Tuesday, 24 March 2020

More of Ladakh to come !!!

Ladakh was a dream for me until it happened for the first time, and then on I fell in love with the place and never missed any opportunity that got me to visit Leh.

And it was not like Ladakh, once visited didn't have anything different to offer. I realized from my visits that every time was a different experience and I can never forget the experience and learning I had from these trips, the place, the people and what not.

Will share more pictures of different visits soon and I still keep looking for an opportunity to travel again!!!

LADAKH - A DREAM COME TRUE FOR ME

Travelogue Ladakh June 2018 - Traveling to these places is always adventurous and fun but at the same time its a lot of responsibility as well! Despite all the challenges faced this place is one that will be etched in my memory forever 

This is a very late post and ever since my first visit I have already visited Ladakh more times with more experiences that would be shared sooner.

The Virus and lockdown has given me more time to write my blogs which otherwise took a backseat!!!

My first trip to Ladakh - The big mountains

Day 1

It was quite an exciting as well as nervous moment for me as our customers arrive at Manali. To add to the worry the bus was delayed due to the overflow of tourists (In my later trips I realized that it is never the best season to visit!). Finally by noon all of them arrive and after assisting with their check in we decide to go and check out the bikes for the big ride ahead!! 


By evening we met up over dinner for a briefing as well as some introduction time with the rest of the team,






Had a small briefing session on the tour and it was time to retire as we had to start our journey early next day. Bidding good night and left with hardly 4 hours of sleep day 1 seemed quite tiring for no reason. May be it was the excitement and nervousness of the maiden Ladakh trip 


Day 2 - Our big day begins 

All of us started quite early and then it starts, Rains!!!! Not something that you expect especially when the trip starts right ! Rain or shine the plan was to leave and everyone lined up with some heavy downpour.

The first stop was to fill fuel and we hit the Rohtang highway immediately.
I am unsure what is there in Rohtang that there has been kms of traffic lined up the hilly roads. The 50 km stretch took us some 4 hours just because of this line up. There is a permit process at Gulaba check post and it just took more time. After almost 4 hours of waiting we finally made it towards Rohtang. Stopped for a few pictures and there again we were awaiting the descend.

Expect the unexpected is the trend of the hills. I was in the support vehicle on day 1 and never expected such heavy traffic. The kind of restless person I am, I decided to walk around a bit to click pictures instead of sitting inside the car doing nothing. I kept walking without realizing what was coming ahead. It was all fine till an unexpected cloudburst happened and there I was, left all by myself in that heavy rain and realised I couldn't walk up nor walk down. Then after requesting few people i got in to a car which eventually started moving and asked them to drop me in a place where some more people were standing. The route was completely slushy and the rains just made the whole route worse. (Trust me I had to prove myself to the people in the car that I was also a tourist and I was just stuck in the rains, coz no one was willing to help!)

The bikers some how made through it and the cars were still stuck as they were getting stuck in the slush. I had to wait near a slushy area watching vehicles getting stuck and the long line of traffic piling, it took an hour or more for me to spot my vehicle. I was completely relieved and finally started out way down towards Darcha where the bikers were waiting for the permit to be done.

The huge traffic in the mountains






And thats when the cloud burst happens and people are stuck in the slush!!!


 



Finally all of us left from Darcha and continued our journey till Jispa and arrived around 8 pm. The last petrol pump on this road is at Tandi and all had to fuel up both the tanks and the Jerry cans. (The good thing about traveling in these mountains is that the day lights are long and hence we had good lights till about the time we reached Jispa. 


The road from Rohtang way down has been in quite a mess and it took hours to get through all the slush due to the heavy downpour that happened. and there were some terrible watercrossings too. 

We finally called it a day and had dinner and retired. Lest we know what we had in store the next day

Day 3

It was quite exciting for me as I decided to ride pillion instead of sitting in the boring support vehicle. I was all geared up and happy and alas the happiness lasted little less than 20 kms. I should say in this 20kms we came across couple of water crossings too which were quite some challenge! We crossed a place called Patsio and were couple of kms from zing zing bar when the army stopped us and said there is some clearance happening of their convoys. We sat and waited till we heard we were good to go. 


After about couple of hours of waiting there came the news that there had been a big landslide 2 kms away and that the road is closed and we had to go back. They did make a mention that it could take 3 days to get the road mess cleared. So there we were stuck in the middle of nowhere and our entire plan goes for a toss. If you are all by yourself or on a personal trip its always easier to figure things out however our situation got challenging on day 2 of the ride when we had hardly started.


Helping to push bikes through the water crossings!




People relaxing not knowing what to do next!







We had to think on what the next plan could be. It was quite a worry as we had customers traveling with us and we had to inform them of an alternative plan. 


So after much contemplation we re worked on the schedule and decided to get back to Jispa for the night and then decide on the next plan of action. There was nothing much that could be done when the mountains decide to test you!

So the ride began once again back to where we started and we had to go through both the river crossings again. But by this time the ice started melting more and that meant more water.


Finally we reached our camps and this time a different one and settled for the evening with some card games as we had no idea what could come our way! So another evening and night passed by looking forward to a positive news from the army. By dinner we got news that the route had been cleared and we could move forward. 


So with lots of hopes for the next day we went to sleep. (A day lost here was to be compensated in Leh)


The beautiful camp that we stayed at Jispa

Day 4


Started early to ensure we reach our destination Rumtse on time. Least did we expect how challenging the ride or day could get. Every bit of the ride was challenging in its own way.

The crossing of water where the landslide happened was absolutely challenging one. I had to get down from the motorbike to ensure it was easier to ride through. Walking and wading through all the water I made it across to the other side. So with this challenge gone we started the ride towards Sarchu. The roads were quite bad or should i mention no roads. We crossed the border and we were least prepared for what came next. The roads became pathetic after we entered Jammu. All of us just wanted it to end as it was full of dust and mud as this was something none of us had experienced ever. After a tiring journey on these no roads of about 40 kms we reached Pang and it was a big relief. What came ahead next was again an unexpected challenge for a different reason.


The roads ahead was fantastic and butter smooth, so what am I complaining about here! The altitude, the nailbiting chillness, the sandstorm that appeared from no where and the powdered snow that was hitting on us as we ascended towards Tanglang La. The chill in the air was getting unbearable beyond all layers of clothing. The pass was beautiful as we rode through some ice mountains but in all this would you ever expect your fuel to get over?? It just happened the moment when we thought the chillness was too much to bear. We were passing through the high pass and there stops the vehicle. We didn't have a choice but to get off and 're fuel which made the journey even more colder. 

Well finally the road ended and our much needed destination of the day was Rumtse. Not a great place to stay with just basic facilities but one would want to crash wrapped in multiple layers after such a long journey.


 The breathtaking Suraj Tal


Day 5

After some breakfast and tea started towards our most sought after destination Leh. It was only a distance of about 80 kms. Enroute we visited the Thikse monastery and spent some time before we reached our hotel. The rest of the day was spent at leisure and resting.
Since we lost one day due to landslide we had to leave early to our next destination immediately the next day and had only about half a day at Leh. 


Pang was a nightmare to pass through



Passing through the Moore Plains which is a plain straight road of almost 40 Kms












View of Leh from Thiksey Monastery






Day 6

So today the destination was Nubra valley which is famous for its sand dunes and Bactrian camels!
We were also supposed to be passing through the highest motorable pass in the world. Though it's technically no more a high pass its every riders dream destination.

We started quite on time however there was one riders tyre that got punctured and we had to apparently get that repaired. In the meantime it indeed felt a great achievement to have touched Khardung la on a motorcycle despite all the toughness of the terrain.
Trust me it wasnt easy!

We spent some time there and clicked a lot of pictures.







The next destination was Nubra however the roads were terrific during the descend as well. While the tyre puncture was getting fixed at Leh , we led the way ahead to reach the dunes. Checked in to summer holiday camp and after a while we decided on visiting the dunes which was close to our camp. Well, the dunes had people walking around and the Bactrian or rather the double humped camels which are a native of that region were walking on the grass. :-) The camels looked a complete fun.


So after about sometime in the sand the storm started and was quite a furious one. The fine dunes were all over us. We decided to call it a day and head out to the camp before things went out of control.

Had a chilled out time with all the customers in the cold of the night while watching the star studded sky
and of course the milky way. 





Day 7

Turtuk - was quite an excitement one because it was the last village bordering POK on the other side. The ride was through winding roads along side streams that led to the village of Turtuk. It is located in the Baltistan region which was once occupied by Pakistan. Watching the line of control and the fencing was indeed a goose bump moment. We also could see the bunkers in the border and it was very proud moment to know what the army people go through to protect the border.


Spent a lot of time to understand why that village happened and what happens in the border before we bid adieu to all those great souls we left behind.




The line of conrol can be seen when you zoom the picture 



Day 8


Another interesting day ahead started as we had to leave early to ensure we went through the water crossings sooner.

Ride to Pangong in itself was a wonderful experience. Beautiful narrow roads that were winding through the hills and then the straight roads in between, crossing through fine sand and finally the beautiful sight of the bluish green water.
A sight to behold!!!

Pangong is 135 kms in total and only one third of the lake lies in India and rest of the lake runs over to China. If one third can be just breathtaking we can imagine how the whole lake would look. This lake remains frozen in winter though. It changes to 4 different colors with every bit of it looking jaw dropping.


Apparently this lake became famous after the movie three idiots.


By the time we reached the lake it was around 4 pm and we realised we couldn't take the chillness in the air. It was almost freezing and we had to get out of our camps to get some photo moments.


In the freezing temperature we dared to get down to the lake and spent a while admiring the beauty of the nature and trying to capture it with our cameras.










Called it a day and it was getting to be a challenge to get out of the camps due to the falling temperature.



Day 9


Woke up to another day of nail biting chillness and the destination was Leh through another pass which is the 3rd highest called Chang la. The climb was quite a steep one and it was a challenge for all the riders and the bikes.
After all the challenges the entire group made it to Leh safe and sound. So that concluded one part of the journey.

The rest of the challenge was a known one.







Day 10

Leh to Sarchu


A long riding day was in cards to ensure we covered maximum distance. Initial ride was a tough one through the same route as we did not know what to expect but the return seemed quite easy as we all got used to it.

The day went off well except the ending which was quite not expected. We thought we passed through all the chillness of the terrain until we were bought to Sarchu. Being located in a no man's land in between vast open mountains the place was a killer. The nail biting chillness was too much to handle for everyone and everyone of us struggled to step out of the camps even to have our dinner. We had to pass through the evening without having much to do. Couldn't sleep as well due to the chillness and were literally waiting to get out of the place the next morning







Day 11




Sarchu to Manali


After a cold night we grabbed some quick breakfast which was as usual some breads and eggs and started our journey back. Considering that we had another final long day to ride we had to start earlier.



Took some pictures as a group which we missed over the last few days and started our final ride to Manali. Since the route was known we knew what we had to expect.



By the time we reached Gulaba checklist it started to drizzle.


The beauty of these places is such that we couldn't identify any of those bad slush roads that we had to pass through on day 1. The whole area was dry. Its such a wonder how places and terrain change in a span of one week s time.



Well we thought everything went well until we realized that 2 of our members were stuck behind due to a blast that they do as a routine for road maintenance. We couldn't wait at Gulaba for them as it started raining and had to head back to Manali which wasn't too far.


After entering Manali the first thing I did was step in to a udupi restaurant to gobble on some dosas as we were tired of eating the same bread and jam and rotis
everyday.

It was an emotion to see everyone who rode through all the odds complete the trip successfully. Despite all the troubles we faced enroute it was one heck of a trip to remember for a lifetime and definitely an emotional one too!!!


I thought to myself that I would come back again to that beautiful destination and didn't have to wait long!! I was again coming the next month!



Thursday, 16 January 2020

Travelogue from the Driver's Seat - Hyderabad to Sikkim (Part 4 - Final)



Day 11 – Mar 11 – Departure from Durgapur
A sumptuous breakfast, a pit stop for refilling and back on the NH for another long day ahead. We had to make a quick call between Kolkata and another destination. We started reasoning it out. If we were to halt in Kolkata we get only half a day. It’s not being fair to a city which we have been dreaming to visit for a long long time. We had to skip the city of Joy to go to another unvisited place – Puri it was!!!

  Time for another looong drive. Crossed Howrah, Kharagpur, Balasore, Cuttack and Bhubaneshwar and took the NH that branched off to Puri. The roads were good all the way. We reached Puri around sunset. This place has a positive vibe to it. We were looking for accommodation and after checking a few places settled in on BNR Chanakya hotel. 

A little bit about this hotel in particular. It is a heritage property – 114 years old - managed by the railways. Had to negotiate on the price and finally got it within the range we wanted. The hotel has a theme and we were allotted a locomotive themed room. Vintage properties have a charm. Our room was adorned with pictures of vintage locomotives. It had a huge double cot in the centre, a big chair with a centre table and a really biiiiiggggg bathroom.









 After a quick shower, we set out to explore the town and also get a glimpse of Lord Jagannath along with his siblings, Balabhadra and Shubadra. We hired an auto from the hotel, which took us through the cute Puri railway station and dropped us around a km away from the temple. Except for buses and non-motorised vehicles, this road was closed for all other vehicles. We hired a cycle rickshaw for sheer fun of it. It took us back to good old days where we used this mode of transport to go to school. Being a Sunday evening the area around the temple was teeming with people and shops. Since we were warned not to carry our cellphones or any other electronics, I kept them back at the hotel and only carried some cash!
There wasn’t too much of crowd at the temple. Though we were haggled by some priests, we set to explore the temple by ourselves. The sanctum sanctorum was teeming with people.  We could see the idols though they were at some distance. We came out of the main sanctum and went around the temple. The towering structure was absolutely stunning with the flag fluttering on top. What attracted us was the height of the structure which was visible from more than a few kms away. The lighting also added to the beauty. After visiting a few ‘mini’ temples inside the big temple we headed out. There are a lot of sweet stalls near the entrance of the temple and one place was particularly crowded, so we thought we’d give it a shot. This place also looked very old and we bought a small cup of Rabdi. It was divine, more than worth the Rs.20 that was charged for it. We started walking towards the pick up/drop point for motorized vehicles, looking out for restaurants to have dinner. Most of the restaurants around the temple serve only veg cuisine. We settled for some khichdi, dalma and jeera rice. Dalma is a local cuisine, saw this in a Nat Geo program called ‘Mega kitchens’. Post dinner, we took an auto rickshaw back to our hotel and drifted to sleep yet again.
Day 12- Mar 12 – Puri / Konark / Vizag

Departed around 6:00 A.M to visit the famous sun temple at Konark, around 40 kms away from Puri. The drive was excellent passing thru reserve forests and some minor stretches along the coast. Parking was a good 500m away from the temple. This is a UNESCO world heritage site. True to its word the sun temple glistens in the sunlight. This magnificient structure is themed on the sun god riding a chariot pulled by xxx horses with 24 wheels. Each wheel depicts the time. It’s truly a work of art.






Checked out of the hotel around 8:30, had a quick breakfast and hit the road towards Vizag, our port of call for the day. Puri to Vizag was a short journey of apprx. 500 kms through good roads. We stopped for lunch at Srikakulam incidentally at the same hotel where we stayed during the starting leg of our journey. Mercifully we reached Vizag before the peak hour traffic set in. You are greeted by hills on all sides before entering the city of Vizag. The topography is a heady concoction of hills and the ocean. We checked into our hotel, had a light dinner, watched tv and retired early. 
Day 13 – Mar 13 – Vizag

After a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel, we headed out to the city. As always, decided to park the Thar at the hotel and hailed an Uber. Our first stop was the Tupalev 32 museum. Bang opposite the INS Kursura submarine museum. I had been wanting to visit this museum for a very long time, finally I was excited that it was coming true. We knew that the submarine museum opened at 2 but didn’t know that the aircraft museum opened at the same time as well. Realised it upon reaching the site. We hailed another taxi to drop us at Kailashgiri – another view point with some fun rides. We took the toy train which goes around the park. Incidentally there is an air conditioned coach on this 3 car train. It goes around the small hill for about 15 mins and comes back to the main station. With the weather being a little warm, no surprises considering it was mid day, we didn’t have the energy to walk around the park. We grabbed ourselves an ice candy each and headed towards the ropeway.  It was a little scary to begin with but the breathtaking view of the bay of Bengal made the journey worth it. We decided to visit the maritime museum. 




  Vizag is a port city and the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command. There is a strong naval connection. The museum’s artifacts are definitely worth a visit. The entry fee is only Rs.10 per head. 

We decided to take a walk to the submarine museum as we had time on our hands. Sipping on soda we walked along the marine drive. We were still early and waited patiently for the gates to open.

The INS Kursura is a sight to behold. Kudos to the navy and the local government for undertaking an initiative to educate the public. The submarine was tugged from the sea and modifications were made so as to allow tourists to feel what it is like to be in a submarine. They even have torpedoes at the front and the rear end of the submarine. You have to undergo the experience. The sub has ex-naval officers who take you thru different sections and explain what they are about. You enter from the front, walk thru the different compartments and exit thru the rear. This includes walking thru hatches that connects multiple compartments. The cabins of the captain and the crew, the kitchen, cafeteria, the various switches and cables that run along the length of the submarine, the engine room, batteries, periscope and a host of other  gizmos makes it truly worth every rupee (entry ticket is Rs.40). 






Post this we visited the Tupalev museum. Similar to the submarine, this is a navy aircraft designed to destroy enemy subs. It is fitted with large cameras in its underbelly and even has a fibre glass cabin where you can see what is happening on the ground (or water). It is powered by 4 engines and has twin propellers in each engine. It is a mighty long plane.





There is a small gaming centre inside the museum. We tried the virtual reality games and also the simulator which spins 720 degrees. It was fun.

On the way back to the hotel we packed some snacks and sweets from Laddu Gopal (My wife loves this catchy name) to carry back to Hyderabad and Chennai. Once again it was a day worth spent.

Day 14 – Home run – Vizag to Hyderabad
  This was the last leg of our journey. We had an early breakfast and hit the road to beat the city traffic and get onto the highway. We stopped for lunch on the outskirts of Vijaywada and purchased some vegetables from the vendors at the toll gates. Mighty cheap fresh veges and fruits. The drive from Vijayawada to Hyderabad took us only 4 hours with almost all toll gates having a dedicated fast tag lane. We finally reached home around 6 p.m after an epic 6000 kms + journey.
A memory for a lifetime indeed!!!

Some key pointers:
·         1) Fastag lanes aren’t really fast, most of the times they are the slowest lanes, especially once you cross AP (towards WB)
·         2) Vehicles coming head on, predominantly on the fastest lane (extreme right)
·         3) Road conditions on top of bridges – a lot of craters
·         4) Availability of food outlets or the lack of it on many stretches. Thankfully we had help from HVK & his group
5) The positives outweigh the negatives by a huge margin so if you are planning for a long road trip like ours, just GO FOR IT. Happy motoring.