Dear Wanderers,
I have always been passionate about riding. Like everyone even i had a dream to travel as much as i can on my bikes. But the reality is it's easier said than done. It took me a lot of mental preparation and conviction to finally move towards my passion of traveling India by bike. I manage a digital agency called Skillwise Solutions. So the goal is to create a balance between travel & work. With this in mind & hope in my heart, i finally started my journey.
Leaving from Home
Fuel-up 1: Prabhadevi
Trip Km. Count: 1km
Fuel price: Rs 109.98 / Litre
Leaving early was the key to a smooth ride. As I left Mumbai, i was still getting used to my bike. The luggage, the charging unit, the mirror settings etc. While most of the ride went smoothly, i still felt the lower end of the bike's suspension to be tricky during trenches. It made a weird noise when it hit a bump.
Breakfast at Hotel Ahura & Meeting the Naana Naani Travellers
Hotel Ahura is a popular restaurant at Charoti, which is on the Maharashtra end of the Mah - Guj state borders. This place attracts a lot of bikers from various places in Mumbai. Hotel Ahura is run by a Parsi family and is filled with parsis travelling to Udwada (a very special religious place for the parsi community. This place serves some very good parsi food. However other stuff is good there too.
While getting in the restaurant, i noticed another Royal Enfield Himalayan with a top box that read "All India Ride" I was instantly intrigued and wanted to know who owns that bike. I tool a table from where i can see that bike. And soon enough i saw a senior looking well aged sardar walk up to the bike and started moving it. After finishing up my meal, i walked to wards my bike and noticed that sardar uncle hadn't left yet. I approached him and introduced myself. He smiled and introduced himself as Jagjit Singh (about 67 years old) and his wife (62 years old).
They were both riding the Himalayan to every single state of India. I was instantly inspired by the spirit & simplicity of the couple. We shared numbers & then waved goodbye.
Meetings on the road
There are times when you have an urgent client or team calls. You've got to take them & fix them. So yeah, i made one such stop at a truck driver dhaba called UP dhaba. I just sat on one of their benches and called for a bottle of water. There it is.. the meeting is on! I spent a good 40 minutes briefing the client and my team. The people who ran this dhaba were very nice to me. All i paid for is the bottle of water.
Learning: You need not spend a lot of money to get work done
Once i started riding again i decided to not take any more breaks. I wanted to cover more kms. The roads made sure that happened. The NH 48 is simply amazing. As the kms piled up, the heat was getting the best out of me. It was almost 44 degrees on the highway. So its best to keep yourself hyderated and drink enough water.
Fuel up 2 - Palod, Gujarat
Trip Km count - 300.3 kms
Fuel price: Rs 97.40 / Litre
Next stop - Vadodara
After riding close to 120 kms at a stretch, it was time to take a break. I stopped at a local restaurant adjacent to the highway called Hotel Giriraj. It was a nice place serving Kathiyawadi breakfast. I called for Fafda & chai.
Needless to say it was very tasty & value for money. One key highlight of the place was, it was visited by locals. When they see you getting off from a Mumbai registered bike, they are very intrigued and start a conversation with you. An uncle narrated his story about how he too was so passionate about riding when he was young & he was so proud and happy that i am travelling this way.
As i said goodbye to this uncle and his wife, I now prepared for a diversion which was not too far away...
Sunset on the Dakor - Kapadvanj Road
After exiting the NH 48, i joined the Dakor - Kapadwanj road. The most beautiful part about taking state highways are the fields and the sunset views that come with it. The roads were patchy from time to time but overall the ride was smooth. I stopped for the sunset view at an intersection road that led to Modasa (a small gujarat town). The sunset and the chai was a very good combination.
Finding a place to stay on Kapadvanj - Modasa Road
As i kept looking for a place where i can crash for the night, my intent was to stay on the highway so i don't spend much time in the morning loading and setting up my bike to join the highway. I found a perfect fit in Darshan Hotel, on the Kapadvanj - Modasa Road. Its a restaurant on the ground level along with accommodation on the first floor. You can negotiate your way to the tariff. I did the same thing. I checked out the rooms first. They were quite ordinary. Not very clean but acceptable. I suggest check out two or three rooms before you pick one.
Location: Darshan Hotel
Trip Km count - 544 kms
Room Tariff: Rs 600 for a Non AC Room, Rs 800 for an AC Room
Quality of stay: Average
Once i found a room that fit my expectations, I settled down and ordered for dinner.
Gujarat has a few delicacies that you must try... one of them is Lasaniya Bataka (Its potatoes stir fried in a garlic based gravy)
It was a rather long day, but i know tomorrow is going to be a longer one. I still have to cover approximately 590 kms to reach Jaipur. I hope you enjoyed my story. Feel free to drop in your thoughts in the comments section. If you think you have a place that i must try. Feel free to reach out to me.
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