Indore to Nashik to Mumbai

• HOMESTRETCH • DAY 41 - NASHIK TO MUMBAI SUNDAY 20th NOVEMBER 2016

Sat on the saddle late, did not feel like tackling the cold on my last day. I still had a nagging unease regarding the last Radiator issue which never was resolved in Indore. #TajGateway Nashik was fabulous, they gave me the front porch prime parking position I felt like a king. Compared to the horrible treatment by #CourtyardMarriott Indore the staff of #TajHotels is by far the supreme hospitality chain in India. I was happy, this was the last leg I had to navigate, it was all descent in the Ghats till I reach Thane. As I started the engine there was a little crowd of the Taj staff to see me off. The security guard pointed towards the rear tyre and said it seemed flat. It sure was a puncture, something pointy must have stuck into the tyre and deflation happened slowly through the night. I was gutted, asked them where the local puncture shop was and as luck would have it happened to be outside the hotel itself.

The deflated bike limped into the tyre shop and the poor puncture guy was flummoxed with the huge bike. Explained him that it was a tubeless tyre and need not be removed for puncture. We wet the tyre with soap water and quickly located the puncture. It happened thanks to a small pointed steel wire which had embedded in the tyre, a reminder never to assume journey over unless you cross the finish line. It deflated my high spirits and made me conscious once again to ride safe & conservative. At 9:00am Nashik had warmed up considerably so I removed my warm liner, I was sweating in the puncture shop. I left the Wine capital of Maharashtra around 9:30am. Since it was a Sunday the traffic was relaxed and I had the highway to myself.

Nashik is a blessed city in ancient times the city was famous for Rama Kund (connected with the Ramayana), Trimbakeshwar (Lord Shiva's temple) . Nashik is on the banks of Godavari and the Vaitarna lake is located on the city outskirts. The roads have been broadened and well maintained so riding this countryside felt as if I was home. I kept to my conservative speed of 80kmph lots of stares were coming my way. It felt good to be out on Sunday without a riding group with fully loaded bags. Every group knows automatically this is a long road runner returning home. Once down the Ghats the Thane district starts and concrete civilization takes over. The huge towers of Rustomjee is the indicator for me to turn right for Ghodbunder road. This road once was a thick forest area and now that part of the forest is a memory. Its city within the city of Thane with multiple malls & shopping centers making the road crowded at all times. I was not complaining as I was navigating through traffic I knew. The end of Ghodbunder road is the Fountain restaurant, a left from there towards Borivali and I was on my last stretch. Few kilometers to home and vignettes of my long India journey was playing in slow motion in my head. I crossed many unknown roads, towns & villages met so many people that I have lost count. I made friends with total strangers who helped me without thinking a second time and helped me continue. I saw the landscape change with every kilometer, I saw the hard working nation sweating in the sun silently. I experienced divinity and diversity with the unity of being one. The religion and its divisiveness never existed, I had Sikhs explain about the church relevance, Christians explain the blessings of temples, muslim explain the importance of Varanasi's Dev Diwali, Hindu explaining me the miracle of praying in the masjid of Malda. I saw diwali being celebrated by Buddhists and lamps being lit in Sikh towns. I saw north east buddhists line up out side the famous Khamaka temple. I saw Hindus in the Gompas praying and the buddhist monks facilitating them with great reverence. I have seen India with my eyes and I still am amazed we are so united in our diverse culture. I have travelled my forefathers land and felt Indian in every-part of this vast expanse. I have realised this is a blessed land and it shall forever that. I have understood why the Europeans have never been able to explain India as India is simply unexplainable its an emotion that one needs to experience.

Suddenly my gate appeared in front and my brother who was tracking my whole trip via GPS had sent my niece with Bappan my colleague downstairs to receive me. A hug from my 5 year old sweetheart and every pain dissolved and a sense of achievement seeped in. I started writing this so that my son Aaryan would read it one day and set his own course and compare notes with mine. I realised a couple of days back that he never added me to his friends list, teenagers what else can one expect. Thats life and I have come back to live it back home. There one more leg of Gujarat to Kashmir left that will commence post February. So till then I am back to the grind.

Thank you all for your prayers and best-wishes. On those few dark days they illuminated my spirits and helped me continue. Namaste!

Total distance covered today 164 kms Total Distance covered 9965 kms My South India tour (2015) was 4047 kms

Total distance covered traveling India 14,013kms (14K +) Which is approximately the distance from Mumbai to Orlando in USA.

DAY 40 - INDORE TO NASHIK SATURDAY 19th NOVEMBER 2016

I got up early but decided that I would take the conservative riding technique. Had breakfast at the hotel and started at 8:10 as it was time to Effotel from the hotel. I had to ride the 110kms again which I retraced yesterday on a pickup van. My total distance to Nashik (including the 110kms) was approx 420kms. Conservative riding was keeping a steady pace with couple of longs halts as this would not over heat the engine. By maintaining the higher gears and having frequent stops would also help from temperature rising above critical. Since I had started late the wind chill did not last too long and by 10:00am the sun was strong enough to warm my cold jacket.

I must say that Madhya Pradesh is a blessed land today, the canals for irrigation is in regular distance from one another. There is a conscious effort to forestation and hence lot of barren lands are with trees planted and maintained too. One can see that people have become environmental friendly as more & more farms are moving towards organic farming. My first halt was a Dhaba on the other-side of the highway, the owner owned 40 acres of the land around the hotel and it was prospering. I asked him if the demontisation affected him or the farmers around. Reluctantly he opened up and said the government provides the farmers with seeds through the village panchayat and they can pay the value within three months. If the crop is lost due to natural calamity then the govt waivers the seed cost. He too agreed that the farmers seldom use cash in the farming season. He did agree that many are taking advantage of the illiteracy amongst the farming class including him where they are accepting the old notes with a margin of 20%. The farmers believe that the old money is no longer useful and redundant. With huge bank lines they are reluctant to go and stand in them as they lose on farming time. Hence they prefer to get 80% of it actual worth thinking its a good deal. Education is the serious necessity to root out the evil that exists.

Entering Maharashtra was a breeze as the roads automatically broadened and truck zone was separate allowing private vehicles to move swiftly through. It was a great feeling to be back into your own state and listening to my favorite language being spoken 'Marathi'. I was in the familiar backyard. All cities and villages were skirted thanks to the bypass road. Dhule is a big city and the highway pierces through the city yet the traffic is not impeded by the city traffic thanks to broad service roads and fencing the highway. I stopped for lunch in Dhule having a simple Dal, roti fare. The farms around the Dhaba was full of cotton plants as Dhule mostly deals in cotton. The landscape too had changed drastically from wooded to the denuded. The country-side was barren brown compared to the various shades of green that existed in Madhya Pradesh. There are multifold reasons for the same as this stretch of land is rocky which makes it unsuitable for farming or growing trees thus its dusty too. There were lots of wheat farms, corn farms on this stretch but cotton ruled across the belt in terms of second crop choice.

I started to see lots of vineyards and that is a good indicator that one is nearing Nashik. Lots of winery big and small dot the road making it difficult for the non wine-drinker to distinguish between the good & bad winery. Not that I would go do a wine tasting trip and ride under the influence. As I entered Nashik I could see prosperity all around. The last time I had come here it was as throughway to go to Shirdi and I did not make much of it. It was famous even back then as the place to purchase the best grapes. Today that grapes have been put to better use and it has helped the city multifolds. The city todays does not survive on it vineyards or wine tourism but Nashik has become a education & industrial hub. Growth in education has helped international & IT companies to set up here as workforce is easily available. In my books Nashik can easily equate to Pune & Nagpur in terms of infrastructure & growth. As I was nearing the hotel I got off the highway and entered the service road to see the roads filled with blue banners & flags. Some political rally was happening and therefore a 5 minute ride took 30 mins. I reached Taj Gateway Nashik and they had accommodated me even thou they were having 100% occupancy. Its apt to have a Taj hotel on my penultimate night as they have been the guys who have been my first choice of stay. I have routed my path so that I could enjoy their hospitality. Tomorrow I am hoping to pen my last bike-ride report from my house and I am eagerly waiting for it.

Total distance covered today 449 kms Total Distance from Bombay 9800 kms Distance left to reach home 200 kms approx