On a joyride to break the hiatus

Plan, sanitise and follow rules, urge these avid bikers who’ve started hitting the roads as India relaxes Covid-19 norms, writes Barkha Kumari

Travelling in the Covid-19 world is anything but straightforward. From testing for coronavirus at the outset to getting entry passes and from packing kashayam (a herbal drink) and chewable Vitamin C tablets to carrying sleeping tents — planning well, whether the trip is long or short. Four avid bikers share learnings from their first trip since the lockdown.

Work-cum-leisure beckons

Mayur Mahanta, is a 27-year-old from Assam, who broke his “Corona hiatus” with a work-cum-leisure bike trip to Arunachal Pradesh last month. He does photoshoots of motorcycles for a living. He first procured a work permit to enter Arunachal. “Since hotels were closed in Arunachal, I stayed at a friend’s home. He warned us that his neighbours might object to my arrival from Guwahati, which is high on coronavirus cases, but nothing happened,” he recalls.

With that sorted, he packed his own bedsheet, towel, and mask and kick-started his 1,500-km journey, sanitising hands and bike handles after every tea break. “I only ate hot food because the virus can’t survive (sic),” he shares, informing he had to take a Rapid Antigen Test to enter Arunachal.
On return, Mahanta isolated himself in a room since his father is asthmatic. He is going for another trip to Arunachal and has found a “trusted resort” to stay.
Tip: “Know the travel rules of each state and comply. Also, if you can, mount a sanitiser stand on your bike to keep it handy.”

Arun Thakur

Short & sweet

Mountains are the first love for bikers and so, Arun Thakur and his brother Praveen Kumar from Delhi-NCR are organising a group trip to Uttarakhand in the coming weeks. “The medical care in mountains can be difficult to access, so we have asked each member to get themselves tested for coronavirus and carry the report along,” shares Thakur, who co-runs a garage in Faridabad. This trip comes after a group ride from Delhi-NCR to Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan, a first for the brothers since March. “Each one carried a hand sanitiser plus a surface sanitiser to sanitise their bike handles and any place they sat on for chai breaks.”
They stayed a night at a lodge in the bird sanctuary. “We got our rooms sanitised in front of our eyes, and even though we opted for twin sharing, the beds were kept separate.” Stay is indeed the tricky part. So while the brothers are in talks with a hotel in Uttarakhand, they have asked each biker to carry a tent, just in case.
Tip: “The issue of physical distancing aside, it’s difficult to arrange the stay for a big group. So go in groups of 10-20.”

'Miss the tea breaks'

Tea breaks are critical to bikers but they are learning to live without it. Hear it from Gargi Pravin, who recently rode 200km to a ‘ghat’ in Pune and back with 19 other bikers.
“We usually take two tea breaks and one lunch stop on short trips but this time, we stopped once to have the chai, sandwiches and boiled eggs we had packed. On seeing a group as big as ours, a couple with young kids fled away from the spot,” the 23-year-old, who oversees branding and strategy at a company, laughs out.
Her next trip is 443km away in Goa, for four nights and with a bigger group. “The trip leader has sent us a NOC form to declare our health status. Plus, we are looking to stay at Airbnb villas as they are less frequented when compared to hotels.”
She has noted another shift. “Earlier parents would bring their kids along, now they leave kids at home or don’t join the rides.” Having said that, most other bikers coming to Goa are in their 40s and 50s, including her mother and avid biker Manjiree Biche.
Tip: “Be sensible, sanitise, and don’t get paranoid.”

Vikas Rachamalla

‘Building, guarding immunity is key’

Vikas Rachamalla, 34, was both excited and nervous as he was embarking on a flight to Chandigarh and a bike trip from there till Ladakh to act in a film.
“I am allergic to dust and tend to sneeze in flights. Not sure how that will go down with my co-passengers,” chuckles Rachamalla, who is a global head of IT support at a financial software firm in Hyderabad.”
“My wife and I have been taking multivitamins and Omega tablets to boost our immunity and that gives me the confidence of heading out,” Rachamalla
adds.
While he is convinced of the contactless service at airports, he still plans to wrap his luggage in plastic and himself in PPE.
After landing, he will join a crew of 50 or so for the shooting of the film.
“Let’s see how the stay and shoot will pan out in times of physical distancing.”
Tip: “Avoid sharing rooms with strangers or folks you don’t stay with. Also, check with local residents if they are comfortable with your arrival from a Corona-infected place.”