[nandita_bayan21]

Prologue

“Live with no excuses and travel with no regrets…”

It was mid of May 2019, and I had quit my job at Infosys. A well-paid secured job right in the IT capital of India, Bangalore, and what would have urged me to take this decision? The ideal answer would be that I must have got a better opportunity in some other company. But that was not the case. Atul and I had completely different plans in mind, and it was time to act upon them. My brother, along with his family, moved from Bangalore to Delhi owing to a job promotion-cum-transfer around three years ago. As soon as he left, it was only Atul, and I left out in the city, though we had ample friends from colleges, work, etc. We were very close to my brother, and once he left, we could feel a sense of emptiness, missed the supportive guidance a sister feels with her brother around. So, the moment he left for Delhi, this was the first time the seed of us shifting to Delhi germinated.

Having moved to Bangalore from Guwahati as a teenager, it is almost close to 13 years that I have spent in this beautiful city. This magnificent city which helped me become a strong adult from a carefree teenager, an independent working professional from a naive student, move out from the comfort zone of home and tackle the real-world challenges with determination. It is here where I made friends, friends who are family, acquaintances, met and married my soulmate, Atul. Anyone who has stayed here long enough would surely agree with me that Bangalore has its own charm. More trees, less pollution, a soothing calm temperature throughout the year, movies at Plaza, Rex, Urvashi, and Vaibhav, pubs like Pecos, Purple Haze, walk through the busy lanes of MG Road and Brigade Road with friends, lush greenery at Lalbagh, well-laid footpaths and tree-lined boulevards. It was a little paradise in itself, and I still prefer to love Bangalore that way despite the growing traffic, pollution, haphazard parking, and chaos. Bangalore would always remain close to my heart even if it has turned now into a chaotic city, losing the compassion slowly. The place has been my 2nd home for almost close to half of my entire life, and the very thought of leaving it and settling into a completely different city was not easy.

Just because my brother shifted to Delhi was not the sole reason for us to do so too. There were many other parameters. I willingly learned Kannada to get more accustomed to the place I was staying in, picked up a little of Tamil too from friends at college. But whenever our parents visited Bangalore, they always had the language barrier to an extent. With Assamese and Hindi being both side parents’ languages for expression of speech, they felt discomfort whenever they had to converse with people in Bangalore, be it while using public transport, cabs, market places, shops, etc. I am not a linguistic chauvinist, but I think most of you will relate to the fact that parents who have spoken local languages throughout their life would find it difficult to converse in a completely different language. Accepting food style was never a challenge, although there were a lot of dissimilarities with taste. I could indeed say that our parents were quite open about the notion that once you are in a different place for earning your bread and butter, it is always good to adapt to the local surroundings and be aware of the rules and norms of the land.

I would say that the most critical factor for us to shift to Delhi was the proximity to both our hometowns. Connectivity of Guwahati and Begusarai from Delhi is undoubtedly better than from Bangalore. Though Bangalore had direct flights and trains to Guwahati, the problem most faced was by Atul. He would lose an entire day if he had to travel from Bangalore to Begusarai, which is in Bihar — changing flights, trains, and taxis to reach home. From Delhi, the Guwahati Rajdhani passes through Begusarai, and the distance is covered in just 12 hours. This was a boon. Also, we can’t deny the most crucial point that our parents are getting older and they would want us to be near them, if not stay with them. Atul’s father is a heart patient, and he requires to come to Delhi very often for his check-ups. So, being in Delhi would surely mean better medical care for him. We have been requesting them to shift to Delhi and stay with us, but they prefer to be staying in Begusarai and be rooted to where they belong. Nonetheless, Atul’s sister and her husband stay in Noida too. This means for both our parents if they want to visit, they can visit all of us together, my parents for me and my brother, Atul’s for him and his sister – a place lesser to go meet their sons and daughters.

Since we were confirmed on shifting to Delhi, it made no sense for us to look for other cities as an option like Pune, Hyderabad, or even Kolkata for that matter. Both Atul and I knew that there were more cons than pros if we have to shift to Delhi. More pollution, extreme weather conditions, need to adjust to a new city, new office environment, and work culture, so on and so forth. However, we felt this was a small price we both were paying to be close to our families. Now, most of our friends warned us about the fact that getting a job in Delhi would be difficult as compared to Bangalore. But trust me, this is not at all true – Delhi has equal opportunities both for a person with technical as well as marketing background. I will speak about this a little later in the travelogue. Hence, with all these points in mind, as soon as it was the beginning of 2019, Atul, and I thought that if we have to shift to Delhi, it has to be this year, within 2019. It was time to take a bold step, decide on a fixed timeline on when to shift to Delhi, and then make all our plans by backtracking from that day. After some discussions, talking to families, we agreed upon moving permanently by Oct 2019 (I wanted my Diwali 2019 to be in Delhi). So, with this date fixed, it made our life easier as between January to October, all our plans and activities were planned accordingly. All along, both Atul and I knew that this was a life-changing plunge that we both wanted to take, but we had each other’s back. We were aware that we are going into a territory full of uncertainties, but until and unless we try, we will never know if this was the right choice or not. There will always be an option to move back to Bangalore.

I hope the story so far has not bored you; hence, let me come back to the actual prologue of this thread. My notice period at Infosys was close to three months with no negotiation (which I didn’t need anyway). After some calculations, so that both our last days would be close to each other, Atul also went ahead and quit from his job by the first week of June (his notice period was for two months). This was a very scary moment for both of us, as although we had put down our papers, we were without any job offers in hand. Despite being terrified, we knew that it wouldn’t be so difficult for us to survive a few months without a job/salary because of the savings we were doing for several months. Initially, I had the thought of taking a few months break from career, prepare for the shifting, do the actual movement, settle down, and then go on finding a job. But after some discussion with friends and family, they convinced me that this would be a bad idea, and the ideal way to move ahead would be to keep applying for jobs in parallel and see how things unfold. So while we both went ahead and quit from our respective jobs, we started floating our resumes through Naukri, friends and acquaintances, ex-colleagues for job opportunities in Delhi and NCR regions. It wasn’t as bad as we expected, through those 2-3 months we did get few calls for job opportunities, and the job pipeline kept building up slowly and steadily. I was confident that by the time it would be Oct 2019, we will surely have some offers in hand.

While we were waiting for our respective last days, Atul and I had this sudden urge to do one last long ride from Bangalore. Between later part of August (both our last days would be done by then) and October, we will get some 1.5-2 months which would be sufficient for doing all packing, shifting, clearing and transferring everything (bank accounts, gas connections, D2H, internet, etc.) and move completely to Delhi. We needed some two and a half weeks for this ride. Having done with most parts of the country, including west, the north-east, the south, and some parts of north India, there was only one place which was yet to be explored by us. Yes, you guessed it right – LADAKH! As the joke goes within our biking circle, you have not graduated as a true rider if you haven’t done Ladakh once in your lifetime. So there were no second thoughts at all, Ladakh it was going to be, our last long ride from Bangalore. We were anyway planning to visit Delhi once before the actual shift to decide on many factors, rented home or own flat to buy, which area to stay (it was actually decided that we will stay somewhere in Dwarka as my brother stays in Dwarka), few face to face interviews lined up, etc. Hence, we clubbed the Delhi visit with this Ladakh trip. I know many people would think of us to be reckless, who goes for a long bike trip before a massive activity like shifting the city? But trust me, this is how Atul and I have always been, living life to fullest, taking some extreme steps in life, do things which bring happiness and some meaning to our lives, live life on our terms. And all this is possible only because we have each other’s back, a supportive family, and the zeal to explore the world together in life.

We considered starting the ride towards the end of August after having done with each one’s last day. Atul had prepared plans for Ladakh way back in 2013, and since then, every year, we would plan for the trip, but due to some issues or the other, it had to be cancelled. This year both of us were determined to go Ladakh come what may. The plan was already done, places to visit already known, and there wasn’t much research to be done for this trip as there are ample number of videos, travelogues, write-ups, and Google reviews. One can easily write a thesis and get a Ph.D. degree on Ladakh by reading all the information available online, which is good for us in terms of saving time on doing research, understanding about the places to visit and other essential details on weather conditions, geographical and demographical scenarios, etc. Like all other trips, this time as well, we decided to pre-book our stays for each day's destination. However, this time around, our exact date of travel was still not fixed so Atul kept the task of booking hotels for a later stage.

So, the days turned into weeks and weeks into months, and it was almost August. It was time to get ready with the final preparations for the ride like booking hotel tickets, get Hulk prepared for the trip, arrange the check-list required, and make a plan for the optimal use of budget. During May, June, and July, we avoided any bike/car trips and unnecessary expenses to save as much as possible (except a couple of short weekend overnight rides to Sakleshpur and Madikeri with our rider friends which incurred barely any cost). I was insisting Atul on booking the hotel tickets by now as it was already the first week of August and with just less than a month left, it was the right time for us to book our stays at the earliest.

Then came the day of August 5, 2019 – the Indian Government revoked the special status or limited autonomy granted under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution to Jammu and Kashmir state, dividing it into two Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh. We started getting news that several army troops have been deployed to the valley to quell any possible unrest that this move would bring in this disputed territory. Internet connections, mobile phone lines, and even landlines were severed to try and maintain law & order in the state. In such a tense situation with curfews and restrictions imposed in several districts of J&K, Atul and I had to rethink once again on our Ladakh trip. Families and friends advised us not to take the risk, drop the plan for our safety and security, which was, in a way, true. The move had worsened the already-heightened tensions with the neighboring country. I have a college friend working in Srinagar, and after talking to him about the current situation, it was fair and wise to drop our Ladakh plan for now. Once again, Travel God had a different plan laid out for us, and the ‘Got Leh’d’ Trip went down the drain for the nth time.

Both of us are thick-skinned when it comes to travelling. If a ride plan is dropped for some reason, we will make sure that we come up with another one, by no means, the days kept for the trip should go waste. Now with Ladakh going out of the window, we had to come up with a plan B. I think it didn’t take much time for us to decide on the next best destination; we planned on doing the Spiti Valley circuit. Spiti was another fantastic destination that was always in our bucket list, and we wanted to do it sometime later, after having done with Ladakh. And, so with just three weeks left for us to start on the trip, all plans and route maps for Ladakh were dropped, and Atul sat down to create a new list for Spiti ride. Both of us did the usual homework of finding out the route maps, places to visit, and other necessary details. Like Ladakh, Spiti also has sufficient information on the internet, and it didn’t take much time for us to decide on the route and places, and finally, the detailed plan. We also fixed on our travel date, August 28, 2019. - a 17 days ride back and forth from Bangalore.

Within the next couple of weeks, Atul and I both served our full notice period and done with our last days. Finally, after working for so many years continuously, we both were unemployed, even though for a brief period (however, both of us had some face to face interviews lined up in Delhi). Once done with the office, it gave us ample time to make arrangements for the trip. First in line was to do some tweaking with Hulk and get a simple service done before the ride, to prepare him for the unknown terrains in Spiti. Atul got the below things fixed:

• EBC Brake Pads worth Rs 9,000
• Hi Flo Air Filter worth Rs 1,500
• New front tyre Timsun TS712R worth Rs 4,000
• OSRAM Pilot Lamps worth Rs 1,000
• Overall service worth Rs 6,000

With all these, Hulk was almost good to go and hit the roads once again. A quick bike wash was also done a day before the ride.

After Hulk, it was time to prepare the final checklist of items to be carried along with us for the ride. Once again, we had to choose what to take and whatnot, so as not to overload Hulk. In the past, there were times when we could have managed with lesser stuff but ended up taking more along with us. This time we wanted to be careful and pick up only bare minimum required things with us, which included (for both Atul and myself):

• 4-5 pairs of extra tee shirts, mostly dry fits, 2 extra jeans
• Quick-dry towels
• 2 warm jackets to wear for cold weather
• Winter gloves apart from our usual riding gloves
• Extra pair of socks and a pair of sneaker
• Bathroom slippers
• Tool kit, puncture kit, and electric inflator
• Chain lube and cleaners
• Rain gear
• Passports and Marriage certificates
• Medical kit (pills for fever, cough, cold, stomach ache, headache, stool, Diamox in case AMS hits, bandages, crepe bandages & motion sickness pills)
• All electronic items and their chargers
• Toiletries (toothpaste, toothbrush, hand sanitizers, hand wash, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, deodorant, comb, sunscreen, body lotion, lip balm, lens solution, etc.)
• Umbrella
• Torch or flashlight
• Snacks (some biscuits, quick bites, etc. This we refilled along our journey)
• Tissues (both wet and dry)
• Sunglasses and anti-glare glasses
• Cloth cleaning soap (just in case we need to do some quick laundry)
• Scissors and a small knife
• A spoon and a glass
• Thermometer
• A notepad and a pen
• Sleeping bags
• Extra bedsheets
• Red Bull
• Extra backpack
• Zip ties, electrical and duct tapes
• Laptop, two 2TB hard disks, connectivity cables, extra memory cards, extra GoPro batteries,
• Last but not the least – our camera gears - tripod, GoPro, DSLR (2), Lens (3), Gorilla Pod

This list pretty much covered everything that we would require for the ride. To carry all the items, we took our Dirtsack Frogman saddlebags, Rynox Optimus Tank Bag, Hepco Becker Xplorer Topcase. We also carried our tent chair and few extra bungee cords to fasten up anything required. Mobile network is supposed to be very bad in Spiti valley with only BSNL picking up in few places, and Kaza (latest news heard mentions that now Jio has better connectivity with 4G available in many places – not sure how true this is). We didn’t get time to pick up a BSNL sim, though.

Coming to the hotel, like most of you would know that we prefer to make our reservations before the start of the trip. This time when it was around two weeks left for the ride to start, we sat down and made most of our bookings. Few we went for on the spot walk-ins or some places where we couldn’t find anything available online. Here is a list of all the hotels we stayed (along with the fare mentioned):

• Nagpur – Hotel OYO Townhouse 155 Satya Kalmana Market (Rs 1,366 for an AC Deluxe room for one night, breakfast included)
• Jhansi – Hotel The Marvellous (Rs 1,200 for an AC Deluxe room for one night, breakfast included)
• Delhi – no accommodation required
• Rampur Bushahr – Hotel OYO 40105 River Rock (Rs 800 for a Deluxe room for one night)
• Chitkul – Samaa Resorts (Rs 1,250 for a Mountain-side view room for one night, breakfast included)
• Nako – Himalayan Homestay (Rs 800 for a Mountain-side view room for one night – this was a walk-in, breakfast included)
• Kaza – Zostel Spiti (Rs 2,500 for Deluxe Private room for one night – we stayed here for three nights)
• Chandrataal – Pema Thang Camp (Rs 2,400 for a night tent with bathroom attached, welcome Maggi and tea, dinner and breakfast – this was a walk-in)
• Manali – Hotel Himshakti (Rs 1,200 for a Deluxe room for one night – we stayed here for two nights – this was a walk-in)
• Chandigarh – Motel Maurya (Rs 1,316 for a Deluxe AC room for one night, breakfast included)
• Delhi – no accommodation required

Most of the hotels were good, and we didn’t have any major issues apart from the OYO properties, where we had to give extra money. OYO would let you book the property for a lower price, which would be not per the hotel folks. And once you reach the premise, the hotel reception will ask you to pay the standard price for that particular room booked else they don’t let you check-in. Ultimately, with no other option left, we had to pay the actual price for the rooms demanded by the hotel. After riding for such long and reach a hotel to relax, the last thing that you would want to do is argue and look for some other accommodation. OYO customer care would also be of no help as the only thing they would say is ‘Extremely sorry for the inconvenience caused, we deeply regret. We are looking into the matter’ – the greatest lie of all time! Nonetheless, I will let you know more about each hotel once I get into the daywise travelogue.

So with all basic stuff arranged, hotel reservations are made, the entire travel plan well-laid out, Hulk serviced, it was time to count days for the final D Day – the ride day. A weekend just before August 28, we had to make a quick trip to Hyderabad (24 and 25 August) as I enrolled myself for the Airtel Hyderabad Marathon for a 10k run. It was a simple drive in Skiddy, reached Hyderabad on Saturday, picked up my running BIB, ran the race on Sunday early morning, ate some lip-smacking Biriyani in Paradise, and drove back to Bangalore by the evening of Sunday. While returning, I got the results of my run, finished the 10K run as the 1st runners-up in the Female Open category (more than 6000 people were running the race, and finishing 2nd amongst all the female runners was a great achievement in this journey of running for me, though the timing was not my personal best). It was a Sunday well-achieved. Some clicks from that weekend are below:

And so, after returning from the Hyderabad trip, it was just two days for us to do all the packing, last moment knick-knack items for the trip, clean and get all the riding gear ready, a wash of Hulk before the trip and ticking all items from the checklist to not miss out on anything.

I would also like to mention here about the total expenditure that we incurred during the ride. The break-up is mentioned below:

• Petrol – Rs 12,530
• Food – Rs 14,455
• Hotel – Rs 19,032
• Miscellaneous – Rs 50,100 (this looks like a considerable amount – isn’t it? More on this later)
• Flight – Rs 8,000

Finally, some quick bytes from the ride:

Riders: Atul and I (pillion)
Bike: Kawasaki Versys 650
Dates: August 28 – September 26, 2019
Route taken: Bangalore > Nagpur > Jhansi > Delhi > Rampur Bushahr > Chitkul > Nako > Kaza > Chandrataal > Manali > Chandigarh > Delhi > Bangalore
Distance covered: 4,000 km approx. (Bangalore > Spiti > Delhi)
Total expenditure (for two people) – Rs 46,017 (petrol, hotel, food, and some extra expenses), and as mentioned above, I’ll give more details on the miscellaneous expenditure of Rs 58,100 at a later stage.

P.S.: Just before the trip, we got all our DSLRs and lens serviced, but since 70-300 mm was working fine, we gave it a pass. However, during the trip, the focusing system of the lens started malfunctioning due to which some of the pictures came out blurry. Please bear with the image quality.

Also, this turned out to be a pretty lengthy prologue, but I wanted to put forward details of each event that happened before the ride. Stay tuned for the day-wise description as more stories unfold as we go along the ride.

Spiti Ride Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9G6QtxAMLA

[nandita_bayan21]

Day 1 – 28 Aug 2019 - Bangalore to Nagpur (Distance covered – 1110 kms, Route – BTM > Anantapur > Hyderabad > Adilabad > Nagpur)

Sharp 3 am, the alarm clock went off, and we both were up to get ready for the ride. As most packing was already completed the night before, we just had to take a shower, get geared up, load our bags onto Hulk, and check for the last time if we haven’t missed out on anything. Hulk was already tanked up the night before, and the tyres checked for the air pressure. We knew today would be a very dull day of ride, endless mile-munching through the highway till we reach Nagpur, so we mentally prepared ourselves. Agreed to take lesser breaks, keep covering distance, and try to reach Nagpur as early as possible since 1110 km in a day is not a very easy job to accomplish. By 3:45 am, Atul turned on the ignition of Hulk, and thus, our ride to the beautiful Spiti valley started.

Early mornings are perfect to avoid the city traffic and ride with a fresh mindset. With sufficient sleep from the previous night, we were highly energized, and the pleasant morning atmosphere added an extra sprinkle of joy to this journey. Early mornings in Bangalore are total bliss and perfect timing to start a long trip with a refreshing mind. The weather was calm and relatively cool today; however, we knew that this would last only till we cross Karnataka, and the scene would completely change after entering Andhra. In no time, we crossed Hebbal and started riding on NH 44, towards the direction of Anantapur.

The Sun began to pierce through the morning clouds and play peek-a-boo through the trees and mountains along the horizon. Right after sunrise, most roadside tea shops started to open, and both of us decided to do a quick pitstop for tea. Time was 6:30 am, and we were just some 5 km away from the Anantapur town, already covering 220 km from home at a non-stop pace. Atul pulled over near a tea stall and ordered two cups of tea. The sky was looking beautiful with scattered blue sky and white clouds, not much traffic on the highway apart from the big lorries and trucks. We spent 15 mins here to have tea, which was not prepared well enough; it seems like he used a utensil where milk got burnt before, and hence, our tea had a taste of burnt milk. Clicked some pictures, shot some videos using the GoPro, and there we are, again hitting the highway.

The day began to get warmer because of the Sun setting its course straight up towards the sky. But we planned to keep moving ahead as much as we can without taking any breaks and try to reach Hyderabad before noon. By 8:30 am, we crossed the town of Kurnool and entered Telangana. Few more kilometers and we took our second break as Hulk started to run low on fuel. We already covered close to 400 km, and petrol at a HP station, along with bio break, became inevitable. Done with fuel, bio break, and a short 5 mins rest, we resumed again. After this, our next stop was for breakfast by 9:30 am at a place called Kothakota. Atul looked for a decent restaurant by the highway, pulled the bike, and it was time for some food, both were too hungry by now. The place looked like a newly opened restaurant and not much crowd around. We ordered masala dosa, idly vada sambar, and two cups of tea. Food wasn’t very great in taste, and we had to eat it to fill our stomach. Half an hour break, done with food, paid the bills, and we started the ride again.

The ride started to get uncomfortable with the Sun right on top of us. So despite wanting to avoid as much as possible, we did have to take a couple of water breaks in between. As said earlier, the highway was very dull and didn’t have much to offer from landscape and scenery point of view. It was just us, few vehicles here and there, and the endless tarmac till eyes could gaze. Around 11:45 am, we reached the outskirts of Hyderabad city, and the traffic started to pile up. Having not able to take the ORR to bypass Hyderabad city entirely is the biggest disadvantage two-wheelers have while trying to cross this area. It is unnecessary to go through the trouble of traffic jams in the town when it can be easily skipped using the ORR. Signals, unattended junctions, piled up jams, squeeze the bike through narrow gaps, and filtering the traffic was very cumbersome and tiring. It was an unproductive time, and we nearly wasted one hour to cross the city limits and reach the highway once again. The time we made up by getting early was eaten up by the city traffic. Though frustrating, the only option left was to keep going.

It was only after reaching Medchal in Secunderabad that the traffic became a bit thin, and we got a breather, and time was almost 1 pm. After riding for few more minutes, Atul could feel a wobble in the rear tyre, which meant a puncture. We set out for a long ride, and there has to be a puncture on the day one itself (this happened during our North East ride, as well as Chole Kulche ride up North). Anyway, he stopped by a tree shade to examine the tyre, and yes, it was a nail that made its way through the rear tyre and was causing air to leak out constantly. Atul wasn’t keen on fixing the puncture by himself in this heat and lucky enough, there was a puncture repair shop just a few steps ahead. The guy helped remove the nail, fill in the tyre with air pressure, and finally, after some 15 mins we were good to go again.

We wanted to push ourselves a bit further before it was time for lunch. Hence we covered 40 km more until we reached a place called Ramanthapura on the Hyderabad Nagpur highway. It was me who insisted on having lunch as I was utterly famished since breakfast wasn’t good enough, and I hardly ate anything. Atul pulled by a safe place to park, and we got inside this place called Sony International Family Dhaba. We took a table inside the AC section as the place was fully crowded and burning like a hot furnace. Atul ordered the food, dal fry, chicken curry, rotis, and some buttermilk. Food was good, less oily, and spicy but took a hell lot of time to be served. As time passed, even the AC section started to get overly crowded, and it became unbearably hot. Finished the food, paid the bills, used the restrooms, and by 3 pm it was ride time again — another 440 km to reach our destination for the day.

After crossing the lunch area, the scenery all along the highway started to change. The route looked like freshly laid tarmac, lush green trees, small hills on both sides, freshly grown crops, deep blue afternoon sky, and soothing breeze, though the atmosphere was still pretty hot. With such beautiful views around, it was impossible for us not to stop and click some pictures. The roads from here started to be pleasant, with less traffic and also became butter-smooth. For the whole day ride, it was now when Atul was completely calm and could ride with a fresh mind. The stretch was a paradise for riders, throwing surprise corners occasionally while the highway turned ahead. We covered around 400 km more from our first petrol break, and upon reaching Dichpally, it was time for the second petrol break for the day. Got into an Indian Oil station, tanked up Hulk, cleaned face with some cold water and wet tissues to feel fresh, time to start again. Roads, as usual, were in good condition so far, and it was a smooth ride where we covered as much distance as possible.

By 6:15 pm, we reached Adilabad, and a few kilometers from here, the Maharashtra state border started, and this marked the end of beautiful roads. Most parts of the road were patchy, bumpy, had too many potholes, and lacking tarmac. Though there were some sections where construction was already completed, overall, the roads were not that great. With speeds coming down to concentrate on and tackle the bad roads, we just had roughly some 30-45 mins left for the day’s light to use to the maximum. Moving ahead and reach Nagpur at least by 10 pm was our prime motto, and we kept going on. There were times when fatigue and sleep did try to keep us off the guard, but we both kept talking to each other, motivating and cherishing old memories together kept us going.

Both knew it was a long tiring day of ride but a little push would let us reach our destination for the day and post that we can sleep peacefully. The road continued to be in bad shape, and as it started to get darker, the visibility dropped too. Some sections had good lighting though. The last 20-30 km were even more terrible with dust sprewing from the truck tyres and spreading all along the highway. We could feel the taste of dust even when the helmet visors were closed. This, along with bad roads, made our last leg of the ride utterly tiring. Around 9:45 pm, we somehow reached our stay covering close to 1110 km.

Hotel OYO Townhouse 155 Satya in Kalmana Market was the destination for today, a well maintained OYO property off the highway. And just when we reached the hotel and about to make our check-in, the reception guy looked into our booking details and asked us to pay Rs 500 more (the room was booked at Rs 866 for a night). Upon questioning, the guy mentioned that the OYO app had not updated the room price even after repeatedly reminded by the hotel. He told many visitors were facing this issue, and the app has done nothing till now to rectify the problem. Atul called the customer care only to be told that they will look into the matter and get back within a few minutes, which we waited for some 20 mins and still, there was no revert. It was highly frustrating to have done a ride for 1110 km and face such an issue. Both of us started to get angry and to see our plight, and the reception guy was kind enough to have gone ahead and done our check-in formalities provided we pay the remaining Rs 500 before checking out the next day. I insisted on paying the amount there itself and not drag it beyond, to which Atul agreed, and we made the payment. A complaint with OYO was logged. After the check-in, we unloaded Hulk, got inside the room, and settled for the day. Atul parked the bike in a secured place and placed our dinner order too – rotis, dal fry, shahi paneer, omelet, and a soda bottle for himself.

While the food came, both of us took a shower to feel fresh and get rid of all the dust and dirt from the ride. Around 10:30 pm, dinner was served inside the room, and we hurried up to eat. There was still no resolution from OYO on the amount paid extra, despite us booking the room at a lesser price (apparently the hotel goes on a huge loss if the prices are slashed so drastically and have been asking OYO to update their app from a long time, and looks like it was not just us, many people were facing the same issue while check-in as if you don’t pay the exact price of the hotel room, you will be denied check-in).

Anyway, we decided to call it a day, having spent nearly 18 hours on the road. The sleep was well deserved despite the hiccups we faced on the way. It was 11:15 pm, and both of us went for a sound sleep.

[nandita_bayan21]

Day 2 – 29 Aug 2019 - Nagpur to Jhansi (Distance covered – 610 kms, Route – Nagpur > Chhindwara > Narsinghpur > Sagar > Jhansi)

With a sound sleep throughout the night, both of us woke up around 7:45 am. Mostly because of the long tiring ride the previous day, our body gave up the moment we slept, and it got the much needed rest. We woke up feeling quite fresh today with no sign of body pain, fatigue, or tiredness. Knowing that we will have to start our ride again in the morning, we deliberately didn’t unpack any of the bags, apart from the essentials we needed in the hotel for the night. So there wasn’t much to be packed, and we decided to check out early, start the ride, and try to reach Jhansi with daylight still by our side. The hotel booking came with complimentary breakfast, but for some strange reason, they would be serving it only by 9:30 am. Atul checked with me if I’m ok skipping the breakfast here, head out from here, start the ride, and have food somewhere on the way. I was ok with it, so in another 30-40 mins, we planned to start the ride for the day.

After taking a shower, getting geared up, packing all our stuff, and loading Hulk, it was time to hit the highway. Atul cleared all the dues and completed the check-out formalities with the reception (still OYO didn’t come back with a resolution for our issue). Time was 9 am, and we were on the road again. The weather was very cloudy today, and it was highly possible to encounter some rains on the way. We kept our rain gears handy so that the moment we see a possibility of rain, we would put on the gears. Our main job before exiting Nagpur city was to tank up Hulk for the ride. Traffic wasn’t much at this point, and we could easily come towards the outskirts of Nagpur city. We saw an HP petrol station and decided to stop by for fuel. Luckily, just when we reached inside the station, it started to rain heavily all of a sudden. Done with petrol, we decided to wait for a while to let the rain slow down. We utilized this time to put on our rain gears as weather forecasts already showed heavy rains throughout the day. Some 20 mins and the rains subsided a bit, and this is when we agreed to start the ride and finally hit the highway towards Sauner. The rain did make the atmosphere a bit cooler, and the warm feeling was gone.

After a while, we took the Sauner bypass to reach the junction connecting us to the Chhindwara road. It was drizzling, and the ride was pleasant till now. With no proper place to have our breakfast, we decided to stop at a local tea stall, have some tea along with snacks, and then continue the ride. Atul stopped at a roadside tea stall, ordered two cups of piping hot tea and some biscuits to go along with it. The weather was beautiful, raindrops falling on the earth's surface, the aroma of wet ground, and piping hot tea, it was all very blissful. The tea stall folks started to converse with us, he mentioned that the road ahead is good despite being a single lane highway, with many small villages and towns to cross by with lush green vegetations to enjoy and ride. The only thing to look out were the cattle once we enter Madhya Pradesh. They will be scattered all along the road, and one has to ride/drive very cautiously so as not to hit one. By 10:45 am, we were done with tea, paid the bills, bid goodbye to the tea stall guy and continued our ride ahead. A few kilometers from here and we entered Madhya Pradesh state at a place called Satnoor.

The highway so far was deliciously beautiful, with eye-soothing greenery, small river streams here and there, the cloudy sky, and the mild drizzle. Our rain gears were still on. Traffic was very minimal, and so far, there were not many cattle on the road. We stopped at multiple places to click pictures, enjoy the landscape, while truly living each and every moment. Crossed many villages, small towns, fresh crops, and small hills in the distance. Few sections of the road were under construction, but significant parts were already done, and the ride was not tiring at all, considering we did a whopping 1110 km the previous day. It was around 12:15 pm that we crossed the Chhindwara town and bypassed it. Our next place to reach was Narsinghpur from where we would be connecting with the NH44 and move towards Sagar.

There is another route that most of you would be aware, to go from Nagpur to Jhansi, using the usual NH44 via Seoni. But both Atul and I wanted to avoid that highway ride because we had already taken that route while returning from Ujjain to Nagpur during our Rann ride, though the difference between the two routes would be hardly of some 10 km. Though the route is equally scenic with a lot curvy roads, we wanted to take the Chhindwara route. The lovely landscape through country roads were a total bliss, and we enjoyed every inch of the route taken. We wanted to stop at so many locations to click pictures, enjoy the views, but time was the main factor, we wanted to reach Jhansi as soon as possible. However, few places which we couldn’t resist, we did stop and click a few pictures. We rode for another 2 hours, and finally reached Narsinghpur town, from where we had to take left diversion to connect the highway (it feels good to say, hence mentioning, connect the Srinagar Kanyakumari Highway). Time was about 2:15 pm.

By now, I was starving, and my stomach started to make weird noises due to hunger. Atul was equally hungry, and hence we decided to do a stop for lunch. The rain stopped for a while, but we agreed to have our rain gears on, not to take a chance while riding on the highway to stop and wear the gears again if it rains. We stopped at a dhaba called Shifani just after crossing Kareli town. The ride till now was very long, and after a while, this was the first longer break we would be taking, we decided to spend some time here. Got freshened up, used restrooms, and placed our order – tandoori rotis, dal fry, and paneer masala. The food didn’t take much time to come, and we started to dig into it as soon as it arrived, it tasted good, a bit oily and heavy on masala but overall it was prepared fresh and hot. A hungry stomach doesn’t demand much, I must say. We did ask for tea, but it wasn’t available. Both of us had a relaxed lunch, spent some time enjoying the food and let the time pass by for a while. Atul had some light conversations with the dhaba folks, who got very excited seeing Hulk and the luggage we were carrying, the most striking thing for them was that we rode from Bangalore. By 3:30 pm we paid the bill for the food and resumed the ride again. Our stay was some 340 km away from this place, and GMaps showed some 6 hrs to get there.

We would have just crossed some 10 km from the dhaba that the sky started to get engulfed with dark, dense rain clouds, and it was clear that it will begin to rain heavily at any moment. And yes it did, just some 5 mins away, it started to rain vigorously but we kept on riding for a while. Traffic was less on the highway with just trucks and lorries dominating the same. The water sprayed by these heavy vehicles came directly to us, making the helmet visors dirty and lower the visibility of the roads ahead. The rains started to play games with us, sometimes pouring heavily and sometimes just abruptly stopping. It was best for us not to stop and keep moving ahead cautiously. And, by now, our worst nightmare did start too, hundreds and thousands of cows, goats, and sheep littering along both sides of the highway. Atul had to be extra careful in dodging these cattle and also from the enormous lorries which would suddenly cut the steering to avoid contact with these animals. Now the ride started to get a little less exciting and more about being alert. Even the scenery along the highway was not that to be enjoyed, all we could smell and see was the pee and dung of cattle. The roads became slippery too because of the waste and rainwater. Nonetheless, after some kilometers, the rain stopped, and it started to drizzle.

Once the rain stopped, we decided to cover the distance faster, and in no time, we reached the bypass road for Sagar. It was almost time for another petrol break for Hulk and getting a petrol station immediately was a challenge, because the stretch we were crossing we could hardly see one. Upon asking a local, he mentioned that the next nearest petrol station would be some 15 km away and it will be off the highway. Hulk did have enough fuel to cover this distance. In the next 10-15 mins, we could see the HP petrol station on the opposite side of the highway with a steep off-road descent leading there. It was important to tank up Hulk, so Atul took the gravely road to reach the station. After we were done with petrol, a quick bio break, and some water to hydrate ourselves, we connected back to the highway and started moving ahead. Time was around 4:45 pm, and we had hardly some 2 hours remaining of today’s daylight and another 180 kms to cover. The sky started to clear up with beautiful haze and scattered color spectrums. Some more mile-munching, and we reached the splendid looking lake by the highway near Lalitpur. The sight of the water sparkling with the golden rays of the Sun was to die for, and the birds flying in the horizon was worth stopping by and capture the moment.

After this break, we started to ride continuously without any break in between. We just hoped that it doesn’t rain and we can reach Jhansi without much hassle. It was close to 8 pm that we entered Jhansi town, and GMaps took us straight towards our stay locality. Our hotel for today was Hotel The Marvellous, and unfortunately, this was an OYO property too. A well-maintained property with ample safe space for car as well as two-wheelers. It also had an in-house restaurant along with clean and spacious rooms. Just when Atul was about to go on with the check-in formalities, we faced the same issue here as well. The room was booked at Rs 1000 for a night using the OYO app, but the actual cost was Rs 1200. These guys in the reception were a bit rude and mentioned that without the extra Rs 200 being paid, they wouldn’t be able to do our check-in. This was again a horrible situation we both had to face after covering such a long journey. The conversation started to convert into an argument between Atul and the reception folks, just when the manager stepped in and tried to resolve the issue. He mentioned to us to pay the extra Rs 200, and he would make our next morning breakfast free. We clearly explained that the issue was not for breakfast or for that matter the additional Rs 200, it was the issue with the confusion between the OYO app and the hotel properties for which the travelers had to pay the price. On top of it, the reception guy is trying to act smart and be rude. Anyway, the matter was resolved; we paid the extra amount, and a room was allocated to us. Atul once again lodged a complaint and demanded a speedy resolution. We could have just stepped out of the hotel and looked for some other accommodation, but then after such a long ride, the last thing we would need is to fight over Rs 200.

We got inside the room, Atul got the luggage, settled in, and we agreed to place our dinner order and two cups of tea (it was quite exhausting and to relieve ourselves from the fatigue we wanted to drink some tea). It was malai kofta, dal fry, and some tandoori rotis. As usual, while the food came, both of us took a shower, transferred videos and pictures to the laptop, and relaxed for a while. Since we would be leaving again in the morning, we removed only those essentials required keeping the other bags intact. The food came in around 9:15 pm, and it was time to eat. The food was delicious and took away all the bitterness we had during check-in.

Since the rain gears, riding jackets, riding pants, and the boots were wet from the rain, we kept them in such a way so that they dry up throughout the night. Around 10:30 pm, we both decided to call it a day.

Video of Day 1 and 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwgIZbFeEx8

[nandita_bayan21]

Day 3 – 30 Aug 2019 - Jhansi to Delhi (Distance covered – 470 kms, Route – Jhansi > Gwalior > Agra > Noida > Dwarka)

It was a happy and exciting day as we were riding towards Delhi, and as you all would be aware, my elder brother stays in Delhi along with his family. To add to the happiness, my mother was there as well. Though we wanted to leave Jhansi early, somehow both of us couldn’t wake up and finally ended up waking at around 7 am. Without spending much time, we freshened up and started to pack our bags. Rain and riding gears, other clothes, and socks were almost dried up, only Atul’s boots were a bit damp. We always carry a hairdryer along with us for situations like this and some spare newspapers. This generally does the trick of drying up wet boots to a great extent. While we did this, in between, Atul placed our breakfast order. The idea was to have food here itself and then keep proceeding ahead for the journey to Delhi. We ordered some bread butter toast, poha, aloo paratha, and two cups of tea. While the food came in, we completed most of our packing and the bags were almost ready to be mounted on the bike.

When the food came, we finished breakfast, took a shower, got geared up, and loaded Hulk with the luggage. Meanwhile, Atul also settled the final bills with the hotel folks (though our grievances with OYO was never addressed, neither for Nagpur and nor for Jhansi). Done with everything and one final check of the room, around 9 am, we started the bike and began our ride towards Delhi. In some 15-20 mins, we exited Jhansi town and entered the highway.

Atul could feel some wobbling in the rear tyre, and hence once we hit the road, we stopped for a quick puncture check at a nearby roadside shop. The guy checked the rear tyre, couldn’t find any puncture hole, filled optimal air pressure on both the tyres. After paying him, we continued once again. However, as most of you would know that the road condition between Jhansi and Gwalior is very bad, with multiple diversions, four lane highway construction, raw materials scattered here and there, and not to mention the cattle, it is always a total mayhem to cross this section of highway. We, in fact, got confused and took a wrong diversion, which took us inside some chaotic village road, and this wasted nearly some 30 mins to get back to the actual highway. The weather was warm and humid as well, making the ride uncomfortable. By 11 am we reached the by-pass road of Gwalior, and the city was skipped. For some 10 mins, we took a quick water break and relaxed a bit after crossing the pathetic highway section.

For the next few kilometers, we continued riding and reached the town of Morena at 11:45 am. The traffic here today was too much, and the heat was killing both of us. Hulk was also showing low fuel, and it was time to take a quick petrol break. After crossing the jam of Morena, we immediately got inside an HP petrol station to tank up Hulk, for a bio-break and drink some water (luckily, the station had a water cooler, and the water was cold, we filled in our water bottles as well). After relaxing a bit we started the ride again. Few places the scenery on both sides of the highway was mind-blowing, depicting a real sense of country-side, vast spread green crop fields, golden color maize fields, small village houses, and the blue sky, only that the weather was sweltering and humid. We stopped at a few locations to click some pictures and enjoy the landscape.

Around 1:15 pm, we reached Agra, and this was another chaotic place. Traffic coming from all sides, people walk all along the road, water puddles everywhere, and the scorching Sun. We somehow braved the traffic jam and crossed the famous Agra Fort, took some pictures from the bike itself, and witnessed the grandeur of the Taj Mahal from a distance on the highway. The view was splendid and worth stopping by to take some quick snaps. After this, we kept riding and reached the entry point for the Yamuna Expressway by 2 pm. The heat and the endless journey of almost 180 kms on the boring Expressway, looked like a daunting task for both of us, given that we were already tired by the afternoon heat. Nonetheless, we entered the toll plaza, paid a toll of Rs 205, and proceeded further. Atul couldn’t go faster as well, because most section of the expressway is cemented surface and tyres tend to heat up and blast on many occasions at such hot, humid conditions. He kept a constant speed of around 100 kmph, which was quite ok. By now, hunger started to creep in, and we wanted to eat something and relax for a while. Both of us decided to stop at the following amenities center of the expressway and have our lunch.

The ride continued for a while until we reached the immediate next restaurant/food plaza, it was around 3 pm. Both were completed exhausted and needed this break badly. We used the restrooms, freshened up, and ordered our lunch. We wanted to keep it simple by ordering dal chawal and rajma chawal along with two Red Bulls. Food came in the next 15 mins, and we both pounced at it like people not eaten for days. Food was tasty, sumptuous, and quite filling. After the food, Atul urged to have a sweet cold lassi, and I wanted to have a chocolate ice cream. Done with all the eating business, we paid the bills, made ourselves ready for the remaining part of the journey before we reach home and relax. The ride started.

Little did we know that the way ahead would be so dull and endlessly never-ending. Atul kept on riding and me just trying to pass through the kilometers. We stopped at multiple locations to click pictures, break the monotony, drink water to keep us hydrated, not fall asleep, and hope that the road finishes as soon as possible. With the determination to complete the stretch with no break at all from now on, both of us made up our mind and started to ride. By 5:30 pm, we exited the expressway and reached Greater Noida. From here, we took the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway to reach Noida.

And, now, the last nightmare of the day began. The slip road connecting the Delhi-Noida Direct flyway, just before the Worlds of Wonder, was utterly jammed packed owing to the peak hour traffic of people returning from work. From here, every road, all signals, and junctions were densely packed. On top of that, the Delhi hot and humid weather, Atul had to stop at many places by the roadside to remove his helmet and get some fresh air. The whole day was too tiring for both of us, and by now, it started to take a heavy toll on our body and mind. Now, the only thing was to have some patience and complete the remaining 20-25 km left to reach home. Somehow, we pushed ourselves and squeezing through the traffic, we reached Dwarka by 8 pm.

On reaching the comfort of home, all the pain and discomfort vanished within seconds. We both hugged mom and brother, they were already in the balcony, watching us arrive. Unloaded all the bags from Hulk, parked the bike in the parking space, and entered home, this was such a relief and blissful feeling. The next immediate thing we both did was to take a shower and have some tea with piping hot pork and chicken momos. Dinner was already done, but we decided to take some rest and then have it. There was so much of catching up to do with mom and brother, start the plan of how to initiate the task of shifting to Delhi from Bangalore, and so much more. My brother also got two cute little bunnies as pets, and I was delighted to play along with them for a while, though the rabbits were quite shy initially and scared of seeing new faces.

Our initial plan was to head out for Rampur Bushahr the immediate next day, but then mom urged us to stay behind for one more day, relax a bit and then go for the remaining journey. We also thought that it would be wise to take rest for a day and then continue the ride. Now, with no more offices and leaves to care of, we could extend our trip to any no. of days. So, it was decided, we would stay in Delhi for one more day.

It was almost 10:15 pm, and how time went away siting and chatting through. Mom insisted that we should have the dinner and try to sleep so as to get maximum rest from the long journey till now. Dinner was served, dal fry, plain rice, fish curry, and my all-time favourite, pork fry (I’m an Axomiya (Assamese) and for an Axomiya Gahori (pork) is like an emotion, like LIFE). The food was sumptuous and heavenly, the best one I had in recent times. It was cooked by mom, though my brother is an excellent cook himself. After food, Atul sat down to transfer some pictures and videos to the laptop to free the memory from the phones, cameras, GoPros, etc. And I helped Mom to set our bed.

11:30 pm and it was time to have that deep sleep on the comfort and warmth of my home. No ride the next day, enjoy the coziness of home and prepare our mind, body, and soul for the trip ahead. The weather was still sultry and humid, but never mind, we were HOME! It was indeed a real goodnight's sleep today.

Day 4 – 31 Aug 2019 - At Dwarka, Delhi (HOME)

It was a peaceful and sound sleep the whole night. All of us got up around 7:30 am and even at that point of time, the weather was too hot and humid. Today, we were planning to relax the whole day, enjoy some simple home-cooked food, and pack our luggage. We decided to go light for the remaining part of the journey, to leave behind some of the clothes that we would not require for the trip. The day started with freshening up and having some quintessential Assamese breakfast – pitha (a kind of pancake made by mixing rice flour with milk and jaggery), flat rice, curd, and jaggery, omelets, and tea. Atul loves Assamese cuisine, and these items were amongst his favourites. We lazily finished our breakfast and enjoyed the day passing by. Brother decided to work from home and be with us.

After a while, we emptied all our bags and decided on what things to carry for the ride and what to leave behind. Though there wasn’t much to leave behind, we tried and filtered out as much as possible. This made the saddlebags a bit lighter and easy to carry while loading unloading on Hulk. I cleaned the bags, but I was sure that one rain and all my efforts would go in vain. I cleaned and arranged the riding gears, rain gears, boots, socks, gloves, and other essentials required for the journey.

Meanwhile, it was almost close to 2 pm, and mom was ready with lunch. Items included rice, dal fry, left out pork fry from yesterday night (only for me), fish fry (for rest of them), aloo bhaji, and some salad. These are the real meals that I always die for and love to eat, simple with no frills. They are heartwarmingly sumptuous and includes the unconditional love of a mother. The lazy lunch was followed by a quick power nap, though the weather was still hot, and even the AC was not providing any relief.

The entire day passed by real soon, and it was almost 5 pm. I could hear a local vendor selling kulfis downstairs, so we all got ourselves some malai kulfi. I accompanied mom for the evening shopping for fresh vegetables, fruits, and other daily needs. Atul stayed behind and decided to sort out the videos and pictures on his laptop. Another one hour and even brother would be done with his office work. By 6:30 pm, Mom and I returned home and got some yummy hot samosas to eat along with tea. While the tea was getting ready, we took a shower and got freshened up. Tea was ready, and it was enjoyed with the lip-smacking samosas with the whole family.

Now the dinner preparation started, while Atul and I arranged all the bags for the journey for the next day. As usual, we want to start the ride as soon as possible, but then we never know, somehow one or the other, we would always be late. With all the stuff ready, we were almost ready for the start of our actual Spiti ride. Though it would be only for some 10-12 days, the feeling was ecstatic. It would be for the very first time that we will be traveling towards the state of Himachal Pradesh, a new state to touch and experience.

Around 10 pm the dinner was ready, I asked mom to keep it simple, and so she prepared rotis, egg curry, and some salad. Though I was already full of the samosas and tea, I had very little food and didn’t want to over-eat before the long ride. Done with dinner, I helped mom with cleaning of the dishes and then some 15-20 mins of family chit chat. Mom advised us to sleep early and get sufficient rest before the long day tomorrow. At around 11 pm, we hit the bed. Family time flies away so soon, and the entire day just passed by in the blink of an eye. The joy of traveling to another unknown unexplored state was immense, and with these thoughts, both of us slept for the day.

[nandita_bayan21]

Day 5 – 1 Sept 2019 - Delhi to Rampur (Distance covered – 480 kms, Route –Dwarka > Karnal > Ambala > Zirakpur > Solan > Shimla > Narkanda > Rampur Bushahr)

The alarm went off at 6 am but then it looked like the weather outside was too good, slight drizzle, fresh air, and the morning breeze. Atul stopped the alarm and went off to sleep a bit more, thinking we can start the ride some 30 mins later. Finally, it was around 7 am that mom woke both of us and asked if we have plans to leave today. As I said, the weather outside was mesmerizingly beautiful, and after so many days of tolerating the heat, the rain shower was a bliss. Suddenly it started to rain heavily and riding under these conditions wouldn’t be great. We decided to wait until the rain subsides, and once it was manageable, we would start. By this time, we took a shower, put on our riding gears, and made all bags ready. Brother gave us some breakfast to eat, an aloo tikka sandwich and two cups of coffee.

By 8:30 am, the rain stopped for a while, and we decided this is the time to load the bags onto Hulk quickly, and in the next 10 mins try to push off and start the ride. With Hulk loaded, we geared up, and kept the rain gears in the top box so that they can be easily accessible if we encounter rains on the way. Around 8:45 am we bid goodbye to our family and resumed our actual ride towards Himachal. It wasn’t raining now, but the sky was full of rain clouds, and predictions suggested that we are bound to encounter rains on our way. We were ready!

Being a rainy day, the traffic on the city roads was a bit lesser, and it didn’t take us much time to reach the GT Karnal Road. We kept riding non-stop until we crossed Karnal and decided to take a quick break, time was 10:45 am. It was also time to tank up Hulk and get some refreshments for us as well. We got inside an Indian Oil petrol station to fuel up Hulk, and then right next to the petrol pump, there was this restaurant, Mayur Dhaba. We ordered a glass of Lassi, a Red Bull, and agreed to spend some 15 mins here until we resume again and keep riding until we must have covered a considerable distance. Done with the break, we started and decided to take lesser breaks and keep riding for as long as we could. The weather was pleasant, not very hot though a bit humid, but the Sun was hiding behind the rain clouds, which kept the weather from getting too hot. In no time, we crossed Ambala and kept moving ahead towards the highway to Chandigarh. The roads were good apart from few diversions here and there on the GT Karnal Road. But after crossing Ambala, the highway opened up with lesser traffic, and it became easier to cover the distance faster.

By 12:20 pm, we reached the outskirts of Chandigarh at a place called Zirakpur, where we had to take diversion towards the Himalayan Expressway and head towards Shimla. It looked like this was a major junction and traffic piled up here. It took us some time to cross the traffic and bypass Panchkula and enter the expressway. As soon as one enters this expressway, the scenery changes within a fraction of a second. The mountain ranges with a small river stream flowing below becomes visible, and it gives a feeling that we have already entered the beautiful state of Himachal. The road cuts through the Shivalik hills, and the experience becomes a lot more splendid with clouds around these hills, though it was mostly rain clouds today. Riding on this four-lane highway was an amazing experience. However, right after crossing the Parwanoo toll plaza, the roads started to deteriorate due to massive landslides that must have happened over the past few weeks and some sections were still under construction. We kept riding ahead, and as we moved forward, the sky started to get darker. The rain was inevitable today, and we still have around 210 km to cover.

A little ahead and we reached the small town of Solan, also known as the ‘Mushroom Capital of India’ due to vast mushroom farming and ‘City of Red Gold’ because of bulk production of tomatoes. The place is an ideal tourist destination with picturesque vistas of the Himalayas and a town replete with the colonial heritage that is bustling with activities. As soon as we entered Solan, it started to rain heavily as predicted, and it was raining cats and dogs. We tried riding for a while, but the raindrops felt like nails piercing through, even through our helmets and gears. Atul and I decided to stop at a shed and put on our rain gear. Just when we were about to cross the Solan market place, we found a shop with closed shutters, so we agreed to halt here and wear our rain gears and also wait out for the rain to stop or at least become manageable to ride. Within the next 15 mins, the rain started to fizzle out, and we took the opportunity to start riding again, but we would have gone only few kilometers ahead, and it started to drizzle again. Atul checked with me if I am ok riding in this drizzle, I was okay with it. The only thing that we needed to be careful about was the muddy and slushy highway due to the rains. We kept moving ahead, and the rain started to become heavy. It was almost 2:15 pm, and lunchtime, we agreed to stop for lunch till the time rain stops again. Luckily there was a restaurant called Taran Taaran right after crossing the Solan town. Atul parked the bike, we washed our muddied faces and placed our food order – rajma chawal and a veg thali along with two cups of tea. It was a quiet restaurant with many empty tables. In the next 10 mins, food came in, which wasn’t really great at all, but we ate it to fill our stomach and not feel hungry again. It took us some 30 mins to complete the food and the tea, by now the rain subsided as well. Paid the bills, kept our rain gears on, and we resumed our ride again. It was still drizzling.

Even though it was raining, Atul and I were enjoying the landscape around us, green mountains covered with rain clouds, fresh aroma of nature, the cool breeze flowing through tall trees, serpentine roads ahead, and the misty feeling due to rain. It was all mesmerizingly beautiful, and one could faintly see the mountain ranges at a distance. Right after crossing Solan, even the road condition started to improve, and amidst the tiny droplets of rain, we continued riding to reach our destination for the day. It was around 4:30 pm, and we reached the gorgeous city of Shimla. As soon as one enters the city, they can feel the vibrant locals, stunning rich scenery, as if the city is greeting us to enjoy its timeless beauty. From one point, we could also witness the tip of Lord Hanuman Ji’s statue situated at the highest peak of Shimla, Jakhoo Hill, regarded as one of the most famous tourist places in Shimla. The beautiful colourful houses, tall rising alpine trees, and the spectacular deodar forests scattered all around the hilly slope were too good to be true. Though we agreed on not staying in Shimla today and moving ahead for our destination at Rampur, Atul and I decided to stop here for a while, grab a cup of tea or coffee, enjoy the view, and proceed further. The beauty of Shimla was too tempting to be ignored.

We got inside a café called ‘Café Amigos’ right beside the highway. Its ambiance inside and outside was just fantastic. The best view of Shimla can be enjoyed in the outdoor sitting area of this cafe. Atul and I took a spot outside and ordered our coffee and some French Fries to go along with it. The view was breath-taking, with the valley running around right in front of our eyes. Till the food came, we removed the rain gears as the rain completely stopped by the time, we reached Shimla. With those wet clothes off our bodies, now we both felt relaxed. The coffee and the fries came in, we sipped in and enjoyed the scenery in front of us. We spoke about various moments and had conversations about past rides, and both of us wished time would stop now, and we can keep on enjoying nature. Time just flew away, it was almost 5 pm, and we had another 130 km to reach Rampur. Atul paid the bills, we got ready for the last leg of the ride, and Hulk was ready to cover the left-out distance. In between, we had some 90 mins of daylight left for the day, and since these curvy, hilly roads were never travelled by us before, we wanted to cover as many kilometers as possible before it gets dark.

A few kilometers ahead, we reached the famous viewpoint of Kufri, a town known for its tranquil surroundings, breath-taking views, and distinct stunning locales, it is known as one of the best places to visit near Shimla. Kufri is famous as the Switzerland of the East. Though stopping cars, bikes, and other vehicles right in front of the viewpoint is prohibited as it causes traffic chaos, I got down off the bike, clicked some pictures, made few quick videos, and started again with the trip. The roads were splendid, with small Maggi and tea stalls here and there, hawkers providing yak rides to tourists, shops to try out traditional Himachali costumes, etc. and the only thing missing was the snow-clad mountains and layers of snow on the roads, though it was too early to find snow in August. However, we heard from some sources that a week – 10 days before today, there was some snowfall in this area, but we were not sure how real the news was.

With lesser breaks and riding continuously for some time, we crossed Theog, Matiana, and reached Narkanda by 7:15 pm. It was completely dark by now, and we were left out with some 65 kms. From Narkanda, we decided to wait and give a quick call to our hotel in Rampur. Atul told him that we will reach in another 2 hours and if there would be any problem in checking-in at that time. They mentioned it would be fine and we can place our dinner also when we reach. By now, even Hulk was almost out of petrol, but Atul said that it could go for another 70-80 kms. However, it would be better if we find a petrol station and tank up. Not knowing the terrain and the roads properly, we decided to tag along with few cars and kept tailing them till we reach Rampur. Luckily, there was no sign of rain yet, and I prayed that let it not rain until we reach our hotel.

The ride for the next 75 mins was a bit tensed, Hulk with less petrol and no sign of any petrol station yet, it was almost 8:30 pm, and roads were already deserted with only few vehicles here and there. We, however, had faith and kept on moving ahead. Just some 10 km before entering the Rampur town, we got hold of an HP petrol station which was just about to be closed for the day. Atul requested the guy, if he can help as the bike was running on very low fuel, the man happily obliged and tanked up Hulk. We thanked the guy and checked with him about our stay, River Rock Hotel, he mentioned it would be just 15 mins until we reach that place. So, now our tensed situation got a little bit eased out, we started for our hotel.

By 9:15 pm, we reached Rampur Bushahr and our stay for the day, Hotel River Rock. This was an OYO property as well, and Atul and I thought we would go through the same problem here again. Though we were correct, the guy mentioned that the room we booked was for Rs 1200 (which we booked for Rs 800 for a deluxe room for a night), but he was polite enough to tell us that since we have travelled a long way and reached here, he will settle with the same amount. We thanked him, Atul completed the check-in formalities. We unloaded bags from Hulk, Atul parked him safely, and we got inside our room, a clean, decent well-maintained property. Since it was night, we couldn’t understand the landscape around us, but we were sure that mountain ranges were surrounding us. It was a long day for us, we were tired, so we immediately placed our dinner order, arranged our bags, each took a shower and waited for the food to come.

Food came in the next 30 mins, roti, dal fry, and butter paneer masala. It was well-cooked dinner, tasted great with less masala and spice, and since we both were super hungry, and we gulped down the food in no time. Without doing anything else, just kept some of the wet clothes to dry up overnight, both of us jumped into the bed. We called it a night around 10:30 pm. Tomorrow is going to be an excellent day for the ride!

Video of Day 3, 4, and 5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTqg-xMV_YA

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Day 6 – 2 Sept 2019 - Rampur to Chitkul (Distance covered – 120kms, Route – Rampur > Jhakri > Tapri > Karcham > Sangla > Chitkul)

We had a nice sleep last night and feeling fresh, we woke up by 7:45 am. It would be a great ride today since we were just about to enter the beautiful Kinnaur district. Before going for a shower, I cleaned up our gears, boots, saddlebags, and other items that got dirty the previous day. The room provided to us didn’t come with breakfast, and we decided to have food somewhere on our way. Both of us took a shower, got geared up, and completed the check-out formalities. Since we arrived at the hotel at night, we couldn’t see the view surrounding the stay. When we came out to saddle up and get started with the ride, we saw that the landscape surrounding the hotel was quite breath-taking. Green mountains, a small river stream was flowing by the side, and the cool morning breeze. It was an incredible sight and helped elevate the mind right before the ride. We clicked some pictures and by 9 am, we started our ride towards Chitkul. Lesser distance to cover, amidst nature and marvelous views in each turn, we were sure to click many pictures and videos on our way.

The striking visuals of the roaring Sutlej at the foothills of green and brown mountains all along the highway were delightful. The river flows through the highway's left side (for the most part), making its way amidst white marble rocks and tall mountain ranges. The dwellers of the small towns along the road just started, and we could see people getting ready for the day’s work. We reached a small village named Jhakri and decided to stop there for a quick breakfast. Most of the eateries were open, so we hopped into one of them that just looked decent and clean. We kept the food simple – just some aloo parathas and tea. Within few minutes, the food came, we ate in no time. Atul cleared the bills and picked up some snacks just in case we feel hungry on the way. It was almost 10:45 am, and we started once again with the ride.

We have heard a lot about the famous Kinnaur route and its breath-taking view, and both of us were so looking forward to it. It was definitely one of the most dangerous roads that we must have ridden on, little bit of caution and staying alert was all that was needed. Roads were well maintained and, in some parts, are made on grooves carved in the mountains. Few sections had construction going on, but overall, the roads were passable. The beautiful scenery along the highway and the flowing river kept us sane and calm. We thoroughly enjoyed the views in front of us and clicked as many pictures as possible.

Once we pass the grooved mountain roads, we entered into a different topography of rocky, crumbled mountains. One can get the feeling of an arduous journey ahead, but each turn uncovered the hidden gems of Kinnaur-Kailash. The weather was delightful today, not too gloomy, not very sunny. It was a perfect climate to embark on such a splendid journey. Around 11:45 am, we reached the iconic Gateway of Kinnaur, Rock Tunnel, which leads all travellers towards the mystical land of Kinnaur. Kinnaur is a beautiful district with three high mountain ranges like Zanskar, Greater Himalayas, and Dhauladhar, enclosing Sutlej, Spiti, Baspa and their tributaries. The mountain ranges are covered with thick wood, orchards, fields, and picturesque hamlets. Locals say that this is a land of fairy tales and fantasies with a spectacular terrain of lush green valleys, snow-clad peaks, and cold desert mountains. Atul and I enjoyed the beautiful landscapes around us, took videos, clicked pictures, and felt blessed to be able to witness such natural beauty. But, till now, there was no sight of any snow-capped mountains yet.

After a break of 10 mins, we started the ride again. The roads were now too narrow with dangerous curves without any barriers on edge for most of the journey. But as they all say, “Small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to Heaven”. Luckily, we didn’t encounter any landslides and fallen rocks on our way. Around 35 km more and we reached the Karcham Wangtoo Dam by 1:45 pm, and from here, the roads get diverted. One leads towards Kalpa/Kaza and the other towards the Sangla-Chitkul Road. Chitkul was 45 km approx away. Due to bad roads, the time to reach would take almost close to 2 hrs. By the way, the Karcham Wangtoo Hydroelectric Project is a run-of-the-river project on the river Sutlej. Since photography and videography was not allowed in this area, we just rode through the high-security area without any breaks.

Few kilometers more, and we reached a spot that was constructed like a gazebo for passers-by to rest and enjoy the view. We stopped for a while and decided to take some 5-10 mins break. The road was starting with the uphill climb, and the valley of small towns and the flowing river gave a majestic landscape. The Sun was slowly peeping through the clouds, patches of the sky turned baby blue, and the temperature was still pleasant. Few clicks, biscuits, and water break, and we started the journey. The road ahead, as expected, was very narrow. There was a place only for a car to pass at some places, big size gravels fallen all along the road, and the steep trench just below seemed a bit scary. While enjoying the greenery and scenic beauty, it was equally important to keep a steady eye on the road. Beautiful villages were on our way, with apple trees and cherry blossoms everywhere. It was the season of apples and apricots, so there were ripe apples all along the road. I felt like plucking a few, the joy of eating an apple straight from the tree would be immense, but it would have been indecent too. I was determined to check with the locals and see if they were willing to spare a couple of apples.

In between, we crossed the town of Sangla, arguably the last most populous village in this region. The whole of Sangla is one of the prettiest, mainly due to its flat terrain and green vegetation on the slopes, which are not very steep. Apple trees entirely red and meadows full of pink cherry blossoms. The sight was magical. The road, however, was a bit challenging. We crossed a few water crossings, iron bridges, rocky, stony pathways, and narrow step sections. We also crossed a couple of Indo Tibet Border Police (ITBP) check posts and base camps. A bit more distance and we reached the village of Rakchham. Locals mentioned to us that this would be the last place where we were connected to the rest of the world through the phone. Only BSNL sims would work beyond this point (we just had Jio and Airtel on us). Both of us made quick calls to family and ensured that we are safe and would get back to them once the network is back. Chitkul was just 10 km away. On our way, we took pictures on the signboard, which mentions Chitkul as the Last Indian Village in this remote part of India. From here, one can see the free-flowing Baspa river, the surrounding mountain ranges, and the first sight of Chitkul village at the far end.

Around 3:30 pm, we reached the beautiful village of Chitkul. Our stay, Samaa Resorts, was already booked by Atul, Rs 1,250 per night for a mountain view room, breakfast included. It is situated in a good location with well-crafted rooms, ample space for parking. The best views of the mountains are available from the 2nd and 3rd floor, not many options for food, because of the apparent remote location and above all, discounts for travellers who come on bikes. As we reached the hotel, Atul completed the check-in formalities, a guy helped us with the luggage, and we got inside our room. It was cozy, had a great view of the mountains in front of us, and was kept quite neat and clean. The temperature outside was already 7 Deg C and was expected to fall around 1-2 Deg C by night time. The hosts (I guess they were Manmeet and Manali), and the staff were friendly and willing to help in every possible way.

We settled inside our room, freshened up, and ordered our simple lunch, both of us were dying of hunger – dal, rice, and rajma curry. Lunch was served in the common dining area, where we met few more travellers. The hotel was also undergoing some face-lift renovations, so artists were busy working with the design patterns, painting, and sketching on the walls. Once done with food, both of us went up to our room, decided to rest for a while, and then go out for a small walk through the village. A quick power nap was enough for both of us to de-stress with the day’s journey and get rejuvenated once again. The temperature by now dropped few more degrees, and it was starting to get a bit chilly. We wore adequate clothes, socks, shoes, and mufflers to keep us warm and decided to step outside for a quick stroll.

We walked a few steps towards the downslope and reached the riverbank of Baspa, the water was too cold, and the gushing roar of the river water splashing through the stones was the only sound prominent in that silent valley. There was a small temple nearby and a school for the local kids. We sat by a rock for a while and enjoyed the view in front of us. Time just flew, and it was already 6 pm, the Sun was slowly hiding through the mountains, and soon it would get dark. We started to walk towards the market area, where people were waiting for the last bus to take them towards Sangla and beyond. We wanted to have some tea and so entered a local restaurant for some food. I ordered Maggi (must when the weather outside is so pleasant and cold), veg momo, and two cups of hot tea. The guy quickly got the food and asked us politely to try and finish it soon. First, the food will get cold soon because of the weather, and second, it was almost time for him to shut the shop. In the next 10 mins, we were done, paid the bill, bid him goodbye, and started walking towards the hotel. It was getting colder as time passed by.

Once we reached our room, we agreed to relax till the time dinner was served. We requested a late dinner, around 10 pm, as both of us were already full. The food menu was fixed, and if we were non-vegetarians, we would opt for a chicken curry tonight. So, we ordered roti, chicken curry, and the desert was fixed. (fruit custard). In the meantime we started with our usual stuff to transfer all photos and videos to the laptop, some chit-chat, and enjoy the weather. The night sky was clear, so we agreed to click some long exposure shots (I always wanted to capture the star gaze sort of pictures) when we went down for food.

At 9:45 pm, we got a reminder call saying that our dinner is ready and we can come in anytime to have it. We decided to go down with our camera and spent some time clicking pictures before going for dinner. The sky was starry, but it looked like there was too much light in the surroundings to click photos of the actual star trails. However, we wanted to try it out with some hit and trial shots. As usual, the attempt made was not very fruitful. Disappointed, we just clicked some random pictures and went to the dining hall for food. The artists were still discussing the designs and how to paint the walls. Our dinner was served. While we ate, Atul and I had some conversations with the hotel owners about the conditions during peak winter seasons, how they source food, and the different travelers they meet regularly. They also asked us about our trip and were amazed to have known that we are riding from down south.

By 10:30 pm, we were done with food and came up, having said goodnight to everyone. The food was amazing, and both of us thoroughly enjoyed eating it. The temperature had already dropped till 2°C and is apparently predicted to go below 0 by midnight. Almost done for the day, we both snuggled inside our sleeping bags and the blanket on top. The time was 10:45 pm, and we went for a sound sleep. It was a great day of the ride and enjoying Mother Nature!

Video of Day 6

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Itil_evWSoI

[nandita_bayan21]

Few more pictures from Day 6:

Near Rampur







Around Kinnaur and Kinnaur Gate











In and around Sangla









At Chitkul

[nandita_bayan21]

Day 7 – 3 Sept 2019 - Chitkul to Nako (Distance covered – 150kms, Route – Chitkul > Karcham Dam > Reckong Peo > Spilow > Khab > Nako)

It was 7:45 am, and Atul was the first one to get up. I wanted to sleep a little while more, but then it lasted for another 10-15 mins. So by 8, both of us were awake. Not sure how cold the night was, the morning was pleasant. Bright sunlight, blue sky, and cool morning wind. Sun rays came to our room directly, and the warm feeling was mesmerizing. Though our hotel provided us complimentary breakfast (included along with the fare), I insisted Atul to take a walk around the village and see if we can eat something outside and enjoy the morning views. Atul agreed, so we quickly freshened up and stepped outside the stay. The weather was beautiful, welcoming, and uplifted our mood to a different level. We walked a little ahead and came across a restaurant on the terrace top. It looked like the view of the mountains from here would be splendid, something to enjoy while we had our breakfast.

Atul ordered aloo paratha, bread toast, omelette, and tea. While the wait for food began, Atul and I explored the surroundings through our eyes, cherishing each moment. The guy got our food in the next 15 mins, we sat lazily and ate the food, sipping tea while admiring the beauty in front of us. Time just flew by, and it was almost 10 am. We cleared the bills and hurried back to our stay. Our destination for the day was Nako, and around 150 km away. As soon as we reached, both took a shower, got geared up, packed all our belongings, and saddled up Hulk. Atul cleared the hotel bills, we both thanked the resort hosts, and by 11 am, we once again hit the road.

Before exiting Chitkul, we wanted to go a few kilometers back and see if the last civilian post is accessible and click some pictures. It was just some 4-5 km away, but the roads were terrible, full of gravel, sand, and uneven rocks. We somehow managed to reach the check-post, and civilians cannot travel further without a permit. There are only 2-3 local houses and the first line of defence check-post. This place's quietness can’t be inked down on a paper but can just be felt in front of one’s eyes. The exquisiteness of the location, dirt-free stillness, and the vicinity, these can only be marvelled and treasured for the rest of the life. Some children were playing here and there, came near us when they saw Hulk. Luckily, we had some energy bars with us, we gave away a couple of them, the smile on their face was priceless. With this, Atul and I decided to start the ride towards our destination for today. I guess a part of my heart is still in Chitkul…

We rode back through the same route till we reached the Karcham Dam. On our way, we did make some stops here and there to capture pictures, take videos, updated our social channels with the latest photos (as after Rakchham, our mobile network started working once again). The ride was not easy, through the same bad roads, and today the Sun was at its full energy, which made the climate a bit warm. Nonetheless, we reached the Dam around 1:45 pm, and from here, we took a diversion towards the highway for Nako. We must have gone only a few kilometers ahead when all vehicles were stopped because of mountain blasting time. This took around 15 mins and right after the road was cleared off debris, everyone was allowed to go. By now, Hulk was showing a low fuel sign, so finding the nearest petrol pump was critical. We reached Kalpa, and right next to the highway was this HP Petrol station. Atul tanked up Hulk, we both had water and bio-break, and our journey resumed.

Most sections of this highway are under construction, with very bad roads and tons of dirt flying by. The sections completed were butter smooth, but the ones with bad roads were very exhausting and irritating due to dump of construction materials kept right next to the highway, this included large oversized earth movers too. One had to be utterly cautious, traversing through these roads, as rocks and stones might fall off any time, causing fatal damage. There were also uncertainties of road blockage due to shooting, clearing landslides, and debris. Right after crossing Kalpa, we must have moved a few kilometers ahead, that’s when we encountered the second roadblock for the day. It was blasting this time as well. And, the wait this time was a bit longer than the previous one, almost an hour. Narrow road, many vehicles, bikes, the wind blowing the dry sand and dirt, and a roaring Sutlej River right below the cliff, this wasn’t a pleasant experience at all. Hunger started to creep in, and we just had some biscuits and water to satiate. After 60 mins of total time waste, the roadblock barriers were removed, and the traffic started to move forward. It was around 3:45 pm by now.

The ride from here was a mix of smooth as well as patchy under-construction roads. We also crossed the signage, which mentions this road as one of the most treacherous roads in this world (though it didn’t seem so dramatic as the sign said). We must have travelled some 50 km more when we came across a check-post somewhere near Spilow. This is where we had to make an entry of our vehicle and details of our destination. The procedure was standard for all vehicles, barring people with HP registered vehicles (most probably). It was almost 4:30 pm, and both of us were just about to die out of hunger. We decided to stop immediately at the next available restaurant and have our lunch. Found a decent-looking local place at Moorang, and Atul checked if there would be any lunch. The guy responded, saying there is only Rajma Chawal. I was so hungry that I couldn’t wait any longer, so we agreed to have our lunch here and ordered two plates of Rajma Chawal along with tea. We finished our tea and food in a hurry, paid the bills, and started with the ride. Another 78 km to cover, and it was already late, 4:45 pm.

The remaining part of the ride, as usual, was a mix of good and bad roads, we kept moving from one town to another, snaking through the curvy mountain highway and enjoying nature. We could see Sun rays kissing the white peak of snow mountains at a distance, making it appear almost golden. It was a sight worth stopping by and clicking a few quick pictures. Sutlej river was still following us for the entire journey. From a place called Khab, we took a left side diversion to head towards Nako, and from here, we got connected with the Spiti river. It looks like these roads were getting constructed under the supervision of BRO. The highway was cutting through thick rock mountains, and the cliff below was falling straight into the river. At a few sections, the road was extremely narrow, and when there were state transport buses from the opposite side, one has to stop, give way, and then proceed further. We crossed around 20-30 km of roads, which were only stones and gravels, and riding through these parts was difficult, bone-shattering, and tiresome. By now, both of us were super exhausted and just prayed for Nako to come real soon.

To God’s grace, the last 10-15 km of roads until Nako was much better and completed. It was a great relief. The time was around 6:15 pm, and the Sun had already set, just a few minutes left before it gets completely dark and temperature drops. From far we could see lights coming from village houses, and finally, we reached the quiet village of Nako. It was almost dark, and unfortunately, we didn’t have a prior booking done at Nako (not many options were available on the net when we were looking to book hotels for the entire journey). Atul decided to do a quick recce of the town and see if we can get a good deal through walk-ins. There were just a few searches here and there, we came across a homestay known as The Himalayan Paradise and was ready to provide a room with an attached bathroom (mountain view too) for Rs 800 and breakfast included. Atul felt it was a good deal, and we agreed to take this place up since it was getting late and the time was almost 6:45 pm.

All the check-in formalities were completed, we got the room (no view since it was completely dark), got the luggage inside, and prepared to settled down. Both of us were tired and hungry, so Atul ordered two cups of tea and some hot pakodas as snacks. While the tea came in, we freshened up, arranged all the bags, and made ourselves comfortable in that cozy room. The room had a balcony too, which opened straight into what looked like a field, and the view of the clear starry night from here was just magical. In the next 15 mins, the tea and veg pakodas came, we sat by the bed and sipped the piping hot tea, it was too relaxing. Since it is a remote place and sourcing food for dinner gets a bit difficult, Atul also placed the dinner order but requested to serve it a bit later in the evening. He ordered rajma curry, dal, rice, and omelette). The hotel guy also mentioned that the Milky Way view after 10 pm is too good, and we should see it from the stay’s terrace top. I was super excited and completely looking forward to witnessing the majestic sky view.

Remaining part of the evening, we spent time talking to one another, transferring data to the laptop, discussing the places we would explore for the rest of the journey, and relaxing on the bed. By 9:30 pm, dinner was served inside our room, and surprisingly both of us were already hungry. Hence, we agreed to finish our dinner rather than leaving it for some time, and it gets cold. Food was delicious and felt like pure home-made. After a day-long tiring journey, good food is all that you need to elevate your mood. Done with food, the time was close to 10:15 pm, and a slight peek outside into the sky from our balcony, we could see the fine line of the Milky Way, though not very prominently. The homestay's caretaker gave us the key to the terrace and asked us to go there after a while to see the skyline, and he mentioned that would the best from where one can see the Milky Way and Star Galaxies vividly.

A few moments later, Atul and I wore sufficient clothes to keep us warm while we are outside and enjoying the view, the temperature was predicted to go down up to 1-2°C. After a while, the night started to become chilly, and with the town lights going dim, we could see the Milky Way with bare naked eyes in the dark sky of Nako. I haven’t ever seen galactic lights and star constellations like this before in my life, so this was a moment when my heart almost skipped a beat viewing this surreal view. While Atul was busy setting up the DSLR for the pictures, I was busy admiring what was there right above my head.

Technically, we were in the Milky Way galaxy, so it is weird to search and look for the same, but few things in life are beyond logic and are meant just to be cherished and enjoyed. Nako is at a considerable height, with less population, and no pollution, resulting in clear natural skies for most of the year. We, city dwellers, miss out on so many things due to urbanization, and this is one of them. It is all the more sad that experiencing the breath-taking brilliance of a starry night sky is no longer a given when you step outside from your home in cities. Anyway, I decided to live for the moment and enjoy this spectacular view. Not sure when I will ever see it again.

Both of us took many hit and trial photos until we reached the almost correct settings to capture the stars. The Milky Way was gradually shifting position as time passed. We took a lot of pictures till the time we were satisfied with some of the outcomes. After this, I asked Atul to keep aside the camera and enjoy this view from his own bare eyes. Both of us got lost in witnessing the infinite beauty and the ineffable vastness of the cosmos that we share with the stars. My words and pictures might not have done justice to what we both observed by our eyes. But this sight will always remain with me till my last breath – something so unworldly, so vast, so peaceful yet such enormous in magnitude.

It was almost about to be mid-night and this is when we decided to go down inside the room. The night was getting colder too and we didn’t want to get cold/well right in middle of a ride. We gave back the terrace key and walked towards our room. Around 12:15 am we snuggled inside the sleeping bags and blankets, agreeing to call it a day. Guess I will be dreaming about the Milky Way the whole night.

Video of Day 7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glocjpgevyg

[nandita_bayan21]

Day 8 – 4 Sept 2019 - Nako to Kaza (Distance covered – 150 kms, Route – Nako > Sumdo > Gue Mummy Stupa > Sumdo > Tabo > Dhankar Monastery > Kaza)

A new day bringing in new places to explore. Our eyes opened around 8 am. It was a good and comfortable sleep the previous night. Today's ride plan is exceptionally hectic, with many places to visit and reach Kaza by dusk. As soon as we woke up and got freshened up, the first thing we wanted to do was to visit the famous Nako Lake. It was just 1 km walking distance from our homestay. The health benefits of morning walk and the beautiful lake's glimpse, this is something that can’t be missed. A quick view from our room and we could see the Himalayan ranges in the distant, snow-capped mountain peaks, far stretched little town of Nako, and villagers starting with their daily chores. Life was simple here but challenging for the local dwellers, I presume.

Navigating through narrow village pathways and confirming directions with locals, we soon arrived at the tranquil periphery of Nako Lake within 10 mins. The lake looked like a secluded water reservoir right in the middle of the village, which can charm anyone with its pristine natural beauty and marvel. The locals consider the water body spiritual, so taking a bath, washing clothes, etc., were not allowed. In winter, the lake freezes completely, transforming into a beautiful sheet of ice. Now, the lake's water provided an exact mirror image/reflection of the blue sky above us and the array of trees all along the lake’s circumference. This is a perfect adobe for peace seekers and nature lovers. Atul and I spent some time enjoying this silent atmosphere, took a walk all along the periphery of the lake, clicked some pictures and videos. It was hard to leave this majestic lake and return to the homestay, yet after an hour, we started walking towards our stay. As soon as we reached the place, Atul gave an order for some breakfast and tea, and while the food was getting prepared, we decided to go to our room and pack our bags. Once prepared, we asked the hotel guys to call us to have food in the open space, to have the food with a glimpse of the mighty Himalayas.

Around 9:30 am, food was ready, and we were called to the dining area. Bread toast, aloo paratha, and piping hot tea, with a view of the mountain ranges. Both of us just let go of everything for a while to enjoy the moment, relax, and eat our food in peace and silence. When we were content and satisfied, we returned to reality and hurried up to get ready for the remaining part of our journey. Atul cleared the food bills and all other check-out formalities. Both of us geared up, saddled up, and were just about to leave the homestay, when a few Royal Enfield riders requested Atul for help. They got a puncture and were not carrying a kit. Atul agreed to help, and this took us almost 45 mins to get the puncture fixed. Though we were running late, Atul felt that it was important to help those guys with whatever capability he had. Once done, the guys thanked Atul for his help, and finally, it was time to continue our onward journey. The time was 11:15 am, and our ride towards Gue village started. It was 50 km away.

The highway was well-laid and very recently constructed, so apart from a few parts here and there the ride was smooth. The view was mesmerizing too through the twisted curvy roads, tall, rocky, and brown mountains and moonscapes scattered all along the mountain base. It was a different terrain but equally beautiful and rustic. We stopped a couple of times to click pictures and get some videos. By 12:30 pm we reached Sumdo, the entry point of Lahaul Spiti and this area has a large military base since from here it goes to the border point of Kaurik. We had to make an entry of Hulk and provide details of both of us before moving any further ahead. We were also asked to switch off the GoPro and not do any kind of photography/videography since it was prohibited. The entry didn’t take much time, hardly 5 mins and we continued with the ride.

Throughout our journey, the Spiti River flowed alongside us giving a steady company. After a while, we arrived at the Gue-Kaza junction, where we turned right towards Gue village. The road to Gue monastery, about 10 kms away, was rough in places due to ongoing widening work and narrow passages. However, the scenery was simply breathtaking, with every turn revealing new landscapes and maintaining a tranquil atmosphere throughout. Gue village, near the India-China border, is home to only about 50-60 households. From a distance, we could see the newly constructed monastery, its presence adding to the village's charm. Unfortunately, due to construction work, we could only admire the monastery from outside, taking pictures before moving towards the Gue mummy tomb.

According to local folklore, the story of the Gue mummy centers around Lama Sangha Tenzin, who passed away in his mid-forties. His body was initially stored in a tomb for many years until a severe earthquake in the 70s ravaged the region, destroying the tomb. It was during later excavation and road construction by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) that the mummy was rediscovered, seated in a meditation position with rosary beads in one hand. Since then, the HP government has maintained and secured the shrine. Witnessing the Gue mummy was a profoundly unique experience for both of us, a mysterious wonder unlike anything we had witnessed before. After seeking permission for pictures and videos, we offered our prayers at the mummy tomb and the monastery, capturing moments to cherish and then geared up to head towards our further journey. There was a small shop selling little snacks and a few cold drinks. We decided to skip stopping here as tea wasn’t available and continued with the ride.

It was 1:30 pm as we started towards Tabo monastery, a scenic 35 km journey ahead. Passing through numerous villages and small towns, the narrow roads with sparse vegetation were undergoing extensive construction of road widening tasks. Despite this, the weather was pleasant for the season, allowing us to enjoy the unfamiliar terrain and picturesque landscapes. By 2:30 pm, we arrived at Tabo town and the monastery campus. The area had several dining options. We decided to explore the monastery for a while and then go have our lunch.

The Tabo monastery is an ancient earthen Buddhist sanctuary constructed over some 1,000 years ago. Home to numerous temples, stupas, and an extensive collection of Buddhist art, the monastery overlooked a vast mountain range. We marveled at the intricate paintings and statues that depicted the rich history of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, capturing moments through our lens. After this, hunger pangs led us to a nearby restaurant where we sat down for lunch. The town was relatively quiet, with few tourists around, allowing us to enjoy a table outdoors in the shade. Atul ordered cheese egg thukpa, a Spiti veg thali, and two refreshing banana milkshakes. Lost in the moment, we savored the delicious meal and the serene atmosphere, replenishing our energy and mind levels. With the bill settled, we geared up, took bio breaks, and prepared for the next leg of our journey - a 32 km ride to Dhankar Gompa.

Most of the road was under construction, leading us through rough, gravelly sections with a constant flow of dirt and dust. Despite this, the landscape was breathtaking, featuring dramatic rocky cliffs and moonscapes across the barren terrain. Around 4:45 pm, we arrived at a small town called Shichling, situated between Kaza and Tabo. From there, a narrow village road led us to the Dhankar Monastery, marked by a welcoming arch that read "Welcome to Dhankar Gompa." After an 8-kms ride, we reached the main gate of the monastery and parked Hulk outside, as vehicles were not permitted within the premises. The monastery was undergoing construction, so several areas were off-limits to tourists. We admired the structure from outside and took some photos. The monastery also offers accommodations for tourists and has several homestays available if anyone wants to stay overnight. Locals mentioned that a new gompa building was being constructed uphill from the old monastery, providing a panoramic view of the expanding village. The traditional Dhankar houses, seemingly carved directly into the mountainside, presented a stunning sight from a distance, their rear walls blending completely with the hills. After spending some, we headed back to Hulk to continue our journey to Kaza. Also, the locals warned us of bad roads right until Kaza with a few landslide areas here and there. It was 5:15 pm and we left Dhankar.

The 32 km ride to Kaza was grueling and exhausting, because of the under-construction roads and the long, draining day. Atul rode non-stop, and we finally reached our accommodation, Zostel Kaza, around 6:30 pm. Situated in a stunning location with panoramic views of the rugged Kaza mountains, Zostel is renowned as one of the most popular places to stay in the area. We had booked a deluxe private room, Rs 2,500 per night, excluding meals. This room came with an attached bathroom, offering a bit more privacy and comfort after a long journey. We would be staying three nights here. After completing the check-in formalities, we settled into our room, unloaded our luggage, parked Hulk, and took a sign of relief, finally some place to relax after such a tiring day. Atul ordered some Maggi and hot coffee as we freshened up. With no internet or mobile network available in Kaza (except for BSNL), the options for entertainment were limited to enjoying the common area, playing games like cards and foosball, reading, or watching TV. The landline was operational, so we called our families to update them on our location. After a relaxing snack and coffee break, Atul and I decided to head to our room. I took a much-needed power nap while Atul transferred videos and photos to his laptop.

Around 8:30 pm, the hotel staff called to take our dinner order, and Atul opted for dal chawal, fried rice, and an omelet. The food was prepared quickly, and by 9 pm, we received another call informing us that dinner was ready and urging us to eat soon before it got cold. We headed to the common dining area, as room service was not available. We chose a quiet table to relax and savor our meal. The food was well-cooked and delicious. By 10 pm, we had finished eating and decided to take a brief stroll around the property. The open space was scattered with tents of various sizes, and there was a dedicated dining area. The garden was well-maintained, and in the distance, we could faintly see the dramatic Kaza mountain landscape. The weather was pleasantly cool, with a gentle breeze, and the night sky full of stars, though not as spectacular as the view in Nako. The peaceful silence added to the serene atmosphere. After our walk, we returned to our room. With the day’s adventures, we prepared for a good night’s sleep. Time was 11 pm and it was bedtime after a day filled with exploring new places.

Video of Day 8:

https://youtu.be/-MqgGacKw7w?si=L4pmbXkkhBIgR747

[nandita_bayan21]

Some more pictures from Day 8:

Morning views from the hotel room:






At the Nako Lake:





Morning tea with a view:




Enjoying the landscapes between Nako and Gue Village:













At Gue Village:





At Tabo Monastery:






Moonscapes and the sceneries before reaching Dhankar:








At Dhankar Gompa:




A few clicks from the journey capturing the highway:

[nandita_bayan21]

Day 9 – 5 Sept 2019 - Kaza to all nearby places (Distance covered – approx. 100 kms, Route – Kaza > Langza > Hikkim > Komic > Key Gompa > Chicham Bridge > Kibber > Kaza)

Our day began around 8 am, greeted by the cheerful chirping of birds outside our window. A quick glance outside and it was a clear blue sky, with locals already started with their work in the fields, all beneath the majestic, barren Spiti mountains. The scene was nothing short of surreal. After freshening up, we headed to the common area to order breakfast. Atul chose aloo parathas, bread toast with omelet, and two cups of coffee. While we waited for our food, we relaxed in the open garden space, soaking in the tranquil morning and admiring the raw beauty of Kaza. Fellow travelers from other rooms and tents began to wake up, starting their own morning routines. Once our breakfast arrived, we ate and decided to return to our room to get ready for a day of exploring. Atul had already prepared a list of must-visit places around Kaza.

We packed some essential things for the day like rain gear, a water bottle, some snacks, and snickers. By 9:45 am, we were ready to set out. Our first stop was to refuel Hulk at the world’s highest Indian Oil petrol pump, situated at about 12,270 feet asl. With the tank full, we geared up and set off towards Langza, about 16 kms away. After crossing Kaza town, we encountered a fork in the road near Rangrik: a left turn led us over an iron bridge to Rangrik, while a right turn took us towards Langza. The journey quickly turned into a climb through barren mountains, with a road that was far from being in good condition. Although some sections were of tarmac, most of the ride was bumpy, gravely, and under construction. Despite the challenging terrain, the view was mesmerizing. The Spiti River snaking through the valley, surrounded by the stark, silent expanse of barren mountains and hardly any vegetation. We stopped frequently to click photos, videos, and enjoy the stunning scenery. The road to Langza was particularly rough, with muddy lanes making the ride uncomfortable. At a few points, I had to get down off Hulk so that Atul could navigate easily through the rough patches. In the distance, we could see the Buddha statue shimmering brightly in the sunlight. By around 11 am, we finally arrived at the Langza Buddha statue.

The Buddha statue, standing alone and overlooking the valley and sky, was a mesmerizing sight amidst the grand, rugged mountains. This statue, reportedly around 1,000 years old, is believed by locals to house all the deities of the Spiti Valley, making Langza a spiritual center for the region. Situated at an altitude of 14,550 feet, Langza is one of India’s highest motorable villages, with temperatures dropping to as low as -20°C in winter. The village's symmetrical houses, sparse vegetation, and surrounding snow-capped peaks, including the majestic Chau Chau Kang Nilda (one of the tallest peaks in the area), seems to be all so magical and straight out of a fairy tale. This region is also very well known for finding fossils in abundance due to this land submerged in ocean water millions of years ago. After spending about 45 mins soaking in the serene atmosphere and seeking blessings from Lord Buddha, we decided to forgo the idea of having a hot tea at the Spaceship café nearby, and continue our journey to our next destination, Hikkim some 8 kms away from here and time was 11:45 am.

Once again, we encountered stunning landscapes paired with rough roads. After about 20 mins, we arrived in Hikkim, home to the world’s highest post office and one of the highest inhabited villages globally, at 14,567 feet asl. We parked Hulk on the main road and walked down to the village’s post office, managed by Rinchen Chhering, who has been serving here since it opened in 1983. The first thing was to buy three postcards and send them to our families: one to my brother in Delhi, another to my hometown in Guwahati, and the last to Atul’s home in Begusarai. We paid Rs 30/postcard and Rs 6/stamps. After sending them off, we dropped the postcards into the post box, hopeful they would eventually reach their destinations. Rinchen mentioned that delivery typically takes 7-10 days (though it’s been five years since our visit, and the postcards never did arrive! ) The post office operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., except on Sundays and public holidays. With postcards sent, we clicked some photos and videos before heading back to Hulk. Nearby, we visited a small souvenir shop where we picked up fridge magnets and local titbits. We took a brief break to drink some water, munch on biscuits, and enjoy some snacks. From this point, we could see the village clearly, with its clay and stone houses topped with husks. The layered fields provided a splash of green and brown, surrounded by snow-capped mountains in the distance. Like Langza, Hikkim is also known for its fossil finds. By 12:30 pm, we were ready to move on and rode the short distance of 3 kms to our next destination, Komic.

Komic, regarded as one of the holiest places in Spiti due to numerous folklore legends, is home to the Tangyud Monastery, one of the oldest in the world. At an altitude of 15,500 feet, this quaint village is known for its sparse population and breathtaking natural beauty. The ancient mud houses, expansive open spaces overlooking the majestic Himalayas, and the tranquil atmosphere create a stunning landscape. After parking Hulk, we strolled through the village and explored several old monasteries. With a few food outlets available, Atul and I opted for a quick lunch before heading back. We visited a nearby café, where we ordered black coffee, coffee, dal chawal, and a veg sandwich, though the menu was limited due to limited resources. As more tourists arrived, the café became quite crowded. Once we finished our meal, we returned to Hulk, prepared ourselves, and set off towards Key Monastery. It was 2 pm, and the monastery was 35 kms away.

From Komic, we rode back to Langza and then descended towards the Kaza-Gramphu main road. From a vantage point, we could see the panoramic view of Kaza town nestled downhill and the sparkling Spiti River in the distance. The ride was bumpy as before until we reached the deviation for the Kibber village road, where the conditions improved. The fresh tarmac provided a smoother journey, with the Spiti river flowing alongside us on the left. Soon, we caught our first glimpse of Key Monastery nestled on a barren brown hill. By 3 pm, we arrived at the monastery and parked Hulk in the lot. Key Gompa, one of the oldest and largest Buddhist monasteries in India and the Spiti Valley, originally started as a small structure but has since expanded to accommodate more monks and visitors. The monastery, resembling a fort with its three-layered floors, houses an impressive collection of Tibetan-style statues, paintings, murals, manuscripts, and relics, reflecting rich cultural and spiritual heritage. A short walk led us to the three Buddha statues near the monastery, offering a stunning view of Key Gompa against the backdrop of a clear blue sky. The scene was nothing short of surreal and breathtaking. We took numerous photos and videos to capture the moment, soaking in the view before we bid farewell. By 3:45 pm, we started for our next destination, the Chicham Bridge, just 7 kms away. Roads were as usual part good and part gravely.

By 4:15 pm, we were at the renowned Chicham Bridge, spanning a 1,000-foot-deep gorge between two mountain ranges. Built at an impressive height of 13,596 ft, the bridge connects the villages of Chicham and Kibber. The gorge below, known as Samba Lamba Nallah, offers a breathtaking visual spectacle. Inaugurated in 2017 after 15 years of construction, the bridge has significantly reduced travel time for locals between the two villages. It stands as an engineering marvel and is Asia's highest suspension bridge. Surprisingly, there were fewer tourists today, allowing us to ride across the bridge multiple times and fully experience its height. A few local youngsters were making videos and even invited Atul to be featured alongside Hulk. The bridge’s distinctive appearance, with its yellow and rustic red hues and fluttering prayer flags, added to its charm. We took so many pictures and videos, parked Hulk for a while, and soaked in the marvel of this structure. After about 30 mins, we decided to head back to Kaza via Kibber village.

Kibber is a picturesque village nestled in the Himalayas, known as one of the highest inhabited villages. Its striking feature is the uniformity of its houses, which enhances the village’s overall charm. We didn't spend much time here, as we planned to return tomorrow again to visit the Kibber Wildlife Sanctuary. By 5:30 pm, we began our journey back to our stay, about 21 kms away. Traveling the same route we had taken earlier, we were captivated by the dark golden sunlight casting a shimmering blanket over the Spiti River, which made the valley below look even more magnificent. We stopped at several points to capture the breathtaking scenery.

By 6:15 pm, we arrived back at Zostel, still enjoying the daylight. We got into our room, took some time to relax, and then freshened up with a shower to wash off the dust from the day. Outside, some of the boys were playing volleyball, and Atul decided to join them for a while. I watched the game from the room’s balcony. As the daylight faded and the game ended, Atul returned to the room, exhilarated from the fun of playing volleyball after such a long time (he was the captain of the volleyball team during his engineering days). After a brief rest of about 10-15 mins, we headed out around 7:15 pm to explore Kaza market and get a feel for the town. I picked up fridge magnets, souvenirs, and a woolen scarf from the market. We then discovered a café called Himalayan Café in the main market and decided to hop in for some light snacks. Atul ordered coffee, hot chocolate, chicken steamed momos, and fries. After enjoying our meal and settling the bill, we started our walk back to Zostel. By 8:15 pm, we had returned to the hostel.

With not much hunger left, we decided to skip dinner and relax for some time in the room before we hit the sack. Atul utilized the time to do some data transfer while I relaxed under the blanket. Time slipped away quickly, and by 10 pm, Atul started to feel a bit hungry and wanted to check with the hotel folks if food could be arranged. They arranged for some chicken noodles which came in by 10:30 pm. I also ordered a banana pancake to satisfy my sweet cravings. The food was served in the common room, and both the noodles and pancakes were delicious. After devouring our meal in about 20 mins, we returned to our room. It was already 11 p.m., and we were both exhausted. We decided to call it a day and quickly got into bed for a sound sleep.

Video of day 9:

https://youtu.be/UhqIjO_nGxk?si=1-VunaCsVhh0lJil

[nandita_bayan21]

Some more pictures from Day 9:

On our way to Langza Buddha Statue







At Langza Buddha Statue







At the Hikkim post office





At Komic




On our way to Key Gompa









At Key Gompa





At Chicham Bridge








On our way to Kaza








At the Himalayan Cafe

[nandita_bayan21]

Day 10 – 6 Sept 2019 – Kaza to all nearby places (Distance covered – approx. 200 kms, Route - Kaza > Pin Valley/Mud Village > Kaza > Kibber National Park > Tashigang > Kaza)

Our day began around 8 am, once again greeted by the cheerful chirping of birds outside our window and the morning sun streaming through the open curtains. Our plan for the day included exploring the rugged, untouched landscapes of Mud Village, Pin Valley National Park, and finally visiting Kibber National Park, something we missed the previous day. Both Atul and I refreshed ourselves, prepared for the day's ride, packed some essentials, and made our way to Kaza market. We chose to not have breakfast at Zostel so as to try local food in the market. We left the hotel at 8:45 am, but many eateries were still closed. We found a small dhaba that was open and decided to have breakfast there rather than wandering around in search of other options. Atul ordered aloo paratha and tea. By 9:30 am we were already on our way towards Pin valley national park which was around 50 kms away.

We exited Kaza and traveled about 16 kms on NH505 (the Kaza-Shimla highway) to reach the gate and bridge of Pin Valley National Park. Along this stretch, the Spiti River accompanied us on the right, its flow ranging from a powerful current to a gentle stream. The highway, affected by road widening, landslide zones, and dusty gravel patches, was in poor condition. We were familiar with these rough patches from our earlier trip from Tabo to Kaza. Despite the challenging road, the rugged scenery, barren brown and black mountains, occasional green patches, and the ever-flowing Spiti River made the journey worthwhile. It took us about 50 mins to cover these 16 kms. And finally, we reached the confluence of the Pin and Spiti Rivers, we crossed a bridge and the gate to enter the Pin Valley National Park. From there, Mud Village was another 35 kms away, with roads that were entirely new to us, marking the beginning of riding through completely uncharted landscapes.

As we continued our journey, the gentle Pin River flowed beside us, enhancing the remote and rugged beauty of the Pin Valley. The valley, connected to the Spiti Valley by a single, challenging motorable road, was in poor condition—untarred, dusty, and extremely bumpy. The rough ride created an uncomfortable experience and we had to take frequent breaks. However, the landscapes were a hidden gem, untouched by the hustle and bustle of city life. We crossed several bridges adorned with colorful prayer flags on the Pin River, passed quiet villages, and saw locals working on their farmlands. The scenery was surreal, but the roads always got us back to reality. We stopped frequently to click photos and videos, take water breaks, and appreciate the raw beauty of the surroundings. The last 10 kms to Mud were just horrible and too tiring. By around 12:15 pm, we arrived at Mud Village, a picturesque hamlet nestled in the heart of the Pin Valley.

Mud is the final village on this side of the Spiti Valley, serving as a starting point for trekkers heading towards the Pin Parvati trek to Kullu and the Pin Bhaba trek to Kinnaur. This small village, marked by patches of greenery and strikingly beautiful mountain ranges, offers a mesmerizing view that is truly unique and difficult to capture in words. On our way, we spotted numerous wild horses grazing on the patches of grasslands in the villages. The mountain ranges were strikingly unique, with rugged, snow-peaked tops, layered structures that seemed almost out of this world. The landscape had a surreal view, giving the impression that we had just landed on some other planet. The village was quiet, with only a few local guides and trekkers around, adding to the peaceful atmosphere. By the way, the village is also pronounced as Mudh or Moodh, as mentioned by the locals.

We rode as far as the road allowed, which wasn’t very far. At this point, we parked Hulk and took a 15-20 mins break. We enjoyed some quick snacks, drank water, took photos and videos, and enjoyed the serene natural surroundings. Around 12:30 pm, we decided to head back to Kaza, as Mud had no restaurants where we could have lunch. Our plan was to return to Kaza, eat there, and then proceed to Kibber national park. The thought of riding over the rough, gravely roads was daunting, but with no other options, we kept moving ahead. We passed our time through conversations, planning for the next day's ride, listening to music, and enjoying the scenery. Thankfully, traffic was sparse, with only an occasional tourist or local vehicle passing by.

Our return journey to Kaza was relatively quick, and by 2:30 pm, we were back in town. Many restaurants and shops were closed during this afternoon, so we had to search a bit for a place to eat. Eventually, we discovered The Alpinist Café and Retreat near the Kaza market. The café seemed inviting, featuring an open garden, comfortable lounge areas, private parking, and a relaxing ambiance. We both agreed it was the perfect spot for our lunch break. We ordered dal chawal, aloo jeera, peas pulao, an omelet, lime juice, and coffee. With the restaurant nearly empty, our food came in quickly. The meal was delicious, and it was a great relief after the rough, patchy ride. We spent about an hour relaxing and savoring our lunch. By 3:30 pm, we were ready to continue our journey and ride off towards Kibber.

The sun was quite harsh at this point, making the ride feel exhausting, but with limited time, we needed to push on to explore Kibber national park and our opportunity to spot some wildlife. We rejoined NH505, the Kaza-Shimla highway, and took a right turn at the Rangrik bridge to continue on the Kaza-Kibber highway. We were fortunate to catch a distant view of the Key Gompa, glowing with a golden aura as it reflected the sunlight. We had around 40-50 kms to cover to reach the top of Kibber national park. Roads were a mix of good and bad sections until we reached Kibber village. Beyond the village, the road turned into a trail leading into the vast landscape of the park. We also confirmed our route with a local, who assured us we were on the right track. Though the trail was rough and untarred, the ride wasn’t that uncomfortable, the surface being completely flat with the trail snaking around the mountain ranges of Kibber.

Kibber national park is a stunningly rugged and remote sanctuary renowned for its unique high-altitude landscape and diverse wildlife. This park is characterized by its dramatic terrain of stark, barren mountains, deep gorges, and vast expansion of grasslands. It is home to a variety of rare and endangered species, including snow leopards, Tibetan wolves, Himalayan blue sheep or Bharal, and Ibex. The park’s high elevation and extreme climate contribute to its pristine and unspoiled environment, offering breathtaking views and a sense of isolation from the bustling world. Apparently, the national park is not only a vital conservation area but also a famous destination for nature enthusiasts and wildlife photographers seeking to experience the raw beauty of the Himalayan wilderness. The surroundings are also well-adorned with snow-capped mountains, providing a beautiful view.

Along our journey, we spotted a herd of Himalayan Blue Sheep and yaks grazing in the grasslands. While the yaks were at a much higher altitude, making them difficult to capture with our camera lenses, the sheep were closer and provided a good photographic opportunity though not great. I was hoping to get a glimpse of a snow leopard, but I guess that is only for the lucky ones. The natural scenery was raw and untouched. As we navigated the trail, we enjoyed the unspoiled beauty around us. We encountered very few people—only a car with fellow nature enthusiasts exploring the area. Eventually, we reached Tashigang village, near the end of the trail. This remote village consisted of just 3-4 houses and a small gompa where locals could pray. If I’m not mistaken, Tashigang is likely the highest village in the Spiti valley.

Having been so mesmerized by the breathtaking views that we lost track of time, and by 5:30 pm, the sun was about to rapidly set. After taking a final round of photos and videos, we decided to begin our return journey to Kaza, aiming to take fewer breaks and reach before it gets too dark. The temperature had dropped, and we were not adequately prepared for the chill. Atul pushed on, covering as much distance as possible, and within about an hour, we reached NH505, which brought us relief as we still had some daylight left, despite the sunset having already occurred.

The golden hour was spectacular, and we couldn't resist stopping to capture the stunning sky. We also came across a unique ‘I Love Spiti’ signboard made from painted reusable bottles. We took this opportunity to capture a few more pictures against the backdrop of the rustic landscape, savoring the last moments of daylight before heading back to Kaza.

Around 7:45 pm, we arrived in Kaza, and Atul decided to refuel Hulk as the tank was nearly empty. We wanted to avoid the hassle of visiting a petrol station the next morning before our ride, so we opted to fill up now. After topping off the tank at the petrol pump, we reached our room by 8 pm. We took showers and ordered coffee to unwind. Atul also arranged for an early dinner so we could eat and get to bed early, preparing for another long ride the next day. While enjoying our coffee, I began packing our things, leaving only the essentials for the morning. By 8:45 pm, our dinner—chicken noodles and chicken fried rice—was ready. We headed to the common area, played a bit of foosball, and then enjoyed our meal. By 9:45 pm, we were back in our room, refreshed and ready for bed. This was our last night in Kaza, and the following day we would be setting out towards Chandrataal.

Video of day 10:

https://youtu.be/otN9ub8S1Y4?si=QmGffTwK1xwtiN7q

[nandita_bayan21]

Some more pictures from Day 10:

The Pin Valley National Park entry bridge




Glimpse of Pin river







The scenic landscapes of Pin valley and Mud village








Admiring this scenic view




Hulk enjoying the scenery too






The wildlife we could spot at Kibber national park





On our way to Kibber national park










Tashigang, the highest village in Spiti valley




The last few clicks at Kibber national park before we head towards Kaza









Capturing the golden sky

[nandita_bayan21]

Day 11 – 7 Sept 2019 – Kaza to Chandrataal lake (Distance covered – approx. 100 kms, Route - Kaza > Rangrik > Losar Khas > Kunzum Stupas > Chandrataal entry gate/point > Chandrataal)

We both got up at 7:30 am, aiming to start our ride early. Although we only had about 100 kms to cover, the roads were extremely bad and we didn’t want to stretch the ride beyond 2-3 pm in the afternoon. We quickly packed up the remaining items, took a shower, and geared up. Once the luggage was ready, Atul loaded it onto Hulk and ordered a simple breakfast: two cups of coffee and bread omelet. I was struggling with a sore throat and a headache, so I wanted to keep the food light and hit the road as soon as possible. After breakfast and settling the hotel bills, we said goodbye to Zostel Kaza by 9:15 am and set off on our journey towards Chandrataal.

On our way, we decided to make a quick stop at the Kaza Monastery, which we had missed during our 3-day stay. Located just about 2 kms away and conveniently on our route to Rangrik, a brief 10-mins break seemed reasonable. Also known as Sakya Tangyud Monastery, it features striking whitewashed walls and traditional Tibetan architecture that beautifully contrasts with the rugged mountain landscape. We took some pictures but didn’t enter the monastery, as the monks were engaged in their morning prayers, and we wanted to avoid disrupting them. After seeking blessings from outside, we resumed our ride.

We continued on NH505, taking a left turn at Rangrik Bridge onto the Kaza-Batal-Gramphu route. The first 25-30 kms were a joyride, with well-constructed, fully tarred roads offering a smooth and scenic experience. The ride was blissful, with butter-smooth roads and breathtaking landscapes, as the Spiti river flowed beside us. We passed through charming villages, lush crop fields, and stunning scenery, making it hard to resist stopping to enjoy the views and capture them on camera. The road now transitioned to a gravely, bumpy, and dusty terrain due to ongoing road widening work and indicating the end of the smooth stretch. At a place called Kiato, we reached the Gramphu bridge, spanning over the Spiti river, we crossed from one mountain range to another. This junction also connected a road from Kibber-Chicham to NH505. At this point, the Spiti River shifted from our right to our left.

The saga with bad roads kept going on and we both continued with the ride, with the only solace being the endless, raw beauty of the Spiti mountains and the breathtaking landscape. Around 11:30 am, we arrived at the Losar check post, where a police official recorded our details and Hulk’s. He verified our bike-related documents and checked our Aadhar cards, logging everything in his register. This procedure ensures that every tourist passing through is documented, which is crucial given the area's limited mobile and internet connectivity—BSNL being the only reliable network while our Airtel connections had long gone after entering Kaza. This helps in case of emergencies in this remote zone. After completing the formalities, Atul inquired with the officer about the road conditions ahead. The officer informed us that the road widening work was ongoing and would take some time to complete, so we should expect similar rough conditions all the way to Gramphu (Leh-Manali highway).

We continued on NH505, and after about an hour, we reached the summit of Kunzum Pass, known as Kunzum Top, around 12:45 pm. The journey to this point was one of our most exhilarating rides in recent times. To reach the Kunzum Mata Mandir (dedicated to Maa Durga/Parvati) and the Kunzum Stupas, we had to take a small detour from the main highway. This majestic gateway is a favorite among travelers as it marks the passage from Spiti to Lahaul valley. Situated at an altitude of 4,551 meters asl, Kunzum Pass is one of India’s highest motorable mountain passes. From here, one can enjoy the stunning views of the snow-capped Chandra Bhaga ranges, massive glaciers, barren desert-like terrain, beautiful stupas, powerful Mata Mandir, and the ever-fluttering prayer flags. Locals believe that the goddess watches over the pass and wards off evil. We spent a considerable amount of time here, seeking blessings at the temple and stupas, taking photos and videos, and taking breaks for bio-needs and hydration. By 1:30 pm, we resumed our ride towards Chandrataal, another 21 kms away.

About 30 mins later, we arrived at the Chandrataal entry gate and left the main highway to take the road leading to Chandrataal. The distance from this point was roughly 12 kms. The road conditions were challenging, with a combination of gravel and bumps, and frequent water crossings from the high mountain ranges, including several smaller streams and two larger ones. As Atul carefully navigated the crossings, I chose to get down and walk through the streams, carefully navigating through the depth of the water. It was a bit tough, but we managed to cross without much trouble. As we continued, we noticed numerous tent and camping sites set up for tourists. We hadn’t made a reservation for Chandrataal since Atul preferred to find a suitable spot upon arrival, one with a good view and a safe place to park Hulk. Additionally, not many options were available online. The weather was pleasant with a mild, cool breeze, but the forecast predicted that temperatures could drop to 1-2°C or even lower at night.

Around 2:45 pm, we arrived at the Chandrataal tent area. After exploring and inquiring about accommodation rates, we decided to stay at Pema Thang Camps. The site offered private tents with attached bathrooms, and included complimentary Maggi and tea upon arrival, as well as breakfast and dinner. The cost for the night was Rs 2,400, and the best part was that we could park Hulk right next to our tent. After completing the check-in process, Atul and I brought our luggage into the tent. We had wanted to take a shower, but the water was too cold, and I wasn't feeling well, so I opted to skip it. Instead, both of us freshened up a bit, changed into casual clothes, and went to the dining area where Maggi and tea were ready. Both of us were extremely hungry, so the meal was a big relief. After eating, we returned to our tent to relax for about 30 mins. Our next plan was to head out and visit Chandrataal lake.

By 3:30 pm, we took Hulk and began our ride towards the lake. Vehicles can only be driven up to a point about 3 kms from the lake; the rest of the journey must be completed on foot. The remaining distance involves a 10-15 mins walk along a scenic hilltop trail. As we advanced along the slick trail, the first glimpse of Chandrataal lake came into view. From a distance, the lake appeared mesmerizing, nestled among the towering Himalayan mountain ranges. We crossed a small water stream and reached the lake’s edge. Upon arrival, I felt a bit disappointed; the cloudy sky prevented the lake from showcasing the vivid blue hues often seen in pictures. Despite this, the scene was still breathtaking. The lake exuded a unique and captivating aura, making the experience memorable.

Chandrataal Lake is a lake of beauty and mystery, situated at an elevation of 4,300 meters asl. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Himalayan peaks, this high-altitude lake offers a breathtaking and otherworldly charm. Its crescent shape has earned it the name "Moon Lake," and it is a highly sought-after destination for trekking enthusiasts traveling from Manali and Kaza. The lake is associated with so many intriguing legends, local folklore, and the ever-questionable UFO sightings which add to its enigmatic allure. Regardless of the stories that surround it, Chandrataal Lake undeniably radiates a sense of magical mystery and surrealism.

We spent some time soaking in the beauty of the lake, taking a lot of pictures and videos. Once satisfied, we sat quietly to admire the serene scenery. With few tourists around, the lake offered a peaceful atmosphere. We explored the lake's periphery until rain clouds started to roll in, darkening the sky despite it being only 5:30 pm. To avoid getting caught in a heavy rain situation, we decided to head back to Hulk. The walk to the parking lot took about 15 mins and we left the magnificent lake with a promise to return one day. By 6 pm, we were back in our tent. The hotel staff informed us that dinner would be served between 8:30 and 9 pm. With plenty of time before dinner, we relaxed in our room.

We both unexpectedly fell asleep for nearly two hours, and Atul woke me up at 8 pm to ensure we didn’t miss dinner. The night sky was cloudy, with only faint star constellations visible. We attempted some long exposure shots with the DSLR, but the results didn’t match the stunning images we captured in Nako. Nevertheless, it was a good way to pass the time before heading to the dining area for our meal.

When we arrived at the dining area, it was surprisingly bustling with people—some singing, some dancing, and others playing board games or observing quietly. By 8:45 pm, dinner was served: dal, chawal, roti, and cabbage sabji. The portions were generous, and the food had a comforting, homemade taste. After eating, we returned to our tent as I began to feel feverish, and my sore throat worsened. The temperature was dropping too, making it quite cold. Fortunately, the tent staff provided extra blankets, and we had our sleeping bags to stay warm. After checking on Hulk and freshening up, we settled into bed and called it a day around 10 pm.

Video of day 11:

https://youtu.be/7uT1qpyqJo0?si=GQM15LTJJui-37Sc