''The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step''.
Lao Tzu
Bangalore - Amritsar - Srinagar - Leh - Ladakh - Lahaul Valley - Spiti Valley - Kinnaur - Shimla - Chandigarh - New Delhi - Agra - Bangalore.
30 days - 10323 kilometers - 3 international borders - 4453 photographs - 1 ride of a lifetime.
"My first solo" - dedicated to the heaven on earth.
Warning : The photos uploaded in the following series of blogs are splendidly gorgeous. I hold no responsibility whatsoever if it gets you thinking that heaven does exist.
A month before the trip.
People gave me a stink eye and exclaimed "are you out of your freaking mind!!?", when I said I'm going to take a sabbatical of 30 long days and head to the Himalayas. And they just laughed when I said I'm doing it all alone and I'll be riding my motorcycle all the way. They thought I had completely lost it and was getting too creative (read as ridiculous) smoking on the holy grass.
Well, they say "dreamers are doers". I guess I just wanted to take some time off "everyday grind" and not be judged for it. I wanted to delete all my social media accounts and stop that nonsensical one-upmanship of jibes and jokes and rabble rousing. I wanted to be owned so badly by the mesmerizing turnpikes and the jaw dropping beauty of what I seriously think of being the Elysium on planet earth (you don't own s*** in the Himalayas!!. It owns you). And I got owned.
Here's my story.
6th, 7th and 8th of June 2015 (Day 1,2 and 3).
Total expenses = INR 7820.
There's a lot of romanticism associated with traveling. From the gorgeous evolving scenery to the wind on your face, from different backdrops to the inspiring cultures, traveling has always been a perfect expression to rejuvenate.
Anyway, I'll chuck the boring getting to Chandigarh from Bangalore part (nothing interesting there). Reached Chandigarh at 11:30 pm on day 3. Chandigarh happens to be a pretty nice city. Seems completely civilized. The place gets a double thumbs up in my books. After a sumptuous meal, I wasted no time on hitting the highway to get to Amritsar - The city of the Golden Temple and I reached Amritsar around 4 in the morning.
9th of June 2015 (Day 4).
Harmandir Sahib - Jallianwala Bagh - Wagah Border - Pathankot.
Total expenses = INR 2095.
Sacrosanct. That's the purest word that I can come up with to define the "Adobe of the God" - Harmandir Sahib (The Golden Temple). The very looks of it keeps you occupied, in fact it gets you dumbstruck. I was pretty much astonished by the pure charm of it, and the glare of the temple on the holy pond was just beautiful. The reflection of gold on turquoise water was too good to look at and I did waste a lot of time just staring at it.
Next came Jallianwala Bagh. The memorial for the 1919 massacre. Well, the pictures inside the memorial makes your heart melt and you can't help but feel sad. After rambling around the campus, I realized that it was time to make some noise. Not at the concert or a party, but at the Indo-Pak border - Wagah. It was time to cheer for India.
After some intense security checks (the only thing is that you don't get stripped), I was at the Indo-Pak border. Known as the 'Lowering of the Flags' or 'The Beating Retreat Ceremony', the environment at the border is pretty loud. The decibel levels go skyrocket and the whole drill in itself is really cool. You just have to be there in person to feel the vibes of the electrifying environment. It was purely awesome is all I can say.
It was the highway again. I thought I could reach Jammu and halt for the night, but the god had other plans for me and I ended up reaching until Pathankot before I called it a day. It was late in the night and I was really tired. Found a hotel and I just hit the sack.
Overnight stay = Pathankot.
Stay type = Hotel.
10th of June 2015 (Day 5).
Pathankot - Jammu - Patnitop - Banihal - Srinagar.
Total expenses = INR 2470.
8 am and I was on the road again. Today was a big day. I, at any cost had to reach Srinagar before the day ended. I only had a few buffer days which were meant to be used in case of landslides, avalanches or denied permits. so I had to really hit the gas on this day and reach Srinagar at any cost.
A fresh day and a fresh start. The highway happened to be fine and I was riding like someone had a black magic spell on me or something until I made a little pitstop at Jammu to pick up some spares for the ride. I didn't realize that the phone network had went kaput until I took it out to make a call.
That's when my actual trip began. No network, and I was like yayyy !!!!. That meant only one thing. I was completely in the mercy of mother nature for the next few weeks (you will understand why in the upcoming write up) and knowing that fact was enthralling.
Note : Only postpaid connection of either airtel or bsnl networks from other states or Sim cards purchased from Jammu and Kashmir alone work in Jammu and Kashmir. ** All other sim cards can go take a hike.
The whole ride from Jammu to Udhampur, I was thinking of not making a single mistake. I guess I never wanted my brains to be splattered by some 39 mm cartridge fired from an AK47 assault rifle by a militant. (For those of you who have been living under the rock, AK47 happens to be the weapon of choice for the terrorists who enter the Infamous J&K).
Having stayed in J&K for 20 odd days, I promise you J&K is not really what you believe. It's more like heaven. And the heaven is kept the way it is by the ever alert "INDIAN ARMY". RESPECT !!!!.
It was time to spend some time alone in the hills. No, seriously. There's nothing like being alone in the bosom of the nature. It's the perfect thing to clear your head out of all the confusion. Having said that, eventually came Patnitop. Along with Patnitop came the switchbacks and the epic scenery as well.
Riding alone the river side with carved out mountains (read as roads) where one slip can mean a gruesome fall to the bottom, where nobody can find a single part of your body or your motorcycle was proper kickass. The very feeling of adventure and danger kept my spirits going. The temperature drop added the spice to the whole riding thing and I was literally feeling pretty staggering at that time. Good times man, good times. And this, the view.
Then came greatness - Banihal Tunnel (Jawahar tunnel). This tunnel is 2.85 kilometers long and riding inside it gives you one of the finest feelings associated with motorcycling. Imagine a tunnel which is one way where the traffic is allowed for 2 alternate hours from each side and 2.85 kilometers long. Now that's magnificent. It's completely straight and you just hear the sound of the signature thump of the Royal Enfield while you are inside. Take my word for it, that's just stunning and the sensation you get from it is something else.
The temperature further dropped and I was seeing snow on high altitude peaks. My eyes just bloomed. It was the very first time in my entire life that I was seeing snow and my excitement escalated the level 9000. "Tomorrow", I said to myself and rode towards Srinagar enjoying the vistas enroute.
Finally, I was in Srinagar and I found myself a pleasant little hotel for the stay. End of day 5.
Overnight stay = Srinagar.
Stay type = Hotel.
11th of June 2015 (Day 6).
Srinagar - Gulmarg - Sonamarg.
Total expenses = INR 1850.
Dal lake welcomed me. The lake looked nothing but amazing and what made it better??, the shikara ride and the pleasant climate of the place. After spending some time at the lake and the hill top, it was time to try some local speciality. No I'm not talking about the local weed, but Wazwan. Wazwan is a multi course dish which contains more than 50 dishes incorporated in it. The dish happens to be associated with the authenticity of Kashmir. I didn't get a chance to try all the dishes (happens mainly at big celebrations and weddings) but a handful of them. It tasted like a feast fit for a King.
After that luxurious meal, I was cruising towards Gulmarg. Gulmarg has all the gorgeousness to make you go "wow !!, this is special". Known as the Meadow of Flowers, Gulmarg has its own charm which can make any traveler fall in love with it. The snow capped peaks, the dangerous bends and the pine trees all along the route is pure eye candy (not to mention the pretty ladies). Gorging on the local cherries, I was completely lost in the madness of the place which happened to be irresistibly beautiful and the beauty continued as I started towards Sonamarg.
I thought that this was pure bliss and I was in heaven, but little did I know I was only at the pearly gates and the heaven was waiting further ahead.
With some nice pictures to brag for, I continued towards Sonamarg and reached the place at dusk. It was time to pitch tent and I found a nice spot with the Tajiwas glacier in the backdrop. I wasted no time in camping and out came the sleeping bag, thermals, gloves and the skull cap.
It was pretty cold and most probably the temperature was around 6 to 8 degrees. I was freezing and the cold started to seep in from all the corners. My hands were becoming numb and I could hardly sleep. I wish I had a gulp of Old Monk and that was the time when I regretted of not getting a sleeping bag which tolerated up to -10 degrees. Well, that's the very part of traveling. You keep on learning and that's one more tip for the books.
Overnight stay = Sonamarg.
Stay type = Camping tent.
Note : Invest in a good sleeping bag if you are camping at cold and harsh temperatures. Bags going up to -20 degrees would be recommended.
More to come. Here's what's in store.
Until then, ride hard ride safe !!!.
People gave me a stink eye and exclaimed "are you out of your freaking mind!!?", when I said I'm going to take a sabbatical of 30 long days and head to the Himalayas. And they just laughed when I said I'm doing it all alone and I'll be riding my motorcycle all the way. They thought I had completely lost it and was getting too creative (read as ridiculous) smoking on the holy grass.
Well, they say "dreamers are doers". I guess I just wanted to take some time off "everyday grind" and not be judged for it. I wanted to delete all my social media accounts and stop that nonsensical one-upmanship of jibes and jokes and rabble rousing. I wanted to be owned so badly by the mesmerizing turnpikes and the jaw dropping beauty of what I seriously think of being the Elysium on planet earth (you don't own s*** in the Himalayas!!. It owns you). And I got owned.
Here's my story.
6th, 7th and 8th of June 2015 (Day 1,2 and 3).
Total expenses = INR 7820.
There's a lot of romanticism associated with traveling. From the gorgeous evolving scenery to the wind on your face, from different backdrops to the inspiring cultures, traveling has always been a perfect expression to rejuvenate.
Anyway, I'll chuck the boring getting to Chandigarh from Bangalore part (nothing interesting there). Reached Chandigarh at 11:30 pm on day 3. Chandigarh happens to be a pretty nice city. Seems completely civilized. The place gets a double thumbs up in my books. After a sumptuous meal, I wasted no time on hitting the highway to get to Amritsar - The city of the Golden Temple and I reached Amritsar around 4 in the morning.
9th of June 2015 (Day 4).
Harmandir Sahib - Jallianwala Bagh - Wagah Border - Pathankot.
Total expenses = INR 2095.
Sacrosanct. That's the purest word that I can come up with to define the "Adobe of the God" - Harmandir Sahib (The Golden Temple). The very looks of it keeps you occupied, in fact it gets you dumbstruck. I was pretty much astonished by the pure charm of it, and the glare of the temple on the holy pond was just beautiful. The reflection of gold on turquoise water was too good to look at and I did waste a lot of time just staring at it.
Next came Jallianwala Bagh. The memorial for the 1919 massacre. Well, the pictures inside the memorial makes your heart melt and you can't help but feel sad. After rambling around the campus, I realized that it was time to make some noise. Not at the concert or a party, but at the Indo-Pak border - Wagah. It was time to cheer for India.
After some intense security checks (the only thing is that you don't get stripped), I was at the Indo-Pak border. Known as the 'Lowering of the Flags' or 'The Beating Retreat Ceremony', the environment at the border is pretty loud. The decibel levels go skyrocket and the whole drill in itself is really cool. You just have to be there in person to feel the vibes of the electrifying environment. It was purely awesome is all I can say.
It was the highway again. I thought I could reach Jammu and halt for the night, but the god had other plans for me and I ended up reaching until Pathankot before I called it a day. It was late in the night and I was really tired. Found a hotel and I just hit the sack.
Overnight stay = Pathankot.
Stay type = Hotel.
10th of June 2015 (Day 5).
Pathankot - Jammu - Patnitop - Banihal - Srinagar.
Total expenses = INR 2470.
8 am and I was on the road again. Today was a big day. I, at any cost had to reach Srinagar before the day ended. I only had a few buffer days which were meant to be used in case of landslides, avalanches or denied permits. so I had to really hit the gas on this day and reach Srinagar at any cost.
A fresh day and a fresh start. The highway happened to be fine and I was riding like someone had a black magic spell on me or something until I made a little pitstop at Jammu to pick up some spares for the ride. I didn't realize that the phone network had went kaput until I took it out to make a call.
That's when my actual trip began. No network, and I was like yayyy !!!!. That meant only one thing. I was completely in the mercy of mother nature for the next few weeks (you will understand why in the upcoming write up) and knowing that fact was enthralling.
Note : Only postpaid connection of either airtel or bsnl networks from other states or Sim cards purchased from Jammu and Kashmir alone work in Jammu and Kashmir. ** All other sim cards can go take a hike.
The whole ride from Jammu to Udhampur, I was thinking of not making a single mistake. I guess I never wanted my brains to be splattered by some 39 mm cartridge fired from an AK47 assault rifle by a militant. (For those of you who have been living under the rock, AK47 happens to be the weapon of choice for the terrorists who enter the Infamous J&K).
Having stayed in J&K for 20 odd days, I promise you J&K is not really what you believe. It's more like heaven. And the heaven is kept the way it is by the ever alert "INDIAN ARMY". RESPECT !!!!.
It was time to spend some time alone in the hills. No, seriously. There's nothing like being alone in the bosom of the nature. It's the perfect thing to clear your head out of all the confusion. Having said that, eventually came Patnitop. Along with Patnitop came the switchbacks and the epic scenery as well.
Riding alone the river side with carved out mountains (read as roads) where one slip can mean a gruesome fall to the bottom, where nobody can find a single part of your body or your motorcycle was proper kickass. The very feeling of adventure and danger kept my spirits going. The temperature drop added the spice to the whole riding thing and I was literally feeling pretty staggering at that time. Good times man, good times. And this, the view.
Then came greatness - Banihal Tunnel (Jawahar tunnel). This tunnel is 2.85 kilometers long and riding inside it gives you one of the finest feelings associated with motorcycling. Imagine a tunnel which is one way where the traffic is allowed for 2 alternate hours from each side and 2.85 kilometers long. Now that's magnificent. It's completely straight and you just hear the sound of the signature thump of the Royal Enfield while you are inside. Take my word for it, that's just stunning and the sensation you get from it is something else.
The temperature further dropped and I was seeing snow on high altitude peaks. My eyes just bloomed. It was the very first time in my entire life that I was seeing snow and my excitement escalated the level 9000. "Tomorrow", I said to myself and rode towards Srinagar enjoying the vistas enroute.
Finally, I was in Srinagar and I found myself a pleasant little hotel for the stay. End of day 5.
Overnight stay = Srinagar.
Stay type = Hotel.
11th of June 2015 (Day 6).
Srinagar - Gulmarg - Sonamarg.
Total expenses = INR 1850.
Dal lake welcomed me. The lake looked nothing but amazing and what made it better??, the shikara ride and the pleasant climate of the place. After spending some time at the lake and the hill top, it was time to try some local speciality. No I'm not talking about the local weed, but Wazwan. Wazwan is a multi course dish which contains more than 50 dishes incorporated in it. The dish happens to be associated with the authenticity of Kashmir. I didn't get a chance to try all the dishes (happens mainly at big celebrations and weddings) but a handful of them. It tasted like a feast fit for a King.
After that luxurious meal, I was cruising towards Gulmarg. Gulmarg has all the gorgeousness to make you go "wow !!, this is special". Known as the Meadow of Flowers, Gulmarg has its own charm which can make any traveler fall in love with it. The snow capped peaks, the dangerous bends and the pine trees all along the route is pure eye candy (not to mention the pretty ladies). Gorging on the local cherries, I was completely lost in the madness of the place which happened to be irresistibly beautiful and the beauty continued as I started towards Sonamarg.
I thought that this was pure bliss and I was in heaven, but little did I know I was only at the pearly gates and the heaven was waiting further ahead.
With some nice pictures to brag for, I continued towards Sonamarg and reached the place at dusk. It was time to pitch tent and I found a nice spot with the Tajiwas glacier in the backdrop. I wasted no time in camping and out came the sleeping bag, thermals, gloves and the skull cap.
It was pretty cold and most probably the temperature was around 6 to 8 degrees. I was freezing and the cold started to seep in from all the corners. My hands were becoming numb and I could hardly sleep. I wish I had a gulp of Old Monk and that was the time when I regretted of not getting a sleeping bag which tolerated up to -10 degrees. Well, that's the very part of traveling. You keep on learning and that's one more tip for the books.
Overnight stay = Sonamarg.
Stay type = Camping tent.
Note : Invest in a good sleeping bag if you are camping at cold and harsh temperatures. Bags going up to -20 degrees would be recommended.
More to come. Here's what's in store.
Until then, ride hard ride safe !!!.
Nice write up buddy....Waiting for the next blog and offcouse for some amazing pictures:-)
ReplyDelete