My Travel Tales – Why I started carrying 2 water bottles?

So, this is a rather funny and embarrassing story.

It was the Day 1 of my 6 day- 1,900 kms long solo Karnataka exploration ride. Having covered around 230kms on my steed that day, I decided to call it a day due to the poor visibility on the pothole ridden highway. It looked to be a very small and dark village by the highway with dull and dim bulbs lighting the cozy homes. It was difficult for me to digest that people slept off so early on but then I was no better judge because I had no accord of the time anyway.

(Read: Why I travel without a watch?)

I stuffed myself with rice, sambhar, accompanying curry, chutneys and curd, etc. at a local (home converted to) shop and headed to the village temple by the highway. With my gathered intelligence, I was expecting to find some labors, locals and probably some homeless people there and my sources (the food shop guy) served me right. The temple courtyard opened to the highway, was spacious and airy and was a venue for many to sleep. I had already invited many curious looks with my gear and bike and made up a quick short story of traveling to the next city for a family visit and being tired to ride in the night, when the need arrived. I was avoiding long talk but then…

A body builder had become too excited and impressed with the whole scene of a biker in the village and then… I became the subject of one of those stories in which they speak of a traveler who sits below a tree, speaks of his adventures, guides the rest and brings some glories which are forever spoken of with true, pure and hardcore exaggeration. Except that in this case, I was the listener. The body builder guy mentioned of his laurels, mentioned of his fights, mentioned of the award ceremonies he was chief guest at, and then mentioned some more. Sadly for me, the rice and the curry were doing wrong things inside me.

(The infamous Temple Courtyard)

My tummy began making those funny sounds and stuff which we usually plainly reject about making. Things became intense and nature’s call seemed imminent to answer, and answer soon. But then, imagine… dark all around, a new place, only one drinking water bottle (you will know of this mention soon) and a not-so-tired body builder who could dwarf Arnold Schwarzenegger with the list of his awards! I had earlier confirmed that the jungle around the temple was the place I would need to pay visit to when the nature calls. I somehow managed to wait for the lord of muscles and bones to finish but I still needed a water bottle, for you know…

They all dispersed at some godly hour and my search began. I went around the village looking for one water bottle for I didn’t want to sacrifice mine. Keeping it clean, I did manage to find one after a long search, performed my duties and relaxed. Haah!

Since that day, needless to say why, but sir/madam you can bet upon it… my luggage always contains two water bottles!

By the way, don’t even ask how that night went! A hint: I also carry a mosquito repellant post that trip. Always.

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