Travels

I was in Baroda recently, I just couldnt help but notice how similar this city is to our very own Mysuru ! with so many connections it could just surprise you !!

The Mahrajas

Sayaji Rao Road, the main thoroughfare in Mysore is named after the Maharaja of Baroda, Sayaji Rao Gaekwad, The legendary Maharaja is said to have been adopted by the Royal family. The story goes that as a young boy he was asked by the queen as to why he was called to the Palace and the boy grandly announced with confidence , ‘I have come here to rule !!’ Mighty impressed he was appointed the heir apparent. He did a greatly reformed the kingdom of Baroda. When Dr BR Ambedkar did not have the money to study further, It was this Maharaja who sponsored his education in Britain of this brilliant student from the backward classes of the society which was unthinkable back then, Who would later on go on to write our constitution ! In a smiliar fashion it was the Mahraja of Mysore, Chamarajendra Wodeyer who would partly sponsor the trip of Swami Vivekananda to America to attend the first international religion parliament in Chicago in 1893, where he gave his famous speech on Hindu Religion which is still remembered to this day ! Infact one the main thoroughfares in Baroda was named after Chamarajendra Wodeyar which is now popularly known as Palace Road ! Chamarajendra Wodeyar was an adopted Maharaja too !! And as per one of the stories on the origins of the Wodeyar Dynasty, The very first King Yaduraya is said to have come from Dwarka in Gujarat.

Ramchandra Guha, the famous historian says, Most Maharajas of India were useless expect for two of them, Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwad of Baroda and Majaraja Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV of Mysore for their great contribution to their respective Kingdoms !

Raja Ravi Verma

The famous Fateh Singh Museum of Baroda boasts of good collections of painting of Raja Ravi Verma’s painting,  And it sure is a very good collection indeed. It was this famous painter who introduced water colours to India and some of his great works adorn the walls here and his studio was set up right next to the Museum, which is now in shambles. But this Museum is surely one of the best kept ones in India with a great collection of painting and sculptures from across the globe. The Jagan Mohan Art Gallery in Mysore too has some priceless collection of Raja Ravi Verma and the other place which has a significant Raja Ravi Verma collection is the Sree Chitra Art Gallery in Trivandrum. They say time stops when one begins to admire Raja Ravi Verma’s paintings. This gifted artist with the strokes of his paint brushes created magic more than a 100 years back and even today it looks as if its brand new ! One needs to see it to believe it and be sure you’ll be drawn in.

The Musicians

Ustad Faiyaz Khan, the court musician of the Baroda Kingdom was an exponent in Hindustani classical music. In 1908, a grand competition was arranged in Mysore where he sang so splendidly that he eventually won the top spot for which the Maharaja of Mysore awarded him the title “Aftab-e-Mousiqui.” meaning the ‘the sun of music’. Veene Sheshanna,the famous veene mastter in the Royal Court of Mysore when on a visit to Boroda, It is said that the Gayakwad Maharaja was so pleased with his recital that he took a procession of Veene Sheshanna in a palanquin in the city of Baroda.

The Sights

In the heart of Baroda you have a bustling and colourful marketplace called the Khande Rao Market, In an old stately building selling fresh flowers, colour and vegetables, Built by Maharja Sayaji Rao in 1906 to commemorate the silver jubliee celebration of his rule and gifted it to the Baroda Muncipality. Its resemblance to our very own and vibrant century old Devaraja is striking.

You even find quite a few clock towers in Baroda just like how you find them in Mysore, Generously erected in the city by the Royalty back then for the benefit of their subjects. You find a very promineint one very close to the Baroda city Railway Station.

The stately Laxmi Vilas Palace sits pretty in the heart of the City. Intricately carved this majestic structure has more than 3000 beautiful stained glass windows, The highest used in any structure all imported from Belgium. The architect of the Laxmi Vilas Palace was a Englishman named Major Charles Mant who committed suicide in the 1890s for fear he had got his calculations wrong and that the palace would fall down !! How said because it still stands strong even today !! Unfortunately this Palace is very poorly maintained which is still the private property of the Royal family of Baroda ! Infact the central Arch of the Amba Vilas Palace in Mysore is modeled after the Laxmi Vilas Palace !

You also have a Oriental Library in Boroda which was inspired from the Oriental Research Library in Mysore which in Mysore is housed a grand structure which was built in 1887, to commemorate the jubilee year of Queen Victoria reign.

The century old central library is Baroda is sure not a place to be missed with some great collection of rare books,the entire flooring is made of Belgium glass and when you walk on it in the first and second floors, it sure makes you jittery The central Library of Mysore might not be housed in similar setting but set up in the Chamarajendra Technical Institute building, once up on a time it sure was a treasure for book lovers !

Baroda is house to the famous Maharaja Sayaji Rao University,Initially started off as Baroda collage and later on acquired the status of a University !  The Mysore University set up in 1916 was the first among the Princely States in India, For which Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV sent study teams to great universities around the world to come up with what is the best model for Mysore. Both are housed in beautiful Heritage Buildings !

One could go on with more such familiar sites in Boroda like the imposing Nyay Mandir, the Law Courts, The old city and its town planning, The beautiful man made lakes. Sprawing gardens, Crickets grounds and lush green golf courses so much like how it is in Mysore ! Infact a popular sweet in Baroda is called Maisur,which is also made from gram flour !

Like they say, in the Tale of town cities there are so many many stories that are common ! and it all stands out pretty for us to notice and compare. And as this lady from Baroda now settled in Bangalore  put it, Yes Baroda and Mysore are so similar, its just that Mysore is a little more classier. Couldn’t agree with her more !

The Scotland of East is what they also call this place but then I haven’t been to Scotland so I wouldnt know but hey they are the only ones to have successfully cracked home stay formula !!  where one can go and stay with a family and have a chilled out experience than in a cold hotel where everybody has a fake smile !!

So couple of my cousins and their better halves and a couple we folks who are still single decided to go homestay in Coorg last weekend. Having hit upon the plan just a day in advance and it being a long weekend dint help. needless to say most places were booked !! So with Google to the rescue.. tried a coupla sites and finally found this place which was available called ‘Angle’s Nest’

We landed there in the evening only to have the shock of our lives !! Deep in the Coffee estate was this dingy looking place and with nowhere else to go we were stuck ! With toilets that couldn’t be used, a kitchen that wasn’t functional, the bedrooms all dark and I wonder when was the bed linen last changed !! It looked like dungeon. The food is usually great in homestays but here we when we were served dinner and wondered whats what !! only to be told by the owner that the ‘cook’ is just learning how to cook, so kindly adjust !! And the owner himself perpetually drunk looked like a Demon’s pest !! Thank god for the wine we had carried and with generous quantities of it that we were able to somehow scrape through the night before we fled from ‘Angle’s Nest’ in the morning. And it sure dint help to find out later that this placehad 2 robberies recently !! Wondering how to avoid such places in the future ?? sure sure.. there are ways.. but lemme share with you the best part of our Coorg Experience first

We hit Orange County the next day, this mind blowing 5 star resort is nestled in a 300 acre Coffee Estate and everything to this place is just Wow !! Right form the narrow roads in between to estate which lead to this place to the warm staff out there who are always willing to help and hey their Welcome drink, an amazing Cold Coffee and you know where these coffee beans come from We had booked for an Ayurvedic massage (make sure you book a day in advance) there and the next 1 odd hour was an out of the world experience in their spa, right from the ambiance where your room is beautifully done up and decorated with fresh flowers and the entire place opens up to a garden. The soothing music and the exhilarating body massage makes you forget everything and you get into a state of trance !! If you ever get a chance. Dont miss it. Its heavenly  !! The entire Massage unit at Orange County is maintained by IVAC, Mysore ,A World Class Spa Resort.Now that I know I can get an experience right here in Mysore I plan to go visit them once in 6 months from now on to detox and pamper myself Its worth the rejuvenation !!!

On request you will be taken on a resort tour in their buggy (this place is too big to walk , even for a Walking Tour Guide , It has its own private lake in there where one can go boating and the resort offers a wide range of activities from cycling, swimming to plantation trails. It sure is worth exploring..Once the massage was over we were sooper hunger so we dutifully attacked the restaurant for their lunch buffet, I have had lunch buffets is quite a few good places but this easily topped my list. The spread was huge (like in most places) but every dish (tasted by folks on our table) lived up to it its taste, including the deserts which was not just colorful (like in most places again) but each of those items were truly well done !! full marks to the chef and also the ones at the spa who got us ready for such an appetite. I somewhere think that thanks to the Angle’s Nest experience that we enjoyed our Orange county experience so much

That evening we moved to another home stay called Bright Spot in Sidapur close to Orange County, One of my cousins had stayed here previously and had had a great experience but since it was booked the previous night we couldn’t get there. This place was very well kept, independent rooms, clean toilets, an open air dining area and a play area with accessories for kids. The host was a gracious lady, her food was amazing and her hospitality top notch. We sure did have a good time here.

So, how to choose the right home stay ?

>> Always go for a homestay which is recommended to you by someone who has stayed their previously.

>> Check if home stay is registered, Out of 600 only 150 are registered, So 3 out 4 home stay are illegal !!

>> Do not go by the websites, there are a lot of dubious ones.the pics are all nice and rosy but the reality is like Angle’s Nest !!

>> This http://coorghomestaysregd.com is a website by Association of registered home stays. Fairly reliable but then word of mouth would be my first option. This site was down when we were hunting !

>> Would highly recommend Bright Spot , Siddapur, Contact person Mrs Ramaa Ponappa, 99023 12911

>> Aviod Angle’s Nest in Siddapur like Plague !!

And hey another place you must try in Coorg is the East End Restaurant in Madikeri, The food is fantastic and thanks to some formula 1 driving efforts by my cousin we could get there by lunch time to throughly enjoy their food !! And we all felt that the 30 kms detours just for lunch was well worth it

So a good home stay in Coorg is sure a great way to relax !! but then choose the right home to stay !!

Four friends from college meet after yrs and decide to go to Goa !! what happens there?  loads of fun !! No no.. dont imagine the movie Hangover, this aint Vegas and we are good desi boys, so we have fun desi style

Goa, the very word has always evoked in me beautiful beaches, lovely laid back people, good food n drinks , lovely Portuguese style house and good old churches. A great place to cool your heels and just relax !! We decided to fly coz of short of time and now I think thats the best way to get to Goa, considering there is no good train connectivity and its a 10 hours long drive from Bangalore. So by taking the 1 hr arieal route. one gets more time in this sunny paradise !! Off from the airport we decided to take the bus to Calungute, I have always enjoyed bus rides in goa, agreed it a rickety ride, and all you have is metal skeleton, basic seats and no window panes what so ever for a bus but then the nice loud music, the warm people and the breeze makes it so enjoyable. There are quick, cheap and amazingly frequent. We had to change 3 buses to get to Calungute from Dabolim but then you just dint feel it.

In Calungute we decided to hire some bike and off we went to Anjuna for what would somewhat qualify for a late lunch. After the all the travel (the travel to and off d airport which was tiring some spicy fish and beer tasted even better !! divine I would say. Decided to look for accom in Anjuna itself  as its much less crowed than Calungute or Baga and also because the fish and beer in our tummies did not like to travel anymore Starting from North Anjuna we began our search in earnest and not wanting to compromise, we declined the shoddy ones and a few not so shoddy ones too and after more than an hours search we struck gold !! much to relief of the other crew members who by now just wanted a roof on their head so that they could start ‘experiencing’ goa We found this places called Sea Horse right on the beach with some nice bamboo huts and a pretty good shack. It was sure worth the effort considering the huts were just 10 steps away from the shack made it all the more attractive, coz after you ‘experience’ goa in the shack, even those 10 small steps might seems like climbing Mt Everest, you know what I mean, dont you

Our place was right next to this place called Cafe Lillyput (which according to our host is apparently world famous) and since it was a friday night they have live music on the beach plus some amazing show of talent, like the lady dancing with the ring of fire around her waist, some mind blowing tap dancing. And it was all free !! and considering that just 24 hrs ago we were trying to stay alive by navigating the horrendous Bangalore traffic, this was like paradise !!

I have always been amazed by the kind of talent most of the western travelers display, the entire show that night was put up by western travelers and it sure was impressive ! compared to we desi folks,the best entertainment that we can provide in a gathering apart from discussing code is prolly crack a joke from readers digest !

Having breakfast (its actually brunch !) in your shack looking at the sea is something I have always relished in beach destination. And after all the fermented grape juices that would gone inside all night, a glass of fresh Banana milkshake makes you feel alive !! And most shacks in Goa have their menu is Russian, Yes Russian !! considering the amount to Russians who come to this place they think its a easier option. And we being the only brown skin in the entire beach and ones to be clad with the maximum clothing (inspite of our best efforts) we sure looked liked we were in a foreign destination. Now come on, if you are getting a phoren experience like this from  just a domestic air ticket. It was more than what we could ask for

One of the crew members hadnt seen to fort Aguada so the rest of us were dragged to this place which I discovered due my recently develpoed interest in reading the rusted boards in front of most monuments, that it used to be a water storage unit for the portugese and it has been immortalized by the desi flick ‘Dil Chata hai’. I dont think anything/anybody has done so much good to goa tourism than this movie, after watching this movie every college going kid in india wants to go to Goa !! even we did back in college and how we ended up is a totally different story. will save that for another day. Later on when the rest of the crew wanted to ‘experience’ more of goa (read kings beer, its one amazing beer though !)

Later I went out to Panaji to visit the company called Synapse, housed in a Portuguese style bungalow , with open air discussion rooms, and large birds which I couldn’t name in the garden, it looked more like a resort than a work place for 30 odd people. Started by the ex- editor of Chip magazine. One of my clients on the Walking Tours had worked with them for a while and he wanted to to visit this place while in Goa. Synapse is into designs and in a niche category. Extermely creative people. By just touring their office seeing how they work, one can feel that they stand out. And seeing how they worked it sure a great learning. Like each individual department in the company is a pvt listed company in itself, like for ex, extra hands is the team which provides house keeping and takes care of catering and they also go on to offer this service to other companies. So its a compnay with in a company. Okay if this is not making any sense, lets just say something like this bring a lot of professionlism at work ! And yes their client list is impressive and so is there website !!

Late in the evening, in a slightly elevated state of mind an idea was dropped !!  ’how about getting a tattoo done in goa ?? ‘ and before we knew we were under the needle get a mark for life !! I have been frequently asked by people who have seen my tattoo as to, did it hurt ? frankly I cannot recollect may be thats why most people get tattoos done in goa, you know after the Goa experience you get kinda numbh !

The setting was just right for us to take it easy, with our shack providing us pool tables and dart boards to be involved in but then after a couple of Kings rather than getting the Bulls Eye you end up missing even the Bulls Bottom !! But then with good old friends its always great. No matter even if you are meeting after ages you still start off from where you left behind. And since one of the crew members was coming from the US and the other from the arms of his newly married wife all of 3 months (the marriage i mean !), for them taking time off for sure a big deal. But then our 3 days in Goa catching up on each others lives, laughing on old jokes and pulling the others leg on old college crushes was good fun. It sure was a welcome break for all of us !! n I throughly miss Kings Beer

I thought I had experienced it all in goa untill i heard about Goan Urak after I got back from buddy Mihir who runs a boutique hotel in Goa.. See now i got another reason  to go there again but hey !! whos complaining.. coz i’m always game for Go Goa !!

It all started when my x-roomie from Bangalore,Googie called me one evening to say that Jon, an acquaintance was on his way to Mysore and he had passed him my contact. Googie said “Meet him he is Fun !! ”

And a coupla hours later, Jon and myself were sipping Beer in Mysore, He was in India for the first time and seemed to have gotten used to the madness here. Having traveled 60 countries he had loads of interesting stories to tell. But was most striking about Jon was that he was travelling with out a Bag. Thats right all he carries with him is what he wears. thats it.

Jonathan Yevin is an landscape artist in New York who designs roof top gardens. He works from March to September each year and the rest of the months is off travelling, off course without a bag.He also doubles up as a travel writer, Having authored the Rough’s guide for Ecuador and many more. When I asked him if he doesn’t ever feel the need to have  atleast a small backpack. He said “No, I Never found it necessary.” Jon said that he was appalled when he would see backpackers carrying donkey loads on their back and he wanted to redefine the way people travel. He says “People carry so much unwanted stuff.”  Apart from what he wears all he carries is his passport, his tooth brush , a cellphone, a camera and some general medicine. thats it !! It all fits into his pockets. I know you are wondering about his change of clothes. Well he says that he washes them whenever he gets a chance and if it really gets dirty he throws them off and buys a new pair !!

And if you think he smells well absolutely not. He dint when he stayed over at my place that night. Like every mom even mine is after hygiene so I asked him whether during all his travels if hes ever faced this problem. He laughed and said “Never !!”  When he was leaving the next day my mom asked him where his bag was ? and he said it was in the luggage room in the railway station As Jon would admit that my mom would never invite him to come home again which she did, if she got to know the truth

As Jon left. His way of travelling got me thinking. To think of our lives as a journey. It amazes me the amount of baggage we all carry and how much of it is unwanted.May be there is something for us to pick up from Jon.

Isnt it what they say Travel Light, I’m sure it can’t get lighter.. or well.. can it ?? Its all in the imagination

2 guys 2 bikes 3 odd weeks 2500 kms this was our Road trip in Kashmir. Penning down the day to day events that followed so that other bikers/travellers do not make the same mistakes as ours but rather make new ones

The Route:

Delhi-Chandigarh-Manali-Leh-Pangong Tso-Khardung La-Nubra Valley-Khalste-Kargil-Dras-Srinagar-Jammu.

The Pics:

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/vinayparamesh/DelhiManaliLeh#

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/vinayparamesh/PangongTsoKhardungLaNubraValley#

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/vinayparamesh/KhalatseKargilDrassSrinagar#

Bike:

There are two options

1.Hire a bike in Delhi, Manali or Leh for about Rs 500 to Rs 700/day

2. Ship your own bikes and ride it in the Valley

We followed the second option, as one is more comfortable in ones own bike which is very important when you are doing a ride like this comfort factor is crucial

Which bike?

There is a lot of contemplation on this Question. People swear by the Royal Enfield, but in my personal opinion its a White Elephant, i can already hear the bullet enthusiasts making noises I took my TVS Fiero 150cc an 7 yr old bike and it did the journey without any problem at all. i would say a 150 cc is best suited for solo riding. Its smaller nimbler and less problems. I met a lama in the Diskit monastery and he said he goes to leh through Kardhung La in his scooter and that too with a pillion. Guess that would answer your Question.

What to Carry?

About the bike, make sure you get it serviced well from a reliable mechanic because your bike is your life line on such a road trip. A coupla weeks before we left I went in for a small day trip on bike to a near by hill and did it with the luggage tied. It did help me to find out if the bike was all fine.

What to carry for the Bike?

1. Brake, Clutch, Accelerator cables
2. Spark plug
3. Spare tube
4. Yoke and lever (2 sets)
5. Head light bulb
6. Air pump

We sent our bikes in the train from Bangalore to Delhi. For details on how to ship your bikes >> http://www.60kph.com/interact/loadintrain.htm

I’m sure you’ll know what to carry for yourselves. Make sure you travel light. These were some small but very useful things on the trip.

1.Hand Sanitizer (If you eating by hand it good to keep it clean after all grease on it)

2. Toilet Roll (Is god )

3. Nail Cutter (If you there for 2 weeks or more, it helps to keeps your hands clean)

5. Gum Boots (Was our saviour on ladhak roads which had streams flowing at regular intervals)

6.No Sleeping Bags (It just occupied space, unless you plan to camp I would say do not carry it)

7. Army Shoes (They are cheap ones and you’ll not regret that they got screwed)

8. Guide book (Ladhak, By Himalayan Milestone Publishers, if you like to know more about your journey. I think it made our travel more enriching)

Day 1 :

Flight landed in Delhi at noon, Went to Nizamuddin and collected the bikes, usual bribes to the cops and by the time we were out it was around 5PM . Delhi can be quite harsh with its heat, Crashed at friends place in Delhi for the night after some deserving chilled beers and tasty kebabs.

Day 2:

A ladhaki carrier or a cramster saddle bag is very useful on your bike for carrying the luggage. We dint have both so we would spend close to an hour initially on the trip tying the luggage. Chandigarh around 270 kms and should take around 4 hrs as the road is quite good. One of the bikes had developed some problems so got that fixed and left Delhi at around 3PM as it took more than 2 hours just to get out of Delhi traffic. The ride was good except that people on that highway have absolutely no traffic sense. Don’t be too surprised if you see trucks coming in the wrong direction on full speed.

Passing Panipat, Karnal, Ambala we reached Chandigrah around 10PM. Its a beautiful city. You see people following traffic rules at 11:30 at night. India’s only planned city by Le Corbusier in 195o’s. With the huge circles and well laid out gardens you get a feel as if you are not in India. Its too organised to be a part of our country. Another friend put us up for the night. Got some good sleep before we headed northwards

Day 3:

We headed towards Mandi which was around 150 odd kms there. Tanked up in Chandigarh as fuel is a drat cheaper here A little alertness on the road helps as the road signs are not very visible and we lost 2 hrs as one of us had taken the wrong route. You get to Kiratpur, A stop for brunch here and you take a deviation to Mandi. The hills start from here and you realise that you no more go by the distance but by time. Passing the massive ACC cement factory you pass the dry arid mountains and get to Mandi. The town of Mallika Sherawat(The item girl of Indian movies).

You pass the pondoh dam which is across the Beas from here the ride gets very scenic and later you pass the Aut tunnel which is quite an experience. From here Kullu was an hour’s ride. And then rode to Manali which is about 40 kms away. The ride by the Beas river on the Moonlit night was really nice.  Manali has a Vehicle fee of 100/bike/week as you enter. Got to Old Manali and picked up a place for Rs 350 right next to the Beas river near the Club house. There are quite a few options there and Old Manali is quite, away from the bustlings of the town and a nice place to chill.

Day 4:

Stayed in Manali forday. Just getting acclimatised(A word u’ll hear quite often on this trip) to the weather. And also checking the bikes and getting them fixed as the ride from here gets tough. Right across to the place we stayed there was this lovely restaurant called River Music German Bakery, A nice option for b’fast/brunch. And you do hear the River Music which is rushing down quite fast  Blue Elephant right next to it is another nice cosy restaurant, good food and warm people.

After about 560 kms from Delhi.Manali is a good place to get your bikes checked before another 500 kms to Leh. In Manali behind the private bus stand you have a wholesale automotive parts dealer who also has a mechanic shop. Decent place to get it checked cause if you are stuck with a wrong mechanic he might as well advice you sell your bike because of its condition. This did happen to us so.. You can also pick up spare parts if you need any right here. If you riding a bike other than the Enfield then its advisable to carry the spare as you would not get them there.

We went to main market behind the City Bus Stand and picked up a pair of Gum Boots, the smaller ones for less than Rs 100. This was one of the best buys on the trip. As it definitely shields you from the streams flowing on the roads and also the ice on the road. We also bought  jerry cans one per bike 5L  in capacity for filling fuel because after this place Tandi you do not have a fuel pump for the next 380 kms till Leh.

Day 5:

Left for Leh from Manali. Its about 470 kms and its advisable to take 3 days to reach Leh stopping at keylong and Sarchu on the way. This way one get acclimatised to the conditions of high altitude and you also get to enjoy the journey. Here the pleasure is in the journey and not so much in the destination. So the less you hurry the better is it.

On the way you get the famed Rohtang(meaning pile of corpses) Pass ,About 50 kms from Manali. Its named so because in the 1860’s some 70 workers died in a landslide here. There had been a landslide on the way so we had to stop for a while .Getting to Rhotang takes around 1 1/2 hrs. Its a sad place with so many people up there to see snow. On top you get some hot maggie. Met a bunch of bikers from Bangalore. After Rothang the journey gets amazing. All u’ll find are trucks, tourists jeeps and fellow bikers who wish you luck as they pass by.People here understand and appreciate Biking, especially the truck driver, who would slow and give you space to pass and most would even stop so that you can pass them or overtake.

As you come down you get to this beautiful place in the valley called Khoksar , From here for most parts of the journey you riding by a river on the edge of a mountain. As we rode the terrain kept getting more and more interesting, on the way you get Tandi, Make sure you tank up here and also fill your Jerry cans as this is last fuel pump until Leh which is about 380 kms. We stopped in Keylong for the night. It has a lot of cheap accommodation options but make sure you bargain for it. Start by 50% of whatever he quotes that’s a good way of going about. We stayed at Surmila for Rs 300/night which is right on the highway.

Day 6:

Next day after taking a look at “Lady of Keylong”, A womans outline on the snow mountains. We rode towards Sarchu. We got to Jispa in about 1 1/2 hrs for b’fast not stopping at the Ibex Hotel after friends had advised that its rip off place. We stopped at next place for b’fast but that guy was going out so hadn’t cooked L. Stocked with chocolates which are good for getting instant energy. We headed to Darcha which is another 6 kms from there. Nice stop next to the river Bhaga for brunch. Got to river to wash my hand and thats when i realised how chilling cold the water is.

Rode on for the next couple of hours on the beautiful mountains and we reached ZingZingbar for a light snack. We were told there was stream next which is best crossed early. The thing with mountain biking is to start as early as possible  in the morning and ride slowly. You get a lot of streams on the way which you will have to navigate carefully. As the day passes with the sun the snow melts and the water level keeps rising. We crossed this stream around 3PM. The water gets into your boots and its chilling cold. We met guys in Leh who got to this stream at 7PM with the water level knee high the bike fell and they lost a bag containing their wallet, licence cell phone. So be good. Start early. The booze better be finished early the night before.

We went on to climb the Baralacha La pass. We got to point where there was only snow in all directions. Very pretty sight with a beautiful blue water lake on top. Came down to Bharatpur village (read 4/5 tents) where we met this frustrated old man from Holland whose bike had some problems. Tried to help him but in vain. We left for Sarchu which was another 1 1/2 hrs from there. Its at a high altitude,14,000ft and u’ll feel the lack of oxygen. You get shared tents Rs 50/person. The temperature is really cold and its very windy there. It helps to use your warm clothes there. And smoking a scented cigg that the locals offered made matter worse for me. There are no toilets in Sarchu so all of your nature’s call is best taken in nature by the river side. Toilet Roll Zindabad!!!

We did a total for 102 kms this day taking about 6 hrs of riding not including the numerous stops.

Day 7:

Woke with a mild fever, running nose, headache n a stomach ache, there was no looking back. Thermal wear did helpnow. Checked the bike’s oil level which was dangerously low. Filled in Oil. Its a good habit to check the Oil levels before starting your  journey each day. It’s highly advisable Carry a litre of Engine Oil with you all the time. We hit the Gata loops with 21 steep harpin bends. You pass some interesting bridges like the “Brandy Bridge” , “Whisky Bridge”. Border Road Organization(BRO) do a very tough job of building and maintain the border roads. They also display a good sense of humour with their innovative road signs. Sample this on a hilly terrain “I’m curvaceous, Be slow”

We hit the Nakeela pass,15,500 ft and climbed down to Pang . A brief halt at Pang and we carried on further to hit the Morey Plains. Mind blowing landscapes. Plain land for a strech of 40 odd kms in between the mountains. The trucks as the speed by raise a trail of dust. There is no road and everybody rides on their own path. Now the climb to Tanglang La,17,500 ft, the second highest motorable road starts. The climb is steep and it’s really cold out there. Taking Altitude Sickness pills “Diamox”  helped us. We dint have headaches not any nauseating feeling. Also the gradual increase in altitude by stopping over in Keylong and Sarchu helped.

Down the pass and after a short ride you find Upshi. From here Leh is just 60 kms and its a plain road. It feels nice to unleash you machine again after long. After doing 20-30kms/hrs for long time it’s a nice feel to reach Leh within an hour from Upshi.

We did a total of 250 kms and it took us close to 10hrs.

Day 8:

Leh is lovely hill town. Quite a lot of cheap accommodation options on old road. You might also want to try your luck at fort road which is more colourful with varied eating options too.Changspa could be a good options with a lot offoreigners staying there. After 3 long days of riding Leh is the perfect place to take it easy before doing some tough riding again. After starting our day post lunch, hit the DC office to obtain permits(which is required to venture futher outside). We applied for permits for Pangong Tso, Khardung La and Nubra Valley, Its valid only for 7 days and works out to Rs 20/person/day A fee collected for the wild life conservation in these areas. If you are going to Kargil then applying for a permit to go through the Batalik Road which goes along the Indus might be a good option, which we dint as we took the road through Lamayuru. You would need your Identification card and a requisition letter for obtaining the permit. The whole exercise takes around half hour. Office is open from 10 Am to 4 PM Make sure you do not land up there ard 1-2PM when the babus are out for lunch. Make about 8-10 copies of the permit as you’ll be asked for it at various check posts.

Met more biker boys there, teamed up and decided we’ll ride together to our common destination Pangong Tso tomorrow. It was time to get the bikes checked again. Mechanics in Leh are quite reliable. If you are on a bullet, Juma automobile on the way to the airport is a good stop, for the other bikes Ganesh Automobiles down the same road is a very good bet. Once the bikes were fixed it was time for was partying. We landed up at this place called Leh-Chen on front road, lovely roof top place, great place to enjoy your drink and also catch up with other travellers and their tales. If you are interested in potting the ball. They’ve also got a pool table .

Day 9:

It was time to hit the lake Pangong Tso, We talked to hotel guy so that we could keep the luggage in Leh so that we could travel light as it was just a one night stay there. Most hotels let you keep your stuff on request and would not even charge for it. We were joined by our new formed friends Sam,Mishi and Nayeem n they had met eachother coupla day before when Mishi bike fell while crossing the stream which carried their bag containing their wallet, cell phone, licence etc and they met nayeem on the bus on which they were loading their bikes which dint start cause of the water in the engine.  They were crossing the stream at 7 in the evening when the water levels can be dangerously high. It was tough for us to cross it at 3P, I can imagine how it would been at 7. Starting early always helps

Pangong is around 150 kms form Leh, about 5-6 hour ride . Stopped at Karu for b’fast. You can stock up on somechocolates and smokes if you wish as you not find it ahead. from here you take a deviation to Pangong. The climb is nice. You get to the top of Chang La peak, 17,250 ft, its 3rd highest motorable road in the world. It feels great to get some flavoured tea at this height, served complimentary by our Indian Army along with some snacks. You are well charged up to proceed after this round of kindness. Pongong Tso is at 13,900 ft so its all downhill from here. Which means you need to be extra careful. Heard there was a bad accident to one of the bikers the day before we got there.

Shortly after Tongse, Guru’s(my riding partner) Bullet developed problems. We left it at the Army camp and they are ever helpful and we carried on further on 3 bikes and 5 guys. The ride is lovely and road is quite good. You reach this small village  where they check your permit. We were advised to stay there and not proceed as it was already past 5 and there is a stream there called the “Pagal Nalla” (Translates into Mad Stream) and its overflows quite badly. True to its name its very difficult to predict when it overflows. But we decided to carry on no matter what. The ride from there is extremely beautiful, the patches of green pastures, the goats grazing, the river by the side and all in the valley , loved every bit of it. Until we reached the “Pagal Nalla”. Its was past 7,The stream, around 200 mts long and knee deep ice cold chilling water. Its definitely dangerous.

We thankfully had a local driver on the other side who offered to help. For one bike we had 2 guys pushing the bikes. The ordeal lasted for close to an hour. We finally crossed the mad stream. Getting to Pangong Tso was another 15 mins from there. Once we reached there that place it felt that all trouble was worth it. The starry night was mind blowing . Its quite cold by the lake. After some good dinner. As we came out seeing the Moonlit sky and its reflection on the lake,I fall short of words to describe that scene. Not to forget the snow capped mountains in the background.

You have got both tents and cottages there. Its Rs 500 for a cottage for 2. We were 5 of us in one. He charged us Rs 600 and asked us not to feel bad. We tried hard not to

Day 10:

You are mesmerized by the beauty of the lake  once you wake up . This is a salt water lake which was formed due tothe continental drift. 1/3rd of it is in India and the other 2/3rds in China, The colour of the lake changes thought the day. An extremely pretty sight. Sitting by the lake and just watching it is a lovely experience.  Couldn’t do the boating on the lake which is organised by the Army cause they had some big shot officer on a visit. But do try your luck once there, it’s supposed to be easy.

Left Pangong around 12, Picked up the bike from the Army camp. Their Mechanic helped us fix it. They were kind enough o get us lunch, topped with some sweets and juice. Army hospitality rocks.  Once we crossed Chang La , the ride was all down hill and easy.Now it just a matter of getting to Leh

Day 11:

Rest day in Leh. Just chilled. Sam and Mishi were getting back home. Bid them goodbye. Decided to get some T-shirts done with our bikes and names on it. Quite a few options on Fort Road . The “Potala” Tshirt shop, next to a cyber cafe did a great job. He embroidered my TVS Fiero on the T-shirt and it came out great.This guy can do any bike provided you give him a print out of the pic and Rs 300 is  definitely a  good deal.

Lot of eating options on Fort Road. Would strongly recommend the “Ginger Lemon Honey” Tea in restaurant Bon-Apetit, It was the best we had. I’ve even got the recipe form him J The Dolphin restaurant right next to it is a nice cosy restaurant too, by a small stream. Pretty waitresses there I tell you

Leh Palace, Leh Castle, Thikse Monastry are all good visits.

Day 12:

The Weather was a little gloomy but we still decided to go up Khardung La,18,380 ft, The world’s highest motorableroad Its 40 kms from Leh, Again leaving our luggage at the hotel we left for Khardung La at noon. It takes around 1 1/2 hrs to climb the peak. Once on top you have a lot of photo ops. You get hot Maggie and tea by the Indian Army there but this time it doesn’t come free but its totally worth it J. By now it was snowing and it felt good but not for long. We had to ride to Nubra, a good 4 hrs ride from here. For the next one hour we rode in the snow. It was tough. With snow on the road it can be very slippery and very dangerous too, and the snow bites on your face like a million needle sticks. So it might be a good option to check the weather before you embark on a Khardung La ride. It took us more 1 1/2 hr for a descend of 15 kms to North Pullu. The ride was extremely uncomfortable in the snow and we see two cyclists cycling down and that was some respite us. Wonder how they took it.

Stopped in North Pullu for a couple of hours hoping the snowing would stop but it dint. We met the cyclist there, A Swiss couple who had braved it. With our rain gears on we decided to ride on. Khardung Village was  a good 20 kms away and Khalsar a good 25 kms from there. It took a good 2 hours in the rain to get there. At Khalsar you can a deviation, one road goes to Diskit and Hunder and the other towards Panamik and Sasoma. We headed towards Diskit. The ride was extremely beautiful along the Shyok river and at twilight the mountains with the colourful sky at the background is a sight to behold. The sight was so pretty that I dint even feel like take a snap. This image stays with me. It felt as if the strenuous  ride was worth it. That’s the thing with the Himalayas,the tougher the ride gets the more beautiful is the landscape you discover. You feel its nature way of rewarding you. And this happened to us all through the trip.

Diskit, 20 kms from Khalsar will take you around an hour. It a pretty Himalayan Village, extremely beautiful and the best part is it’s not crowded with tourists. Don’t be too surprised if you are the lone traveller there. The Olthang Guesthouse on the highway and also the Sunrise Guesthouse, it’s pretty neighbour hidden in the background are good options to stay and the food is good too.It’ll make you poorer by Rs 250-300/night and you wont even feel the pinch. Try the ladhaki berry juice you get there. Its nice.

Day 13:

We rode to Hunder in the morning after getting my bike fixed for a minor fuse problem from the lone mechanic in that village. Hunder is just 7 kms away and the ride is mind blowing. You are riding through a desert. Desert and up there?? Well, the Shyok river there overflowed multiple times centuries ago and all that sand is from its river bed. Once there you get to see the snow capped mountains at the far end, bare mountains next to it, The Shyok flowing below, small stretches of vegetation and also the sand dunes. The only thing missing there is the ocean. It unbelievable what nature can throw at you.

Hunder was the part of the old Silk Route which in came from China all the way to the Arab. And its home to double humped camel which is found in Central Asia. These were left behind by the merchants centuries back and their tribe has been growing since. There are about 170 of them today.  We went on a 15 mins Camel Safari sitting between the humps It was a lovely but bumpy ride, Its Rs 150 for a 15 mins Safari and its by the JK Tourism.It is quite an attraction here. They even showed us a 6 month old double humped camel. Its here i learnt that the camel hump does not store water but it stores fat. Guess I need to sue my geography teacher in school now. And also the humps are full and upright when the fat levels are high. The fat level keeps changing with  the season. Anyways it’s worth  taking a dersert safari ride.

On our way back we met the cyclist again. It was quite funny because yday we met when it was snowing and today we meet in a Desert, that’s Himalayas for you The plan was to stay in Diskit for a night and in Panamik for the other but we so fell in love with Dikit that we decided to stay here both the nights here. We were happy to skip the hot water spring in Panamik but I’m told the ride is quite good.

Diskit has a monastry which is more than 500 yrs old. You get a lovely view from the monastery. Met a Lama there and he asked me about my biking trip and I was shared it with him proudly. I asked him if he goes to Leh as they have to cross Khardung La for it every time. He said he does once or twice a month, on this scooter and that too with a Pillion. Guess this answers most people’s question on which bike to take:)

That evening they were having a Fair in Diskit and there was a rock band playing as a part of it. It was nice being there. One of the shopkeeper told us there was a lottery too and we should participate. I asked what the prize was, He said “A Washing Machine”. I dint participate out of the fear of winning it. We were having a tough time carrying our own stuff now Imagine a Washing Machine tied to the bike and the highest motorable road staring at you

Day 14:

Left Diskit early, We were at North Pullu for b’fast chatting with some Army guys who were posted in Siachin,Theworld’s highest battleground. They said the temperature there goes to – 40, I would never want to go there. By the time it came to settling the bill they said they had already done that for us. They had no reason to do that ,It is such small and meaningful gestures they show their warmth which is hidden behind their tough exteriors.

Got on top of Khardung La again and this time it was sunny and felt great to be there. We got to know the road was closed the day yday because of heavy snowfall. From here the ride down to Leh was easy. Stopped in Leh for a while, had the Ginger Lemon Honey Tea at Bon Apetit on Fort Road again. Its addictive After picking up our Luggage from the hotel we left Leh at 6PM towards Kargil to get to an Army Camp in Khalsti, 100 kms from Leh. We had a friend, Captian in the Army waiting for us. Its extremely windy on the Leh-Kargil Highway and with the sunlight hitting your eyes riding can be difficult. Up in the mountains the Sun doesn’t set until past 8, its good for bikers as we have more daylight at our disposal. Khalsti was reached post 9 after a treacherous ride in the dark. Its highly advisable not to ride after sunset in these regions.

Day 15:

This was rest day for us. After 2 weeks on the road we felt we had earned it. A nice Guest house and clean bathrooms did well to us. The Army camp in Khalsti is situated right by the Indus with the mountains at the backdrop. Its a lovely location.  With the Officers Mess serving us unlimited liquor in their lounge bar and good food at the end of each drinking sessions. Lets say we happily piled on We were given a class in Army etiquette by my Captian friend which was to be followed at all times in the Officers Mess. For we aimless bikers it wasn’t easy learning these skills but we had no complaints We were also invited to one their parties and their Major’s , Colonel’s and their Brigadier seemed quite impressed by our roadtrip. They called Brave Young Boys. We gleefully accepted Their Brigadier said, “We need such adventurous young men in the Army, Why don’t you join it”, I was game join the Army just for their evening at the Officers Mess, During day time, Naah

Day 16:

Still in Khalsti, we rode to A small village 10 kms away near Nurla called Temisgam, It a lovely ride. There is a nice old Monastery there. A Pretty Village in the valley with a small streams flowing and greenery on both sides of it. Back to the Army camp. We had some Beers sitting by the Indus. It definitely quenched our thirsts.

In the evening we crossed the Indus on a small hand pulled trolley and climbed the mountain to get to a small Village called Ishu. The Village had only 2 houses and the only way to get there is by the trolley. They had a beautiful Apricot farm. The Apricots were fresh and sweet. They also had a small farm where they grew vegetables for their own use. We had some carrots from there, they were really sweet. The was small stream flowing from the mountains on the top and that’s the waterthey had and so did we, Real mineral water. They made us taste “Chang” The local Ladhaki Beer which they drank in the evening to keep warm. We found it strong. They had no electricity there. They had livestocks which they would get to village by crossing the frozen Indus during winters. It was a picture perfect place, too good to be true. You realise how simple Nature has made us and how complicated we make our lives.

They got us plateful of dry fruits for us. We picked up a few. They asked to fill our pockets. We did it on their insistence. We were glad we did, they were damn good. Ishu is a village to remember.

Day 17:

The Brigadier’s family was going to this Aryan Village Darchin, They asked us to join them and we readily accepted. People in these villages are said to be descendants of Alexander’s Army. They are considered to be of the pure Aryan race. In the 70’s neo nazi women came down here so that they could have pure breed nazi kid fathered by the men here. Tourists were banned from then on. It was only in 93 that it was reopened. You need a permit for Batalik to get there. We dint have any but in an Army jeep that too with armed guards nobody stops you. It was a nice drive along the Indus, It’s a good 3 hour drive from Khalsti , add another 2 hours from Leh.

Once in it village, it was nice to see them traditionally dressed. They take a lot of pride in their elaborate head gear. The look impressive in their traditional gear.  Their looks are distinctively Aryan. We also visited the village headman’s house. Their houses are very interesting. They keep their livestock in the ground floor and they stay upstairs so that the animal’s body heat get to them during the cold weather. Their kitchen is an attraction too, Its very neatly arranged and sits pretty.We also got to know they they have become quite commercial, they charge for putting on their traditional dress and also for visiting their houses. It came free for us. Thanks to Indian Army.

We left from there to have lunch in another Army Camp, This was a Gorkha Regiment, which meant all the soldiers are from the Gorkha community. You had this put up in bold there “If a man says he is not afraid of dying, He is either lying or he is a Gorkha” – Field Marshal Manekshaw. It amazes me when there is such rough terrain outside but once inside an Officers Mess you are in the lap of luxury with people all around pampering you. Its like an Oasis in the desert

Day 18:

We decided to go white water rafting in the Zanskar river at Nimu, Which is 30 kms from Leh. Rode from Khalsti to Got to Nimu at around 10. You can directly go to these folks at Splash Adventures there, They organise Rafting expeditions there. So instead of paying 50% more for the same in Leh, you can book the same for Rs 1000 here which comes inclusive of lunch. The rafting is for a stretch of 28kms, The currents are quite strong but I expected the rapids to much better but overall it was a nice experience for a person like me doing it for the first time. We were asked to take a swim if interested, tried it , the water is chilling cold, it gets to your bones. One gets so hungry after 3 hrs of rafting, it feels good to see lunch ready and I went after it. Rafting happens during the months of July and August.

Rode to Leh after that to draw cash in those never working ATMs, so whenever it works make sure you draw enough to keep you going for awhile. On the way back on the Leh-Kargil Road about 15-20 kms from Leh we came across the “Magnetic Hill”  A Place that defies gravity, You can park you vehicle on the slope there and it’ll climb up by itself with the engine switched off, Its quite a sight to watch. Not to be missed when you are in Leh. Got back to Khalsti for our last night there. The Army folks bid up a nice farewell, read more booze and more food

Day 19:

We started early and rode towards Kargil, There are two routes one through Lamayuru, and the other through Batalik, The latter needs a permit but not the former which was the one we took. If I look back now we should have taken the Batalik road that runs by the Indus, it’s a more scenic route. We rode through Lamayuru, famous for its old monastery. We stopped at Bukhtkarbu for lunch at another friend’s Army camp, The was our last and final Officers Mess we would stop  on this trip

As we rode on I had a flat tyre, thankfully the only one on the whole trip and miraculously the Puncture Shop was just 200 mts away. They took more than an hour but did a decent job, the spare new tube came handy. We crossed the Fotula Top, 13,500 ft ,the highest point on the Leh-Srinagar highway,Its no big deal now after you have climbed the first three big ones:) From here got to Mulbek, famous for the giant Buddha statue. Kargil was just 45 kms . The ride was beautiful in the low lying pastures. Got to Kargil and halted at the JK Tourism Guesthouse, Rs 180 was a good deal we thought, but the bed bugs troubling us the next day made us think otherwise.

Leh-Srinagar is around 440 kms. Kargil in the middle at  230 kms from Leh, it is a good days ride to get there taking  around 7-8 hrs.

Day 20:

Loved Kargil, lovely small city. Reminded me of Kabul from Kite Runner. The Suru river flows right by. After Leh, its only in here that you have a ATM and a fuel station, You have another fuel station at Khaltsi but its not vey reliable. Make sure you tank up and check the air as soon as you are entering Kargil as the fuel station is on the highway.

Left for Drass which is 60 kms from here and it takes around 1 1/2 hrs. The ride is lovely, all along the Suru river. You have boards saying “Caution: The enemy is watching you”. You also have memorials of soldiers who passed away in the Kargil war. The intruders were sitting on these very mountains and the whole road was bombarded. You have the 1999 Kargil War Memorial on the same highway 5 kms before Drass, It a good stop and you get a closer look at how it is at wartime. You can see the famous Tiger Hill sitting pretty right there.

Drass is good place to get some food. Its also the 2nd coldest inhabited place in the world , The temperature went down to -60 C in 1995.  The Zojila pass comes next, from here there is a lot greenery and the place is mind blowingly beautiful. With river flowing by the side and the mountain goats grazing on the lush green pastures. With each turn the Himalayas get more and more beautiful. You get tired of stopping to take pics every 5-10 mins. As you get down you hit Soanmarg. Another pictureous  location. Sringar is just 80 kms from here. The road is decent but the civilian traffic starts and you miss the mountains and the isolation that comes with it.  It takes about 2 hrs to get to Srinagar.

As you enter Sringar you get a lovely view of the Dal Lake which is breathtakingly beautiful. We just stopped there for awhile absorbing its beauty. We rode to Nehru Place that’s where most of the houseboats are. We got a decent one for Rs 900/night inclusive of b’fast and dinner for 2 of us. Beware of the touts hanging around at Nehru Place .Insist on seeing the House Boat before taking it. A lil gyaan on house boats, There are 5 levels Delux,A,B,C,D in the descending order of class. You should get a Delux for Rs 800-1000,make sure you bargain, he’ll show you a price list and quote Rs 4000 don’t get moved by it. Also make sure you get a complimentary Shikara(small boat) to take you to the shore and back. And if you want to enjoy a drink in that serene ambience, carrying your own liquor would be a good option as it’s quite steeply priced there. A House boat stay is quite an experience but unfortunately we were two guys

Day 21:

The sight of the Dal Lake from your House boat in the morning is way too beautiful, I never seen a prettier sight and a prettier place before. Srinagar is  surrounded by layers of mountains on all sides, A perfect valley and the sight from the lake looks illusionary, with the mist covering the mountains and the water dancing to its own tunes and once in awhile you see a boatman rowing his Shikara either ferrying people or carrying vegetables, you just can’t stop clicking away those moments. Started the day by visiting the Mughal Gardens, Nishad Bagh, Built by the Mughal Emperor Shahajahan .It overlooks the Dal Lake. This where he took the first step in the garden and said “Gar Baru e zamin hast, Hamin Asto Hamin Asto Hamin Asto” Its in Farsi and it meant “If there be heaven on earth, It is here,It is here,It is here”  So very true. It must have been very beautiful then but sadly now its not maintained quite well . There is so much beauty in Srinagar even today i can’t imagine how it would have been centuries ago. We got to the Hazart Bal Mosque next, Again by the Dal, A very peaceful place. Sat there in the prayer hall. Couldn’t believe it was the very place where you had a gruesome terrorist attack more than a decade back.

We rode through Old Srinagar. It was sad to see Hotels which did flourishing business before the militant problem but were now abandoned. Srinagar is safe for tourists. I found it as normal as any other city I’ve been to. Thanks to our media which creates all the hype that people stay away. People there are desperate for tourists to get back after all it was once a tourist heaven and Srinagar thrives on it. Locals and tourists are not bothered by the terrorists. Their problem is against the govt and the army. There is so much army presence in the valley that you would find armoured personals every 100 mts. but life goes on as if everything is normal.

We had heard a lot about the restaurant “Adhoos” right from our in-flight mag to fellow tourists. We decided to have lunch there. It’s on the Old Residency Road. Tried the Kashmiri Wazwan, Mutton dishes cooked in Kashmiri style. Its amazing. It tastes better with their Basmati rice than Rotis. We also tried Kashmiri Kawa, Their hot drink which has saffron in it. Its great. The waiter said that’s why it’s so expensive. I asked how much is it. He said “20 bucks with pride”. Wanted to tell that poor guy “You wouldn’t  have heard about the ripper in big cities, Coffee Day”

Time for some shopping. We went to the Govt Emporium again on Old Residency Road. Infact the emporium was the erstwhile 18th century British Residency building. Guru bought a Pashmeena Shawl for his mom, The basic one costed him 11 grand. It made from the fur of this special mountain goat which can stand temperatures until -43 C. It’s the finest wool in the whole world. After doing this ride seeing the climate and the goats grazing we could truly appreciate the Pashmeena. There are some decent shopping options on Old Residency Road. On the Shankaracharya Temple on top of the Hill one gets a good view of the Srinagar. You’ll find the writing there, saying The Maharaja of Mysore, Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV visited this place in 1924 and by his order one of lamps in the temple should be lit all the time. This is when the Maharaja of Mysore was impressed with the Mughal Garden of Kashmir, The Brindavan Gardens in Mysore is inspired from it.

When in Srinagar one should experience the Shikara ride in the Dal, especially during sun set when the view is magnificent. The govt. rates are put up there Rs 200/hr. They’ll take you on ride covering parts of Dal for lil more than an hour. Your bargaining skills will come handy. Yes, it’s quite commercial with the mobile boat salesmen approaching you trying to sell everything from fake beads to saffron. We’ll it’s all a part of the game now. In spite of this, a Shikara ride can be very relaxing.

Day 21:

We left in the morning for Jammu, which is 300 kms away. Coming from the Manali-Leh route where there is hardly any road, this felt like an expressway. There is a lot of security on the whole highway with two armoured guards at every 100 mts. That was also the day when the old batch security personals were leaving Srinagar for a new batch to replace them from Jammu. We came across an army convoy of more than 100 trucks and buses transporting the security forces. May be that’s why there was so much security. Overtaking the entire convoy was a lot of fun; it took us more than an hour to do it. Every time we would stop for a break they would overtake us again and we were back in the business of getting in front of them. This is what made our ride enjoyable. After riding through Kashmir , the scenery here is quite ordinary. Plain roads mixed with hilly terrain. We dint feel the need to stop and click pics anywhere.

Quite a lot of dhabas all along the way so food was never a problem. We passed Anantnag, Banihal and Udhampur, from here Jammu is just 55kms and the ride is a breeze. We left Srinagar at 8Am and after all our pit stops we reached Jammu at 6PM. We took it easy. Jammu welcomed us with a traffic jam. We had decided to ship our bikes from through road transport Jammu, As the ride from here to Delhi is not very rewarding, in fact its said to be extremely painful. To get to the Gati, Parcel office took us close to 90 mins. Its on the Pathankot highway and then take a turn towards the Delhi highway. Their rates are decent, Rs 15/kg  from Jammu to Mysore. And the Bike was door delivered in good condition. Their address.

Gati Limited,

Shiva Market, Paramandal mod, ratnu-chak, Jammu-10

Mr Surender : 9906263905

After 3 weeks and 2500 kms later we were totally exhausted, We were glad we got rid of the bikes. Took a night bus to Delhi and that bloke got us to Delhi only in the afternoon. This when we thought may be should have just ridden

Day 22:

Back in Delhi, It was nice to get some great food, chilled beer and share our story with friends. Before we caught our flight to Bangalore the next day.

This biking trip was quite an experience not just for the natural beauty it offered but also for kind of people you met all through, especially the Army folks who really show you what humanity is, something we have lost in big cities. How much people here help you when you were stuck even though you are just another stranger. It thought me how to survive in tough conditions and no matter what we got to keep moving on. Make some great friends, met some old ones and also met my friends friend on the trip I couldn’t stop thinking on my flight back. What a beautiful world

I would not be wrong if I said this trip gave me a new perspective towards life.