Day 2 – 2 December 2024, Monday
After a good night’s sleep, I woke up at 5:30am, extremely excited for the day ahead. I was excited because I would be cycling with the rest of the gang this morning! UJ and GJ were already up before me. They wake up early to perform their daily ritual of 100 sun salutations, and they do it every single day without fail. That’s the secret to their good health. GJ made me coffee and we had a light breakfast of biscuits and pandan cake. Their whole family loves the pandan cake from Bengawan Solo so I specially brought some over from Singapore for them.
During breakfast, I asked UJ and GJ the meaning of the word “Namaskar”. I had seen it at the Pune airport shortly after disembarking from the plane yesterday. Having visited Nepal three times before, I was familiar with Namaste but not Namaskar. Being the wise people they were, UJ and GJ explained it beautifully to me.
UJ started by saying that humans are composed of three components – the mind, body and soul. The mind refers to our brain and our thoughts, our cognitive function. The soul is the essence of our being, including our personality and emotions. The body is the vessel that contains our soul, and is controlled by the mind. When we die, the mind and body stop functioning and return to the earth, whereas the soul leaves the body and goes to another place/being, depending on what you believe in.
The rough translation of Namaskar means “I bow to you”, which is similar to Namaste. When Indians greet each other with Namaskar, they put their palms together in front of their chests and bow to each other. However, Namaskar is not just a gesture for a simple hello or goodbye.
The joining of the palms provides a connection between the left and right hemispheres of the brain and it represents unification. GJ explained that when you utter “Namaskar” and bow down to each other, it is not just a physical action but a meeting of the souls, where the soul of one person acknowledges the soul of the other person. Namaskar involves a higher-level of spiritual connection and it has a deeper meaning. I was blown away by their explanation. As I sat there sipping my coffee, I just thought, “wow, what a poetic way of explaining a beautiful word”.
We left home at 6:20am and started cycling to link up with the others at Modern College gate, a convenient meeting point since the rest of the gang resided at different parts of Pune city. It was a cool 19 degrees C outside, perfect temperature for a comfortable ride. At that early hour, the roads were still relatively quiet. UJ lent me his (expensive) titanium road bike, which was an absolutely top class lean machine, so light and smooth to ride.
We reached Modern College gate at 6:45am, and waited for the rest of the gang to show up. Dr J and VJ were the first to arrive, followed by RK and UK, and lastly AH. It was my first time meeting AH, but I had hosted his wife, PA, when she came to Singapore earlier during the year. It was so nice to see everyone again. And with our party of eight wearing our now-iconic green and blue LifeCycle jerseys (except for AH, who didn’t get the unspoken memo), it felt like being on one of our overseas cycling trips, so fun!
It was an easy and relaxing ride as we cycled a total of 24.5km. The terrain was mostly flat with a few small climbs. Along the way, GJ pointed out some significant landmarks and I got to see a lot more of Pune while riding. If you had asked me 4 years ago to cycle on the road, I would have shut the idea down immediately. But since joining my first overseas cycling trip to Vietnam and Cambodia in November 2022 with these guys, and a few more cycling trips since (Taiwan in May 2023, Cambodia/Thailand/Laos in January 2024 and Jeju in May 2024), I am now at ease with cycling on busy roads. And after conquering Pune, I think I can cycle anywhere!
The road conditions were not great as there were many potholes, and it was dusty because of the dry winter weather. We avoided the worst of the peak hour traffic but the roads were still very busy as cars, trucks, Autos and motorbikes jostled for space. I am definitely much more confident now about cycling on the roads, but of course, I still needed to exercise care and concentration for the ride. Hope to return to Pune to do a longer ride with the gang in the future.
After we were done cycling, we went to a restaurant called Wadeshwar at Fergusson College Road for breakfast, where we were joined by NJ and his two daughters, and a few more people from their cycling community. It felt like a spontaneous and informal gathering where anyone can just join in if they’re free. I love how cycling brings everyone together.
My hosts ordered a variety of dishes for me to try. I can’t remember the name of every dish but they were all delicious. We had some molgapodi idli (mini idlis tossed in desi ghee and gun powder-molgapodi chutney), ghee ragi dosa, rassam wada, butter dosa and more. I wouldn’t have known how to order these on my own, so I’m really thankful I got to try them all. So yummy!
After breakfast, we parted ways at 9:30am. The rest of the guys went to work or run their respective errands while UJ, GJ and I went back home to shower, rest and chill. GJ made tea and we went to their rooftop garden for a stroll. They had many potted plants, growing a variety of edibles like lemon, pomegranate, aloe vera, lemongrass, kumquat and also flowering plants like bauhinia and roses. It’s nice to hang out here if it’s not too hot.
After that, UJ went to work so GJ brought me out to explore Pune. Instead of taking an Auto or an Uber car, GJ decided to drive her scooter (or two-wheeler) so I could experience riding a scooter in Pune. As it would get dusty on the road, GJ advised me to put on a face mask and sunglasses while she wrapped a shawl over her head and face to protect herself.
I thought it was super cool that GJ rode a scooter. I can ride a bicycle but not a motorbike or scooter, and I have no desire to do so. As we weaved through the streets of Pune, GJ asked me if I was scared. I replied not at all, which was the truth. Again, if you had asked me 10 years ago to ride pillion on a motorbike/scooter, I wouldn’t have dared to do so, because I always felt it was unsafe. But having travelled a lot in Southeast Asia over the last decade, I have learned to ride them without fear.
It is actually safer to ride a motorbike/scooter in Pune than in Singapore because back home, cars are the kings of the road and they are not friendly towards motorbikes. But in many Southeast Asian and Asian countries, everyone rides a two-wheeler because it is an essential mode of transport. Here in Pune, two-wheelers and Autos outnumber cars by a large degree so car drivers are very conscious of them. The driving speed is slow so the likelihood of a serious accident is also lower.
We arrived at Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum at 12:22pm, and VJ joined us shortly after. VJ had not been to this museum for a long time so she relished the chance to visit it as well. The admission fee is Rs 300 (S$4.95) for foreigners and Rs 100 (S$1.65) for locals. We also paid Rs 100 for camera charge (mobile camera).
The museum director, who is a friend of GJ, came to speak to us. He explained that the museum started as a private endeavour by Dr Kelkar, who collected artefacts from all over the country to protect India’s cultural heritage. What started as a passion project blossomed into a full-time obsession and his collection swelled to over 25,000 artefacts, which he later donated to the government and is now part of the national collection. Only 10% of the collection is on display at the museum, with the remaining pieces kept in storage.
The museum showcases a fascinating variety of artefacts starting from 9th century A.D., including everyday items like lamps and kitchen utensils to more exotic items like erotic nut cutters and exquisite peacock-shaped musical instruments. We took two hours to cover both wings of the museum, spanning three floors. As we browsed through the galleries, GJ and VJ also shared information about the exhibits, which made it even more insightful. Here are some of the interesting exhibits from the museum:
Following the museum visit, we went to search for a place for lunch. GJ wanted me to try Pav Bhaji, one of Pune’s famous dishes. The first place we went to was closed so we ended up at another place near Shanipar Chowk, which was a very local, no-frills eatery. GJ ordered for me the Pav Bhaji (Rs 70) with two pieces of Pav (Rs 20), and a glass of sugarcane juice (Rs 25).
Pav is pronounced like “pau”, and it refers to a bun or bread roll. The Pav is eaten with a side of mashed vegetables cooked with butter and spaces, topped with lime juice, coriander leaves and a dollop of butter. The dish originated in Mumbai and later spread across Maharastra, which Pune is part of. Sugarcane juice is also another drink that is quintessentially Pune. The Pav was lightly toasted and fluffy inside. Dipped with the gravy, it was really quite delicious. It was so good that I ordered another Pav because I didn’t want to waste any of the gravy. Slurp!
After lunch, we said goodbye to VJ at around 3:25pm. I hopped on the back of GJ’s scooter and she brought me to see UJ’s family home, which is now occupied by NJ’s family and UJ’s father, Dada. The house was originally a single-storey building built by Dada in the 1970s, and UJ later built another floor above it when the family expanded. UJ and GJ used to live in this house before moving to their current apartment a few years ago.
The house is located at the end of a small street in a quiet residential estate, with a river beside it. It was very nice and tranquil, surrounded by trees, birds and eagles. After passing through the gate, the friendly family dog jumped on me and gave me a warm welcome. GJ then showed me the garden and gave me a tour of the house. I could tell right away that it is a very cosy home, full of love and memories. I also had the opportunity to meet Dada, a man full of wisdom and vigour even at 97 years old. It was a short visit but a meaningful one.
After we got home, I took a shower then napped for about an hour. I was still feeling a little tired from yesterday’s flights so the nap was good. At 7:10pm, we left home and made our way to PYC Hindu Gymkhana club, where UJ and GJ had organised a dinner gathering with the rest of the gang. For the occasion, I wore my lime green traditional Indian dress that UJ and GJ had gifted to me when they visited my home in Singapore a few years ago. So happy that I finally have the chance to wear it.
The guests started arriving from 7:30pm and we eventually had 15 people, including the cycling gang from this morning’s ride. I was also delighted to see PA, Dr M, JNV, SN and TN. I had met PA and Dr M (separately) earlier this year in Singapore but I had not seen JNV since our Vietnam/Cambodia cycling trip in December 2022, and SN and TN since our Cambodia/Thailand/Laos cycling trip in January this year. Glad that they were all looking and doing well. I even got to speak to PM over the phone. He is based in Mumbai and was not able to make it for dinner tonight.
It was like a gathering of old friends. And even though I don’t understand Marathi, I enjoyed just sitting there and listening to them speak to each other in their native language. Throughout the night, there was a lot of laughter around the table – real, hearty laughs, which was so nice to hear.
As usual, the food was amazing, especially the grilled chicken, which burst with flavour. I also brought some Bengawan Solo snacks from Singapore (pineapple tarts and Love Letters) for them to try, which they loved. All in all, it was a great night out. Thanks to UJ and GJ for organising the dinner and for everyone for turning up. It was really great to catch up and see each other again.
