Disclaimer - Homelandia is a series of posts sharing my experiences from my recent trip to India. All the posts are based on true events exaggerated with a bit of masala (spice) in a truly Indian fashion. Click here to read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 and Part 7 of the series.
I am very tempted to ride a bike in India and somehow convince my sister to let me use her bike. She needs to do some quick grocery shopping. So we set off on the bike. My sister is riding pillion and once on the road, I feel strangely at ease in the driver's seat.
After a few turns, I am feeling more confident and quite used to driving on the wrong(for me) side of the road. A little ahead we turn left into an alley just wide enough for my bike. Just as I figure out how to fit the bike in this narrow lane, I see a car heading towards me in full speed blasting the horn, I instinctively move to the edge barely missing the gutter in the side. All of this feels natural and strangely enough I am not intimidated. I continue on, zig-zagging to avoid pedestrians and honking at a few walking in the middle of the road. As I continue, honking becomes second nature just like it used to be.
We take a right ahead. I don't know how it is possible to have a narrower lane but here it is. A little ahead I see someone hurling water on the road and I time myself perfectly to avoid being drenched. Just as I smile smugly with satisfaction, I see two stray street dogs snarling at me. I snarl back and we have a quick "yours vs mine"(the road i.e) stare and I quickly win by blasting my horn twice and they grudgingly move aside. Had I been on foot, I might have not seen the same outcome and might have even lost a foot in the process.
We turn left and enter the main road. I am maneuvering in and out of traffic and going with the flow. I feel like a pro. We stop at a signal. It is a long one. I see a few street vendors selling smartphone holders. I start thinking how the nation has progressed. Not long ago they used to sell wipes for car windows. "Beep Beep Beep Beep" The signal is still red but vehicles have started moving. I am jolted back to reality with a few horns and a motorcycle narrowly overtakes me with impatience.
We are done with our shopping and we are heading back in a different route. This road is not so narrow but every few inches there is a speed breaker. I don't mind speed breakers but have a real problem with back breakers which is what they feel like.
We turn right and I see no road. Just some hills and valleys in dirt. My sister nudges me to keep going. As I navigate the bike through the bumpy dirt road and we bounce in our seats, I tell my sis, this is not that bad.. My sis replies "It just gets better with time"(meaning you get used to it).
We take a left ahead and I enter the parking lot beaming with joy knowing that I can still survive Indian roads on a bike and thank my saint of a sister for entrusting me with her bike after almost 10 years.
PS: Feel free to comment below or on facebook. Tomorrow will be my last Homelandia post. I hope you enjoyed the series and thanks for riding along(pun intended).
I am very tempted to ride a bike in India and somehow convince my sister to let me use her bike. She needs to do some quick grocery shopping. So we set off on the bike. My sister is riding pillion and once on the road, I feel strangely at ease in the driver's seat.
After a few turns, I am feeling more confident and quite used to driving on the wrong(for me) side of the road. A little ahead we turn left into an alley just wide enough for my bike. Just as I figure out how to fit the bike in this narrow lane, I see a car heading towards me in full speed blasting the horn, I instinctively move to the edge barely missing the gutter in the side. All of this feels natural and strangely enough I am not intimidated. I continue on, zig-zagging to avoid pedestrians and honking at a few walking in the middle of the road. As I continue, honking becomes second nature just like it used to be.
We take a right ahead. I don't know how it is possible to have a narrower lane but here it is. A little ahead I see someone hurling water on the road and I time myself perfectly to avoid being drenched. Just as I smile smugly with satisfaction, I see two stray street dogs snarling at me. I snarl back and we have a quick "yours vs mine"(the road i.e) stare and I quickly win by blasting my horn twice and they grudgingly move aside. Had I been on foot, I might have not seen the same outcome and might have even lost a foot in the process.
We turn left and enter the main road. I am maneuvering in and out of traffic and going with the flow. I feel like a pro. We stop at a signal. It is a long one. I see a few street vendors selling smartphone holders. I start thinking how the nation has progressed. Not long ago they used to sell wipes for car windows. "Beep Beep Beep Beep" The signal is still red but vehicles have started moving. I am jolted back to reality with a few horns and a motorcycle narrowly overtakes me with impatience.
We are done with our shopping and we are heading back in a different route. This road is not so narrow but every few inches there is a speed breaker. I don't mind speed breakers but have a real problem with back breakers which is what they feel like.
We turn right and I see no road. Just some hills and valleys in dirt. My sister nudges me to keep going. As I navigate the bike through the bumpy dirt road and we bounce in our seats, I tell my sis, this is not that bad.. My sis replies "It just gets better with time"(meaning you get used to it).
We take a left ahead and I enter the parking lot beaming with joy knowing that I can still survive Indian roads on a bike and thank my saint of a sister for entrusting me with her bike after almost 10 years.
PS: Feel free to comment below or on facebook. Tomorrow will be my last Homelandia post. I hope you enjoyed the series and thanks for riding along(pun intended).
Oh no! This is gonna end! Was fun reading and riding along :)..
ReplyDeleteThanks Nammu :)
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