On being a roadrunner
As a 10-year old kid, I remember seeing my uncle and his buddy off on a world motorcycle tour. That was in the early 80s, the dark ages of information. Armed with just outdated road maps, a raw engine, and a couple of ugly fur coats, they set out to see the world.
No reservations, no contacts, no automotive associations, no credit cards, no nothing. Their bike: Rajdoot 350. I thought that was frighteningly brave, almost suicidal. They did it in their own unique way, I guess, without spilling most of the horrific details. Because it was a quiet affair when they finally did come back, in one piece.
It was probably a life learning experience for them and it turned them from enthusiastic boys to wiser men. I did learn though, that their Rajdoot was the first to give up. In less than a couple of thousand kilometers, they were without their prized possession. (Imagine yourself; imagine the entire town that sent you off on such an adventurous voyage with such great pomp. It’s a moment of life.)
Of course, that didn’t kill their spirits, they managed to get hold of a Honda 500cc motorcycle by paying for it with all the money they had on them, and continued. They worked night-shifts, served in restaurants, wiped grease, windshields in fuel-stations, and I don’t know what else.
For the record, I never got the entire story. Part truth, part rumor. But, I digress. As the chinese say: “May you live in interesting times.”
Today, if you’re a die-hard roadrunner, and you have some long distance driving experience, then you’ll probably enjoy driving1 in Europe.
To us, it has so far been the most unique way of discovering Europe. The catalyst of course has been the availability of consumer technology—never seen even as late as a couple of decades earlier. And this unique blend of technology (such as SatNav), availability of information online, ability to do bookings, etc, allow you to plan your trip sensibly and help you make it memorable, to even, the otherwise, less adventurous type.
Borders? No problem. Thanks to the congregation of EU, the no-checkpoint borders are now a reality. Being on the road, on your own, allows you to have the privilege of discovering the unknown and unmapped. That’s an idea fascinating enough to take the plunge.
Armed with information and modern technology today, there is far less room for moments of life gripping you the wrong way.
- Travel by train (breathtaking routes, ground-breaking speeds, no doubt) or by flight (boring check-ins and monotonous journeys guaranteed) only let you enjoy your start point and your destination. But, not much else in-between. [←]
Wow ! Never knew you had such wonderful stories to share buddy. You need to put him and compare his notes. But I do think their approach of not depending on modern gadgets paid off.
May 30, 07 at 15:38Well, either there weren’t any at the time, or these guys didn’t have a way to get hold of them. Given a choice, they’d have carried the gadgets with them, unblinkingly.
Not going prepared costs money, time and energy, even for the adventurous types. And I think they paid heavily. If I was in their shoes, I’d remember lessons of life more from such a trip than seeing the world itself, which was the first motive.
The old heroes are still around, although don’t live in the same town anymore. May be when I get the time and chance, I’ll record their personal takes.
May 31, 07 at 10:36Of course -
Jun 1, 07 at 04:57