Its not everyday that you get an invitation to cycle down to a horse-riding school, 28kms down the ECR. So, when my 'Madras Bull' Sardar roomie asked me to pedal down to Velkom farm on ECR, I gladly accepted.

According to his approximations, we'd leave at a sunny 1545hrs, reach the place (about 15kms short of Mamallapuram) by about 1730hrs. He'd do his riding and demonstrate his superior skills in his 27th horse-riding class.

Pedalling down the East Coast Road on a BSA Mach1 has its advantages. You get the pleasure of riding against the wind and yet not tiring out. You also get to enjoy the whooshing sound the cars make as they zoom past. Even the Ambys seem to zip past at horrendous speeds. In the crawling city traffic, only riders on cycles get to overtake between the tiny gaps made by bigger stationary vehicles. I presume pressing on the accelerator is something every metropolitan driver yearns for.

Pepsi never tasted better. After a 15km stretch of non-stop cycling and my throat gone dry, it was wonderful to gulp down the 'Chinna' pepsi. It does not quench your thirst. But who cares ? I wasn't crossing the Sahara either.

Velkom farms was a treat. Loads of sand. Horses. Swift cool incessant breeze. A lonely goat with a white-coat named William. And a Worldspace radio playing some music of which I've failed to identify even a single track. Sardar zipped his chaps and mounted on his horse. I don't think its too big a deal to manage a well-trained horse. Sardar didn't even use a whip. Did the trot. The Canter. Made 'Phoenix' jump over some obstacles. Neat. And then horsey flipped him over. That was not part of the demo. Consider the guy lucky to fall in sand after doing a semi-somersault from 9ft high.

We started from there around 1915hrs. The cat eyes on the road are useless because they only reflect, not glow. We had to ride cautiously because we were cycling into dark space. Halted at the Boat House and munched our sandwiches. I think we swallowed 'em in less time than that spent in preparing 'em. Came home safe at 2100hrs, bathed, crashed. Sardar had to wake up early next morning for Class#28. I just had to sleep.