Anuradha and Manas Dewan, she in her 30s and him in his 40s, lived in Oman, in a villa by the sea, a private beach to themselves, and careers as a corporate trainer and senior marketing professional, respectively. Anuradha describes it as a golden cage though. “Stay in it long enough and you may forget your life’s goals. We did not want that to happen to us, because we had dreams that we truly wanted to live — one of which was to explore this beautiful world, to experience the wonders of nature and to bond with people from across the world. What better way to do this than on a motorcycle!” she says. In March last year, they took a call. They gave up the ‘perfect’ life, put a pause on their jobs, and returned to India, in order to travel the world. “Every dream has an expiry period, after which it remains a wishful fantasy. The time was now, while we still had the fitness and mental resilience to see it through,” says Manas.
Ground work
Within the first fortnight in India, the companion on wheels was chosen: a Ducati Scrambler that worked for their height and slight build, and was not heavy. The next 15 days saw the first servicing, and exactly 1 month later, by end of April 2017, the bike was on board a ship, headed for Spain. The couple had decided to begin their journey in Valencia. Then came the research: route, weather, distances, destinations, luggage system. They worked 18 hours a day for 2 months, completing legwork, prep, visa formalities. Towards the end of May 2017, the bike reached its destination and they were off.
- Displacement: 803 cc
- No of cylinders: 2
- No of gears: 6
- Maximum power: 73.97 Bhp (75 Hp) @ 8250 rpm
- Maximum torque: 68 Nm @ 5750 rpm
- Seat height: 790 mm
- Kerb/Wet weight: 186 kg
- Fuel tank capacity: 13.5 litres
“‘Dosti On Wheels’, as we called our ride, was on a roll,” says Manas. And they decided to do 18 countries, for every year they’d been together. They faced a hitch at the beginning though, with paperwork, at customs clearance in Spain. “The Ducati Valencia dealer, whom we had hardly known for a week, stepped in, assuring us that no matter what, our trip would happen. He even offered us a brand new Ducati. It was the kindest offer we had ever received,” says Manas. However, they managed to get their own bike out and began their ride, travelling light, with three bags (a few clothes, tools, journals), two saddlebags and one tail. They shared riding in a 70:30 ratio, with Manas riding longer and through the tougher terrain and weather. They left Spain and entered Portugal via the Mediterranean Highway, then did France, Switzerland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Lichtenstein, Italy . Then they drifted east, hitting Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro. Finally, they did Greece, ending in Turkey. They recuperated for a month here, loving the eastern hospitality and western mindset.
It’s the journey
When they were booking accommodation, they decided to stay with people, rather than in cold hotel rooms sans character. “Websites like Airbnb were a boon. We visited major cities, but we preferred to stay in tiny villages and on farms, where one could really experience the pulse of the country and its people,” adds Anuradha. In most places, language was a problem, but they devised rudimentary ways of understanding the menu, flapping their arms about to ask if something was chicken and asking ‘moo?’ for beef. They ate light, but made sure to hydrate every hour. There were also empty-stomach nights, on days they reached late and there was no food at the inn.
Along the way, the challenges were varied and numerous: Europe saw hot temperatures; there were bureaucratic hurdles, machine breakdowns; they sometimes battled fatigue; witnessed forest fires in Spain and Portugal; and sometimes rode when it was so cold their fingers and faces turned blue. “Not possible,” was a word they heard frequently.
But there mostly, there were good times: “Everywhere we went, the Ducati clubs did rides in our honour. They welcomed us into their city and showed us their favourite roads. We also visited the Ducati global headquarters in Bologna, Italy, where also we received an amazing welcome,” recalls Manas. In Thessaloniki, Greece, an artist gave them a ceramic sculpture of a pair of swallows that are known to travel long distances but always come home. As the days passed, the couple grew more accustomed to their steed: “We even learnt how tight you need to tie your laces or how the angle of your feet decide how long you can ride and with what degree of comfort,” says Anuradha. They shared more than just a bike too: since both of them are a foot-size apart, they settled for a mid-size, so they could share their footwear! And that’s the whole point: the ability to adjust, to appreciate people, be open to new experiences, welcome change, and to stop and look at what’s around.
