Pristine Beaches of Malvan

A mid-week break is the best medicine for a working professional. A mid-week break gives you an opportunity to explore places you've never been to. A mid-week break lets you forget about the false materialistic aspects that occupy our mind 24*7*365.

And so began the journey to the southernmost district of Maharashtra. Malvan is a culturally and historically important town in the Sindhudurg district with white sand beaches, Sindhudurg Fort and beautiful sunsets.

When most of the crowd rushed to Goa, we(Shaily, Shampa and ofcourse me) cruised to a smaller unknown town to relax and unwind.

After 25-30 odd calls(since it was a long weekend and there was a mad rush) I managed to book a homestay for the 4 of us.

The journey was devoid of any adventures except for a split second when a dog almost commited suicide. I hope it's still alive. The route that we took was pretty bad, and took almost 10 hours to cover a 400 km stretch.

We stopped at Kolhapur for dinner at Hotel Niyaz. The biryani was one of the best that I've ever tasted. Even other dishes had a different aroma. 

We reached Tarkarli at 0300 hours. It was overwhelming to find the owner standing on the road, waiting for us. He even called us half a dozen times to make sure we were fine and had our dinner.

Shaily and I walked to the beach(Shampa was sleepy) which was close to the place where we stayed. The water was clear and the waves were ideal for a splash. Next we headed to the Rock Garden. A sunset at the rock garden is a must watch. It captivates you and makes you want more. Distinct colours in the sky, rocks amidst the clear water and the sun acting as a beacon made it a million dollar sight to behold.

Next morning we took a boat trip(Shampa was still sleepy) to see the dolphins. But sadly, they didn't show up. Reason for their absence was a mad rush of some 30 boats looking for them. Water sports in the back waters and the sangam point(sea and river meet) is another main attraction for the tourists at the Tsunami island. We returned after a 2 hour boat ride. The next big thing was waiting for us.

India has a 8000 km coastline but surprisingly it hosts very few proper diving sites. One of them is Tarkarli. Although not so professional as compared to the Havelock island but the ease of doing it makes it special. The site is still developing and still a virgin beach. That makes it all the more special.

Shampa was the first one to go, followed by Shaily(hesitant at the beginning since she had already done it in Port Blair) and finally me. We were given few instructions, weight was tied to our bodies and a couple of equipments too to help us breathe underwater.

As I nodded in approval, I was pulled into the sea. The key to a successful dive is trusting your instructor and keeping calm, no matter how nervous you're feeling. The fear of water is one obstacle that you have to overcome else you'll never be at peace. The water was clear and the sea bed was visible as soon as we dived in. The depth was not frightening but a moderate one(20 feet approx). One could see coral reefs and fishes around.

Shaily joined me after some time as we were to be photographed. But as soon as the guy started taking pictures, Shaily's diving gear falied to function and she was taken out to rescue. Meanwhile I, unaware of the fact that she's not around, continued posing and looking around. With no support (as the guy had left me to cover shaily) it was difficult to stay put as the buoyant force was acting strong in the dense sea water, but somehow I managed. Shaily joined me soon and this time she looked ready to pose. We held each other for sometime and had some lovely clicks before we were pulled up. It was a short dive (15-20 mins) but you can actually feel every tick and every tock of the watch.

We decided to start the return journey early next day. And we were bang on time. After a nice breakfast and thanking the hosts(Mr. & Mrs. Krishna Mestri) for a wonderful homestay, delicious Malvani delicacies and dedicated effort to keep us comfortable, we moved on.

Another wonderful journey, another memoir and another peaceful trip away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Thank you Life.

Leh Diary- Rest of the Journey!

Day 9(Sonamarg- Srinagar- Gulmarg-Anantnag- patni top)

360 Kms

By far the return journey did little to worry us. The Jhelum gives a perfect backdrop for photographers. 

We halted at Srinagar for 2 reasons.

1) Get the spare part of Safari fixed. (finally, some smiles)

2) Lunch (kebabs, mutton, chicken- no place for veggies)

After a stumptuous meal, we headed for Dal lake. 

But the moment we parked our vehicle, the weather got nastier and the Shikarawalla said -" 1 crore doge to bhi nahi jayenge". Neither we had a crore nor we wanted to risk our lives, so we moved straight to Gulmarg. 

Kashmir is blessed with such beautiful landscapes at every corner, much like wonders of nature, but you cannot get enough of it even if you get to stay there permanently, so we had to move on.

Without wasting a minute, we headed stright to PatniTop, our planned stoppage for the night. And as always, we were already late. With no liquor available and no liquor shops around, it was difficult. But on such trips, you have to be prepared for extreme situations. 

Round and Round and Round and Round.

"When will I get  to drive on staright roads?" I wondered.
Everyone waas asleep, except Shaily and Anshuman. It was already 1:30 AM.

Finding a hotel at 0200 hours can be tedious. After a couple of enquiries we managed to get a decent room. The clock had struck 3 and it was time to give my eyes a little rest.

Day 10(Patnitop-udhampur-Pathankot-Hoshiarpur-Rupnagar-Kharar-Chnadigarh)

450 Kms

And Finally, we bid adieu to mountains when we descended PatniTop. A long affair it was, and a beautiful one too. Something that will stay in our hearts for a long time. Early morning breakfast ensured we started early. We drove on the marvelous 4 lane highway. Safari was in good shape by now, and I was more determined to carry this through without passing the baton of driving. An ordinary lunch, annoying city traffic, traffic signs for various other destinations(Dharamshala,Kasol..) and a drive through the well planned city of Chandigarh were the high point of the day. 

It was time for us to bid adieu to Anshuman. A small celebration made the moment complete. 

Day 11(Chandigarh - Delhi - Mumbai - Pune)

The saddest day of the trip. It was almost over. No more travelling, no more sight  seeing and no more Himalayas. I took back seat as Amit took over for the victory lap. Nothing unusual happened other than a small traffic jam due to huge crowd for some political rally. We luckily escaped the traffic jam. Next we dropped Jyoti at a nearby metro station(Again, we were getting late :) ). And finally the Safari was parked where it should be. Hell yeah!
LEH'ED- HELL YEAH

I managed an hour sleep after lunch and boarded the flight. Mumbai to pune was also an easy ride due to normal traffic. We sneaked under the bed at 3 a.m., no lights, no fan due to short circuit fire in the building. But who needs the light and fan when you have sleep in your eyes.

P.S- Thanks to everyone who was a part of this journey! You guys were awesome! A wonderful company. Kashmir is probably the paradise that we keep talking about. Sadly, it has been devastated by the floods. And we are grateful that we did not encounter such a horrific experience. The Indian army is again playing its part in what it does best. Anshuman's bike is still in Srinagar due to floods. We all are still mesmerized and in awe of the beauty that was served to us. 

Iss Dharti pe Kahin swarg hai to yehi hai, yehi hai, yehi hai….
Kashmir, I'll be back again!

Leh Diary Day 6- Day 8

Day 6/7(Leh- Pangong Tso Lake- Leh)

220 Kms

We had booked 3 Bikes(Royal Enfield) for the best part of the trip because we couldn't risk taking an unfit Safari for another roller coaster ride. Unfortunately, the booked bikes were not available due to over booking. Finally we had to be content with Xylo. I decided to ride the Fazer(Still going good).A little health check up of the bike and we were ready for another adventurous ride.

The roads were the high point of this trip. And it was the most relaxing part of the journey, as we had a driver. I plugged in my earphones, and continued cruising even though my fingers pained. But the visual treat made me forget everything. Fellow riders keep wishing you luck and waiving at you. Keeps you busy and makes you smile all the while.

Just before the world's third highest motorable pass, Changla La (17500 ft),  We took a break to witness the hard work our wonderful Army has put in. In places where we struggled to breathe, they not only survived, but also worked hard to ensure that tourists have the best adventure of their lives. I read it on one of the road signs : A life time adventure for you is a daily routine for US(Indian Army).

Let me take a moment to thank The INDIAN Army- Its an honor that you guys serve the country, its a pleasure to drive on highest motorable passes of the world in extreme weather conditions. You guys make us proud. Keep up the good work. Double Thumbs Up.

I posed for a couple of clicks and moved ahead. The descent is not always easy, and I realized it the hard way. The road got a little bumpy again as I startED the descent. In a bid to move fast, I forgot to keep a check on my brakes. Just as I was getting into a comfort zone(dangerous thing to do), my bike hit a rough patch and before I could realize the bike was on the ground. Somehow I was safe, and avoided a fall. But the steep slope made me gather momentum and:

Humpty Dumpty Had a great fall.

Thankfully, the damage was small. I rushed to the bike. Shit, the wiser was gone.

I didn't feel the pain initialy but then it set in. Another biker checked me and i signalled him to move on. I brushed off the dust and moved on, rubbing my knee and palm. Xylo was way behind. I drove almost 100 kms before i was asked to stop. Jyoti wanted to ride. I explained them my bit of story and quietly landed into the back seat of xylo. It was still paining.

Anshuman finally took his turn to drive the bike, and with the kind of experience he has, it was a cakewalk for him.

The mountains keep coming at you, and a variety of them : snow capped, dry, green, colourful. Horses, yaks and Pashmina goats are a common sight. They combine to give you the feel of a safari ride. We were smitten and enchanted with the first view of Pangong lake(14000 ft). Pangong is a long(150 kms), narrow trans boundary lake that mesmerizes the Indians as well as the Chinese. What seemed to be a small wetland, kept coming at us and never ended.

I could use numerous adjectives(Enigmatic, serene, tranquil….) and yet fall short of describing the beauty. We covered a good portion of the lake before we started to look for camping beside the lake. Sadly, the camps were booked, and we looked for a room, which was another good find.

So what do we do next after hot, delicious, boring maggi? Lets have little-little ;)

It was fun playing various indoor games : Raja Mantri Chor Sipahi, jack and the killer. The gods by then had turned on the stars, and the bonfire was in place too. What a sight! Almost everyone witnessed a "Falling star". Dinner was ready after another 30 mintues. It was time to hit the bed. And yes, My knee was still paining.

Witnessing a sunrise is a charm in itself ,coupled with Himalayan ranges and the beauty of Pangong makes you forget the pain. A walk by the Lake in the dawn is a must. Its breath taking to say the least.

After a filling breakfast(not that good on the tastebuds), it was time for some bollywood action alongside the lake. We went to the '3 Idiots' shooting location and spent an hour by the lakeside. Not to forget the odd thousand clicks.

The return journey was without hiccups with no further adventures(vehicle breakdown,accidents) and quiet in terms of adventure, with everyone enjoying the scenic beauty. We reached Leh around 1600 hours, and the first thing I did was take the Safari for another round of check up. After much discussion and Jugaad options, we managed to get it done. By far the best jugaad with some brass welding around 2 iron pipes. The mechanic assured that it would go on for another 10000 kms.

The day ended with a nice dinner and some shopping. By far it was the  most relaxing day of the journey. What do we do next? Nubra valley?(keeping in mind Safari's condition) or do we start the return journey and cover Sonemarg, Gulmarg and Dal lake? Shabba Khair!

Day 8(Leh-Kargil-Sonemarg)

330 kms

Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered. And lo, no one was there.

Probably starting the return journey was the best decision that we could have afforded. We started early to avoid another Pang. We booked Anshuman's bike(Well played!) with a transportaion agency upto Chandigarh and he joined us on the way back(Little cramped for 4 people sitting on the back seat).

The return journey is always considered to be boring but not when you have a good company which include friends, family, nature, stunning views and a well maintained highway(NH-1). The magnetic hill and zanskar valley ought to amaze you. The shapes that mountains take in Moonland is a visual treat.

We drove, sang and danced. Thankfully, safari was in good condition. Army trucks kept waving at us whenever we waved at them, or saluted them. It feels satisfying to give them a passing smile when they see you wave.

Next stop---- Kargil war memorial. Many of us have seen it in movies(LOC, Lakshya),documentriesand read about it in newpapers, but to actually visit the battleground made everyone sad(because we lost lives),happy(because we won),proud(because national flag still flies high and mighty) and ofcourse angry(for obvious reasons. Bastards).

We spent nearly 2 hours at the memorial, reading every letter that was displayed and every story that was told. It was an emotional journey through time. The courage and valour at such extreme battle is no child's play. Stories about recapturing Tololing, Tiger hill, Batra top makes you happy whereas war photos, captured pakistani fighting gears is bound to bring a hatred for the cowardly act.

A walk through the memorial was our tribute to late Capt Vikram Batra, late Lt Manoj Kumar Pandey, Rifleman Sanjay Kumar, grenedier Yogendra Singh Yadav and all the soldiers who served thier part in bringing glory to our motherland, India. Our eyes welled up during the 2 hours that we spent.

It was already 1800 hours and we had another 130 kms to cover with zojila pass in between. The drive was not bad but testing. Really testing. Driving through Zojila pass after sunset was probably the toughest part of the journey. But slow and steady wins the race and we did manage to come out unscathed.

Finally we had Jhelum by our side and some greenry too, finally we reached  Sonamarg ~ another visual treat. 

Leh Diary - Day 4 And Day 5

Day 4 : D day( Keylong-Jispa-Darcha-Baralacha La- Sarchu - Pang)

200 Kms

17-Aug-2014

The best thing about life is that no matter how tasking the previous 24 hours were, it gives you an opportunity to set things right again. Another beautiful morning, pleasant sun and mountains right in front of us were inviting us to move forward. 

We had to move back some 15 km(Tandi) to refuel to be on the safer side. Empty roads for the first time in daylight was the highlight as I went back to my favourite seat in a car. Amit took the loyal Fazer and Anshuman joined us in Safari with thumping dance numbers. Shweta and shaily took turns to spread their wings on the bike and I was already in awe with whatever my eyes got to see. 

After another dose of bread omlette and maggi at Darcha (11000 ft), we were ready to cruise. 

I pressed the accelerator but it showed no sign of speed, changed gears and pressed again, still the safari showed no signs of speed. So here it was, day 4's challenge, the Safari had surrendered and engine icon appeared on the speedometer panel. By now, I had realized that this aint gonna be easy. I pulled over immedietly, opened the bonnet. Engine was HOT!

Underestimating the gravity of the situation, we stopped for lunch at Sarchu (14000 ft). The engine refused to cool down. 

With hope and courage, we resumed post lunch but had to pull over again after 4-5 kms. This time there was smoke coming out of the bonnet. This was the last nail in the coffin. No mobile network, no mechanics and not much of tool kit we were carrying, it was endless stretch of mountains and nobody. All we could do was look for help. But to whom? Patience was the key as we waited for half an hour.

Thankfully the angels arrived, Happy singh and company. Here I would take a pause to thank those wonderful souls. Punjabis are a gem.

"Oye ki hoya Paaji?"

"Paaji, Gaadi kharab ho gayi!"

And all of a sudden we were 10 people working on the machine. 4 more vehicles stopped, all of them Punjabis, offering help. Suddenly the grim faces were smiling. They helped and they moved ahead wishing us luck. Long live Sardars.

We decided to wait for another half an hour at the deserted place. Another platoon of local drivers offered help with strange jugaad technologies(a condom as a cello tape :P), but they messed it up, causing more damage. Stupid ignorant fellas. Another half an hour wait did little to improve our confidence(We had no other option, going back was out of scene). So we marched ahead.

 Standing right infront of us were the dreadful Gata loops, the curvaceous, torturous and daunting 22 hair pin loops(16000 ft). Just when we thought we had it covered, panic struck. Shit! Not Again!  Safari refused to buzz, and that too right in the middle of Gata loops.  Nowhere to go(absolutely nowhere), we just prayed(We couldnt do much). And let me tell you, prayers in those region never go unheard, simply because you are at 17000 ft, much closer to the gods (So when in problem, remember the almighty). Another long wait made everyone restless. But "sabra ka fal meetha hota hai".

 A paramillitary commander who had left his job few years back was there to help us. Another hour passed as we struggled with the safari. By now the sun was behind the mountains and the temprature was beginning to dip fast. In the end the Jugaad technology came to our rescue. The commando assured us that it would be fine and he would drive with us till Pang. Thank God, I muttered.

I have no idea what others felt, but I was scared. Refusing to take any extra passengers, I polietly asked Amit and Anshuman to follow us as I marched ahead. Jai mata di!

Finally we reached the dreaded place of the tour- Pang (15000 ft)! With no other option left but to halt, we decided to stay in a camp. Little did we know that it would be almost(not really) death by cold for few of us.

Such was the pressure drop and chill that people refused to sleep the whole night. 

Amit-"ye mere life ka sabse tough raat hai, log yahan marne aate hain kya?"

Shweta-"Agony, shock, freaking cold, altitude sickness."

Shweta at 2:00 Am - "Chalo chalte hain yahan se, Anshuman ka Bike ja payega?" (She had no idea how cold it was outside when she said this).

Somehow I was fine, I went out and got the bag of medicine.Before I moved inside the tent,I looked at the stars, they were so close and clear. I was more troubled by the thought that Safari might create a scene again than by all falling sick.I handed them the medicines and closed my eyes. I could still listen to their conversation almost all night. They really were in shock and agony.

 We survived another day. Signing off from Pang.

Day 5 (Pang-Murray Plains- Leh)

200 Kms

18-Aug-2014

Amit- Down and out/Surrendered

Shweta - Down and out/Surrendered

Anshuman - down but not out, experienced to handle such extreme conditions

Shaily - Better of the lot

We knew we had to get out of Pang as soon as possible. The next challange was going to the washroom :) ! We all cleared level 1 ;)

I volunteered to ride the Fazer as Anshuman was down, but Amit refused to buzz. He needed rest. Anshuman had no choice but to gear up for the drive that  made him chill to the bone. But before he could ride the bike, Fazer required another 30 kicks to start, even more! Not only fazer, Safari was dead as well,the engine of the car was cold as ice( Well, the coolant pipe was damaged again. I can smile as i write this now).

"Chalo Dhakka maaro". 

Everyone watched as i tried my best to get the engine started and thankfully it did. Phew! You have no idea, how relieved I was.

Another 20 kms and we could see smoke coming out of the bonnet again. 

"This wont go far", everyone of us knew this. But before you give up, try once more! We looked for options, primarily help. And help was right in front of us!

Big Help! 

"Bhaiya coolant pipe fatt gaya hai".

 It was a no brainer for the truckwallahs/construction workers (building roads) to read our minds. Luckily they had some equipments too! They cut an iron pipe and fixed it in place of the coolant pipe. "This would be good to go. This had to work". I told myself.
The godmen(read construction site workers) told us that another 3 hours and we will be between habitation. That pumped us. We could manage to breathe now.

Driving through the murray plains (40 Km stretch) was a stress reliever. But the apprehension had got better of us. We were extra careful.

"Stop, I need to puke"! 

Shweta's tolerance was breached, Amit also needed a doctor, We all needed some breakfast and Safari needed periodic rest. We took a break just before Tanglang La (18000 ft). 

Another round of bread omlette and maggi disgusted everyone but that is all you get at 17000 ft.

It was 1000 hours. Jyoti was supposed to land in Leh at 0800 hours. We knew he would be trying to contact us(He didn't know where to put up in Leh, had no details whatsoever, and his prepaid connection wont work in LEH) but who was gonna tell him what we were going through and what was ahead of us.
Tanglang la was supposedly the last lap, the last hurdle. We carried on.

Amit was off to sleep by then, Shweta was impatient after 2 rounds of puking, I was cautitious and Shaily was busy with the camera. With regular breaks at 30 Kms, we marched ahead, even turning off the engine a few times to avoid overheating. Finally we reached the Second highest motorable pass(Tanglang la) of the world. The view was breathtaking, and we were breathless. 

We clicked nice shots. Luckily, Safari was in good health, which gave me enough confidence. 

As we descended, passengers started to get chirpier. With some fruits to eat, shweta was alive. Amit too was getting back to normal.

We were back :)! 

Smiles were back. With empty roads, mountains on the left, Indus on the right and interesting road signs (Be gentle on my curves) made the moment light. The headache was gone now.  A little more than enough of oxygen supply and sights of people on the road made us feel better. 

Meanwhile in Leh, Jyoti knew nothing. He waited and waited and waited before we made contact. That was around 1200 hours. Finaly, everything was falling in line.

A little late but safe. On the way there were Army camps, monastries and hell lot of vehicle repair centres. One noticable thing was cleanliness, it seemed like we were far away from the rest of India. 

We rushed to pick Jyoti. 

Welcome Aboard.

Three cheers for making it to Leh (safely) - Hip Hip, Hurray! Hip Hip, Hurray! Hip Hip, Hurray! We shouted and headed for the hotel.
We needed food, and some rest. But wait, Safari needed some attention. So we ran from pillar to post to get it serviced.

Bad News- The service station was a small one and they did not have the spare part we were looking for.

Good News- We had Rum and Whiskey.

Great news - We could breathe a sigh of relief and contact our Family and friends.

Take rest guys. Driving  800 kms was not a pain in the ass, infact it was the most fabulous and thrilling journey I had ever undertook. I needed rest. We all needed some rest. See you Tomorrow. Leaving you with a memory of heaven to cherish.

To Be Continued..

Leh Diary - Day 2 And Day 3

Day 2(Delhi-Sonepat-Panipat-Karnal-Kurukshetra-Ambala-Kharar-Rupnagar-Sundernagar-Mandi-Manali)
600 Kms
15-Aug-2014(Beware of the Ides of August!)
Early to bed and early to rise. The perfect mantra when you are on an unending drive! We got up at 6, freshened up and were rearing to go by 7.
Fuel-Check,
Air pressure -Check,
Engine oil - Forgot to check,
Coolant - Forgot to check.
Nonetheless, high on excitement we started the first leg of journey. Not only us, but aprroximately, a  quarter of national capital's total population too started their journey for Manali via NH1. Meanwhile Anshuman left for Manali on his bike from Chandigarh at around 8 A.M.

We reached Ambala somewhere around 1200 hours and had lunch at the much renowned Hotel Haveli(a not so good experience). Amit launched himself in the driver seat, followed by shaily's desire to drive, followed by amit taking over again as we approached the mountains. What followed next was a nightmare.
An ocean of traffic awaited us just when we started to enjoy the drive after lunch. People coming from manali adviced us to go back, telling tales of their journey. Some even claimed about landslide, bridge being washed away and what not. But we continued. I took over the wheels in between the traffic jam, and cleared the initial traffic but sadly it kept coming. Traffic diversions created more delay. We were late for dinner.
But dinner was the last thing on my mind(Amit was the prime sufferer of this sudden change of plan). I just wanted to reach manali, by hook or crook. After reaching Mandi, we refuelled again, it was 12:30 Am and another 100 kms with heavy rain and Beas by the side, we discussed our course of action. The petrol pump guy informed(read misinformed) us of bad condition of road ahead.
I checked with Anshuman(He was right on time) and he gave me a go ahead and inspired us to keep moving.
ETA 3 hours.Never in my life had I seen such thrunderous roars and ferocious downpour. It was a chilling and scary drive, but I held on to my nerves!
Finally we made it. I checked my watch, 2:30 AM, and took a sigh of relief. Morning tells how the day will go, this was just the start of tough days ahead.
Atleast we were on schedule. Anshuman was happy that he did not had to spend the night alone. And at last Amit had something to eat, a little though. The hotel was a surprising one, almost a 3 bhk flat for a mere 2400 INR. Some good news in the end.

Day-3 (Manali-Rohtang pass-Keylong)
120 Kms
16-Aug-2014
It was a beautiful morning-Bright ,Sunny and windy.. Almost took away the pain we went through the previous day. A heavy breakfast and ration stuffing, delayed the start to the journey. Manali was beaming with energy, we could feel the rush. Apple gardens, the Beas and view of Rohtang were mesmerizing. I took a break from driving and amit took over. Anshuman drove his Fazer( shaan se). God knows how the fazer has survived its 3rd such trip, second in 2014. Thumbs up to YAMAHA.

Little did we know that the traffic kept following us. Amit cursed his luck. We moved at snail's pace whereas Anshuman being smarty pants, rushed to the top with the jharkhand registered bike.

We had no option but to keep complaining about the thousand others stuck in the traffic and at the same time enjoying the marvels of Himalayas. Himalayas, huge as they seemed were generous to welcome us on every turn and twist, requesting us to keep track of blind curves and not littering the place. Every corner presented a view that surpassed the previous, and every inch was breathtaking to say the least. It was surreal, majestic and what not. Every now and then I got a chance to climb up the mountains, sit on the top and enjoy the passing clouds. This has to be felt rather than read. So buckle up guys and drive.

After almost 6 hours drive and 50 kms, (yes you read it correct, 50 Kms : 6 Hours) we were on top of Rohtang La (13,000 FT). It was not difficult to spot the legendary Fazer and a little boy shivering in the cold(Poor soul, he waited for nearly 3 hours at the top). He rushed to the Safari and seeked warmth. As soon as we opened the gates to let him in, a cold wave hit us.
Amit(Before gates opened) : I prefer jacket and shorts when its cold.
And what happened next was not surprising. He was looking for all gears that he had for the trip. And so did the rest of us.

After waiting for 3 hours on top ( god knows how he did it) and jhelofy couple of showers, Anshuman survived but needed much deserved rest. I volunteered to drive the bike for next 50 Kms. As expected, it didnt start. After some 30 kicks, we could smile (We were breathless too). I pledged that I wouldn't let the engine freeze again. It was more of a task than enjoyment for next 60 minutes as I bumped through under developed road and weak headlights. Thankfully, people followed us no more (most of them went back to Manali). It was me,darkness, frigid August night and the galaxy above.
Meanwhile Amit faced a barrage of problems due to reckless drivers who drove on high beam. Finally we reached Keylong (10000 ft).
120 Kms : 12 hours
The hotel was a nice find, credits to Anshuman. Dinner was filling. Beas was still audible. And the night gladly welcomed us. Long day. Phew!!!

To be continued..