Epilogue

This is a log of a journey made on cycle from Bombay (now Mumbai) to Kanyakumari in 1997. This is not a blog in the truest sense, since it was not uploaded in real time. Instead, the original trip log (which exists as a battered and dirty notebook) was deciphered and typed out, and the old stained photographs (whose negatives have gone missing) were manually scanned and uploaded to Blogger.

Looking back, it was a trip fueled entirely by enthusiasm and the spirit of adventure. Being students, we had little money (the entire cycle journey was completed in Rs2,500 - the equivalent of Rs4,050 today, or US$88 at the present exchange rate). We also weren't bothered too much by the unknowns before we started - such as where we'd stay each night, or what we'd do in an emergency in the midst of nowhere. Communication with loved ones was through lots of postcards, and a weekly phone call back home.

Thanks must go to the great guys I had with me on the trip, primarily to Krishnan, who thought up the idea of cycling to Kanyakumari in the first place and did most of the legwork such as making the rounds of cycle manufacturers, and finally getting brand-new machines, gratis Atlas. Thanks again to our sponsors for their support! Your Goldline Supers were quite reliable and sturdy.

Moving on in time, I must thank Senti for introducing me to blogging and inspiring me to put these notes online, and Tulip, who proofread some of them. The photographs in no way capture the true beauty of the Konkan coast - I used a point-and-shoot then, I was (and still am) a novice photographer, and the photographs show signs of age.

I've not been on such a long cycle trip ever since, but hope that one day this blog will be active with another such experience.