Ratnagiri – Devgad - 100 km
December weather in India is most pleasant as it isn’t humid but still around
30/33 ̊C, making it perfect cycling weather. Saying that doesn’t mean one didn’t
sweat buckets. The route wasn’t overly exciting and it was best to push onward to
Devgad. Still, it remained “hilly an’ all”, as they say in India.
There was not a great deal one can do but put the bike in an easy gear and peddle
on. The “TOD” signs painted upon the tarmac (presumed a bicycle race) kept me
occupied. When they said “push”, I pushed, and when they said, “slow down,” I
slowed down. Reaching Devgad indicated the end of the day's ride.
Devgad – Malvan - 50 km
The day began as usual, having breakfast at a local joint. On entering, the entire
place generally came to a complete standstill. One had two choices: you could ignore
it, sit down, order the food, eat, leave, and pretend no one noticed; or you could say
a loud “good morning”, smile and let them discuss among themselves where you’re
from, how old you are, and where you were going. This morning I opted for the latter.
The day turned into one of those crazy days as a guy on a motorbike overtook me and
stopped a little further. This simple and innocent action typically spells trouble. This
day was no different and I found him masturbating by the side of the road. I
continued cycling, but he soon came past and once again stopped right ahead.
Flagging down a tuk-tuk, and pointing at the wanker made him disappear.
Roughly 30 or 40 kilometres later, my bicycle suddenly came to a complete halt. I
couldn’t turn the pedals, and the shifters didn’t respond. Finally, trying to loosen
things up, a friendly couple on a motorbike stopped and attempted to free the chain
from where it was lodged. Eventually, they flagged down a truck en route to Malvan.
Upon reaching Malvan, we stopped at the bicycle mechanic. Once the bicycle was
offloaded, everything was in perfect working order! What a strange day.