A Traveler's Memoir

The next morning I visited the temple again before I rode back. I was having tea when a person suggested to me to visit Munsyari. The map showed 128 kilometres and he said it could be snowing there now. I took that direction and as I rode higher, it started getting colder and I wore almost every single cloth I had, one over the other, layers of new and the old thermals, a woollen sweater, a 100 rupee pullover from Shillong, my jacket and the decade-old rain Jacket. Waist down I had 2 thermals and jeans, woollen socks from decathlon and not to forget the 200 rupees sneaker. As I rode ahead, the landscape and cold only got better and better and by evening while I was just about 30 kilometres away from Munsyari I started seeing snow. For once, I felt worth being born. For a moment I recollected my Status on Social media just before starting this ride, when I said riding to the land of snow and sand on the Platina, My Friend Sukesh had commented asking, riding till snow? I live to my word ...

I pushed myself to a 360-kilometre ride with unpredictable traffic when a Couchsurfer accepted to host. But upon reaching, he said since he lived in a joint family, my shabby appearance would be unacceptable to his family. I said that's okay and decided to take a capsule in the house of gipsies or HOG hostel that he recommended. I met some good people there, a biker from Bangalore on a 390 duke, A few people on business, a realtor from Delhi. Conversations on life and politics went on for a long time. Rajesh the biker from Bangalore was with his friend Arjun and we did a ride together to Ramnagar palace the next day. Varanasi, It's not a holy city anymore, except for the feeling of nothingness when walking on the banks of The Ganga. It could be because of so many souls who rest there every day. The moment we leave the ghats, we enter into chaos, a place overcrowded with, all kinds of people in a rush. Even walking is not easy on those roads, one just cannot walk freely, even th...