Cross training - a sensual treat

With the half marathon behind me and a few easy 3 milers clocked this week I thought its time for some fun cycling in the name of cross training. Hooked up with a friend who was eager to ride on a saturday morning. The evening before the ride it rained heavily so we were skeptical of the next morning. I woke up and saw that it was turning into a beautiful dawn. So out came my cycle and within no time I was on the road with wind in my hair and thin rays of the sun on my face. The inner ring road to my frnd's place was almost empty and the sound of tires turning on the tarmac was music to my ears. Of course I had my favorite telugu songs providing pleasure to my ears from my nano. There is a soft delicate serenity in listening to "Mounamela noyi" while riding a cycle on an empty road. Its just you, the mute efficient means of transport powered by only human legs with its wheels silently turning, the soft cool breeze, droplets of sweat on the brow, tree lined wide roads and the soft music lilting in your ears. A glorious experience.
I reached my frnd's place around 7 am. Within five minutes we were out of the house and towards IIM Bangalore campus. People were coming onto the roads getting about their daily lives. We went through a vegetable, flower market with aromas of curry leaves, fresh ginger, garlic wafting through the air and filling the whole place. The festive preparations for diwali were obvious from the huge heaps of marigold piles on the road sides. The whole scenery was a treat to the senses. Then we passed by the madiwala lake. Thoroughly unmaintained and left to the vagaries of whoever fancies doing whatever with it the lake still didn't lack the natural beauty every natural creation inherently has. The hyacinth growing unchecked added lot of verdant green to the picture. We finally reached the campus. The very entry into the campus was surprisingly cool compared to the relative hot on the roads outside. The lush green environs, rain soaked trees, well maintained roads, grey buildings housing academic excellence, long verandas, pergolas, creeper lines stone walls gave the whole milieu a beauty unique to campuses. We found a small cafeteria run by a friendly mallu. Parked our cycles and ordered for some hot chai and bread omlette. Over chai breakfast sitting on a stone bench it was a delight catching up on favorite books, movies, everything under the sun. The surrounding Deva ganneru (Divine oleander) trees had abundance of birds looking for their share of food. Bird watching was a treat there and I tried clicking some pics of these feathered friends with my mobile.
The buildings in the campus are all set in grey concrete or stone. Some of the walls are lined with paintings to add a dash of color but time seems to have made an attempt to blend them with their surroundings. They all have lost their color and turned grey too.
After soaking in all that the campus could offer we headed back home. On the way we stopped to down a refreshing glass of freshly squeezed sugar cane juice with a dash of lime and ginger. That brought us to the end of a perfect beginning to the weekend. Yeah, we did plan to do something similar next weekend. Am also happy I got to ride about 30 km thus providing a harmonious perfect blend of physical exercise and sensual treats. I love bangalore for what it offers in the form of excellent weather conducive to such pursuits.