NOTES FROM THE ROAD

Pangong Tso...

2008-04-19T20:54:00.003+05:30

Ladakh Ride 2005, originally uploaded by Sumit Bajaj.

There’s an answer
In the sound of a train
There is wisdom
Past the bridge on the bay
There’s a lifetime
Through the fog
In the rain
There’s a beauty
In walking away...

Location : Pangong Tso, Ladakh (India)

Melkote

2008-04-03T00:32:00.002+05:30

Melkote, originally uploaded by Sumit Bajaj.

Melkote

2008-03-30T23:50:00.002+05:30

Melkote, originally uploaded by Sumit Bajaj.

Melukote (Kannada: ಮೇಲುಕೋಟೆ) in Pandavapura taluk of Mandya district, Karnataka, is one of the sacred places in Karnataka. The place is also known as Thirunarayanapuram. It is built on rocky hills known as Yadavagiri or Yadugiri overlooking the Cauvery valley. It is about 30 miles from Mysore and 97 miles from Bangalore.

Spiti Valley

2008-03-25T00:40:00.002+05:30

Spiti Valley, originally uploaded by Sumit Bajaj.

Where's that?
I don't know, but it's somewhere...
And it'll determine the course of the rest of your life......

Leaving Chennai

2008-02-14T18:24:00.000+05:30

What do we leave behind when we cross each frontier? Each moment seems split in two; melancholy for what was left behind and the excitement of entering a new land.

After 22 months here in Chennai at my first job after leaving IIM Kozhikode, I am moving to Bangalore next week in a new job.

Spiti Ride

2008-02-14T17:20:00.001+05:30

coffee 006, originally uploaded by Sumit Bajaj.

Somewhere en route to Chandratal...

Some snapshots from my 4200 Km solo ride...

2006-04-18T22:59:00.000+05:30

...

Riding on the Edge : Motorcycling SOLO : March 2006

2006-02-10T02:58:00.000+05:30

Goin' down that long lonesome highway
Bound for the mountains and the plains.
Sure ain't nothin' here to tie me,
and I got some friends I'd like to see again.
One of these days I'm gonna settle down,
but 'til I do, I won't be hangin' 'round.
Goin' down that long lonesome highway.
Gonna live life my way....

Yeah.. its time to ride again.. to the mountains and the plains... My two year sojourn at IIMK ends this month. And so its time for my last hurrah before I join the monotony of a regular job...

This will be a SOLO ride - A journey of adventure and discovery.. The plans will remain fluid.. though there will be a rough outline. I am starting from Kolkata.

After some the plains the real ride in the mountains will begin starting from Siliguri onwards to Bhutan and North Eastern States... I have time and provisions for a month on the road.. and the ride begins on March 4' 2006.

This post will be updated with the plans as and when they are frozen....

Cheers!

Riding 1600 Kms along the west coast of India on NH 17

2006-01-04T11:01:00.000+05:30

I need another point of view
Someplace I've never seen
Keepin' my eyes wide open
Goin' where I've never been
So take me to the highway
Take me far from here...

Term 5 ended at IIMK on December 3rd. I was itching to go for a long ride after the freak crash 3 weeks ago. The wounds were not yet fully healed but I was raring to hit the highways once again. After little deliberations Goa was decided as our holiday destination. Like my last big ride in South, this time again I rode two-up. Instead of Nitai, there was Ankit(he was riding pillion when we crashed) sharing the saddle.

The previous major ride was to Ladakh, Kashmir and Zanskar clocking some 3800+ Kms in 14 dayz. In comparison this ride was a much easier and relaxed one. There were no targets to achieve nor any pre-decided plans. There were no high passes to conquer and nothing to challenge me or the machine. We stopped anywhere we felt like.. and it so happened that we managed to spend each day at a different beach, and weren't disappointed by any of the placed we chose to stop by.

I am convinced by one thing after this ride.. GOA ROCKS!! :)) So much so that I made another trip to Goa for the new year.

Our route - The west coast of INDIA

Rider - Sumit Bajaj

Pillion - Ankit Mahajan

The Wheels - Honda Unicorn (150cc single cylinder 4-Stroke)

Luggage - Cramsters Saddle and Tank Bag system.

Camera - Canon A95 (5MP with 3x Optical Zoom and Vivitar Tripod)

Distance Clocked - 1614 Kms

Beaches - Malpe, Kapo, Gokarna, Karwar, Palolem, Baga, Calungate, Anjuna

Duration of Trip - 7 days

The Trip Log - Organized daywise...

Day 1 - Kozhikode - Mahe - Kannur - Kasargod - Mangalore - Udupi (343 Kms)

Day 2 - Udupi - Gokarna (193 Kms)

Day 3 - Gokarna - Karwar - Canacona - Palolem (109 Kms)

Day 4 - Palolem - Margao - Panjim - Calangute - Baga - Anjuna (130 Kms)

Day 5 - Calangute - Panjim - Old Goa - Calangute (90 Kms)

Day 6 - Calangute - Panjim - Margao - Karwar - Udupi - Manipal (391 Kms)

Day 7 - Udupi - Mangalore - Kasargod - Bekal Fort - Kannur - Mahe - Kozhikode (362 Kms)

--------------------------

Day 7 - Udupi - Mangalore - Kasargod - Bekal Fort - Kannur - Mahe - Kozhikode (362 Kms)

2005-12-11T10:57:00.000+05:30

December 10, 2005

Odo Reading - 17,841 Kms
Distance clocked - 362 Kms
Udupi - Mangalore - Kasargod - Bekal Fort - Kannur - Mahe - Kozhikode

The trip ends today at Kozhikode with an odo reading of 18,203 Kms making it a 1614 Km ride in all. The only major stop on the way was Bekal fort. I was visiting this place for the second time in as many months. The sea was extremely calm today. With no high waves crashing against the ramparts. The fort was almost deserted apart from a few visitors.

Bekal Fort...

This was my last big trip in 2005. The next major ride will come up in March '06 when I ride to the North East.

Cheers!

Day 6 - Calangute - Panjim - Margao - Karwar - Udupi - Manipal (391 Kms)

2005-12-10T10:44:00.000+05:30

December 09, 2005

Odo Reading - 17,450 Kms
Distance clocked - 391 Kms
Calangute - Panjim - Margao - Karwar - Udupi

Our trip was coming to an end now. We were starting the journey back to Kozhikode. Woke up early and left Calangute at 7:30 AM. Managed to dodge the heavy traffic from Margao to Panjim by starting early in the morning. Reached Canacona by 8:45 AM having covered some 90 kms. Had breakfast at a south-indian eatery and moved on. A few butt breaks more and we were at Udupi by afternoon having covered some 350 Kms.

Once again checked into Kalpana Residency after having lunch and called up Bhuvan. In the meantime we went to Capo Beach Light house which happens to be a good 15 kms away from Udupi.

Capo Beach Light House...

A beautiful sunset later we headed to Manipal(6 kms from Udupi) to meet up with Bhuvan. Spent an hour or so exploring the university town with Bhuwan and had dinner at Manipal itself. Reached back by 11 PM to Udupi.

Day 5 - Calangute - Panjim - Old Goa - Calangute (90 Kms)

2005-12-09T02:41:00.000+05:30

December 08, 2005

Odo Reading - 17,360 Kms
Distance clocked - 90 Kms
Calangute - Panjim - Old Goa - Calangute

After a daily dose of beaches, it was time to venture into other parts of Goa and do some sight-seeing. The day started with a visit to the Aguada Fort after a quick breakfast at a Punjabi Dhaba. The forts of Goa are very small compared to other Indian forts. Aguada fort is one such fort, which is small in size. The fort derived its name from Portuguese word "Aguada" meaning "water". The fort was built by Portuguese in 1612 AD near Mandovi River. The idea behind the fort was to protect Goa against any enemy attack from sea. Inside the fort, there is a spring , which was earlier used to provide water supply to the ships. Though the fort is not the best preserved monument in Goa, it exhibits the splendour of Portuguese rule in Goa. Currently at one end of the fort, the central jail of Goa has been made. The base of fort has wonderful beaches of Sinquerem and Candolim.

Aguada Fort...

The fort wasn't much impressive and soon after we headed to Panjim to catch a glimpse of the several centureis old churches, many of which are now declared world heritage monuments. Our first stop was the Church of Mary Immaculate Conception in Panjim. The church was one of the first to be built in Goa, certainly being there by 1541. The early church was completely re-built from its foundations in 1619 and this was even considered, taking accountof the still negligible population of the area and the size of the new church, is a striking commentary on the religious climateof the time and the wealth available to the churches. The interior of the church is relatively simple by the standards of the time although the backdrop to the main altar, dedicated to Mary Immaculate, is impressive enough.

Church of Mary Immaculate Conception...

The mass was going on when we reached there. There was quite a crowd assembled unlike the other churches we were going to visit later in Old Goa. After that we headed towards old Goa. The traffic reduced considerably and there was little tourist acitvity as we moved away from the beaches.

The next stop was the large and beautiful Church of St. Cajetan. It lies about half a kilometer away to the north east of the Se Cathedral, and quite near the ruins of the Viceregal Palace. This church, which is said to have been modelled on the original design of the Basilica of St.Peter in Rome, is architecturally Corinthian both externally and internally while the gilded altars with rich carvings are in rich Baroque style. The Church building itself is built of laterite blocks which are lime plastered.

The Church of St. Cajetan as it is popularly known, (originally called The Church of Our Lady of Divine Providence) and the Convent of St. Cajetan were built by Italian friars of the Order of Theatines, (known in Portuguese as Clérigos Regulares da Divina Providência). Although the church altar is dedicated to Our Lady of Divine Providence, the church is named after the founder of the Theatine order, St. Cajetan, a contemporary of St Francis Xavier.

Church of St. Cajetan...

Se Cathedral Church

Se Cathedral Church, is one of the most ancient and celebrated religious buildings of Goa, this magnificent 16th century monument to the Roman Catholic rule in Goa under the Portuguese is the largest church in Asia. The Cathedral is dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria on whose feast day in 1510 Alfonso Albuquerque defeated the Muslim army and took possession of the city of Goa. Hence it is also known as St. Catherine's' Cathedral.

The construction of this imposing edifice began in 1562 during the reign of King Dom Sebastião (1557-78) and substantially completed by 1619. The main altars however were not finished until the year 1652. It was consecrated in 1640. The Cathedral was built for the Dominicans and paid for by the Royal Treasury out of the proceeds of the sale of the Crown's property. The Cathedral stands to the west of the great square called Terreiro de Sabaio and has its façade turned to the east. Its beautiful courtyard is approached by a flight of steps. The building is Portuguese-Gothic in style with a Tuscan exterior and Corinthian interior. The church is 250 ft in length and 181 ft in breath. The frontispiece stands 115 ft high.

Church of St. Francis of Assissi

To the west of the Se Cathedral is the former palace of the Archbishop that connects the Se Cathedral to the Convent and Church of St. Francis of Assisi. The structure is built of laterite blocks and is lime-plastered. The church faces west and has a nave with three chapels on either side, a choir, two altars in the transept and a main altar. To the north of the main altar is a belfry and a sacristy. The convent, which forms an annexure to the church, now houses the Archaeological Museum.

The exterior of the Church is of the Tuscan Order while the main entrance is in Manuline style. The main altar is Baroque with Corinthian features. There are no aisles but only a nave, which is rib-vaulted.

The internal buttress walls, separating the chapels and supporting the gallery on top, have frescoes showing intricate floral designs. In a niche on the façade, stands a statue of our lady of miracles brought from Jaffna in Sri Lanka. A wooden statue of St. Francis of Assisi adorns a pedestal bearing the insignia of the Franciscans. A wooden pulpit, richly carved with floral designs is to the left as one enters.

Basilica of Bom Jesus

Basilica of Bom Jesus, is the only church in Old Goa, which is not plastered on the outside, the lime plaster having been stripped off by a zealous Portuguese conservationist in 1950. This magnificent edifice stands as a superb example of Baroque architecture in Goa. The church is called "Bom Jesus" meaning 'good Jesus' or 'infant Jesus' to whom it is dedicated. The facade has on it, at the top, the letters, "HIS" which are the first three letters of Jesus in Greek.

The main altar at the end of the nave is flanked by two decorated altars in the transept, one dedicated to Our Lady of Hope and the other to St. Michael. The richly gilded main altar has the figure of infant Jesus and above it is a large statue of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the order of Jesuits, gazing with fervour at a medallion on which is inscribed "HIS". Above the medallion, the Holy trinity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are depicted. In the transept on the northern side is the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament.

On the southern side in the transept is a chapel with gilded twisted columns and floral decorations of wood, where the sacred relics of the body of St. Francis Xavier are kept. The interior of this chapel is richly adorned with wooden carvings and paintings, depicting the scenes from the life of the Saint.

Ruins of Church of St. Augustine

Church of St. Augustine, this highly visible landmark, a 46m-high tower served as a belfry and formed part of the facade of a magnificent Church. One of the most spectacular of all monuments in Goa, reproduced on innumerable travel brochures and advertisments is the St Augustine tower in Old Goa.

Out of the more than twenty fabulous churches which once existed in the old city of Velha Goa, only ten remain today. And of these four are actually chapels. The churches were located on and between seven hills around the Velha Goa region.

The Monte Santo (Holy Hill) at Velha Goa was the site for the the monastery of the Augustinian order, attached to which was the enormous church of Nossa Senhora da Graca (Our Lady of Grace). The Tower and Church were built in 1602 by the Augustinian friars who arrived in Goa in 1587.

The tower is one of the four towers of St. Augustine Church that once stood at the site. Initially built of laterite and colossal in size, almost forty-six metres high, it had four storeys. The Tower was meant to serve as a belfry and the Church had eight richly adorned chapels and four altars and a convent with numerous cells attached to it.

The construction of the building began more than 400 years ago and was finished between the years 1597 to 1602. The name of the designer of this magnificent piece of construction is not known, but he is thought to have been Italian.

Incidentally, the construction was begun in the same year as the arrival in Goa of Julio Simao (1565-1641) who was himself influenced by the great Spanish architect Juan de Herrera (1530-1597). Simao was the chief architect of the Indian colonies of Portugal having been appointed by Philip II, ruler of Spain and Portugal between 1580-1598.

After having explored the ruins of the Church of St. Augustine, we headed to Panjim and had a late lunch in the city. We were dead tired by then and after a short rest in our room, we had dinner at The Tibetan Kitchen.

Red Red Wine again....

Grabbed a pizza from Smokey Joe's for the night and our last day in Goa came to an end...

Day 4 - Palolem - Margao - Panjim - Calangute - Baga - Anjuna (130 Kms)

2005-12-08T00:50:00.000+05:30

December 07, 2005

Odo Reading - 17,230 Kms
Distance clocked - 130 Kms
Palolem - Margao - Panjim - Calangute - Baga - Anjuna

Left Palolem at 8:30 AM and had breakfast at the same Konkan Eatery on the Highway. Margao was the next major city on the way. There are lotsa diversions in Margao and the heavy traffic makes it a tedious traverse. I sincerely believe that they should make a bypass for this place. The traffic kept increasing as we approached Panjim. I cruised at average speeds since there wasn't any hurry to reach Calangute. After about 90 Kms of driving we reached Calangute. Checked into a really big room for 350 bucks again. The place was again a homestay so it was pretty quiet and calm away from the hustle and bustle of the main streets. Being a Wednesday we headed straight to catch the Anjuna flea market.

We went to the wrong beach for the first time. Ankti wanted to get a tattoo and we spotted a real genuine looking studio also near Anjuna. The charges were 2500 bucks/hr. The work of the artist was impressive but nobody was in the mood to shell out that kind of dough for a tattoo.

We figured out the right way and headed to South Anjuna beach. It was crowded like any typical flea market in big cities. Handicrafts were the main draw apart from Goa Trance CDs. Most people were here for sight seeing than actually buying anything. There were the usual fortune tellers, ear cleaners and the usual works at touristy places.

The colors of Spice..

I love the red background..

The fortune teller..

Anjuna Beach...

After an hour or so we left Anjuna and headed towards Chapora fort. This fort was built by the Adil Shah of Bijapur on the southern headland of the Chapora River. It was also known as "Shahpur" and is now mostly ruined. It has a commanding view of the Vagator beach and is near to Anjuna beach. The red laterite bastion, crowning the rocky bluff, was built by the Portuguese in 1617 on the site of an earlier Muslim structure. Deserted in the 19th century, it lies in ruins today, although the views up and down the coast from the weed-infested ramparts are still superb. Hiking up, the lava-bedecked black rock stepping-stones lead to the 500-year-old ruins. It utters the reminiscence of the old Portuguese times giving a splendid view of the Anjuna and Vagator beaches and hills covered with coconut trees and rice fields.

Hiking upto the ramparts of Chapora Fort...

Stunning views from the top..

After over an hour of hiking around the Fort and the surrounding cliffs we headed to Baga for a sunset drink. We were dead tired after hiking a few kms. Especially since it was the first time I was walking long distances after my accident.

Baga - The most crowded strip of sand I have ever seen....

We retired to our room after the sunset and searched for an ATM to withdraw some money. Had an early dinner at Plantain Leaf and took a bottle of wine for the evening. Calangute has more options but I liked the aura of Palolem much better.

Day 3 - Gokarna - Karwar - Canacona - Palolem (109 Kms)

2005-12-06T19:58:00.000+05:30

December 06, 2005

Odo Reading - 17,121 Kms
Distance clocked - 109 Kms
Gokarna - Karwar - Canacona - Palolem

Woke up early at 7 AM and started packing our stuff. It had rained at night but surprisingly our flimsy shack held good. Grabbed a quick bite at Namaste India and said our byes to Akshat and the French gurlz. It was a beautiful sunny morning with clear skies. We took the dirt trail back to Gokarna and on the way explored some fantastic dirt tracks leading to nowhere. The slopes aroung OM beach are an off-roader's paradise especially when the monsoon is over and there are no marshy areas.

Dirt trails around OM beach...

After about an hour of trail exploring, we headed back to Gokarna and then on to the NH-17 again. The next stop was Karwar. With gentle waves, miles of golden sand, a tranquil ambience and acres of emerald foliage, Karwar has all the makings of a perfect holiday destination. The captivating landscape is ringed with rugged hill ranges, thick woods and mysteriously deep valleys. This paradise inspired the great Indian muse Rabindranath Tagore to pen his first play. Since then, this little town has continued to inspire all its visitors.The Sadashivgad Hill Fort with a Durga Temple, the unique octagonal church, the 300-year old Venkatrama Temple with ochre paintings and the Naganatha Temple, where an ant hill is worshipped, are sure to make a lasting impression. Devbagh is the most enchanting of the five islands along the Karwar coast. Visits to Anjidev Island are restricted.

Photography is prohibited at most places in Karwar. Karwar’s geographic environment with its hills and forest cover is ideal for a naval base because it provides a screen from satellite surveillance, besides the sea-bed depth enables easy berthing and navigation of ships. Project Seabird - Supposedly Asia's biggest Naval Base is under construction here. The views from the ghat sections of NH-17 are stunning and you can see the massive construction activity underway in the area.

Layout of Project Seabird - Source (http://www.bharat-rakshak.com)

At Karwar...

Spent some time around the sea along the highway before moving on. Shortly after crossed over to Goa from Karnataka. The highway goes through some forest area and the views are as always stunning. As soon as we entered Goa, every few metres we could spot a BAR/Wine Shop. Stopped for lunch near Canacona at a Konkani eatery on the Highway. Expectations were low but the food was fresh and the dal was simply amazing.

Today we travelled just a little over 100 kms. Today's halt was Palolem in South Goa. Found a good accomodation just a 100 metres away from the beach. We paid 350 bucks for a decent double with TV.

Our accomodation in Palolem

Beach shacks at Palolem..

After unloading our stuff, we headed to the beach and grabbed a quick bite before venturing into the waters. After Kovalam once again tried my hand at wakeboarding.. and mind you its fun... esp for a person like me who doesn't know how to swim. In the evening took a walk along the shore and captured life around the beach. Had my first taste of the local brew Feni which is made from coconuts and cashew. Mixed with Limca it tastes good and gives a mild high.

Enjoying the sunset with a glass of coconut Feni.. :))

After enjoying the beautiful sunset with an refreshing glass of Feni, we returned to our room and took a shower. In the evening again went to the beach and it was a pretty sight all lit up. Had dinner at Mamu's - recommended by LP and truly lives up to the review. Good service and gr8 food!

A perfect end to the day with a good Chicken Tikka and a bottle of local Goan port wine..

First day in Goa and I am already lovin it!

Cheers!

Day 2 - Udupi - Gokarna (193 Kms)

2005-12-05T17:27:00.000+05:30

December 05, 2005

Odo Reading - 16,928 Kms
Distance clocked - 193 Kms
Udupi - Gokarna - OM Beach

After a good night's sleep, we checked out of Udupi at 8:30 AM and set out to have breakfast at the same restaurant on the National Highway. While on the road in India authentic south indian food is the easiest way to get decent fresh food at prices that won't burn a hole in your pocket. Tried out the tomato omelette(its a vegetarian preparation made to look like an egg omelette).. the taste was funny but good. For sometime Ankit thought that he was actually consuming an egg omelette. LOL

Time for breakfast at Udupi...

A few Kms beyond Udupi along the NH-17

The NH-17 from Udupi onwards is a dream ride... with the road snaking along the Arabian Sea. We stopped for some lime soda and Ankit lit up a fag. Sometimes smoking seems to be a gud pass-time, though I don't think I will ever be a smoker.. ;-). I didn't have very high expectations from the west coast. But I was surprised to find that the single laned NH-17 affords you some of the best possible rides in this country with scenic locations and a photo-op almost every few kms if you are interested in capturing the sights...

For sometime you are riding along the ocean, then a few kms later you cross a bridge and get magnificent views of inland waterways.. some obscure river(who is interested in names anyways..) losing it self into the sea and what not. After another few kms we gained some altitude and rode along some wonderful twisties with gr8 views on both sides of the road. There were cliffs on one side overlooking the Arabian Sea and a valley on the other side. The onset of winters had burnt the shrubs and grasses along the roads a golden hue. I found a dirt trail leading to the cliffs and rode on. This is the best part of touring on a motorbike. In a car you miss these sights and in public transport the commuting is usually an uncomfortable ordeal. On a bike you can take the road(some time no roads...) less taken... :D

The cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea...

After exploring the several trails, we headed back to the highway and decided to break the journey at Gokarna. The town is a gud 12 Kms detour from the NH-17 with a narrow road in decent condition leading to the sleepy town. Its a study in contrast as Israelis in skimply clothes jostle along with the pilgrims in this holy town with non-chalance. Goa without the chaos, Gokarna is a heady mix of pilgrim centers and rave parties. With its narrow streets, traditional houses and temples, the nondescript town of Gokarna has become the favourite haunt of Hindu pilgrims, Sanskrit scholars and beach buffs. Locals believe that Gokarna derives its name from a legend in which Lord Shiva emerged from the ear of a cow. Literally meaning ‘cow’s ear,’ this village is formed by the ear-shaped confluence of two rivers. Adventurous travellers must be prepared for a bit of cliff-scrambling in this coastal town. Om beach, one of Gokarna’s five famed beaches, takes the shape of an ‘Om,’ a spiritual symbol. The other beaches, wedged between gigantic cliffs that protrude like delicate fingers into the sea, are Gokarna, Kudle, Half Moon and Paradise. Situated in the north coast of Kanara, Gokarna consists of three isolated coves--Kudli, Om, Paradise and the beach of Half moon.The drive up the winding path that leads to Gokarna is a scenic delight with rocky mountains and the Western Ghats on one side and the Arabian Sea on the other.

We reached Gokarna around 1:30 PM. We went to the main beach and I managed to get the bike stuck in deep sand along the shore. Burnt copious amounts of clutch to get out of the mess. Asked for directions to the OM beach and had lunch at a crappy Bar cum Restaurant. There ain't much to look for in the town unless you are religiously inclined. For non-believers like me such things hold no interest. The way to OM beach is a winding dirt trail lined with loose gravel. You reach a cliff overlooking the beach and then you step down to the idyllic setting.

The OM beach , Gokarna...

Acoomodation is pretty limited here. Namaste India hotel is the only place worth staying. The shacks are nothing to write home about, but still you got electricity and running water in common bathrooms. We paid 125 bucks for the acco. However in my opinion carrying a tent and sleeping bag is the best option for a place like Gokarna. With several beaches (including some nudist ones..) within a few kms hiking distance, I would prefer to pitch my tent at some cliff overlooking the sea.

Our shack... at OM beach..

We went down to the restaurant below to grab a quick drink. Suddenly we hear our names being called. Surprised we turn aroung and find Akshat, Pauline and Margo(the French Exchange students) at the adjacent table. After the usual chit-chat, we left to have a look around the shore. There are lots of rocks and vantage points to get awesome views of the sea. The beach has a very rustic feel to it. It won't last long though with some resorts under construction.

Holy Cow!!

Walking into the sunset...

Enjoyed the sunset sitting on a large rock. Unlike other places, here you can actually enjoy the sunset in silence. There is no carnival like atmosphere, typical of Goa. We were joined by Pauline and Margo for dinner. Tried some dishes and drowned the grub with a bottle of Old Monk. With nothing better to do, the three of us watched Hyderabad Blues-II on Ankit's laptop. Returned to grab the last cup of chai before the place closed down at midnight. Second day of the trip and another day well spent. :)

Day 1 - Kozhikode - Mahe - Kannur - Kasargod - Mangalore - Udupi (343 Kms)

2005-12-05T02:59:00.000+05:30

December 04, 2005

Odo Reading - 16,585 Kms
Distance clocked - 343 Kms
Kozhikode - Mahe - Kannur - Kasargod - Mangalore - Udupi

Started off from Kozhikode at 10 AM. The weather was clear and we made our way throught the traffic of Calicut city effortlessly. After about half hour we hit the National Highway. The highways here are single laned hence the speeds are a bit lesser compared to the northern highways like NH-1. Still one can cruise comfortably at 80Kph on these roads for most of the times. The rogue bus drivers were a menace as usual.

Took the first break at Kannur at 12 PM and stopped for some juice. Next break was at Kasargod at 2:30 PM. I had done this stretch before so there wasn't much to see or stop en-route. I would again stop at Bekal Fort on our way back from Goa. We were still undecided as to where to halt for the night. After crossing Mangalore at 4 PM, we decided to call it a day at Udupi at 5 PM.

Udupi, 60 Kms from Mangalore, is where Madhwacharya, the propounder of Dwaitha philosophy, lived and taught 700 years ago. Madhwacharya established the eight Sanyasi Mutts at Udupi. According to legned, the statue of Sri Krishna in the famous temple here is believed to have turned around to give darshana to the kuruba devotee, Kanakadasa, who was not allowed to enter the temple because Kanakadasa belonged to a different caste. It is best known as the seat of Madhwa renaissance, founded by the sage Madhwacharya, outcome of which are Ashtamathas, located in the famous Car Street, surrounding the Sri Krishna Temple.

Checked into Kalpana Residency which has some very decent accomodation at just 170 bucks for a double situated right in the town centre. I opened the windows and saw an eagle perched on an abandoned pole. Later it dawned on me that the room overlooked a graveyard.

Staying where Eagles dare... (our room overlooked a graveyard in Udupi)

After parking our luggage in the room, we headed towards Malpe beach to catch the sunset and relax at the beach. By the time we reached the beach the skies were a blazing crimson and the spectacle reminded me of the sunset I witnessed at Narkanda (HP).

Malpe Beach.. Udupi

The words of the song My Back Pages rang into my ears as I strolled along the shore on wet sand...with the horizons turning a bright crimson..

Crimson flames tied through my ears
Rollin' high and mighty traps
Pounced with fire on flaming roads
Using ideas as my maps
"We'll meet on edges, soon," said I
Proud 'neath heated brow.
Ah, but I was so much older then,
I'm younger than that now...

Its strange when you are out on a journey you tend to reflect on stuff that has been lying dormant in some corner of your mind. Unanswered questions pop out of nowhere and make you ponder... Its amazing how you can feel lonely when you are surrounded by a sea of people... the sounds are unknowingly blocked off from your senses and you dvelve into a state of deep thought immune to the noise of the surroundings.. I ain't making much sense here... but then such things are kinda difficult to put down in words... There are times when words fail you...

After spending an hour or so at the beach, we proceeded towards the Krishna temple to be there in time for the evening puja. Udupi is first among the seven places of pilgrimages. Thousands of pious devotees throng the Krishna temple all round the year to catch a glimpse of Lord Krishna. The unique feature of this temple is that the Lord is worshipped only through a window with nine holes called the Navagraha Kitiki. The window is exquisitely carved and silver - plated. It has been a tradition in this temple to worship the Lord only through this window.

The Krishna Temple compound...

It so happened that a devotee had made a large offering and hence there was going to be an elaborate ceremony complete with fireworks, elephants and the chariots out in their full glory. The ability to instantly see one's picture is a boon of the digital age. Its so easy to bring a smile to a child's face with a mere click of a button and a replay.

A child beggar happily posing in front of the elephant being readied for the procession...

There was a large attendence for the procession and we had to queue up for a visit to the main temple. There were some cultural performances going on in the temple compound by kids. Spent some time there and then went out to catch the action at the main ceremony.

The procession being carried out..

Had dinner at a highway Udupi restaurant and crashed soon after.. It had been a long day and a rather tiring one...

Kozhikode - Trivandrum - Kovalam - Kozhikode

2005-11-11T23:00:00.000+05:30

November 9 '2005

Surprise! Nope I didn't ride to Kovalam.. It was the good old Indian Railways after a really long time.. And I would have to admit, I was really surprised by the levels of cleanliness here. Being used to trains passing through the enlightened states of UP and Bihar.. the absence of litter on the trains and the platforms was a shocking sight for me! Now that doesn't mean I have forgiven the railways for messing up with the transport of my motorbike bigtime. :(

This time around it was just two of us - Me and Dheeraj for a 36 hr trip to Kovalam and back. Now kovalam is supposedly the best beach in Kerala and true to its reputation and hype, it didn't disappoint us in anyway.

We left by Trivandrum Express in the evening and again to my surprise reached trivandrum before day-break. May be I should break some of my stereotypes of the Indian Railways. Now we had our breakfast at the humble Indian Coffee House which is just across the road in front of the Railway Station in Trivandrum.

The 'expensive' Indian Coffe House..

Dheeraj(funny boy) kept cribbing about the place being too expensive. By evening he would be heading back here... after some interesting epicurean adventures at Kovalam... LOL

Now since one of our 'beloved' former presidents had expired the day before.. it was a national holiday. So there was nothing left to be done in Trivandrum and we soon headed off to Kovalam, which is just 15 odd kms from the capital. We took an autorickshaw and headed straight to the Lighthouse Beach or so it is called.. Called up Ravi twice to confirm that we were actually at the right beach.. With the light house clearly visible we were reassured and the sea looked just fabulous... Had a quick bit at a sea side restaurant before hitting the waves. This particular portion of beach is a bit rough but much less crowded. Since none of us is a good swimmer.. we will anyways be restricted to shallow waters... :(

The Light House at Kovalam Beach...

Waters are rough here.. but the waves are just too gud..

After spending some time in the waters... we hired a wakeboard for an hour and tried to balance on the waves.. after struggling for a little while we were getting the hang of the stuff. Its really a gr8 fun activity. It had begun to rain and Dheeraj started feeling cold and after an hour or so we decided to leave the sea... But I have already promised myself to be here again.. sometime.. soon...

After having some Chai, we went about exploring the sea face and the nearby region. Our train was scheduled at 8:45 PM so we had plenty of time to spend.

More warnings!

We didn't see the sunset due to the overcast skies but still the evenings at sea have an attraction of their own...

By 6:30 PM we started looking for a place to have dinner. The sea-food was displayed in all its glory at most of the beach face restaurants.. but none of us had the appetite for it. Dheeraj decided to get adventurous and ordered Pizza and Chocolate Pudding.. The pizza was burnt and the pudding tasted like anything but chocolate. The lingering taste of the two spoons that we managed to eat were washed away with Coke.

Now Dheeraj(yeah him..) was willing to go to coffe house by his own volition.. how people change.. LOL.. After a light dinner we rushed to catch our train back to Kozhikode.. and another wonderful outing came to an end!

Kozhikode - Mahe - Tellicherry - Bekal Fort - Kozhikode (382 kms on NH-17... )

2005-11-09T02:46:00.000+05:30

November 6 '2005

Two Unicorns and a Thunderbird Left Kozhikode at 6 AM.(we were supposed to leave by 5 AM).. and headed swiftly towards Mahe along the NH-17. Roads are mostly single laned but good enough to cruise at 90-110 Kph in the wee hours of the morning. We reached Mahe in just under 90 mins and took out first break at Tellicherry drive-in beach... After days of raining cats n dogs at K, the sunny day was a welcome change. Me and Dheeraj went for a ride along the beach. I was riding rough on the uneven surface and after two jumps in the air.. the rear reflector broke off! More damage... *sigh*....

Tellicherry Drive-in Beach...

After about spending 40 minutes at Tellicherry beach we headed towards Kannur. Ravi's bike was low on air pressure but thankfully it wasn't a puncture and we stopped in Kannur for breakfast. The place looked shabby from the outside but the food was good.

Sunscreen.. more sunscreen....

Ravi, Surabhi n Neeta were just back from Kovalam and Ravi was a perfect example of a sunburnt specimen. None of us had slept and the effects would show during the return journey...

After that we took frequent butt-breaks! and it was really hot n humid by the time we reached Bekal Fort. Dheeraj had a scary moment on the way but fortunately nothing untoward happened.

Bekal fort...

Bekal fort, the largest and the best-preserved fort in Kerala, lies 16 Kms south of Kasaragod on the national highway at the northern tip of the state. The fort, a circular imposing structure of laterite rising 130 ft. above sea level, stands on a 35 acre headland that runs into the Arabian sea.

bekal fort This fort is more than 300 years old and is believed to have been built in the 1650's by Sivappa Naik of the Ikkeri dynasty. There is also another belief that it was originally built by Kolathiri Rajas and later captured by Sivappa Naik. The fort was occupied Hyder Ali of Mysore in 1763 A.D and then the Huzur of Canara during Tipu Sultan's reign and later the British. During the British rule, the erstwhile Bekal taluk was part of South Canara district and encompassed the present Kasaragod and Hosdurg taluks.

The fort with its zigzag entrance, strategically designed openings on the outer walls for defense and trenches around, has no palaces inside and was probably build just for Defence purposes. The sea bastion, underground tunnels and the observation tower in the fort are impressive. The Bekal Fort has been a source of attraction for historians, tourists and nature - lovers for centuries since it embodies memories of a glorious past.

Ravi n Surabhi cooling off.. with ice-creams..

Being a Sunday, there was quite a crowd at the fort. We spent a few hours exploring the fort campus. The sight of the waves breaking against the rocks is a breathtaking.

After getting roasted in the sun we desperately wanted to get into the sea.. but the water was extremely rough and dangerous.. so we decided to head back.. and spend some time in Tellicherry if possible. Had a late lunch at some resort on the way. Everyone was dead tired by that time... the sleep deprivation was getting to everyone...

After that breaks were frequent.. Ravi's chain had come loose and sliding over the sprocket breaking teeths in the process... After a long search finally found a mech with tools to tighten the chain.. and rode on.. Had another break at another resort near Mahe.. and finally reached back to K at 11 PM.

Back from a 3800 Km journey to heaven...

2005-09-23T18:25:00.000+05:30

Way out here you can see for miles
If there was anything to be seen
Maybe I could tell the difference between
Where I am and where I've been..

Kargil - Leh highway....

Suru Valley

Zanskar..

Finally back to God's own campus after my best vacation ever.. Two weeks spent in some of the most beautiful places on this planet.. From rain to snow storms.. saw it all... during the 3800 Km ride.. to heaven and back.. through Ladakh, Zanskar and the verdant Kashmir valley..

Day 01 - Gurgaon - Delhi - Ambala - Ludhiana - Pathankot - Jammu

Day 02 - Jammu - Srinagar - Sonamarg - Zojilla Pass(11,649 Ft)

Day 03 - Zojilla Pass - Dras - Kargil

Day 04 - Kargil - Lumayaru - Leh

Day 05 - Leh - Khardung La - Leh

Day 06 - Leh - Karu - Chang La - Tangtse - Pangong Tso - Tangtse

Day 07 - Tangtse - Pangong Tso - Spangmik - Tangtse

Day 08 - Tangtse - Chang La - LEH

Day 09 - LEH - Lumayaru - Fatu La - Namika La - Kargil - Sankoo

Day 10 - Sankoo - Panikhar - Parkachik Glacier - Rangdum

Day 11 - Rangdum - Penzi La(4450 Mt) - Drang-Drung Glacier - Rangdum Monastery- Sankoo - Kargil - Drass

Day 12 - Drass -Zojilla Pass - Sonmarg - Srinagar - Gulmarg - Srinagar

Day 13 - Srinagar - Jammu

Day 14 - Jammu - Delhi

Day 14 - Homeward bound.....(the end..)

2005-09-21T04:39:00.000+05:30

September 20, 2005

Odo reading - 14,180
Distance clocked - 644 Kms
Jammu - Delhi

After two weeks in the mountains, it was finally time to get back to the grind. Started from Jammu at 6:30 AM and reached home at 7 PM. Nothing more to mention.. just riding real fast.. like we normally do on NH-1. But there was no time to relax as I had to catch my flight to Bangalore in the morning. Packed my stuff and within hours it was time to leave for the airport.

In all I had clocked 3814 Kms during the trip riding through some of the most beautiful and remotest places on this planet..

End of the journey!

Day 13 - Last day in paradise..

2005-09-20T04:18:00.000+05:30

September 19, 2005

Odo reading - 13,865
Distance clocked - 315 Kms
Srinagar - Jammu

Agar firdous bar rul-e-zameen ast, hamin ast-o-hamin ast-o-hamin ast..
If there is a paradise in the world, it is here, it is here, it is here
- Urfi, Persian poet on Kashmir

The picturesque Dal Lake..

Dal Lake at midnight..

This was our last day in Kashmir or paradise as its widely called by poets and writers. Kashmir has lost much of its sheen ever since terrorism engulfed the valley. But for good normalcy is returning barring a few stray incidents every now and then. While cruising in a shikara on a Dal Lake you almost forget the massive military presence until a boat or two of CRPF meets your sight. Other left for Jammu early morning. Me and Salil decided to stay back for a few more hours and take a shikara ride around Dal Lake which is the life of Srinagar and lends much of the charm to it.

Houseboats like the one above are a main fixture of Dal Lake. There are around 1,500 houseboats on a series of lakes, of which Dal Lake and Nagin Lake are the largest. The boats are a relic of the Raj, originally built as a workaround by British officers in the 19th century, when they were denied the right to buy land in the valley by the Maharajah. After Indian independence, the Kashmiris developed and honed the tourism industry, creating regulations to preserve the beauty and peace of the valley. But since 1989 the valley had been plunged into turmoil with almost a civil-war like situation. Its only after two decades that tourists are returning to this verdant paradise. The houseboats offer all modern amenities with the top end ones offering service levels akin to five star hotels. A Shikara (a canopied small gondola, rowed with heart-shaped paddles) is attached to every house-boat like a water taxi. Vendors in Shikaras glide up to the doorsteps of the house-boat; a floating market of fruits, flowers, shawls, carpets, jewellery and handicrafts. Very much like the backwaters of Kerala one can see school children commuting using small boats.

School kids commuting to school on a shikara..

We stepped out of our Shikara for a stroll in the Nehru Garden situated on an island within the lake. The flowers were in full bloom and I made the full use of the macro mode in my camera. Surprisingly inspite of being the best time to visit the valley there were hardly any tourists. We were the lone tourists in the park and during our whole ride we didn't encounter more than 10 visitors. It isn't hard to see the effects. Several houseboats are abandoned or in a dilapidated state. The same is the condition with numerous hotels.

Flowers of all colors and hues...

You will find vendors of all sorts in boats rowing up to you and trying to sell stuff ranging from Saffron to beer. The price is a steep markup but if you want to indulge yourself, you got it all here. The Dal Lake changes its hues every hour and its fascinating to watch the beauty unravel in stages.

A floating shop..

The streets of Dal Lake..

Entire markets exist in the bylanes of Dal Lake selling everything under the sun. You can just stop your shikara at any shop and hop right in. Most shops however were selling handicrafts and textiles.

There are floating fields used for cultivating water lilies and vegetables. Even chillies! Its an entire eco-system supporting a community. Truly its the life of Srinagar but sadly the lake has been reduced to half its size over the last 50 years due to environmental neglect and claiming of land.

Floating fields..

After a 3 hr ride around the Dal Lake had lunch at Nathu's on the main street and then checked out of the hotel. We had planned for a 6 hr ride to Jammu but would eventually end up taking 10 hrs for the same. Heavy army traffic and the movement of nomadic shephers on the roads slowed us down. Finally reached jammu at 10 PM and called up Manik's home. He was there at the nahar to recieve us and after a tiring day's ride it was soon time to sleep.

Day 12 - Back in Kashmir....

2005-09-18T16:11:00.000+05:30

September 18, 2005

Odo reading - 13,595
Distance clocked - 270 Kms
Drass -Zojilla Pass - Sonmarg - Srinagar - Gulmarg - Srinagar

First views of Sonmarg after crossing Zojilla..

Woke up early and loaded our bikes. I had drained the gas cylinder last night since it was leaking now. Inspite of the knob being open the whole night, there was still some gas left. Also emptied the petrol jerrycan since we won't be needing any spare fuel in the valley. It had snowed heavily in the night and you could see most of the hills around Drass blanketed in snow. There was still a mild drizzle going on which instensified as we approached the ascent to Zojilla. The ascent was now a slush of mud and rocks with hardly any grip for the motorbikes. My hands were getting frozen and I could hardly feel any sensation. My so called waterproof gloves weren't enought to stand against the hostile weather. Stopped at the last TCP before the pass and spent some time drinking hot tea and some snacks. The rains eased a little and we were back on road. The region we had camped in while going to Ladakh was now covered in snow. There was very little traffic due to landslides at several places. It was a relief after we saw the black tarmac after descending from Zojilla. Rode fast for the remaining 10 kms to Sonmarg.

Stopped at a Punjabi Dhaba for breakfast and warmed up. There were hardly any tourists there too. After about 45 mins began on our way to Srinagar. At several places on the way there were huge marshy areas which were difficult and dangerous to cross. The rains had been pretty heavy it seems but thankfully the weather was now clearing and sunlight was bathing the valley.

A taxi driver suddenly stopped in the middle of the road to pick a passenger and I crashed behind due to the slippery ground. My front disk had locked. The two layers of nylon lowers ensured that I escaped without a scratch but the front fairing of the bike got damaged. We moved on! After that it was a straight away to Srinagar. The idea was to dump the luggage in Srinagar and head for Gulmarg. Now again what a coincidence! The hotel we checked in was the same where the others were put up. On top of that it was a Sunday too, just like it was at Khardung La.

All of us decided to head for Gulmarg. Stopped for lunch a few kms before Gulmarg and reached there at 4:30 PM. Gulmarg is supposed to have the second highest Gondola in the world. The new upper section of the gondola stretches 2.65 kilometres, connecting the bowl-shaped Kongdoori Valley with the 4390-metre (13,400 feet) Afarwat peak. The new lift has 36 cabins and is capable of carrying up to 600 people per hour. A lower section of the lift was completed several years ago - in total the lift is 4.95km (3 miles) long, project cost has been Rs 110 million.

Gulmarg is the favourite haunt of local tourists and was particularly crowded as it was a Sunday. We spent time exploring the valley and clicking photos.

Gulmarg...

The valley...

Day 11 - More glaciers and last day in Zanskar....

2005-09-17T21:41:00.000+05:30

September 17, 2005

Odo reading - 13,345
Distance clocked - 250 Kms
Rangdum - Penzi La(4450 Mt) - Drang-Drung Glacier - Rangdum Monastery - Sankoo - Kargil - Drass

There ain't no load that I can't hold
Road so rough this I know
I'll be there when the light comes in
Just tell 'em we're survivors..

Dak Bungalow at Rangdum Village..

Our trip was coming to a close now with just 3 days left for me to catch my flight to Bangalore. Even with the current schedule I would be bunking 3 days of lectures. Any more and I could be in serious trouble. Salil also had to report to work. So we decided to ride till Drang-Drung Glacier near the Penzi La pass and then begin the return leg of our journey.

Both of us had skipped yesterday's lunch, dinner and had started without breakfast. It was foolish on our part and it would begin to show in a few hours. After splitting from the group we were riding hard and fast but had totally neglected our health and nutrition. But then there is a limit to what the human body can endure and in this extreme climate you don't stand a chance against the fury of nature.

We started early morning at 6 PM for Penzi La. It was freezing cold and the strong winds were chilling us to the bone. We pushed ahead and after an hour of spirited riding reached the Checkpost at Rangdum gompa and registered our presence. Further ahead it was a gentle climb to Penzi La but the roads were again rocky and bumpy. There was no sign of tarmac whatsover for the entire stretch. At Penzi La a lone and worn out signboard proclaimed "Welcome to Zanskar Valley". We took a short hike around the pass but at 4550 Mt of altitude and the neglect of our health quickly began to show. We were shivering and it was a tough ask to take even a stroll.

Penzila Pass at 4450 Metres of altitude..

The whole area around Penzi La is inhabited by Marmots. You can see their holes everywhere. But its difficult to capture one on camera as they are extremely camera shy. There are a few small alpine lakes near the pass with azure blue waters which are a treat to the eyes.

A small Alpine lake near Penzi La..

Further beyond Penzi La lies the majestic Drang Drung glacier which is perhaps the largest glacier in Ladakh after Siachen. After riding right upto the snout of the several kilometres long tongue of glistening white ice, we had a feeling of having accomplished something in one of the remotest regions of the country. Compared to Parkachik, Drang Drung has lots of fresh snowfall and the sunlight reflecting off it was a spectacle to watch.

Staring at the majestic Drang-Drung Glacier...

Explored for a little while near the glacier. We had exhausted ourselves totally by that time. We munched on some biscuits and decided to head back then. We would stop enroute to visit the Rangdum Gompa before leaving for Drass.

I was born to chase a dream
Any road at all is my way
Any place is where I've been
Anything is what I've seen...

We made a descent to the Rangdum Valley again and took several shorter trails. The fall in altitude made us feel much better and we proceeded towards Rangdum Gompa. It is an 18th century Buddhist Monastery perched atop a central hill. The reddish hue of the surrounding hills was changing colors by the minute as the sun rose further up.

The Rangdum monastery..

The approach to the monastery..

Salil wasn't particularly in the mood to hike two kms to reach the monastery. However the monks invited us to visit the museum and the prayer hall and we relented. I was surprised to see some very old monks too doing hard labour by hauling away sacks of fodder and fuel for the winter. The place was calm and serene apart from the playful kids in the school run by the monks.

Entrance to the Rangdum Monastery..

View from the terrace of the monastery..

In the valley again...

Made our way back to Rangdum Village after spending some time at the monastery. The views were inviting us to explore further but time simply wasn't on our side.

Back in Rangdum..

Had lunch at the only restaurant there and retrieved our stuff from the Dak Bungalow. While leaving, had a chat with the keeper who was a Ladakhi. He kept harping on how Ladakh is different from Kashmir not only by geography but culture also.

On the way back nera Panikhar met a lone German cyclist who knew only a little bit of English. He was trying to figure out his way on the map and was panting for breath. The stones and gravel ensured that he had to tow his bike along with him. We informed him of his current location and information regarding accomodation along the way. He was the only other adventurer we encountered during our whole ride in Zanskar. I must say, I was pretty impressed by his guts.. going all alone at this ripe old age..sure requires some courage!

The German cyclist with a shepherd..

We were riding faster than before, partly since we were now familiar with the terrain and also since we had to reach Dras by evening. Reached Kargil by 5 PM. But we were in no mood to stay again at this crappy place, so proceeded towards Dras. Reached there at 6:30 PM. Salil wanted to cross Zojilla Pass in the night but I wouldn't agree to that. Finally after a cup of tea we decided to stay for the night in Dras. It was a good decision as it rained heavily that night and there was heavy snowfall at Zojilla. We would have frozen had we proceeded in the night. Also made my first phone call to home after leaving Leh. Had dinner at a Nepalese restaurant. Slept early and planned to leave at daybreak.

Day 10 - Untamed Zanskar....

2005-09-17T04:01:00.000+05:30

September 16, 2005

Odo reading - 13,255
Distance clocked - 90 Kms
Sankoo - Panikhar - Parkachik Glacier - Rangdum

'Give to me the life I love,
Let the love go by me,
Give the jolly heaven above
And the byway nigh me.
Bed in the bush with stars to see,
Bread I dip in the river...
There's the life for a man like me,
There's the life forever...

Breakfast at the Dak Bungalow at Sankoo..

Woke up at 7:30 AM. By that time the room was bathed in sunlight. We could see the glistening snow covered peaks from the huge windows. After a few cups of tea and the dry rotis and butter for breakfast we quickly wrapped up our stuff and loaded the bikes for the hard ride that lay ahead of us. Sankoo is the gateway to the picturesque Suru Valley surrounded by small villages and colorful snow dusted rocky mountains. The undulating alpine meadows are strewn with wild flowers and are intensely cultivated against the backdrop of the lofty mountains.

Tricolour adorns this bridge into the Suru Valley

About 25 kms from Sankoo lies Panikhar, lying under the shadow of the sister peaks Nun-Kun both of which tower into the skies at over 7100 mtrs. The first sight of Nun was seen about 12 kms from Panikhar. Salil's rear tire was losing air so we had to stop at Panikhar. It is the last town where you could get any sort of repairs done. There is a lone puncture shop which is mostly closed and you have to call the person from his home.

The roads are rough but the views on the outskirts of Panikhar are stunning..

As you progress further you get a feeling of being in the wilderness. The road to this valley was built only in 1981 and the region is accessible for only about 3 months in a year. At other times its snowed out beyond the reach of motor vehicles. Luckily the puncture repair shop was open and we got the puncture fixed in about 30 mins. What was surprising was that the puncture was caused by a tiny shrapnel of rock. Just a reminder of how tough this journey was going to be. Curious villagers gathered around us as very few people do this route on two wheels. Even otherwise the tough terrain ensures that most tourists stay away from this region.

We gained altitude along the raging Suru river. There were no traces of any road from Panikhar onwards. Just rocks and gravel constituted the trail. Suddenly we had to stop around a turn. There was a massive rock slide. The road workers cleared the area in a short time and we proceeded further into the Suru valley.

The massive rock that was blocking our way...

Beyond Panikhar the river makes its way through an incredibly narrow gorge. The roads too shrink to a narrow width with barely enough room for a vehicle to go at one time. We are slowed down considerably the the presence of big stones throughout the route.

Well, the road's been rocky along the way
It's been a long, hard haul on the motorway
But if it gets too smooth it's time to call it a day...

There are no markers on the road to give you any sense of direction. We took several wrong detours which would end abruptly and we would be forced to backtrack. After a few kms of this rocky trail we were greeted with the massive Parkachik glacier. The road was all dirt stones and huge potholes. I feel elated on having done this route which was completed just over 20 yrs ago and till that time this valley was closed to all but the local shepherds and caravans.

The Parkachik Glacier in the background..

We took a break at the Parkachik Glacier and explored the region around. There were some wildflowers still growing in the vicinity of this huge sheet of ice. The difficult roads were taxing on both our bodies and our machines. After having some biscuits and fresh water from the river, we proceeded ahead. There was a steep climb after Parkachik which steps down into a huge grassy valley. The afternoon sun lends the valley an ethereal ambience as the ochre hills are bathed in the strong sunlight and a reddish hue is visible in the distant horizon.

The start of Rangdum Valley..

The valley was in stark contrast to the prevailing terrain a few kms behind. The roads were still gravel but the stones had reduced in size. The grassy banks of the river were almost at road level now.

The only humans we encountered were the nomadic shepherd who were busy gathering the last bits of fodder to prepare for the winter which was just days away now. The snow line was rapidly inching closer to the ground. The river had calmed down from the raging torrent it was near Parkachik. We were in heaven now!

Me and Salil in the grasslands...

We found a good patch and made our way off the road into the grassy banks of the river. Marmot holes abounded in the regions. But the Marmots were too camera shy to be captured on snaps. We were now miles away from civilization. We could clearly hear the sounds of the flowing water and the breeze past us. Suddenly there was a loud honking of a truck horn. I turned around and saw an Army convoy on the move. The driver was waving his hand. I waved back and the convoy moved ahead. The Army's 4WD trucks were the only other vehicles we encountered on this route.

An Army convoy on the move..

The road ahead was getting picturesque by the mile. As we neared Rangdum herds of cattle could be seen grazing along the river banks. The shepherds were busy at work. Most shepherds would wave at us now.. though we couldn't make out the language.. but the tone and the look on their faces was warm and friendly enough..

A young shepherd at work..

Slowly the grasslands began to disappear as we made our way across a dried river bed to Rangdum Village.

Rangdum village in sight now...

Reached Rangdum at 5 PM. Made our way to the lone Dak Bungalow and looked around. There was nobody to be seen. I climbed the boundary wall and found that all doors were locked. Went inside the village and the helpful locals found the keeper and finally we had shelter for the night. The rent was a measly 100 rupees. There are no modern amenities here. No running water, no telephones, no electricity.. nothing. Its like being transported back into a different time altogether.

The Police Check post at Rangdum

Registered ourselves at the lone checkpost at Rangdum. We were terribly hungry and exhausted by now. Made our way to the only eatery there and feasted on maggi and tea.

The restaurant providing basic sustenance in Rangdum..

The Rangdum Village..

Explored the village for a while then retired into our room and fell asleep in no time. The exhaustion was visible now and we could feel the loss of strength and stamina for the first time during our trip.

Day 09 - So Zanskar it is..

2005-09-15T17:13:00.000+05:30

September 15, 2005

Odo reading - 12,975
Distance clocked - 280 Kms
LEH - Lumayaru - Fatu La - Namika La - Kargil - Sankoo

Drive into the sun
sinkin' down the road
feel our wheels in motion
that's when I know
that the road to freedom
is the road we're on...

It took a long time to wrap up everything in LEH. Since the group was splitting now, we had to sort out the luggage and related stuff. Spares and tools were separated and it was only by 11 AM that we finally loaded our bikes. Rode out of LEH at 12 PM after having breakfast. Much of this road was covered in the night. So we were enjoying riding on this wavy straightaways. Much of the area on the sides is a wasteland pretty much like a desert but a very cold one at that. With just Salil and Me left now for the journey to Zanskar, the speeds were much faster. The plains here are a sharp contrast to the high mountain passes that one has to cross to reach LEH. Came across this freshly painted road sign by BRO(Wasn't there when we came to LEH). Very aptly titled I would say.. and placed just at the right location in the wildernes..

The Journey of Life is Long and the Path Unknown..

In day I could witness the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers at Nimu. Here the mighty Zanskar plunges out of a canyon to meet the Indus. This is one of the best rafting destinations with class 3 and class 4 rapids. The panorama of the comfluence is breathtaking with the deep canyon in full view. The canyon of the Indus comprises of the roaring silt laden river flanked by colourful and contorted rock formations towering into the sky.

The confluence of the Indus and Zanskar rivers...

Stopped for lunch at the next village. The food was simple but good. The place was run by a retired serviceman who hailed from Anantnag. Lots of people(non muslims) have moved away from militancy affected regions in the Kashmir valley over the last decade. There were kids playing on the streets with little care in the world. I am surprised by one thing in Kashmir. The kids in the muslim areas are extremely ill behaved.. all they do is crowd around and start beggin for pens. I wonder what will they do with all the pens in the world with this attitude! In stark contrast, the kids in the buddhist regions are extremely well behaved and you won't find them asking you for anything.

After that came the two high passes of Fotu La and Namikala. The continuous series of switchbacks slowed us down and the glare of the late evening sun was causing problems in cornering. After crossing the desolate valley of dried mud hills we reached the green valley of Mulbekh famous for a large statute of the future buddha, Maitreya carved out of a single rock. The statue is over 2000 yrs old and is surprisingly well preserved. We stopped at the same tea stall for a break. The owner recognized us immediately and again warned us about the difficult road to Zanskar. There would be no fuel on the way and Kargil would be the last stop to stock up on fuel and supplies.

The moon is visible already.. (from the tea stall at Mulbekh)

And the wind keeps roaring
And the sky keeps turning gray
And the sun is set
The sun will rise another day...

Beyond Mulbekh we we entered Kargil and tanked up on fuel. It was 7 PM by the time we reached Kargil. I wasn't in the mood to halt at the scruffy and dirty town of Kargil. We decided to go till Sankoo on the road to Zanskar. There was a long religious procession with a motorcade on the way with fire crackers bursting on the roads. We quickly overtook the motorcade and moved ahead. The roads now were a mix of gravel and stones with huge gaping pothole, somethign the forks of my bike will never forgive me for. It was a beautiful moonlit night and the road along the roaring river though in a bad shape was a pleasure to ride on. There were no settlements most of the way. Finally reached Sankoo(40 Kms from Kargil) at 9 PM. The place had the aura of a ghost village. We knocked at the door of te PWD resthouse but to no avail. It was deserted. The only other accomodation was the Dak Bungalow. On hearing the noise some locals came up and found the watchman of the Dak Bungalow. So finally we had accomodation and for 150 bucks it was a steal. There were no other guests apart from us. The view of the moon lit snowpeaks from the huge windows was heavenly and we just switched off the lights and had tea by the window side in the balcony. The watchman cooked some noodles for us which we were carrying. Have you ever tasted petro-noodles? The petrol jerry can had leaked into the food packets and now every stuff we were carrying had the flavour of gasoline!

The Dak Bungalow at Sankoo..

Both of us were extremely tired after riding over 280 kms through the day and soon hit the sack.

Day 08 - Back to LEH..

2005-09-15T02:53:00.000+05:30

September 14, 2005

Odo reading - 12,825
Distance clocked - 150 Kms
Tangtse - Chang La - LEH

A wrong turn.. but the ride was worth it...

Everyone was pretty tired after yesterdays ride to Pangong Tso. It was 11:20 AM when we finally left our hotel and were on the road again. The weather had changed drastically in the last 48 hrs. It has snowed a lot and you could see the peaks which were barren earlier, now draped in white. It was freezing and a reminder of the fact that winter is fast approaching. We took a wrong turn and ended up riding for some 30 kms to nowhere. It was a new road currently under construction that ended arbitrarily. Since I was leading the pack along with Salil, I had to take the blame for the mistake. An hour was lost but the ride was scenic and extremely enchanting. Anyways we had nothing to accomplish other than reaching LEH by evening.

Back on track..

I charged ahead and began the approach to Chang La with Salil. Others took it easy and a lot of time to catch up at the pass. We could see the sides of the road covered with patches of fresh snow. It was a beautiful sight but inside I was freezing inspite of two layers of thermals. The last few kms of the ascent were a mix of snow, mud and rocks and with the chilling winds it was all the more taxing.

The final ascent to Chang La..

So take whatever road you want to
Careful of the ice and the snow
I ain't got time to change my mind
I got many more miles to go...

The top of Chang La was quite a sight with the whole pass blanketed with snow. Just a day ago when we passed through, there wasn't a patch of snow to be seen and within a day the sight had changed dramatically with a few inches of snow.

One day can change everything.. (there was no snow.. here a day ago..!!)

After taking a few snaps we retired into the heated cabin maintained by the Army at Chang La. As earlier there was plenty of piping hot Chai on offer. The hospitality of the Indian Army is beyond words. While we sipped our tea, the folks there shared their stories and experiences. Discussions on Kashmir, terrorism and the difficulties faced in this extreme terrain were done. The troops were particularly happy to greet us bikers coming from their native states. As usual there were no tourists here. What surprised me was the fact that the troops posted here haven't even been once to Pangong Tso which is less than 100 kms away. And a soldier was surprised as to why the hell we were riding on two wheels in this harsh climate. "I wouldn't do this for a million bucks!" is what he said.

Its freezing outside...

Time for some hot Chai - Courtesy Indian Army..

After warming up a bit I again ventured out of the cabin to take some photos. It was freezing outside but walking in the snow is something I have always cherished. The way the white ground sinks with each foot step and the vastness of the white spread is simply enchanting.

When in the wilderness, take only photographs and leave only footprints...

Retreated into the cabin again for some more Chai and it wasn't before 3 PM that we finally left Chang La. Some troops had just arrived at the pass and after offering prayers at the Chang La temple settled in the cabin. One of the soldiers was telling his story of an encounter with the terrorists in Kashmir valley which resulted in casualties. It was a nail-biting account... then there was news that there has been heavy snowfall along the Manali-Leh route and the Army convoys have ceased movement for sometime. This effectively meant that we will be taking the Srinagar route back to Delhi since we couldn't afford to get stuck between passes waiting for the snow to clear. Salil had to report at work and I had to join my semester at college.

The BRO was at work even in these conditions. The labourers were working with hardly adequate clothing for the prevailing weather conditions. Hats off to them!

Leaving Chang La and off to LEH..

The roads were good after the rough patch near the pass and we were comfortably cruising at 70-80 Kph. From Karu it was a straightaway and Me and Salil reached LEH by 5 PM. Others would reach by 7 PM. Bought some waterproof gloves from the town as the leather ones were not providing adequate warmth. Went to the same Tibetan Restaurant and had our fill of mutton momos along with apple juice for dinner. We brainstormed for a long time over the future course of action. The manali route was ruled out due to the weather. Sunil and Manik were in no mood for going to Nubra and wished to reach home asap. This meant that Me and Salil will have to chalk out a separate itinerary for ourselves. After much deliberations we finally decided to leave for Zanskar the next morning, while Sunil and Manik would head straight to Srinagar.

Day 07 - Where heaven meets Earth...

2005-09-14T01:32:00.000+05:30

September 13, 2005

Odo reading - 12,705
Distance clocked - 120 Kms
Tangtse - Pangong Tso - Spangmik - Tangtse

Wandering and wandering,
One place to rest the search.
Where the mighty arms of Atlas,
Hold the heavens from the Earth.

The initial idea was to watch the sunrise over Pangong Tso. I woke up at 5 and found that the skies were overcast. So decided to wait for sometime for the weather to clear while others left. It was snowing at Pangong Tso in the morning. Nothing surprising when you remember the fact that its situated at an altitude of over 4500 mtrs. Sunil had left alone in the morning and was caught up in a snow storm at Pangong. There was no running water so made our way to the nearby PWD resthouse to get fresh. Next stop was the same restaurant where we had our dinner. Met two XL alumni there who were now running an NGO called Pravah. For a change I met MBA's who were not engineers in first place. Having done my graduation in Jamshedpur, we had a long conversation on Jsr and the sort of work they were doing. Having done my summer internship in a NGO, I shared my experiences at TERI. Its always nice to bump into interesting people while travelling.

After that nice conversation left for Pangong Tso along with Salil. The weather was still cloudy and there was a mild drizzle on at several places. However after an hour of riding we were at the point where heaven seemed to meet earth.

Early morning at Pangong Tso..

Pangong Tso literally means "hollow lake". The sometimes emerald-green and sometimes midnight-blue pool of water, with shores covered in foliage that one could spend hours exploring, is girdled by soaring peaks as high as 6,500m. The lake itself is situated at a height of 4550 Mtrs. Its 120 Kms long and 2/3rd of it lies inside Tibet(China). Its the largest high altitude brackish lake in Asia. Surrounding Pangong Tso from all sides, are barren mountains, which are further overlooked by snow-capped peaks and glaciers.

Caught up with the rest of the gang at the lakeside tea stall and had Maggi and Chai. Then it was time to explore the area and ride along the lake till Spangmik(civilians aren't allowed any further). One should spend an entire day at this place to observe the million shades that the lake changes every minute. The hues are breathtaking and it appears like a fantasy world.

It was freezing cold in the morning but slowly the weather was opening up and clouds were getting scattered. The lake would change hues every second from green to shades of violet and blue.

The rocky trail leading to Spangmik..

Met a shepherd grazing his flock near Spangmik. I was surprised when after the traditional Ladakhi welcome of "Julay"(means Hi!), he began to talk in fluent English. I admire these mountain fold who are fully content with whatever they have got. His only concern this time was to accumulate fodder and fuel for the winters. It was just a matter of weeks before the whole area would be blanketed with snow. There is a dirt trail leading from Spangmik to Tso Moriri but civilians are no longer allowed on that trail. It will take some serious homework to get the necessary permissions to do that trail at some point in future. Another good thing was that there were no tourists here apart from our group.

The lake wore an entirely different look in the afternoon after the clouds parted and the blue skies again became visible. The surrounding mountains were bathed in sunlight and the deep blue colors were unlike anything I had seen before.

How many hues can you see?

Disappointment..
After returning from Tangtse Salil and I decided to attempt Marisimik La and after a gut wrenching ride of some 16 kms on stones and sand banks reached Pobhran the last village on the ascent. But luck wasn't on our side as there was quite a bit of snowfall on the higher reaches and it was getting dark. We didn't have sufficient fuel to make another attempt. Marisimik La is the highest motorable pass in the world. Its not a road.. but a dirt and gravel track. It brings you right at the border with Tibet(China). Few people have scaled it successfully on two wheels and it was one of our main aims in this trip. But then we were late to start with and had to accept the fact that this pass will have to wait for another ride. But I will surely come back soon enough and reach it's summit.

Traced our way back to Tangtse for the night.. albeit in a sombre mood.

Day 06 - Destination.. Pangong Tso

2005-09-12T17:48:00.000+05:30

September 12, 2005

Odo reading - 12,500
Distance clocked - 205 Kms
Leh - Karu - Chang La - Tangtse - Pangong Tso - Tangtse

Woke up late in the morning as nothing could proceed without the permits. The DC office opens at 9:30 and by 10 AM I was there along with Yogesh and Salil to arrange the permits. The clerk on duty told us that we will get the permits only by evening. But I personally requested the officer incharge and we managed to get the permits within 20 mins flat. Took 15 copies of the permit as a copy has to be submitted at the checkposts. Rushed to the hotel and told all that we were heading for Pangong Tso ASAP. I went to town along with Salil to buy some essential supplies for the ride. It wasn't before 3 PM that we managed to leave Leh. Menwhile got the chains lubricated and tanked up on fuel. Also filled in a 5 ltr jerry can to carry as spare in case we decided to get adventurous.

Till karu we were riding in the plains and the speeds were good. However after about 40 kms of spirited riding, the ascent to Chang La began. The approach road has been recently relaid so apart from the steepness, there wasn't much bother for most part of the climb. It was mildly snowing at the upper reaches of the pass. We were stopped at the TCP before Chang La and told that it was too late in the evening to cross the pass. However after some persuasion we were allowed to crossover albeit with warnings about the weather and AMS.

Reached Chang La (at 5475 Mtr it is the Third Highest Pass in the World!) at 6 PM. Here again we were treated to piping hot chai courtesy the Indian Army in a heated cabin. The warmth was godsent as it was getting extremely cold now.

Me and Salil at the summit..

After a short break reached Tangtse and registered at the Police Checkpost outside the town. Made our way to the govt. resthouse and took up accomodation. We had a whole cottage to ourself complete with a living room and situated right next to a mountain stream. There was no electricity - only a solar powered lamp for light. After that it was time for a dinner comprising of Maggi and Rice at a nearby restaurant(only one that was open).

Around 10:30 PM we were taking a stroll outside where we saw the perfect moonlight starry skies. On the spur of the moment Me and Salil decided to head for Pangong Tso straight away. Others weren't quite amused by this idea and after some deliberations I left along with Salil to the lake. It was a rocky 30 kms of drive with several foot deep streams across the road. We dived straight into a foot deep stream at over 70Kph and managed to get ourselves almost drenched in the freezing night.

Drivin' on a road it was late in the night
The rear view mirror showed me nothing but darkness
Upon the things I've left behind . . . .
I guess I'm just this kind of guy
I stop sometimes but just for a while
And then I start to ride again
Til this blacktop river will show its end.

Riding in the night..
Most people don't like riding in the night. Even I don't like riding with the incoming traffic's headlights staring me straight into the eyes. On highways with high traffic night riding is a torture and a highly risky endeavour. But there is another dimension to the whole thing. In the remote mountains with almost zero traffic, riding in the dark is one of the experiences you shouldn't miss. One can argue that you miss out on the scenery and the splendid views. But there is something magnetic about the night which puts you in an entirely different frame of mind. You can hardly see for 10-15 metres. Every turn is an adventure in itself. No doubt the element of risk is higher but the moon lit skies and the starry horizon looks like a road to heaven. Nothing less! I thoroughly loved the ride from Lumayaru to Leh in the night. In day time it was an entirely different experience when we returned along the same route. Similarly today riding to Pangong Tso at mid night will go down as one of my favourite rides notwithstanding getting drenched in the freezing streams. There is something about night riding in the wilderness..

Pangong Tso at midnight...

Reached Pangong Tso at 11:30 PM and returned to Tangtse after a little while only to return the next day!

Day 05 - On top of the world....

2005-09-12T04:28:00.001+05:30

September 11, 2005

Odo reading - 12,398
Distance clocked - 102 Kms
Leh - Khardung La - Leh

All the birds have flown up and gone;
A lonely cloud floats leisurely by.
We never tire of looking at each other -
Only the mountain and I...

After the gruelling night ride to Leh I simply dropped dead in my room. Now it turns out that it was a Sunday morning and we won't be able to secure the inner line permits needed to venture out of Leh into the sensitive border areas. Me, Sunil and Salil woke up early to ride around Leh. We planned to visit some monastery but kept on riding in circles before finally deciding to head back to the hotel. Got stuck in a small gully while following directions given by a local. We had little options as there were hardly any people on road at such an early hour. Woke up the others and ventured into the town for breakfast. Called my home to inform that everything was going fine. My mother was a little worried as I was calling after two days.

Morning in LEH..

Manik and Sunil wanted to explore the town while I wanted to give Khardung La a go without the permits. In anycase we could go till South Pallu atleast where the checkpost is placed. So after filling up the fuel tanks we were on our way to Khardung La - the highest motorable road in the world. The pass is about 40 kms from Leh and as we progressed the roads grew from bad to worse. At over 5600 mt Khardung La is higher than most mountains in the world. As you gain altitude you can feel the effect of high altitude as the air becomes thinner and any sort of physical activity is a drag on you.

At South Pallu we asked the TCP if we could proceed without the permits. The guard looked around and said.. "Motorcycle par ho? Theek hai.. jao!". And voila we were off to the top. Saw a few European cyclists at South Pallu. We would bump into them again later in the day when the snowstorm at Khardung La brought everything to a standstill.

South Pallu..

I stopped near the summit to take some pics and as usual did some running around. But very soon I was grasping for breath and I decided not to exert anymore and made my way to the top.

Stairway to heaven...

It had started to snow now and the weather didn't seem like improving anytime soon. Saw a frozen water fall on the way. The views were stunning but the continuous snow ensured that I couldn't take too many pics. Finally reached the top after nearly two hours of starting from Leh. The temperature by now was several degrees below zero and fresh snow was enveloping the whole pass. I quickly headed for the cafeteria run by the Army and grabbed a cup of piping hot Chai.

Khardung La - The highest motorable road in the world..

A unit had just arrived from Siachen(It happens to be the highest battlefield in the world) and was offering prayers at the temple situated on the pass. These guys were manning posts situated at a height of over 22,000 ft. The snowfall had turned into a storm by now and our bikes were getting covered under a blanked of snow in no time at all.

Troops coming from Siachen gather at the temple..

On Top of the World!!

The road hither is steep and dangerous;
I arrive alone and late.
Alone I stand on the mountain top
While the clouds gather beneath me..

Let it snow....

Serendipity....
A few days before we started our journey, Yogesh and Shamik had set out for Leh via the Manali route. There was no means of communication as our cell phones don't work in these remote regions. And what a happy coincidence that we bumped into them while they were coming from Nubra Valley on the other side of K-Top. The snow storm ensured that we all had to wait for the weather to clear. We usually have our get-togethers on Sundays, and this Sunday too we were able to have our highest get-together yet. By now the cyclists had also reached the top and conversation flowed over endless cups of chai and coffee. I was feeling a little dizzy due to the altitude but recovered to my normal spirits in sometime. I simply couldn't help admiring the spirit of these cyclists, all of whom were well above 45-50 yrs of age. One of them looked atleast 60. Keeping the adventure alive in you in these years is a feat in itself and I would definitely like to grow old like him.

The cyclists and the bikers....

The weather cleared in a few hours and once again the clear blue skies were in view with the snow glistening under the sun. Took some group photographs and prepared to head back to Leh. The cyclists proceeded towards Nubra while we made our way back to Leh. On the way Salil shot a splendid 5 min video of all riding together in a formation.

Dumped our gear at the hotel and Shamik and Yogesh moved in with us. Headed to a Tibetan restaurant to munch on some momos and dinner. We all had to settle for vegetarian food as no chicken or mutton was being served that day. We were simply too hungry to complain and washed down the food with apple juice.

Day 4 - Reaching Leh on a Saturday nite..

2005-09-11T02:10:00.000+05:30

September 10, 2005

Odo reading - 12,160
Distance clocked - 238 Kms
Kargil - Lumayaru - Leh

There's a cold wind blowin' and you know it's almost midnight
You never dreamed it would be this hard lovin' a music man
But this iron horse on which I ride I'm closer it's true
And it's just as hard for me as it is for you..

Like most people doing the Srinagar - Leh route, we also took a night halt in Kargil. But the shitty place is just not worth it. Having reached Kargil late at night we checked into a place which was expensive for what it offered. Hot water was promised in the morning but it wasn't before 8 AM that water of any sort started flowing from the taps. The Kashmiris are a cunning lot and you have to drive hard bargains with them. Better still find a place to eat/stay which is not run by a Kashmiri(take my word.. it makes life a lot simpler..). I have travelled thousands of kilometres in the Himalayas but nowhere else I came across such people. Not only Kargil, when I return I will find that this attitude runs all throught the Kashmir Valley. Well enough of cribbin! But then I don't mince words when expressing my opinion, whether you like it or not. I normally don't form stereotypes but in this case I will make an exception and it would be confirmed with my future encounters with these people. I would like to clarify that I don't include people of Ladakh and Zanskar when I talk of Kashmiris.

Well the start of the day wasn't so good. I got the tube changed of the rear tire which was totally flat by then. The tuff up tube did its job and allowed me to do over 100 kms with a big puncture. The only spare tube I had was now installed and I would have to borrow one if I had a flat again. It was 11 AM by the time we were ready to leave Kargil.

Kargil - we gotta get out of this place...

As we left Kargil the landscape grew even more stark with little or no vegetation. The desert like terrain with the clear blue skies were in total contrast to the rest of the Kashmir valley. This regions falls under the rain shadow area and recieves very little precipitation. But the winds are strong and chilling. We would go for several kilometres without seeing inhabitation before a small village would fall in our way.

A village near Kargil..

After some spirited riding, Salil and I went exploring the surroundings with some offroading. A nearby hill looked promising so we decided to push our luck. But couldn't go very far due to the wheels getting stuck in the sand.

Riding on tarmac isn't so much fun..

We prepared to ride fast for some 15-20 kms to catch up with the rest of the group but were surprised to find them waiting just across the bend. Sunil had inadvertently dropped his lid into the river while taking a snap and was fumbling with the bungee ropes to fish it out. Finally after about 30 mins of effort the damn thing was fished out of the river. That was however not the end of it.. as Sunil would drop a few more things into a few more rivers along the way. His penchant for "fishing" would continue throughout the trip. We had a good laugh and moved on.

As we moved further on the road to Leh, prayer flags and monastries began to appear along the roads. The people appeared friendly and at peace. We took a lunch break and met a couple from Holland who were riding Enfields since the last 4 weeks. They were doing a part of what we would do in 14 dayz in six weeks. While the food was served we chatted about the riding conditions and the harshness of the terrain. Maps were opened and the routes discussed in detail. Somehow the topic of conversation shifted to terrorism and the militant activities in the region. An old European woman was going to Zanskar and was concerned about the safety issue. I convinced her that Zanskar and Ladakh are some of the safest places in India and have nothing to do with militancy.

Prayer Wheels - Say a little prayer..

The landscape was becoming more and more dramatic across every turn we took. A few kms from Namikala Pass, Salil and I went for a short hike up a hill, but the high altitude of over 3000 Mtr made it an arduous task. However Salil reached the top and I returned back someway from the top.

Some dreams live on
And some, they don't
All that's left to know
All that's left to show
Are flowers by the side of the road..

A rare sight in this desert....

We had gone several miles without meeting a human soul now. Just a few miles before Namikala Pass we saw a creepy sight. A dead sheep was slung over a sign post. It reminded me of those stupid horror movies we used to watch in childhood. But in this stark landscape.. such a sight is sure to set you thinking in wierd directions.

Creepy...

Shortly after we reached Namikala and read Julay(meaning hello/hi in Ladakhi) for the first time. Again a sign that you were closer to Leh now. The winds were very strong and it was difficult to keep the hands still while shooting pictures. We still had an even higher pass to cross that day and it made sense to move quickly before it got too chilly.

Namikala Pass - Pillar to the Sky...

Fotula Top was the next high pass to be crossed before Leh. It happens to be the highest pass on the Srinagar Leh road. Passed some some small villages as we descended from Namikala. Clicked some pics of kids playing at the roadside before beginning the ascent to Fotula Top with rapidly deteriorating roads and occasional streams across the raods which had to be crossed.

Innocence..

By now the evening sun was directly glaring into the eyes and it made riding very difficult especially while negotiating the bling turns. Salil shot a video of the final ascent to the pass and we stopped to catch our breath and wait for the others to catch up before proceeding ahead.

And we can see around the bend, we never know where the road might end..

Fotula Top - The highest mountain pass enroute to Leh.. via Srinagar

It was clear by now that we would be reaching Leh late at night. Lumayaru was the last major town enroute and the last place we crossed in daylight. Lumayaru is famous for its monastery and the peculiar landscape which resembles the lunar terrain due to ancient glacial activity.

Lumayaru..

After crossing Lumayaru we regrouped and decided that we would proceed to Leh no matter how late it got. Manik had hit a dog that probably died on the spot. We took a small break at the next town after filling up our tanks. Kids gathered all around us primarily fascinated by the digicams. Everyone was tired and I took off along with Salil. The plains had started and we revved our machines to the limits. With no oncoming traffic, driving in the night was much fun. We crossed the so called "Magnetic Hills" spot but couldn't feel anything special. Manik and Sunil were a bit irritated with us for the fast riding at night. After one last break we made the final push towards Leh. The lights of the town were already visible from a distance and it was 10 PM when we reached the town centre. With most places already closed we had to settle for a very expensive dinner at a pricey restaurant. Though we managed to get very economical accomodation. So finally after 4 dayz we were in Leh.. over 1400 kms away from home.

Day 3 - Slow but steady...

2005-09-09T23:32:00.000+05:30

September 09, 2005

Odo reading - 12,060
Distance clocked - 100 Kms
Zojilla Pass - Dras - Kargil

It rained the whole night and thankfully we had pitched the tents up in time. It was around 7 AM when the rains finally ceased and I ventured out. My shoulder pain had resurfaced due to sleeping on the uneven ground and had to liberally spray Iodex before I could exert again. I and Salil decided to go in for some offroading nearby to explore the region. The region around Zojilla pass has marshes, ice sheets and rocky terrain - in short a perfect terrain for the adventurous biker. Slowly the overcast skies began to clear and the blue vistas were revealed which are so typical of the Ladakhi landscape. The thin air at high altitude allows you to see far into the horizon. At the same times it means that you can't exert much and within no time you are out of breath and exhausted.

Give me the clear blue sky over my head,

and the green turf beneath my feet,

a winding road before me,

and a three hours' march to dinner.

Clear blue skies at last.. around Zojilla Pass

I wanna ride on ice now...

Time for some gr8 offroading... rocks.. ice...marshes.. what more do u need?

There were huge patches of ice still remaining around and the melting of lower layers had led to formation of natural ice caves where you could crawl in for several meters. These formations also were the source of fresh water streams. I nearly froze washing my face directly from the ice melts. The only other people we saw were some shepherds and a herd of sheep who effortlessly climbed over the slopes covered with ice while we struggled to get a hold on the slippery terrain.

Naturally formed ice caves at Zojilla....

Time to wrap up and head to Kargil...

This area came under heavy artillery fire during the Kargil war in 1999 and it was humbling to read the boards that said that this route was kept open throughout the war. BRO(Border Roads Organization) is the nodal agency responsible for building and maintaining roads in critical border areas and they do it with a touch of style as evident by the variety of the signboards you encounter each mile. Each year several of these brave men lose their lives working on these dangerous roads to keep the lifelines to these remote and inhospitable places open.

After returning to the base I checked the oil level and found that the engine oil level had dropped significantly. Thankfully I topped it in time or it would have screwed the engine. Oiled the chain and we were ready to roll. Made some coffee with the water from the ice melts and spent some time exploring the ice caves. It was a fascinating site but it was risky to venture deep inside as the top layer was fragile and could have collapsed had any lose stone landed on the top from the slopes.

It was nearly 2 PM before we finally left for Kargil. Registered ourselves at the TCP and had to leave quickly as a convoy was being dispatched. We were stopped at the next post as they had the information of some expedition passing that way. But on knowing that we were not the ones they were looking for they apologized profusely and wouldn't let us go without having tea with them. Indian Army rocks!

Here we go again...

Headquarters of the 8th Mountain Division which fought for Tiger Hill and Tololing

Just 15 Kms from Zojilla I found the bike wobbling and as I expected there was a huge nail lodged in the rear tire. Inflated the tire and pulled out the nail. The Tuff-Up tube would keep me going for another hundred odd kilometers before finally giving up. However the flat tire meant that we lost another 30 mins on a day where we were already behind schedule. The roads from here on were straight and with lots of bumps. You are riding at 90 and the moment you hit a bump you are thrown up in the air like those motocross tracks. Surprisingly with the entire heavy luggage the bike took all the beating in stride with no handling issues. I was really flying all the way to Drass while encountering atleast eight such bumps. Although the attitude of locals didn't invite much interaction, I clicked snaps of some kids.

The road to drass.. the second coldest inhabited place in the world..

Dras was the next major town after Sonamarg. It is supposed to be the 2nd coldest place in the world inhabited by humans. A temperature of -60 degree centigrade was recorded here in 1995. The Dras - Kargil road is lined up with small memorials to the soldiers who died in this region during the various war and peace time operations. A museum has been built to commemorate the Kargil war in 1999. I wanted to stop and have a look but the condition of my bike necessitated that I reach Kargil as soon as possible.

Salil having a tough time with the kids outside Drass...

This is where you end up if you are not careful..

Filled up air again in the evening and then moved ahead of the pack to reach Kargil as soon as possible as my rear tire was now losing pressure at an ever increasing rate. The weather was deteriorating and the last stretch of around 40 kms to Kargil was totally deserted with not a soul in sight for miles on end. As I approached nearer there were sign posts warning you that you were under observation from enemy posts. I was riding right along the LOC.

The road to Kargil..

Suddenly the weather turned worse with a dust storm and rains. I took shelter at an Army check post nearby and waited for the others. The guard posted there asked me to park the bike inside and said. "Aap toa fauji ho na?". I started laughing.. from which angle do I look like an army man? Anyways spent time chatting with the jawans. One of them hailed from Rajasthan and was only too happy to find someone hailing from the same place. Finally the others caught up after 15 minutes and we reached Kargil by 8 PM. Most of the town had already closed and after much searching found a suitable accommodation for the night. My rear tire was totally flat now and it was clear that I will have to replace the tube in the morning before we could go any further. Kargil is a crappy place to stay for the night. Drass is a much better option as we would realize on our way back. It was a tiring day though we clocked just 100 odd Kms on the odo. Suddenly I wanted to listen to some good music at night and sorely missed an MP3 player for company. That's a number one gadget on my wish list now!

Day 2 - Camping at Zojilla Pass....

2005-09-08T21:33:00.000+05:30

September 08, 2005

Odo reading - 11,654
Distance clocked - 406 Kms
Jammu - Srinagar - Sonamarg - Zojilla Pass(11,649 Ft)

Woke up at 4:30 AM and after a cup of tea and loading the luggage headed towards Srinagar at 6 AM. The target was to cross Zojilla Pass by evening. This would involve over 400 Kms of riding in the hills for the day.

Heading towards Srinagar.. its a long way still...

There was a mild drizzle and I sincerely prayed for the rain to subside or there was no way we could eat distances in such conditions. The military presence increased dramatically from that point onwards with troops guarding each and every possible vantage point. We were slowed down as an Army convoy was being dispatched. It took quite sometime to overtake the stream of trucks and gain some speed. Me and Salil went ahead and took a chai break before Patni Top.

Time for some garam chai..

Just after Patni top it was all misty but could not stop for long to enjoy the place as we had to remain ahead of the convoy. The last 70 Kms to Sringar were straight roads in the valley inviting you to hit the 100 Kph mark.

Mist at Patni Top

The moment of truth
I had the first scary moment of the trip when I nearly went under a truck while negotiating a turn. Thankfully managed to control and escaped with a broken rear view mirror which touched the truck's tire. And I consider myself lucky to have survived that incident. A difference of even a few millimeters would have meant sudden death or a lost limb or two.

As you move closer to the Kashmir valley, you find troops and snipers ever more alert and ready to react at the shortest notice. There is a heightened sense of tension and you feel like entering a veritable war zone. An army officer stopped his gypsy and wished us good luck for the journey after the usual queries regarding bikes and the proposed route etc. As we got the first views of the valley with the lush green fields, we decided to go for some offroading just down the highway and explore the place while waiting for others to catch up. We got so involved with it that Sunil and Manik passed by us and even crossed the Jawahal Tunnel before we finally caught up with them.

Some village just down the road as we approach Jawahar Tunnel

There is an eerie silence in the valley as you move out of Jammu and into the Kashmir valley, punctuated only by the presence of the military. The mountains are the same but something is different. Something is amiss here!

The beauty of the Kashmir valley is breathtaking but the locals appear cold and frozen. The Army presence also lends a different feel to the whole place. The resentment among the local populace was palpable. We had no time to stop at Srinagar and so we rode through after clicking some pics at Dal Lake.

Finally the signboard for LEH... though we still have to go the distance...

We stopped for lunch at 4 PM a few kilometers before Sonamarg. Called up home and moved ahead. It was late evening when we crossed Sonamarg and began the approach to Zojilla.

Sonmarg the golden meadow..

The road ends a few kms after Sonamarg and from then on its just mud and water. The road was closed for traffic but the army checkpost allowed us to pass through(in such places it helps to be on two wheels). By the time we reached Zojilla it was over 7 PM.

Wanna try anyone?

BRO sure does get going in the toughest of conditions..

Zojilla Pass at 11,649 Ft of altitude is the first high mountain pass that we cross..

Me and Salil wanted to camp at Zojilla itself. But Manik and Sunil were concerned regarding security as it's a militancy infested area. But finally we prevailed and pitched tents right across Zojilla Pass near the snow sheets that were yet to melt. Cooked our meals and finally the fun had
begun in the trip.

Day 1 - Time to hit the highways...

2005-09-07T21:15:00.000+05:30

September 07, 2005

Odo Reading - 11,010 Kms
Distance clocked - 644 Kms
Gurgaon - Delhi - Ambala - Ludhiana - Pathankot - Jammu

As you jockey your way through the cars
And sit at the light, as it changes to green
With your faith in your machine off you scream into the night
And you're in love with all the wonder it brings
And every muscle in your body sings as the highway ignites..

The D-Day had arrived! Loading all the stuff on to the bike took the better part of the night and here I was hitting the road with no sleep since the last 24 hrs. Nothing was going right. Surprisingly took more than 90 minutes to reach NH-1 due to a jam enroute to Delhi(I normally do this in less than 50 minutes in mornings). We were supposed to take the Kargil route to reach Ladakh as a bridge had gone down at Koksar on the Manali-Leh route.

The others were waiting at the bypass and it was 4 AM when we finally left Delhi. All were feeling sleepy as none had slept in night. We thought of having some tea after an hour to refresh ourselves but ended up having a few cans of Red Bull and moving on. The second stop was at 6:40 AM for breakfast. Now when you move in a group stops suddenly grow much longer and we finally hit the road again at 7:40 AM. I was leading the formation and after an hour or so began to feel extremely sleepy. Realized this when I was nearly about to hit the road divider. From then on we broke the formation and took to changing positions to stay alert. Stopped at Ambala to check once again if the bridge at Koksar was up again. We were told that over 500 vehicles were stranded there still. So we moved towards Jammu. Akshay came from Ambala to meet us and soon after we were on the road again.

Time for lunch... at Ludhiana

Stopped for lunch at Ludhiana and again took a 1 hr break. It began to rain heavily by the time we reached Pathankot and had to take shelter at the bus stand there. Lost another precious hour waiting for the rains to cease. Rode hard after that as it was already getting dark. The roads to Jammu are pretty good apart from a few stretches where work is underway to widen the road. Finally reached Jammu at 7:45 PM. Stayed at Manik's place for the nite.

The final day of preparations..

2005-09-06T21:10:00.000+05:30

September 06, 2005

As usual the four of us(Me, Salil, Manik and Sunil) met at India Gate to freeze the plans. I was late due to heavy traffic on NH-8. First on the shopping list was a new digicam for me. My old Canon had crashed during the Palakkad trip. The new Canon A95 drained another 13k from my account. This trip was emptying my bank account at an exponential rate. Then we hit Carabin in Okhla to collect the tents and sleeping bags for the trip. It was late evening by the time I finally reached home. Went to Big Bazaar and quickly finished the miscellaneous purchasing before settling down to load it all on the bike. The choice of Cramsters proved to be a good decision as they took in most of the heavy stuff and left ample space to mount the tent and the backback on the bike. There was no way I could sleep since the target was to hit the highways at 2:30 AM.

The countdown begins...

2005-09-05T21:02:00.000+05:30

September 05, 2005

The countdown for the Ladakh trip began with my landing at the New Delhi Airport. The flight was short but fun with Ankit and Thakur for company. Kingfisher surely has the best service standards among all the low price carriers in the country. There was no time to rest. Soon after dumping the luggage at home I had to rush to the railway station to retrieve my motorbike. The process was smooth but had to drag the bike for nearly two kilometers for fuel in the sweltering heat. There was minor damage in the form of a bent brake lever and a chipped front mud guard. This cosmetic damage was the last thing on my mind today.

There was no way I would be able to make up for the lack of sleep during exams which ended on 4th. Spent some time at home in the evening and that would be the only quality time I spent at home during the vacation.

In the midst of all the excitement I forgot how a friend on mine showed me in the morning how to keep a fast with a glass of Irish Cream at daybreak and then refusing even lime juice in the afternoon.. LOL

Dhoni Waterfalls..

2005-08-27T19:16:00.000+05:30

The countdown for LEH has begun. Now it turns out that in order to transport my Uni to Delhi, i need to ride down to Palakkad(140 Kms from Kozhikode). So finally it was decided to bunk a day and what was supposed to be a quick to an fro ride.. turned into an offroading adventure in a forest. I was having a Calibre for company and my wingman was not an experienced rider so I followed a speed limit of 60Kph enroute to Palakkad. Started at 8AM and reached Palakkad by 11:30 AM. Two hours were spent in haggling with the porters and the stuff.. and only after I threatened to complain to the Chief Parcel Officer did they agreed to settle for a reasonable amount.

On the way back saw the detour to Dhoni Waterfall(13 kms from the highway). So decided to check it out and what we found was a reserve forest area. The check post at the gate was unattended so we just rode into the area.. didn't encounter a single soul on the trail of mud and rocks and some steep climbing. I hadn't expected this fantastic offroading opportunity and it was even greater fun negotiating this trail on the same old Calibre(The Unshakeable) on which I made my first long trip. After going a few kms we came across multiple trails.. apart from the main one.. so decided to explore them too.. had to backtrack freqently due to fallen trees and deadends but the best part was that these trails didn't had any tread marks and were too narrow for anything but a motorbike to negotiate them.

After some more fun in the woods took the main trail and to my amazement I was right at the mouth of the waterfall.. yeah on the bike of course!

There was a lone forest guard there and wasn't too amused by our presence.. kept saying its illegal to come without written permission and blah blah! ONly later did we find out the actual reason for this.. there was loggin goin on in the woods and soon a tractor emerged with freshly logged tree trunks. Now I don't think that thing was legal as the whole thing was being carried out discreetly and we were not being allowed to go any further.. and the Forest Ranger accompanying the tractor wasn't even keen on our taking pics.. he told us to leave ASAP. Finally we left after sometime and shot some good videos on the way back.. :)

Ripped on the way back to Calicut and the Calibre performed exceedingly well.. comfortably cruising at 80+ with occasional bursts of 100 on the inclines..

The only bad thing about this trip.. My digicam's CCD gone bust... :(
Looks like will have to buy a new cam and push back my SLR dreams for a few more years...
Anyways lookin forward to LEH now.. :).. just hoping that the bike reaches home safe n sound...

Kozhikode - Alleppey - Kochi - Kozhikode.. A day at the backwaters...

2005-08-14T18:31:00.000+05:30

With a day off on 11th August, time was just perfect for a small getaway. So Alleppy it was! After a whole day of lectures we just had a day to ourselves. And thanx to the rain gods we enjoyed every bit of the trip and as always captured some wonderful moments. No two trips are the same and even though I had been to these places before.. there were new things to do and look at the stuff from a different perspective.

The six of us started from Calicut at 7 PM on August 10. I had already booked the rooms and the boat at Alleppy. Earlier the plan was to have dinner at Thrissur but by 9:30 it was clear that we weren't going to reach dere in time. so we stopped by one highway dhaba around 40 Kms from Thrissur. Expectations were low but I must admit.. the food good enuff to beat our expectations by a long way. So far so good.. then the bad stretch of roads started.. I wonder why hasn't this route been completed till now.. most of the road was in the same dilapidated state like last year. I wonder what are they waiting for. After crossing Kochi the 4 lane highway was a pleasure to cruise on.. The Scorpio handled comfortably even at 130 Kph without any roll or vibrations. Entered Alleppy at 2:15 AM and after a bit of backtracking finally reached the hotel at 2:30 PM. The entire town was pitch dark due to a power failure. Had to wake up the caretaker and get the genset started. The place as usual was inviting and beautiful. It was 3:30 AM by the time we were all settled. I saw no point in going to sleep then as we had to be ready to leave by 5:30 AM. Although initially reluctant finally I, Shobit and Karan went about exploring the place and then outside looking for some snacks. The streets were all dark and the only light we had was from the torch we borrowed from Anup. After walking for about 2 Kms reached the boat jetty near the bus stand. The only stuff available was omelettes and tea. The chetta made liberal use of green chillies and ensured that I won't recover from my first bite for atleast an hour.

The tea stall at the boat jetty..

Walked back to the hotel and found Sharika waiting at the window. She had apparently spotted a 'huge' white mouse on the guava tree. The only thing we could find was a cute white cat. Time passed quickly and soon it was time to wake up the rest. As per the plan we were on the boat by 6 AM. There was a mild drizzle in the morning and the skies were all overcast. The fun wud have reduced considerable had this weather persisted for long.

Overcast skies.. early in the morning...

However soon the clouds cleared and the sun was shining bright. There were few boats around due to the off-season. Everyone was feeling sleepy and had I lied down, I too wud have dozed off. Around 8 AM landed on a restaurant but the breakfast won't be ready for another hour. So left to explore the place along with Karan, Sharika n Qaynat. Shobit and Dheeraj meanwhile enjoyed their beauty sleep. I think you miss out on the real backwaters when you simply remain confined to the comforts of ur houseboat. Backwaters are a way of life here. And to observe that slice of life one should get down and walk around the place. The narrow pathways.. boats parked like cars outside homes...school kids engaging in conversation with us.. enjoyed every bit of it.

Life in backwaters..

Its warm and sunny now..

Don't worry the hair will grow... :D

We were done with the backwaters by 11 AM and would comfortably make it to Vegaland in time. Everyone was dead tired due to lack of sleep but we left Alleppy after sometime and reached Vegaland by 2:30 PM. Meanwhile Shobit decided that he had to drive the Scorpio.. And I had to vouch for the driving skills of the moron! Shobit did have a gr8 time driving with the chetta keeping him cosy company. :D

The waterpark has a beautiful approach road winding up to the top. The place was pretty crowded inspite of it being a weekday. It was my first visit to a waterpark and the experience was good! We didn't take too many rides but had a blast in the wave pool. Apart from Shobit nobody knew how to swim properly and that perhaps maximised the fun. Left around 6:30 PM and headed for Kochi to grab some pizza at Pizza Hut. Arrived back on campus at 2 AM.

More later.. 45 hrs.. of insomnia is getting to me now...

Current Music: Stevie Wonder - For Once In My Life

Five dayz in the mountains.... (June 8 - June 12' 2005)

2005-07-05T21:26:00.000+05:30

Does the road wind up-hill all the way? Yes, to the very end. Will the day's journey take the whole long day? From morning to night, my friend!

All gud things must come to an end.. and so did the vacations. I am back to God's own campus. A bit disappointed as cud not do the Leh trip this year too... Looks like will have to wait atleast for two years now.. With just two weeks reamaining to go.. finally did a relaxed 5 day trip back to mountains.. Simply wanted to click some gr8 shots and once more enjoy riding in snow and experience sub zero temperatures..

Here is the trip log of the 5 day trip to Himchal (June 8 - June 12' 2005) covering some 1550 Kms.. most of them away from the highways on and off the roads..

Some Facts:

Total distance covered 1550 Kms

Maximum distance in a day - 600 Kms (Manali to Gurgaon on day 5)

Minimum distance in a day - 110 kms (Narkanda-Ghiyagi on day 2)

Max altitude reached 4111 m (Rohtang pass)

Treks - About 10 Kms(Both ways) from Jalori Pass to Serolsar Lake at over 3100 Mt of altitude...

Total pics taken 700+

The route: Gurgaon-Delhi-Chandigarh-Solan-Chail-Kufri-Narkanda-Hatu Peak-Khanag-Jalori Pass-Serolsar Lake-Shoja-Ghiyagi-Aut-Banjar-Manikaran-Kullu-Manali-Rohtang Pass-Gurgaon

The Team.. at Rohtang Pass

Day 1 (Delhi-Chail-Narkanda-Hatu Peak-Narkanda)

The four of us met at the NH-1 bypass according to the plan at 4 AM. From then on it was a comfortable cruise at 90-95 Kms/hr when we took our first stop at arond 6 AM. After a quick breakfast we moved ahead and stopped only at Kalka when it began to rain.

At Kalka...

Fortunately it was only a mild drizzle and we proceeded after 15-20 mins. In the meantime we wrapped our luggage with plastic sheets. I used the bike cover for the purpose. By 9:30 AM we were gaining altitude and enjoying the winding roads. Due to the cloud cover and a mild drizzle the winds were already a bit cold. Took another tea break and stopped for some snaps.

Clouds everywhere..

The weather was opening up and we proceeded towards Chail. About 6 Kms before Chail, Sunil had a fall while negotiating a turn. The culprit was the underinflated rear due to a faulty valve. Thankfully he had minor injuries and we moved ahead after some time. In the meantime explored some nearby hills before moving on..

A few Kms from Chail..

The staff at the hospital at Chail were gone for lunch so we decided to ride to the Cricket Ground(supposedly the highest in the world but just a fraction of a standard size ground) taking the steeper road. Chail is relatively less touristy compared to its bigger cousin Shimla and it was about 4 PM when we were finally ready to leave.

As per the planned itinerary we decided to get to Narkanda in time for the sunset. We had already spent too much time at Chail. The road till Kufri was in a real bad shape so the average speeds were less than 30 Km/hr. Kufri is a major tourist haunt and there were ponies all around and vendors running after you for rides. Didn't like the place at all.. and dropped any ideas of a stopover and moved towards Theog. After Theog it was time to rip hard with the smooth and wide stretch of tarmac leading to Narkanda. The roads are such that you can see for a few kms ahead of you around the turns and most of the times there wud be no incoming traffic at all..

The road to Narkanda (2710 Mt).. if only all mountain roads were as good..

It was getting chilly and the first inclination was to take up accomodation at Narkanda. But then we could still make it to Hatu Peak(3400 M) for the sunset. So Hatu Peak it was! The 6 Km trail started with a narrow ashphalt road which quickly gave way to a steep slush of mud and razor sharp rocks. I moved ahead and reached the summit. It had started raining again. After about 20 mins Manik came and informed that Deepan's P-180 had stalled and Sunil's P-150 had a flat rear. So we moved down but then the rain suddenly stopped and the clouds began to part giving a crystal clear view of the snow covered peaks. The view was too good to be missed. So inspite of the breakdown we decided to stay on and enjoy the sunset with the colors changing every second. The heavenly spectacle was unlike any sunset we had witnessed so far.

If Kausani's sunset was gud.. this was simply out of the world. It was getting dark now.. and we took out the air pump to inflate the tyre and slowly reached Narkanda. I went along with Sunil and found a repair shop. In the meanwhile we took an accomodation nearby and bought a spare tube. None of us had any sleep worth mentioning and so all were very tired. Time to call it a day and sleep. I planned to ride to Hatu Peak again at day break and view the sunrise. I find the mornings and evenings the best times to enjoy the beauty of the mountains..

Day 2 (Narkanda-Ani-Jalori Pass-Serolsar Lake-Shoja-Ghiyagi)

Sunil woke me up at 5 AM and we rode to Hatu Peak once again. This time we took the bikes atop the grassy mound at the summit and took some splendid shots.

I can see for miles.. n miles....

The summit...

I lost my balance while climbing and fell on the tripod while setting the timer. Luckily the cam escaped any damage.. We spend an hour at the top exploring the nearby slopes. I called up Manik and as expected the lazy bums were still sleeping. Reached the hotel at 7 AM and quickly started packing the stuff and loading the bikes. Finally by 8:30 we were ready to move. Then we had probably the best breakfast of our stay. Narkanda is basically a truck stop town but the views from the Dhaba where we had paranthas adn omelettes can put any 5 star resort to shame. 180 degree views of the snow peaks from the large windows! The best thing about these interior regions is that nobody wants to rip you off as a tourist. The ppl are much nicer and warmer. But who knows in a few years Israeli trash wud destroy the reamaining gud places of Himachal with their drug culture. At 9 AM we left Narkanda and topped up our fuel tanks. There wud be no petrol pumps for the next 180 Kms. The roads again were all broken tarmac and it was a slow and bumpy ride for 30-40 Kms. Bought some fresh fruits from an orchard en-route to Sainj. After a few kms we were greeted with the first views of the mighty Sutlej river. The river is huge and I could only imagine how the things wud have gone for the locals when the river flooded a few years ago under mysterious circumstances when it rose several metres in just a couple of hours.

The Sutlej river..

After Sainj the roads improved and we got the first view of the mighty Sutlej river. The river wud run parallel to the road for the next 20 kms. The population began to thin and most villages enroute had double digit occupancy. For miles and miles we wudn't encounter a human soul.

Near Khanag..

By the time we reached Khanag the roads had become very steep and we were riding at mostly 1st and 2nd gear. Encountered a landslide and a few kms of dirt road with a small stream across the road.

The trail..leading to Jalori pass..

Ain't got no roads..

Stopped for some pics before crossing Jalori pass which lay just 6 Kms ahead. I climbed up some nearby rocks to click some interesting shots. After a bumpy ride reached Jalori pass by 1 PM. The ride to Jalori was a cakewalk compared to Hatu Peak which tested the limits of our machines.

Jalori Pass..

Jalori pass at over 3100 Mt is not the highest but one of the toughest to cross because of the steepness. Engine overheating is a common problem while scaling this pass and just a little bit of rains make it outright dangerous. Luckily for us it was a bright sunny day and the trail was totally dry. We took a well deserved break at a tea stall. The atmosphere at the place is like going back several decades back in time. Tea is made on a wooden stove while oldies from the 60's play on an old rickety radio. The ppl are so simple and engrossed in their daily chores without a care for the outside world. Before we came there the stall owner was busy playing valleyball with a homemade ball with the other stall owners. Again no tourists.. the place looks like the perfect getaway.. for a while I forget my sore back after hours of back-braking riding on rough roads.

We left our bags at the tea stall and moved towards Serolsar lake about 5-6 Kms from Jalori. The bikes cud go only for about 1-1.5 Kms and after that it was a tiring hike to the lake. We didn't encounter a single tourist on the way. The trail is simply amazing to say the least. The path is all covered with stones and dead leaves. The trail looks almost untouched with the creaking of leaves under our shoes. The high altitude made the effort all the more challenging. The 9 Km trek to Triund paled in comparison to this relatively shorter hike. High altitude reduces your strength to a fraction of what it is in the plains.. And seeing Manik struggle like anything.. I thank myself for never taking up the habit of smoking..

Where the streets have no name..

There is still a long way to go..

Serolsar Lake..

Manik after a real tough time took a lonnng time to reach the lake. There was a small temple nearby..and some ritual was being performed. We took a walk round the lake and had some snacks perched on a huge rock overlooking the lake. Stunning view it was!.. Had maggi at a tea stall and reached Jalori by 6 PM. Soon after crossing the pass the scenery changed drastically from stark hills with no vegetation to lush green hillocks and orchards. Stopped for a few minutes at Shoja and then moved further down to find some suitable budget accomodation as the only option availabe at Shoja was the pricey Banjara Resorts.

At Shoja(2600 Mt)..

Found a decent place all made of wood at Ghiyagi(3 kms from Shoja) and took two rooms. The rooms were small and cramped but the place was so beautiful that it made up for this small inconvenience. The place run by an elderly couple had a rose garden.. and a small stream flowing right across the property. We packed some food and enjoyed some high spirits at the river side.. It was yet another tiring day with some fastastic riding away from the highways.. and a beautiful trek along a deserted trail.. This place is highly recommended for anybody doing that route.. much better than any resort has to offer.

Shringi Vatika, Shringpur, Ghiyagi, P.O. Banjar. Dist. Kullu Ph: 01903-227029

Day 3 (Ghiyagi-Aut-Manikaran-Manali)

Left the place at 8:30 AM and again it was a steep descent on some real bad roads. The road was quite narrow and we encountered jams at some places. Finally reahed the NH at Aut. Found a repair shop and got the chains tightened. Deepan's P-180 had problems with the headlamp.. it was rectified but by nite again the bulb won't work. The next stop was Manikaran... The ride along the river was indeed very enjoyable though the roads weren't as good..

Road to Manikaran..

The turbulent river with ice cold water..

After luch we found a trail through trees and rocks to the river bed.. and spend some time. The water was so cold that it took just 10 mins to chill a 2 ltr bottle of Coke to the max. While coming back to the road Deepan took a fall.. I had forgotten my day pack near the river and he was calling me out.. I turn and I see him flat on the ground... :-D...

Way to the river bed..

While coming back from Manikaran there was a mix up. Manik had a flat so others took time. In the mean while I stopped at a PCO to call home. Reliance has real poor connectivity in the hills. Airtel is much better and cud catch the signal at most places. I waited for some time and then thought that they cud have passed me by.. i ripped towards Manali.. None of the cell phones were working. Finally after getting to Manali was able to ring Manik and they were still at Kullu.. I decided to wait at the toll plaza to avoid any further mix up. In the mean time had a chat with the Taxi drivers who told that in order to get to Rohtang we wud have to reach early morning. We wud know how valuable this info was the next day..

Day 4 (Manali-Rohtang Pass-Manali)

With just two hrs of sleep we woke up at 2:30 AM and by 3:30 AM we were on the road to Rohtang. Deepan's headlamp was bust so we had to move slowly keeping him in b/w other bikes. The road was broken at several places and water streams had formed with the melting ice. There was lots of black ice about 10 Kms from the pass and we had to slow down. A truck skidded and hit the siderails due to black ice. Finally reached the Jot a little before 6 AM. The signboard was 80% covered in snow. Under normal conditions most of this snow should have melted by now.. but this year the weather has been extreme to say the least and the snow has broken all records of the past 70 years.

Rohtang Pass..

These walls are over 20 ft high at many places..

All snowed out 1 Km beyong Rohtang..

The road was flanked by 20 ft columns of ice on both sides. We moved ahead but found that just 1 Km beyond rohtang the road was totally snowed out.. There was no way we could move ahead. Everyone was getting chilled to the bone by now.. so we retreaded a few kms and found a tea stall and and had tea and Maggi. After warming up explored the slopes for a few hrs.. at high altitude even small walks were difficult. The gud thing was that very few tourists cud get even near rohtang as the BRO had restricted the entry to the top. We could see the entire visible stretch of road mired in a traffic jam. AFter a few hrs we again went to the Jot and the BRO was bulldozing away the snow on the road to Keylong. We were told that the road wud only be opened for two hrs today.. So we headed back to Manali. The ride too close to 4 hrs due to the sea of tourist vehicle from Marhi onwards. Took a small nap at the hotel and then went to explore old Manali.. and have dinner. Slept early because we had to cover nearly 600 Kms the next day.

Day 5 (Manali-Delhi)

Left Manli at 5:30 AM and it was comfortable cruising till Mandi. After crossing Mandi both Deepan and Sunil crashed at 60-70 Km/hr. Luckily the leg-guard saved them from any serious damage. Just bruised knees.. We took frequent breaks due to the sweltering heat and finally reached delhi at 7 PM. In all it was a 1550 Km ride and the last big one this year and probably the next year too!

Favourite travel quotes..

"A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it." - John Steinbeck

"When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money." -- Susan Heller

"Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey." -- Fitzhugh Mullan

"No matter where you go, there you are."

"If you don't know where you are going, any road will lead you there."

"Without new experiences, something inside of us sleeps. The sleeper must awaken." -- Frank Herbert

"He travels fastest who travels alone."

"I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them." -- Mark Twain

"Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen." - Benjamin Disraeli

"Two roads diverged in a wood and I took the one less traveled by." - Robert Frost

Hatu Peak (3400 Mt) Narkanda.. A beautiful Sunset..

2005-06-21T03:18:00.000+05:30

The last two weeks were perhaps the best two weeks of this year for me. With the summer project over most of the time was spent in planning my last trip to the mountains this year. Finally the result was a 1550 Km five day ride covering some of the best routes away from the highways with plenty of fantastic offroading. The detailed trip log will come up later. But I am posting some pics of the most beautiful sunset I ever experienced in my life.

It was the first day of the trip and I was climbing the Hatu Peak(3400 meters) near Narkanda(410 Kms from Delhi). It was evening and after a steep 6 Km ride on a dirt road which was a slush of sharp rocks and mud reached the summit of the hill. It was all clouded and there was a mild drizzle. But then suddenly the rain stopped and as the clouds began to part I had the first view of the snow laden peaks. And after a few more minutes began the almost magical interplay of colors with the sun setting among the clouds and reflections from the snow covered mountains. Now that was a rare occasion when you see different shades every few seconds as the sun begins to set behind the mountains.

The rocky trail leading to the summit..

At the top.. its all covered in clouds.

The clouds begin to part and the snow peaks come into view..

The sun comes out and the magical interplay of colors begins..

Exploring Uttaranchal - Delhi - Nainital - Mukteshwar - Kausani - Ranikhet - Delhi

2005-05-30T03:24:00.000+05:30

The Uttaranchal Explorers

After almost 3 weeks of planning finally five of us Sumit(Unicorn), Manik(P-150), Sunil(P-150), Shamik(Unicorn) and Deep(P-180) explored the beauty of the Kumaon region in Uttaranchal for 3 dayz covering some 1000 Kms in all.

Day 1 (May 14' 2005)

Shamik called up at 3:15 AM to enquire if the trip was on as scheduled. Met him at Ashram Chowk at 4 AM and then headed towards NH-24 to meet up with the other guyz. Manik and Deep were waiting at the Toll Plaza and by 5 AM Sunil also turned up. From then on we proceeded at comfortable speeds till we encountered a huge sea of Trucks and other vehicles blocking our way. We had to negotiate the 20+ Km stretch driving on the sides and in between the rows of trucks lined on the road. The average speeds dropped significantly as a result. That was when Shamik fell for the first time. There being lotsa loose mud on the sides there were no injuries. From then on we moved in a formation keeping Shamik in between. After a quick breakfast at a roadside Dhaba we moved ahead.

Stopped midway to buy some rope to tie the luggage and guess what? An old surd walks upto Shamik and the following conversation ensued:-

Surd : "Yeh nayee bike hai?"

Shamik: "Yeah!"

Surd: "Kitne ki padi?"

Shamik: "56K"

Surd: "Yeh diesel pe chalti hai?"

All: "Speechless"

The heat was making the ride uncomfortable now and it was only after Kathgodam that we finally began to enjoy the ride with rising elevation. Stopped for some drinks and I and Manik decided to rip for about 10-15 Km while the others followed at a comfortable pace. After some 15 Kms stopped for photos and waited for others to catch up.

Reached Nainital around 1 PM and checked into a hotel facing the lake.

After a little rest and lunch went to see the sunset. Chatted for a while took pics and discussed the plans for the next day. A little kid was jumping up and down in front of the camera and only relented after I took a pic and showed it to him.

Afer that rode back to town and roamed about the place. It was decided to head for Mukteshwar next morning.

Day 2 (May 15' 2005)

Mukteshwar(60 Kms from Nainital) was the first destination for the day. The roads were good and we ripped hard during the last leg of the ride. Stopped for some photos as we encountered the first view of the snow covered peaks.

Shamik took his first of the two falls of the day just a few Kms from Mukteshwar but escaped with no injuries and a bent brake lever and a few scratches to the fairing. The ride turned out to be the most beautiful so far with gr8 roads and awesome views of nature's beauty. By this time others had also began to comfortably rip hard in the mountains.

Mukteshwar with an elevation of 2286 Metres is the highest hill station in Kumaon and very much unlike the typical touristy places. Very quiet and serene where the pace of life is really slow. No crowds, just a few resorts and 180' Degree views of the major snow laden peaks.

The next destination was Kausani and we decided to take a short cut(a dirt track leading through the woods). Shamik was going to have a tough time and took another fall. He just collapsed and decided that he had had enuff of this offroading nonsense. Finally I drove his bike out of that dirt road and soon everything was normal. But Shamik still won't forgive me n Manik for taking that route.

The road less taken..

The road ahead towards Almora was further a broken stretch with work in progress. So again we proceeded at a slow pace and enjoyed the beauty of the hills. Uttaranchal is comparitively less frequented than Himachal and the roads were mostly empty with not a soul in sight. We could actually hear the sounds of the streams and the breeze.

Stopped for fuel at Almora and and then proceeded towards Kausani stopping only for some drinks and photo shoots. Reached Kausani in time to see the sunset and took some gr8 snaps of the evning sunrays reflecting off the snow covered peaks. The views cud have been picture perfect if the clouds had not blocked the views.

Day 3 (May 16' 2005)

Woke up in time to enjoy the sunrise with breakfast at the hotel terrace. Deep's bike had a flat and managed to inflate the tyre using a electronic pump provided by a helpful driver(It costs less than 500 bucks and is smaller and lighter than a footpump). The puncture was a small one and we were done with it in no time.

The last day of the Journey had begun and we headed towards Ranikhet. Took a small break for photoshoots in between. The roads were damn gud so far.

Stopped in Ranikhet and visited a temple wholly covered with bells tied by devotees. Made a few videos in Ranikhet while negotiating the smooth curves. It was getting late now and we proceeded at faster speeds. We wud take breaks, photos and even then overtake the vehicles in a few minutes. Crossed a few cars several times during the ride.

Bhimtal

We were late now and it was clear that we wud be driving after dark. So again we formed a formation with Shamik in between and proceeded with few breaks. Finally reached home a little after 11 PM.

Four dayz in McLeodGanj...

2005-05-11T03:26:00.000+05:30

Well nothing excites me more than riding on those winding mountain roads in the Himalayas. Managed to steal a few more dayz from the summer internship and here we head once more towards the hills - Me and my bike. This one turned out yet another 1300+ Km ride a bit longer though. After Manali made a trip to Narkanda(60 Kms from Shimla) but didn't write anything during that one(some reason.. may be I will write about it later). Well here it is a 4 day n 3 nite trip to McLeodganj (10 Kms from Dharmsala) in Himachal Pradesh.

Day 1 (May 5' 2005)

Started the jouney at 4:30 AM from home and within 50 mins I was out of Delhi and cruising on NH-1 at comfortable speeds. It was still dark so limited the speed to 80Kmph. It was a beautiful clear day and the going was gud apart form the deluge of bugs which wud get splattered against my helmet visor and windsheeter. Then what? A traffic jam on a 4 lane highway! Well it turned out that two trucks had collided during the nite forcing the diversion of traffic to the other side.

After that brief interruption rode non-stop till a few kms beyond Ludhiana where I stopped for some tea and had the biscuits that I carried along. That was some 350 Kms of ride(longest till date). From then on it was smooth tarmac all the way to Pathankot. As per my original plan I proceeded towards Dalhousie but then as luck(gud or bad you never know!) would have it found that a gud 15-20 stretch was all broken up(a patch of loose rocks). So I rode back to Pathankot and proceeded towards Dharmsala a gud 90 kms away. It was getting pretty hot by then I was getting roasted in the sweltering heat. But gradually as I gained altitude things began to cool and by the time I neared Dharmsala it was a bit chilly due to the late afternoon showers. From Dharmsala I rode upwards towards McLeodGanj taking the short but very steep route. I looked at the watch and it was 4:30 now. A good 12 hrs of ride covering some 700 Kms. Started looking for accomodation checked into a guest house at Temple road(A nice little room with a brilliant view from the terrace). I found out that I was the only Indian staying there(probably less than 10% tourists here are from India as I wud know later on..).

The last leg of the ride was the most enjoyable as mountain roads always are. Rested for some time and then went around the various streets and alleys in Mcleod and explore the area around. The momos here are damn gud(much better than the stuff handed out at IIMK canteen!). And what a sight it was .. you feel as if you are not in India anymore. There are firangs all over the place.. the place is teeming with foreign tourists. Partly the rush is due to the fact that McLeod is the seat of the Tibetan govt. in exile and Dalai Lama's official residence. As with other places in the hills, most of the tourists are from Israel. Apart from the pot smoking crowd there are some real interesting ppl too. Visited a small chai shop called Sunrise Cafe. The stall is very small but has a lot of character. The owner has maintained slam books since the last several years and they have grown to several inches of volumes now. They make an interesting read with notes scribbled down in almost any language existing in the world. Some are funny some outright absurd... but nice to go along with tea. Its has become sort of a hub for the travellers of all shades. Talked to a few ppl and found that many of them have been staying here for weeks and some are even cooking their own food(probably that explains why many rooms here come equipped with a small pantry). Now I needed to have a good nite's sleep to soothe my tired body.

Day 2 (May 6' 2005)

It rained heavily most of da day. Managed to visit the St. John's Church in the morning and the Dal Lake. Walked to Bhagsu but got drenched while returning. Spent some time checking mail etc. But with nothing much to do.. sat down with a novel and watched the rain pelting down.

Day 3 (May 7' 2005)

The start cudn't be better - woke up early enuff to watch the sunrise and it was a bright clear day. Rode to Dharmkot and around. Then turned towards the trekking route for Triund(9 Kms). There were bits of road for only a Km or two but the route looked interesting so parked my bike at McLeod and began hiking towards Triund.

Met an old swiss lady on the route. Was amazed when got to hear "Namaste!" in response to gud morning. She cud speak broken hindi and she had some rudimentary knowledge of Malayalam too. She was surprised that even after one year in Kerala I had no clue regarding the local language. Its humbling to meet such ppl who know more about your country than you do! She is over 50 and has walked the Manali - Leh rode last august! i.e. some 400+ Kms. And today she was guiding two Columbian gals who cudn't speak english along the trail. I covered a few kms chatting with her. People like that surely give that recoommnded dose of inspiration. One thing I remember form the conversation.. she uttered a Forrest Gump dialogue.."You got a nice pair of shoes! They will take you places..." don't remember exactly.. She told me how the terrain here was similar to the Andes mountains in South America and told me that I wud love to bike around that terrain. May be someday I wud!(I am a dreamer..but perhaps .. not the only one.. ;-).

The route is very seep towards the end but very beautiful lined with oak and cedar trees. You encounter a snow covered slope after about 6 Kms of climb and that requires a bit of caution as it is easy to slip across down to the valley below.

There are patches of trail where the path is llined with red coloured floweres and its simply amazing to tread the path while enjoying the stunning views and snow laden mountains all around. Stopped for some water at a stall en route and was surprised to hear Thanda Matlab Coca Cola coming from a european gurl. The Coke guys have surely hit the right nerves with their ad campaign. It has really worked for them!

Finally after a 3 hr trek and some 9 Kms I reach the summit and onto a grassy meadow surrounded by tall mountains on all sides. There are a few tents strewn across the landscape along with some tibetan prayer flags like all other places. But the view from the top is breathtaking to say the least.

Someday later I wud trek to the snow line which is a few Kms further form Triund. I cud have done that today itself had I started earlier. But its already late and the weather is turning bad. Well the mountains will keep me coming back for more again and again!

Day 4 (May 8' 2005)

Rode back home covering 600 Kms in 8.5 hrs(less traffic being a Sunday!).

A ride in the mountains... (Gurgaon - Manali - Kothi - Gurgaon - 1400 KMs )

2005-04-26T03:30:00.000+05:30

Almost three weeks have passed since I came to Gurgaon. The summer project at TERI has slowed down in pace and that has given me a reasonable amount of time to do my own thing. So there I am commuting daily in the sweltering heat between Delhi and Gurgaon. Its time for some change. And what better way to beat the heat than to head for the hills. Its been quite a few years since I last visited Manali and that was in a big group. So I decided to make a solo trip this time on my bike. I left in the morning of April 14th and returned in the evening of April 16th. In all a ride of close to 1400 Kms, my longest solo trip till date in such a short span of time. The new bike behaved extremely well in every condition from temperatures in forties to sub-Zero temperatures in Kothi.

Day 1 (April 14' 2005)
---------------------------

I started out at 5 in the morning. My mother was a bit apprehensive about the whole idea as expected. However I managed to convince her and hit the road with only my bike for company. NH-8 had quite a bit of traffic even at such an early hour. Most of it comprised of Call Center/BPO cabs and trucks. Even then it was much thin compared to the rush hours. Took just 40 mins to reach NH-1 and proceeded towards Chandigarh. NH-1 is such a beauty now that you can actually cover over 100kms in an hour on this stretch of asphalt. And the best thing is you can easily cruise at 90-100 Km/hr(if all highways in India were like that..??). Had breakfast at a roadside Dhaba. There are a lot of gud ones on the stretch and always a nice place to refresh urself during a long ride. After Ambala the expressway ended and had to be more careful while riding with lots of traffic coming from both sides. And north indians are not exactly known for following rules of the road. This means you have to be extra careful on the road. There were a lot of tractor trollies which would pop up from no where and slow down the whole traffic. Took another tea break and crossed into Himachal shortly after. By 11 AM, I had crossed into Himachal and the real joy ride started with the winding mountain roads. The roads are in terrific condition barring a few rough patches and you can easily maintain good speed. Got a bit carried away and scraped the foot peg during a 90 degree turn. That was the only scary part of the ride. The winds were getting cooler now and I stopped for lunch at Bilaspur. The views improved with every passing mile and the view of the Beas river along the NH-21 is just too tempting. Then disaster struck! I took out my camera to capture a view of the valley below and what the f&*$? The new 1 GB CF card that was installed a day ago had crashed. And to top it up, I had forgotten to carry my old card. So no more pics for me till I reach Manali. Well, you can never plan enuff for such things and I carried on. The only positive things was that there were no photo breaks and I reached Manali at 4:15 PM. The odo showed a distance of 600 kms covered. Quickly took a decent accommodation near the circuit house and headed to the Mall and bought a cheap Kodak film camera and headed towards Kothi(you can only that far towards Rohtang Pass at this time..). And within 20 mins the winds had turned icy and there was snow all around. I was quite tired by now so took a few pics and headed back to Manali. Changed the engine oil and lubed the chain. Took a stroll down the Mall road and had dinner at a Tibetan Restaurant. Being too tired to do anything else, went to my room and hit the sack by 10 PM.

Day 2(April 15' 2005)
--------------------------

Woke up at 6:30 in the morning and felt the chilly winds as I opened the windows. Had a cup of tea and toast for breakfast and headed again for Kothi. Reached there by 8 AM. There were hardly any tourists at that time. The vendors were busy setting up their stalls. A Nepali guy approached me to try skiing. He started with 400 bucks but eventually came down to 100 bucks for the whole day. The season is yet to peak here and the things are not that expensive at this time of the year. I had no plans for skiing but then the best thing about travellin solo is that you don't need to have any fixed plans. You can build them on the fly! So we headed for the higher slopes and I could feel the effect of the altitude on my stamina. I could feel the droplets of sweat forming on my forehead. I started with a couple of spectacular falls. Finally after three attempts managed to cruise down the slope without falling. Its amazing especially when you are not in midst of a sea of tourists. Carried on till 12 with the skiing. I was sweating quite a bit by now. Then snow fall started and it was a visual treat watching the snowflakes fall while sipping piping hot tea. Spend another two hours in Kothi exploring the slopes. It had been a tiring day so far. Reached Manali and took a small nap. In the evening spent some time exploring old Manali and that was the end of the day. I had to head back the next day.

Day 3 (April 16' 2005)
--------------------------

Left Manali at 8:30 AM and this time there were fewer breaks and reached home at 8 in the evening. Total distance covered close to 1400 Kms. Time for a sumptuous dinner and planning for the next trip to the mountains!!

My first Kerala tour..

2005-04-01T16:28:00.000+05:30

I wonder why I still haven't written down the trip log of that wonderful journey.....

The trio is happy happy....

The Backwaters of Alleppy..

Thekkady..

The views from the road to Munnar...

Misty Munnar....

Current Music: Jackson Browne - The Load-Out

Uttaranchal

2005-03-06T04:28:00.000+05:30

2005

May 14 - May 16
Delhi - Nainital - Mukteshwar - Kausani - Ranikhet - Delhi

Himachal Pradesh

2005-03-05T04:28:00.000+05:30

2005

April 14 - April 16
Delhi->Manali->Gurgaon

May 5 - May 8
Delhi->McLeodGanj->Triund->McLeodGanj->Delhi

June 8 - June 12
Delhi-Chandigarh-Solan-Chail-Kufri-Narkanda-Hatu Peak-Khanag-Jalori Pass-Serolsar Lake-Shoja-Ghiyagi-Aut-Banjar-Manikaran-Kullu-Manali-Rohtang Pass-Delhi

Beautiful Sunset at Hatu Peak (Narkanda)

Jammu & Kashmir

2005-03-04T04:28:00.000+05:30

Agar firdous bar rul-e-zameen ast, hamin ast-o-hamin ast-o-hamin ast..
If there is a paradise in the world, it is here, it is here, it is here
- Urfi, Persian poet on Kashmir

2005

Made my first ever trip to Kashmir, Ladakh and Zanskar from September 7 to September 20th. And after some 3800 Kms of wandering I can't wait to be up there again.

Day 01 - Gurgaon - Delhi - Ambala - Ludhiana - Pathankot - Jammu

Day 02 - Jammu - Srinagar - Sonamarg - Zojilla Pass(11,649 Ft)

Day 03 - Zojilla Pass - Dras - Kargil

Day 04 - Kargil - Lumayaru - Leh

Day 05 - Leh - Khardung La - Leh

Day 06 - Leh - Karu - Chang La - Tangtse - Pangong Tso - Tangtse

Day 07 - Tangtse - Pangong Tso - Spangmik - Tangtse

Day 08 - Tangtse - Chang La - LEH

Day 09 - LEH - Lumayaru - Fatu La - Namika La - Kargil - Sankoo

Day 10 - Sankoo - Panikhar - Parkachik Glacier - Rangdum

Day 11 - Rangdum - Penzi La(4450 Mt) - Drang-Drung Glacier - Rangdum Monastery- Sankoo - Kargil - Drass

Day 12 - Drass -Zojilla Pass - Sonmarg - Srinagar - Gulmarg - Srinagar

Day 13 - Srinagar - Jammu

Day 14 - Jammu - Delhi

Kerala - God's own country...

2005-03-03T04:24:00.000+05:30

2004

Calicut->Thrissur->Kochi->Alleppy->Thekkady->Munnar->Calicut
Wyannad
Kappad Beach
Mahe

2005

About me

2005-03-02T03:49:00.002+05:30

I'm just another guy in my mid twenties with an inquisitive and restless mind. It all started with a road trip during the first term break at my grad school.

Now, thousands of miles and tens of travels later, the desire to explore new and different places just doesn't subside. It just keeps getting stronger with every new destination you strike off the maps.