It was Saturday morning, I was in university library dealing with those books . After few hours, I laid my head on the desk recollecting my previous cycling experiences far from these pile of books, out in the sun,cruising in those curves in my mind.
Five minutes fast forward I was in my room, in my cycling outfits, filled up my water bottles, and out in those beautiful Dandeli roads in next 20 minutes. There was nothing in my mind about where I was heading, peddled for next 2 hours, enjoying the moderate thick forest along the road. I reached Haliyal around 4 o’clock, which is about 40 km from my place, then I decided to head back to Dharwad as only 2-3 hours were left for sunset and I had to travel 40 km back, but this time in an alternate way, in a jungle root. So I left the main road and went into that forest trail. I thought it would be a jolly ride among the woods and I could cruise along the slopes. But it was other way around, it was a narrow road with numerous pebbles, with tall trees around and the most scary part was the silence of the forest. The silence was so frightening that my ears were wide open to here any sort of human sound and all that I could here was leaves that I was trampling and my cycle’s noise. After traveling for half an hour a diversion came in way which I had to chose between 2 roads and there was nobody to help me out and there was no mobile signal to help me out too. Then based on my rough direction calculations I chose one which was moving towards east. Then I peddled up the hills in those gravelly roads which drained up all my energy and reserve water. I was left with nothing but hope to see some village and get some water. After toiling hard for few more minutes I got to see an village hidden in the forest. I took water from them and filled my water bottle up and got my energy back. I asked them the directions and was told that another 1 hour ride, I will be in a village from where I will get a pucca road to my destination. I was relieved on hearing this. I continued to peddle hard in that thick and deep silent forest with all the fuel left in my body to reach the next village so that I can get out of this forest before the sun sets off and darkness arrives. Finally I reached the village (kalakeri) from where the pucca road began to Dharwad.From where it was an easy ride back to my hostel.
It was one of the most exciting solo cycling that I have ever done till that time, being an amateur cyclist. From nothing planned at the start of the day to go cycling in the thick forest where I questioned myself and my decision to take this route. But I just went with my gut feeling and experienced the silence of forest totally in new way that I have never experienced before. Though I have cycled hundreds of kilometres in group for 2-3 days, this one stands out and I constantly cherish this experience.
) "success is journey you do it by ecstatic cycle ride " 