19 July 2005

Getting High On A Bike


This is the write-up on my 16 day bike tour of Ladakh and Kashmir, starting from Delhi...first, I'll introduce the travellers:

Joy- I could write a novel about his eccentric tastes and choices in life. One of his top priorities in life (the others being junk food and fresh college chics) is to remain a college student forever. He's completed his UG in visual communication (with a generous helping of God's grace) and is currently pursuing masters in mass communication and lots of girls at MCC. He's also doing a course in human rights through correspondencewith some institute in delhi which is funny because he's tried to rip-off every single guywho has ever had any kind of deal with him. His main aim during the trip was to grow hishair and a beard, and to sport a 'hippie' look when he returned to madras (to greet junior chics in college). He's also the most uninvolved traveller I've ever seen, which is strange considering that he's visited half of India. Very little seeps through the impervious layers shielding his little memory, like he could never remember the town we halted at the previous night. He could make lots of money if he writes a book on "Living in the moment".Nothing hurts or pleases him for more than a few seconds. I've never seen him get upset about anything in the two years that I've known him.

Gopal- The official photographer. He'd just finished studying advertising and PR and is presently hunting for a job. He's the creative brain which kept us going through tough times. Incessant yapping (with an accent) for the handycam comes naturally to him. He absolutely detests things like logic, maths and in general things which work in aparticular well-documented way all the time- like bike mechanics or shoelaces.

Amaresh- Savouring the last drops of my dying college life. The very thought of work and routine life made me sad. I spent half the trip calculating expenses and settling accounts. Much of the other half was spent with the handycam, listening to Joy's orders(he's planning to use the footage for his final semester documentary film), which went something like this : "Machi, I want 2 minutes footage of the desert... including 2 camels... remember to give running commentary, because I'll forget!"

We rode 3300 kms in 16 whirlwind days... I never have and I doubt if I ever will travel as hurriedly as I did those 16 unforgettable days. It was always crazy- dizzying highs and depressing lows; we never had a normal day. a perpertual sensory overdose. There is only so much that a person can absorb in a few days and during the entire course of the trip, there were simply too many things hitting us every single day... there were times when I wished I could slow things down and sit there-maybe for an hour, maybe forever (eg: the sunset at Sarchu)-but it's just a momentary bliss which disappears just as mysteriously as it appeared, and I had to move on. In existential terms-I know it sounds stupid, but it's true in some strange sense- it's like how I want to stay in air forever while playing basketball.

7 comments:

Jugular Bean said...

Some neat photos there man! I'm quite envious of the trip!

mad_georgian said...

I curse you three to a life of drudgery at a low paying desk job. Bastids. Couldn't wait for me to quit my low paying desk job and come along!

Anonymous said...

I curse you three to a life of drudgery and boredom...Bastids Couldn't wait for me to quit my job and come blicBlog=0

Wanderer said...

Hi Jugular...thanks! have I met you btw? Too bad some guy wrote about a similar trip around ladakh and kashmir in the hindu's metro plus yesterday...

madhav, Lol... I guess your wish has come true... I'm living a screwed up life in a factory... ok I won't start cribbing, cuz I can't stop once I start.

I think the photos can be scanned better... I've got some 170 photos taken on my handycam, but the colours are screwed up... its a digital cam afterall.

I'll pick some of the nice ones and post them here... Gopal will be in madras soon, so will have more transparencies soon.

You're right about the low paying desk job... it seriously sucks! I don't know how people resign to such a life...

Cheers!

Anonymous said...

i havn't read all yet, my eyes blink! blink! like i had a broken bulb in it.
hydrated after 14hours in front of my pc...but, i'll read it next time..:)
sure it's a nice story yah!!

Anonymous said...

loved what few snaps i saw...waiting to see the rest. seems like a wonderful trip.all the more so cuz it was the perfect kind for u three.lol..

Anonymous said...

Just checked your works da.. certainly no wonder you look screwed up here to live in a mystific world full of sucking A3 sheets. Keep your broad spectrum of vision.. Will also check your previous blogs. keep it up oh boy. Best of luck for you to get into an IIM.