One thing I have tried but failed at is starting early and having enough "spare" time because curious folks will keep stopping me to ask questions, offer coffee/tea, and even ride along while talking to me.

Thus far, all my interactions have been very cordial and driven by mutual curiosity.

Thanks to my slow mode of transportation, I notice things that I would have driven by in the past.

Now, because my fat bike is a source of curiosity, I get to interact with folks I would rarely encounter in a normal situation.

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Today, I stopped to refill my water supply at a village's potable water center. While I was searching for a rupee coin, the Siddhis (African Indians) struck up a conversation with me, asking questions about my bike, my destination, and more. In short, the Siddhis are a tribe that escaped British slavery and established communities in the forests and jungles, eventually intermingling with the local population. I had been curious about them while growing up but never felt comfortable stopping to ask and interact with them because I didn't want to objectify them. Thanks to my fat bike, I got to interact with them.

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It was a bit scary and dangerous to ride on narrow, back roads after dark, but fortunately, it was less than 10 kilometers, and I arrived in my ancestral hometown, Sirsi, an hour or so after nightfall. I had made the journey back to Sirsi in less than 10 days to celebrate the Ganesha festival.