Reality Checks

2011-07-13T21:50:00.001-07:00

A 3 day, 1500 mile trip through California, Arizona, Utah and a little bit of Colorado. Main themes : Brutal heat in Arizona, Navajo Nation and the Indian lifestyle, high deserts of Utah. I've wanted to live a lonely-ish lifestyle in the high desert plateaus ever since I first saw them in eastern Oregon. I like the flat landscape with the sagebrush and short trees, the magnificent big sky and the all encompassing silence. I can only imagine how wonderful the cloudless night sky would look. Someday.. I'll find a cabin to live out there in those pretty places, grow my own food, watch the distant thunderstorms at day, the milky-way at night, relish the silence, hack on the Linux kernel (and maybe even get paid for it) ...The Life! Lots of the ride took me through desert areas within Navajo nation (the largest semi-autonomous Indian reservation in western US) with its own cops and laws. I saw them giving out speeding tickets inside monument valley area - I barely escaped - the guy I let overtake me got caught. Anyway, here are some pics from the road.

                     Anza borrego desert in California

   Sand dunes in Sahara ..err Imperial Sand dunes in California

Four corners - The point where Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah meet

 Check out the year Bluff was established. Must've been an old Indian
 trading post

                           Monument Valley

                 A little bit of reality check en route

 US-89 through southern Utah. US-89 through Wyoming is a real pretty ride
 and after this trip, I've concluded that US-89 was created to be 
 The scenic road

 Somewhere on the way to Zion national park. Turned around after I noticed 
 they wanted $25 to just ride through the park. Must be the economy..

 A view through my bedroom window. Nice, eh? 
 Gotta love living in northern San Diego. We got it all  - The weather, 
 the ocean, the beaches, the mountains, the desert.. did I mention the 
 weather? and everything else God intended man to enjoy :-)

2009-10-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

CA 1 Pacific Coast Highway

2007-11-26T21:42:00.000-08:00

Lexus LS400
V8 power :-)

2007-08-12T10:41:00.000-07:00

A week long road trip across California, Nevada, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona and back. Rode for two days with Joy dutta and Priti and was the lone wolf for the rest of the trip. Nevada and its high lonely deserts definitely cast its magic on me. Montana looked lovely, although I couldnt ride much there. Wyoming was pretty and peaceful. Owning a ranch out there must be fun. erm.. not in winter maybe.. Utah was much prettier than I thought it would be. US 89 from Yellowstone through Tetons and down south beside the mountains is a great ride.
A long ride is almost like life. At the end of it, you just wish you had taken it easier, taken more breaks, enjoyed companionship, stayed for an extra day at that lovely campground instead of buzzing fast from one point to the other trying to see it all and getting on time.

About 2750 mi and 6 days.
The route

Check out Joy's blog and pics
Priti - the pillion rider on Joy's bike took some nice on-the-move shots. Check it out pics by Priti
She got a cool pic of me riding too. yay Moi

Merced River near Yosemite. Pretty river.

The sleek ST.

smooooth roads.

Climbing upto Tioga pass.

ok.. I forget the name. But a pretty blue lake. Someone just swam right across it while we were there.

All that sparkles aint diamonds baybe

Lake just before Tioga pass.

Lotsa silver mined outta NV. So silver state. Funny how the golden state and silver state are next to each other.

No one cares if you park the bike in the middle of the highway and take silly pics. erm.. there aint anyone there to care anyway.

In these deserts, one thing of beauty to the biker is the road itself.. I love camping in the desert

US 361 through Nevada is definitely lonelier than the loneliest highway US50. We saw 7 cars in 60 miles. Yep, I counted.

One dollar notes up the ceiling. The bar at middlegate, NV is an interesting place to be in. Check it out if ya pass by..

Around the old pony express route. It is amazing how those men on horseback covered about 2000 mi in 10 days or less. And through these unforgiving deserts of Nevada.

Campground at bob scotts near Austin, NV. The best campground in the trip.. and Free. I'm lovin NV.

That sure looks lonely.. doesnt it

Ok. I admit I have a thing for state borders..

Craters of the Moon, Idaho. weird place to be.. and hot. met a couple from canada who was camping out in the no-shade heat for a week doing voluntary service. some people..

Arco, Idaho. First town to be nuclear powered in the US. The kinda place where you just pass through. I stayed overnight though. I forgot to find out why there are huge numbers on that mountain...

Was this Idaho or Nevada.. I forget.

aint this Alfalfa? seen it all along one road in Idaho

Rain in the distance. Idaho

Montana montana montana! Couldn't spend much time in the state though.. Next time, Montana and Wyoming in more detail.

Inside yellowstone

Yellowstone again

The other end of the lake had a hot water spring. I bet this side was pretty cold.

This is that other end..

coyote or wolf? anyway, he was peacefully stalking some small animal with no care for the tons of tourists clicking pics.

american wild bison. didnt even bother to turn around to face the camera. I need my $20 park fee refunded.

scary dude

guess.. ? yep, the old faithful. dealing with the tons of tourists in the park is pretty tiring. There were about.. hmm.. atleast 500 people to watch this geyser go off. Hopefully first and last visit to yellowstone.

It rained.. a lot.. oh and see mom, the continental divide!

Grand tetons. A much better experience than yellowstone.

A pretty ride along these mountains. The only prettier mountain side ride was the US 395 going south from Reno. Sierra Nevadas are amazing.

Domestic bison in Wyoming.

That is where I stayed in Wyoming after riding late night with little light, through rain and frequent wild animals crossing the small road. Decided not to push luck any further and got in here. Wolfs den at the star valley ranch in wyoming. Nice place. A tad bit on the expensive side.

US 89 through Wyoming. Wonderful experience. The best road in the entire trip. Will try do the whole length someday

I got fascinated by rain clouds in the trip...

I got a shot of this huge rain cloud right overhead and got drenched the next minute. People in cars were giving me a funny look. Hey, rain clouds can be pretty too..

Utah.. and is that the ad for a mormon church? Wait.. a Harley ministry? Imagine priests on harleys. hah..

Rains showed lotsa love in the trip. Always giving me company in the last 2 days. I didn't mind it though. The ST didn't for sure.

Red rock canyon, UT

More red..

Bryce canyon, UT. Pretty impressive.

Jump already! Okay. not part of the trip.. but glider port in San diego. Fun place to hang out.

Birds over the pacific.

That is what I wanna do. Somehow hang gliding is more appealing to me than para gliding.

Tandem flight. $150 for about 30 minutes in air.

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2007-04-17T23:31:00.000-07:00

Ride to Sierras

3.5 days, ~1100 miles, Sequoia, Kings Canyon and Yosemite.

Trip Route on google maps

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2006-12-10T23:01:00.000-08:00

Cascades, High Sierras and The Death Valley.

~1400mi and 3.5 days.
Route : Pdx - I-5 - Mt.Shasta - CA-89 - CA-44 -Susanville - US-395 - Reno - Carson City - Mammoth Lakes - Lone Pine - CA-136 - CA-190 - CA-127 - Baker - I-15 - CA-78 - San Marcos.

Route on google maps

Some pics..

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2006-11-26T16:04:00.000-08:00

A trip to San Jose and back.

~ 1200 miles. 2 days on California highways.

The route:
----------
Day 1: ~520mi
San Marcos - CA-78 - Oceanside - I-5 - Lost Hills - CA-46 -
Cambria - CA-1 - Santa Cruz - CA - 17 - I-280 - Sunnyvale.

Day 2: ~60mi
A ride on Skyline blvd.

Day 3: ~600mi
Sunnyvale - I-680 - I-580 - I-205 - I-5 - CA-120 - Yosemite - CA-49 - Mariposa - CA-140 - Merced - CA-99 - I-5 - Oceanside - CA-78 - San Marcos.

The nice Stuff -
* Riding through a thick blanket of fog near Tejon pass on I-5. So much fog that I could see little beyond the car in front. It was very pretty later watching the fog rolling down the mountains into the valleys.
* The ride on CA-46 from Lost hills till Cambria. Excellent roads, not much traffic, very pretty countryside, vineyards, ranches, sweeping curves on some sections.
* CA-1. The famous Pacific coast highway! cradled between the mountains and the big blue. Lots and lots of twisties and beautiful views of the Pacific.
* CA-17. Woo. I always loved to do this road in a car and never done on a m/c before. Nice fast curves.
* Skyline blvd ride with Joy Dutta. Nice motorcycle roads and scenic hills.
* Joy dutta's chicken curry. Reading Proficient and More proficient motorcycling books at his place.
* The ride on the foothills of Sierra Nevada on CA-49. Sweeping curves and twisties on some sections. The beautiful little towns on the way makes me want to stay there forever.
* Watching a beautiful sunset in Santa cruz. There were no clouds and the sky was golden. I love the metallic blue hues in the pacific after the sun has gone down.
* I've never seen anything like this before - On the return trip, I stopped in pitch darkness in-front of the ocean. The sky was lit with a million tiny sparkling lights. The rising moon had cast a veil of light over the rippling waters of the pacific.. and the ocean was calm like a big lake. It was magical.
* Riding a big highway (I-5 in this case) in the night and while the road goes up an elevation and while there is enough space between me and the cars behind me - looking at the rear view mirror, there are lots of these headlights all coming up behind me trying to catch me and I feel like being in a video game and I grin and ride faster trying not to be caught and to prolong the feeling. silly, I know..

Risky stuff -
* Riding CA-1 was dangerous, although fun, considering the amount of gravel on some curves, bad road conditions, the hard turns on the cliffs jutting into the sea and the crosswind surprises. I wouldn't even think of riding this after dusk. There was a section which said - bad road conditions ahead. Luckily, I slow down a little and a after a turn, there was no road! A whole section was only gravel. I survived considering how much ST hates gravel. To add to the fun, this sudden thought popped out of nowhere into my mind - "For the one that is born, death is a certainty." - Words from the Lord himself to Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita. No matter how hard I try to ignore this thought, this kept coming back with vigor. Needless to say, I got a little worried about this ominous message. "Negative attachments, Richard. If you really want to remove a cloud from your life, you do not make a big production out of it, you just relax and remove it from your thinking. That's all there is to it." - Illusions. Ah.. those blessed masters of the mind.

* CA-17 was thrilling although risky. I guess for some people, the more the risk, the more the danger.. the more the thrill. Unfortunately, I too have a share of those moments. Riding those fast curves on the faster lane in darkness with this huge concrete divider right next to me and with the feeble headlight of the ST along with the blinding headlights of the oncoming traffic was .. hmm.. thrilling then, scary now.

Stuff I wouldn't want to go through again -
Forever sluggish evening traffic on I-5 in and around LA area and the maniac drivers of LA. There was an 18 wheeler who changed his mind about taking an exit and crossed the double yellow and some section where there is no road straight into the freeway at an angle of 45 degrees and got stuck blocking the traffic behind him... right in-front of me. It is crazy, but people are changing lanes to get in-front, trying to reach exits from left most lanes all the while doing 20 miles over the speed limit of 70. And add about 5 lanes of traffic to that. whew! Why talk about car guys, there was this motorcycle guy wearing a sweatshirt, sneakers, his pants flapping while doing about 90 mph or more and riding split lane in between those cars that were trying to move from one lane to the other. It was all a blur thinking about it now.

Some pics..

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2006-10-22T23:35:00.000-07:00

Since I am paying enough and more for the southern CA weather, might as well enjoy it. A one day trip in and around Palomar Mt. The route was from Escondido to Ramona. Ramona to Julian, Julian to Palomar Mt and back. Nice country roads, wonderful weather, pretty scenery and the old towns made the ride very pleasant. Rode alongside Venky on his Honda Shadow who has been on these roads numerous times. The ride up to Palomar Mt via S. Grade road was in short.. crazy! Never seen more twistier roads than this one. Super fun. Lots of sports bikers and very many cops. I crossed a double yellow line to get infront of a slower car, a sportsbiker behind me did the same and he got busted by a cop on a Beemer. Heard the siren, saw the flashing lights on my rear view mirror and my heart stopped for a second. whew..
Check out how twisted this road is - http://www.lateralg.org/sandiego.htm#1

- Venky and his Shadow -

Met a guy who owns a Honda Sabre, Goldwing, Yamaha R1 and a modified drag racer. Street, Touring, Sports and Drag. Woah! Lesser mortals like me try to be content with the ST.

2006-10-22T22:54:00.000-07:00

I got myself 4 wheels last week. It was a long hard battle of Form Vs Function and form lost out to function and the BMW lost out to Camry. I have now graduated to become a fully qualified 'Desi' with this 1998 Camry.. Not that its a bad car, its just that it looks very bland. I like the V6 engine, the leather, fully powered interior and best.. the tinted windows.

- Brothers in Arms -

My friendly neighbourhood cats. The grey one is the most affectionate cat I've ever seen. She begs to be petted, jumps on me, plays with me and comes running as soon as she spots me. I thought I had this effect only on the female homo sapiens. hmm..
The black cat is the not-so-friendly one. They seem to like each other though.

- Kitties getting intimate -

2006-09-20T15:51:00.001-07:00

Where were you when I was burned and broken
While the days slipped by from my window watching
Where were you when I was hurt and I was helpless
Because the things you say and the things you do surround me
While you were hanging yourself on someone else's words
Dying to believe in what you heard
I was staring straight into the shining sun....
Lost in thought and lost in time
While the seeds of life and the seeds of change were planted
Outside the rain fell dark and slow
While I pondered on this dangerous but irresistible pastime

Random-Thoughts..
How do you create music like Pink Floyd.. I have no idea, I guess drugs play a large part in it. I should try it someday.
Ever noticed the way kids have such bright shiny eyes and most adults don't. Hows that? Do we just lose some part of ourself when we grow up?
Some people (like me) are just driftwoods, moving from one place to other, taking life as it comes. Experiencing the endless possibilities universe throws at us. Some others with fixed goals, fixed plans in life work hard to realise them closing down any other possibility that life presents them with. Does any of this baloney really matter in the end. Aren't we all killing time until we have to say goodbye :) Anyway, I killled my time this weekend with a ride through the beautiful Columbia river gorge and mount Hood.

I-84E - 35S - 35N - I-84E - 30E (diversion from Mossier on I-84E) - I -84E - 97N - 14W - I5 S
I-84E is a very scenic ride through the gorge. I love it specially during sunsets. The mountains, the silent river. Its romantic, melancholic, beautiful all combined into one. Mount hood is the tallest in Oregon. Its a pretty mountain, really. Notice the loopy road pic. I've seen that in a magazine cover and was curious where that was. Rowena Loops on the historic columbia river highway (30E from Mossier till Dallas). Amazing roads with scary twisties perfect for sportsbikes. During the ice age, massive slabs of ice came down from Canada through Montana, Idaho and carved out this spectacular gorge we have now.

Crossed over into Washington at Maryhill. Took a break for a while at the state park recreation site. The history of columbia river gorge is closely entwined with the Indians who lived here. It was Nichi-wana (the big river) for them. Its kinda funny that all the modern names of any mountain, river, lake are all English. Mt. Everest, Columbia river, St. helens.. pick any. The western explorers just kill all the local names with names of their own leaders and the like. All those local names atleast had a meaning associated them, now most of them just remind us of some badass English generals and the like. I think its pretty sad, but hey.. life is like that. take it or die! ;) The europeans have pretty much massacred and looted almost all of the countries they have colonised and buried the history so that these guys would look all nice and wonderful later. The following is posted at the state park in Maryhill.
The local Indians who lived in the columbia river gorge and surrounding areas depend heavily on the river for most of their food and water needs. When the western explorers came in, there was a clash of the right of usage and so eventually a treaty was made so that both the Indians and the whites could live off the river amiably. Amusingly enough, the Indians later find out that all the reservation lands allocated to them are nowhere near the river banks!
The massacre of American Indians by the europeans is one the worst in the recent history. How many millions, I dont know. But my heart goes out for all of them. I hope they can live peacefully in their own land today. I am not just saying that the europeans have been the badass guys. History has repeated itself with the invaders slaughtering millions of the native population. The Islamic invasion of India from about 1000 AD to 1600 AD when they plundered, slaughtered and looted the local Hindus. It is funny how Islam came about in about 700 AD in middle east and by 900 AD, these guys were waging wars, conquering lands, slaughtering locals with a passion. I wish India could've been strong enough to resist. Any nation should be able to protect its own civilians and interests from anyone form of aggression. My kudos to Israel in that respect. Ghenghiz khan, another hero who erased local population from Mongolia till eastern europe. I guess no one could match that brutality. Anyway, all I guess we could do is to learn from the past and not let history repeat itself. India never will, I guess. The way Pakistan and its allies have systematically organized terrorist acts on Indian soil, waged war for Indian territories, taking away chunks of Indian soil.. all this is history repeating itself. But no one sees and we still, being the good guys talk about peace with neighbours. Please look at Israel and learn something.

The return trip is along I-14W and its a nice, winding road through the mountains and the gorge. Columbia river in this area is like the Mecca for windsurfing and kitesurfing. I am not much of a watersports person, but hang-gliding is something I wanna pursue. Someday, I'm gonna be this guy ;)

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2006-09-20T15:50:00.001-07:00

4 days, ~1400 miles and the amazing western US. Will write in detail soon. The curious can check out a write up at http://joydutta.com/blog/index.php/2006/07/18/crater-lake-and-oregon-outback/ and some nice pics at http://www.pbase.com/jdutta78/oroutbackjul06&page=all

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2006-09-20T15:49:00.000-07:00

Another weekend and couldn't resist the call of the open roads and the beautiful country. Pack up all the camping gear and off to the coast. Just about 80 miles away. This is when I discovered OR 53. Real twisties with more twist that I could handle. 55 mph highway with 15-20-25 mph twisties for over 12 miles. Now, thats real fun. Reached my human limit real fast, the ST would've done a lot more. Settled in for Tillamook county campground after checking out no vacancy state parks. 20 dollars to put up a tent! But nice place beside the ocean. Sitting beside the ocean, watching the waves and the pacific, I wonder about all the living creatures in the water. All the animals in the world. Sometimes, I wish I were one of them. They seem quite contented and at peace in general. Their most important concern is probably food. We as humans are so worried about a million other trivialities of life, that we often forget to see the big picture. 'Life'! Is this life all about working 8-10 hrs a day, all through the year, a vacation once in a while, until death? hmm.. it seems that animals and birds are probably doing a better job at living than us. That reminds me.. arent we all just animals with a lot of extra brain cells. Now all this extra processing power.. it just doesn't want to accept that we would just live and die like the animals. So, hey here comes the idea of a soul, a rebirth, a heaven, a liberation.. what not. All based on hope. Maybe its true. maybe not. Who knows for sure. Dreams woven by humans for the benefit and peace of humans. Not that it aint good. Just a figment of someone's imagination? Ever wonder why so many folks when they get to their 50s turn to God, religion and all kinda spiritual stuff. They just realised that they are gonna die soon they want something to cling to. Something to hope for, something after their death. Imagine living life with no hope after death.. I'm sure that thought alone would drive most crazy and depressed. Fear and Desire/Hope. The real driving forces behind any human life. Anyway, as the hindi song goes..
Panchhi nadiyan pawan ke jhoken, Koi sarhad naa inhe roke.. Sarhaden insaano ke liye hain.Socho, tumne aur maine, Kya paaya insaan hoke.

Watching the sun set makes me feel sad. I dunno why, I always feel sad watching the sun go down. I get nostalgic. I think about Goa and the warm waters. The sea up here is pretty much very cold throughout the year. No fun. I hang around in the beach until it gets dark and thats about 10:00 pm. The summer sky is particularly clear and I bring out my sleeping pad and lie down outside the tent. Amazing night sky, the only other time I've seen so many stars was when I was at 14000 feet near Kanchenjunga, Himalayas. So many stars you possibly wouldnt believe existed. The whole sky was covered with sparkling tiny lights. Slept off watching the stars, some satellites and a few shooting stars. Got up later and crawled inside the tent.

2006-09-20T15:48:00.001-07:00

A brand new day, the sun is shining and I am on 410E heading towards Yakima via Mt. Rainier national park. As it happens, sun doesn't shine too often in the pacific north west and all the bikers in seattle are on the road. My hand tires of waving and I suspect the feeling is mutual. Nice ride via Chinook pass. As a turn approaches, one biker waves his hand at a low level really hard. I first figured he was over enthusiastic about meeting another biker on the road, but that couldn't be true that day. I panic, slow really down, check if my side stand is down, any of my saddle bags open.. nah, nothing. Then it hits me. He is asking me to slow down. I had slowed down anyway and take the turn to find this nice cop with his radar gun waiting for his prey. Whoever the biker was, thanks a bunch fella!

Thats Mount Rainier, the highest point in WA (14410 ft). Talking about bikers waving, what seems to be a general rule on the roads is.. all the sports bikers wave, all the touring and cruiser bikers wave, all the sports touring bikers wave, all brand riders wave.. except Harley Davidson guys! well, not really.. about 40 % of them wave too. Whats the matter with the rest 60%? Is it because I dont ride a Harley? What a bunch of hmm.. snobs? Anyway, so now I dont wave at a HD guy unless he does so. I take a butt break on the road and this guy in a sportsbike drops in. He had a very nice bike. A new Ducati with an Orange and black paint theme. Real pretty. We chit chat a bit and I take off reaching Chinook pass.
Here is chinook pass with lotsa snow even when its almost summer. The road downhill hugs a beautiful stream all the way till I am out of the mountains. Zooming along at about 70 mph, I notice a very small fly sitting at ease on top of my windshield. Huh?! Here I am with 70 mph wind on my helmet that it buffets sometimes and he is happily hitching a ride with cool. Must be the windshield aerodynamics. hmm.. Anyway, he walks around on top of the shield for a while and takes off. I don't know if thats really a take off. He wouldn't have lasted a second with that wind. I run off and down the road into a small camping area by the stream. I try to take a U-turn in that soft surface and realise how big a mistake it was. ST is stuck comfortably and doesn't want to back off. I struggle with the 700+ lb fella and understand why Goldwings need a reverse gear. After about 20 minutes of exercising the newly found muscles in my body, I save the day and we are clear! ST needs a reverse gear too or I need some extra brain cells. I take a break by the beautiful stream.

Continuing on 12E finds me outta the hills soon. Its plains now till Yakima. I find plains and deserts appealing. Any wide open space is soothing for me. Thats probably one reason why I love the oceans too. Maybe, maybe not. Who knows.. Someday, I hope to ride the deserts of Arizona and Nevada and watch the sun set on the desert. I've seen it once from a car and the shades of red and orange were brilliant.

That reminds me.. I take 100% lousy pictures. They never do justice to the place. The american west is so wildly beautiful, I doubt any of the pictures we see do it justice. Ride a motorcycle across this land and know it for thyself :) I take 97S till I-84W. I don't want to do anything but ride these wide open stretches. I think I overdo it and find myself at I-82 intersection. What the?! Take out the map, and realise I've been riding on 22W for the last 45 minutes! @#$%@!!. Frustrated, irritated and angry, I take 22E and ride fast watching out for the cops. But I guess cops keep away from these deserted roads. Then it slowly hits me. Hey, I ride to ride, for the fun of riding. I do it just for the fun of it. I would've couched out and watched TV if I didnt want to ride. Now, why am I being irritated at the prospect of more riding? The irony of it all. So, I take it easy and find 97S. Now, 97S is an amazing road and I have to admit the best part of this trip. Winding beautiful roads going up and down the hills through Yakima Indian reservations. The roads and the nature was so pretty and was so absorbed in all of it that I forgot to capture some pics. :) Did 105 mph on one stretch. The rush of it. wooo.. Everybody should ride a motorcycle atleast once on this road. Felt lighthearted and rode standing on the bike imitating those Indians on their horsebacks, shouting and screaming to my hearts full. I had this feeling throughout that those Indians were watching me from those hill tops. Funny :)

There is one point on the road where you can supposedly see Mt Rainier, Mt Hood, Mt St Helens and Mt. Adams(?) on a clear day. I could see the first two. Checked out a ranch road. Nice green on both sides. Put the ST on sidestand and got down. Crash! awwwwww.. the ST is lying on its side. That sight broke my heart. Thanks to the excellent crash gaurds, no scratch anywhere on the bike. Lifts it up (dunno how I did it, I just lifted the 700+ pound bike up) and back on sidestand. Now, I'm thinking.. hey, sidestand aint safe, lets keep it on center stand. Crash! ST falls over to the other side. grr.. Now, I'm fuming.. No way, I could lift this one up, its fallen on to the low side and thankfully again, no scratches. Unhappy, I stand waiting for about 15 minutes when one big ranch guy comes in his big truck. We both pick up the bike and take it outta that damn gravel place. These pics show where I was after the crash.

I hit I-84W and follow the Columbia river gorge for more than 60 miles, I think. I thought interstates would be boring. But this one was quite a ride. The river has dug out some deep gorge between the mountains and the road hugs the river and after all these months in Beaverton, I finally spot a Beaver on I-84. A beaver mom (or was it dad) was trying to get her two pups across the 70 mph interstate :( Mom crosses the road onto the river side and I stop the bike waiting for the pups to go. They seem totally confused and walk back to the side they came from. Cars starts zooming again and I ride thinking if they would make it or not... a sad feeling sets in. how fragile life is.. we make all these wondrous plans about future and all it needs is a couple of missed heartbeats for it all to end. And we take it all for granted... Anyway, so the sun sets and all good things seem to end so soon. I miss an exit and find myself in the downtown maze. Drunkards running across the streets, the shouts and the general craziness of a sunday night downtown. I ride around in circles and finally finds 26W. I really really really need a GPS. Home at around 2300 hrs.
The pic on the right.. Standing there at that time reminded me so much of Kerala. The backwaters with its large, slow moving waterbodies with the distant lights.. The palm fringed shores.. The general melancholy and silence in the air. hmm.. Guess I was homesick once in this ride.

Anyway, so 750 miles and two days and the ST. If something is more fun in life, I would like to know about it :) The only non interesting part of the ride was the 40 miles on I-5 towards seattle. I try to avoid the interstates as much as possible and it pays off well. The backroads of America are vibrant with life and color.

Adios.

2006-09-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

Motorcycles. Now, these are fun machines but oh-so-dangerous-devices for the weak at heart. And touring on motorcycles.. some of the best spent days of my life. Why do people tour on two wheels when they can do that 'safely' on four wheels or more? I dunno.. I guess, safety and security easily leads to boredom and boredom kills you slowly and safely. As Richard Bach aptly says, "In order to live free and happily you must sacrifice boredom. It is not always an easy sacrifice." More on that later..

So last saturday morning finds me straddled on my ST1100 chasing the rising sun on 26W from Portland to the Oregon coast. Riding a motorcycle is a form of meditation, I think. I am so focused on the road that not a lot of thoughts wander into the mind and there is a form of quiet which I enjoy. Just the wind and the steady hum of the ST which I've come to trust and love so much in just one ride. I guess I'm not the kinda guy who loves to fix things and maintain his bike. I would rather have a companion who is very trustworthy and reliable and lets me enjoy the ride. ST has been perfect so far in the last 1200 miles.

Astoria Bridge - 1,232 feet - supposedly the longest continuous truss in the world.
Look carefully and you will see that the bridge is actually very long. I take 101N and then 105N both hugging the pacific coast. I love the Pacific. The big beautiful blue in all its majesty and power. I stop for a buttbreak and this guy comes over in his pickup asking me if everything is alright. We make smalltalk and he goes off. Another happy easy going fella. Thats one interesting thing I've noticed. People actually come and try talking to a solo motorcyclist. I doubt they would do that if there were more than one biker.

That brings up another point. I miss riding in India.. Riding in India is a very rewarding experience. I become part of the environment. The curious, inquisitive people and the crowding kids who want to be photographed.. The small tea shacks and sipping the hot tea in those small steel glasses. The chat with the villagers who never seem to be in a hurry for anything. The freedom to pull over anywhere and pee anytime. The local fruit vendors alongside the road. And you dont need no stinkin GPS or maps.. Just ask any local who would be walking or cycling on the road.. and you would find lots of them anyway. Just make sure you ask more than one cuz they are never sure about anything more than 10 kilometer radius away. Those contented fellas in their tiny world.. :) Riding in a third world country is a great experience and if that is on a single cylinder 50 year old model British designed bike, all the more better. But gotta love the roads and the breathtaking scenery of the western United States. Nothing like it anywhere else. Anyway, I digress..

Relaxed riding all the way upto Seattle. Stayed overnight with a friend. Watched the city lights from Space Needle. 14 bucks to just go on top! But nice view. There were lots and lots of high school couples all dressed up real nice on top. Couldnt figure out what it was all about. A prom night maybe? The girls looked very pretty in those gowns and the guys were desperately trying to get laid that night, I think..

2006-09-20T15:40:00.001-07:00

Memories of an India ride.

This is something I wrote about my first solo trip. I usually like riding solo more than a group ride. At my own pace doing whatever I feel like in whatever way I want. Now, aint that freedom? Riding in a group is fun,I do enjoy it.. but hmm. I guess I'm just not a very social being. Anyway, here you go..


















I think its the all the excitement, the anxiety and the preparation that
makes a trip a complete one. Got the bike serviced. Had done a small
220 kms ride to Muthathi on the banks of cauvery as a prelude to my
solo trip home. Cleaned up the bike the night before and checked,
double checked to make sure I havent left my soul and spirits behind.
Started off at 5:45 am and the first half an hour was spent trying to get
outta the city maze. And lo! before me was the wide open roads which would
give me company till Mangalore. 360 kms away.

Watched the speedo climb to 100 on the tempting roads even as I reminded
myself not to exceed 80 mark. Took a few snaps along the way and
Westward Ho! Zooom... Reached Hassan by 10:00 am. Had breakfast from a very
modest place where people were happy to touch and watch the Bullet.

Hit the Ghat section in no time. Wooo.. sexy roads. curves, curves with
forests all around. Tried imitating those Grand Prix guys whose knees graze
ground at the bends. Bullet didnt like the idea a lot and refused to
co-operate. I still had lotsa fun riding along on those
smooth curves (hmm.. I like the analogy with female anatomy here :)

It was the best of times, it was a wonderful climate and my bike was at
its best when disaster struck... Lost in my thoughts, failed to notice the
approching curve. Bullet, with its infamous breaks did a good job of
running outta the road. Et tu Bullet! Touchdown Earth in no time. Found my
face dragging along the road. It was as if time slowed down.. I still
remember the way thoughts slowly moved through my mind. I guess such
things happens in extreme tense situations. Being extremely thankful to my
helmet smiled at the villagers gathered around. Saw blood on the ground
and thanked God for not spilling my brains out.

Bike lost its headlight and a few minor scratches. I was fine except for
the oozing blood from my hand. Rode on till Mangalore. Repaired the bike.
Had lunch with fried fish, ogled at a few girls and sped on to Bekal fort
in Kerala. Reached at 17:30. Photo session. The setting sun, the fort
with its huge walls, the long white coastline, the wind and the sea were
a comfort to my soul.

Spend some time on a nearby beach and stayed at Nalanda resorts for the
night. A good resort by the river. Sat beside the river and Ordered
beer. mmm... More beer, more loneliness. heh. With beer in my blood and
a heavy heart, crashed onto the bed.

Morning found me beside some backwaters taking snaps. Sped on further down
to another beach. Never seen better beaches in kerala. Unspoilt. Spent an
hour playing in the water. Next destination was a
drive-in(the only one of its kind) beach in kerala. Took the bike for a
ride in the sea with water splashing on both sides. I expected it to enjoy
the sea. Apparently, it didn't. Coughed and came to a standstill. Pushed
the heavy guy for 2 kms on the sand under the 2 O'clock kerala sun.
Those who have been in kerala in summer would know how it feels like.
Passed the endurance test and got it outta the beach. Whew!

Sunday, the day God rests and so do the Mechanics. No workshops open.
Finally got one helpful soul from his mid-day slumber and the bike started
off by 6:00 pm. I think I will never forget the CB point covers again.
Another 7+ hours of ride back home. Throwing all cautions of night driving
in the night, I start for another endurance test.

I should say NH-17 is the worst NH I've rode on. Sick roads with the
notorious bus drivers of kerala and their powerful headlights can make your
night a memorable one. Got lost a few times. Sped on to Palakkad instead
of Cochin once. Dreamt a lot about buses and trucks and their lights when
I slept back home. heh

The empty roads, the dark starry sky and the surrounding emptiness
invites solitude to my heart. I start talking to my bike. Listen to his
heartbeat. I pet and pat him... The experience of being alone in the wild
is quite overwhelming. Feels like the king of the road with my
trusty companion until the next Kerala transport bus zooms past with its
headlights blinding me ;)

We enter NH-47 and both of us are happy little souls. Zooom.. speedo goes
to 80-90. Reach home by 2:00 am and wake up the surprised parents. 860 Kms
in all.

Weeee... that was quite a long write-up. I went to Munnar from home with my
dad as the pillion. Spending some alone with dad felt so nice.
Another 130 km(one way) ride. Good roads. Thick forests around. I think the
best time would be to go just after rains. Last time we had gone in the
rains and every few kilometers we found waterfalls onto the road and lotsa
fog too. My ride was a safe one with no troubles. Feels good to escape from
the Kerala heat and humidity onto the hills.

Returned back from home Saturday at around 13:00. Sped through NH-47.
Wandered into some Palakkad villages to see the pristine beauty of the
rural kerala. I kinda hated the stares from people wherever I went.
Probably its my gloves,jacket and the backpack... Rode over Malampuzha dam
in Palakkad and sped on to Coimbatore on wide, good roads. Stayed overnight
in Coimbatore. Started off early to Salem, another 165 Kms away. The
morning breeze, the rising sun and wonderful roads. I dont need any more..

Reached Salem by 10:00 with a few tea breaks in between. The stretch
between Salem and Dharmapuri is great, but after that I had a tough time
with back-breaking roads from Dharmapuri to Hosur. Felt great to see the
smooth roads from Hosur to Bangalore. Saw Bangalore by 15:00.

The total trip was a little more than 1800 kms. Thanks to Joy, Vipin and
Nandan for their suggestions and advices :) Bullet was a trusty fella all
along and never gave me problems other than the ones caused by my ignorance.