Finding my soul on 2 wheels -2

Mirrors on the ceiling,

The pink champagne on ice
And she said 'We are all just prisoners here, of our own device'
-Hotel California(Eagles)

Chapter 2 - Taking the Plunge 

Appreciating small things in life keeps you moving , it fulfills the minimum joy requirements of a person on a daily basis.The joy of riding back home in rain after a game of football is immense. Rain not only pacifies the fury of the game but also brings some respite to the parched lips.The first drops of rain which reach the lips are salty but nonetheless triggers the subconscious.Under a more alert stage one opens his mouth to let in the raindrops.Only those who open their mouths understand the sweetness of rain.I have realized that biking is all about seeking these small pleasures. Enjoying the freedom to be on your own , drifting in unison with the clouds,dancing with the crops and riding on the wind.So with this attitude of not being the center of the universe but to become a part of the world, I sat on the bike to mark the beginning of an enchanting journey.

My friend Arpan always talked about living in the moment.I find sports are great for being in the moment,and the fear of losing the game keeps you driving forward.It was in this voyage that I found biking to have the same effect.A little trepidation is important to bring us out of our comfort zone.With no challenge , no fear, life becomes shallow.Lance Armstrong has an interesting way to test whether he is going to live.He goes to a high cliff in a secluded place and jumps from high altitudes into the cold water below.This plunge into the sublime  keeps him going.It is this fear,this apprehension that a plunge eliminates.The best part is there is no turning back , a dip , a gush of water through the nose and ears and then the upward movement to the open, to  victory and to a world where there is no fear.

Akashi Ganga

I got the first glimpse of the river near Akashi Ganga  at quite distance from the main spot.But the very first glimpse insured that in some time I would experience  a gift of mother nature alien to the human civilization.Greenish water flowing between greyish white rocks was so clean that there was no need of swimming glasses to find one's way inside water.No prose , no clicks can bring out the beauty of this place.I can boast of seeing so many waterfalls and rivers in my previous travels but this was an awe-inspiring spectacle.Ideally I would have just plunged into the river but a previous experience in one of the treks brought in that fear.

 The Plunge      

                                             

This was my first tryst with flowing water of the trip and I knew there would be plenty of these to come.To jump or not to jump was the question and risk and safety were the alternatives.Taking a plunge at that moment was one great lesson learnt in life.

Hanging Bridge over the Yongo River

I feel Arunachal is the best place for writers,artists and poets for such genius thrives only in solitude.A true testimony to this is a 350 meter hanging bridge standing alone over a misty river. Standing in the middle of the bridge when I look down , I know that if I fall I will have enough time for a thought or two.But fears apart this is an experience which will resonate in my mind for a long time to come.  Though nature can overpower anything such bridges speak of immense human endeavor to conquer the unconquered.

View from the hanging bridge

Every new experience in life is plunging into the unknown and coming out victorious.