Day 12 - September 22nd 2009 (Part 3)
The paved road that we were driving on came to an end suddenly. Instead, there were stones laid out in the form of a road. Pretty big stones at that. The kinds that you wedge under a heavy vehicle to prevent it from moving! The WagonR managed to get onto this road but only for a short distance. After that, it started losing traction with the wheels spinning up and the car skidding across the path. We decided to get off the car and let jiju drive it. For us walkers, the going was a little chilly as there was a bit of wind around.
A short distance later, we saw some sandy tracks leading away from the rocky road and then running parallel to it. We thought that this would be a good place to drive the car as we could make out some tracks on it. Jiju drove a short distance on it and things seemed okay. So we all piled in again, happy to not have to walk.
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The Rocky Road To Perdition
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Hell Ride
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The Sandy Road
The WagonR made its way across the sandy tracks while we kept a lookout for anything out of the ordinary. In the distance, I could see that the wheel tracks had sunk in a bit and there was a ridge formed in the middle of the road. Jiju, who was driving, thought that we should continue on this one while I thought that we should take another road. We came nearer to the ridge. I started to say something like, "We should probably not ...." WHUMP. The WagonR, with it's two wheels in the ruts, had beached on something. The underbody was resting it's butt on something. Jiju tried to move the car forward. Didn't work. Put the car in reverse and get out. Didn't work either. Crap! We were stuck. Not panicking yet, I got off the car as did the others. Jiju tried to reverse again but without any luck. Looks like the car was stuck. We would have to do something about it.
While we looked at the underbody and thought of ways to get the car out, an Innova came along. This was after a long time that we'd seen a vehicle in these parts. The driver of that cab as well as the occupants got out to try and help us out of the jam. We tried to dig under the wheels to clear the sand a bit and reach solid ground. No luck. One of the Israelis from the other car tried to reverse out. No luck. I wanted to jack up the car and put a few stones underneath the wheel to give it some traction. Fortunately, we were carrying Shararat's tool kit and we didn't really have to take out any of the luggage to reach the tools. Took out the connecting rod and then started to clear up the place under the wheel a bit. I took the jack out as well but by then somebody suggested that we could just lift the car and push it back a little. There were several of us so I thought maybe that would be faster. Put the connecting rod back and went over to try and get the car out. ONE... TWO....THREE...HEAVE. The car moved all of a few micrometers. ONE....TWO.....THREE.....HEAVE! Another paltry microns. Gah! Somebody asked us if we had a tow rope. Yes we did. In the Palio!! Dang! Who would have thought that we would need it when it wasn't around. Murphy, one day, I am gonna get you! Finally decided to jack up the car like I'd thought earlier. Went to the rear seat of the car to pick up the jack and tools. The connecting rod was missing. Must be on the other side. Nopes, no luck there either. Front seat? Nopes. Holy crap! The connecting rod was lost! (Murphy, you've really really had it!). Searched the sand around and looked around. The last I remember, I had put it near the footwell of the rear seat. Or did I hand it to someone to dig out the sand? I remembered mamaji digging out the sand with his hands and I had cautioned him to use the rod. But then I also remembered keeping it back. Anyhow, the rod was lost
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We had to dig into the luggage to get the WagonR's rod out. I placed a few stones under the car, placed the jack on that to give it a level playing field and then jacked up the car. Placed a few stones under the front right wheel and made a little paved path a foot or so backwards. Unwound the jack and then jiju got in to move the car back. Gun the engine, put it into reverse and release the clutch. She moved. And got out of the beached position. Yipeee!! Problem solved. Thank you everyone for your cooperation and help. The Israelis got into their Innova and moved on while we looked around for the rod in the sand for a few more minutes without any luck.
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Heave Ho!
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Come On, Put Your Back Into It!
Having spent a few days in and around Leh already had helped acclimatize us to the higher altitudes. Despite the hard physical labour at 4715m, we weren't feeling too tired. Jiju and I got into the car and the others decided to walk along. We got back onto our favourite rocky road to hell. As we started driving along, we caught sight of a road roller levelling the ground. It had stopped for some repairs. Jiju and I crossed Rashi near this and she started shouting something. Not sure what she was saying, we slowed down near the roller. The driver shouted at us, "PUNCTURE". We got off to see what had happened. The wheel as it was rotating was making some "phissshhh phissshhh" sounds. Uh oh! Not a puncture! Not now. Murphy....
Apparently, that's what Rashi had heard and was trying to tell us. Got out all the luggage to get at the spare wheel. This time, jiju jacked up the car in a jiffy and had the wheel changed. This was getting into a little tricky situation for us. Bad roads, one tyre punctured and no puncture repair shop in sight. Forget a puncture repair shop, no vehicle in sight for kms around. And it looked like the neck of the tube had burst so the tube would have to be changed. Now, our biggest worry (or rather worries!) was (were) that we were one tire down in an unknown location with nobody around and Korzok nowhere in sight. With a quick prayer, we started moving again. We made up our minds that a couple of us would hitch a ride in the next vehicle that came along and try and reach Korzok. That way, at least some of us would be safe and if the car didn't show up in a couple of hours, we could come back with a search party.
Our prayers were soon answered in the form of an ITBP truck coming up from behind. Mamaji quickly flagged it down and asked for some help. Which was warmly given. Mamaji and I hitched a ride in the back while jiju drove the car with the gals inside. The ITBP folks - much to our surprise - said that they would follow the car. Kinda like shepherding the flock home
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Punctured!
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It Don't Matter If It's Black Or White
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Sandy Plains
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Oasis
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Dusk
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The ITBP Truck
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Where Do We Go Now?
Turns out that our prayers were answered in the form of sheer coincidence! Apparently, the truck was a supply truck. One that made rounds once in several days only. It had some fowl running around in the rear along with a few of the ITBP jawans. Mamaji got into chatting with them and they started regaling us with various stories such as that of trekkers who cross over from Manali, the filmstars who had come down recently for a movie (3 Idiots), people getting lost in the wild and the jawans having to rescue them, snow glare, yoga and cricket in the camp and so on and so forth. We were lucky to have the truck come along as a little later, the road had ended and in the fast approaching dusk, we wouldn't know which of the several forks to follow in the sandy plains. The truck driver would indicate the way and the convoy would move on. Somewhere on the way, Rashi came by to give mamaji and me some added clothing for it had started to get pretty cold and we didn't' have more than a jacket on each. We were later told that the cold had got to Nandika and she was pretty much shivering and chattering away to glory in the car. Rashi forced her to have a couple of swigs of brandy to help warm her up a bit.
The ride in the truck was anything but comfortable. A little buttsore, I was glad when an hour and a half later, we finally stopped at the checkpost near Tso Moriri. The Innova guy had already informed the folks there that our car was stuck and those guys were keeping a lookout for us. Folks in the wild sure do help each other and keep a lookout for one another. A big thanks to the Innova driver, the Israelis as well as all the ITBP folks who helped us. We are truly indebted.
The jawans had warned us against staying in most of the camps as they were seemingly overpriced. We ourselves wanted to do a home stay as that was something that was recommended. Off we went in the dark to get ourselves a homestay. Our marketing manager (jiju) found some place near the main street. I was dead tired by then and just wanted to curl up somewhere peacefully. At 150/- per head, the deal sounded pretty good to me. And this place (Snowcock Homestay) was right next to the road so we wouldn't have to walk far. We got our stuff out and into the place. They had given us two rooms - a larger one on the ground floor for jiju, mamaji and Nandika and a smaller one on the first floor for Rashi and I. I didn't like the idea of having to climb up when we were already tired. Plus, given our condition, I thought it would be a good idea to sleep together. Moreover, we could have some fun together in one big room. Asked Masterji (the proprietor of the place) to move everything into one room and then went off for dinner.
Dinner at Lhasa Restaurant (tent) was pretty decent. We had dal, roti and alu gobi ki sabzi as well as some tea and coffee. Went back to our room and saw that everything had been moved to our satisfaction. Only that we had only one quilt and one blanket per head. This was definitely not going to be sufficient for us dwellers of plains. Asked Masterji for more. Grumbling and muttering under his breath, he supplied us a few more. Time to settle down and sleep. Loo stop before that. Walk out to the loo. Uh oh! This was a dry pit loo. Never having gone to one before, this was going to be an experience. No water, no tissue, no tiles, no towels. Nothing. Just a hole dug into the ground on the first floor with a shovel and some sand to keep you company. No light either. If you want some light, take a torch along. Water to be ferried in in Bisleri bottles. Heh heh he. Definitely going to be an interesting experience.
Bladder emptied, I made my way back to the room. We were in a pretty decent mood and took a few snaps. Kungfu movie was the theme of the moment as can be seen below.
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Hooo Ah!
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Mr. Jun Tao
Tired like hell, we all crashed down by 9. I took a swig of brandy to keep me warm and slept off. But, did we sleep? Or, did something else happen?
To be continued....