Diwali ride

Though the sun might have risen at 6:30, visibility was very poor - optimistically, about 10 feet. I decided to delay the start to 7 but my companions after their excesses the night before weren't reachable. For a moment I contemplated cancelling the ride, but as the first rays arrived, parting the veil of mist, I knew the morning was too beautiful not to be out. So I started without a definite route in mind, keeping to the roads.

After the first water break at the 40 km mark, I decided to explore a few trails. The reactions of passers-by to a cyclist in cycling gear is usually interesting. There are raised thumbs from passing car windows, tractors trying to race without much success, trucks swerving playfully but dangerously trying to push me off the road and passing by with a big grin, children pointing, laughing, waving, saying hello, villagers staring unabashedly some trying out a few English phrases... there is a lot to observe, and a lot of wordless interactions which are indicative of the pulse of life in the outskirts. And despite its reputation as being a bit dangerous, I haven't encountered anything on these rides to corroborate it. There have been quite a few instances where the villagers have invited us to their homes for a cup of tea.

As I moved into the trails, an elevated path with vast fields on either side, the sights and sounds underwent a sudden change. My dusty chain purring, and the tyres rattling against soil and rock threatened to spoil the equilibrium of the place, intruding into its silence, displacing a variety of butterflies from the path and branches of shrubs around, sending birds aflutter, making little children run and chase, making farmers harvesting crop on the fields, look up with a touch of bewilderment. To most of the villagers, seeing a cyclist riding through the fields would be quite inexplicable.

Today I just wanted to ride, so here are the two shots I took. Covered about 90 km in 3 hours, with 25% trails and the rest tar. All very much within the comfort zone. Waiting for the really long ones now.

P.S. Not a suitable Diwali shot by any means, so I might change it by the evening.