My Motorcycle Journey – A Himalayan Odyssey

Since homo sapiens have invented the ‘wheel’ — a simple looking device which manifests our emotion of travel into physical reality, we kept adding different metal parts to it and the whole assembly created a magical  portal which can take us to places we always imagine, this magical portal is a motorcycle. I was blessed with a motorcycle in 2009 while pursuing my engineering. This day changed my life forever. 

For me, a motorcycle is similar to a magic wand which can take me to the magical Himalayan lands, where the showmanship of clay is expressed in an extremely majestic pattern called mountain. Motorcycle for me is an emotion which induces in me a sense of satisfaction without any condition. While riding my motorcycle I feel as if I have been genetically mutated and the motorcycle feels like an extension of my physical self. My thoughts and actions seem completely in unison because in every moment, with every turn I feel I am dreaming and completing my dream at the same time. In that moment the time ceases to exist because there is no difference in dreaming and completing it. 

While riding in the mountains, every curve ,every bend opens up a panorama of beautiful landscapes. Looking at these I wish I had an additional pair of eyes to soak myself completely into this nectar of vision. I ride into the cool wind with a hint of mist combined with the smell of a cocktail of pleasant fragrances. As I ride further up the mountains, the distant peaks and riverbeds create a wave-like structure which magnifies every moment resembling my rising heart rate in an ECG machine. The sound of wind passing smoothly over my helmet surface creates a soothing noise which is counterbalanced by the revving sound of the thumping engine thrusting me deeper into a constant silence. In that silence as I look into the rear viewing mirror, I see lofty ice capped peaks and I think I am going away from them but suddenly a subtitle in the mirror says the objects in the mirror are closer than they appear and I feel relaxed. A rhythm of silence starts to set in me as I pass through the curves and hair pin bends, bowing to each one of them by leaning towards them respecting the laws of physics. I pass through the suspension bridge connecting the two mountains with railings of Tibetan prayer flags holding it together over the stream of water/life which mountains give us as a blessing. I keep riding through the villages and hamlets, every one busy in their work, I observe their radiant faces filled with the slowness of life along with burnt red cheeks resembling the heat of happiness from the Sun. As the long ride continues I get into the dilemma whether I am pushing my bike or my bike is pushing me and I keep murmuring the answers within my head and suddenly a huge waterfall comes out of nowhere and I conclude my answer with that vision. Soon I find myself riding into the sunset and I see the slant sun rays blinding my vision and forcing me to raise my hand to block it and it feels like I am saluting the Sun for illuminating the whole day. After munching some kilometers I arrive at my destination for the day but I think I was at the destination the whole day and get confused with destination and journey finally realising it is one. As I lock my bike in the parking lot it looks like it has slept instantly by tilting its neck in one direction and recovering from the marathon ride. I close my eyes to make my eyelid a screen to project the whole day’s recording.

Life is very short. Do whatever you want right at this moment. Don’t push it for the future, thinking there will be a better time. There will not be a better time. Travel, ride, drive, just do it now whatever you want. Take in all the experiences fuelled by your passion.