Ride to Leh, ladakh via Jammu and a visit to Lady Willingdon Hospital, Manali, Himachal Pradesh.
Initial Preparation
My mind
My love for mountains is ever glowing from my child hood. I never miss a chance to visit a nearby hill, hillock, mountain or mountain range. It always gave me a feeling of peace within and a way of being closer to God. When it comes to mighty Himalayas, even a thought process was limited by the disposal of time and cash. Being from Tamil Nadu, the distance and language barriers further curb the interest.
After started doing long rides from 2018, and reading travelogues on Leh, Ladakh, I got fascinated towards the white desert. It took sometime to overcome all those barriers
My family
I kept informing my wife and children about every step of my planning. My wife said I will be sure and relieved of my anguish only when you come in person back home. My son told don't go too early cause I don't want to loose you. It took a while to convince them that uncertainty exists all around and told them to pray for a safe journey.
My bike
The bike was in good condition though I gave for a regular check up service to my trusted mechanic, Mr Suresh who worked in Royal Enfield production line and has a great knowledge of Enfield bikes. A man who never takes as his customer with modified fitment of Royal Enfield. I changed the front stock tyre at 68000 km as a preparation for this ride. I asked him what to carry as tools, he replied just have extra clutch cable which he had kept next to company tool kit. He was also not so happy about taking the ride to Ladakh and warned about earth quakes. He added that, I am going in search of danger. As he was a prayerful person, I told him to pray about it and to remember me in his prayer.
The service charge shot up to 6500 because of seats replacement. The front and back seat frames were completely rusted and were beyond repair that was unexpected and made a hole in my budget plan. Suresh mechanic did a good oil service and did change new spark plugs for the ride.
Jerry can fixture on the grab rail of back seat:
The Jerry can looked perfectly fixed on the back of grab rail with slight modification. Symmetrical and no dragging of air, as it was well placed behind the seat.
My stays
Srinagar - Farzana Rather house in Zaffron colony
Kargil - Mezban Guest house booked through sms chat for Rs 500/-
Leh - Himalayan bunker Rs 500/- bed
Hunder - Himalayan bunker Rs 450/- bed in a shared tent of 4 person
Pangong Tso - not finalised
Upshi - not finalised
Manali - Lady Willingdon Hospital
Chandigarh - not finalised
My new addition on my rider's wardrobe
1. Viaterra tundra gloves
2. Rynox rain wear jacket
3. Jerry can.
I was planning to get a Jammu prepaid sim before the start of the trip to use it in a spare mobile phone that I carry to stay connected with family.
Through my former Vels university colleague, Dr Senthilselvam, I got a contact of a physiotherapy student whose uncle, Mr Pradip Pandey, living in Jammu. Mr Pradip Pandey sent me via courier a Postpaid jio sim. I recharged it for 28 days. I started using it from my spare phone right from Vellore. This would save my time after getting down from Jammu railway station and I could ride on straight away to Srinagar with good mobile connectivity with my family and friends.
Road status in Ladakh:
A month before the start there was shooting stones at Ramban and Banihal blocking the the road between Jammu - Srinagar highway for 4 days.
A week before the start of my journey, the avalanche at Kullan had closed Zojila for 11 days. There was a news from Vargis khan, a travel enthusiast, that the highway was open. He was swift in replying personally through Instagram on road status https://vargiskhan.com/log/contact-me/ . Google map continued to show that the highway is closed. The Ladakh official website rightly showed the open passes https://leh.nic.in/weather-and-road-status/.
As on 10th May 2023, three days before the beginning of the trip, both Leh - Srinagar and Leh - Manali road were closed due to heavy snowfall and avalanche
13th Saturday May 2023
I had half working day till 12.30 noon. My wife came early
from work, to ensure that she was there for my send off. I had my lunch. My
bags were all packed and ready. I loaded on the bike. I did not want to put on
my suit as I wanted the riding jacket to be tied along with my bag, so that it
was easy to carry in train and also the day was very hot.
I was used to go on my bike ride staring early in the
morning, while the kids were asleep. Today the send off became bit emotional and
they were all awake. It was like peeling myself away from my family. Around
1.15pm, I left my place in Kasam, Vellore after a family prayer.
I hit the reserve at 68,800km. I filled petrol for Rs 200/- thinking, they would anyway empty all petrol before packing at the railway station.
I reached Sriperumpudhur at 3.15pm. Took a water break. I
called my friend Sudhan who was my former colleague at Vels Univerity. He was
now working as a Principal in Kripanidhi college of Physiotherapy, Bangalore.
He was travelling to his home in Chennai for the weekend but assured me that he
would be there to send me off in train at 4am, Sunday morning. Also, I called
my 11th grade friend (SDA School, Madurai), Senthil, who now works
for IT Company based at Chennai. He already assured me that he will give
company on Saturday evening at railway station and would help me with packing
and parcelling my bike as luggage in the train I travel. (In this bike ride you
would come to know how, many of my friends helped in accomplish this trip
though I did a solo ride. I thank God
for them).
I reached Chennai Central station around 4.30pm. The odometer reading was 68,888km. Average mileage was 45km/liter. Senthil was
already waiting there in car parking with his car. So, I kept my luggage in Senthil’s
car and went to parcel the bike. The luggage office was located inside the 8th
Platform but the parcel office was located almost a kilometer in Wal tax road
that was adjacent to 1st platform. So, we came and found luggage
Office after visiting parcel office. I found a contact Mr Tamil who works in
luggage office through my schoolmate Karthik (SDA School, Tambaram, Chennai).
Mr Tamil, though he was not on duty that day, arranged for special permission to
take my bike, as the compartment was prebooked at Vijayawada station for 4-ton
luggage. Velan, a person who was doing the packing, did a very flimsy covering
with a sheet of plastic sack. I paid him Rs 700/- for packing. Odometer reading at the time of packing was 68,902km. The billed
amount for transportation as luggage from Chennai to Jammu Tawi was Rs 4324/-
After handing the bike to luggage office, we went and had a tea and then went to check for waiting room in Railway station.
An Ac dormitory was offered for 265/- for
12 hours. I checked in to it and found comfortable with chest height cabins separating
each bed on the room. The rest rooms were neat and tidy. The only discomfort
was the constant platform announcements that could be heard inside and the frequent
checking in to the dormitory by fellow passengers at the railway station.
My friend, Senthil took me for a dinner at A2B vegetarian restaurant within Chennai central station and we had dosa, vada and a coffee for dinner.
After Senthil left me at the dormitory, I tried to get some sleep
but was wide awake almost throughout the night because of anxiety and on
frequent railway announcements. My worst nightmare was getting down in Jammu
station without my motorbike (which should be in the luggage compartment of my Andaman
express train)
14th Sunday May 2023
Got up around 3.15 am. Took bath in Hot water and freshened up. I read the daily bible passage and prayed for a safe journey. I called the railway packing guy, Velan. He said the bike will be loaded, once the train arrives in the platform. I took a walk to the platform number 4 and saw the bike. My bike alone was on the platform, other bikes which were parceled yesterday, were still near the luggage office. My friend Sudhan came sharp at 4 am. We had coffee at the platform. My claw bag strap got loosened and came off because of heavy load. I guess the bag is better designed for loading on to the bike than carrying on shoulder. A helmet bag, a small backpack and this large Viaterra claw bag which had the riding jacket and pant tied over the bag was too much to handle for me. Sudhan helped me carrying my helmet and backpack. I loaded my luggage in the compartment.
There was one girl travelling to Vijayawada and to other men who were already sleeping on one of the lower and upper berths. Sudhan got me some biscuits and cakes. We went and saw the bike being loaded on to the luggage compartment. Then, Sudhan left few minutes before the train started at 5.15am.
There was no pantry car in the train. I ended up eating biscuits, thank God, Sudhan got me those, insisting that I would need it in long travel. I got down at a railway station around 10.30 am and got Idli- vada for my breakfast.
I ordered chicken biriyani
through Railfo application and got it delivered at Vijayawada railway station
around 2.30pm.
A family of five got into my cabin. They had only 2 confirmed tickets. A new born baby, a 2-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy was too much to adjust in 2 confirmed seats. Initially the person was rough and asked me to take out my luggage. But later he was soft and become friendly after getting introduced. He was in army but works as an operation theatre assistant, in Jalandhar military hospital. His name was Sheik. The two year old girl was very active and kept the compartment lively.
To make adjustments with extra people, many were keeping the middle berth unfolded and I ended up sitting elsewhere in the cabin or sleeping on my upper berth.
Somewhere around evening, I met Karthik in the same
compartment. Karthik, worked as a professor in Physiotherapy, SRM University
Chennai while I worked in Vels university, Chennai during the same years. He is
now working for Jogo, a multinational health and fitness company as a regional
manager. He was travelling with his family to Nainital and they were travelling
in the same train up to Delhi. His wife works as medical coder. Karthik’s elder
daughter Vicasa was studying 10h grade and the younger one Manasa, studying 7th
grade. The family was very lively, the daughters were making fun of their dad
and cracking jokes on him. I missed buying fruits for me to have it as my
dinner. Karthik’s wife gave me a small bowl full of pomegranates. I had that as
my dinner and went to bed early as everyone in the cabin were sleeping.
15th Monday May 2023
Morning, I woke up at 4.20 am. I went and refreshed before
the rest room gets busier in the usual morning hours. I wonder, would there be
a way in future to get rid of hot iron and the ammonia smell from the train restrooms?!
The smell remains nauseating to the core.
I then had tea. I read bible passage in mobile and did a
short prayer. The train was stopping in many stations and the people got in the
train to travel short distances. One army man got in at Chhattisgarh, again as
a family of four. He wanted to lift the middle berth so that 2 of his children
could occupy one berth. So, I ended up sitting on my upper berth waiting for my
breakfast. I got down at Itarsi station and got bread omelet for breakfast. I
also got biriyani packet for my lunch. Since there was no pantry car, I had to
buy water bottles and food in advance when it was available. I was unhappy with
people coming with RAC tickets and waiting list tickets to occupy the reserved
AC coaches, leaving the confirmed ticket passengers like nomadic wanderers.
At Jhansi, I had a flavored milk and got some bananas to
have it as a night dinner. I drank lot of tea and got tempted to have more
whenever the vendors passed by. It was just an act of killing the boredom.
I joined Karthik’s family and started playing cards. A game called ‘ASS’ which I liked the most in card game. Karthik ended up a looser getting all the four aces. It was real fun.
Then we started playing another card game called “Rummy”, a game which I
was not so good at playing. There was a railway employee who was from Chhattisgarh.
He was watching us playing rummy. He was sitting just behind me and so he could
see my cards and was showing facial expressions that I was not playing well.
Noting him, we discussed in Tamil whether we could include him, since we were
already 5 of us and the cards could not be enough to include another player, so
we remained silent. Slowly he started suggesting me what card to take and what
card to leave. I was joking to Karthik, getting reminded of a Tamil movie scene
where Vadivel, a comedian gives suggestion to a guy playing cards and ends up
getting the player a looser in the game. So, we nick named north Indian Vadivel’s
uncle. In the end I was only holding the card in my hand and that uncle played
the whole game. But he did play well, better than me.
In the evening, we saw a sand storm. The dust storm engulfed
the train completely. It was enjoyable to watch safely sitting inside the AC coach.
Karthik introduced me to two Kashmiri college boys who were studying in Bangalore and Chennai. I wanted to know more about the Zoji la road status. But since they were also coming after a year break to their home town, they did not know much about the present road status in Zoji la.
Around 9pm, I bid bye and wished safe journey to Karthik’s
family and went to bed. The train was running 2.5 hours late. The Delhi station
was expected to reach around 10.45pm, where Karthik’s family would get down.
From there, they were taking a cab to Nainital.
I woke up at 4.30am. I drank a lot of water. I was bit extra
cautious to avoid acute mountain sickness (AMS). I charged both my mobiles. My
regular mobile had all downloaded offline google maps for navigation. My spare
mobile had Jammu post-paid sim for connectivity while travelling, with my
family and friends. Two of my college friends, Shiva and Bala, were constantly calling,
to know my whereabouts and my progress in journey apart from my family.
I read the bible and prayed for the availability of my bike
in Jammu railway station and for a safe journey in the bike.
The train was 2 hours and 45 minutes late, lagging behind its actual schedule. The sheik family got down with huge luggage at Jalandhar cantonment railway station at 6.40 am instead of 4am as scheduled.
I spoke to
the Kashmiri college students, Farhan and Irfan and asked for their help to get
my bike delivered at Jammu railway station. They assured me that they would
wait till I take delivery of my bike.
At Lakhanpur my reular prepaid sim with Jio and Bsnl got cut while crossing the middle of the Ravi river bridge which marks the Punjab- Jammu Kashmir border.
It was 4th day since I was wearing the same dress
from Saturday. But I did not feel like to change to a new dress without taking
a good bath. Jammu was warm on that day.
I saw opium bushes near the railway tracks. I confirmed that
with Farhan and Irfan that what I saw was opium plants. In Tamil Nadu, a single
plant at one’s place will end up in Police station.
Opium shrubs near the railway tracks.
The train reached Jammu railway station at 10.55am. I paid Rs
50 for people to carry my luggage while I myself pushed my bike to Parcel
office. Irfan and Farhan waved bye as they need to catch cabs to reach Shopian
and Anantnag to get their homes. I gave another Rs 50 to a person who got the
bike parcel covers removed. The bike was least damaged (bent number plates) but
the jerry can cap was missing.
I pushed the bike to a nearby BP filling station which was 500meters away from railway station and filled 10 litres of petrol for Rs 975/-. Petrol was cheaper in Jammu. The odometer reading was 68,906km. I started riding my bike sharp at 12 noon. I did not mount my mobile on the bike holder. The signboards on the highway in NH1 were good enough to get directions.
I did not eat in the afternoon, and all I wanted at that moment was to reach Zaffron
colony, Srinagar before nightfall and have a good rest.
The road was good initially from Jammu to Udhampur. In one hour, I reached Udhampur. Then the road became very bad with lot of dust in the air. I was looking like a one riding out of desert.
The road was blocked for a short time as the falling rocks were blasted at the highway and then the vehicles were allowed to pass.
From Chanani to Banihal the road was very bad. Almost only loose gravels in many parts. At Ramban, I took Maitra-Crol Road, a short cut as advised by locals and joined the NH1 after crossing Jhoola bridge. This saved me from truck traffic which I could see on the other side of the river at Ramban in NH1.
I met a group of Tamils travelling in a van. They greeted me
seeing my number plate, when both our vehicles were stalled in traffic. They
said they were moving here and there to cross and go to Leh on road, as the
passes remained closed. I told them that Zojila will open soon and asked them
to check updates from Vargis Khan on Instagram.
After crossing Banihal, the road became proper 4 lane highway as compared to national highways in plains. But after Banihal, I noticed the army presence in excess. The traffic was stopped and let go by soldiers based on the radio commands. I could not see in my naked eye the reason for traffic halt. I assume it was all done for Security reasons.
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Army Excess
I
enjoyed crossing Banihal-Qazigund tunnel. The climate changed from hot to cold after
entry and exit of the tunnel. Exiting the tunnel was like entering the snow
world in the movie ‘Narnia’ from the professor’s wardrobe.
A slight shower of rain started after crossing Anantnag by
pass. I wished and prayed for a fair weather as all my riding gears were well
packed and inside the Viaterra claw bag. By God’s grace, rain stopped after 5
minutes and I was enjoying the climate and was mesmerized seeing the snow-capped
mountains for the first time in my life. I stopped after Awantipora diversion and had
cakes that was bought by my friend Sudhan. I cautiously drank lot of water.
The kurta I was wearing from Saturday was full of dust from
road and salt deposit from my body. I was just waiting for a good bath and a
sound sleep. The adult diaper I used during the days of my travel was proving
to be more comfortable than regular briefs. Not that I was leaking inside, but I
preferred as it was more antimicrobial than regular briefs, giving more padded
comfort while riding, for my seated pelvic bones. Also, as I was safely
disposing it, there was less accumulation of dirt luggage in that 16 days of trip.
I reached Zaffron colony, Srinagar around 6.30pm. I bought
some chocolates for Farzana’s little boy. I had brought palm jaggery and dried
ginger- coriander coffee powder (a Tamil Nadu special) for Farzana’s home.
Farzana did her bachelor of Physiotherapy from Vels college,
Chennai. She was the batch of 1999. I knew Farzana as I was a clinical
instructor for them when she came for her clinical postings to CSI Kanchipuram
mission hospital in 2001. The social network had kept us connected all these
years. It was wonderful to meet her and her family after 22 years. Farzana
works for an NGO called Doctors for you (DFY) and she heads the Physiotherapy
for Jammu and Kashmir state. Her Husband Dr Waheed Butt, a general surgeon,
works for the Government Hospital. Their son, Hamza, who was a bundle of energy,
was in 1st grade. He was my companion in Farzana’s home, calling me sir
and when I correct it, he would call me uncle.
When I reached their house, I was stopped by a group of
soldiers with Rifles. They were asking me where I am coming from, whom I am
visiting, what was my relationship and so on. Farzana stepped out of her house
with her son to the street I was standing. She was also interrogated with the
same questions. I noticed that none of the soldiers were Kashmiris. I was wondering
how the native Kashmiri would feel when they get questioned by a soldier who
was not from their land but questions the native identification that they were
locals of that area. I did experience what they mean by army excess. Finally,
when Farzana mentioned that her husband was Dr Waheed, who works at government hospital,
then the army personnel got convinced.
The Odometer reading at Farzana ‘s house was 69,165km. I had
done 259km roughly in 6 hours. I guess my average speed was only around 55 to 60
km. The truck drivers were driving mercilessly in ghat sections and the bikers
need to be extra cautious while overtaking the truck and while crossing the incoming
trucks on the narrow ghat roads.
At Farzana’s house, I kept my luggage and took a good bath. The hot shower really refreshed my body from tiredness of the ride. I went downstairs to their living room and also dining room with thick carpets on the floor with cushions for back rest. I was introduced to her mother-in-law who lives with them after her father-in-law passed away in covid. I was having two cups of tea. Hamza was telling about his friends, Baba Abdullah, Saud and many others. I made for him a Kashmiri paper boat and a jumping paper frog, which I learnt while studying in Spastic society and was working with Cerebral palsy kids
Hamza’s Dad Dr Waheed came and went out shortly. Farzana told that, he goes to
a nearby bunk shop and many people come there to get free consultation from him.
At 10 pm, when he came back, we all had dinner together. I relished upon the Kashmiri
Wazwan, Kebab and Rishtaba with Rajma chawal. I was amazed to see that both northern
top and southern tip of India eating rice as a staple food.
Around 12 midnight, after a long chat with all the family, I
bid good night and I went upstairs to sleep in the room. In the night, the
temperature was dropping but the room with all bed and blankets was cosy enough
to have a good night sleep.
I woke up at 5 am. After I got reminded that it was a rest
day today, I thought of getting up at 6 am and slept again. But only woke up after
8 am. I went downstairs and had tea. Then, I cleaned my bike and Hamza also
wanted to do the same. I told him to clean his dad’s car while I was cleaning
the bike. Hamza taught me how twist the water spout to change from spray to
stream and from horizontal and vertical power streams.
After cleaning, I went upstairs, bathed and got ready. I
came downstairs and had breakfast. I had Lavaasa (a thin flake like bread) and
Kashmiri Roti (which was square in shape with ridges to enable butter spread).
I wanted to take Hamza in my bike for a ride. He was happy
and said he wanted to buy cool drinks. I took him to a nearby shop that he knew.
He was quiet famous. He was wishing “Salaam” to elders on the road and the
elders did the same. Hamza got a pomegranate juice, chewing gums and a carrot.
I got a pair of batteries for my pulse oximeter. The shop keeper told Hamza
that the carrot was free and the rest he did billed.
We came back home. Farzana said that she had arranged a cab
to come at 1.30pm, to take us out for sightseeing to Gardens and Dal Lake in Kashmir.
I played cricket with Hamza for some time. I was spending quality time with Hamza at his home, hearing his school stories and about his friends.
At around 1 pm we
had Lunch, Rice, Gushtaba and Kebab. I was over eating, but could not resist
the temptingly delicious dishes.
The cab was waiting while we were having lunch. After the lunch, we got into the cab and drove straight to Dal Lake. Farzana suggested that we visit Dachigam, a wildlife reserve, which was 10 km away from Dal lake. The driver told that we need to take prior permission. But Farzana wanted to try the it and check it out by directly going there. I was expecting a big wild life sanctuary like those in western ghats. After reaching there, at the ticket counter, we were directed to use the website to make online bookings. We did that and got into the Dachigam. It used to be the hunting ground of the kings of the Kashmir. Daichi gam means “we are ten villages”. But going inside I was disappointed that it was a mere animal enclosure. One enclosure for a leopard, one for Asian bear, one for brown bear and a bird enclosure. We came back in few minutes. I did enjoy the ride to Dachigam.
On the way back, we saw Harwan garden and Shalimar Garden. I took few pictures in the garden. The gardens were all crowded with tourists.
We then went for Shikara ride in the Dal
Lake. Farzana paid Rs 700/- for 30 minutes ride. The boatman took us through
floating markets, floating vegetable gardens and the boat houses.
Farzana wanted to show me the Church at Lal Chowk. But as it
was late and Farzana’s husband, Dr Waheed, could not join us for dinner outside
due to an emergency at his hospital, I told Farzana to reach straight back to
home. I saw the church as we drove past in Lal chowk. It was a green topped
white building. Farzana also showed Burn Hall school where Dr Waheed studied.
I was also thinking of starting my bike ride, tomorrow, as
early as possible. The Instagram travel enthusiast, Vargis khan suggested me to
travel at the first light of the day, to reach Zoji La before the traffic
chaos.
We came back home at Zaffron colony and went to my room to get
my luggage ready and packed for the next day ride. I came downstairs and had a
cup of tea. Then for the dinner, I had few pieces of chicken tandoori and
finished with Tea. I could not take rice. Actually, I was constipated, as there
was very less consumption of greens and also with travel.
After a long chat, welcoming the family to visit down south
and assuring them that I would visit again with my family, I bid them good
night and went to bed at 10.30pm. Farzana said that she would be awake at 5 am
and also her mother-in-law for my send off. Hamza slept while we were talking
during the dinner. Farzana said that he would definitely ask for me once he
gets up from the sleep.
At around 5:10 am, I set off on my bike, using Google Maps on my mobile device which was mounted on the bike.
I started my journey from Zaffron Colony with the odometer reading 69,166 km. I reached the reserve point at 69,169 km. Since I couldn't calculate the mileage accurately after filling 10 liters of fuel in Jammu with an empty tank due to transportation by train, I began searching for petrol stations in Srinagar along my route. I found one open on the outskirts of the city and refueled with 10 liters. The businesses in the area were only open after 7 am.
Initially, I had planned to ride until Sonamarg and take a tea break. However, I ended up riding all the way to Zojila and only stopped after descending from there. I had a bread omelet, drank almost a liter of water, and also had tea. I made sure to stay well-hydrated to avoid Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS). I also started taking a 250mg Diamox tablet daily in the morning since my arrival in Srinagar.
I savored my food and the surroundings, sitting outside in the freezing cold, observing the vehicles passing by, sipping hot tea amidst snow-covered mountains, and looking at my bike covered in dirt. It was a moment to cherish, time and time again. I felt like shouting and hearing my voice echo through the mountains, declaring that I was here in Ladakh against all odds.
At the checkpost marking the entry to Ladakh from the Jammu and Kashmir state border, I made a stop. I provided the bike's registration number, my phone number, and information regarding my travel origin and destination. Surprisingly, there was no document verification conducted.
Checkpost marking the entry to Ladakh from the Jammu and Kashmir state border
I stopped at Drass and took a selfie next to the signboard stating it was the world's coldest inhabited place.
Next, I visited the Kargil War Memorial. I left my bags and luggage at the parking lot since they weren't allowed inside, except for the person. At the entrance, a soldier who was responsible for managing the queue and checking people's photo IDs, such as Aadhar cards, was rude and seemed to be taking advantage of his position. I heard that the Assamese regiment was on duty that day, but I wasn't entirely sure. The soldier, whose name ended with "RAJ RAI," sarcastically joked and made everyone crowd around him with their ID proofs extended towards him. He allowed the ladies to go first with a grin. I was annoyed and gave him a stern look, not finding his dry jokes amusing. People were also frustrated with the long wait and unnecessary hold-up. Seeing the crowd growing, the officer responsible for noting down the details in the entry book replaced him with another soldier. It was disappointing to witness such behavior from someone in such a patriotic place. The memorial featured a gallery with pictures, guns, and other ammunition used during the Kargil war. I paid my respects to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the people and the nation. I couldn't help but question the level of my own patriotism. Reflecting on the words of the Tamil poet Kaniayan Poongundranar, written 2000 years ago in his famous work "Puranaanuru," which states "Yaadhum oore, Yavarum Kelir" (meaning "All the world is our place, and everyone in this world is our people"). Moreover, I had grown up with a spiritual belief that we are mere temporary occupants in this world. It left me with mixed emotions.
After riding for an hour and 30 minutes, I reached Kargil town. The odometer reading was 69,397 km. Today, I covered a distance of 231 km, which took more than 6 hours due to stops for nature calls, taking photos, and traffic.
I met a Tamil soldier who waved at me upon seeing my Tamil Nadu license plate. He was from Krishnagiri and his name was Mr. Muthu Velu. I insisted on taking a picture with him, despite the military rules. He showed me the way to Bazaar Road, which was one-way, and guided me to the lodging I was looking for.
I searched for Mesban Guest House on Kargil Bazaar Road. The owner confirmed over the phone that he would provide a room for Rs. 500/- if available when I arrived. When I reached there, a teenage boy named Ali at the reception informed me that all the rooms were occupied. He directed me to Ruby Hotel on the same road. I called the owner of Mesban Guest House, and upon recognizing me over the phone, he came down from his office. He assured me and arranged a room for the same price at Ruby Hotel. I arrived at Ruby Hotel, which had a bustling restaurant. I noticed many locals dining there. My room was located upstairs from the restaurant. It was an old building with a slight smell of rodents. However, the room and the toilet were clean. I used camphor, which I always carried during my travels, crushed it in my hand, and sprinkled it on the bed, carpet, and toilet. The smell dissipated, and I knew the camphor's aroma would also repel small insects.
Since there was only street parking available, I parked my bike in a narrow lane opposite Ruby Hotel. The police only seemed concerned about vehicles parked on the main roads. The hotel staff assured me that my vehicle would be safe on the streets. After settling into my room, I went to have lunch around 2 pm. I met a boy named Tovhir Hussain at my table; he was also having his lunch. I asked him what was famous in the area, and upon seeing people eating meat, I inquired about it. He mentioned a dish called Tabak Maaz, which consisted of goat ribs with rectangular meat portions along with thick skin. It was served with rice. I enjoyed eating it, and Tovhir also shared his "Yakini" with me. I mixed it with my rice, and it tasted like curd and mutton soup. Tovhir told me he was a student studying to become a Cardiac Technician and expressed his desire to work in Bangalore or Chennai. He found me on Instagram and started following me instantly.
After lunch, I strolled through the market to buy some bananas. I found a shop where I purchased 4 bananas for Rs. 50/- and 2 carrots for Rs. 10/-.
I also bought two liters of drinking water and returned to my room. I rested for an hour before heading down the alley opposite Ruby Hotel to have tea. I discovered a local tea shop away from the tourist area and entered. I noticed people sitting in a circle, playing a game, but couldn't see it clearly. I had a cup of tea and ordered one more, saying "aur ek chai." I managed with the little Hindi I knew. Instead of using the Hindi word "Kitna" for asking the cost, I asked in English, "how much?" The tea shop owner replied in Hindi, which I might not understand.
I took a walk along the banks of the Suru River, which flowed through Kargil. I made a video call over WhatsApp to my home, and my mom, wife, and daughter were excited to see the beautiful landscape of Kargil through the phone. I spent about an hour near the river, observing its flow, the ripples it created over the rocks, and its gushing course.
Returning to my room, I enjoyed the view from my window. The Kargil Bazaar Road was bustling with people even late at night.
I developed indigestion after eating all four bananas, and I experienced burping with the fermented odor of bananas. I thought eating bananas would relieve my constipation, but instead, I found myself facing a new problem. I went for dinner and looked for a simple vegetarian meal. I found a small Dhaba on the bazaar street and had two Pooris with Channa masala. I also had a regular tea and a salted tea (namkeen chai). The total cost was only Rs. 60/-. I purchased a water bottle and returned to my room. The temperature inside the room was comfortable, allowing me to sleep in shorts and a t-shirt. I kept the lights on and slept, but the eerie feeling of being alone in the dark still lingered from my childhood.
19th Friday May 2023
I woke up to alarm at 5 am. I was surprised to feel the hot water
in the tap and did took a good shower and got ready. I took the bike from alley.
The bike was safe with all tool kit in the front tank cover. I then loaded the
bike with my luggage and was off to Leh from Kargil at 6.30am.
I rode the bike very slow, enjoying the landscapes. I knew these were
the moments to enjoy in my trip and stopped thinking about reaching the
destination on time. The google map showed that I would reach Alchi by 9.30 am.
I knew I would be late to reach there as Google map calculates at an average
speed of 60km between the destinations.
I took many stops for nature calls and photo sessions as the
landscape was irresistibly beautiful. The Diamox tablet has increased the frequency
of urination which was one of its mechanisms to stimulate acclimatization. (ACETAZOLAMIDE is a diuretic. It helps
you make more urine and to lose salt and excess water from your body. It treats
swelling from heart disease. It helps treat some seizures and some kinds of
glaucoma. It also treats and prevents symptoms of acute mountain sickness).
I reached Mulbekh. The famous Buddha statue carved over a single
giant rock was seen as the road was curving around the giant rock. I took a
picture of the Buddha, standing on the road.
The road was slowly ascending and the altitude was increasing. To my surprise, there were not any snow found on those barren mountains. I Reached Namik La. When I thought there was no one around to take a picture of me with my bike at the high-altitude pass, a car stopped and the lone driver got down to adjust his luggage on the car dicky. I requested him to take a snap of me and he happily took many pictures of me suggesting me with poses. He also wished me safe journey and left me to enjoy the Namik La alone.
After Namik La,
I descended down and rode past a big buddha statue on the mountain top. I
stopped in that small village, called Buddhkarupp. I had two teas, a masala Maggie
and bought a liter of water. I spent only Rs 80/-
Buddhkarupp.
Then I came to Fotu La. This was the highest point in the Srinagar
– Leh Highway at 13,479 feet above MSL. The Fotu La was also without snow
cover. I was wondering how there was no snow despite the Fotu La was at a
higher altitude than Zoji La.
I saw mud brick houses merging with the natural landscape of that region.
After riding few kilometres, I reached the moon land called
Lamayuru. The landscapes were breathtaking. I was awestruck with God’s creation.
Noting the mud mountain ranges and soft rocks with hard stones embedded on it, I
was also reminded of the fact that the Himalayas was the youngest mountain
ranges in India.
Later, I started riding along the greenish mint coloured Indus River. The road was curving around as with the river course and also was going up above and descending steep down at places.
Somewhere before Saspol, I think near Khalsi, I was stopped by
the police to enter my details at the check post. I requested the policeman and
the two lady officers to take picture with them. They happily agreed and the
policeman took a snap of me with the two lady officers.
I took a detour from Srinagar – Leh Highway towards Alchi village
crossing the bridge over the Indus River. Alchi was an oldest village dates
back to 11th century. I wanted to visit Alchi kitchen a famous
restaurant to try Ladakhi cuisine. Ms Nilza Wangmo owns the Alchi kitchen. It
was run by all women staff. The Ladakhi food is usually bland but in Alchi
kitchen, the traditional dishes were made bit spicey. I happened to see a video
in YouTube by Shenaz Treasurywala (90’s MTV VJ) and wanted to have a visit
there.
Upon entering the restaurant around 1 pm, I found it bustling with
customers, completely packed. Fortunately, a kind couple offered me a small
seat at their table. The gentleman, Sandeep, was from Nepal and worked as a
professor in the field of engineering in the Netherlands. He was visiting Leh
with his wife on a short trip. After they kindly placed an order for me,
consisting of an apricot juice and a vegetarian Chutaki, I found a table for
myself and settled in.
They informed me that it was a dry day, a practice followed to
abstain from consuming meat as announced by Buddhist monks. Although I had
initially wanted to try Yak meat, I ended up enjoying a delectable vegetarian
dish instead. The Chutaki was made with whole wheat flour kneaded into bow-tie
shapes and cooked in a spicy curry. I opted for the vegetable curry, which
included carrots, cauliflower, and potatoes. The dish resembled pasta in Indian
curry flavor and left me thoroughly satisfied. The Chutaki cost Rs 300, and the
apricot juice was Rs 100.
Curious to meet Nilza Wangmo, the owner of the restaurant, I
requested a picture with her. Unfortunately, I was informed that she was unwell
and resting. Nonetheless, I took a photo with the rest of the restaurant staff.
After bidding farewell and resuming my journey, I experienced a
brief drizzle that lasted for about five minutes before stopping. I took the
opportunity to capture a snapshot at the confluence of the Indus and Zanskar
rivers before continuing my ride. I reached a maximum speed of 80 km/hr after
magnetic hill, but soon I had to slow down due to traffic. Just a few kilometers
before Leh, my bike's fuel reached the reserve level at 69,599 km. Calculating
the mileage, I found it to be approximately 43 km per liter. The good mileage
was a result of maintaining an average speed below 60 km/hr and the road
conditions being favorable from Kargil to Leh. I refueled with 10 liters of
petrol and proceeded towards Leh city.
To navigate accurately, I switched on my phone with a Kashmiri SIM
card to use GPS. I encountered some confusion with Google Maps in the crowded
lanes of Leh, as it failed to recognize existing police barricades and changes
in one-way traffic. Thankfully, with the help of locals' directions, I rode
through the Polo ground and emerged through a narrow iron gate on the other
side, heading straight to LeHostel from Khardungla Road.
After negotiating the price, I checked into LeHostel, paying Rs
560 per day for a three-day stay. I was assigned a bed in a 6-bed mixed
dormitory. It appeared that one bed besides mine was already occupied as I
entered the room. Feeling a bit thirsty, I considered having a cup of tea but
found it priced at Rs 45. Instead, I opted for a serving of Maggie noodles for
Rs 55, which I ordered from LeHostel.
I made my way up to the third-floor terrace and enjoyed my Maggie
noodles while taking in the surroundings. It was a pleasant way to relax and
unwind after a long day of riding.
In the evening, I did an internet search on mobile and came across Baldev tea Stall. I walked from LeHostel to the old Leh Road and locating the Baldev tea stall at the corner of the road, I decided to have tea along with some bread pakoda. The total cost came to 35 rupees. Later, I met two IT professionals at the tea stall, one from Uttar Pradesh and the other from Rajasthan. They had been working in Leh for the past one year. They mistook me for an Army personnel due to my hairstyle and boots, but I clarified that I am a biker.
After bidding them farewell, I proceeded to the Bazaar area. After wandering around for a bit, I followed the IT professionals' suggestion and went to the New Punjabi Dhaba. I ordered three rotis with veg curry, amounting to 100 rupees.
On my way back, I noticed bikes registered in Tamil Nadu parked nearby Lehostel. Intrigued, I approached and met four individuals from Tamil Nadu. They seemed to be discussing their plans. They mentioned resting on Saturday, and heading to Umling La. They were a group of six riding from Tamil Nadu. One of them met with an accident at Jammu and returned to TamilNadu. The rest of their team consisted of Mr Jeya Chandran, A retired Sub-inspector from Chennai, Sailindiran also known as youtuber “Follow Jack” from Thanjavur, Ram rider from Pondicherry, Jermans from Thiruchendur and Karuna alias Thiru farm studio from Tiruvannamalai. I recommended the tea shop and the new Punjabi Dhaba before bidding them good night. I decided to visit the TV room but grew bored due to the lack of people to chat with, so I returned to my room.
Although one bed was occupied, I had yet to meet the person occupying it. I intended to sleep peacefully. However, a girl entered who turned out to be occupying a dorm bed in my room. She introduced herself as Nhi. She was Vietnam and worked as a coder. She had been on vacation here for the past five days. I thought she was a Buddhist but she told that she was a protestant Christian. She seemed to be a calm person, introvert type and she got busy arranging her things , while I started jotting down the points to write in my blog. Subsequently, a boy entered and asked if he could sleep in the room since he was alone. I suggested he check with Manager Willie, which annoyed the boy. Nonetheless, I gave my consent. Eventually, he arrived and occupied the bed. He engaged in conversation with the Vietnamese girl, discussing his availability for hanging out. The girl did not show much interest. As a result, he ended up conversing with me more. The boy introduced himself as Ashutosh, a textile businessman from Mumbai, managing his family business. He mentioned that he had studied electronics engineering but worked as marketing executive in Biju’s educational software and said its usefulness in comparison to marketing and software skills. He emphasized how these skills now aid him in his business. The girl expressed her preference to keep the lights on, to which I had no objections. However, the boy insisted she turn them off, joking to her that she would be safe. I quickly dozed off thereafter.
20th Saturday May 2023
On Saturday, May 20th, 2023, I woke up at 4 am. I went to
the bathroom and went back to sleep. The frequent urination caused by the
Diamox tablet was one reason for my disturbed sleep on this trip. I got up
again after 7 am. The boy also woke up and said that he didn't get my name, so
I told him mine. Then he said his name, Ashutosh and left the room. I got ready
and took my bike to see the places around Leh town.
I was riding to Shanti Stupa, but the streets in Leh were
confusing with GPS. Google Maps confused me with narrow lanes that went down or
high up, and it redirected me on a roundabout route after I missed a turn. I
ended up reaching the Leh bazaar at the end of the road from an adjacent
street. A person stopped me and said that vehicles were not allowed to cross the
Leh bazaar road, and he showed me the right direction. He recognized that I was
from Tamil Nadu and told me to visit his shop later. He mentioned that he owns
another shop in Kerala with the same name, Shalimar Collections. The shop had
ornamental traditional jewelry, shawls, and other handicraft items. I said that
I would visit again and left for Shanti Stupa.
The Shanti Stupa was built on top of a hill. I parked my
bike and, after getting a ticket, went to see the Shanti Stupa. There was a
small prayer hall under the stupa. I climbed the stupa and walked around it.
There were a lot of tourists as it was one of the main attractions in Leh. The
city view from Shanti Stupa was beautiful.
I wanted to find the Moravian church in Leh. I planned to
attend the Sunday church service the next day. While planning my trip, I
discovered that I would spend a Sunday in Leh, so I decided to attend church
and found information about the Moravian church on the internet. I was
fascinated to learn about its history.
(Excerpts from the internet about the Moravian Church) The
Moravian Church in Leh, located in the border area of Pakistan, China, and
Tibet, is a Protestant church that was established in 1885 by Moravian
missionaries who came from Herrnhut in Saxony (Eastern Germany). Their mission
was to convert the native Tibetan Buddhists living there to Christianity. They
discovered that it was difficult to preach Christianity and convert the natives
to a new faith. However, they continued their mission and became pioneers in education,
allopathic medicine, vegetable gardening, agriculture, printing, improvement of
the Ladakhi iron hearth (thab), knitting, and weather monitoring, among other
things. One interesting aspect of their mission was to provide secular
education, not solely based on religion. Over the decades, the school became
popular, and presently, it has an enrollment of about one thousand students.
This Moravian church is located at an altitude of 11,000 feet and is believed
to be one of the highest churches in the world. For in-depth learning about the
Moravian mission in the Himalayas, please check this link: https://www.academia.edu/5793152/A_History_of_the_Moravian_Church_in_India
When I was about to enter the church, a man ran up to me and
spoke to me in Tamil. He introduced himself as Ravi, a retired CRPF personnel,
and showed me his restaurant called Madras Café, just opposite the Moravian
church. Ravi hailed from Kulithurai in Kanyakumari district of Tamil Nadu. I
was very happy to talk to him and assured him that I would come after meeting
the pastor inside the church.
I went inside the church premises, but there was no one
around. I knocked on the door of the small house adjacent to the church
building, but it seemed to be locked from the inside. Then, a lady opened a
window from the first floor of the church, hearing my noise, and asked me what
I wanted. She opened the church door, assuming that I wanted to pray. I told
her that I wanted to meet the pastor. She then took me to the pastor's house
within the church premises. The pastor's wife came and informed me that the
pastor had gone out. After introducing myself and talking about my trip to Leh,
she invited me inside the house to have a cup of tea. It was so nice of her,
and the tea was delightful in that cold weather. The pastor's wife introduced
herself as Tiam and told me that she had lived and worked in Chrompet, Chennai
for 9 years to support her sister and brother who were pursuing college in
Tamil Nadu. Pastor Dimchui and his wife Tiam were basically Manipuri but hailed
from Assam. Tiam had been in Leh for the past 3 months after marrying Pastor
Dimchui. I mentioned my nosebleeds due to the cold weather, and she told me
that she was still having trouble acclimatizing to the cold and high altitude.
I bid farewell and said that I would come for the Sunday service the next day.
When I came out of the church, Ravi was waiting for me and
took me to his restaurant. I had a nice breakfast, ordering a Dosa with sambar,
peanut chutney, and red chutney made with tomato and onion. It reminded me of
my home food. Ravi said that his son Ratheesh, who was an engineer, helped with
the restaurant business. They do business there for 5-6 months during the
tourist season and then go back to their hometown. I took their visiting
cards, thinking that I could send them to my Tamil biker friends staying with
me at LeHostel.
I returned to LeHostel and told them about Madras Café. They
were surprised and wanted to have South Indian food. While I joined two of
them, Sailindiran (YouTuber Follow Jack) and Karuna (Thiru Farm), who were
leaving for Leh Palace, we reached Leh Palace. Both of them were talking to
their future viewers and were busy recording videos with action cameras. So, I
started moving along with the crowd of tourists and began exploring the
nine-story building. No, I did not climb all nine stories. The entry to the
palace was on the 5th floor. The ground floor to the fourth floor was used as a
cattle shed, fodder and grain storage. Tourists were only allowed to visit from
the fifth floor and above.
The palace was broader at the base with thick walls and
small rooms. As we ascended, the palace became narrower with thin walls and
larger rooms. The building plan was given to King Namgyal, by the Buddhist
leader of that time. The people of Leh built the palace for their king. The
royal family moved to Stok Palace in the 19th century, and their descendants
still live there in Stok, located 15 km from Leh.
I came back, leaving the YouTubers Sailindiran and Karuna to
take their time in the palace for video coverage. It was around 1:30 pm, but I
didn't feel like having lunch. Instead, I planned to have evening snacks with
tea at Baldev Tea Stall and a heavy dinner feasting on Tibetan delicacies.
After resting for a while in the dormitory, I went around 3
pm to Baldev Tea Stall and had two teas and a butter bun for Rs 70/-
On my way back to LeHostel, walking through Leh Bazaar, I
met Ishfaq who owns Shalimar Collections in the Bazaar. He recognized me from
our morning encounter when I asked for directions to Shanti Stupa. He invited
me to sit with him in front of his shop, and we had a chat about Kashmiri
cuisine and the difficulty of finding red meat due to frequent dry days as
announced by the Monks there. He mentioned that his shop in Kerala was located
in Kovalam, Trivandrum. He suggested Amdo restaurant for budget-friendly
non-veg cuisine. After a nice chat with him, I walked back to LeHostel.
Due to the cold weather, the skin on my lips was cracking a
lot, and I ended up carrying a small Vaseline case in my pocket to apply it
almost every now and then. My nose was also stuffed with dried blood clots.
Covering my mouth and nose with a scarf/bandana helped me breathe warm air
instead of the dry cold air without it.
I returned to my room and checked the ground floor dorm room
where the Tamil bikers were staying. Ram Rider and Jermans were sleeping. I started
chatting with the eldest person in the group, Mr. Jayachandran. He was a
retired sub-inspector who had served with the Tamil Nadu state police. Our
conversation delved into religion and bike rides. He explained his interest in
visiting temples, which were rebuilt over Jain, Buddhist, and Vaishnava
shrines. He also mentioned an underground room in Santhome Church in Chennai
where St. Thomas' body was buried. It was the first time I had heard about that
information, and I thought I should visit Santhome Church one day.
I went back to my room and made phone calls to my home and
friends. Around 5:30 pm, I came downstairs at LeHostel and found Jayachandran
sir standing near the reception looking completely tense. When I inquired, he
told me that he had lost Sailindiran when they went to explore Leh town and got
separated near Leh Bazaar. He had parked his bike near the market and walked
through a narrow lane to LeHostel. Since he didn't have a working local SIM
card to call Sailindiran, he asked me if I could take him back to the Bazaar. I
told him that I was now familiar with the routes and took him along, walking
through the narrow lanes leading to Leh Bazaar. On the way to retrieve his
bike, we found Sailindiran. He was waiting for Jayachandran sir right where
they got separated. After that, they went together to get their bikes, and I
went in search of Amdo restaurant as suggested by Ishfaq to have my dinner.
Ishfaq had mentioned that it was located next to the White Mosque in Leh
Bazaar. I found Amdo restaurant, which was situated on the second floor of the
building next to the White Mosque in Leh Bazaar.
The prices at the restaurant were nominal, ranging from Rs
180 to Rs 250 for main dishes, and beverages started from Rs 30 onwards. I now
understood why the restaurant was a local favourite. I ordered fried Momos for
Rs 180 and a mutton Thenthuk for Rs 200. Tibetan Thenthuk and Ladakhi Skyu were
very similar types of soupy noodles. The only difference was that Skyu was a
hand-made ribbon-type noodle made from whole wheat or barley flour, while
Thenthuk was made from whitish wheat flour. I had eight pieces of Momos and
asked the waiter to bring the Thenthuk a little later. I savoured my dinner
slowly. It was sumptuous, and I may have overeaten a bit, but it was
satisfying.
On my way back to my room, I met Karuna, Ram, and Jermans in
Leh Bazaar. They asked me for directions to Baldev Tea Stall. Instead of just
showing them the way, I walked with them and had tea together at Baldev Tea
Stall. Then I left them as they were buying prayer flags and a fuel can, and I
went back to LeHostel. At LeHostel, I went to meet Mr. Jayachandran and
Sailindiran, as they were leaving for Nubra Valley the next day. I spoke to
them for some time, exchanged phone numbers, wished them a safe journey, and
returned to my dormitory.
In my dorm room, Nhi was busy packing her stuff. She told me
that she was leaving for Vietnam the next day. We took a picture together, and
she also got my Instagram ID.
Before sleeping, I met a new person in my dorm, named Aman
Jain. He was from Ludhiana and was a textile engineer with his own garment
company catering to military personnel. He specialized in making minus
40-degree jackets, gloves, and shoes. His company was called
"Moraine." Aman Jain told me that he had two sons, one studying
engineering and the other in 12th grade. We had a discussion about religion,
politics, and social service. He mentioned that he had studied in a Catholic
convent. Aman Jain also said that he was a BJP supporter, but his family
members belonged to different political parties. He believed that, at the end
of the day, it was all about business and that any businessman should align
with the ruling party for a conducive business environment. Interestingly, he
added that there were no religious majorities or minorities, upper or lower
castes, but only the distinction between the rich and the poor. I enjoyed
chatting with him and gaining new perspectives on these topics. I bid him good
night and went to sleep very late in the night.
21st Sunday May 2023
I woke up at 5:30 AM. After refreshing, I sat down and started reading the Bible. At exactly 6:30 AM, the Vietnamese girl, Nhi, waved bye to me and left for airport. I completed my Bible passage reading and prayer. I prayed especially for a safe return to my home with completion of my Ladakh trip as planned. The road status showed red for Leh Manali highway, status unknown for Chang la and traffic restriction on security reasons in Srinagar Leh highway due to G20 summit. Many fellow travellers suggested me to return via Srinagar as they told that the Manali road would open only in the first or second week of June.
Then, at 7:00 am, I got ready. At 8:30, I went downstairs and met the group of Tamil bikers in the TV Room. I was so tempted to join them to go along with them but I wanted to stick to my plan of Sunday rest and Manali hospital visit. I took a picture with them and then headed to Baldev Tea stall.
The Bikers from Tamil Nadu. Top row : Sailindiran (Youtuber "follow jack"), Ram; Down row: Myself, Jeyachandran sir (retd. sub inspector of Police), Karuna and Jermans.
After enjoying a cup of tea, I went to Madras Cafe and ordered from their menu, which included two plates of Idli for ₹200. I thoroughly enjoyed my morning breakfast. After chatting with Madras café owner, I came to know their daughters-in-law, and her brother, who happened to be my former students from Vels College in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, where I studied and worked.
Later, at 10:00 AM, I went to Moravian Church. I had a pleasant time at the church service, which was conducted in a mix of Hindi and English. After the service, I had a coffee, Cake, sandwich and engaged in fellowship gathering on the lawn. I had the opportunity to meet the pastor and his wife and exchanged greetings with them. After a chat, I bid farewell to them.
Again I met Ratheesh, the son of the Madras Cafe owner. I took him along to
buy Apricot jam and dry fruits, requesting him to have them parceled to my
address since I couldn't carry them with me. Then, I returned to my room, had a
chat with Aman Jain, and provided some health tips. I suggested him to do mild
exercises and consider getting a smartwatch. I also mentioned the possibility
of engaging in exercises within the safe heart rate zone, which is 220 minus age. This gives the target heart rate, where an
individual will possibly collapse if he sustains the activity with that heart
rate. For example, for a 40 yr. old 220 minus 40 is 180. That means a heart
rate of 180 is the rate at which that individual might possibly collapse as the
heart is functioning to its maximum limit. So, a forty-year-old can safely do exercise
within 100 – 150 HR which is considered safe zone for that age group. Later, I took the time to call my wife and
organized my belongings for the next day ride.
In the evening, two
new individuals joined the room, Vicky from Nagpur, who came for a meditation
class at the Buddhist monastery, and Baris, a German theatre artist who was
touring Ladakh for a month and a half.
In the evening, I went to Baldev Tea stall, had tea and
bread Pakoda. I was walking Back and
forth in Leh Bazaar and the nearby lanes in search of Jerry can cap. But to my
disappointment I found none in army stores or in local shops in the market. Afterwards,
I went to Waswan planet to have dinner. For dinner, I had three butter naan,
one plain naan and Rogan Josh. Unfortunately, the waiter seemed unhappy with
the tip, and the service was somewhat rude at the Waswan planet.
I returned to the
room, took a picture with Baris and Vicky. We were chatting for sometime about
the favourite Hollywood stars and movies. I was mentioning about Tom Hanks and
the movie Forrest Gump. We all fell in to sleep late at night.
In the morning, I woke up at 5 am. I waved goodbye to Baris,
the German actor, as he was leaving for Kargil. After reading the Bible portion
for the day, I started getting ready. Then, I went out to buy roti from a local
shop, which people eat along with morning tea as breakfast. I also bought a
kind of bun called rusk. I had one and drank water. I planned to go to a tea
stall on the way. I loaded my luggage on the bike and then said goodbye to my
dormmates, Aman Jain, the military merchandise maker, and Vicky, who came to
attend a meditation class in the Buddhist monastery. I started my bike and
headed straight to Khardungl. The odometer reading was 68660 km.
I was stopped by the Ladakhi tourism guys, who were keen on promoting rented bikes and taxis only from Ladakh. After checking my documents, they were satisfied and let me go.
On the way, I stopped at Leh Valley View. There I met Gwang from South Korea. He was a theology student and was interested in visiting South India after hearing from me that Christian theological seminaries are more common in the south than in North India.
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I had tea in a nearby Chai truck and continued
my ride. I reached the South Pallu check post, where some Tamilian brothers saw
me and took a selfie with me. Then, I went upstairs in a building and entered
the army check post to provide my details.
Five kilometers before the Khardungla top, there was ice and snow on the road. I thought I could go through where the truck tire marks were, but beneath the snow, there was a solid layer of ice, and I slipped but managed to stand with the bike falling in between my legs. I tried lifting my bike, but my legs were also slipping on the ice. My biker boots failed the test. While standing helpless, a tempo traveler driver passed me, then stopped, and came back to help me lift the bike. It took three people to lift it. After they left, I still couldn't move the bike out of the ice. Another Ladakhi couple in their pick-up truck stopped and helped me move it to the side. Instead of pushing forward on the ice, I reversed the bike downward towards the slope, while all three of us held it. Once I was out of the ice, I was very careful to negotiate the black ice areas on the road. I bid thanks to everyone who helped me. Its is so true that the sympathetic soft hearted people are from hardest terrains.
When I reached Khardungla top, while everybody rushed to take a photo under the signboard of mighty Khardungla, I ran to the convenience room to relieve myself. To avoid AMS, I had to drink plenty of water, but that made me end up looking for a spot for nature calls instead of nature. The restroom was on the cliff with a big window, a room with a view, and I apologize for not taking a photo of that room as I left my phone in the tank bag. Then I rushed with my bike, and many people were happy to take a picture of me. A guy riding from south to north still amazes people. One person, from Ahmedabad, Gujrat, offered me his sunglasses to look cool in the photo.
Then I started descending down as I had a kind of dry nose and mild headache. I stopped at a spot where I saw icicles and enjoyed touching and feeling the icicles and snow. First time in my life I was seeing, feeling and enjoying the various forms of Ice.
Then I came down and stopped where yaks were grazing, took a picture, and also ate another rusk bun. I never forgot to drink water as much as possible to keep away from AMS.
The road started going along the course of Shyok river. I saw barren beautiful mountains all around. The weather was not so cold as compared to Leh. May be I got adjusted to the climate.
I drank water again and started riding to Diskit.
The road was mostly gravel stones, and the last 35 km was a good road.
I reached Barley dine with an odometer reading of 69780 km. Barley Dine was located adjacent to HP Petrol bunk in Diskit.
A person called Bunty came and gave me a dormitory room for Rs. 500/-. There was no guest other than me for the whole Hotel on that day. It was good for me. After keeping my
luggage, I went and had chicken fried rice for Rs. 180/-. The mild music that was playing at the Barley dine reception was a kind of Buddhist monk in the base voice, and it was adding to the celestial feeling of the quiet place.
After relaxing in my room, around 3 pm, I left for sand dunes of Hunder, to see double hump camels. It was a 7 km ride from Diskit to the camel ride spot in Hunder.
I went to the site of the camel ride, took photos, but was not interested in camel ride. I met the Gujarati bikers group again who were at Khardung La. They were from Ahmedabad coming as a group in Royal Enfield bikes with one car as their support vehicle.
I also visited Diskit Monastery. The entry ticket was Rs. 40. Other than the huge 106 ft statue, there wasn't much to see inside the monastery. Or may be I didn't know what to look for. The views of the mountains and buildings over the mountain cliff were beautiful around the Diskit monastery.
I came back to my room, and Bunty helped me by cutting a small plastic piece to close the broken lid in my jerry can. I spent my time talking to the staff at Barley Dine. They all move to Goa for work during November to April and come to Ladakh to work between May to October. They were from Bihar, Assam and Uttar Pradesh. The only girl in the team, Prarthana, was actually a Ladakhi. Her husband, from Nepal, was working as the assistant cook in Barley Dine. The staff team was real fun making jokes on each other.
I had chicken noodles for dinner. The chicken noodles cost Rs. 250/-. They were not serving meat to outsiders other than chicken, which I found strange. I never got a chance to try yak meat.
I watched songs from the movie "Burfi" on the LED projector in the open hall along with the staff. Then, suddenly, the Barley dine owner's friends came with liquor bottles in hand. The staff were attending to them. One of the staff, Ajay told me that they will stay for long. So, I moved to my room around 10 pm and slept. I tried taking some shots of the night sky. But could not do a best setting to capture in DSLR camera.
Sunset at Diskit.
23rd
Tuesday
On the 23rd Tuesday morning, I woke up at 4 am. I read the Bible passage as usual and prayed. From Instatgram account, Northindiantime, a Ladakhi news portal, I found that, One way traffic has been operational on Odd and even days from either side in Manali - Leh Highway. I praised God for opening up the high passes. I got ready, but there was no hot water, so I couldn't take a bath. The staff were asleep because they were awake until 3 am, attending to the friends of the restaurant owner. I did not want to disturb their sleep.
Consequently, I
went to a nearby petrol bunk and filled 5 litres fuel in the petrol tank and 5 litres
in a jerry can and got my bike ready for ride to Pangong Lake.
After waking up one of the staff members, Ajay, to hand over
the keys, he in turn called the receptionist girl, Prarthana. She returned my
Aadhaar card for identification, that she got while checking in.
I started riding towards Pangong with an odometer reading of 69811 km. The road ran along the Shyok River, crossing over river beds with pebbles and along the edges of the mountains by the river's side.
At one point, the road led to a pool of water, and I waited for 5 minutes to judge its depth. I remembered the old Tamil saying "An outsider is afraid of water, an insider is afraid of ghosts". Two cars passed by, and the water was only one foot deep, so I followed them across.
I stopped to have breakfast. I ate the bread which I got from Leh town, which was a hard bread commonly called "roti" in a thicker format than what was available in south India.
I also had tea and a samosa at a military canteen on the way, I guess it was near Agham.
I got confused on entering Tangste and took a wrong road going to Tangste petrol bunk and further to a military base. After 500 meters, I realised and turned back towards Pangong Tso.
After Tangste, the road became extremely bad, with only gravel and
sand. There was so much of vibration riding on the hard gravel and pebbles that
the petrol in the jerry can spilled, and the bolt holding the jerry can to the
bike almost came out. I stopped and fixed the bolt with a spanner. I was gasping for breath for that small activity. I nearly
emptied the jerry can into the main tank to reduce the weight on the frame. A couple on their Royal Enfield bike with Maharashtra registration stopped and enquired whether I need any help. I said about the loosening bolts and they too had similar issues They said that we have to bear for seventy more kilometers. I
realized that fixing the jerry can, not so firm, was a real mistake on this rough road. I
wasn't sure about its quality too, and a regular plastic bottle might have held better
without spilling. I could hardly go beyond a speed of 20-30 km/h for about 70 km until I
reached Merek village.
I again made a wrong turn to the left, after spotting the Pangong lake towards Phobrang, Lukung to Marsimik la. But I immediately realized and turn back towards Spangmik, Man and Merek Road.
I arrived around 2 pm with an odometer reading of 70005 km. I found a homestay called Zambala Cottage, a wooden cottage that cost 1000 rupees, including dinner and breakfast. I agreed to stay there and had tea with biscuits after settling down.
The owner and his son were very friendly and suggested a route through Chusul to Debring and then to Manali, but I was still confused and praying about it.
Later, I walked to Pangong Tso, which was just 500 meters from my cottage, and took some snaps of the beautiful scenery and
different-looking birds.
 |
I was sitting and chatting with the owner. He was conversing with me in English. His little granddaughter was dropped by his daughter in law to be with him as she had some work. The owner's wife came by a pick up truck , returning after visiting a nearby Buddhist monastery. She wore a traditional dress. I enquired about it and the owner told that she dressed traditionaly to attend a festival in the Buddhist Monastery.
Returning to my room, I enjoyed the sunset at Pangong. Because of the closeness to the lake, surrounding snowy mountains and the altitude of 12,000 feet, made the weather extremely cold.
The
owner’s son named Nobru invited me to his warm kitchen at his house, and we
chatted about the route. He recommended going via Changla Pass as the road to
Chusul might be bad with running river water. Later, he took me to the village community
hall, where I could access Wi-Fi to check my messages. When the power came
back, we returned to his kitchen, and Nobru made the room warmer by setting up
a Bukri fire. He mentioned that their family runs several homestays in Merek,
including Peaceful Homestay and Nobru Homestay. I was surprised to learn that
Nobru was an army personnel who had completed 20 years of service. He joined
the army at the age of 17.
We planned to have dinner at 8:30 pm, but it got extended as
I wanted to wait for the whole family to join us for dinner. Around 9:30 pm,
Nobru's father arrived, and we all had dinner together. The meal consisted of
rice, dal, and a side dish made with potatoes and cauliflower, along with a
vegetable pickle. I ate well as it was my only full meal of the day. I went to
bed early and immediately fell asleep. The weather was very cold due to the
proximity to Pangong Lake, making it the coldest night of my trip.
I got up at 4:30 am,
read the Bible passage, and prayed. I had fear regarding Chang La, a pass
higher than Khardung La. Chang La was considered as most dangerous and
difficult pass in Ladakh because of its steep ascent and quick gain in altitude.
Because of the fall, I had at Khardung La and the fear associated with it, I
prayed hard for a safe passage through Chang La. I got ready but didn't bathe
as there was no hot water. After loading my luggage, I was all set to go. At 6
am, Norbu came and said he would make breakfast. After loading my luggage, I
went to their kitchen and had two cups of tea and a bread omelet.
Then, after bidding goodbye, I left around 7 am. The
odometer reading was 70005 km. I was riding fast as I got the hang of
off-roading on gravel and sandy roads. On the way, a biker in front of me
skidded and fell while trying to balance in a corner to negotiate an upcoming
car. I helped him get up and continued on my journey. At one point, where there
was marshy land on the Pangong route, I stopped and removed an extra can which
I got from Norbu. I couldn't fill my jerry can, which caused the frame to
loosen, but the extra can was making a lot of noise and distracting me from
concentrating on my riding as I kept thinking about the luggage.
Between Spangmik and Tangste, I stopped near the marsh land for a water break. I saw two persons trying to catch something in that stagnant water holes in the midst of the marsh land.I guess they were catching fish in water holes of Marsh land.
I continued and started on the Chang La route. The second gear felt like the top gear, and the first gear almost failed to climb uphill. Many places on the Chang La route were steep, with inclines of 35 to 45 degrees. Thanks to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), an army operation, the road was cleared of snow. There was fresh snowfall at the top, and the road became muddy with water and ice crystals. The BRO workers had put sand to compensate for black ice. At the top, I couldn't get down my bike, due to the fresh snowfall. I quickly asked a soldier at the post to take a picture of me and moved on quickly.
After 10 km from the top, the road broadened and turned into a proper
tarmac. I sped up to catch up with time. I reached Karu around 1 pm and went on
to fill petrol, 1 km towards Leh. I filled around 8.5 liters to the brim in the
tank and 1.5 liters in the jerry can. I thought I would reach the next petrol
bunk near Manali, which is 400 km away.
I wanted to go across Taglang La and stay somewhere near
Pang, but my written plan was to stay at a village called Lato. So far, God had
blessed my plan according to my schedule, and whenever I tried to deviate from
my original plan, like going to Chusul, Chumathang, Mahe from Pangong Lake and
joining Debring on the Manali road, I received a strict “No” from my wife and
also Norbu's father. I took that as a sign from God.
Similarly, today I was stopped at Upshi check post, and the police officer told me to go back and come tomorrow. No matter how much I pleaded, he did not allow me to pass. I waited from around 2 pm to 3 pm. A Gujarati man bribed him after a long negotiation, saying he would stay at Pang or Sarchu, and went ahead. An army officer also passed the check post after getting permission from his higher authority. But to me, he said it's not safe to send me since I have a bike, and he had a special-order restricting traffic from Leh to Manali and only on odd days. Today was the 24th, so I was not allowed to pass.
Finally, when I said I was
staying at Lato guest house and showed SMS messages from the owner of Lato
guest house, he let me go to Lato but called the Lato guest house owner Tashi
to come and collect my driver's license, which I was asked to hand over to him.
I gave him a colour photocopy of my driving license that I had.For a moment I
thought of going my way, but I wanted to prove my integrity, and I wanted him
to remember that a person, regardless of the identity he had on me, wouldn't
cheat him when shown kindness while going the extra mile for me, despite the
existing order. I decided to stay at Lato village that evening.
Lato was 18 km from Upshi, a beautiful small village at an altitude of 13,000 ft above mean sea level. It was surrounded by colourful mountains.
I reached Lato guest house, odometer reading 70202 km. I had ridden
almost 200 km in 5 hours. I spoke to the lady, who was the owner's wife. She
showed me a room without an attached toilet for 1000 rs. I agreed and moved my
luggage in. Then I went to their restaurant and had tea, Maggie, and an
omelette. She asked me what time I wanted my dinner, and I told her 8 pm.
I went for a walk in the village. The girls were working on
the farmlands and looked at me, wondering who was this in the village. I waved
at them, and they waved back. I asked them for directions to go around the
village and went around taking snaps.
I came back and met Tashi's wife, Sonam, and asked her for
her phone to call home. My wife didn't pick up, probably driving home from work
at 5:30 pm. Lato village has only Airtel network coverage. I was talking to
Sonam about Ladakhi food, whether she would make Chutaki or Kambir. She told me
the flour had to be prepared in advance, and currently, they were making rice
roti, dal, and sabji. She wasn't interested in making them, but I didn't know
why. Then I inquired about her children. She told me her elder daughter was
studying in a higher secondary school in Bangalore, and her son was in Punjab.
They sent the kids far away for better education.
Then I returned to my room and started jotting down my
travelogue.
I had my night dinner at 8 pm. I met Pradik, his wife Shika,
and his friend Aman who were staying that night in Lato guest house. They were
doing a long circuit from Leh, starting from Nubra to Tso Moriri. They had
reached Lato from Sarchu. They are from a town in Haryana bordering Delhi. We
exchanged information on road routes, and I gave them suggestions to overcome
AMS (altitude mountain sickness). I paid Rs 250 for dinner, which included dal,
rice, roti, and sabji. She also included Maggie and omelet that I had in the
evening, but she didn't bill the evening tea and the night tea. I borrowed
Sonam's phone to call home. After speaking to my family, I went to my room.
Just before going to sleep, I prayed for a journey tomorrow as it would be the longest ride of the Ladakh trip.
25th Thursday, May 2023
I got up at 4:30 am, read the Bible, and prayed. The morning brought snow at Lato, in contrast to yesterday's dry weather. My mind was preoccupied with the thinking of the long distance ride to reach Manali. I really wanted to spend more time in Manali Hospital for two days and unwind myself from arduous continuous daily rides. Snow was not fascinating anymore after the fall. I took a snap with Sonam, the landlord's wife. Sonam gave me my driving license which her husband got from the ladakhi police officer. I had tea and started at 6 am.
Riding alongside Guy Saunders, I began the descent from Taglang La. However, I somehow lost sight of him amidst the speeding vehicles, and I continued riding on my own towards Debring. There was a line of shops at Debring offering snacks, tea, and breakfast. I took a break there, having tea, a pack of Parle biscuits, and a Minute Maid orange, which totaled 90 rs. As I exited the shop, I noticed Guy Saunders' bike parked next to mine. He emerged from another shop and explained that he had lost me among a group of riders who had similar-colored rain jackets to mine. I rode with Guy Saunders until Whisky Bridge, where the tarmac for Sarchu begins. It was 3 pm. Guy had accompanied me through Lachung La, Nakee La, remote water crossings, and Gata loops. Upon studying the maps, Guy assured me that the road would be tarmac from thereon, so there was nothing to worry about. He mentioned wanting to ride faster and said he would meet me in Manali. In a kind gesture, he gave me two liters of petrol since I had fallen and spilled some fuel.
The Hole after Pang Video by Guy Saunders,
After that, I rode alone. Although the road was much flatter with no inclines, I couldn't ride the bike above 50 or 60 km/h. I couldn't understand if it was the lack of oxygen for combustion or the dust affecting the air filters. The sunlight was fading away, and I was praying and mustering up some courage to continue. At that moment, all I wanted was to reach Manali, even if it meant getting there late at night. The thought of Barlacha La was frightening me to the core. I was praying that there wouldn't be too much snow, but all I could see ahead were white mountains.
I reached the Sarchu check post and got off to enter my information in the book. The army personnel asked me where I was heading. When I told them I was going to Manali, they advised me to rush and cross Barlacha La quickly before nightfall. I believe it was around 5 pm at that time. I rode towards Barlacha La, hardly encountering any vehicles passing by. It seemed like all the travelers had stopped for the night at Sarchu. I was riding alone, and fear was welling up inside me. If I were to fall, there would be no one to help. It was a remote area. I saw a few road workers heading back to camp, indicating that there wouldn't be anyone else on the road to assist.
There was a water crossing, and bridge construction work was in progress. It was raining in that area, and I struggled to ride my bike on the slippery, muddy road. My bike didn't climb, so I had to get off and push the bike with acceleration in first gear to get out of the water crossing at Killing Sarai. After riding some distance through the waterlogged roads, I spotted another biker with a parked bike. He was lying on the ground with his shoes beside him. I asked if he needed help, and he assured me he was okay, just resting after a fall on the waterlogged road. With his reassurance, I continued on my journey.
I prayed and started ascending the mountain slope toward Barlacha La. I noticed a frozen water body with white snow encircling the mint green water in the center, resembling an ice cream cone. The fresh snowfall and strong winds made it difficult to use my phone or camera to take a picture. There were snow walls on both sides of the road leading to Barlacha La. My helmet with a Pinlock visor was failing, and mist was forming on the visor. Only a one-inch space at the bottom of the visor was clear enough to see through. I tilted my head back significantly, similar to how one would look through reading glasses, just so I could see through the visor. Due to the heavy snowfall at the top, I couldn't open the visor, and I finally reached the Barlacha La top.
I stopped and took out my mobile to capture a snapshot as a memory. I had been all alone throughout the ascent and descent of Barlacha La.
During the ride, I found myself pondering what would occur if I were to pass away, and someone like Guy Saunders, who lacks belief in God, were to face the same situation. This brought to mind the verse, "If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied." Religious convictions center around the concept of life after death. By the time I reached Darcha, it was 6:30 pm. I had maintained a continuous ride and eventually reached Manali through the Atal Tunnel.
After arriving in Manali, I inquired about Lady Willingdon Mission Hospital or the route to Old Manali Road. A man walking along the road responded in a brusque manner, asking whether I wanted directions to Old Manali Road or the mission hospital. He then added sarcastically that the way to Old Manali Road was in that direction, and he had no information about the mission hospital.
From the left bank of the Beas River, I crossed to the right bank over the bridge and entered the crowded Manali Bazaar. As I was contemplating whether I should ride through the throngs of people on the market road, a person riding a scooter pulled over and asked if I needed a room. When I replied, inquiring about Lady Willingdon Hospital, he paused for a moment, then turned around and gestured for me to follow him. Just before reaching the hospital, he came to a stop and introduced himself as Pushpinder, mentioning that he works in Dubai. He also informed me that he owns the "Mid Town Hotel," where I could get a room if I wasn't able to secure a stay at Lady Willingdon Hospital. I expressed my gratitude and informed him that I would reach out if needed.
I checked in at the hospital. When I mentioned that I am from Tamil Nadu, a person named Bodhraj told me that the HR manager, Dr. Christina Sankhro Das, had made all arrangements for my stay. He showed me the room, which was on the second floor. Carrying my luggage up the stairs was a bit challenging after the continuous ride from 6 am to 9:30 pm. The room was neat and tidy. Later, I went out and got Chowmein and chicken fry for 220/-, as the hospital canteen was closed by 8 pm. I sent a message on WhatsApp to Guy Saunders, letting him know that I had reached Manali and inquiring about his whereabouts.
Today's ride began with an odometer reading of 70202 km and ended at 70582 km, without hitting reserve and without using the fuel in the jerry can, although I did receive 2 liters from Guy Saunders. Almost I did a non stop ride from 6 am to 9.30 pm except for the 3 hour delay at Tanglang la.
I lay on the bed, reflecting on the challenges of the day. At Taglang La, my confidence had wavered after the bike fall and the struggle in the fresh snowfall. It reminded me of a similar sensation from childhood when I'd eagerly climbed a tree branch or a rooftop sunshade, only to find myself stuck and unable to descend. That familiar feeling of butterflies in my stomach, accompanied by sweat and a racing heart, yearning to call out, "Mom, I want to come home!" It all came rushing back to me at Taglang La that day.
The road was layered with compacted ice created by four-wheelers, causing the fresh snow to turn into slippery ice, resulting in vehicles skidding. Sunlight had melted the snow to water, and when the sun vanished behind the clouds, the water had frozen into a solid, transparent layer of ice on the road. On that day, I learned the vital lesson of selecting the right path for bike riding. When snow-covered, opt for fresh snow instead of following the tracks of four-wheelers. If sand and gravel are available, choose them over snow. During water crossings, I made the choice to ride through the water instead of sticking to the sides where the clay was muddy. This decision was based on the understanding that the surface beneath the water tends to be less slippery compared to the muddy clay.
I eventually drifted off to sleep around midnight, my mind filled with these thoughts.
26th Friday, May 2023
May 26th, Friday, 2023
I woke up at 4 am but fell back asleep and then woke up again at 5:30 am. Unfortunately, I went back to sleep once more due to body pain and numbness in my fingers. The probable cause was my exposure to snow, which resulted in body aches and muscle cramps due to the 15-hour ride I completed yesterday. Finally, I got out of bed at 7:30 am and began preparing for the day. After three days without a shower, I enjoyed a hot shower, which provided some relief for my body pain.
I headed down to the canteen where I had tea for Rs 10 and an aloo paratha for Rs 30. Upon returning to my room briefly, I decided to meet the hospital administrator, Dr. Christina Sankhro Das. On my way, I couldn't resist having another cup of tea. I then had the opportunity to meet Christina and express my interest in exploring the hospital's facilities and services. She arranged for Aditya, the head of the Physiotherapy department, to accompany me.
Breakfast: Aloo Paratha and Pickle
With Dr Christina Sankhro Das and Dr Aditya Deane Samuel PT
About Lady Willingdon Hospital
The Lady Willingdon Hospital was started in 1935 as a one room dispensary by the then Vicerene, Lady Willingdon. She had travelled to Manali and found no facilities here for the medical care of its inhabitants. She responded to the request of local people for a dispensary by arranging money for this purpose. The local people made a one room dispensary. On the 20th of November, 1935, this hospital was inaugurated by her.
For the past seventy five years, this hospital has provided solace and healing for the inhabitants of this region. It is currently the only viable health facility providing specialised services to the people of this valley.
Dr Philip Alexander and Dr Ana Alexander joined the hospital and are serving here from 2004.
The Lady Willingdon Hospital is a fifty five bedded hospital situated in Manali, at an altitude of 6500 feet on the only road over the Rohtang pass linking with the districts of Lahaul and Spiti. This hospital is under the Church of North India, Diocese of Amritsar, and is the only viable service provider for surgery and specialized medicine for the people of this valley and beyond.
- The hospital has Satellite Centres in Kaza (Spiti), Madgram (Lahaul), Jibhi (Kullu), and Katrain (Kullu).
- Alternate Week Weekend Clinics are conducted in Madgram and Jibhi.
- Ultrasound Clinics are held twice a week in Katrain.
- Medical and Surgical camps are organized in areas including Kaza, Pangi, Madgram, and Jibhi.
- For Pangi, the hospital utilizes the premises of the Government Hospital for its camps.
For more information on the services and how to get involved in their services, kindly visit their website: https://manalihospital.com/
I took pictures of all the different departments and met various hospital staff members. Eventually, I reached the Physiotherapy department, where I observed a physiotherapist named Ria treating a child with Cerebral Palsy. I offered to teach the Neuro Developmental Facilitation technique the next day, and we scheduled it for 10:30 am.
Returning to my room, I changed into casual clothing before heading to Loka restaurant, a Kerala eatery I found on Google Maps. There, I enjoyed Puttu with chicken curry, along with a cup of Kattanchaya, or black tea, for a total cost of Rs 190. The restaurant's location was picturesque, situated opposite the bridge leading to the Old Manali road.
Later in the afternoon, I took a walk to Manali Bazaar where I purchased chicken momos for Rs 150. Upon my return, I inquired about bike wash and chain spray, and was informed that the shops were located about a kilometer before reaching Manali on the highway.
Back in my room, I had the momos and rested for a while. Around 3:30 pm, Christina called to let me know that Dr. Philip Alexander was available to meet. I went to see him and his wife Anna. Our conversation covered their 19 years of service, their bike ride to Zanskar Valley in Ladakh, my suggestions for creating units for long-term chronic patients, details about my organization MBKG Pannai, and more.
After our discussion, I returned to the hospital canteen and had coffee for Rs 20. In the evening, around 5:30 pm, Dr. Philip invited me to a Bible study session at their home. We engaged in a wonderful meditation on the Gospel of Matthew 10:1-16. I was also asked to share my experiences from my Ladakh trip. I talked about how God had blessed my plans, ensuring that nothing changed despite all the uncertainties.
After the session, I returned to my room briefly before going back to have dal, rice, sabji, and roti for dinner along with tea at the hospital canteen, totaling Rs 60 + 10.
Before retiring for the night, I called home to update them on the day's events. To alleviate my body ache, I took a Pyregesic 1000mg tablet and then went to sleep after a brief prayer, expressing gratitude for the wonderful day.
27th Saturday, May 2023
I woke up at 6 am and got ready by around 7. I read the daily Bible passage and said my prayers. I went down to the hospital canteen and had an aloo paratha along with tea. Then I hurried to attend the morning hospital staff prayer. After the prayer, I was honored with a small gift.
I met Aaditya, the physiotherapy incharge, and informed him that I would be in the PT department to conduct a Neuro Developmental Therapy (NDT) class for the physiotherapists, to enhance their skills in handling children with cerebral palsy.
Returning to my room, I made some phone calls to friends and family. I proceeded to teach the NDT class and also provided consultation for a patient with periarthritis shoulder. I presented my book on evidence-based practice from a physiotherapist's perspective.
Afterward, I took my bike for washing and purchased chain lube for lubrication. This was the first and only chain lube application for the entire trip. I wished I had done it regularly throughout the journey, but the constant movement and new destinations made it challenging to find the time.
For lunch, I had fish curry, puttu (a South Indian dish), and fish fry at Loka Cafe near Manali river bridge. The total cost was Rs 620.
Returning to my room, I packed my belongings and rested for a while. At 5.30 pm, I visited Aaditya's house for tea. His wife Shiporah prepared a delightful tea and offered various snacks, including South Indian banana chips. We engaged in discussions about professional matters and left their home around 7.30 pm. Later, Jennitha, the daughter of the HR manager Mrs Deepa Johnson, consulted me regarding her vertigo. She works as a data analyst and spends prolonged hours on the computer. I shared a YouTube video on the Cawthorne-Cooksey exercises for vertigo.
Following that, I went to the hospital canteen and enjoyed two omelettes along with tea, costing Rs 70. I returned to my room, completed packing, and was ready to go. Then, I received a phone call from my wife informing me that my daughter had a high fever and a suspected urinary tract infection. They had taken her to CMC Hospital in Vellore. My wife drove her to the hospital along with our 8th-grade son. They conducted various tests, including urine tests, blood tests, X-rays, and an ultrasound. The doctors suggested admitting her, but considering my son couldn't stay in the hospital, they returned home around midnight, as our residence was about 15 km away from the hospital in rural Vellore. I felt helpless being away and couldn't sleep properly. I kept praying for my daughter's recovery and eventually managed to fall asleep.
28th Sunday, May 2023
I woke up at 4.30 am and immediately began my day with reading the Bible and praying for my daughter's health. After getting ready, I set off from the campus at 6.30 am. The road was smooth, and I enjoyed the curves of the road while riding alongside the Beas River. About an hour into the ride, the bike hit the reserve mark, prompting me to fill 5 litres of petrol, thinking that I might end up with more fuel than needed, which I could give away at the railway parcel service.
As I passed through Mandi, I decided to stop for breakfast at the Town house Café between 9.30 am and 10.45 am. Unfortunately, the preparation took quite a long time, and given how hungry I was, I ordered two Chole Bhaturas. However, there was a misunderstanding, and they brought me two plates of four Bhaturas. Given the language barrier and my hunger, I decided to eat all four of them along with a cup of chai. The total bill came to Rs 160 (Rs 75 + Rs 75 + Rs 10).
After breakfast, I continued my journey without any major stops. The GPS led me through some shortcuts, including a route towards Baddi and the Ambuja Cement factory, before bringing me back onto the national highway leading to Chandigarh. I finally reached Jat Bhawan by 2 pm. This accommodation had been arranged for me by my friend Sunil Raj, who used to work at CMC Vellore and now heads the Spinal Rehabilitation Centre in Chandigarh. The AC room at Jat Bhavan cost only Rs 700.
For lunch, Sunil treated me at Pal Dhaba, one of the oldest and renowned eateries in Chandigarh. We enjoyed garlic naan, Rogan josh, and lassi. Following lunch, Sunil took me to the Spinal Rehab Centre in Chandigarh. He showed me all the facilities and introduced me to a Para Table Tennis player who had performed in the Paralympics. I also met a group of volunteers who were practicing songs to perform for spinal cord injury patients. Interestingly, they were former patients of the institute themselves.
Later in the day, around 4.15 pm, Sunil arranged for his physio assistant, Sajan, to accompany me to the railway station. Before heading there, I emptied all the remaining petrol from the jerry can and the petrol tank, leaving only the reserve amount in the tank. The bike parcel service was conducted in a remote corner of the railway station, within a thicket of eucalyptus trees. The personnel handling the parcel took an additional 2 litres of petrol from the reserve tank. The total cost for packing and booking the parcel was Rs 4473 (Rs 1000 + Rs 3473).
At the railway station, there were numerous bikes lined up for booking, mostly from riders returning from Leh. I met the Gujarati bikers whom I had encountered at Khardung La and in the Nubra Valley. They were booking their bikes on the train and returning to Ahmedabad by their friend's car, which was driven alongside. The booking process took longer than expected and didn't conclude until 6.44 pm. Afterward, I returned to my room after purchasing a two-liter water bottle.
In the meantime, my daughter had been admitted to the hospital and was receiving intravenous antibiotics. My wife wanted me to return home as soon as possible. Managing a sick child alone is undoubtedly challenging. I trust that God is in control, and I'm keeping them in my prayers. There's only so much human effort can do.
The room at the Jat Bhawan was decent, but the only downside was that the bed sheets and pillow were dirty. I improvised by covering the pillow with my towel and then went to sleep.
29th Monday, May 2023
I woke up at 4.30 am and started my day by reading the Bible. After getting ready, I was all packed by 6 am. Sunil arrived at 6.15 am and drove me to the railway station. My luggage was quite heavy; I had my claw bag, and Sunil helped me with my helmet and backpack. I was amazed at how I had received help from friends at every step of the journey so far. I believed that God would continue to provide. We reached platform 6 after a challenging walk with my luggage. I loaded my bags into my compartment and then went to check if my bike had been loaded. I was relieved to see that my bike was already packed and ready.
Thanking God, I realized there weren't many pieces of luggage. My bike had been packed properly, a service for which I had paid Rs 1000. Sunil had to leave for work by 7.15 am, so I was left in the company of a family of three: an elderly couple and their granddaughter. The gentleman struck up a conversation with me in English, making my journey more pleasant. However, I felt a bit sad knowing they would be leaving the train at Agra station at 5 pm. The train started its journey at 8.10 am. I managed to sleep only between 2.30 to 4 pm. For the rest of the time, I enjoyed the company of Mr. Roshan Malik, the gentleman I had met. He worked as the head foreman in a construction company and shared his experiences of caring for his 4-year-old granddaughter, Mehrene Malik, whose father had passed away due to bone tumor. The couple had come down from their son's house in Brampton, Canada, to support their grand daughter and their daughter, who works as a Chartered Accountant in Chandigarh. His practical and kind nature left a deep impression on me. I prayed earnestly for blessings upon his family. We connected on Facebook, and I assured him that I would meet him on my next visit. They left at 5.15 pm at Agra station.
After that, two girls and a boy boarded the compartment. At first, there were some issues as they wanted to move my luggage, and the boy was rather bossy. However, as time passed, we all got along better. They turned out to be students; one girl was studying BDS, the other was pursuing BAMS, and the boy was studying BA. I had dinner early at 6.30 pm and went to bed by 8.30 pm. I called home and learned that my daughter was recovering slowly. Her vomiting had stopped, and she was able to eat and sleep well. I was deeply grateful to God for her recovery.
30th Tuesday, May 2023
I woke up a bit later at 5.30 am and went to the restroom before the peak morning time. I read the Bible and then had breakfast at 7 am. The upma I had ordered (Rs 40) was more like a semi-solid wheat porridge, accompanied by a sauce as a side dish. I also had a tea (Rs 10), water (Rs 15), and a coffee (Rs 25). I purchased 5 bananas for Rs 20, as we neared Nagpur. I spent the time watching the passing scenery and looking forward to Nagpur, where most of the current passengers would disembark, wondering who might come on board next. When we reached Nagpur, it was a relief for me as the two girls and the boy got off the train. Unfortunately, they left behind a lot of garbage, food wrappers, blankets, and sheets, showing no regard for the surroundings or fellow passengers.
As the journey continued, Jhumar lal from Warangal had boarded at Nagpur. Jhumar Lal runs a sweet shop called Heeralal sweets, the sweet shop was in its 5th generation of the family business. After passing Nagpur, around 1 pm, I had egg biriyani for lunch (Rs 90). It was decent, with two boiled eggs, but the quantity was quite small.
I received news from my wife that my daughter Thelma was recovering well. I thanked God and ate chicken biriyani. Given that her health had deteriorated right at the time of her admission to college, my concern had been quite high. I was grateful for her good treatment and the swift response to the medical care.
Since the train was moving slowly and stopping frequently due to signals, I began to feel hungry again because of the boredom. At 4.45 pm, I had a fruit cake pack (Rs 40), followed by a tea (Rs 10), two samosas and a kachodi (Rs 30), and finally, a 160ml cup of Elachi-flavoured cold milk (Rs 30).
The train journey was boring and was sleeping most of the time.
| Statistic | Amount |
|---------------------------------- |-------------------|
| Total Kilometers of Ride | 2,127 km |
| Fuel Cost | ₹6,500 |
| Total Food, Accommodation & Entry tickets Cost | ₹13,000 |
| Train Ticket Cost (Me & My Bike)| ₹15,000 |
| Repair Cost | Nil |
........End
This is the first time I have seen a blog like yours which is so detailed and so so long. It seems that you remember every single one you met in the trip. So great. Its my honor to meet you once in Leh. We didn't talk too much. But I was so curious about and interested in your journey. You are an mature man, with a motorcycle, don't know Hindi even you are Indian :)), having a blog, knowing what you are doing... thank you for sharing your journey. It inspires me a lot.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your words of appreciation. The people I meet and their stories is always the interesting part of this journey apart from the pleasure of bike ride and the scenic landscapes.
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