On Motorcycling

I have been asked to relate some lessons learnt from the journey, not so much about the self than about motorcycle maintenance, for the benefit of future wanderers. In the case of the Enfield Lightning 500, I had to stop for repairs/upgrades for the following reasons:
Day 1
Clutch plates overheating and jamming
Day 2
Chain needed tightening
Day 7
Carburettor waterlogging
Day 8
Battery not charging - regulator and rectifier replacement.
Handgrips replacement
Day 9
Battery Connectivity

Day 24 to 26 - Trivandrum to New Delhi (by train)

 The train departure time was 1430 hrs so hopped the bungalow by about 1300. Bid adieu to the gang outside the Techno Park chai shop.

At the station parcel office, the bike was packed with both panniers on, leg-guard with helmet locked in, and both rear-view mirrors in place - quite a surprise because I remember Pune Station staff jettisoning such appurtenances 'for owner's own good' owing to cramped luggage van conditions.

These dudes didn't even ask for the petrol to be emptied. Too good to be true, and, on returning from lunch, I was to be reminded about free lunches. After paying the packer, who initially quoted a princely ransom for his ragtag job,  I went out to lunch of prawn fried rice and manchurian to a hotel across the road. Returned to find another platform lackey groping under the gunny-covers, trying to locate the fuel cock to fill a 30-litre bottle he held underneath. Luckily, the bike had a fuel lock.

Day 21 - Trivandrum to Kanyakumari

The day begins with preparations for Mrinaljit's fish fry. Atuk grinds some garlic under a beer bottle.

The group sets out planning to make it to Kovalam beach, 20 km away, in time for dinner.

Found a gazebo at the southenmost tip of land before the Indian Ocean and we tried to catch some sleep till sunrise.

Woke to a furore of atleast a thousand pilgrims who had suddenly swarmed all over our sleeping spot.

The sun finally peeked out of the clouds two hours after sunrise

A rock wall fences off part of the indian ocean to carve out a sort of parking lot for fishermen's boats.

The colours of the water a montage of azures, navys, cyans, indigos, and aquamarines, at the meeting of the 3 seas.

Atuk wonders if this might be the knife-edge of Eastern civlization while John turns off to find more land.