Of all the rides I've done, including two to Ladakh, this one will stay with me for times to come. This ride was monumental for me in many ways. Contrary to what I thought, when I set out on it.
I admit now, I had many reservations about this ride.
For starters I usually ride alone.
For, as you traverse the land, you also journey into your head when you're alone. And so every ride is like spring cleaning. You reach into the deep dark closets in your head and pull out thoughts you've harboured for ages.
You pull one out and say, “Oh! This thought's sort of old and out of fashion isn't it!” And chuck it out. Towards another you say, “What was I thinking when I had this?”, Another brings on an “Ooh! That was a good one. But it's become dirty now, over time. Should resurrect this.”
And so you sort out your head and rearrange your thoughts. Throwing them into the washing machine in your mind, till they come out clean and smelling good enough for you to carry around.
Though, by now it's in stark contrast to your physical self. Since you're most probably dirty. With three water crossings, no baths and no promise of one for a few days more.
The thing is, on a ride, the dirtier you become on the outside, the cleaner you feel inside!
But then that's me alone. So it was with much trepidation that I approached a ride with eight more riders.
I'm mentally claustrophobic so I need some cerebral elbow-room. And I thought a ride with eight strangers wasn't exactly what a doubting, cynical, solitary, advertising writer, who just chucked his job for this trip, needed.
Boy! Was I wrong!
