Mumbai to Solapur in Rains

After a hiatus of a year & half am back on the road. It had been gnawing in me to hit the road the past 6 months but alas work calendar dictated the terms. Suddenly a miracle happened I was staring at 2 blank months a god sent gift (by god I do mean the lords of heavy rock & metal - drop it if you don't get it. Try not to be too cerebral).

On Friday I decided that Monday I am hitting the road just when the worse deluge decided to descended on the city & make it into a Water Park. News-Papers were reluctantly showing lake levels as they had to shelf last years global warming articles to maybe next year. This gave me the inspiration to ride the deluge, see some bits of my country - mostly the drought areas & see how we are faring. Also try reach Chennai where I had last stopped in my India Darshan (sight-seeing for the vernacular challenged)

As usual the family behave my family did not disappoint & said it was madness - bad idea - horrible state of the roads in monsoons - bad genes (from dads side obviously... you know who has the big voice in a Bengali house) - etc etc. Anyways the bug had crept in the head & was now chewing on the brains THUS I started off today (8th August) on the same bike (Rocket III Triumph - 2300CC) with brand new tyres to take on the wet roads.

5:20 am started off from Home in dry conditions & hit heavy rain from Panvel right until I descended from the ghats (hilly tracts) in Khandala. Post that I had to cross the manic Monday rush in Pune where 2 wheelers squeeze each other bike as a local sport. The idea is who can push most bikes off the paved road (littered copiously with pot holes for drama) while riding like a maniac. I think Pune is the only city where they give the turn indicator after they have taken the turn. The idea is to surprise the bike behind to see if he is alert enough to avoid a nasty-jerky-bump. Its a pune sport... If you are not a local & never to visit that city - try not dwelling on my note.

Let me clear some myths:

1. India is well connected with amazing roads in most parts & the worst parts are always around cities & big towns. (Municipality - Vote nexus)
2. If the roads are bad & intra city travel stops this country will grind to a halt.
3. Rains are not bad time to travel its just being more attentive while riding & behaving less like a maverick from Top Gun (Hollywood movie remember).
4. The countryside is in various hues of green, the most amazing time to travel & explore.
5. I think anywhere when a new life springs its the most beautiful sight to behold.
6. The roads are littered with petrol pumps, hotels & villages so you are never far away from help.

I witnessed seeds being sowed in farms by mechanised vehicles, small shoots springing in every farm land. I saw happy faces of villagers who were seeing bountiful rain. I saw kids going to school in the most obsolete villages & above all I saw a sense of contentment. Now many may beg to differ but this is my view as I saw it.

Breakfast was in Khandala it comprised of Yummy Misal-Pav & Fresh piping hot Potato-Vada. I stopped for lunch at around noon in Daund at a Vithal Kamats chain. Nothing worth describing here. I reached the city of Solapur around 5:30 & checked in to Balaji Sarovar Premiere. Imagine this B2 city has a 5 Star hotel and its fantastic. Worth every penny!!!

Tomorrow plan to leave at 6:00am & head to Hubli in Karnataka. Stay a day & see the magnificence that once was a thriving capital that Italian traders thought was more beautiful than Rome.

Today I started at 5:20am & Reached Solapur, Maharashtra around 5:00pm. Total Kms - 487.7

Tomorrow Hubli - Karnataka with 2 night halt. Approx distance 311 kms.