19th June 2010
Day 1
The day began early as all the riders were earlier asked to get ready and start off at 5:30 am for the flag off ceremony. Though the morning was early, none of the participants were tired or sleepy. They all looked forward to a wonderful adventure and the enthusiasm had grown bounds.
We started from Vishva Yuvak Kendra at 6:00 and reached India Gate at 6:20. Once we reached there we noticed hoards of spectators and the media too had their share of interaction with the bikers. The visitors too had their fair share of the interaction and there were a few bike enthusiasts who wanted to know about the procedure to get into this Odyssey.
The media did have their moments with the riders and many of them wanted a fair share when it came to at least some gossip. After the chit chat and some interviews the camera lenses and our attention moved center stage as the CEO of Royal Enfield delivered a speech before the flag off.
After the short yet motivating speech all of the riders were wished a safe and enjoyable journey. Shaking hands with our traditional values, all the riders were given sweets, roses and the tilak to keep us safe. At approximately 7:30 am, we started for Chandigarh.
Our ears were filled with a motivational speech, our eyes filled with the grandeur of the event but our stomachs remained empty and yes, beside the growling of our bikes, the distinct growl of the stomach could be heard. So we stopped at Rasoi Dhaba, around 58 km from Delhi and enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast.
We started on our bikes at 9:00 am. The temperature rose as the day passed. It was so hot that I had to stop thrice on my way just to have lime water. One of my fellow riders Saurabh from Jabalpur said that, "It is a hot day, What can you expect in month of June in North India? But the trip is enjoyable and exciting. Really looking forward to Manali Tomorrow." I heard that there was one rider who got dehydrated because of the heat.
Ian from Mumbai had a different take on the day. He said that, "I knew that today was going to be tough day for us. So, I was mentally prepared. I believe, tomorrow is also equally tough as we cover 330kms in a single day." Keeping in mind that this is just the beginning and also that I do not know what new challenges this journey brings. As the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the tough get going.
