Editor’s Note: Here is a resourceful microadventure in India by bicycle. I like the reference to “a philosophical experience.”
A single day, (128Km + 78Km) self-contained ride to Shivanasamudra was a philosophical experience. I bicycled 128 kilometer to Shivanasamudra and saw the beautiful Gaganachukki and Barachukki Falls. On the journey to the falls, I met a few rickshaw drivers, farmers and also a local cyclist who rode with me for a while. However, I did not ride all the way back to Bangalore from the falls. There are no streetlights from Kollegal to Kanakapura and as it was 6 pm and with heavy trucks moving so fast on that road, I could not see a thing except the headlights of vehicles. It was rather scary to ride so I managed to hitch-hike (along with my bike) up to Kanakapura on a tractor owned by a farmer named Rajandra (Rajanna). From there I pedaled for another 90 minutes until I could not anymore. So, I managed to stop a Lorry and hitch-hike for about 36 Km. I really enjoyed travelling on the back of a sand-loaded lorry. It was a wonderful journey and despite the fact that I went alone, I never felt alone.
