As usual, I started early to escape the traffic in the town. People were moving to their offices for their daily job. On the way, a fellow cyclist rode with me to show the road towards Barshi from Solapur town.
Moving ahead, I met Mr. Boghle, a police inspector. He was incharge of the checkpost from Solapur to Barshi. We spoke as he rode his motorbike, keeping in pace with my bicycle. He asked me to stop at the check post ahead, for a cup of tea. Mr. Boghle who started speaking to me in Marathi and then in Hindi, was now deliberately speaking in english after knowing my education background. He offered me tea and also entered my name in the check post register just to commemorate that a "Traveller on bicycle" had passed through his check post.
I started from checkpost thanking Mr. Boghle for the tea. Further, I was stopped by a bunch of police guys. They asked me where I was going and wished me good luck.
Around 5 km from the checkpost, couple of local guys on motorbike slowed down by seeing me. Hearing my story, they invited me for breakfast at a dhaba in a vilage named Gunvanchi, few kms away. I was about to reach the Dhaba and I saw them waving at me. Mr. Chandrakant Rauth, as he introduced himself, asked me what I want for beakfast and said that the Dhaba belongs to his brother-in-law. As I waited for the breakfast, Mr. Rauth said "It's amazing to meet peope on road whom you might meet only once in a lifetime".
Cycling ahead through the villages, many motorbike guys rode along with me asking me similar set of questions which I was getting used to now, like, "Where I am from?" "Price of the bicycle?" "Where I was going?" "Why cycling alone?" "Where I sleep during night?" "Where I will have my food?"
Road towards Barshi had many potholes, but the views were excellent. As I was cycling through the villages, I could see farmers enagaged in agricultural activities, with their farms having vegetable, banana and sugarcane cultivation. One farmer invited me for lunch at his farm.
I reached Barshi by 4:00pm and stopped near the town entry, seeking help to find an accomodation. The people near by gathered and asked me about the bicycle trip. They helped me in locating a budget lodge for the night stay.
Normally I keep to myself, but now I was feeling great while getting attention from people. Altogether I felt that people in Maharashtra were more curious and welcoming. I enjoyed their hospitality.
During night, it rained in Barshi. It was "Angry rain" and poured so heavily for hours that the town was almost flooded. I could get the smell of sewage as it rained all night.
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"When it rained, the towns smelled like sewage and villages like cow dung."
Moving ahead, I met Mr. Boghle, a police inspector. He was incharge of the checkpost from Solapur to Barshi. We spoke as he rode his motorbike, keeping in pace with my bicycle. He asked me to stop at the check post ahead, for a cup of tea. Mr. Boghle who started speaking to me in Marathi and then in Hindi, was now deliberately speaking in english after knowing my education background. He offered me tea and also entered my name in the check post register just to commemorate that a "Traveller on bicycle" had passed through his check post.
I started from checkpost thanking Mr. Boghle for the tea. Further, I was stopped by a bunch of police guys. They asked me where I was going and wished me good luck.
Around 5 km from the checkpost, couple of local guys on motorbike slowed down by seeing me. Hearing my story, they invited me for breakfast at a dhaba in a vilage named Gunvanchi, few kms away. I was about to reach the Dhaba and I saw them waving at me. Mr. Chandrakant Rauth, as he introduced himself, asked me what I want for beakfast and said that the Dhaba belongs to his brother-in-law. As I waited for the breakfast, Mr. Rauth said "It's amazing to meet peope on road whom you might meet only once in a lifetime".
Cycling ahead through the villages, many motorbike guys rode along with me asking me similar set of questions which I was getting used to now, like, "Where I am from?" "Price of the bicycle?" "Where I was going?" "Why cycling alone?" "Where I sleep during night?" "Where I will have my food?"
Road towards Barshi had many potholes, but the views were excellent. As I was cycling through the villages, I could see farmers enagaged in agricultural activities, with their farms having vegetable, banana and sugarcane cultivation. One farmer invited me for lunch at his farm.
I reached Barshi by 4:00pm and stopped near the town entry, seeking help to find an accomodation. The people near by gathered and asked me about the bicycle trip. They helped me in locating a budget lodge for the night stay.
Normally I keep to myself, but now I was feeling great while getting attention from people. Altogether I felt that people in Maharashtra were more curious and welcoming. I enjoyed their hospitality.
During night, it rained in Barshi. It was "Angry rain" and poured so heavily for hours that the town was almost flooded. I could get the smell of sewage as it rained all night.
---
"When it rained, the towns smelled like sewage and villages like cow dung."
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