Journeying from Bruges to Amsterdam: A Spectacular Boat and Bike Adventure - June 2-9, 2024

Last year in April, when I finished my Annapurna Base Camp trek, I decided that the following year I would do something different. That's when Kedar Gogte from Green Earth Adventures approached me with the idea of a boat and bike trip across Belgium and Holland. Every year, my brother and I have a tradition of going on one trip together, and I thought this idea was perfect.

Boat and bike adventures are my favorite, so the excitement was sometimes overwhelming. Changing jobs, adapting to a new work-life balance, and extensive travel made it difficult to practice cycling after about 35 years. Besides my brother, Kedar, and an old colleague, Meenakshi, I didn't know anyone else on the trip, so I was eager to make new friends.

My brother and I arrived in Brussels a day early and, unable to check into our room until 3pm, decided to explore central Brussels. It was a cloudy day, perfect for starting with a chocolate waffle loaded with dark chocolate and fruit. It was love at first bite, and it only grew from there. The next day, we arrived in Bruges and met our fellow cyclists, Shilpa and Meenakshi, and of course, our tour leader, Kedar. We walked from the station to the town center to meet two more of our fellow cyclists, Chetan and Neeta Patwardhan. We sat down for coffee and croissants — truly the best I've ever had. Afterward, we wandered through a flea market, where it was impossible not to buy some amazing 50-year-old treasures.

Eighteen of us came together —

Team Kulkarni (Hemant-Vinaya, Milind-Neeta, Uday-Rupa), Chetan and Neeta, Sanat and Anu, Gautam and Saloni, Shilpa, Meenakshi, Revati (my roommate with a delightful sense of humor)—and Kedar, our tour leader. Surprisingly, we all quickly developed a camaraderie that made it feel like we'd known each other for years. I found myself resonating with many of them in both excitement and a touch of fear.

Cycling 😊

Saddled up and assigned to our bikes, we set out for our first ride—a short one to get a feel for things. Initially, the bike seemed to control me more than I controlled it, but surprisingly, I quickly got into the groove and set off on our test ride. It took some time to adjust to cycling in a foreign country—following rules (coming from Pune, what rules?), riding on the right side of the road, and navigating the red-marked paths. Eventually, I decided it was best to keep pace with the team as much as possible and copy their lead.

Boating 😊

I had always imagined the cabins on the boat to be tiny cells in the basement, but I was pleasantly surprised by their layout—a place for everything, including a small wardrobe, a ledge, a TV, bathrooms with running hot water and clean shower cubicles, snow-white sheets, and cozy lighting. I loved it.

We all gravitated toward the dining area with its inviting bar, where we met our fellow cyclists from Canada, Australia, Norway, New Zealand, and Germany. Little did we know then that these strangers would weave themselves into our hearts in just one week.

Dinner followed briefings from Jan (who I always thought never slept enough) or Laura (the sweet one). It became a ritual—receiving the route printout, which initially resembled a maze of Latin and Greek numbers, and outlining things to watch for, ferries to take, and the boat's departure time.

The first day of cycling threw us into the deep end—a whopping 58 km to Ghent! But after that, the days fell into a pattern, and anything less than 40 km felt like a cakewalk.

Our day began with a hearty breakfast—freshly baked buns slathered with butter and cheese, cold cuts, mayo, mustard, veggies, yogurt, and fruit, a wholesome affair indeed. Packing lunch burgers in paper bags was a novel experience.

After much effort watching others secure their printouts to their bikes, I decided to simply follow their lead and stay close to everyone else. I had my phone with GPS, but I didn't use it much. With pannier bags slung onto the carrier, we set off in the cold, windy mornings, trying to stay together. The scenery immediately enveloped us in its magic—sprawling greens, picture-perfect houses with picket fences bursting with blossoms in their yards, bright red poppies nodding their heads as we passed, idle sheep grazing in pastures, graceful ducks and swans gliding along canals and ponds, fields swaying in the wind, brown Jersey cows grazing, rabbits playing along the pathway, tree-lined roads on either side, town halls, church spires, cobbled roads through quaint towns—and suddenly, a couple of rabbits hopped into our path, prompting us to wait for them to finish playing before we continued.

Unique Experiences

A unique sight was the bridges that snapped open to let boats pass underneath and then seamlessly snapped back. The locks through which our boat sailed, changing water levels, left us in awe, as if we were watching a Bond movie! One of the most unique places was the underwater tunnel leading to Antwerp and the 300-year-old wooden escalators. Balancing your bike while going up and down was quite an experience.

Some particularly exciting highlights along the way included:

• Fresh strawberry vending machines where you put in your coins and receive boxes of the sweetest strawberries.
• Cheese-making demonstrations showcasing the best and purest form of Gouda cheese.
• Ice cream, hot chocolate, coffees, and beer at little cafes along the way were our favorite part of the ride—and well-deserved.
• Charming windmills straight out of another era, cycling up and down quaint wooden bridges, felt like living in an Enid Blyton book.

Boat Life was Exciting Too

Dinner on the boat was a sit-down affair—simple soup, salad, a main course of fish, chicken, beef, or vegetables, and desserts of whipped cream with sprinkles. One surprise evening after cycling an insane amount turned out to be the most memorable. A live singer entertained us with soulful music on his accordion, followed by Cliff Richard's hits and others, one for each nationality. By the time he started singing Hindi songs like "Ek Main Aur Ek Tu" and "Jhingat," the dance floor was on fire, with Germans, Norwegians, and other nationalities swinging and gyrating to every beat. It was an absolutely unforgettable evening.

From the nunnery in Bruges and the quaint town square in Dendermonde to castles, architectural marvels, and Antwerp's 4-level central train station, the fishing town of Tholen, evening strolls with Jan in the beautiful medieval town of Dordrecht, Vianen's lively town square, cobbled streets, and charming flowers hanging on colorful doors—this trip offered a glimpse into a wonderful world where cyclists ruled the road with dedicated pathways fit for royalty. The weather held up—rain and sun—in perfect harmony, allowing us to enjoy a beautiful journey. What more could one ask for? I'm thrilled to have lived this dream and explored the beautiful countryside in the company of such a fabulous group.

What challenging adventure will I take on next year? Lake Constance or the Markha Valley? Only time will tell. 😊