Finally I started writing about the ride full with energy, pleasure, thrill, adventure, excitement and also darkness, loneliness and scary. Three days of holidays were coming up and what’s better then going on a ride. I did some initial research and was looking for some 450 - 500kms one way ride in Himalayas. Himachal was my top priority as it was rainy season and roads in Himachal are little better then Uttranchal and also I have been a lot in Uttranchal. I called almost everybody even those who haven’t done a single ride :) and also those who say who live for this thing. At the end the list of people going were “just me". Night before going many things came up in my mind some were negative and some positive on me going alone. to be honest negatives were much higher. My bikko friend Phalgun told me you should go it will be fun that was one of the positives in my mind. I felt that I keep feeling and saying that I love to ride so this is the time to love it.
Day 1 : Feeling : excitement : Tring tring.....ggggggggggg..gggggggg . 5 ‘o’ clock I woke started to pack and got ready by 6 on the bike to start the journey. One push and heart start pumping. My first aim was to reach Chandigarh and I just started.... vroom vroom vroom ....... passing trees, cars , jeeps , people, riding in the dawn I didn’t stopped for over 100kms first stretch, ohy I enjoyed it the feeling of just me. First stop at around 130 km for some water and to stretch. Roads started to fill as daylight approached with buffaloes, tractors, autos, cycles, carts, and just everything. Roads were amazing and so the distances I was covering was good in respect to time. During the next stretch I was little bit feeling tiredness which was not exactly physical but mental at this stage the alone thing was giving me negative vibes. But with some quick thoughts I was back in track and focused. After some another 100 kms I was just about to reach Panchkulla and I took my second break. I was thirsty and thought lets have a beer to cheer up but drink and ride was not in my book of bike riding, but still I squeezed in one breezer in that book as I was riding alone and to be honest It helped. Soon I passed kalka and was again on the Himalayan roads, ohh man I miss them so much. My ride started with throttle and brakes and still sohecking and off I go, straight, left, right, brake, bend accelerate all going on, full on fun man.It was around 12 and with 20 odd kms from Shimla I Realized I am driving since 6 in morning without eating anything and just taking two pit stops and that to for just few minutes. I planned to have a breakfast but to be honest its much better to ride when your stomach is empty rather then its filled. But still some is needed as its necessary for my
body. I found a nice shop on the highway and took a stop. Ordered a maggi (BIKERS LOVE IT) and took a chips packet and also a Red Bull. Some 20-30 min break and I was off again and within a half an hour I was Shimla and after 15 mins I was out of Shimla and travelling towards Narkanda. By now it was getting foggy and visibility was almost 50m.
Roads were getting bad but I hope once I climb down the altitude it will be ok. But guys I was not just wrong I was completely wrong, where there should be road there was thick, sticky muddy pool of water everywhere. Stones, Rocks, pits, trenches, muddy water and thick muddy sheet. For someone new it would be a disaster to ride in it but wit some experience of mine and fellow bikers with whom I learned a lot I was able to keep going without much hustles and to my surprise I came to know that the condition of road is same till Narkanda which 40 km from where I was. That patch of 40kms took me around 2-3 hours; yes 2-3 hours you can imagine how bad was it. When I reached to Narkanda I took a break and again thought about the further plan. I was running late from my schedule and thoughts of not reaching Sarahan today was getting blurry. If I didn’t reach Sarahan tonight then whole of my trip will be #$@#$@ as I was really on tight budget of time. I continued to drive towards Rampur and thought I will take a break there. As I crossed Narkanda to my surprise roads were again looking good and in just some kms it became smooth highway, ohh god I was so happy and again reaching Sarahan was looking real to me. I started to glide again and covering kilometres fast. Ride was again fun and Sun was getting lower and lower. I was having a feeling that I have a race with sun that who will reach fast to destination. After few kilometres road came nearly to the Satluj river bed and continued along it for kilometres
. It was amazing feeling with road and river side by side and me and waters both full of intensity but just directions were opposite. Around 5-6, I was in Rampur without stopping I continued towards my first day destination (Sarahan). At around 7:30 I was in Jeori from where a road to Sarahan split from the national highway 22. It was just last light from the sun of today were left in the sky but still visibility was ok and I had a feeling at Jeori that things are going the way I thought aboutt timing. I was just 20 kms away from Sarahan and there is still visibility left so not bad at all, and to remind you people I am around 500kms away from my home. One day 500+ kilometres for me is always satisfying and that too around mountains, rivers, forest and my bike. Last 20 kms of my ride from Jeori to Saharan was almost in dark but was fun as I like driving in mountains in night. On my way a Tata Sumo was ahead of me and I saw many children sitting in them they were looking at me and smiling and then talking among them. They were making lot of noises and enjoying. They made some moves like they are dancing and I thought they are trying to communicate with me but they dont know who am I , where I am from, am I Indian or not or is it really I am liking what they doing. After some time driving behind them I did one thing I just moved my both hands in the air and did a small hand move of bhangra dance with hands and that’s it these children gone mad they were started dancing inside the car full bhangra and screaming, I think these children felt that I am like one of them and got connected. After some moves I over took the jeep and I was cruising my way towards Sarahan. 8:30 and I was in Sarahan, standing in the small market I looked around the town, It was small hill station type town with not much population. Saharan is at around 3000mtrs and it is snow capped in winters. I saw a huge building in middle of the town it was lit up by lights, my first impression was that It was a hotel but after a asking a guy I came to know its a Durga temple and it is very old and this is one attraction why people come to Sarahan. To be honest I didn't even knew that this town is famous for any sort of temple. Anyway I started to look around for a place to stay and eat. I got a room just next to the entry of that huge temple which I hardly can see as it was dark all around. There was also one HP tourism guest house there but I just opted this one as I was tiered and didn’t wanted to take my bike to somewhere else and also this was just next to temple so I can visit it early in morning without taking my bike. After putting the luggage from bike to the room i got changed and relaxed for a bit and then went to the market to eat and get some stuff to eat back in room later. Had some drinks went to the roof and to my surprise the guest house I was staying had the highest roof in the town. It was a good view around with temple building on one side and town on other. crrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rhhhhhhhhhh..............bang......................... lightining ....... and here it came, and it came like it was waiting for me whole day to get in to the shed. I stayed at the roof in the darkness and enjoyed the rain till the time it was not heavy down pour. Soon I came to my room and it started to rain heavily. I was thinking that whole day in rainy season there was no rain it was surprising but to be honest if it had rained on my w ay I wouldn't be able to reach here tonight. I enjoyed the rain from my room and clicked some picture. While clicking I clicked one amazing picture of the temple. In this picture only source of the light was lightning. At this very moment I also started to feel stiff and felt lonely. Feeling was very bad and dark I came to a point on which i started thinking why I am here and why I am doing this, I would be sitting at home and enjoying rather then being here alone sitting in a room tiered and so far from home. That moment was one of my very weak moments of my life. At the same time I was trying not to think like that but it was coming like that only. And to make it worse I started to feel that I will be sick anytime now. Dark, darker darkest. I even finalized that I am not going any far from here tomo and will be going back. I went to the bad and started to watch pictures I took on my way, it helped me little but I got my answer why I do it and why I did it alone. The feeling at that moment was trying to find out sugar dissolved in water. What I did I drank the whole water and felt that no matter where the sugar was in it now I have all in me. I started to again feel positive and soon 
I dozed
off............ zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzz
zzzzzz
zzzzzzzz.. hiccups.....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Day 1 Night : feeling ->Confused, Sad, dark.
Day 2: feeling : I can do it, Fight, stable : Around 7 I got up after a relaxed and satisfying sleep. First thin came in my mind was: TO Sangla". Started to get ready, nothing much was there as I didn’t unpacked much things so soon I organised all luggage back on my bike tied up. Took my camera went to the temple and clicked some pictures. It was huge temple with wooden structure and doors plated with
silver. I clicked some pictures of it and soon I was back on my ride and ready to take off to Sangla. Road from Sarahan towards Sangla was almost like dirt road, only plus was it was not with pot holes so I could achieve speeds of 50-60 with dirt trail leaving behind. Some turns, left, rights, up and down and i was in Baspa Valley, Oh Man what a view it Was. Huge valley in middle of snowy peaks and with so colourful vegetation in the valley. I Crossed Sangla town and started towards Chitkul ,
after like 4 kms I stopped at a perfect location from where I could see complete Baspa valley. Clicked some picture sat for some time there and enjoyed the beauty. It was around 2 there I realized I have to reach back till Narkanda tonight so its better I start my back journey. With Chitkul not far from there it was a tough decision for me to go ahead or back. I took to go back as I have been to ahead in this trip and I was very much satisfied with my effort. I promised to myself one day I will come back here and go to Chitkul. I started my journey back to Narkanda and with good speed I was at Narkanda at 8:30. In between I just enjoyed the ride, with riding stretches increasing to over 2 hours at one time.
In Narkanda I stayed at HATU (himachal tourism guest house), It was awesome. I ordered a beer and sat in the garden in front of it and enjoyed it with a feeling of "I did it". The guest house was amazing with excellent room little on expensive side, after some bargain he gave me deluxe room which was 1800 in 1000 rupees. This feeling at Hatu I can describe as satisfying. My trip was full of high and low moments of my feelings and energy. But Next day when I reached Delhi I was much more closer to myself and this was something I didn’t planned before the trip but I achieved it.
rin ring ring..............ring ring............................ get up pack the bags dude we are late :):).
Cool!!!
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