KETAN JOSHI
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MUMBAI TO BHAVNAGAR

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The decision was made - we will 'Ride West'. we will explore the Saurashtra coast in Gujarat!

​But before that, my long suffering saddlebag needs some TLC! I got the poor thing repaired and restitched for the Nth time from my local bag repair guy. This is the only saddlebag he has ever seen, but still he maintains a stoic unmoved persona and figures it out and repairs it as if he does it all the time. That's sang froid for you. 
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And it's finally the day after Valentine's day and its RIDE DAY! WOOHOO! We are off! The mandatory selfie before we kick off. 
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The keen-eyed bawa spots an Umbadiyo stall! 
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Umbadiyo, or Matla Undhiyo! YUM! What a dish! It's a harvest-time specialty in the Surat area, and it is insanely tasty (and spicy) 
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They take the freshly harvested vegetables - roots, tubers and green vegetables and coat them with a spicy masala mix made of green chillies and coriander and stuff.
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And stuff it into a clay pot. They cover the pot with mud to prevent the contents from burning and seal it off
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And cook it upside down over a wood fire. Earlier in farm times, they used to bury the pot overnight and dig it up in the morning, but in a busy commercial operation you want quick turnaround. 
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Once the veggies are cooked, you take the pot off the fire and open it up - and hey presto! Umbadiyo is ready to be served. It is best had with cold buttermilk to soothe your burning tongue. 
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The proprietor give some info on how it is made
And here we have our mechanical-minded Amigo with his reluctant bike
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He diagnoses the problem as an electrical issue, and promptly opens the battery box
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And here is the culprit! A blown fuse! He replaces it - only for it to blow again. He replaces that too - and that blows as well! Luckily for his blood pressure, the next one holds and we restart the ride. 
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Several hours later, we stop to try another local harvest specialty - Ponk
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These are tender grains - baby seeds - of Jowar. 
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They pluck the ears of jowar before the seeds harden up
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And roast the ears on hot sand to release the tender grain
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The locals have it with spicy sev - but I thought they were better on their own. 
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The Bombay Ahmedabad highway is long and soulless - and very very HOT
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There is nothing much to see...except for some colourful  travellers. 
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The mosquitoes and sundry flying critters really come out in droves in the evening! My visor is absolutely covered with them!  How do people ride at all without a helmet and visor? 
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AND HERE IT IS! A REAL ROYAL PALACE! 
​The Neelambag Palace hotel! 
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THREE MEN RIDE THE CLIFFHANGER
BHAVNAGAR
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