my little
Escape
Sometimes you need to disconnect with everything else to connect with what really matters...
With months of restlessness building up due to covid and feeling cramped up working from home, it was finally time to ride out once the travel restrictions were relaxed. I planned a 10 day trip with a rough itinerary of places that I would like to visit. Sadly Sachin couldn’t make it and I had to start off solo from Mumbai early morning covering Pune – Satara – Belgaum – Yellapur – Karwar route to clocking 720kms to reach my destination Gokarna.
The profound love for this place keeps growing every time I ride back to this place. The serene beaches. the joyous vibes, the calmness, and the blue, it all draws me back to this place.
I laid back on the beach in the evening, as I watched the fishermen rowing back their boats after laying down the nets for the next day’s catch. I kept wondering how it would be for these folks, living one day at a time, taking on life as it comes. Amongst the shimmering lights and the soothing sound of the waves hitting the shore, having everything around me, I still felt a void this time around, and I know what I missed or rather whom I missed. Well, that’s another story, a story of love and happiness, a story about Shreya.
The next morning I headed to meet Naveer’s parents in Kumta, my home away from home. I have all sorts of emotions attached to this place. Far away from the tourist spots, this beach remains a hidden gem. Every year I find an excuse to come back to this place, the place I call home. Looking at Naveer’s parents I just keep talking to myself, how it is, to live a simple life, a life filled with contentions and happiness, away from the hustle of bigger cities, away from the chaos.
The next morning, I set out to ride through Kumta – Mangalore – Sulliah – Maderkeri to reach my destination Coorg. I had the roads running parallel to the sea I could feel the gentle breeze blowing into my face, as I lift the lid of my helmet to feel the fresh breeze. This sense of connection with the surrounding, the machine, and self, is what makes motorcycling a pure bliss.
As I was reaching Madekeri, I came across this beautiful cafe right next to the highway in Sulliah called The Cups. This perhaps is one of the best parts of traveling, meeting people who listen to their heart and follow their passion.
As soon as I entered Madekeri, I could smell the freshness of coffee in the air. With vast estates lying on both sides of the road, I had to stop, sit back and simply soak in the view of the setting sun, enjoy the melody of the rustling of the leaves, as the gentle breeze passed through the forest.
I settled down at Zostel Coorg for the night, a place filled with backpackers traveling on a budget. I met Madhu, who also used this time as a break to explore southern India on his 850GS. We gelled instantly and decided to explore in and around Coorg. The next morning, we rode out to nearby places, without having any specific plans in mind, just soaking in everything that this beautiful place had to offer.
After relaxing for a day in Coorg, we headed to our next destination, Wayanad, God’s Own Country. Boy-o-boy it was absolute fun, riding through the forests entering Kerela.
We had planned our stay at Zostel located on the top of the Chembra peak, the highest point in Wayanad. The place is as secluded as it could be, far away from the hustles of the city. The property is an old PHC that has been converted into a hostel. The stay is set across 15 acres of lush green tea estates surrounded by dense forests.
As I laid on the hammock, simply mesmerized by the view of the beautiful Chembra peak in the backdrop, I kept running back to the idea of setting up a hostel/cafe where I would get to host and interact with minded travelers sharing their stories from all across the world. I came across a lot of amazing bunch of fellow travelers who had made this place as their workstations since covid provided them the opportunity to work remotely. The fun-filled conversations with Gurjot/Aman/Madhu and Shreya were the highlight of my stay in Wayanad. We would go for a stroll around the estate to witness the sunrise, then soak in the views simply relaxing through the day, accompanied by some lovely kitchen service. Evenings were spent admiring the setting sun on one side followed by a beautifully lit-up property in full moonlight. In the night we were entertained by music and bonfire making the chilly nights pleasant, bunch of lively folks offering beautiful vibes. All in all, my 10-day trip was summed up with beautiful moments, loads of memories and learnings, self-realizations, and smiles.
Often at times in life, we get carried away by the what-ifs, we lose what we have in the quest for making it big, seldom realizing the value of what we have in hand. We are driven by the fear of what the future holds, and tend to miss the beautiful things that the present has to offer. I have been there, at the crossroads, got drifted only to realize, life is to be lived as it comes to you, very similar to motorcycling, one turn at a time. Of course, you do plan for the future, like fueling up, servicing the parts, but it is of utmost importance to enjoy the ride, living in the moment. Amongst the chaos in life, try to find your solace, your detour from the highway, wherein you stop by and simply soak in the views, something that keeps you calm, grounded, and driven, your motive to smile, wherein you feel most alive, I am glad I have found mine. I hope you too find yours. Well, that’s my two bits on Life and Motorcycling….
