Soliloquy of a Wandering Pilgrim

The Sahara Quartets My route of cycling by the Atlantic route of the Sahara As I started to pedal my way across the Atlantic route of the Sahara , on the very first day a rhyming quartet came humming in my mind. It was inspired by a conversation at a shop where I stopped en route that day. I tweeted that when I reached Tan Tan, just for fun. When Agnidip Mukherjee, a friend, a poet, liked it and wrote words of encouragement; I decided to stay at it. Thus for over next 3 weeks, almost everyday, whether I rode or took rest; I wrote a quartet. Each was inspired either by the people I met or the elements of the desert itself. Just for fun. There were 34 such.  Agnidip had called it the 'Sahara Quartet' and I liked the coinage.  I have put them together here knowing fully well that I do not have what it takes to be a poet. But since they are harmless little quartets after all, there is no harm in sharing I guess. Read at your own risk.   ( Note: Photos and the ...

In 2012, I embarked on an inspired journey across Africa with my bicycle. I started off from the small town of Nanyuki in Kenya and finished pedaling in Walvis Bay, Namibia. 49 days on the road, 5 countries and 4500 kilometers later I realized that I have met the 'Real' Africa- its people. However the details of my journey can be found by visiting the following link : (http://himalaya-raja.blogspot.in/2012/09/trans-africa-on-bicycle-solo-tribute-to.html) It truly was and still is the best journey of my life so far. Within the first few days of riding I had realized that this was going to be a very unique trip indeed. As I progressed I met people and made friends. Everyday, every place, every time, without fail I found friendship and unconditional help came in the form of food, shelter and even cash. They were always there when I needed one. The universal language of friendship prevailed. During those days in Africa I used to send dispatches to Uttar Banga Sambad, a Be...

[A solo bicycle journey from the Equator to Tropic of Capricorn and from East Coast (Indian Ocean) to West Coast (Atlantic Ocean) through the African continent]  H.W.Tilman’s journey across Africa along the equator on a bicycle back in 1932-33; inspired me to get out there and begin my very own Trans African  bicycle adventure. Instead of retracing or repeating Tilman’s route I however preferred a route of my own. I would start from the Equator in Kenya and finish near the Tropic of Capricorn. Instead of heading down south in a straight line (as the road network would permit of course); I decided to touch the east coast of the African continent in Dar Es Salam. By doing so my route got an added value of East Coast to West Coast traverse along with the primary goal of Equator to Capricorn journey. My route would take me through the Kenyan Highlands, Great Rift Valley, the Masaai Steppe, Foothills of Mt Kenya, Mt Meru and Mt Kilimanjaro, The Usambara Mounta...