The book, "Inhaling the Roads" by Harsh Shah is nothing but a delight to read at any given point. Before I give you my review on it, here is the summary of the book.
Everybody chooses to fly high these days or taking a road trip is not extraordinary anymore. But how many of us have dreamed of taking a cycle ride to see the world?
Harsh Shah, a commerce and Spanish language professor, an amateur cyclist narrates his ride from Mumbai to Kanyakumari. He gives us a fascinating insight of his journey on National Highway 66. The story takes us through all the disquietude and excitement from the very first day of his ride to the feeling of accomplishment & satisfaction on the last day after reaching the southern tip of India.
He begins this 14 day adventurous journey from Mumbai and narrates to us his ups and down every time making us smile after finding an accommodation to live for the night and leaving his readers teary eyed after slipping and falling in the woods. He recites to us his aspiration to redeem, gain confidence in himself by not only testing his physical but mental abilities too.
Harsh rides us through the coastal region of India via this book: from the change in the language & the food of the locals to the highways, the rocky roads, the countryside, the scenic, tranquil view of virgin beaches of the western coast and his final destination.
"A bicycle rider that belonged to a
native of Gujarat, born in Karnataka, brought up in
Mumbai, about to enter Goa in few hours, has
lunch at a Rajasthani restaurant that serves Punjabi
food– Time and again, I had, indeed, felt proud of
being a citizen of such a diverse nation".
(This excerpt from the book made me laugh the most and also made me feel proud of being an Indian).
The last 500 km of his journey surely pumps the adrenaline rush in you and doesn't make you want to keep this book down until you reach the end of his journey. It is a light read that inspires you to get up and buy a bicycle and get going on your own personal ride.
Harsh plans on cycling this year to the northern tip of India : Mumbai- Jammu.
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