Day 28: Lost and Broke

Disclaimer: I have tried to recreate the events, locales, and conversations from my memories of them. The below-expressed views, opinions or analogies are personal and may not be in line with the widespread conceptions. Please go to Motorcycle Diaries -> India: Ocean to Mountains (or Click here) to check out the previous events.

Date: 26th August 2016; Route: Seoni – Hyderabad

 

“Not all those who wander are lost – Tolkien”

I was getting a bad feeling from the time I woke up nothing like I woke up on the wrong side of the bed! I don’t know why I felt that way but it proved to be right at the end of the day! We started from Seoni at around 8:30 AM. We had to cross Pench National Park to enter Maharashtra. The road through the forest was not that great, it was filled with potholes, and I have this tendency to ride fast when I am angry. Though I was not exactly angry, something was not right. I was in some mood which I can’t explain; and I was riding a bit rash, as in not respecting the pot holes. While I was speeding through the woods, I saw a couple struggling to fasten their luggage with the bungee cord. I guess it was broken. By the time I thought of stopping and asking them if they needed any help, I had crossed half a mile.

After leaping through few potholes, I felt that my motorcycle was getting misbalanced at the curves. When I parked my bike to see what’s wrong, I noticed that I had lost a bungee cord and one of my bags was on the verge of my pillion seat. Fortunately, I stopped at the right time otherwise, considering my luck, things would have gone off-balance and I would have tasted the road. I wish the couple would have found my bungee cord and it might have helped them in some way or the other. (It’s called giving it back to the society; yeah, I am compassionate at times too).

Anyway, after crossing the jungle, we stopped at a roadside Dhaba for the breakfast. Generally, an “Aloo Paratha” is either baked in Tandoor or roasted in a Tawa. These idiots, they made it in Tandoor and afterward, they fried it in oil, and no doubt it tasted like shit. I felt, a pile of dirt would have been better. I don’t like to waste food but the cook gave me no other choice. I had to do it this time. We left the place as soon as we could.

There were quite a lot of speed breakers on the highway. While I was sailing through a series of speed breakers, a guy waved his hand, pointed at my luggage and said something. From his expressions, I figured out something was not right! Since I had plugged in my earphones, I had no idea what he said. By the time I paused the music, the guy went past. However, I stopped my motorcycle to inspect if everything was in its place. Soon after another guy came from behind and told me that one of my jerry cans had fallen off few KMs back and one of the guys took it and ran away. My luck! There was no point in going back and finding him and threatening him to return my jerry can. I accepted the fact and decided to move on.

Next, it was our turn to get lost in the city of Chandrapur. We missed to take a diversion and we got lost in the city. When we were trying to navigate our way out using the GPS, my mobile holder gave up. It was tested in all conditions. In the end, its claws were broken; after bearing extreme heat, rain, and winter; it took its last breath in peace. I unscrewed it and gave it away to Mother Earth.

Somehow, after riding for an additional 70 KM we found the highway to Hyderabad. After 27 days, we saw the first milestone saying “Bangalore – 893 KMs”, and we knew we were not far away from Home. Since we had a couple of days and only a few more KMs to go, we decided to crash in a lodge after sunset at Adilabad.

To be continued – Day 29: The Prophecy​ (Click here)

 

P.S. I have come a long way and I am glad that you are part of my 50th post. It’s a half century 😀