Just as I was getting over my DC
(Deccan Cliffhanger) hangover I started training for the Desert 500 race!! The
aim is to dominate the Ultra racing scene in India. So I jumped at the
opportunity when Divya offered me to join her for the recceing of the race
route. It was going to be a week long road trip and I was concerned about my
training. But Divya said we will be taking our bikes with us to do the 200 km
brevet in Bhuj and cycle most of the D – 500 route.
The Team –
Divya Tate
Director of Desert 500 race. A
680 km race starting in Jodhpur, Rajasthan.
Jatin Kale –
Crew member and photographer of
Team Saniya.
Vrunda Shete –
Crew member and photographer of
team Apurv.
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| The Team before we left Pune |
Day 1 – Pune to Ahmedabad
We left Pune on an afternoon and
reached our first destination Ahmedabad at about 2.30 am. Stayed at my parents
for the night. It was on this first
night that we had a taste of authentic Gujrati “Umbadiyo” (spicy vegetables
steamed inside an earthen pot). So spicy yet so delicious. Later in Ahmedabad we had the traditional
Fafda- Jalebi for breakfast thanks to my Dad. The carb loading had started even
before the cycling started.
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| Umbadiyo |
Day 2 – Ahmedabad to Bhuj
My parents joined us in this
drive to Bhuj. It was here I got introduced to the stark countryside of
Gujarat. No hills whatsoever for miles. Being from Pune where you are always
surrounded by hills it was a strange feeling. We drove through some big salt
pans. The weather even at high noon was surprisingly cool. I had mistaken the
desert. By evening we reached Bhuj where we met some local cyclists and those
from Baroda, Ahmedabad who had all gathered in Mr. Pathik Vachhani who had
hosted them all. His huge maze of a house/mansion/haveli was accommodated the
20 odd cyclists with ease. All these cyclists had gathered for the 200 km BRM
starting from Bhuj and ending in the historical town of Dholavira. My dad was
going to join me in this ride.
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| Bike setup in the Haveli |
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| Manjha getting ready for the Kite season in Bhuj |
Day 3 – 200 KM BRM Bhuj to
Dholavira
This is where the cycling
started. This was going to be my first opportunity to go on a long ride with
dad. So instead of going into my usual aggressive cycling mode I stayed back
with Dad to enjoy the ride with him. It was a great idea, because then I really
got to soak in the beauty of the country. We had started out in the dark before
the dawn. I had heard that the deserts can get mighty cold in the nights but it
was the first time I was getting to experience it. I regretted not having
bought a jacket. After about 2 hours into the ride we saw the beautiful sun rising
on the desert landscape. We even had a jackal cross the road in front of us.
Everything was different from the usual countryside of Maharashtra that I’m
used to. The cattle were bigger with huge horns, the birds were different, the
terrain, the good roads, the crops in the farms, the villages, the villagers
and their colourful dresses. It was a joy to experience all that. Me and Dad
were making good time and were pretty much ahead of the field. The organizers
of the event had stopped at about 140 kms in a village. There I had my first
authentic Kachhi Dabeli. Obviously I couldn’t stop at one. After 3 of those big
dabelis I was so full that had I not been riding slow I’d have had trouble to
stay on the saddle. The last 30 km was where I was looking forward to.
Dholavira is on an island surrounded by a shallow lake which during summer
dries up into a white flat. To get to the island you have to go through this
salt deposition. There’s even a BSF post on the island as this lake goes on
into Pakistan, which is merely 50 kms further west.
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| Dad in front of the Salt flats |
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| Salt Flats |
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| Salt |
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| Salt Flats |
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| Crystals in Saline Pond |
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| Saline Pond |
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| At the end of the Ride |
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| Interacting with the Locals |
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| Our Cheerleaders |
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| Our Cheerleaders |
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| Capturing the Photographer |
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| Jatin got the sun right on the Salt flat |
Day 4 – Dholavira Exploration
The day after the 200 km ride I
went for an early morning run. The trail was arid and sandy. But surprisingly
there were a lot of water bodies around. I met and talk with a few local
farmers who were as intrigued in me as I in them. On my way back I misjudged a
mound of sand and twisted my left ankle. It was a bad one. Barely managed to
crawl home. Even today i.e. a month after the tour my ankle still hasn’t
recovered full mobility. We later on went on foot to explore the ruins of
Dholavira. These ruins are the remains of the Harappan Civilization, who were
one of the first settlers in the Indus Valley. It was sad to see such beautiful
ruins in shambles and neglected by the government. According to our guide there
are still a whole lot of ruins yet to be unearthed. After the ruins we
proceeded to explore the fossil park right along the lake.
We were very hungry after all the
exploring and were thankful that our guide invited to his house for lunch. How
could we turn down an opportunity to eat authentic local food? The visit to his
house provided a glimpse into the local culture itself. They were very
hospitable and happy people. After that we set off in the car towards a village
called Adesar which was the entry point to the Wild Ass Sanctuary.
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| The gateway to the Harappan Civilization |
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| Royal Baths |
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| Couldnt walk with a swollen ankle |
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| Saline Lake |
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| Saline Lake |
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| Saline Lake |
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| Shady |
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| Royal Lunch at our Guide's house |
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| Bajra Bhakri, Tomato Curry, Garlic Chutney, Buttermilk |
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| Our Guide and his Bro |
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| His Garden |
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| Family Selfie |
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| Our Host |
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| Camping!! |
Day 5 - Wild Ass Sanctuary
After we set off from Dholavira
we camped just off the highway near Adesar. I had my ankle swollen so wasn’t of
much use in setting up camp. But the other were right upto the task. As we were
setting up camp on someone’s field we had midnight visitors coming in with
torches. The morning after we went straight into the sanctuary with a hired
guide. If anyone is looking to go into the sanctuary make sure you get
permission from the forest department and I recommend getting a guide. Once inside we went off the road
into the Rann. A vast expanse of nothingness with only the guide directing us.
Soon we sneaked up on a horde of wild asses (which look very much like horses).
They dint really like us and started running away from us and we chased them
around for a bit. To be alongside a herd of running horses was really
mesmerising. The guide then took us to an old diamond mine. After searching in
vain for any stray diamonds we settled for some pretty looking stones.
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| Wild Asses in the Wild!! |
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| Hunting some Wild ASS |
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| The Nothingness!! |
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| Bumming |
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If you are anywhere near Osiyan , Rajasthan this is the
place to have the best Daal Baati |
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| Sooooo Friggin Good!! DAAL BAATIII!! |
Day 6 – Mt Abu, Rajasthan.
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| Gurushikhar |
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| Gurushikhar |
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| Campsite |
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| Gurushikhar |
Day 7 – Jodhpur
Day 8 – Jaiselmer
Day 9 – Ranau
Day 10 – Jaiselmer-Nagaour –
Ahmedabad - Baroda
This was the last day of the trip. We drove all the way from Jaiselmer
to Nagaur which was the D 500 route . Then made our way down south to Ahemdabad driving througout the night. We had one more stop to make before we went home. This time it was Baroda. The fair and kind cyclists of Baroda (The Cycling Club of Baroda) had invited Divya and me to conduct a seminar on ultra cycling. It was good to share our knowledge with them and we enjoyed their hospitality too. Kudos to Raghu Vishal, Raghvendra Jhala and Manisha Patel and the rest of the Baroda cycling community for entertaining us. Me and Divya even managed to get ourselves in the local Baroda tabloids.
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| Back in Ahemdabad!! Thanks Mum for Hosting Us. |
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| Into the Tabloids We go!! |
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| The Seminar!! |
