My sporty little red bike

One of the nicest things about living in a small, uncrowded place is that you can cycle around.

I got a cycle not because I want to help save the earth or because it doesn't pollute the air – nothing quite so noble. I cycle simply because cycling makes me feel like a kid again. Kick the pedal and - whee! away I go!

Some lazy folk say cycling is not a good idea in Goa because it tends to be hilly in some places and there are far too many upward slopes. But that, I think, is what makes it such fun. For what goes up must come down. So you may pant a bit while climbing a slope, but then after that there's that long, long curvy downward trip when you're just whizzing along at the most tremendous speed, so fast indeed that you know that if a dog decides to suddenly cross the road you'll probably go flying, and so you gently touch the brakes every now and then just to control the cycle.

Cycling is also fun because while you lazily pedal along you can look around and absorb the scenery, which is generally worth absorbing given the graceful coconut palms and other natural stuff. And if it's a little sunny you wear a straw hat and pedal along slowly in case it flies off, feeling a bit like an old woman, but a rather eccentric and youthful old woman. And just that slow, unhurried pace gives you a good feeling because you realise that if you were on a crowded city road you'd probably be tense and ready to explode with rage at the stupidity of drivers. Though I had a cycle when I lived in Delhi. One wintry day I even cycled to meet a client whose office was close by. The receptionist, who was new and didn't know me, looked at me with the disdain reserved for those poor people who need to cycle because that's all they can afford.

It's a great pity that cycling has such an unglamorous image. Because, even in cities, it's perfect when the distance to be traveled is too short for a car ride and you're too lazy to walk it. For me, 2 km is a lovely cycling distance and I can go up to 4 or 5 km without too much sweat. The only problem about having a cycle here is that it tends to rust very quickly because of all the salt and moisture in the air, particularly during the monsoons. And the paint and chrome on my little red cycle (a children's cycle, I'm embarrassed to say, because I'm not very tall) is already peeling and looks quite shabby.

One day maybe I'll get one of those flashy new cycles one sees with gears and other gizmos. But only because I can't afford ever to buy a Ferrari. Frankly, I'd rather drive a Ferrari at top speed than zip along on a sporty cycle.

But, alas and alack, that will never happen.