A Bike Ride Alone

One of the things that has been somewhat frustrating here is my lack of freedom to get out and about as I like. I understand why I am not allowed to go out by myself, but it just takes some getting used to. Last night however it changed a bit. My friend from Japan was over practicing Mendhi with me, and she had ridden her bike to my house (something which I am not allowed to do unless it is with my host mother or right in front of my house). At 6:00 pm we both had Yoga class, and my mother allowed me to ride my bike both to and from yoga class, which is several miles from my house.
On the way to yoga was an adventure by itself, with lots of dodging donkeys, rickshaws, other bicycles, pedestrians ect. There is so much to see in India, and I am so used to just gaping out the window of a car. On the bike ride I was often gazing on the other side of the road where a camel was pulling a cart, and then I had to slam on the breaks because a rickshaw was heading straight for me going the wrong direction on the road!! One thing I should mention about India is that there are road rules, but no one follows them, and it is very common to have people driving on the wrong side of the road. After a few close calls of just barely missing getting hit we both made it to yoga safely without a scratch.
All through yoga I was trying to keep my mind off of the bike ride back. Since I have not been allowed to go anywhere by myself until now, riding my bike for fifteen minutes home, alone, in the dark, during rush hour, was going to be a huge feat for me. Of course during yoga I got a cramp my calf muscle doing on of the moves. After yoga I hobbled down the steps, and made my way to my bike. By this time my calf had loosened up a bit, and a bike ride was going to do it some good. Crossing the road was an adventure, but don’t worry mom I looked both ways. Yelling Av-jo to my fellow yoga friends I took off down the road. Amazingly enough I made it home safely with only a couple of “oh my goodness” moments. I hit a couple of potholes (the dark isn’t very revealing), almost hit a donkey, but other than that I have never felt so empowered by something so simple.
Seeing a country by bike has to be one of the best ways to really get a feel for the country. If you ride in the car you can see everything, but you miss the smells and sounds. While riding my bike home I could smell the burning garbage (which actually smells a lot like burnt macaroni and cheese), the garbage heaps, the spices, the wet vegetation, everything more magnificent by night. When you are out at night I always find that your senses are magnified, and you are ten times more alert, and aware of your surroundings. It was so fun to see the things that I drive by everyday in a new light, or in this case dark. All of the shacks by the road were in the process of making dinner over their small stoves, the donkeys and cows were just settling down for the night, and one carload of people sounded like they were just beginning their night banging drums, and singing on the top of a truck. I know feel much more confident, and comfortable in my new surroundings, and all because of one little bike ride home, alone.