Book Review: Don't Ask Any Old Bloke for Directions: A Biker's Whimsical Journey Across India by P.G. Tenzing

Who said I can't ride all throughout India on a Royal Enfield during this 21 day lock-down due to the Covid-19 pandemic?


                                              Image courtesy: Goodreads

Having to cancel all the intricate riding plans and tours I had planned for this much awaited vacation due to the pandemic, I was quite disheartened and depressed to say the least. As fate would have it, it was on the same exact day I started reading this book/travelogue. Not being able to ride my Enfield or get out of the house, I decided to ride pillion with PG Tenzing, the author. The journey has been eventful with laughter, experiences and even enlightenment. I was so engulfed in experiencing what the author felt when he rode throughout India that I even started getting sore butt because of all the sitting as a pillion. This book has done a terrific job in uplifting my spirits and giving me a feeling of satisfaction I always crave and get when I finish a long ride. With the author not around anymore, I'm hopeful that I'll meet him and his Thamzi in one life or the other.

All the hurdles I would have jumped and miles I would have traveled to meet this legend if he was still alive. A seasoned bureaucrat; an avid traveler; an amazing writer. Gone too soon because the world still needs cool people like this. Late P.G Tenzing IAS, ladies and gentlemen.

-Rithin (March 30, 2020)

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