The Colaba Diaries : Ep 2-Night Wanderer
This post has been a tad overdue, I know, and I've just been caught up in work and sleeping, but now it's here, and I hope you enjoy reading it.
Since the last ep, I have spent less time exploring places to eat and more at the nearby cinema, and at work too. While doing so, I found myself to be spending more time outdoors after nightfall, and in a city that likes to have its landmarks well lit, it's a fun thing to do.
There was a full moon just over a week ago and I spent a good amount of time by the sea wall, looking up at it. Thinking I had had a pretty good day, I returned to my bed at the room, wherein I encountered my roommates heading out for some sort of excursion. Upon inquiry, it turns out they were going for a lil bike ride, as in, cycle ride. And then they asked me if I'd like to join them.
About 2 mins later we were all waiting outside this cycle shop that rents out cycles even late at night, like we were, close to midnight. His collection wasn't the nicest, given the rates he was charging, but I was willing to make do on this occasion and got handed a scrappy looking Hercules with very noisy brakes and totally fucked up gear cranks. The guy who invited me to join them led the way, as we rode along the sea-side and past some iconic landmarks in this part of Mumbai. It was a short, uncomfortable ride, but with the weather and the full moon, it was a lot of fun. And if I can just sort out a few logistical concerns, we may even have a second season of Sane Bike Loony Rider.
Then last Thursday, I was seized by the idea that I will TRY and go for a bit of a jog every morning that I can wake up early enough, and so I did the next morning, at 5 AM. I did the bare minimum of stretching and set off. My route was to head to Nariman Point and back, which according to a relatively accurate tracking app is a distance of 6kms or so. To sum up, this is what it was like for me to do something I don't like but I need to try and get in the habit of : walk-run-walk-run-almost die-walk-run-walk-run-almost die-run-die-walk-back at room. Clearly, a long way from being fit, and that is why I must try and do this often. But, on a positive note, at that hour, to trundle along under the cover of darkness and street lights, and with barely anyone else about, it's pleasant at Marine Drive.
Walking back to the room after a late night movie show was also a new experience, in this city, with some rich folks driving their luxury cars quite freely around town, enjoying the sound and speed of their engines. Though my moments were disturbed, even at that hour, by the kind of people who fit extra loud silencers on their Royal Enfield bikes and ride around helmet-less, three on one bike. How can I say this politely...but such people should be on a register titled, "annoying fuckwits who need to be removed from the gene pool". So, apart from them, a good experience to walk around in this part of the city after hours.
But it has been fun, wandering about this city after dark, especially once the busy folk have retired to their abodes and things get relatively peaceful. While I may not be engaging in the social aspect of it, I plan to explore more of it by myself and share the interesting bits with you all.
At this point, having been in the city for a month now, I feel I can say there is ONE thing about Mumbai that I haven't experienced anywhere else. I can go to the sea wall and gaze into the horizon anytime I wish to. And that, kinda makes it easier to get through all else about this city.
That's all for now, see you soon with the next adventure in this series! Thanks for reading, do comment and subscribe for the latest from the Loon.
Since the last ep, I have spent less time exploring places to eat and more at the nearby cinema, and at work too. While doing so, I found myself to be spending more time outdoors after nightfall, and in a city that likes to have its landmarks well lit, it's a fun thing to do.
There was a full moon just over a week ago and I spent a good amount of time by the sea wall, looking up at it. Thinking I had had a pretty good day, I returned to my bed at the room, wherein I encountered my roommates heading out for some sort of excursion. Upon inquiry, it turns out they were going for a lil bike ride, as in, cycle ride. And then they asked me if I'd like to join them.
About 2 mins later we were all waiting outside this cycle shop that rents out cycles even late at night, like we were, close to midnight. His collection wasn't the nicest, given the rates he was charging, but I was willing to make do on this occasion and got handed a scrappy looking Hercules with very noisy brakes and totally fucked up gear cranks. The guy who invited me to join them led the way, as we rode along the sea-side and past some iconic landmarks in this part of Mumbai. It was a short, uncomfortable ride, but with the weather and the full moon, it was a lot of fun. And if I can just sort out a few logistical concerns, we may even have a second season of Sane Bike Loony Rider.
Then last Thursday, I was seized by the idea that I will TRY and go for a bit of a jog every morning that I can wake up early enough, and so I did the next morning, at 5 AM. I did the bare minimum of stretching and set off. My route was to head to Nariman Point and back, which according to a relatively accurate tracking app is a distance of 6kms or so. To sum up, this is what it was like for me to do something I don't like but I need to try and get in the habit of : walk-run-walk-run-almost die-walk-run-walk-run-almost die-run-die-walk-back at room. Clearly, a long way from being fit, and that is why I must try and do this often. But, on a positive note, at that hour, to trundle along under the cover of darkness and street lights, and with barely anyone else about, it's pleasant at Marine Drive.
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| It's the symmetry of how they lined up to sleep that caught my attention |
But it has been fun, wandering about this city after dark, especially once the busy folk have retired to their abodes and things get relatively peaceful. While I may not be engaging in the social aspect of it, I plan to explore more of it by myself and share the interesting bits with you all.
At this point, having been in the city for a month now, I feel I can say there is ONE thing about Mumbai that I haven't experienced anywhere else. I can go to the sea wall and gaze into the horizon anytime I wish to. And that, kinda makes it easier to get through all else about this city.
That's all for now, see you soon with the next adventure in this series! Thanks for reading, do comment and subscribe for the latest from the Loon.
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