MUMBAII - a sinking city to DUBAII- a rising city in the dessert..

so it was another visit to the not anymore dessert city.. un arguably the most developed city of the world.

best architectural and engineering marvels.

moving rapidly forward but keeping an eye on its past heritage and culture..

the city having to offer something for every class and segment of people.

LehXplored again! 2016

Guess it was a calling..

The mountains are a experience and no words can describe or justify it..

One has to see it, experience it to believe it. 

Once you you go to the himalaya's, you are not your own, u belong to the Himalaya's.

The idea of this trip was to experience and have some sort of hands on experience of what it feels to travel solo in mountains..

And with that thought, had planned the itinerary.. But!! Fate/ destiny had something else in in mind.

Which taught a few important lesson, ie..

• Always be fully physically and mentally prepared for a trip, even the slightest negligence and doubt in mind can be bad. Donot take things for granted, specially physical preps.
• don't cut short the planned trip, go the full length and explore. 

And thats what cost me a good eventful trip, nevertheless, a great learning..

my small friend at Upshi, who changed my mind and reminded me of my niece back home

Solo on a full moon - the kutch'I' experience

My first solo ride trip - bombay ahmedabad- dholavira ahmedabad bombay - 1966 kms

Nervous, Anxious and all other emotions set for the ride

Left for Rann of Kutch 800+kms on 26thDec15, first stop Ahmedabad.

Chilled December morning not wearing enough layers, underestimated the chilled winds, but enough excitement to make it thru the cold..

10hrs and 585 kms later reached Ahmedabad for a night halt enroute Dholavira

"Jugni" achieved a new milestone 11111 kms - excluding the rides and kms when the odometre cable broke

the smart phones have revolutionized, and been successfully trying to integrate the local small businesses into the corporate web with angel investor pumping in million dollars. Fueling aspirations of the 'young' enterprising guys who have been able to identify and grab the opportunity to make it BIG.. one such and my another first was the OYO Rooms experience..

not so good a experience of the stay per se, but what really amazed me and got me thinking how a single thought  can become and lead to big chain of events, creating it a industry by itself..

day2- ride from ahmedabad to dholavira.. some 300 odd kms thru the state highway. Smooth straight roads, boring and monotonous at times. Passing thru some some small villages and seeing the way things have changed 'for bad' according to me, due to the exposure of digital channels and smart phones. People have started to loose their identity, thinking and trying to look and do as the west does.. a miserable mistake.

Reached Dholavira tired exhausted after two days of riding around 850+ kms..

stay at dholavira, rooms are round and called 'Bhoongo' means room in gujrati

was welcomed with this beautiful sunset and skies at dholavira

some of the captures from the lost city of Haraapan valley civilisation. Thousands of years ago also they knew importance of water storage 

my Jugni

lone flier at the Rann..

thou i missed watching the Full Moon on the Rann, but nevertheless it was a good learning curve and experience..