The One With The Coastal Ride

It was 7:30 in the morning of 4th March, 2017 at Chandni Chowk, Pune. 22 people on 18 rides set out for a journey of different sorts.

I was also there, like a ghost among the 22 different souls.

Thirty minutes into the start and I was thinking, 'Did I make a mistake joining this journey? Do I make some lame excuse and go back home?' This trip was definitely out of my comfort zone. I had been on road trips earlier (with friends) but never on an overnight trip with 22 strangers. It was difficult, for an introvert like me. I need time to mingle up and a day was surely not going to help create that bond. Plus, this was going to be my longest bike expedition till date. But then I thought otherwise, 'It was the trip that I needed not that I wanted.' And then I went with the flow.

It was only a week before when I saw this post from Mysterious Rangers that I decided I have to go for this. So I started asking my friends, if they would like to join? And one by one came the rejections, till at last there was no one left. But the excitement was so high within me that I decided, no matter what I will go for this trip. On Friday evening I confirmed with Tejas (the guy organizing it).

As the ride progressed there wasn't much interaction with people for obvious reasons, until we stopped for breakfast. The place we stopped was gooood. And slowly the interactions started happening. Though it was very less compared to most others but yes it started. And then I started to make a mental note of all the positive things that were/would be happening.

This was when I realized the beauty of such group rides. 17 bikes (some with pillion, some with baggage), one after the other in the most orderly fashion. For safety and identifications sake, Mysterious Rangers had provided each rider with a fluorescent green reflector jacket. As we moved along the highways, the ghats, the small towns and villages, people turned around to look at our train. This felt so good.

It wasn't just about people turning their heads or making way for us. It was also the view that one got while riding, especially in the twists and turns of the ghats. All the greens falling to the left/right as we navigated the turns. Awesome.

The next big thing about it were the coastal roads. Imagine riding on the ghats, which open directly to the sea on the other side. No doubt a fall is definitely fatal but the view along with the cool breeze is mesmerizing. This was one thing that motivated me from the start to the end. It is the drug that I got addicted to and I hope to have a few more ride just for this. Top this with a ferry ride and it becomes the perfect recipe for a coastal ride.

The most unusual part and the highlight of trip was - Camp stay along the beach. It was late in the night that we got to the beach, set up the tents with campfire. Friends or strangers nothing matters when a camp is set. It sets the mood right for any chat, song or just relaxing. The night along the beach, with Vishal (one of the organizing team) singing some good tunes on his guitar, then the fables of Cambodia shared by Swapnil (a traveler unlike the rest), the knowledge of piloting shared by Abhi (one dedicated ranger) and many others. It all felt like we were long lost friends meeting after long. To top it up, there was bio-luminescence along the beach. It wasn't much but with every receding wave the beach would start twinkling. It was as if the stars had come down.

Last but not the least, every place we stopped for food - breakfast, lunch, dinner or even snacks - was just perfect. Probably even I wouldn't have been able to select such good places.

This trip was worth more than every penny that I spent. If I had backed out from this trip, I would have regretted it the most. I'm happy to have been a part of this.

One of a kind experience.

Video credits: @the.corporate.joker