As I left a still sleepy Sangrur at 8.30 in the morning, the point was clear and throbbing in my head. Need to reach Jaisalmer. That was the first mistake.
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McLeodganj is a quaint little town with about 4 radial roads going out from the city cetre which end before you can say ‘kaput!’. And on those 4 roads, shops sell everything from locally made handicrafts to can’t-find-even-in-Mumbai chocolates. There are Buddhist monks everywhere. The Bullet’s roaring sounds is in the air. You hear Hindi and English the least and what you hear doesn’t make much sense. People from all over the world are here. The Dalai Lama’s home is nice and pretty. Definitely worth coming. But if I am here to “see” anything, there is nothing but disappointment. No temples. No museums. No snow filled resorts. Nothing. Which is the reason why not too many Indian tourists come here. And thank god for that!
Leave a CommentWhen I slept last night, I did not know where I will go. I wanted to go to Ganganagar but the only person I knew wasn’t responding and it wasn’t worth the effort to go all the way there for nothing. So it back to nothing.
Leave a CommentAmritsar is a place of many joys. Not the least of them is the amazing lassi, kebab and naan they make there. Two out of three, I had the night I arrived. Check.
Leave a CommentI was lucky to leave Srinagar on Day 23. Halfway across the route I was supposed to follow today, the Prime Minister was on his way to inaugurate a hydel power project and flag off a new train line to the state. Past Ramban, I was stopped. As was every single vehicle on the road creating the largest traffic stoppage I have ever seen with my eyes. It stretched for well over 15 kilometers (primarily because the traffic was all single file) and covered over 3 towns on the highway. Being a tiny little bike which can squeeze through the tiniest spaces, I wasn’t stopped until the very end.
Leave a CommentHaving spent the evening on the serene Dal Lake and the night in relative peace at the nice Hotel Pine Grove, I was keen to see more of the valley. No better place to see it but at Gulmarg, I was told by many. I think this was more out of habit since most tourists end up there but it was advice well taken. Woke up royally late and started for Gulmarg with just my camera at 11.
Leave a CommentAfter a rather troubled night and a cold morning spent mostly woken up waiting for it to be 7 am, I was off into the chilly morning of Kargil. Dodging curious onlookers and filling up petrol at the solitary pump open at that hour.
Leave a CommentFirst attempt to leave Leh came to a naught thanks to the Raid. So when I woke up today and thought what to do, one thing was clear – I had absolutely no basis for making any decision. So I went back to my best friend is such situations. The coin. It was ceremoniously tossed and as it fell on the rug, it pointed fair and square towards Kargil. Now one cannot disrespect the coin. It is always right. So it was off to Kargil in the next 20 minutes.
Leave a CommentHad a chat last night with a close friend. He is going to be in Kullu in time for the apparently famous Kullu Dashera. Hmmm… could be a nice idea. Kullu. Manikaran. Kasol. Dharamsala. So when I wake up in the morning, I have a three way dilemma on my hand.
Leave a CommentFull day of rest had just made me the opposite – restless. I had to get out soon. The new morning said, well you want to go, here is a nice morning. Now go. So I load up the Cramsters and the petrol, put the key in the ignition and wait for the guest house lady to open the gate for me. As it happened, along came Shashank.
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