strong beer to refresh…Surjeet & Veeru went the safe way and didn’t try to venture into the Beer Territory considering their were Mountain Roads ahead…but the relationship between me & Dips and Beer is a symbiotic one and life becomes tough without Beer!!!



God was on my Side – Part – 2
Finally after riding through Rainstorm, Thunderstorm and an accident we reached Mcleodganj…the excitement in our minds, bodies & souls cannot be defined…after 2 failed attempts we were in Mcleod…we greeted the town with loud Royal Enfield thumps which had people running for cover…God finally showed mercy on us and we created history…BOP had set its foot in Mcleod!!! We found our hotel and got to our rooms…just a special mention…we went for luxury this time…we had booked “Maharaja Suites” for us!!! Don’t you dare think that bikers always stay in Lodges…our hotel had the Kangra Valley view…and it was beautiful…Dalai Lama’s residence was just 50 metres away…we had a longish Beer & Bakchodi session and by 3 AM we were perched in the beds…with satisfaction in our minds and a proud sense of achievement…

Day 3 – 10th April 2009 – Friday (Mcleodganj – Dharamkot - Gallu Temple – Triund)

We woke up really late considering we had loads to drink a night before and lazily came out of our beds and had 2-3 Tea sessions before getting ready and deciding the plan for the day…we left our hotel after deliberating for some 2 hours at 11:30 AM…had our breakfast at Dharamkot and then parked our bikes at the Gallu Temple before starting the trek towards Triund…

God was on my Side – Part – 3
BOP got lucky again…after 4 years it had snowed at Triund in the month of April…and there was 2-3 feet of snow on the Mountain Top…we got extremely excited as a trek with snow around you is one helluva experience and I was ready for it despite the fact that physically I am the weakest link around…13 long years of smoking is the culprit…

We started the 9 kms. trek with full vigor but some 500 metres into it we made our first forced stop…all of us panting for breath and looking for Water…we made innumerable stops on the way up filled with Glucon-D, Beer, Cold Drinks, Water, Sutta & Gatorade…at the mid-way point we also bought Old Monk Rum to celebrate our Mcleod Triumph once again on the Mountain Top...



And finally after 3.50 hours of a treacherous trek we reached Triund at 5 PM amidst thick snow all over the place and within seconds the tiredness was gone and we were taken over by the sheer beauty of nature…there was a minor avalanche on the opposite mountain and the sound it made was surely scary…the fact that we were quite a distance away restored some faith in us…



We relaxed at a Snacks Joint…had hot Tea & Coffee coupled with Maggi amidst the scenic beauty and then I went towards the place where we had booked 2 rooms to sleep…I went there and found a couple who had not booked the room for themselves and were planning their next move…the Hotel owner gave me an option of taking 1 room and 1 Tent…the idea was gobbled up by us after Doegar & Surjeet tried sleeping inside the tent…it was quite necessary as the tent was relatively small and both of these hulks are 6 feet 4 inches in height!!! Finally we decided to go ahead with the tent option and the couple got a room to stay in…I asked the guy to get me beer from the Snacks shop and he duly obliged…Veeru, Doegar & Dips went to click some more snaps while me & Surjeet decided to stay put there and had a longish photo session for ourselves…



A bonfire was soon put up…Beer & Rum came out in no time and we started another Bakchodi session…the scenes around us were straight out of a dream…it was a full-moon night and the moon light was shining on the mountain top giving the snow-clad mountain a surreal look which was heavenly to say the least…the mood got to me and then me & Surjeet started to dance on while I was merrily singing away to glory…Dips was busy in gulping peg after peg as always…while Doegar was doing what he does best…clicking some amazing shots from his SLR and a surprisingly long camera lens…the ones which you see pros using…but our Doegar is no less than a Pro and his pics are truly amazing…another awesome part about the night was that we were just 10-15 people on the Mountain Top and the tranquil atmosphere under the starry sky was one which was truly incomparable…

We finally slept at 2 AM…after a fiesta time filled with Music, Bakchodi, Alcohol & the scenic beauty…our tent was right in the middle of Snow…and it was one experience I would never forget…unfortunately we could not sleep due to the high altitude we were on and kept whiling away our time trying to sleep…but the couple was merrily making out in their room and making strange noises which soon became irritating…they were broken from their sexual encounter only after Dips came out of our Tent and went to the room to sleep…after the loud sound he made everybody slept peacefully !!!Truly an irony but a reality for sure…

Day 4 – 11th April 2009 – Saturday (Triund – Mcleodganj)

We woke up extremely tired & sleepy but ready for another action-filled day…Dips & Veeru decided to trek further up for some 3 kms towards the Ilaaka Glacier…quite brave & adventurous…this was proved by the fact that a professional guide didn’t take the 2 tourists along considering the inherent risks involved in the trek through thick snow & a non-existent trek-path…but things at BOP are not always copy-book style…they are revolutionary at time…and this was one such instance…we 3 didn’t take that gamble and went straight down towards Mcleod to rest and just laze around…

God was on my Side – Part – 4
While going downhill, I paid the price for always being quicker than the group and took a wrong way…after some 100 metres into the descent I figured out that something was wrong…I started to shout for Surjeet & Doegar but they could not hear me…I gathered my senses… luckily there were some tree logs which had fallen due to land slides…I held them tightly and started to slide down which was really scary and the sharp edges of the rocks & the mud were taking the shivers out of me…and then a big shock struck me…there was a huge rock which had no support and I had to just slide down with the help of my hands & tight ass!!! their was some solace though…downhill I could finally spot my buddies who were guiding me down…there was no point going up as it was too steep and I could not even try…I had a smoke and then decided to go down…I landed with a thud and had a minor sprain in my left ankle but no major damage done…I heaved a sigh of relief and thanked God once again for saving me!!! When I saw up the hill I could measure the risk I just went through and how lucky I was…Doegar clicked some pics of the hill and we started the trek down again…

We reached the Gallu Temple and rested for a bit…all this while we were really worried about Dips & Veeru as there was no way to communicate with them and we were praying for them to come back safely…we reached Mclo’s Restaurant in Mcleod and had our Breakfast cum Lunch before picking up our luggage from the hotel as we had decided to stay at a Hotel called Pong View which is between Mcleod & Dharamshala and is situated at a place which is away from the hustle & bustle of the tourist infested places…we checked in and then after resting for a while Dips & Veeru returned from their awe-inspiring trip to Ilaaka and then shared their stories of courage with us…finally they could not reach the actual place as due to heavy snow they could not locate the path uphill…good sense prevailed amongst them and they decided to come back through the thick snow…we were relieved to see them safe & sound again and started to plan ahead for the evening & the night…



We decided to go and visit the Bhagsunath Temple & Waterfall which was highly recommended by an erstwhile rider of BOP…but just like him the place was boring & disappointing and we didn’t waste any time there…we thumped our bulls through the streets of Mcleod and bringing out some strange looks & hungry sighs from the people on the roads…we were the stars for sure in some minds and nuisance creating bikers in some minds…but surely we didn’t mind the extra attention…through these thrills Surjeet’s bike had some issues with his Gear Box and his bike was not accelerating properly…we decided to show the bull to a mechanic and he told us that the Gear Bush were gone and had to be replaced…he quoted 2 hours to repair the same…he surely looked like a specialist and we trusted his abilities…I left them and went to Dharamshala to visit my GIM friend Simran who was there with her fiancée & a couple of friends…had a good time with them sharing my biking stories and the trekking feat I achieved…

All of us reached the hotel at almost the same time…had another Bakchodi session and at 10:30 PM decided to call a day really early…as the next day we had to wake up at 6 AM and ride some 550 odd kms to Delhi…we were ready for it…but badly needed some sleep as we had just slept for some 14-15 hours in the last 3 days…

Day 5 – 12th April 2009 – Sunday (Dharamshala – Hoshiarpur – Ludhiana – Ambala – Delhi)



We decided to take a different route back to Delhi crossing mostly through the NH-1 on which we could zip and reach Delhi quicker…it was surely a wise decision as their was less traffic when we started and didn’t get back till the late evening…this day we had decided to make less no. of stops and cover 80-90 kms in each stretch…we stuck to our plan quite diligently and had reached Ambala at 3 PM riding through the heat & dusty roads…all this while Doegar was riding separately and decided to stay at his Naniji’s place in Ambala…as he could not ride on further…also the fact that he had an off on Monday helped his cause…we had a light lunch and rode on towards Delhi…enroute Surjeet’s bike again had an issue with the electricals but luckily not much time was wasted and we re-started the ride again… We reached the Delhi Border amidst some extremely heavy Traffic as thousands of cars were coming back carrying in them loads & loads of Tourists who had gone to various places to spend the long weekend just like us…we also spotted another pack of Royal Enfield Bikers zipping through the NH-1… Due to the minor issue in Surjeet’s bike we didn’t make our customary Beer Pit-Stop and decided against it due to the paucity of time…all of us met finally at the Landfill site and bid goodbye to each other…Dips & me rode till Gurgaon and to follow the customs of BOP had a beer each to celebrate another successful ride completed and more importantly the fact that we had finally conquered Mcleod after 2 failed attempts… We also set new limits of riding while coming back…we finally rode 530 kms in one day…my earlier record was 480 kms. When I rode from Goa to Mangalore during my West Coast Ride and now during our future rides we can surely cover more than we what we have done in the past… Reached home at 10 PM both physically & mentally exhausted but the sense of achievement was resting on the top of my mind…the Mcleod Ghost was finally off our backs!!!

Che would be back on the road again…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

Till we meet again…ride safe and have safe sex…

The Kurukshetra Krunchies

This ride was hatched during our Historic Explorers Ride in Rakhigarhi when we had seen the Literature about the rich Historic Heritage at Kurukshetra and it being so close to Delhi forced us to plan this ride ASAP, also the fact that the dreaded summer is gonna hit us soon made us hurry up!!!

I started the routine activity of drafting a mail which was shared with our group, which also included non-BOP Members and then people started signing up for the ride…

The date was 22nd March 2009 and we had two meeting points this time – Gurgaon & Delhi accommodating our Delhi Buddies…the Gurgaon point was DT Mega Mall and the Delhi point was the legendary Landfill Site near the Delhi-Sonepat Border…in the morning it’s a painfully fragrant site and whatever sleep is trying to bring its head up goes out of the body in a hurry…if you haven’t experienced that fragrance its time you go there tomorrow and figure out the pleasure for yourself…I am sure you would come back a completely awake person!!!

The Kurukshetra Krunchies were:


1. Dips on his Black 4S Electra
2. Jagmeet on his Black 5S Electra
3. Saurabh Katar on his Red TB – BOP Rookie
4. Vihans on his Orange FZ-16
5. Saran on his Green Standard (Though this is not a bike!!!)
6. James on his Black Standard
7. Diwakar on his Black TB – BOP Rookie
8. Gyan on his Red Karizma
9. Ravi – The Pillion rider with Diwakar & James – BOP Rookie
10. Che on The Mighty One

As decided; me, Saran & Dips were supposed to meet at DT Mega Mall and start at sharp 6:30 AM but when I called up Saran at 6:25 he had just woken up, he got to hear the choicest of abuses from me the first thing in the morning which got his slumber smashed and then he reached at 6:50 AM forgetting his jacket due to my Fear!!! Dips helped him out by offering him his wind-cheater…and then we started…by this time everybody except Vihans had reached the Landfill site and were calling me frantically…I left Dips & Saran and zipped straight towards the Landfill site to join the rest of the bikers…I knew Saran rides at an easy pace and Dips had his Bike’s piston replaced due to which he was not supposed to ride at more than 60 kmph…so they had to reach late anyway… Vihans also joined and I was the happiest to see him as he is the only one who can match my Bakchodi skills and would be my heir-apparent in the Bakchodi Domain
I reached at 7:45 AM and Dips & Saran joined us at 8:30 so finally we were up and running after enjoying the hot & piping tea with some light snacks & smokes…

While we were riding towards Murthal, I saw Gyan in my rear-view mirror and was pleasantly surprised as he was planned to join us at Panipat…riding with Gyan is always a pleasure and it was my 3rd Ride with him…post that we rode along till our next stop…

The first stop was the world-famous Ahuja Dhaba at Murthal which serves one of the best tasting Paranthas in Murthal which is some 50 kms from the Delhi border and is a very popular joint for Tourists coming back or going out of Delhi…it being a lazy Sunday Morning the place was relatively empty and we created quite a scene when our Bullets entered the parking area…everybody’s eyes were transfixed on us for the next 60 minutes we were there…anyway we create quite a noise anywhere we go so the glares were simply unavoidable!!! we enjoyed the hot Paranthas with fresh white butter dripping all over the place, inspite of this extra butter was ordered…God bless the holy cows & buffaloes and also save BOP’s riders from suffering from high cholesterol levels as the amount of butter we consume is simply humongous!!! I also ordered for freshly-cooked Hot Kheer which was devoured within seconds and 2 extra portions were ordered after observing my gobbling speed…believe me nobody was disappointed…



After this heavy-duty breakfast we got back to Riding…before we left Jagmeet’s histrionics ensured that the next time we are at Ahuja we would be shooed away!!! He made some crazy noise with his new Amritsari Silencer…the sound was surely ear-shattering…I had to stop him midway so that we could spare people from wasting money on going to ENT Specialists in these trying recession-hit crimes…good sense prevailed and we left to rip the NH-1 on our bulls…the weather was pleasant…cool breeze was flowing…the traffic was relatively decent…all these factors provided me to rip my bike which was raring to go as due to the piston replacement it had to crawl in the last 2 rides…I was not going to miss this opportunity for anything!!! I reached speeds upto 120 kmph and then after 68 kms of riding and finally spotting a Theka we stopped to drink some much-needed beer and take rest…I also used this opportunity to go towards the bushes and crapping!!! The normal routine for me…I just cant avoid going out in the open relieving myself so close to the nature…it’s a heavenly feeling which I rarely miss during my bike rides…





All of us gathered at the Theka and we all enjoyed our liquid preferences namely Beer, Rum-Pepsi & Sprite…Diwakar & Saurabh had notoriously missed this Theka- for 2 reasons, A-They don’t drink & B-They were speeding like crazy…they had to come back some 20 kms to join the next BOP Beer-Bakchodi session as opportunities like this are not-to-be-missed!!! I am sure all BOP Riders would vouch for this…The Advertising at the Theka was world-class and was hilarious to say the least…Jagmeet even went inside to the Theka and clicked some pics…

Our next stop after this guzzling stop was Kurukshetra…More details about the Tourist Attractions here can be seen at http://www.kurukshetra.com/Contents/KurukshetraCity.aspx, we stopped to wait for Dips, Ravi & Saran who were riding easy…then we were off to the Brahm Sarover…en-route me, Dips & Vihans stopped to enjoy another kind of non-alcoholic fluid…Ganne-ka-Ras…my favourite drink outside of the big-bad Alcoholic World…I also saw a thela serving some food and wasted no time in ordering Dal-Rice…after the Bush-Crapping session my tummy was begging for some extra supplies…so needed re-enforcements badly…the rest of the riders were waiting for us & me-Vihans blamed the time-loss on Dips’ Piston!!!

We reached The Brahm Sarovar after losing our way once…let me tell you that whenever me & Dips are together reaching any place in the first try is next to impossible…there are some evil powers which work against us and we always tend to lose our way…we are planning a huge Daaru Party soon to ward off these evil spirits…everybody is invited…I would be sharing the details soon…

The sight after entering the pond was sick…as there were hundreds of beggars & tout pandits all over the place…playing cards, smoking Ganja and what not…we went straight towards a Bronze Sculpture…it depicts Lord Krishna delivering the message of righteous Karma to Arjuna…it is the largest Bronze Sculpture in India and it was next in the innumerable records which BOP has smashed…



We found a shady place and took refuge…some of us lying down…some of us just simply soaking in the place…Vihans & Saurabh were the only brave ones who decided to take a dip in the Sarovar…inspite of the warnings mentioning that it was 17 feet deep…this statistic was completely incorrect as our 4 feet rider-Vihans was comfortably placed on his feet…



They came out soon after the relaxing dip and then we left the Sarovar for our next Historic Tryst- Sheikh Chilli’s Tomb…I am sure many of us think that he was a fictional character but after visiting his tomb all such misconceptions were shattered…it was a magnificent monument…had a beautiful view from the Balcony and surprisingly no scribblings on the walls which is a routine feature at all historical monuments all over India…

There was also a museum portraying the excavation findings…it was surprising to find that Haryana is so rich in history as we seldom get to hear about the Historic side of Haryana…it was a pleasurable experience for sure…amidst all this Saran was attacked by Bees…it was a hilarious site as he was bombarded by them and none of the other were even touched…I guess the reason he had Rum-Pepsi running through his veins made him the most attractive prey!!!



We left the Tomb towards our next stop…the Haveli Complex at Karnal…me, Vihans,Gyan & Diwakar reached the place first and then there was an endless wait for the others to follow…I utilized this time to grace the clean & hygienic washroom of Haveli…how could I miss this opportunity…after all Dips has named me “Dumper” and I had to keep the tradition going strong!!!

After an anxious wait of almost 35-40 minutes the other riders appeared and then we clicked the Group Snap…which is a permanent part of every ride…me & Vihans were not stopping for Lunch as we had to rush to Delhi…the reason being that I had to attend my EOiD (Eating Out in Delhi – My Foodie Club) Meet at Chawri Bazaar at 7:30 PM…the time was 5:15 PM and we were still some 120 kms away from Old-Delhi…we bid the group good-bye and then ripped towards Delhi…stopping only once for a Sutta Break…we reached Vihans’ home at sharp 7:30 PM where we just got fresh and then moved straight for the EOiD Meet…



The ride was short & sweet just like our fellow rider Vihans and just like him had full of Bakchodi & Beer also filled with loads of fun…

We also had the great pleasure of riding for the first time with Saurabh, Ravi & James and I am sure in the future as well we would be riding to many more fun-filled destinations…the planning for the April 2009 ride has already started and we would be freezing on the destination by early next week…

Another great part of the ride was Saran’s Sher-o-Shaayari session at the Brahm Sarovar after which the sound of the BOP Laughter was heard within a radius of 100 kms…considering the creative knack this guy has got we are still to witness much more creative extravagance from him…

With this we completed our second ride to cover places of pre-historic & archaeological importance after the Rakhigarhi Ride…

Pics of the Ride can be seen at :
1. http://picasaweb.google.co.in/jha.nishant/TheKurukshetraKrunchies?feat=directlink (My Camera)
2. http://picasaweb.google.com/jagmeet.virdee/NewFolder3?authkey=Gv1sRgCMOw8NTTgJC5qwE&feat=directlink (Jagmeet’s Camera)
3. http://picasaweb.google.com/jagmeet.virdee/RAVI?authkey=Gv1sRgCMHi_cLF2MaqwgE&feat=directlink# (Ravi’s Camera)

Che would be back on the road again…

Till then ride safe & have safe sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

No Escape...

People are telling me these days that my Bike Rides are a way of escaping from the realities of Life…it was my Mother who first told me this, then 5-6 of my close buddies told me the same…I have been wondering about the same since this morning when my mother again talked to me about the same and then I have started raking up my mind like crazy over the same…its been long since 1 statement of somebody has made me think so much but I don’t know why but this Escape thing has got me going like crazy…



I have never been an escapist in my life and I can safely say this from the bottom of my heart…I have always faced challenges head-on…at times I have miserably failed and quite often I have come out as a winner…but the Escape Route was never an option for me and would never be an option in time to come…

I confess that my Bike Riding in March 2008 started as a way to get away from the hassles & tensions of my ongoing Divorce…but since then Riding is my foremost passion and I don’t see this passion going slow ever…it is one passion which makes me going, provides me the freedom, gives me the perfect opportunity to explore my magical country and also has given me so many close buddies for life…

I despise those people who run away from the realities or even worse…commit suicides as I firmly believe that no situation can be worse than Death…

So here I am…making it very clear that I am not escaping from the reality of life when I go for my Riding Trips…its just a way of breaking the monotony of Life & exploring our beautiful country…I would also talk to my mother in detail when I get back home tonight…

Till the next time we meet…lets all say Cheers to Life…

The BOP Historic Explorers

BOP(Bulls on Parade) is getting multi-faceted each new month, we started with just pleasure-filled rides and then slowly we have moved to riding to destinations which also have certain Historical Importance linked to it…started this trend with our Anniversary Ride to The Pushkar Mela, then we had our Valentine Day Ride to The Surajkund Mela & Tughlaqabad Fort and the third in the series happened last Saturday (21st February 2009) to Rakhigarhi, it is a small non-descript village in Haryana near Hissar & Jind some 200 kms. From Gurgaon, we got hooked on this place when we read on the net that the excavations has thrown the Indian History to 5000 years back as the artifacts found here are believed to be even older than the Harappan Civilization, and this gave us the perfect opportunity to plan a short 1-day ride to Rakhigarhi…I named the ride BOP HISTORIC EXPLORERS RIDE…The normalcy was followed, I sent the first mail to the BOPians and then started getting confirmations, only 3 of us were ready for the Ride, this was extremely surprising that it was a Saturday Ride, a 1-day ride and just 350 odd kms. Of riding but then BOP throws out surprises & shocks at the drop of a hat, so we were prepared for them!!!

The Comrades of the Ride were:
1. Dips aka Kenny on his Black Electra 4S
2. Tomar aka Chief Navigator on his Red Electra 4S
3. Che on The Mighty One

Tomar prepared an excellent map for us to follow, where he clearly showed us why he is the best Navigator around and with him in a ride there’s no way one can lose his/her way (Her…well we haven’t had any Female BOP riders but still for decency sake I wrote Her as well!!!). There was also exclusive part of this ride, with my Piston getting changed a week back I was advised to ride my bike slowly and not go beyond 50 kmph so I was to trail the pack…and this was a welcome change for Dips who has always seen me zipping past him during all our previous rides together!!! But I was worried as I hate riding slowly and even worse is trailing the pack of riders but I had no other option available anyway so I was ready for a 50 kmph ride!!!



We met at Leisure Valley Park at 6 AM on 21st Feb. and our new BOP Joinee Rohit Saini came to see us off with sleepy eyes and ruffled hair!!! But it was a great gesture from his part to come and meet us so early in the day…we started the ride at 6:15 AM and took the Gurgaon – Najafgarh Route and the weather was painfully chilly and all 3 of us were not at all prepared for the cold with just wearing thin jackets and summer gloves !!! we were riding & shivering at the same time for quite some time but finally we gave in and just could ride any further…at 7:45 we stopped at a Highway Dhaba for some much-needed hot tea & Paranthas…we gulped 2 glasses of tea before the Paranthas even arrived at the scene !!! The tea tasted much better than the best quality Scotch to us at that time!!! After the Heat-Therapy we started the ride again and rode for some 60 kms before stopping for another of Piss, Tea & Sutta some 1.5 hours later…

All this while Tomar was leading the ride and he was so bloody confident about the route that he didn’t check the way to Rakhigarhi even once!!!I am sure if me & Dips were there we would have checked it some 5-6 times by now…so much for our bad Navigation skills!!! At 11:15 AM we had reached Rakhigarhi and started looking for the excavation site and Mr. Wazir Chand who is the ASI Caretaker of the site, after checking with some 5-6 villagers we finally reached the site but was disappointed to see the site full of Cow-Dung cakes drying on the fields!!! Mr. Wazir was more than happy to see 3 Bikers all the way from Gurgaon who had come to see the site and offered us Tea & Chilled Water!!! He also showed us some documents about the history of Rakhigarhi & other Haryana Excavation sites which were a great source of information to us, we clicked some pics of the surreal place and then went off to check out the Prithviraj Chauhan Fort which was some 30 kms away in a village named Hansi, it was personally recommended by Mr. Wazir as he told us that that fort was one of it’s kind and was not to be missed as we would never come this far again…so we left the site and then the entire village was out to watch us & our bikes due to the loud thump it was emitting !!! We were demi-stars of the village with children cheering for us!!! It was a great site indeed with awestruck elderly villagers watching us with dreamy eyes while smoking away their Hukkas!!!



Enroute we found a Theka and by now you know BOP very well…we never miss an opportunity to enjoy Chilled Beer on Highway Rides!!! And this time as well we didn’t let this opportunity pass by and we stopped to enjoy a beer peculiarly named KAALA TEETAR (that’s Black Partridge for you)…it was really a potent beer with the 3 of us a little high after having just 1 beer…the Theka Caretaker Satbir was an amazingly knowledgeable person for his background…and that too on a daily dose of Punjab Kesari…he knew all about the intricacies of US Elections, Mumbai Terror Strikes, The Chand Mohammed - Fiza Love Affair and The Indo-Pak conflict…he was also glad to get himself clicked with the Desi Liquor in the Background !!! I also saw a Saunf (Aniseed) Local Liquor for the first time…I have had Sambuca but I am sure this one would be lethal…I also picked one small bottle as a souvenir for my liqueur Collection…



After the great discussion & beer therapy we rode to The Fort after parking our bikes just outside the fort and with 2-3 curious kids acting as guards to keep our bikes safe!!! we went inside and soaked in the History that was quite evident there but the place was in a big mess…no boards telling about the history of the Fort, no ASI Official and the normal scribbling of all sorts on literally on all the walls…but we still enjoyed the peace at the place and I imagined that the brave Prithviraj Chauhan and his partner Samyukta must have spent some intimate moments at this place!!! Visiting so many forts during my Bike Rides has been an utmost pleasure and a great education of the fabulous Indian History; have been to Bhangarh Fort in Rajasthan, Tughlaqabad Fort in Delhi, Bekal Fort in Kerala, Leh Fort in Ladakh and now this one!!! And I am damn sure that there would many more to come…



After getting all soaked in the History Lessons we stopped at an extremely dingy & filthy looking Dhaba named MAUJI DA DHABA!!! We deliberated a lot but still went inside and ordered Chicken Curry (Half Kg….yes that’s the way they served it…) and Dal Fry…believe when I haven’t smelled a more yucky flavored Chicken Curry in my Life…it was bad…and it tasted even worse…and the Dal was no good either but still we ate the food as we were really hungry and had no mood to stop at another place…there were some amazing scriptures on the wall instructing people to stay quiet, Drink more & not to puke (there was a fine of Rs. 50 per Puke!!!)We left the place with our tummies filled but our taste buds adversely affected to start the ride back to Gurgaon…



We stopped once after riding for some 70 odd kms for a Sutta Break and I felt like crapping so off I went to the nearby bushes to relieve myself…and now let me tell you that shitting amidst the bushes is a heavenly experience and I enjoy staying close to nature anyway!!! I also clicked some amazing pics of a beautiful green insect through Macro shots…



After this relieving process I had to eat something so we stopped at a Haryana Tourism Restaurant to eat some good food for a change…I had a Burger & Cold Coffee and it was superb…after that it was once again a constant 45 kmph ride till we reached Delhi Border…and after entering Delhi through the Rohtak Border the same old story began…trucks & City Traffic all over!!! This is the story which is repeated every time we enter Delhi after a ride…be it through Ghaziabad, Sonepat or Rohtak…some things never change…

My bike was getting really heated up after the constant riding and I had to stop to give it a break and for me to have a Sutta…after the break it was me who led the pack till Gurgaon as both Dips & Tomar didn’t know the route well…so a welcome change to see the fellow riders through my rear-view mirror!!!

We reached Gurgaon at 9 PM…clicked the customary final pic outside the Ambience Mall and rode towards our homes…bidding goodbyes…congratulating each other on another ride completed successfully…that too with so much fun…



The High Pints of the Ride were some quotable quotes made by certain individuals…

1. Tomar @ 6 AM: “Yaar aaj subah badi thand hai yaar”…the best part being Tomar had woken up this early only once in the last 10 months !!! he was simply amazed to experience the early morning chill…
2. Satbir @ 12 Noon: “Jo Desi Daaroo peeta hai who Desi Latth ban jaata hai”…So any of you wanna become a “Desi Latth”???
3. Satbir @ 1 PM : “Pakistan ke bare mein aapka kya khayaal hai?”…we were shocked to hear this as we were in no mood to discuss politics after the Kaala Teetar Therapy…

The pics of the Ride:
Tomar’s Camera: http://picasaweb.google.com/sankettomar/Rakhigarhi#
Che’s Camera: http://picasaweb.google.com/jha.nishant/TheBOPHistoricExplorersRide?feat=directlink\

The solitary video taken by me while riding: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YbLQJMRsXA

Che would be back on the road again…

Till then ride safe and have Safe Sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

The West Coast Riders

This time I have completed a Long Ride Blog within a month of coming back after setting a bad precedent last time when I wrote the Ladakh Ride Blog 4 months after I came back...

So here it is... http://thewestcoastriders.blogspot.com/


Enjoy Reading...

Cheers to Life...
Nishant "Che" Jha

The BOP Valentine's Day Ride

Valentine’s Day…This day has become famous & infamous both at the same time…due to various curious reasons…This is the day for Lovers of all kinds…Old & Young, Boy & Girl, Boy & Boy and also Girl & Girl…There is one other relationship which many mere mortals don’t even dare contemplating & exploring…and that’s between a Man & his Machine !!! Now don’t get me wrong…I am not talking about a Dildo or a Vibrator!!! By Machine I mean a Bike!!!

At BOP this feeling of Man-Machine bonding runs quite strongly and we decided to celebrate the V-Day with what else but a Ride & Meet…we also had The Surajkund Mela which is an annual affair at Surajkund in Faridabad and this year it was in its 23rd Edition…it also gave me an excellent opportunity to complete the Mela Trilogy…after The Pushkar Mela & The Sindhu Darshan Mela in Leh I never wanted to miss the trilogy of Mela Bike Rides…

After another bout of Chain Mails, finally 10 Riders confirmed…We also had 3 BOP First-timer Riders…Rohit Saini, Diwakar & Jagmeet Singh Virdee…so the routine venue was decided; DT Mega Mall in Gurgaon and the designated Meeting Time was 9:30 AM.

A night before, we had a small Beer-Bakchodi & Bulls Meet at Vedanta and I reached home at 1:30 AM in the night after the Beer & Paranthas session and I could not wake up to the alarm I had set for 8:30 AM, finally Jagmeet called up at 9:11 AM and I woke up from my deep slumber…I rushed through the daily chores and left my home at 9:40 AM…I was 20 minutes late, I felt really bad as I am always on-time for all BOP Rides and this one was one of the rarest-of-rare occasions…I blame it on the Beer squarely…

So at 10:15 we finally started the ride, after waiting for Kamikaze & his wife Vrinda to come in their Scorpio…we took the Gurgaon-Faridabad road which gave an ample opportunity to Arun to use his Handycam and shoot videos…we also did a short off-roading adventure through a detour…then we made the first pit-stop for some to take a leak and for some to smoke…




Post that we reached the Mela Grounds amidst hundreds of Bikes parked, it all looked like a scene straight out of the recent Rider Mania which I attended in Ooty, but the difference being this time the bikes were a mix of all makes!!! There were strict security measures being followed by the Security Forces amidst the latest Terror attacks & threats…and no cigarettes were allowed in the Mela Grounds, me & Arun hid our cigarettes in his Jacket Pocket but our dear comrade, Topgun had a novel idea in his mind for which he had already prepared before-hand…he hid the cigarettes in an aluminum foil and it looked like a Sandwich Packet!!! What an innovation indeed…I would implement it each time now!!!

The crowds had not built up when we reached the Mela, probably people must have been waking up really slowly on a Saturday Morning, we didn’t waste any time and went to the Food Court to have a much-awaited Breakfast Meal…there were loads of options but all Vegetarian…all of us shared the delicacies, in total we ordered Kadhi Chawal, Rajma Chawal, Makke-di-Roti & Sarson-da-Saag, Rumali Roti Meal, Kulche Matar, Chiwra & Cheele and Bhalle-Papdi Chaat…as expected TopGun had Noodles !!! We also had Rabri ke Malpue & Hot Jalebi for desserts!!! what an amazingly satisfying meal it was, once the tummy was satisfied we went to the Surajkund Lake which unfortunately was all dried up but we sat in the Amphitheatre Stairs and had a nice photo session with everybody using the opportunity to utilize Arun`s Tripod…

After that we had a discussion about the next step of the ride…after following the Democratic Way of using a Popular Vote a unanimous decision was taken to move next to The Tughlaqabad Fort to follow the Historical Riding we are exploring full-on these days…the other options were The Mohit Chauhan Show at The Dilli Haat & The new Jhaag Lake…maybe we would do the lake some other time….

We reached the Fort in no time and entered the Fort amidst my non-stop detailed commentary about the true history of the Fort which only I knew all about…I really pity the poor knowledge of our fellow BOPians but would discuss this some other day, as I don’t want to ridicule anybody…but a sudden decision was made to enjoy chilled beer in the Fort Ramparts…there were loads of secluded areas all over the place where we could drink without anybody disturbing us…then Dips & Tomar made a swift exit from the Fort to get Beer for the thirsty souls…yes I know even our Bodies were thirsty but I would say that the Soul was hungrier…as drinking beer in a fort is an experience is much much better than drinking at any of the swank or posh clubs…if you don’t believe me then do it once and then you would get to experience the bliss yourself…

After some time they appeared with a bag full of Beer Bottles and Chips as well as Snakes!!! We chose a secluded spot and soon the party started amidst the ruins where sometime back in the 13th Century I guess similar adventures would have been attempted by some rebels like us!!! There was an empty tank as well close to where we sat and we imagined that some erstwhile queens must have taken a Herbal Bath there!!! That thought was quite interesting to say the least but all that was in the Tank now was some Empty water bottles and cigarette butts!!! Another longish Bakchodi session followed with all of us planning for the next Ride…and then I hit a Goldmine!!! I was just playing with the 10X Zoom in my camera and spotted a couple sitting on the top of a Fort Wall quite a distance away, they were getting physically intimate and we joined the fun, I started to click some pics of their Valentine Celebration !!! soon everybody got excited and all eyes & thoughts were fixed on my camera screen…Arun didn’t let this golden opportunity go and got his Camcorder installed on the Tripod and started to make a Video !!! We also had some extremely interesting live commentary going on in the background!!! You can surely imagine what it would be…now every one of us is anxiously waiting to watch the video and have the same fun all over again!!! Jagmeet is literally dying to take a sneak peek!!! But I am sure Arun would take his time editing & pruning the Video and present a full-HD Format to us…we completely trust him to do that!!! He is a master after all…

After the Video session we left the Fort and the ride was completed…all-in-all a great day filled with Culture, Tradition, History & also Live Valentine Celebration!!! We had it all…

You can see all the pics @
1. Varun Doegar : http://picasaweb.google.com/varun.doegar/BOPSurajkundRide?authkey=KF7esVlxMh8&feat=directlink
2. Jagmeet Singh : http://picasaweb.google.com/jagmeet.virdee/BOPRIDE?feat=directlink
3. Sanket Tomar : http://picasaweb.google.com/sankettomar/SurajkundTughlakabadRide
4. Che : http://picasaweb.google.co.in/jha.nishant/BOPValentineDayRide?feat=directlink

Che would be back on the road again with more…

Till then enjoy life & have Safe Sex…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre…

2008…On the Road and Off it…

2008…well just another year for so many people and for loads of Indians, an extremely tragic year due to the innumerable terror attacks which has left India scarred and stunned beyond belief…this year would surely go down in the history lanes as a Terror struck year for India...

But for me it has been one of the most memorable years of my life full of ups & downs through the year…and the ups have surely outweighed the lows by a huge margin!!!

The year I became single again…the year I got married again (to my bike!!!)…the year I caught the biking bug…the year when I traveled to so many place - in a train or on my bike…the year I saw my nieces grow up and become chirpier & naughtier by the day…the year when my brother cleared one of the most important exams of his life…the year when I rode to my dream destination – Ladakh…the year when I was promoted at UHG…the year when I watched a LIVE performance of my favorite singer Kailash Kher…the year when I lost all ties with my closest buddies forever and also when I made so many buddies for a lifetime !!!

2008…a month-by-month story…

January
Came back from Shillong after spending a memorable year end with my entire family and saw my newborn niece Samyukta for the first time…came back and faced a tough time managing my home all on my own…cooking food and what not !!!Had couple of great parties at home till my parents came back!!! Also got engraved with a Bhagat Singh Tattoo and the words Inquilaab Zindaabaad tattooed in Hindi…

February
A really tough month for me as I fought through my inevitable Divorce…talking to lawyers…and gathering strength for the upcoming court proceedings…another learning month for me but really hope that no other friend of mine go through the same…Got engraved with a “BELIEF” tattoo…it signifies the belief I have on myself, God, my friends & family…attended the Kailash Kher Show and was left stunned by the sheer mastery of the class-act singer…

March
Went to my favorite city Amritsar with my friends and had a gastronomical time there filled with Spirituality at the Golden Temple…courtesy Mr. Richard Lupu we had some crazy parties loaded with some alcohol-laced cocktails which made us lose all our senses !!! and it was so sad when Rich & Thelma had to leave for the US leaving us thirsty for some more of their critically-acclaimed cocktails !!! I also bought my bike this month…re-designed it and named it “The Mighty One”…went for the first bike ride of my life to Bhangarh which was one fuckin awesome ride…570 kms in 1 day flat !!!(http://cheguevaraontheroad.blogspot.com/2008/03/haunted-spookies.html) I also officially joined BULLS ON PARADE…my Bullet club…

April
It was the month of marital reckoning for me…I legally got separated from my ex-wife…got divorced on 28th April and the words from the Judge’s mouth when she told us that we were divorced sounded like AR Rahman’s Musical notes !!!Amidst the legal mayhem I was going through found time to go for a bike ride to Rishikesh!!! (http://cheguevaraontheroad.blogspot.com/2008/04/spiritual-junkies.html)Also started the preparations for my June Ladakh Ride…

May
Got engraved with my Buddha Eyes Tattoo…it signifies that God is always with me and has his eyes on me!!!Finished the final preps for my Ladakh Ride with all the shopping and stuff…discovered the famous Jhaag Lake which became the venue for 4 of our subsequent BOP meets…(http://cheguevaraontheroad.blogspot.com/2008/06/beer-skin-maniacs.html)

June
The most memorable month of 2008…on 6 June I left for the biggest ride of my life…‘The Mountain Tamers” Bike Ride to Ladakh…a 15 days & 3600 kms long bike ride…(http://themountaintamers.blogspot.com/) came back as a changed man…ready for any challenge on the road or off the road !!! Before going to this ride went for my first ride with the Pulsar Group called RODS…watched exhilarating bike stunts LIVE for the first time which left me gasping for breath!!! (http://cheguevaraontheroad.blogspot.com/2008/06/stunt-riders.html)

July
July also started with another awesome ride…this time to Chail…great weather to ride through some tough roads…(http://cheguevaraontheroad.blogspot.com/2008/07/chailastic-riders.html)
also went to Mhow near Indore to meet my Brother where he was studying day & night to prepare for his Staff College Entrance Exam…my visit provided him & his friends some much needed break…

August
August was a dull month for me as the planned Independence Ride to Mcleodganj got cancelled due to bad weather…was left frustrated & depressed…spent some much needed time with my parents…but the end of the month was great for me as my brother’s family came home and we all had a great family fiesta…playing with my nieces…Chunni & Sammy gave me the perfect reason to come out of the depression mode !!!

September
Another month another bike ride!!! this time to Landour near Mussoorie…the ride was smooth & great fun…(http://cheguevaraontheroad.blogspot.com/2008/09/landour-riders.html) but the ending was a little sombre with the Delhi Bomb Blasts on 14 September…we were still in Mussoorie and got worried for our friends & families back home…fortunately everybody was safe…came back and celebrated my 28th birthday…a quiet one with my family…and also quit alcohol the same day…till now haven’t had any…lets see till when I can keep this going !!! also joined a Foodie Group…Eating Out in Delhi (EOiD) and went for the first meet to Old Delhi…(http://cheguevaraontheroad.blogspot.com/2008/09/iftar-foodies.html)

October
Another Mcleodganj Ride cancelled…this time due to no co-riders available !!! one consolation was a short BOP ride to the Jhaag Lake but that ended in sadness as well as the lake had dried up !!! also had a minor bike breakdown while coming back !!! went for another EOiD Meet to Old Delhi again, this time sampling on the vegetarian delights !!!

November
The BOP Anniversary Ride to Pushkar…we had completed one year and went to Pushkar to celebrate our brotherhood…an amazingly calm & serene place even amidst the Mela which was taking place !!! (http://cheguevaraontheroad.blogspot.com/2008/11/anniversary-riders.html)
Also fulfilled a long-awaited dream of mine…to gorge on the Tandoori Bakra served at Karim’s…went there in a group of almost 35 odd people feasting on the 2 bakras !!! My Brother also cleared the Staff College Entrance Exam. with flying colours and would be off to Wellington near Ooty from May 2009. He once again made our family proud...We also went to Lucknow for our EOiD Meet and gorged on all the famous delicacies of Lucknow...a true gastronomical experience !!!

December
This month so far has been pretty decent…loaded with a short BOP ride to the Aravallis… had new members joining BOP and a great buddy Negi leaving for Bangalore…this month has also been witness to loads of planning for my upcoming West Coast Ride which is scheduled between 10 & 27 January…

All-in-All a year where I have learnt so many new things…faced new challenges…lost some close friends…made new friends…partied a lot…made some memorable & inspirational journeys…and getting ready for 2009 with full josh & vigour…to repeat the successes of 2008 and hopefully not repeating any old mistakes !!!

Hope you enjoyed reading the 2008 story the same way I lived through it !!!

Che would be back on the road again…

Till then have safe sex…and enjoy….

Cheers to Life….

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