Story So Far

Summer is here yay!! The weather is awesome. I've been buying lot of stuff/ accessories for motorcycle and myself...getting ready for the season!

Tonight I received the Diesel Jeans (Ducati version) I ordered few days ago. I was so excited I wanted to try them so after I finished my workout, I thought of going for a little moonlight ride.
Also I came across this newe album by Papon "Story So Far"....I heard few songs and I loved some of them.
I bought the album from Amazon mp3, synced'em on my iPhone and I was ready!

WOW! ...Papon's new songs, awesome weather, motorcycle and a mindful of wandering thoughts!!!!! I took off to US 9 West alongside the Hudson river ....

How many times I have said this but I LOVE riding in the night....the places look different, mysterious, thoughtful, strange, the smell from the trees, roads is nostalgic!

I was in total trance!

Another Spring another ride!

Last year was not that great.  I was lazy, little distracted and may be less interested.
I am hoping to do it lot more this year may be because this could be my last Summer in NYC...so gotta ride it!!!
Visa term is getting over next year.
Also I keep dreaming about the wildest dream that I have which i'll tell you when time comes ;)

 Some of the picture from this weekend moto camping ride to the deep woods in Pennsylvania;

And, how have you been?? ;)

 Cheers!
-Panduram Ganpathrao Dhule

Down South

Four days, 2095 miles and six states.

Firstly I want to say, I love south, the place, the people, their slow and sweet accent, everything about it!!

View Larger Map

Day 1: 751 miles (New Jersey-Pennsylvania-Maryland-West Virginia-Tennessee)

I am a lazy and a long sleeper kind of specie, I need at least 7 hours of sleep for me to function properly. But when it comes to road trip, :-) I sleep less, I ride more. I woke up at 5am and was on road by 6 am. I had a long way to go this day, plan was to do 750 miles to reach Tennessee the same day but since I hadn't done that long distance before, I was'nt sure so did not book any hotel but generally I don't book any hotels because I don't like my trips to be exactly planned and pin pointed. I just keep a rough idea in my mind of the places and then explore which is much more fun and adventurous!!

I worked on my motorcycle myself this time. I changed the disc brake pads, the brake fluids and engine oil myself. I had a little trouble with it but everything was fine by the end of it.

Few hours after I started, I saw the brake fluid leaking from the sealed container which gave jitters and like always, I forgot to keep the spare bottle of brake fluid with me.

In the afternoon, ride was tough, I was so sleepy that I had to stop every 40-50 miles for 5 minutes but then, later in the day when the rays from setting sun starts falling my face, I felt fresh!

Reached Tennessee by 10 pm after 16 hours of ride and as I said adventure begins...no hotel around, the place was like jungle and I do not have any other place to go after wandering in and around the sleepy town, I found super 8 motel. The hotel was in the jungle, it looked like a haunted place and the two ladies at the counter looked so scary to me. One of them was in her 30s, she had a strong face with strong face texture and her voice did not match her look and build it was so chirpy that I got goose bumps, the other was in her 50s and looked horrible. The reception room had antique stuff all around with few molds of wild animals. Anyway I took the room keys and unpacked everything from my horse and went to bed by 1 am.

Day 2: 311 miles (Tennessee-North Carolina - Tennessee)

This is the day I was really looking forward to. I did Dragon (Deals Gap). Dragon is a US Hwy 129 which 319 turns in 11 miles it has been rated as top 10 scariest highways in USA by Forbes Magazine. Adjacent to 129 is Cherohala Parkaway which is equally fun, long sweepers. I did Dragon twice that day, I almost had an orgasm I must say. Real real fun!!! I camped that day on the mountains. Can you imagine wireless internet inside your tent in the jungle where there are not even proper phone signals ? :)

Day 3: 602 miles (Tennessee-North Carolina-Virginia)

This was another long day but I did not expect the route to be as interesting as it turns out to be. One of my friend was also coming to Virginia beach to join me. For one reason, I was happy, for another, I was'nt, because that breaks the rules of vagabonding, when you want to be alone and on your own!!! :)

Day 4: 395 miles (Virginia-Delaware-New Jersey)

When leaving from Virginia to Delaware, there is a 20-30 miles long bridge over the sea. It's amazing to have laid the bridge on the sea. Imagine you are driving and all you see is sea all around you, no earth!!!

I 'm leaving on my ...

All my bags are packed
Im ready to go
Im standin here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin
Its early morn
The taxis waitin
Hes blowin his horn
Already Im so lonesome
I could die

Well, except the woman and love part, feelings are same.
The dawn is breaking and its early morning,
my rocket is waiting,
I'm already so lonesome
I could die
I am ready to go....

Usually I never write before a ride or may be I never got any chance to do that.
It's been a long long time that I've done any multi days ride. I don't even remember when was the last time. Though I'd go for Sunday morning rides every other weekend but that don't give me much needed high or raise my conscious level that much.
Other reason I love loooooong and multi days ride is that you don't have to worry about coming back to this world unlike during short rides. After all, we all want to escape ..don't we? :)
So..it's that much meditating...

But I'm happy I finally got one... otherwise I would have gone mad.
I'm so fragile when I'm in this suicidal world unlike when I am vagabonding in the other side of the world where there are open and never ending roads, vast sky above your head, rubber on asphalt, the scorching heat, dry deserts, gigantic mountains..all of the beautiful nature!
that time I'm strong...come what may...I conquer it! and I hope this time too, I will...

Cheers!
Lonsomecrow

Latika's Theme

My eyes twitch, they twitch hard and it's growing, it's growing like everything else in this shithouse, the mind, the body, the soul, all in different directions, all wandering in their own way, in their own directions and are uncontrollable. I mean what have you become? A joker in this mad world? All day you talk nonsense, you do nonsense, you give nonsense and you take nonsense? You are insane, a mad dog.

You wake up in the morning and wear your mask, then you roll yourself completely into that fabricated skin, and step into the mad world.

All day long, you don't know what you do, or why you do what you do? and when the day is over, you realize that all you did is nothing but waste, a complete waste of everything. By the time you get back to your swamp, your insanity level has crossed its threshold. You curse over everything, everything that you have got and that you haven't got and why you haven't got what you haven't got and then you start hating everything and everyone in this world.

And when dusk falls over, you take your skin off, your mask off and lay down on your pad and then you remember to take a deep breath, a comprehensive deep breath, and while you're sailing deep down into your breath, you hear the silent yet sharp sound of reaching desert storm in the midnight, a sweet symphony that sea waves make, you feel that warmth and soothing touch of desert sand as if it is beneath you, you feel the mild touch of cold wind from the sea shore on your skin, the midnight blue sky right in front of your eyes is your space!

With every deep breath, you're becoming one with your root, heart and crown chakra.
At this moment, everything is washed out, you have no memory of nothing, there is complete silence inside, a complete comfort, there is no desire, no hope, no will, no feelings.
This is your moment, for you. At this moment you are ONE with it, at this moment, you are home!

First ride of the season

O' Well, I do not write about all my rides unless there is something special to mention. But what the heck? I am gonna write about this one (but this is special too, the first ride of the season ;-) ).

It's been fucking 5 months, 5 fucking months, fucking months 5, that I did some rolling on the roads and you know how much I love roads? :-) I love fucking roads, I fucking love 'em I get the same urges out of it as when you look at some sexy bitches arse', when you look at those poppin' cleavage of her's and its really very hard when you are deprived of both of them at the same time...You know what I am saying right?? ;-) ..yeah you know it!! its everyone's guess..

But yes, I really felt so good, so very fucking goood!!!

Summers usually starts after Mid of March every year but this one took really long to come. I was waiting for a sunny Sunday for long time and here it is, little windy but that's ok' ...thats perfectly okhey!!. Sunday morning rides are always good, so I decided to take a little roll...


Planning is also a good and funny part of any short or long trip...you just feel so free...just look at the map...point anywhere you want to go and boom!! roll on!! ...



I mapped out some 150+ miles trip to the Delaware Water Gap and High Point.

Since I hate interstate highways, I took the other route, the scenic one through the mountains and parks and jungles ...


Wind was killing me little but that's ok (Yes, soon I 'll have to fix windshield on Gandalf which will make my life easier for looong rides that are on the way this summer, wann bet? :) !! ).

Couldn't get much time to frame shots...just few.
Reached early home by 1 pm and wow I have half a day left of the weekend...swwweet lord!! :-)


This ride is special and thoroughly enjoyed it...


try to get lost!!

ek chalis ki last train (pooja express)

Delhi Cantonment railway station, 1:01 am February 21st 1997

In frustration, after loosing three coins, I took a piece of paper and started writing a note "This machine does'nt work, please don't waste your money." and pasted it on the fancy glass box on top of the 1st generation weigh machine at the station.

"Abe kya kar raha hai yeh? koi dekh lega" Gulshan said.
"Machudai" I said.

Both were sitting silently at platform #1 for few minutes and then Gulshan hugged me, bid goodbye and left the station for his home.

This station was very small. It has, may be, only three platforms and you will rarely see any person on the platforms. There are lot of useless and trashed locomotives and boggies on the tracks and hundred of slums around the station with no fence to it. Very few trains stop here and fortunately one of the few trains that goes to north India, pooja express stops here and that too for exactly 2 minutes. So if you are talented enough, you will make it to the train or else...

"Yatri Krupya dhyaan dein, Jaipur se aney wali Pooja express, do ghantey deeri se ayegi. Deeri ke liye khed hai." Lady announced on the loud speaker.

"Maki aankh" I mumbled.
Took my small black bag, hung it on one of my shoulder and started walking towards platform #2 where exactly the train was supposed to stop for boarding.

I took one loney corner and sat on the bench nearby.
And as I was about to close my eyes for a nap, I heard a voice,
"Bhaisahab yeh pooja express issi playtfarm pe ayegi na?" an old man asked.
"Haan shayad, patanahi ayegi to, ..." I said.
"Aap kahan jaoge?" said old man.
"Mein, Jammu. pooja mein jaunga" I said.

He took the seat next to me, put his small black bag on the bench, took out small box and started eating.
"Aap khaoge?" said old man
"Nahi, aap khao" I replied.

"Itnio bheed hai pata nahi seat milegi ki nahi" I said " ap sleepermein ja rahe ho?"
"Nahi beta mein to AC mein jaunga, pass hai mere paas."
"Oh k."

"To beta dilli mein naukri karte ho?"
"Nahi, padne ke liya aya tha"
"acha..."
"Mein lakhnauu ja raha hoon kissi se milne" old man said "waisey mera ghar to delhi mein hi hain."
"acha..."
" 2 behne hain meri ek vasant kunj mein rehti hai aur doosri yahan sadar bajaar ke paas rehti hai."
"Kabhi kabhi milne jata hoon unse"
"To aap kahan rehte ho?" I asked old man " to aap yahan kaam karte ho delhi mein?"
"Nahi beta ab to mein retire ho gaya hoon. mein pehle railways mein kaam karta tha."
"aapki family bhi apke saath yahin hai ki lakkhnau mein?"
"Nahi beta, meri kahan ki family mein to akela rehta hoon."
"Akele?"
"Haan beta"
"Aapki family kahan hai?" I asked.
"Wahi meri do behne aur kuch reshtedaar hain delhi mein."
"Nahi mera matlab apki biwi aur bachche?"
"Mere bachche nahi hain, shaadi hi nahi hui." old man replied in a shaded tone.
"oh acha ... lekin shaadi kyu nahi ki?"
" bas beta mein to karna chahta hoon abhi bhi lekin nahi hui. mere maa baap ka jaldi dehant ho gaya, fir sar pe jimmedaari aa gayi bhai behno ki fir unki shaadi karwayi. Baad mein meri behne bhi apni family mein busy ho gayi aur aise hi time nikal gaya."
"Ohh.."
"Nahi...abhi ladki dhond raha hoon." I shook my head as old man said this.
"Abhi akele koi khayal rakhne wala to hona chahiye. mein railways mein achi post pe tha bahut paisa bhi hai, lekin kya fayda? socha tha bhai behen ya reshtedar kahi karwa denge rishta, lekin sab apne parivaar mein busy rahe aur meri shaadi nahi ho paayi, beta ab kya bataien."
"Ohh.."
"haan lekin ek rishta dekha hai , wahi ja raha hoon lakhnauu mein. Ladki ke ghar waley maan gaye hain, thodi umaar kum hai ladki ki 19 saal. Par uske ghar walo ko koi problem nahi hai...thode paise maang rahey hain...mein de dunga."
"Oh acha..." I was clueless about what that old man was talking about.
"To beta apki ho gayi shaadi?"
"Nahi abhi to mein pad raha hoon" I smiled.
"Beta, kuch bhi ho jaye, shaadi zaroor karna warna baad mein koi nahi poochta, tumhari ghar waley, rishteydaar, dost... koi bhi nahi." Old man said in heavy voice and sighed.

For some reasons, I was always scared about the thought of marriage, even a thought of it was like a nightmare for me.
But today, when this old man said those words, I don't know what happened to me, something has just changed inside me.

He was like 72 years old and looked weak.
"Beta, train ayegi to bata dena, mein zarra let leta hoon." He slept on the bench.

I helped him to get on the AC boggie, before I tugged myself in to the General compartment. It was 3:30 in the morning and after standing for 3 hours, I got to sit on the floor near the door. Door was open and fresh air from outside kept flirting with my hair strands and washing my face. I was looking outside, the ever changing view of light, of darkness, of cities, of villages, of roads, like I was chasing all of them, like I was chasing my dreams in all of them. My mind was blank, rather in a neutral state, a state of comfort, a state of disbelief, state of pain, a state of relief.

To the mountains

Another day is over and wasted. Proving none of my worth at work, I escaped just on time from work and pressed the button on lift with downward arrow. TING!!! Lift opens its door to me and I see nobody inside except an old man with worn out tuxedo on him, unshaven face and non matching white P.T shoes. I greeted him but didn't get any positive response. He looked at the Diet Coke can in my hand and said something to me which I couldn't hear because of the latched earphones. I pulled right one out and ask,

Sir, did you say anything?
Yes, you know this is the second most popular thing in the world?
What thing?
The Coke..
Oh ok...
Did you know that?
Yes...no no...I didn't (I smiled at him)
Me_: So...what is the first most popular thing in this world then?
Old_Man: Jesus Christ...

Lift opens its gate,
Good night...
Good night.

Last weekend was long one...Labour day on monday and I had a nice trip to mountains all alone, all by myself.
Initially it was planned by me as motorcycle camping trip of 3 days. Doing camping at two sites in Maryland and West Virginia. There is another desi guy in my apartment complex who has got Yamaha V-Star 650cc and wanted to join me for the ride and also my bOngali room partner wanted to be pillion with me. So I was all excited about the trip as I thought this time I would'nt be doing it alone not because I am afraid of being alone (I prefer to ride alone on most of my rides) but sometimes you want to be with the company of human beings. But I forgot that Human Being is a vicious animal.
At the very last moment both of them backed out fearing that they cannot ride that long or whatever. I mean what the hey?? Get a bigger balls, pals!!!
I have seen 3 guys buying motorcycle here (2 of them got inspired by me) just for the very heck of it, they will put some nice pictures on orkut and lure few bitches. Later, all of them sold their bikes.

Ok, who cares? you backed out, alright!! I don't care....I have done it before I will do it again and I would be fine all by myself.
Man, People are crazy, not to be believed.
And then I remember my favorite line from one of very old my favorite T.V show FATICHAR,
"Yaar Fatichar, tu itna emotional kyu hain???"

Little depressed about the whole thing, I could only start at 10:00 am. I didn't buy the tent thinking I may need little experience before I do solo camping and tent pitching. Rode some 350 miles before I called it a day in Maryland moments after I crossed the Pennsylvania state. Most of the hotels were full but luckily I got one room in a hotel near the rocky mountains.

Next day I woke up early morning, did some rough map planning. I have a GPS too but map is a map ...nothing can beat it!!!
Early morning ride to the West Virginia George Washing Mountains (Route no: 129/93/33) covered with clouds was just amazing. The best thing about mother nature is that once you are into her embrace you do not think about any thing in his world, you feel so blessed!!

I took route 33 all the way to the Shenandoah National Park Skyline. You cannot drive faster than 35 mph and once you are stuck behind the cars, you are screwed. Seriously. No overtaking allowed but just for 30 miles stretch. After that I enjoyed twisties completely. Then opened up map and marked few off roads through the mountains, the roads less taken ;-) and followed it!

It was already 5 pm and I hjad plans to stay somewhere in Harrisburg, PA and then travel rest of it on Monday..that is Labour Day but then I thought why not ride it all today and rest whole of Monday since the Virginia highways I-78/I-81 are so very inviting. And just did that and rode 560 miles to home. On the way, as always saw many riders and exchanged greetings. Most of the riders do it and that's what I love about it... a Motorcycle brotherhood, it knows no boundary, its Universal. If you're struck somewhere on the road, they will stop and ask you if you are alright or need any help except those Har(D)ley guys with attitude. They don't bother, they have their own HD fraternity which is what all they care about. Most of them just ride one way and trail it on truck on return. Sometimes I have lot of fun, like whenever I see them on road passing by me, I just rip off the throttle in front of them and in seconds they are out of my rear view mirror's sight. My Gandalf is powerful, Even I don't use its power most of the time (Like speding 200kmph or wheeling etc etc which this cycle is capable of doing that and even more...)

I think the feeling of just possessing the power and not showing it off is just great!!! and as they say, It feels like god!!!


Managed to click few pictures here

Solo ride to Hampi-Badami

This is from one of my old trip logs and thought I'll log it here in my repository. Like my all other posts, this too doesn’t make much sense and has very bad English composition.

I also did a long trip from Bangalore to Goa in 2007 I guess which was quite an adventurous but never got any chance to write it down. I hope one day, I will.

Well, I had a plan for Kanyakumari on 26th Jan weekend and I was feeling lazy enough to plan the details. And, today, on 12th Jan 2007, two weeks before, in a meeting with my lousy managers, i came to know that coming monday is off (makarsakranti, i guess). I mumbled, “Hampi it is! “, it did’nt take a moment, it was spontaneous. And all said is done. I did not find enough time to plan the route and other details for this solo ride to Hampi and badami from Bangalore. I brought cramster bag from friend and packed my sack Friday evening. Well, surprisingly, I bought nano iPod that day. My dream of looong solo ride was about to come true. I was feeling happy and I don’t remember when I closed
my eyes.

Next morning, amazingly I woke up fresh, early in the morning and that too before my mobile could buzz me off. Got geared up and put the cramster on my machine.

In a moment, I was on NH 4, first ray of sunlight on my face, refreshed me as never before. The thump of my machine was charging me on and the roads were driving me good. I was feeling great, far away from the maddening crowd. And yes, how can I forget my new possession? My Nano iPod, aah! And the first song it played on shuffle mode was,

I want to run
I want to hide
I want to tear down the walls
That hold me inside
I want to reach out
And touch the flame

I want to feel sunlight on my face
I see the dust cloud disappear
Without a trace
I want to take shelter from the poison rain
Where the streets have no name

Where the streets have no name
Where the streets have no name

Aaah! So true and it all seems like a dream! I had no plans like where to stay, take lunch etc etc. So I drove till chitradurga at one shot with few pee breaks :) . Chitradurg is some 200km from Bangalore and Tumkur comes midway.

I kept riding till I felt hungry for lunch and then I found one road side sardarji’s dhaba. I took a smooth turn and parked my bull outside dhaba and ordered lunch and before that, I asked them if I could get a cup of tea. Sardar was friendly and going chatterbox. Asking like what are you doing, where you working? I said some private company and he suggested me to work for TATA company instead of working in private company may be he was refering TCS. Well, who cares, mein haan mein haan milata gaya aur itni deer mein mera lunch bhi aa gaya.
It was good. I belched, paid the bill and shook hand with sardar ji and started for Hospet, a place near hampi, where I was planning to stay. I reached hospet found a nice hotel to relieve myself for the day remaining. After I checked in, I remember that sardar told me that there is one dam in hospet which is worth visiting. I took bath and changed my dress and left for dam in the evening. With iPod spinning my head, night city lights and with blank mind, I was driving towards dam. I reached there and parked my bike. The dam was big one but entry on the road over dam was prohibited. So only thing to see was the fountain show behind dam. I went there took some pictures and came back. Then I realised that there is a road to hill top beside the Dam. It started itching me, wondering what could be there on top? i said “Lets see man”. It was already pitch black but I rode over the hill, through the ghat roads throught the mountain to the top and it was amazing!!!. When I reached on hill top, I found a VIP guest house and a watch tower. I took gurad’s permission to go to that watch tower, he agreed. And WOW! Everything I could see from watch tower was like a dream with city of lights, the dam and the river so big like an ocean and again I realized my iPod was playing,

“All around me, I see what weakness has made
Too much tomorrow, I think I’ll take all today
Am I a poison, am I a thorn in the side
Am I a picture perfect subject tonight

And I dont need nobody
And I dont need the weight of words
To find a way to crash on through
And I dont need nobody
And I just need to learn the depth
Or doubt of faith to fall into”

Next morning I woke up early in the morning as I wanted to catch first sunrays on monuments. It was 15 minute drive from Hospet to hampi. I parked my bike, roamed through the hampi and took some pix then took my breakfast and left for another part of hampi and returned back to hotel as I had to leave for badami, same day. Badami is some 150km from hospet. I took my lunch relieved some and started for Badami at 4 pm. Road was not in good shape for few kms, but later, to my surprise, road was in really good conditions and so the surroundings. I kept driving with sweet music humming in my ears.

Again I stopped at kushtagi for tea. kushtagi is 60km from hospet, you can take left turn from here to Badami but I lost that turn and moved ahead. So after driving few kms I took left turn for Gundulpet which leads to Badami. It was already dark by this time. And by dark I mean pitch black, and not a soul around. But again, the road was too good and I slowed down little bit to enjoy the drive with music till I reach Badami. I reached Badami at 9 in the night. And to my dismay, all hotels were running full. I struggled for 1 hour, checked every damn hotel in the city but no luck. Then I thought I may have to sleep outside but then, all of sudden I saw one guest house and I asked the guy standing on pourch for room, he said, saar all rooms are full. Then one guy came out like a saviour and said that he can arrange one bed for me.

Day 3, I woke up early in the morning again and went to museum and caves in Badami, took the pix and returned back to hotel and packed my cramster for return journey.
I was running out of time, I had to take the same route back home, it was already 12 in the noon and I had to ride 500 odd kms. So I started at 1 ‘O clock and took my lunch at the same sardarji’s dhaba and was back on road with final goodbye to sardarji.
While riding back, I was singing along:

mein hoon pyar ka musafir
dil khush hai aaj mera
jahan mile mohobatt
wahin mera basera
mujh ko mile safar mein
kuch dhoop kuch sawera
yeh arzoo hai paoun
kuch chaon kuch sawera
manzilein meri door hain kahi
lagta nahi dil mera yahan
mujhe janey do wahan…

I reached peacefully at home 11 pm in the night. Like always, this journey has changed something in me and the feeeling that can’t be expressed in any word in this world. I just feel good. That’s about it.

Pictures: here

Mar Adentro

Its about the day when I first watched the trailer of "No Country For Old Men" back in 2007 winters while chewing those fatty acid gums and killing my precious arse lying over sofa.

I was so moved by it and with this guy with weird hairdo (Javier Bardem), that I had to drag my lazy ass to watch this movie in theater. And wow! I was fucking bowled over by his performance. Even though it was so obvious that the movie's gonna be a joyride as its directed by Coen Brothers, this guy surprises you with his amazing screen presence and out of the world performance.

Okay, I am not trying to write any movie review here and fail miserably.

All I am trying to do is explain the reason I watched the Spanish award winning movie "Mar Adentro" (The Sea Inside).

Though this movie has won many awards, the real reason I took my precious time to watch this movie is because of this dashing Spaniard "Javier Bardem".

Mar Adentro is a true story about Ramon Sampedro (Javier Bardem), who's condemned to life as a quadriplegic. Its about the struggle (of almost 30 years) of this man's desire to die with dignity (euthanasia ).

Ramon' was an extraordinary man who also inspired his lawyer, Julia and a local woman to achieve something beyond their wildest dreams.

I loved this movie and again stunned by Javier's performance. Go watch it!!!

Now I can't wait to watch "Before Night Falls" which also led him to win many best actor awards.

Before Night Falls is powerful glimpse into the life of famed Cuban poet, homosexual and novelist Reinaldo Arenas (Javier Bardem). This moviespans several decades in his eventful life and also stars Johnny Depp and Sean Penn.

Now I am not forcing you to watch these movies... ..its your call..

...and as Chigurh's (Javier's character in No Country For Old Men) trademark phrase goes,

"Call it, friendo"

Sweet Rendezvous

Speedy highways, monstrous trucks and nasty cars has always given me bad time on the highways and I actually had enough of it!!!
Also, I couldn’t wait any longer to meet my dream machine. Initially, I had plans to buy it after I get married or end of this year (of course whichever is earlier ;) ). But once the bug bites you, you can’t wait and so couldn’t I.

After a lot of research and being little lucky, I clinched a deal in Atlanta, GA. I was mostly looking for something in far away state so that I could get to ride it back( as always needed REASON to ride :-P ).
And Wow!! now I had to fly down there to Atlanta, finish the paper work and ride back…sounds awesome!

I had a choice to wait for 2 weeks and take 3 days to ride back 1010 miles (Monday was holiday) but the urge was so high, that I took chance to ride 1010 miles in 2 days and booked the ticket for the same weekend. Also booked a room in Super 8 Motel for Friday night.

I will see you tomorrow

Packed my stuff in a small bag. But one panga was, that how would I carry the riding gear and my helmet? Shall I wear it in the plane and impress the air hostesses? Not a good Idea. So kept everything in a bag which is to be checked in.
Took a subway from wall street and got the cab from queens for LAGUARDIA airport. Flight was 2 hours late and I reached Atlanta at 2 am. Somehow reached the motel and fell asleep.

Vinil, old buddy from college also lives in Atlanta and I thought its a good idea to meet him too. I called him up and he wanted to accompany me to that place I was visiting as he was little afraid of me going alone to that place.
He showed up early in the morning while I just had finished my morning chores. I took my riding gear along and drove to the place. Finished the paper work and now it was the time to meet my new love, Triumph Rocket III Classic a 2300cc/146BHP and 800 pounds beast.
Owner was little afraid and Vinil too that how would I ride this monster back home so far away? But I had the faith in my love ;) . I was suppose to finish the paper work by 10 am and start my journey back by 10:30 am or so as I had only two days time. But it was already 1 pm and also Vinil wanted me to visit his place and have lunch with him. We drove back to his place, met his buddies had lunch and few photo session with my motorcycle as everyone wanted a piece of that big daddy :).Bade goodbye to all and started my sweet journey back home.

It was already 4:30 pm by now and I knew that no way I can make it to the half point by today. So I decided to ride as long as I feel comfortable and avoid the night driving and may be stay in Charlotte, North Carolina which was 300+ miles away.

I made it to the NC, found a motel to sleep for the night. I could have ridden little more in the night as the motorcycle is such a darling to ride to. Its fast, its heavy but stable and just don’t want anyone on its back, just want to runaway…quite like me huh? ;). So stopped early as I wanted to have a good sleep for tomorrow’s loooooong ride some 650+ miles.

Tonight, I shall sleep at home

Got up early in the morning and was ready in few minutes as I knew I had a long way to go today.

Fresh air from the green mountains of Charlotte was magical and I always love the early morning rides. Back on highway and crossed North Carolina in 2 hours. Then I entered the lovely Virginia, lovely scenic highways with no heavy traffic around. I stopped at McDonald for quick bite and top up the tank. As I stopped, nearby I read a board saying ”Virginia is for Lovers” but I read it as ” Virginia is for lovers, what the heck are you doin’ here?”

As I got my burger and drinks and was looking for the place to sit, I saw this old man waving at me I guess asking me to join him. I took the seat next to him at the table. He just wanted to talk to me and I do not know why may be he just saw my motorcycle outside. As he started talking to me about the things, I noticed his deep blue old wrinkled eyes. He was Vietnam veteran and had his own truck business few of which he used to drive all around the country over the years. But now he is old and taken over by his sons. We shared few thoughts about traveling, wanderings and human values and pseudo philosophical shit. I shook his weary and cold hands and bid goodbye. I was happy to put smile on old man’s face.

Outside, it started to rain a little but it felt good after a hot and humid day of ride. I pressed the power ON and was on the highway again.

Crossed beautiful Virginia, entered Washington D.C. This place is damn crowdy and heavy traffic. Later I got struck in the traffic congestion. I was so tired after 4 hours of continuous congestion from D.C to Maryland, Delaware and Jersey. Only the music saved me :) .

Way behind the time and it was around 11:30 pm when I entered Jersey. I again stopped for some time at the rest area and yeah how can I forget, it was bloody raining too. So wasn’t just tired, I was wet and tired and that really sucks. I was shivering like a poor puppy in the rain and it reminded me of the road side dhaba tea that we use to have during the rides back home …ah I miss it! but I had to be content with angrezi coffee.

Midnight 12:30 am now and I am still on the wet and dark roads chasing the trucks and cars, and sky and moon and stars. Finally, reached Jersey City and was on the toll tax booth to pay the toll and this lady from inside the booth, saw my ticket (you get the ticket from where you get on to highway and have to return when you exit based on that they count tax) and was awestruck to see the ticket which says entry point virginia and asked ”You are riding all the way from Virginia??” I said “yes” . “You must be crazy to do that…are you crazy?” I smiled and she again yelled ”Are you crazy?”. But one thing that she didn’t know was that I was riding all the way from Atlanta hehe… anyway I was dead tired after 17 hours of continuous riding 650+ miles in rain and traffic.

Reached home and parked her outside the Garage. I changed the clothes and fell on the bed as a lifeless body.


Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed,
The dear repose for limbs with travel tired;
But then begins a journey in my head,
To work my mind, when body’s work’s expired:
For then my thoughts, from far where I abide,
Intend a zealous pilgrimage to thee,
And keep my drooping eyelids open wide,
Looking on darkness which the blind do see
Save that my soul’s imaginary sight
Presents thy shadow to my sightless view,
Which, like a jewel hung in ghastly night,
Makes black night beauteous and her old face new.
Lo! thus, by day my limbs, by night my mind,
For thee and for myself no quiet find…

-Shakespeare

Ukulele

First time when I heard it, I knew I am in love with it and I had to get one. So last Sunday I browsed through different music shops on 48th Street but this damn little instrument is rare to find. After I got home, I did some research and found one place in Brooklyn where I can get this.

So today after work, I took the subway to Brooklyn. I got off the subway to the streets of Brooklyn and pulled my blackberry to find the directions while (as usual) music was humming in my ears. I am totally in love with this city! I love to walk the Broadway for miles without caring for anything in this world.

Brooklyn is a little downtown type area crowded with Hispanics, Blacks and Italians. But still its New York ;) and the aura of the place is so great to feel. This music shop where I was heading to, looks like to be in some secluded place. Anyway, after some time, I took left turn to the 5th Avenue and suddenly I felt like someone is following me. I turn a little and see few black teenagers giggling and may be following me. I just ignored them and kept walking. Just few secs after that, someone grabs my neck from behind and brought me down. Before I could realize what is going on, I got some sharp hit on my head. And I was attacked by three teenagers. I punched this guy who was grabbing my neck but someone hit me again on the head from other side. One of them said "Gimme your phone" I said "No way..."

At that moment I thought I love my blackberry more than my life and I got another hit in my head. One of them was holding this steel ball tied with a rope with which he was hitting me. I knocked one guy down and try to run to the other side of the street, but I see that the other side of street is scary area to run to with no one around to see and I thought okay, may be life is more precious. I stopped and they again caught me and snatched my BlackBerry. And before I could realize, the blood was all over my head, shirt and face. There was a black lady and one white lady came running to me for help. I sat on the stairs of the nearby house, holding my head with hand to stop the bleeding. This other black lady was calling 911 and explaining the situation to them. And white lady kept asking me "Oh my god, are you okay?"
"Are you losing consciousness?", "do you feel any dizziness or drowsiness?".

she gave me her old tee to hold my head with. I thanked her. I wasn't feeling much pain though there was lot of bleeding. And moments later NYPD car came in and cops started taking my statement and asking for definition before the ambulance could come.
As I was still sitting on one of the stair case, I heard the ambulance coming and one medic comes out of the van and took the readings (BP etc etc.) I wiped my head with towel that this white lady gave me. I thanked her and black lady who called cops before ambulance took me to the Hospital. I was taken to the doctor and before doctor could treat me, detective squad came in and started bothering with those stupid questions.

I got few shots and six staples on my head. I left the hospital for home but on the way I thought "I came all the way here and suffered all that and I am not going back without getting what I have came here for" So I went up to the shop, bought it and walked to 14th street to catch my train back home. On the way I saw a DVD shop. I was looking for this movie called "Into The Wild" for long time but could'nt find it. So I asked the salesman to find this movie for me. He searched all over and could not find it. Before leaving, I thought let me have one look at the shelves may be I'll find it somewhere in the corner and voila! I found it. And salesman said " Sir, today is your LUCKY day." I said "Well, yes!"

And here I am back into my hole, playing C minor and G major on my Ukulele...

In this country, there are 999 reasons to not to buy Motorcycle and there is only ONE reason to buy. I think that ONE reason makes more sense to me than all other.

I always loved the feeling of saddling up my steed, forgetting about the world-ly things and leaving for nowhere...

Anyways, there is lot been happening over the time LIKE I fucked up my website, completed three decades on this planet, added more trash into my room and many other countless shit...and I couldn’t find enough time to engage with you, Dear Blog.

So here we go with the details...First of all I was wondering why the hell I fucked up my so called happy Life and left my country?? why? well...I think may be my drifter soul can't stay at one place for long enough...reason being, may be I create so much of negative energy around me that I cannot carry it over. Whatever it is, I had to drift, I had to get lost; which is what I am best doing at and I did it. Later, I realized that happiness or what we call PEACE is not relative to the dimensions or space. Or I can say PEACE is nothing but the AURA that we create around us.

I couldn’t resist drifting and finally after much thought, I bought my ride. It took me sometime to connect with it before I could start enjoying its company. It’s exactly like developing an association and relation with someone before you enjoy each others company. It was really hard to go out and ride. People who ride in this country or specially in the east coast, generally don't ride in winters (Nov-March). I bought some warm liners and kept riding in winters even when the Mercury went down to -16 C.
Whoever use to see me on the road from inside their heated Cars, gives me that pathetic look like they were saying " What a NUTCASE?? " . Well, I don't give a DAMN about it.

The Interstate highways here are as fast as we can imagine and are like death tracks, one small mistake on these highways and you are gone. In a way, I think, lately, I am just being risking my life but then that’s the FUN...living LIFE over the EDGE...I think it gives you that HIGH you need outta life. It reminds me of my Himalayan ride days when I rode all over the gigantic mountains, deserts and through glaciers for continuous days with no extra gears/help, without any company; where the roads were not proper to ride and live landslides... one wrong move could take your life. And that’s what the REAL fun is... that’s what makes you feel you are alive and makes you realize the worth of life and time.

Every time when I am about to reach home from my ride, My emotional quotient is so HIGH and I make it a point to log this ride and the experience. But all this energy goes neutral the moment I enter into the NEZ* .

Anyways, few days 've been real good fun when I was on the wheels. Summers coming up soon and I am hoping to do it more...make new friends...see more places...kill more time...

I think if I write more, I'll just heap up more SHIT...

Try to get lost...


* Negative Energy Zone

Ulysses: What'd the devil give you for your soul, Tommy?
Tommy: Well, he taught me to play this guitar real good.
Delmar: Oh son, for that you sold your everlastin' soul?
Tommy: Well, I wasn't usin' it

- O Brother Where Art Thou

I got my Mojo back...

Hitman
Originally uploaded by crowGraphy

A joker's "L"...

All I Want -U2

war

They say war is a bad thing. I don’t think so. I think war is a good thing. In fact I see a strong possibility of world war III in coming years. And this would be the last war of the world that we’ll know…a nuclear war. I think North Korea will trigger this war. I may be wrong, but i have this hunch.

Anyways, i was saying war is a good thing. Imagine tomorrow war is declared on us. Then what would happen? Everybody will be called to join Army and serve the country. I would be the most happy person as i always wanted to join Army. But above all, i would be happy because we all will be together and fighting for the same cause, It would be like we all are back into college life. Eating cheap food in the Army mess, sharing the rooms and bathrooms, waking early morning and going for the drills and then on the fields for missions. Imagine what a fun it would be when you would go for a mission. You will have nothing to worry about…your career, future, family, ego and other goddamn things. You will just be free in the deserts with heavy army uniform and guns given with freedom to shoot any damn body you want. We will have a map, vehicles, arms and brothers. We’ll sit together on the desert ground and chart out the strategy for the mission. All day long we will fight, get injured, killed, kill and survive. And then when dawn fall, we will find a shelter in the desert jungle and lit the fire. We’ll get drunk, play guitar, sing, dance around the fire. We’ll discuss about what we did with our life after college and how we screwed it. How we missed each other, how we missed everything that we had in our young times. We’ll talk about everything from our lost love, to lost brothers in the battle fields. And next day morning we will wake up hearing the gunshots and dropped bombs from the planes flying high up above in the skies. We’ll shake hands with looking into each others eyes as we’ll know that today some of us will not make it to the night for the toast. And then we will disappear into the battlefields to take our positions with the troops and fight.
We’ll not be afraid but happy that we will live today the way we wanted and die the way wanted our end to be…

last bus home...

Every night when i leave my office for home, i walk to the bus stop and whenever i walk, i start thinking, thinking about all kind of shit in this world. I put on my cheap FM/AM radio to avoid but it does'nt help at all..with every new song, i start thinking about every new shit. but i love it, i love my last bus home...i mostly catch the same time bus, so obviously the driver is always same and so the people who travel in it. This develops a kind of association, a strange kind of association, you talk with each other without speak a word.

This driver, is a old white guy may be around 55-60 yrs, has grown his mustache and beard. I don't know his name but i would love to call him "Joe". I kind of like him ...whenever you board the bus, he welcomes you inside with the smile and when you get off, he will always say "have a good day/night" I kind of see a father figure in him. Then there is another old black lady who boards from the first station i guess and sits next to the driver. She laughs like a Dracula ...sometimes she scare the shit out out of me when i am sleeping after a hard day's work. I don't know what to call her...lets call her "Aunty D". She always crack a joke or laughs over the joke cracked by someone else sitting around her. Then there is another sweet girl who boards the bus from mall, i guess she works there as some certified technician....whatever...but she is sweet, very young, 20-23 yrs of age may be. lets call her "Anna". So, Anna is sweet... I always stare at her from the last seat. It makes me feel so young, so good.

And then there is another punk who boards the bus from very next stop ...he looks like a gay to me but he seems not ...he wears a short hairdo, always hang an aviator light-brown glasses over his head, wears a cunning look, sharp eyes hunting for girls all the time. ummm lets call him...i donno...lets call him "dude" for the time being. "Dude" always tries to talk to Anna and i kinda hate this...and Anna too and aunty D too...i mean whenever he see some women in the bus, he try to catch her attention and start bothering her. I must see "Dude" off the bus sometime....motherhucker...anyways, there are many other people who comes in or out of the bus but they are not regular except the people i mentioned above and "Jannie". Now, who the fuck is Jannie? Well ...Jannie boards from the next station... :-)

She always wear her glasses whether its a day or night or whatever. She is chubby but lovely. First time i caught her attention when she was walking inside the bus for the seat towards me and she smiled when our eyes met. Only later i found that she was smiling for someone else on the other side of the phone ...whatever...i kind of like her. I kinda hooked ..man..to her ;-) she sits next to my seat and i always daydream/night dream while sitting behind her. Today she was wearing white top and maroon(ed) skirt. Jannie was eating something and was trying to open the bottle cork but could not open it. I thought this is the time dude... ask her for help..ask ..ask...and "tappp"....there she opened the mother*****r cork. I heard someone yelling " loser!!!" or may be its just my imagination...or whatever...

I love it all....i love to see outside from the big window glasses of bus, i love skyscrapers outside, reflection of sunlight from hudson river, falling on them. I love dark empty roads, streets and city lights.

I love to fall asleep on the back seat with my head resting on the big window. I love to listen my FM which plays Led Zepp stuff most of the night time. One by one everybody get off the bus. My stop is almost at the end of route. last 15 minutes of it is like i am alone sitting in the bus with Joe on the driver's seat. One thing about Joe i liked is that he never looked tired even though he is aged, even though he drives that big blue bus all day long...i wonder.... and i wonder about so many other bullshit things in this goddamn world...

Joe: "hey" ...(Joe stops the bus and shout as i fell asleep again....)

me: "ohh....thanks Joe, see you tommorow...have a good one"....

Joe: you too buddy...

This world is a...

When you are in a hole, your (empty) brain makes more noise, and these noises are what i am trying to throw out to the void, while i was walking on the streets in the tipsy evening. A thought among thoughts is, that i feel i am a clown and for that matter every damn body is a clown in this world. There are two types of them, one who know they are clown, but pretend not to be, others like buffoons, know that they are clowns and they behave like clowns. Everybody is born clown, but some remain so...like this guy with a mole on his left cheek, with his expressive eyes (as they say), but in reality they express nothing but despair and emptyness. I want to confess today that i am a clown, can't you see those marks on my face with lips sticked red with white colour surround them?, with a red cherry grown on top of my nose? and my fairy coloured hairs? don't you laugh on everything i say or everything i do? don't you say "hey dear clown, your life is a parody". Yes, you do notice that and one thing that you don't notice is that you too are a clown. May be clever than me, may be ring master beats you less with hunter, but we all obey his rules. He sends you to this circus to perform and survive. Once you finish your show he is gonna see you backstage. May be at that time you will realise.

Do you remember when you were a child and saw this wild dream that you are falling from some hill and that you are gonna die? but then all of sudden you wake up and feel happy that all that you saw was just a dream and nothing is gonna happen to you and you go to your mother and sleep on her lap which makes you forget that wild dream? But today you are young and grown clown. Today when you see the same dream and you wake up, you realize that this is the truth and we can't escape it? and you have no mother's lap to comfort you.

Dude you finish your show and your game will be over. You will vanish to the void, like thousands of your thoughts. You are helpless, disgraced and a befooled clown. You don't run this circus, you don't get second chance and ringmaster is harsh, he is gonna put you in hell. Having said that, i feel anyways i know i am gonna go to hell, why should i perform at the stage where thousand of phonies watching you.

See, dear blog, i never wanted to confuse you. My point is clear. I accept to be a clown but i will play on my terms, on my stage for my audience and i don't work with ringmaster, i defy him, he is a liar, ditcher and punisher, don't you remember his spiralled hunter made up of horse hairs and buffalo skins?

Today all you have is this limited time on this stage called "World".

"This world is a circus and we all are clowns and clowns."

Ghost rider

What da hell….saturday night , no high? and i am gonna waste sunday also? But what to do? Its already 10:30 in the night….

So i decided i’ll go for a moonlight ride on Old Madras Road on the outskirts of Bangalore and will ride a 40 or 50 odd km, and come back fresh enough to get a nice sleep.

I pushed the kick rod and 500 cc thumped out the music that i always love to listen. And the engine was revving up on outskirts of Bangalore in few minutes after.

I love night drives, the yellow street lights lightning the empty roads, the dark sky, the dusky moon looked like a brim of white light god throws on you, the avenue and all this was here with 500cc daemon beneath my ass.

I took off my helmet to feel the fresh air on my face. The strong gush of air on my face, was just washing out all the pain away…and i felt like i am listening some kind of opera…i could hardly see anything except few yards on roads but after few kms i was on the road where there was nothing except a dark road….i could hardly make out but there was dry fields on both side of road, small rocky mountains all around and that unique smell of air that i always love to smell.

And while all that was going on in my mind, i realised that i am 100+km away from Bangalore and it was already 12:00 am in the night. And then i saw this milestone which says Chennai 260kms. I called up nikhil and he said come down to Chennai. While talking to nikhil i realised that i am standing just beside the graveyard and there was not even a vehicle coming on that road, i was all alone …man i kicked my machine hard and ran away.

I was wearing nothing except my loose 501 Jeans, slippers and a thin Tee and i was shivering like a poor puppy in the rain. But i decided to move on and i rode with my chest wide open facing all that.

And then while all this was going on my mind, i saw a turn again to two direction. One to Chennai and another to Tirupathy in AP. I donno what happened to me and i starting thinking which direction to take to? Chennai? where i have been many times before or to a new place in AP? Tirupathi? But atheist like me….how can i expect something like that from myself? But i don’t know since last few months, i had this feeling that i should go to Tirupathi and i don’t know why? Hmmm was confused and then i called Nikhil….it was 1:00 am and nikhil did not pick up the call and then i heard God calling me . So…..i …took…. left…all the way to Tirupathi…

I reached Tirupathy 5:30 am in the morning , took a hotel to get some sleep before i go to the Hill top where there is this famous temple of Balaji, Lord Venkateshwara!!!!

But the moment i closed my eyes, some guy knocked my door. It was tough but i opened my eyes and opened the door. This guy with a ugly smile on his face asked “Saara, hot water is coming take a bath please”. God…i just slept and why the hell would i need the hot water to take bath in AP where the mercury was rising upto 45 degrees? Bastard… i smashed the door on him without saying anything. After an hour i guess, again some bugger starting knocking my door…uffff i was’nt even able to open my eyes but i opened the door. Again a new guy with same ugly smile “Saara, Tea Saara?”…Bh****dika….i would have killed him for sure…..anyways i could not sleep properly and i woke up after 2-3 hours, took a bath and went up to the Hill.

The road is great to Hill top… well maintained. After i reached there i come to know that you need to be there in a queue for “Darshan”…ok…i went there and pass through the security and entered the waiting Hall and what i saw there left me numb..a thousand of people waiting for their turn….and i was like..GOD!!!…then someone told me that you can get a 50/- ticket and save some of your time….i went to 50/- queue and this security guard stopped me and aksed for the tickets. I thought i will pay here and get the tickets but to my dismay….tickets has to be taken from all the way down the Hill…..And there i lost my patience…with naked foot, i walked out.

I took a lunch and after lot of thinking, i decided to move back as i had to attend the Monday office meetings and i could not drive after another night out.

I came back with sad feeling and it was hot like anything. On NH206, the strong hot air like fire, was hitting me hard and making me weak.

I was on NH4 after few hours and felt good, the rain god were kind …

Then rest of the route was enjoying….i stopped at CCD, rode through the serene roads, flowers falling on the road and cold air….wow!!! and boy…i was singing loud…straight from my heart …talking to myself all the while, making music for the songs i have written and bumping……aah i reached Bangalore at 7:00 in the eve and felt fresh!!!!!

-Crowie!!!