Mumbai to Goa

After doing all the paper work and dealing with getting the bike out of customs all I wanted to do now was get out of Mumbai and head south. So the next day we were up at the crack of dawn  and down for breakfast before seven o’clock after two rounds of toast and a terrible cup of black coffee we were back in the room putting on our riding gear then down and loading the bike. As expected as soon as the cover came off the crowd gathered so we were quick to get the bill paid and hit the road.  It was now seven twenty and the streets were busy with traffic. With the GPS set and the track laid in we headed of in the chaos. Now riding on the left side of the road I thought it might cause a bit of a problem but I was soon to find out that as I was never to be alone on the road, I would always have something in front of me whether it be a truck a taxi or a small motorbike so getting to the other side was not to be a problem. Riding the bike in the heavy traffic was not a problem but I think if we had landed here from home then we could never have done it, here it is like a game of chicken, they will stop and let you in but show no fear for if you do then you are going nowhere!! Following the GPS was not hard we missed a couple of turns but found it easier to make a U turn than wait to be redirected through yet another maze of streets. The thing we always question with the GPS is dose it know this is a one way street and dose it know that bikes are not allowed on this road?? Well within an hour we find our self’s emerging from the confines of the city onto some smaller roads heading into the country, the traffic is still heavy but we find later that that is not going to change. In a country with so many millions of people they are all going somewhere.

All the trucks are painted

There are a few things about the bike I need to check after reassembling it at the Warehouse so I find a small gas station to pull over in and just do a physical check of the bike once again as this is going to be a long days ride.

When I took the bike to pieces in Amman I had the help of Mohammad’s number one guy and even though I mentioned that I would prefer to do it on my own as I was the one that had to put it back together again before I knew it the windshield was coming off and the bits where on the floor so when it came time to put humpty together again that part I just couldn’t figure out. So in the warehouse I did the best I could do but with no diagram to look at I just did the best I could but ended up with two parts that just would not fit!!  I stowed them in the box until I had more time to figure it out and we got out of there. Back at the hotel the crowed was so big that the thought of trying to do anything to the bike was not an option so it would have to wait till later, now on the road the front wind shield was rattling and I had to use some tape to stop it, I knew if I could find Wifi that the Bike bandit app with its complete parts list and exploded view of everything on the bike on my I phone that would show me how, so tape was going to have to do until then. Within minutes of stopping at the far remote corner of the gas station the two gas attendants walked over to have a look so tape in place and a quick drink of water, we hit the road again.

This is a school bus and YES there are about
 twenty kids in side

 The NH 17 (that’s “National Highway”) is the road that follows the coast south all the way to Goa and beyond. We had covered about 650 km and it was soon to be getting dark so we turned off the Highway and headed out to the water Arriving in a small village called Bagger Beach we rode the main strip looking for our small beach hut style accommodation but with no luck it was busy and not the kind of Goa we had read about so we headed back to the highway going south again. The next town on the map was Pajim again a bit bigger than we wanted but we decided to find a room there and look for our beach hut in the morning. We rode through town a couple of time to get the lay of things thin plugged hotels into the GPS and headed to one in the center of town. That one was full but the recommended one around the corner so we checked in there for the night and where very surprised to find a very nice clean room with a mini bar and everything else one would find in any hotel across the USA or Canada it was a bit more than we wanted to spend at $70.00 but after the 650 km ride I think we deserved it.

Again the crowed builds as we get our bags of and into the hotel but as soon as we pull the cover over they just turn and leave.

Now in our lovely room it doesn’t take long to raid the mini bar and drink a few beers. Next is a good shower. What I hadn’t realized that ridding in the smog all day had left both of us with an absolutely black complexion I have never seen anything like it before, our faces were covered in dirt  What would our lungs be like???

After a shower and some clean cloths we head out to find the nearest restaurant, Jut around the corner we find the best Indian restaurant and settle in to a wonderful meal of  prawn curry with rice and naan bread.

Back to the room to crash, a 650 km ride here is like being in a video game where all these things are out to get you. You just can’t let your guard down for even a second with all types of vehicles on the wrong side of the rode and cows, dogs goats and even pigs coming at you in every direction not to mention the pot holes and unmarked speed bumps I am sure my riding skill are up but when I get home I might find it a little difficult to conform to all our laws and regulations!!

The NH17 with no cars or trucks on it!!

In the morning breakfast is served in our room and we have checked out the web and are now ready to find a beach hut down the road. While we are checking out and the loading the bike a crowed gathers again but this time there is a guy called Thierry Damilano he is actually from Vancouver and has been leading a group of about 20 guys from France around the area on Royal Enfield’s, They have just spent a few days on a beach called Agonda about 50 km down the road and it sounds perfect so after exchanging emails and a few details we hit the road again.

After about one hour we ride down a narrow winding road to find our beach hut waiting, at a cost of $20.00 a night we check in for three nights and decide to work on our tans.     

Happy to be on the road again