Those were the days:my girl,Enfield and Himalayas

The Enfield is a versatile bike and riding it in the Himalayas is great fun. I have ridden the Himalayas on my bike for years and would love to continue until I age away

Bikes, Girls and Himalayas

bike and me

The Royal Enfield “Bullet” is my favorite motorbike. I prefer the 500cc, 4 stroke model and I find it is the slickest bike available in India. The bike is now manufactured at Chennai as the English company has folded up and sold its logo and assets to an Indian company. The Royal Enfield is now an Indian bike and exported under the old brand name.
I am also reminded of that lovely song by Mary Hopkins “Those were the days…..”. One can add the two and have a lovely reminiscence of times gone by, though it feels like it was just yesterday.

My bike is fairly old now, but it’s never given any trouble. It is part and parcel of my life and I love to go on it, riding the hill roads and lanes. The bike handles the mountain roads with aplomb and even hitting a pothole at 60 MPH has no effect on me or the bike.

The bike has been used by me in the Himalayas and I have traversed the mountain roads in the Eastern Himalayas to Darjeeling and Gangtok. You will have to look up the map and see where it is. Remember the Himalayas are the highest mountains in the world and the Alps are like pygmy before them. Many a time I have driven the bike wearing my uniform and cross belt with my revolver. It gives a kick to drive so attired and people watching me on the roadside are impressed. More so my girls who would clasp me from the back and sometimes even hold the butt of my .38.

A greater pleasure is taking my girl friend for a spin in the mountains. It’s thrilling negotiating the steep mountain curves and your girl clinging to you. I Always carried a swig of Sikkim Rum, in a small jerry can. Incidentally Sikkim Rum is the only rum sold in plastic jerry cans. 

The greater fun was to park the Enfield in the high jungles with a lovely green carpet and foliage all around and then carry my girl under a tree and then steal furtive kisses in the thick jungles. Greater fun if it starts to rain and so lovely to cover your girls body with your own and allow the rain to beat on your back. As I say those were the days……