JOIN USWhy can’t I just take my bike and ride on to a neighbouring country if we have the roads?” questions avid biker and marketing consultant Nikhil Kashyap. “I want to go to Lahore and come back like we take bus trips within a city. I feel borders are created by people and I aim to change that,” he says.
Keen to “explore and redefine” the idea of freedom, he along with his friends and fellow bikers Vikram Mehta, Bhanu Pratap Singh, Rahul Dixit and Harkirat Singh has begun a 5,000-km long cross-country ride ‘The Great Independence Day Ride — 2016’across five nations.
“Seeing our Prime Minister Narendra Modi taking trips to several countries last year, I thought I should also have the freedom to explore places and meet people without worrying about borders and restrictions,” recalls 33-year-old Kashyap.
Flagged off on Independence Day (August 15) from the Indian embassy in Singapore, the ride through Asian Highway number 2 will conclude in northeast India via Malaysia, Thailand and Myanmar. “What could be a better day to travel through a set of countries with the pride of the tricolour within us. It’s not just a day if you look at it, it’s the biggest occasion our country has ever celebrated,” rally driver Bhanu tells Metrolife.
“Freedom that is priceless and can revolutionise society is what we need. What stays of utmost importance is befriending neighbouring nations and seeking strength in unity. Freedom can make us live our dreams and so it does for a country. It’s an overwhelming event that makes it possible for me to live thoughtfully and adventurously, at the same time as I am following my passion for travel and motorcycles,” says Kashyap, who owns 26 bikes.
While it took them a month to get permissions, sort out visa and other paperwork in Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, nearly three months were spent in convincing authorities in Myanmar which as a country has restricted tourist entry. “It was challenging to get through them.
But now, we will be accompanied by a Burmese official on our journey there,” points out Kashyap. He informs that they will be paying 500 dollars per person for each day while travelling through the country.
Taking street bikes of 400 cc, the team accompanied by a support-service vehicle will pass through Manipur, Nagaland and Assam and conclude their journey in Delhi.
“I have travelled across the country, but it is my first international trip and that incidentally is on a bike,” says Kashyap. Agrees Bhanu, “Jaipur-Spiti-Leh or Jaipur-Nepal-Bhutan are journeys I have taken, but this is the first time that I am riding such a long distance.”
While Kashyap started riding again by the beach in Mumbai to prepare for strength, Jaipur-based Bhanu says that “prepping the mind” is all that counts. As they plan to finish the journey in 15-20 days, they are looking forward to explore food, music, cultural scene in each of the countries.
You can follow their journey at @icountryride on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and other social media platforms.