The Plan: It so happened one Saturday in June 2013 that Surendra visited my Office at around 3 pm to handle some technical issues. As usual, we were chatting about our travels when out of the blue Surendra started talking about this beautiful dam near Chitradurga! The dam known as Vani Vilasa Sagara, he said was built by the King of Mysore by pledging royal jewels.
His art of describing the place made me take a decision at the spur of the moment. I jumped from my seat with excitement and asked "what are you doing tomorrow Sur?". This was enough for the great Sur! He said lets go tomorrow and the plan was laid out. Leave early morning at 5 and return back to Mysore by evening 9 or 10 pm. To execute this, we decided to call our another buddy Vikas, who was another of our Get Set Go gang member. However due to his prior commitment he said he can't join us. Our colleagues who were listening to our discussion were amazed as well as confused thinking whether we are serious about this --> "Two guys, on a bike, to a dam and nothing else" and the agenda to click photographs. They started making mockery out of it going to an extent of asking why were are stressing ourselves going till Chitradurga when there is a well known dam KRS around 30 minutes drive from Mysore. We just brushed them off 'cas we knew they will never understand the thrill of motorbiking across the villages, exploring new places. They were all prisoners of their day to day life i.e., work like a donkey at office and retire like a cow sitting n munching after day full of straying across the streets!
Getting Ready: So the D-Day, the following day, the big Sunday when we had to go. Thanks to my little daughter, I slept around 1 am previous night and I got up at 4:00 am to get ready for the big Day. Took my bath, checked my closet to see what i go wear and finally ended with a jeans, a t-shirt and a jacket with the regular shoes that I wear during these kinda travels. My wife got up cursing her fate, yet knowing that she has no choice asked what I will have before I hit the road. All kind of menu was offered to me at early 4:45 am from chocolate flavored milk, coffee, tea, mango juice. After trying everything with drinks, she asked if I would like to eat the chicken that I had brought previous night. Finally looking at my cold stare she understood I needed nothing. She went back to sleep wishing me for the trip. I called our Guy...The Server Surendra!! {Server: not to be confused with the guys in hotel serving hot dosas or tea. He was named so because of his expertise in the IT part of the servers.}.. The first attempt went unanswered triggering thousands of questions in my still sleepy head. Yup, you read it.. I was still feeling sleepy even after a hot bath! Well after 15 agonizing minutes at around 5:15, Surendra called back.. Said he will leave in 10 minutes. What another 10 minutes you will leave! I thought.. and retired to check my mails to see if there is anything in there that needs immediate attention (call me a corporate slave!). Another 30 minutes went by and Surendra called to inform that he was leaving now. Arghhhhhh... OK, I said and left my house after disturbing my wife again from her sleep. I didn't carry any extra stuff apart from my wallet and helmet and went near the ring road junction which was walkable distance from my home and started waiting for Surendra to arrive.
Zooming Away: I was near the designated spot within 5 minutes and the long wait begun. I was standing in between a 4 way junction of the Mysore Outer Ring Road. The early morning traffic was not heavy and the air was fresh. I could feel cold breeze on my face and also the bites of numerous mosquitoes from nearby bushes! Another 15-20 minutes of wait and I saw the big guy coming at neck break speed. He stopped his vehicle and he was glad that I was carrying a helmet. I stared at my watch indicating my annoyance of being 90 minutes late from our original plan. Anyhow, I hopped on his Suzuki 150R. I could see a tripod secured tightly to the footrest of this Giant Bike with Six gears! Surendra hit the dirt and started with a zoom.. I was stupid enough to ask him the obvious question, "are you carrying camera?". I wonder what he might have thought. Well I think it was not as annoying as getting up early and have to wait so long. Within 2 or 3 minutes Surendra stopped the vehicle. Reason? Let's get the gas for the bike. We filled the bike with around 1000 rupees worth of petrol and we zoomed again. I was just getting the feel of it, when Surendra stopped his bike second time within 10 minutes of our ride. The reason? Let's have a tea. Yes, he was a smoker. He pulled out a pack of small (a variant of cigarette) and started puffing it. the Tea stall owner made us wait for few minutes as he had just started his business. During the discussion over Tea, Surendra realized that the head of his Tripod is missing. He was damn sure he had put it there at the right place. He said with a reassuring sound. I think it might have fallen down! Woah, Great... We are going on a photography expedition and we hit our first bottle neck. The Tripod is missing it's head. Trying to hide my annoyance and being good guy, I asked Surendra to take a U-turn and start searching in the road as he was sure it was there with him till he entered the Ring Road. He agreed and we were back to ground zero, where I was standing.. We went further 2 kilometers in Ring Road to try our luck which we both were sure that we always had that Jinx with us. Finally Surendra said, lets forget it, we cannot find it. We hit the road again zoom passing the petrol bunk and the good old tea stall. and our Journey Started near to 7 am!
His art of describing the place made me take a decision at the spur of the moment. I jumped from my seat with excitement and asked "what are you doing tomorrow Sur?". This was enough for the great Sur! He said lets go tomorrow and the plan was laid out. Leave early morning at 5 and return back to Mysore by evening 9 or 10 pm. To execute this, we decided to call our another buddy Vikas, who was another of our Get Set Go gang member. However due to his prior commitment he said he can't join us. Our colleagues who were listening to our discussion were amazed as well as confused thinking whether we are serious about this --> "Two guys, on a bike, to a dam and nothing else" and the agenda to click photographs. They started making mockery out of it going to an extent of asking why were are stressing ourselves going till Chitradurga when there is a well known dam KRS around 30 minutes drive from Mysore. We just brushed them off 'cas we knew they will never understand the thrill of motorbiking across the villages, exploring new places. They were all prisoners of their day to day life i.e., work like a donkey at office and retire like a cow sitting n munching after day full of straying across the streets!
Getting Ready: So the D-Day, the following day, the big Sunday when we had to go. Thanks to my little daughter, I slept around 1 am previous night and I got up at 4:00 am to get ready for the big Day. Took my bath, checked my closet to see what i go wear and finally ended with a jeans, a t-shirt and a jacket with the regular shoes that I wear during these kinda travels. My wife got up cursing her fate, yet knowing that she has no choice asked what I will have before I hit the road. All kind of menu was offered to me at early 4:45 am from chocolate flavored milk, coffee, tea, mango juice. After trying everything with drinks, she asked if I would like to eat the chicken that I had brought previous night. Finally looking at my cold stare she understood I needed nothing. She went back to sleep wishing me for the trip. I called our Guy...The Server Surendra!! {Server: not to be confused with the guys in hotel serving hot dosas or tea. He was named so because of his expertise in the IT part of the servers.}.. The first attempt went unanswered triggering thousands of questions in my still sleepy head. Yup, you read it.. I was still feeling sleepy even after a hot bath! Well after 15 agonizing minutes at around 5:15, Surendra called back.. Said he will leave in 10 minutes. What another 10 minutes you will leave! I thought.. and retired to check my mails to see if there is anything in there that needs immediate attention (call me a corporate slave!). Another 30 minutes went by and Surendra called to inform that he was leaving now. Arghhhhhh... OK, I said and left my house after disturbing my wife again from her sleep. I didn't carry any extra stuff apart from my wallet and helmet and went near the ring road junction which was walkable distance from my home and started waiting for Surendra to arrive.
Zooming Away: I was near the designated spot within 5 minutes and the long wait begun. I was standing in between a 4 way junction of the Mysore Outer Ring Road. The early morning traffic was not heavy and the air was fresh. I could feel cold breeze on my face and also the bites of numerous mosquitoes from nearby bushes! Another 15-20 minutes of wait and I saw the big guy coming at neck break speed. He stopped his vehicle and he was glad that I was carrying a helmet. I stared at my watch indicating my annoyance of being 90 minutes late from our original plan. Anyhow, I hopped on his Suzuki 150R. I could see a tripod secured tightly to the footrest of this Giant Bike with Six gears! Surendra hit the dirt and started with a zoom.. I was stupid enough to ask him the obvious question, "are you carrying camera?". I wonder what he might have thought. Well I think it was not as annoying as getting up early and have to wait so long. Within 2 or 3 minutes Surendra stopped the vehicle. Reason? Let's get the gas for the bike. We filled the bike with around 1000 rupees worth of petrol and we zoomed again. I was just getting the feel of it, when Surendra stopped his bike second time within 10 minutes of our ride. The reason? Let's have a tea. Yes, he was a smoker. He pulled out a pack of small (a variant of cigarette) and started puffing it. the Tea stall owner made us wait for few minutes as he had just started his business. During the discussion over Tea, Surendra realized that the head of his Tripod is missing. He was damn sure he had put it there at the right place. He said with a reassuring sound. I think it might have fallen down! Woah, Great... We are going on a photography expedition and we hit our first bottle neck. The Tripod is missing it's head. Trying to hide my annoyance and being good guy, I asked Surendra to take a U-turn and start searching in the road as he was sure it was there with him till he entered the Ring Road. He agreed and we were back to ground zero, where I was standing.. We went further 2 kilometers in Ring Road to try our luck which we both were sure that we always had that Jinx with us. Finally Surendra said, lets forget it, we cannot find it. We hit the road again zoom passing the petrol bunk and the good old tea stall. and our Journey Started near to 7 am!
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