TOYOTA Leh Jayenge
Day 6.
The waiting continues, as do the Landslides.
20th May 2010, Thursday
Place : Sonamarg and Gund
The VIP Cottage at Sonamarg was just about good to catch some sleep as we had an early start in mind. We woke up at 7 am, in bright sunshine and a cloudless sky. The caretaker of the cottage served us some decent tea as we enjoyed and soaked the sun in the solitude of the cottage, hoping to be on our way.
At 8 am we called the SHO again, to get an update and he told us that there had been more landslides which had put paid to all the hard work being done at the site of the blockage. The SHO advised us to wait and be around. Thereafter he was unreachable which added to our frustration. The cottage had to be relinquished later in the day and all Hotels were choc a block full. We were in a dilemma and while we simply killed time over breakfast and lunch, we had to pull some strings to get alternative accommodation. Some more strings to get some authentic info on the site. The SSP of Sonamarg was contacted through some senior officers in Srinagar as we were finding it impossible to contact the SHO and our patience was running out. The SSP helped and the SHO got back to us and asked us to come to the police outpost where he sat. It was still touch and go. He told us that there was a likelihood that we may get some clearance news by 5pm so we should hang around. Further landslides were making things difficult, he explained. The system though not responsible for the situation, had its own way of giving information that was supposedly authentic yet unusable.
We again got through to our friends in the Government in Srinagar and tried to work out an alternative accommodation, just in case and managed to get something available at the CRPF base in Gund, about 23 km back, in the direction of Srinagar. As we reached there, we got a call from the SHO that there may be a chance it would open up shortly. We contemplated and felt we could still make it to Kargil by night. We called Delhi to organize accommodation in Kargil. Although the Dy Commandant had arranged for everything and had the rooms ready, we still hoped we could proceed to Kargil and told him we would prefer for some news before we unpacked our bags.
But all this was not to be. By 8 pm, we again met the SHO who informed us that he had visited the site a short while ago and we could not leave till tomorrow in view of prevailing conditions. We were asked to come back to the Police post in the morning again, at 9.30 am. Crestfallen we grabbed some dinner at our favorite Snowland Hotel and headed for the CRPF base again. We reached by 10 and checked into the barrack like rooms. It was like living in a camp except that their guest rooms built on temporary structures had light, some clean beds, and warm quilts. We were tired doing nothing all the day and turned it for the night. The open starlit sky was some consolation that the weather would be clear tomorrow. The awesome foursome bid goodnight and with prayers said, waited for the morning.
In the meanwhile the spouses who were worried and sad we were still stranded made the best of their time in Leh by visiting scenic spots, which we would have otherwise traveled to, with them . But we lay all that in God’s hands and assigned that to his will, and good reasons.
The spirit and enthusiasm was still alive and we were raring to go. The redeeming feature in the past few days in Sonamarg and also enroute was the intrigue about the Fortuner. This was relatively an unknown vehicle in these parts and taxi drivers, youngsters, car lovers and more, kept inquiring about the features, price etc., of this impressive SUV which seemed to turn heads wherever we went.
The Uninor logo also evoked interest as to what it depicted and if at all the same would be available in these parts.
En Route in Hodal
Rajasthan Royals? Ready for the home stretch.
En Route to Pangong
At Changla Pass almost 17500 ft. the Third highest in the world.
En Route in leh
Testing the Magnetism of the foursome?!
En Route to Leh
Driving and living on the edge!
En Route from Leh to Kargil
The Colours that never cease to fascinate!
En Route to Pangong
Finding Alternate Routes
Sunny Toyota Lucknow
enroute pictures
connected always - wordsmith
enroute picture
dhabba lunch - kashmiri style
enroute pictures
kashmir valley - taking our breath away
enroute pictures
valley view break - on way to srinagar
enroute pictures
connected with uninor ready for day 3
enroute pictures
backing up at nirulas pathankot
Friday, May 21, 2010
Day 5. Stranded in Heaven but Loving it!
TOYOTA Leh Jayenge
Day 5.
Stranded in Heaven. On Tenterhooks but loving it!
19th May 2010, Wednesday
Place : Srinagar to Sonamarg (Destined for Kargil but not to be!)
With a late night report of the Drass area still snowed out and infested with landslides due to the incessant rain, we were hopeful that good weather would prevail the next day for making our journey to Kargil possible. Early morning calls were made to the local Traffic Control Police, the Kargil outpost, The Leh Deputy Commandant, to check the situation on ground. The response was positive as work was on to remove the obstructions. The morning did welcome us with bright sunshine which made everyone feel good as this would facilitate faster clearance work.
By now, our respective spouses had also reached Leh, a day before our scheduled arrival, as had been previously planned. An extra day because they needed to acclimatize whereas we would do that naturally as we climbed up. They were also concerned and worried as they had been looking forward to welcoming us when we arrived in Leh and of course enjoy the sights around, with us.
We got some good news about the clearing being possible late afternoon. We enjoyed the breakfast and that comprised of hand tossed omlettes cooked by N.K with his love and culinary skills and then spent time in the bright sunshine in the sprawling garden of our hosts residence, clicking some whacky photographs and savoring their hospitality. At around noon, we heard that there was a likelihood of the passage opening late afternoon so we decided to leave immediately as it would take us 3 hours to get to the location and the hope of passing through immediately, thereby saving precious time.
Saying our goodbyes to the hosts, we hit the road with S.W. at the wheel, and exited Srinagar by traversing the periphery of the Dal lake which simmered in the bright sunshine, with the Four Chinars and the snow capped mountains making the view breathtaking. The meter read 7333 km.
Leg 1. At the Wheel, S.W.
The narrow winding streets of Srinagar were congested and it was a pity that with the kind of flow and tourism, almost around the year, the Government had done little to make the exit route more convenient. We took the Dragryung Road to Highway NH1D which goes all the way to Leh.
The drive was memorable with the Sind river on one side and the panoramic snowcapped mountains forming the backdrop. The road was a dual carriage, with broken patches caused by the vagaries of recent bad weather. An hour and a half away from Srinagar, we stopped at a roadside Dhaba at Kangan Saran, for some Aloo parathas and Onion Pakoras. Onion Pakoras seem to be a specialty and much in demand menu option almost at every dhaba. The Sind was flowing by the dhaba and eating here, sitting outside was something else. We had a great system for sharing our expenses. We had entrusted N.K with the responsibility of paying for all expenses enroute and had given him an equal share of money to start with. This went into an envelop which he carried all the time
( Our UBL or Union Bank of Lefafa) and this became our constant ATM.
Leg 2. V.S at the Wheel.
We had time on hand so we decided to stop at another spot by the gushing and frothing Sind to click some pictures on the rocks close to the bank of the river, just alongside the highway.
We crossed Sonamarg and 10 km on, we were stopped as there had been another landslide. This was much smaller in comparison and was being cleared. We were by now trying to figure things out by calling various people who would give us an accurate assessment of the situation. All our phones, except V.S with a BSNL connection, were not working now. No Vodafone, no Tata Indicom. Wonder what happened to the Zoo Zoo’s! Thanks to BSNL we were still connected to the world including our spouses in Leh. The good news was that the weather being good, and the passage being blocked now for three days, the clearance work would happen expeditiously but the bad news was that there were fresh landslides.
We were directed to the SHO at the Police outpost in Sonamarg to get the correct status but even he was not able to connect to Drass, where it was all happening. We turned back and spoke to the outpost as well as people in Leh and Srinagar and the common news unfortunately was that nothing was likely to happen tonight so we reconciled and headed in search of a suitable accommodation for the night. The SHO was busy doing his job by traversing the stretch between Sonamarg and the landslide area as hundreds of vehicles carrying valuable provisions were stranded on this side, all queuing up and impatiently waiting for the good news. Our only connection with the SHO, in his absence was a young, policemen, Shabbir, at guard with a very disarming smile who couldn’t help but helplessly smile each time we approached for the latest news on the passage and his boss the SHO.
A Tip for travelers: Traveling at this time in May is not always the best thing to do. Perhaps end May or early June would be a better option.
We managed to find a two bedroom cottage of JK Tourism Development Corporation which though at a picturesque location was ill equipped with low voltage, dirty towels, no heaters, no T.V reception and hardly any infrastructure. So much for Government administration in the tourism space.
Forlorn but still very upbeat and high spirited, we decided to make the best of the beautiful location that Sonamarg is, by walking in the mountains and climbing up to a small glacial flow. It was dinner time soon and with hopes still high we drove down to a decent restaurant in a Hotel and enjoyed the Tandoori Chicken and Dal with some great crisp rotis. The weather was cold at 9 degrees and a strong cold breeze which had us shivering by now. V.S, still under clad, still refused to divulge the source of all the warmth he could retain! We were on Tenterhooks alright, but loving it!
We turned in early after the usual round of mirth and leg pulling, which certainly lightened the end of the day’s proceedings. We spoke to the SHO at 11pm, just before turning in and he was hopeful of the next day being favorable. He also promised us an update at 8 am the next morning.
P.S. Till the time, N.K’s Vodafone network worked, the mystery of the MISSed calls still continued!
Day 5.
Stranded in Heaven. On Tenterhooks but loving it!
19th May 2010, Wednesday
Place : Srinagar to Sonamarg (Destined for Kargil but not to be!)
With a late night report of the Drass area still snowed out and infested with landslides due to the incessant rain, we were hopeful that good weather would prevail the next day for making our journey to Kargil possible. Early morning calls were made to the local Traffic Control Police, the Kargil outpost, The Leh Deputy Commandant, to check the situation on ground. The response was positive as work was on to remove the obstructions. The morning did welcome us with bright sunshine which made everyone feel good as this would facilitate faster clearance work.
By now, our respective spouses had also reached Leh, a day before our scheduled arrival, as had been previously planned. An extra day because they needed to acclimatize whereas we would do that naturally as we climbed up. They were also concerned and worried as they had been looking forward to welcoming us when we arrived in Leh and of course enjoy the sights around, with us.
We got some good news about the clearing being possible late afternoon. We enjoyed the breakfast and that comprised of hand tossed omlettes cooked by N.K with his love and culinary skills and then spent time in the bright sunshine in the sprawling garden of our hosts residence, clicking some whacky photographs and savoring their hospitality. At around noon, we heard that there was a likelihood of the passage opening late afternoon so we decided to leave immediately as it would take us 3 hours to get to the location and the hope of passing through immediately, thereby saving precious time.
Saying our goodbyes to the hosts, we hit the road with S.W. at the wheel, and exited Srinagar by traversing the periphery of the Dal lake which simmered in the bright sunshine, with the Four Chinars and the snow capped mountains making the view breathtaking. The meter read 7333 km.
Leg 1. At the Wheel, S.W.
The narrow winding streets of Srinagar were congested and it was a pity that with the kind of flow and tourism, almost around the year, the Government had done little to make the exit route more convenient. We took the Dragryung Road to Highway NH1D which goes all the way to Leh.
The drive was memorable with the Sind river on one side and the panoramic snowcapped mountains forming the backdrop. The road was a dual carriage, with broken patches caused by the vagaries of recent bad weather. An hour and a half away from Srinagar, we stopped at a roadside Dhaba at Kangan Saran, for some Aloo parathas and Onion Pakoras. Onion Pakoras seem to be a specialty and much in demand menu option almost at every dhaba. The Sind was flowing by the dhaba and eating here, sitting outside was something else. We had a great system for sharing our expenses. We had entrusted N.K with the responsibility of paying for all expenses enroute and had given him an equal share of money to start with. This went into an envelop which he carried all the time
( Our UBL or Union Bank of Lefafa) and this became our constant ATM.
Leg 2. V.S at the Wheel.
We had time on hand so we decided to stop at another spot by the gushing and frothing Sind to click some pictures on the rocks close to the bank of the river, just alongside the highway.
We crossed Sonamarg and 10 km on, we were stopped as there had been another landslide. This was much smaller in comparison and was being cleared. We were by now trying to figure things out by calling various people who would give us an accurate assessment of the situation. All our phones, except V.S with a BSNL connection, were not working now. No Vodafone, no Tata Indicom. Wonder what happened to the Zoo Zoo’s! Thanks to BSNL we were still connected to the world including our spouses in Leh. The good news was that the weather being good, and the passage being blocked now for three days, the clearance work would happen expeditiously but the bad news was that there were fresh landslides.
We were directed to the SHO at the Police outpost in Sonamarg to get the correct status but even he was not able to connect to Drass, where it was all happening. We turned back and spoke to the outpost as well as people in Leh and Srinagar and the common news unfortunately was that nothing was likely to happen tonight so we reconciled and headed in search of a suitable accommodation for the night. The SHO was busy doing his job by traversing the stretch between Sonamarg and the landslide area as hundreds of vehicles carrying valuable provisions were stranded on this side, all queuing up and impatiently waiting for the good news. Our only connection with the SHO, in his absence was a young, policemen, Shabbir, at guard with a very disarming smile who couldn’t help but helplessly smile each time we approached for the latest news on the passage and his boss the SHO.
A Tip for travelers: Traveling at this time in May is not always the best thing to do. Perhaps end May or early June would be a better option.
We managed to find a two bedroom cottage of JK Tourism Development Corporation which though at a picturesque location was ill equipped with low voltage, dirty towels, no heaters, no T.V reception and hardly any infrastructure. So much for Government administration in the tourism space.
Forlorn but still very upbeat and high spirited, we decided to make the best of the beautiful location that Sonamarg is, by walking in the mountains and climbing up to a small glacial flow. It was dinner time soon and with hopes still high we drove down to a decent restaurant in a Hotel and enjoyed the Tandoori Chicken and Dal with some great crisp rotis. The weather was cold at 9 degrees and a strong cold breeze which had us shivering by now. V.S, still under clad, still refused to divulge the source of all the warmth he could retain! We were on Tenterhooks alright, but loving it!
We turned in early after the usual round of mirth and leg pulling, which certainly lightened the end of the day’s proceedings. We spoke to the SHO at 11pm, just before turning in and he was hopeful of the next day being favorable. He also promised us an update at 8 am the next morning.
P.S. Till the time, N.K’s Vodafone network worked, the mystery of the MISSed calls still continued!
Day 4 again. Stranded at Sonamarg, J&K
Stranded at Sonamarg, J&K due to heavy snow and therefore unable to update the blog.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Day 4. The Twist in the Tail. Lounging in Srinagar.
TOYOTA Leh Jayenge
Day 4.
The Twist in the Tail. And a damp squib!
18th May 2010, Tuesday
Place : Srinagar
Woke up leisurely on a wet cool morning on tenterhooks.
The background for that feeling………well we might as well share that now. The evening before we had planned to prepone our departure for Kargil by a day to surprise our respective spouses who were scheduled to arrive in Leh on the 19th. Alas that was not to be. The wet weather had put paid to our plans as there had been landslides in the Kargil area. So leaving tomorrow was out for sure. Moreover heavy snow and rain in the Drass area made the job of clearing the landslides even more difficult. We were in constant touch with the Police Control Room and the Border Security Force to get an update but the situation seemed gloomy.
Nonetheless, we had to make the best of our stay in Srinagar. So we had a laid back morning session of tea with Raghvendra and Rakhi and shared our mirthful experiences en route from Lucknow to Srinagar, besides updating our Blog and reading all the interesting comments friends and family had posted. What we couldn’t figure out though, was why some postings with ‘Anonymous’ options were without names of the sender. I can understand the limitation of choosing an available option but at least write your name guys, so we know who means what and to whom the same is directed.
Anyway, as it was raining almost incessantly, we had a wholesome breakfast with Nisheeth maintaining his Tuesday Hanumanji farce……..oops……….fast! Then a hot shower later were out in the verandah watching the woodpeckers in the sprawling garden outside the mansion and enjoying some chilled beer and munchies. Nisheeth of course, on a farce….oops fast, preferred to stay with lime juice…………… and Vodka! Trigger happy Vijay was unstoppable and insisted on an impromptu photo session right there in the verandah.
Lunch was soon laid and some amazing arhar dal chawal and Rista and some sinful desserts later we decided to take a sight seeing trip around the Dal lake and the sweet spots like Pari Mahal, Chishmasahi, Hazrat Bal and the Lal Chowk area. Srinagar truly is a picture perfect destination which really has been sacrificed for political reasons. Heaven on earth is truly what it is!
Returning from our outing, it was still drizzling and dampening our plans was the news that the route to Kargil was still clouded with unceratinity. In any case, we had no real Plan B yet as the other route from Manali would take another three days and that route would also not necessarily be open. So we crossed our fingers and deliberated over a cup of hot tea and pakoras served by our gracious hosts. The next update on road conditions would be available later at night or tomorrow, so we had little choice but to be patient.
At night, to lighten the mood, we decided to go for a meal to the nearby Lalit Grand. Lets see what tomorrow has in store.
Day 4.
The Twist in the Tail. And a damp squib!
18th May 2010, Tuesday
Place : Srinagar
Woke up leisurely on a wet cool morning on tenterhooks.
The background for that feeling………well we might as well share that now. The evening before we had planned to prepone our departure for Kargil by a day to surprise our respective spouses who were scheduled to arrive in Leh on the 19th. Alas that was not to be. The wet weather had put paid to our plans as there had been landslides in the Kargil area. So leaving tomorrow was out for sure. Moreover heavy snow and rain in the Drass area made the job of clearing the landslides even more difficult. We were in constant touch with the Police Control Room and the Border Security Force to get an update but the situation seemed gloomy.
Nonetheless, we had to make the best of our stay in Srinagar. So we had a laid back morning session of tea with Raghvendra and Rakhi and shared our mirthful experiences en route from Lucknow to Srinagar, besides updating our Blog and reading all the interesting comments friends and family had posted. What we couldn’t figure out though, was why some postings with ‘Anonymous’ options were without names of the sender. I can understand the limitation of choosing an available option but at least write your name guys, so we know who means what and to whom the same is directed.
Anyway, as it was raining almost incessantly, we had a wholesome breakfast with Nisheeth maintaining his Tuesday Hanumanji farce……..oops……….fast! Then a hot shower later were out in the verandah watching the woodpeckers in the sprawling garden outside the mansion and enjoying some chilled beer and munchies. Nisheeth of course, on a farce….oops fast, preferred to stay with lime juice…………… and Vodka! Trigger happy Vijay was unstoppable and insisted on an impromptu photo session right there in the verandah.
Lunch was soon laid and some amazing arhar dal chawal and Rista and some sinful desserts later we decided to take a sight seeing trip around the Dal lake and the sweet spots like Pari Mahal, Chishmasahi, Hazrat Bal and the Lal Chowk area. Srinagar truly is a picture perfect destination which really has been sacrificed for political reasons. Heaven on earth is truly what it is!
Returning from our outing, it was still drizzling and dampening our plans was the news that the route to Kargil was still clouded with unceratinity. In any case, we had no real Plan B yet as the other route from Manali would take another three days and that route would also not necessarily be open. So we crossed our fingers and deliberated over a cup of hot tea and pakoras served by our gracious hosts. The next update on road conditions would be available later at night or tomorrow, so we had little choice but to be patient.
At night, to lighten the mood, we decided to go for a meal to the nearby Lalit Grand. Lets see what tomorrow has in store.
Monday, May 17, 2010
Day 3. The Mystery of the MISSed Calls!
TOYOTA Leh Jayenge
Day 3. Srinagar
The Mystery of the MISSed Calls!
17th May 2010 Monday.
Whose call was it anyways?!
What a lovely morning it was! The serene environ of the Officer’s Mess at Udhampur was worth getting up to. The sky was overcast and the heavenly breeze augured a beautiful day ahead. Thanks to Colonel Bajpai’s hospitality we enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast of freshly made Masala Omlettes served in the rooms in true army style.
Nisheeth who had turned in early for inexplicable reasons the previous night got up leisurely and asked me what I was doing up so early. I told him it was all about slogging and blogging!I was loving all this as the weather was so inspiring.
Nisheeth ventured out with video camera to catch some animal action. What he actually captured were some birds and a cat having fun (?)! Any excuse to go after birds would do for him, I guess!
After saying our goodbyes and Thank you’s we had packed our bags and were ready to depart on our first leg for the day, to Batote, en route to Srinagar.
Leg 1. At the Wheel, K.C. ( Kinda Crazy)
The mist was settling in and it was fabulous weather as in the early morning. We left at 9.30 am and headed along the valley overlooking the Tawi river. The valley was green and bedecked with flora and fauna which blended beautifully with the frothy flowing river going downstream. Just an hour away from Udhampur, the view so fascinated us that we had to stop and take some pictures. That’s where I lost my Uninor cap in the breeze and watched it helplessly float down towards the river.
An hour later after crossing the famed Patni Top and Kudh,we spotted a picturesque location to appease the craving of N.K ( Naughty Kid)who wanted tea so we decided to stop. The restaurant , Motimahal International was located at Tringla in Batote. V.S. ( Very Sexy) couldn’t hold himself back when he smelt some fresh Pakoras. They turned out to be the onion kinds and with the light drizzle, seemed to just blend perfectly. The plate ordered was polished in less than a minute. K.C ( Kinda Crazy) then handed over the wheels to S.W. ( Simply Wild) for the second leg. The distance for the entire 3rd days stretch was 240 km and we had aptly decided to switch legs after every 60 kms.
Leg 2. At the Wheel S.W.
The music and Shekhar switched on simultaneously. Then a funny thing happened. Nisheeth got a call but no one spoke. When asked, he said it was a wrong number. Surprisingly this had been happening over the last three days and uncannily, only with him. The mystery of the MISS(ed) calls deepened as it happened yet again! Nisheeth protested that they were blank or calls he preferred not to answer in our presence. We wondered why!
We then entered the Jawahar Tunnel, 2.5 km in length, and emerged only till we saw light at the other end. The road so far had been fine till after the tunnel when the same became slushy and undulated probably because of the heavy snowfall a few weeks earlier. Nisheeth in the meanwhile was hungry again and wanted to stop for lunch and Shekhar said he would, but after the tunnel. Nisheeth was cribbing that that would be too long so Shekhar stepped on the gas pedal much to the chagrin of Nisheeth who agreed to stop and eat at the next good place. Soon after the tunnel though, fortunate for him, we spotted a Punjabi Dhaba overlooking the valley. We were actually all ravenous and lunch was ordered. The menu was Rajma Chawal, Aloo Chola and Egg bhujiya with Parathas laced in ghee and deep fried.But who cared! It all tasted delicious. It had started to rain so we decided to have a strong dhaba cup of tea and then headed forward. Vijay was next on the wheel and we had less than a 100 km to go now, to Srinagar.
Leg 3. V.S. at the Wheel.
Vijay got a straight stretch soon after with beautiful tree lined avenues and with the rain persisting the greenery all around looked inviting. Since we were all enjoying the drive and the music, it suddenly dawned on Shekhar that Nisheeth was to take the wheel next. We stopped and Vijay promptly handed over the wheel and wished Nisheeth luck.
Leg 4. N.K. on the Wheel
Fortune favours the brave and it was another bad day in store for Nisheeth it seemed. After barely 10 kms, we ran into the heavy Srinagar traffic. It was 5 pm and offices had just gotten over, as if waiting for Nisheeth to drive into town. Cursing his way through, we finally made it to Vijay’s daughter and son in law’s
( Raghvendra and Rakhi ) mansion like residence on Gupkar Road, a VIP area, adjoining Farooq Abdullah’s residence.
The weather was chilly now and the rain added to the chill factor. As we got off, it hit us and we scampered to find our woolens. Except Vijay. Nisheeth who was concerned, questioned him as to why he wouldn’t wear something warm, When Vijay replied he was comfortable without it, Nisheeth did some arithmetic and thought he knew the reason. What transpired remains a mystery as well. Garmi kahan se aayi, was his persistent question. Vijay retorted yeh dil ki baat hai!
The house, owned by royalty before, was beautiful inside out. A colonial mansion, huge in size but warm to come to. We were told it was more than a hundred years old. After freshening up we joined Raghvendra and Rakhi and some invited guests who had come for dinner. We added to the evening by presenting them with some Chivas and Absolut to keep the evening warm.
Despite the cold weather, the setting was outdoors and when Vijay walked out, Nisheeth jumped out of his skin when he saw Vijay in a short sleeved T-Shirt while everyone else including the invitees were well clad.And it was 12 degrees Celcius! Vijay again reacted by saying ‘andar ka mamala hai!’
The dinner followed and it was an exotic mix of Kashmiri delights and some amazing desserts. A quick round of liquors signaled the end of the day. It was truly an end to a wonderful day and evening!
The mystery of the MISSed calls and Vijays immunity to cold remains unsolved. More later!
Day 3. Srinagar
The Mystery of the MISSed Calls!
17th May 2010 Monday.
Whose call was it anyways?!
What a lovely morning it was! The serene environ of the Officer’s Mess at Udhampur was worth getting up to. The sky was overcast and the heavenly breeze augured a beautiful day ahead. Thanks to Colonel Bajpai’s hospitality we enjoyed a sumptuous breakfast of freshly made Masala Omlettes served in the rooms in true army style.
Nisheeth who had turned in early for inexplicable reasons the previous night got up leisurely and asked me what I was doing up so early. I told him it was all about slogging and blogging!I was loving all this as the weather was so inspiring.
Nisheeth ventured out with video camera to catch some animal action. What he actually captured were some birds and a cat having fun (?)! Any excuse to go after birds would do for him, I guess!
After saying our goodbyes and Thank you’s we had packed our bags and were ready to depart on our first leg for the day, to Batote, en route to Srinagar.
Leg 1. At the Wheel, K.C. ( Kinda Crazy)
The mist was settling in and it was fabulous weather as in the early morning. We left at 9.30 am and headed along the valley overlooking the Tawi river. The valley was green and bedecked with flora and fauna which blended beautifully with the frothy flowing river going downstream. Just an hour away from Udhampur, the view so fascinated us that we had to stop and take some pictures. That’s where I lost my Uninor cap in the breeze and watched it helplessly float down towards the river.
An hour later after crossing the famed Patni Top and Kudh,we spotted a picturesque location to appease the craving of N.K ( Naughty Kid)who wanted tea so we decided to stop. The restaurant , Motimahal International was located at Tringla in Batote. V.S. ( Very Sexy) couldn’t hold himself back when he smelt some fresh Pakoras. They turned out to be the onion kinds and with the light drizzle, seemed to just blend perfectly. The plate ordered was polished in less than a minute. K.C ( Kinda Crazy) then handed over the wheels to S.W. ( Simply Wild) for the second leg. The distance for the entire 3rd days stretch was 240 km and we had aptly decided to switch legs after every 60 kms.
Leg 2. At the Wheel S.W.
The music and Shekhar switched on simultaneously. Then a funny thing happened. Nisheeth got a call but no one spoke. When asked, he said it was a wrong number. Surprisingly this had been happening over the last three days and uncannily, only with him. The mystery of the MISS(ed) calls deepened as it happened yet again! Nisheeth protested that they were blank or calls he preferred not to answer in our presence. We wondered why!
We then entered the Jawahar Tunnel, 2.5 km in length, and emerged only till we saw light at the other end. The road so far had been fine till after the tunnel when the same became slushy and undulated probably because of the heavy snowfall a few weeks earlier. Nisheeth in the meanwhile was hungry again and wanted to stop for lunch and Shekhar said he would, but after the tunnel. Nisheeth was cribbing that that would be too long so Shekhar stepped on the gas pedal much to the chagrin of Nisheeth who agreed to stop and eat at the next good place. Soon after the tunnel though, fortunate for him, we spotted a Punjabi Dhaba overlooking the valley. We were actually all ravenous and lunch was ordered. The menu was Rajma Chawal, Aloo Chola and Egg bhujiya with Parathas laced in ghee and deep fried.But who cared! It all tasted delicious. It had started to rain so we decided to have a strong dhaba cup of tea and then headed forward. Vijay was next on the wheel and we had less than a 100 km to go now, to Srinagar.
Leg 3. V.S. at the Wheel.
Vijay got a straight stretch soon after with beautiful tree lined avenues and with the rain persisting the greenery all around looked inviting. Since we were all enjoying the drive and the music, it suddenly dawned on Shekhar that Nisheeth was to take the wheel next. We stopped and Vijay promptly handed over the wheel and wished Nisheeth luck.
Leg 4. N.K. on the Wheel
Fortune favours the brave and it was another bad day in store for Nisheeth it seemed. After barely 10 kms, we ran into the heavy Srinagar traffic. It was 5 pm and offices had just gotten over, as if waiting for Nisheeth to drive into town. Cursing his way through, we finally made it to Vijay’s daughter and son in law’s
( Raghvendra and Rakhi ) mansion like residence on Gupkar Road, a VIP area, adjoining Farooq Abdullah’s residence.
The weather was chilly now and the rain added to the chill factor. As we got off, it hit us and we scampered to find our woolens. Except Vijay. Nisheeth who was concerned, questioned him as to why he wouldn’t wear something warm, When Vijay replied he was comfortable without it, Nisheeth did some arithmetic and thought he knew the reason. What transpired remains a mystery as well. Garmi kahan se aayi, was his persistent question. Vijay retorted yeh dil ki baat hai!
The house, owned by royalty before, was beautiful inside out. A colonial mansion, huge in size but warm to come to. We were told it was more than a hundred years old. After freshening up we joined Raghvendra and Rakhi and some invited guests who had come for dinner. We added to the evening by presenting them with some Chivas and Absolut to keep the evening warm.
Despite the cold weather, the setting was outdoors and when Vijay walked out, Nisheeth jumped out of his skin when he saw Vijay in a short sleeved T-Shirt while everyone else including the invitees were well clad.And it was 12 degrees Celcius! Vijay again reacted by saying ‘andar ka mamala hai!’
The dinner followed and it was an exotic mix of Kashmiri delights and some amazing desserts. A quick round of liquors signaled the end of the day. It was truly an end to a wonderful day and evening!
The mystery of the MISSed calls and Vijays immunity to cold remains unsolved. More later!
Day 2. No Lassi. Just Rajeev Darling!
TOYOTA Leh Jayenge
Day 2. Udhampur
Lassi Ki Talash
16th May 2010 Sunday.
No Lassi. Just Rajeev Darling!
A night at Hotel Jewel in Karnal revived all of us, especially since all of us slept well. Day 2 was a Sunday so we took it easy since the roads would be relatively free of the usual traffic. We were up at 7 am and ready by 8 am. After a light breakfast we were all set to leave by 8.15 am.
Leg 1. At the Wheel N.K.
Nisheeth was the first to take the wheel and we hit the Karnal to Ambala highway. Shekhar had rearranged the luggage space and got rid of the extra boxes and stuff that was redundant.
However, as we left,our navigator Shekhar scanning the route map casually mentioned that Kurukshetra was on our way to Ambala, barely an hour from Karnal. Vijay and Nisheeth in unison expressed their desire to catch up with mythology so we had a consensus and took a detour to enter the hallowed surrounds of what is folklore in mythology……….Kurukshetra, the battle ground of the fabled Mahabharata. Owned by King Kuru and identified by Lord Krishna when a farmer killed his son and used his body to block a breached dam, the ideal spot for the Kauravs and Pandavs to confront in battle, an epic of unparalelled proportions. We hired a guide and asked him to take us on a whirlwind tour which he did. We visited Akshay Vraksh vatika, which supposedly has immortal trees aging 5000 years plus, under which Lord Krishna shared his jewels with Arjun. We then visited the Brahma Sarovar where Lord Brahma emerged and created the world. This was followed by a visit to Ban Ganga, where Arjun shot an arrow into the ground to get water for Bhishma Pitamah.
The temple of the Ban Ganga had a huge statue of Lord Hanuman, at the entrance which was imposing and impressive. The visit was a diversion well worth it. Some pictures were taken by Vijay, Nisheeth and me for the record.
Nisheeth by now had consumed most of his two hours and was still upset with the way traffic treated him, despite being a Sunday. The widening was still continuing on this stretch so we were crisscrossing just like the oncoming traffic. Since breakfast was frugal, we opened up the packed goodies given by our spouses and thoroughly enjoyed the Mann ( jaggery pancakes) and the Laiya
( Puffed Rice masala). By 11 am or so we were almost at Ambala and I took over the wheel.
Leg 2. At the Wheel K.C.
It was a hot day, with temperatures touching 45 degrees plus. But thanks to the cool confines of our amazing Fortuner which has a multi ducted, very efficient Air Conditioning system, we were quite oblivious of the vagaries outside. I was fortunate with the road conditions as almost the entire stretch spanning cities like Sirhind, Ludhiana and Phagwara was connected with sprawling highways. This is the engineering and Textile belt of Punjab. The radio FM reception was erratic on the highway,so Shekhar switched the music to some amazing and pulsating stuff, ranging from Dire Straits, CCR, Santana, Doors, Madonna, Abba, Cliff, BoneyM and more! The road was good. The music was even better and I had fun at the wheel, touching 150 km an hour on the wide and clean highway stretches. Sunday helped as traffic was sparse. The Fortuner truly responded and drove like a dream. The amazing thrust while overtaking is testimony of its powerful 3 liter Diesel engine.
As we crossed Ludhiana, we spotted a Monte Carlo Hosiery and Woolen factory outlet. It looked interesting so we stopped to have a look. And in the bargain, picked up some very reasonable woolens, loungewear and tops for ourselves and our respective spouses. Since the highway stretches were still clean and we had lost time in Kurukshetra, we decided to press on and I was enjoying the music and the drive so although my two odd hours were up, we decided to switch when we stopped for lunch. Nisheeth wanted to have Lassi ( Yogurt shake) desperately which can actually make you drowsy and lethargic. But since he had completed his ‘shift’ he could well afford to! However despite our serious and persistent search en route we couldn’t find the right place for the Lassi so we settled for stopping at the Orchid Cabana Hotel on the highway, between Phagwara and Jalandhar. The property was new and beautiful. The ambience was pristine and the break did us good. The surrounds were so inviting that trigger happy Vijay wanted to use his camera skills to have a photo session which included the supermodels……….us that is……..some bonsai’s, stemmed glasses and the waiters jacket as a backdrop! Figure that out yourself!
The spouses were keeping track of our movements and missing being with us. Then Nisheeth ( over a fabulous lunch of Chicken Khurchan, Meat khara masala and some arhar dal ) wanted to share his thoughts on this ‘men only ‘ trip. He said he had done it for the first time and was loving it. Asked if he missed having his wife he went into a hilarious philosophical discourse which had us in splits. It was something to with tiffin carriers and you would have to ask him what he meant! Some of this was cleverly captured on tape in a string operation by yours truly! Post Lunch it was Shekhar to take over and we left just after 3.30 pm. Nisheeth was still deprived of his lassi which he still figured would be available at some ‘Haveli’ food court down the road but that was not to be as it never appeared. So Nisheeth never got to drink the potent white stuff.
Leg 3. At the wheel, S.W.
This was the stretch from Jalandhar to Pathankot, about 120 Km and we had to get off the highway at Jalandhar to get on to the state highway which was also under extensive expansion. What amazed all of us throughout our drive in some parts of Haryana and all of Punjab, was the very serious focus on highway development and the war footing on which the job has been undertaken.
The single carriage stretch on the state highway however was very frustrating as we had to tail slower trucks, buses and other forms of traffic. However Shekhar deftly maneuvered the black beauty which powered on over undulated road surfaces, unmetalled patches and more. Sitting at the back were Nisheeth and Vijay, were not quite enjoying the proceedings. While they were being shaken and stirred at the same time ( unlike Bond’s Martini), they held on for dear life and asked for the music to be toned down as the faster it got the faster they were being tossed around. Maybe the Caribbean music got to Shekhar at the wheel!
Vijay was craving for his black sugarless coffee and we for our tea and then the oasis appeared. A Nirulas, just on the outskirts of Pathankot around 6.15 pm. A few bumps and back breaking jumps later we were there with Vijay crawling out of the back checking if all his bones were intact! It was a happy and colourful outlet
( perhaps due to it being a Sunday) and we ordered our respective beverages, with Shekhar opting for a Chip Chocolate ice cream. The staff at the Nirula’s outlet was headed by one Rajeev, who would actually put Bobby Darling to shame! And when we asked if we could take photographs, he promptly checked his(?) cap, and cozied up to Vijay for a group. Wonder if the ‘Very Sexy’ plastered on Vijay’s back had anything to do with that!
It was getting dark and we were entering J&K so we decided to leave thereafter without wasting time.
Leg 4. At the Wheel, V.S.
We crossed over into J&K just after Nirula’s and had to show the Vehicle papers and Driving license to the border authorities, this being a high risk area. The initial 10 minutes were toughest on the SUV and for Vijay at the wheel. There was a non existent road, apparently under repair and the potholes also appeared from nowhere. The apathy and abject poverty, as we crossed into the state was apparent and visible. However full marks to the SUV for shielding us from the aftershock of the surface we were traveling on . The suspension and road holding ability is to be commended.
It had now become dark and there was no illumination. The road meandered into half made and unmade stretches, which tested Vijay’s driving skills to the full. He did a great job and considering his was the toughest stretch of the day, didn’t mind doing what he was. We took a turn at Samba, from the highway we were on, leading to Jammu. This was a sort of by pass to Udhampur our final destination for the day. While it was a winding hill road, we had to miss out on the scenic surrounds as it was pitch dark. The road as before, was bad, with large patches of unpredictable surfaces. Shekhar and me tried to figure out for the first time, how the GPS worked and while we did mange to get a hang of it, realized it was not the best to have on board. Some of the info being displayed was incredulous, so we let it be. We would probably test it on the next stretch as so far the signage and Shekhar’s navigation skills was adequate to guide us along.
We finally made it to Udhampur at 9.30 pm and looked around for a decent place to eat. It being a Sunday, it was all quiet and peaceful. We spotted a small Hotel with a Restaurant ( Samrat) and settled for some Tandoori Chicken and Butter Chicken for the Dinner menu. A sidelight was the T-20 finals which were being telecast on the television set in the lobby. While we watched Australia precarious against England, we saw some late stage heroics after they were 8 for 3!
We then headed for the Officers mess in the Military Hospital campus where we were scheduled to stay for the night. Vijay’s old friend and schoolmate, general AK Singh in Lucknow had helped work this out and Col Bajpai was ready and waiting when we arrived at 10.30 pm. He also had his roots in Lucknow ( Kanya Kubj College lineage) so we chatted on a few common subjects before we thanked him for the courtesy and apologized for spoiling his Sunday evening. We got two very comfortable suites and after watching England overwhelm Australia with a comfortable victory, retired for the day. A wonderful cool breeze which was blowing translated into good weather for the morning and first at the wheel tomorrow, I was looking forward to the day ahead!
Day 2. Udhampur
Lassi Ki Talash
16th May 2010 Sunday.
No Lassi. Just Rajeev Darling!
A night at Hotel Jewel in Karnal revived all of us, especially since all of us slept well. Day 2 was a Sunday so we took it easy since the roads would be relatively free of the usual traffic. We were up at 7 am and ready by 8 am. After a light breakfast we were all set to leave by 8.15 am.
Leg 1. At the Wheel N.K.
Nisheeth was the first to take the wheel and we hit the Karnal to Ambala highway. Shekhar had rearranged the luggage space and got rid of the extra boxes and stuff that was redundant.
However, as we left,our navigator Shekhar scanning the route map casually mentioned that Kurukshetra was on our way to Ambala, barely an hour from Karnal. Vijay and Nisheeth in unison expressed their desire to catch up with mythology so we had a consensus and took a detour to enter the hallowed surrounds of what is folklore in mythology……….Kurukshetra, the battle ground of the fabled Mahabharata. Owned by King Kuru and identified by Lord Krishna when a farmer killed his son and used his body to block a breached dam, the ideal spot for the Kauravs and Pandavs to confront in battle, an epic of unparalelled proportions. We hired a guide and asked him to take us on a whirlwind tour which he did. We visited Akshay Vraksh vatika, which supposedly has immortal trees aging 5000 years plus, under which Lord Krishna shared his jewels with Arjun. We then visited the Brahma Sarovar where Lord Brahma emerged and created the world. This was followed by a visit to Ban Ganga, where Arjun shot an arrow into the ground to get water for Bhishma Pitamah.
The temple of the Ban Ganga had a huge statue of Lord Hanuman, at the entrance which was imposing and impressive. The visit was a diversion well worth it. Some pictures were taken by Vijay, Nisheeth and me for the record.
Nisheeth by now had consumed most of his two hours and was still upset with the way traffic treated him, despite being a Sunday. The widening was still continuing on this stretch so we were crisscrossing just like the oncoming traffic. Since breakfast was frugal, we opened up the packed goodies given by our spouses and thoroughly enjoyed the Mann ( jaggery pancakes) and the Laiya
( Puffed Rice masala). By 11 am or so we were almost at Ambala and I took over the wheel.
Leg 2. At the Wheel K.C.
It was a hot day, with temperatures touching 45 degrees plus. But thanks to the cool confines of our amazing Fortuner which has a multi ducted, very efficient Air Conditioning system, we were quite oblivious of the vagaries outside. I was fortunate with the road conditions as almost the entire stretch spanning cities like Sirhind, Ludhiana and Phagwara was connected with sprawling highways. This is the engineering and Textile belt of Punjab. The radio FM reception was erratic on the highway,so Shekhar switched the music to some amazing and pulsating stuff, ranging from Dire Straits, CCR, Santana, Doors, Madonna, Abba, Cliff, BoneyM and more! The road was good. The music was even better and I had fun at the wheel, touching 150 km an hour on the wide and clean highway stretches. Sunday helped as traffic was sparse. The Fortuner truly responded and drove like a dream. The amazing thrust while overtaking is testimony of its powerful 3 liter Diesel engine.
As we crossed Ludhiana, we spotted a Monte Carlo Hosiery and Woolen factory outlet. It looked interesting so we stopped to have a look. And in the bargain, picked up some very reasonable woolens, loungewear and tops for ourselves and our respective spouses. Since the highway stretches were still clean and we had lost time in Kurukshetra, we decided to press on and I was enjoying the music and the drive so although my two odd hours were up, we decided to switch when we stopped for lunch. Nisheeth wanted to have Lassi ( Yogurt shake) desperately which can actually make you drowsy and lethargic. But since he had completed his ‘shift’ he could well afford to! However despite our serious and persistent search en route we couldn’t find the right place for the Lassi so we settled for stopping at the Orchid Cabana Hotel on the highway, between Phagwara and Jalandhar. The property was new and beautiful. The ambience was pristine and the break did us good. The surrounds were so inviting that trigger happy Vijay wanted to use his camera skills to have a photo session which included the supermodels……….us that is……..some bonsai’s, stemmed glasses and the waiters jacket as a backdrop! Figure that out yourself!
The spouses were keeping track of our movements and missing being with us. Then Nisheeth ( over a fabulous lunch of Chicken Khurchan, Meat khara masala and some arhar dal ) wanted to share his thoughts on this ‘men only ‘ trip. He said he had done it for the first time and was loving it. Asked if he missed having his wife he went into a hilarious philosophical discourse which had us in splits. It was something to with tiffin carriers and you would have to ask him what he meant! Some of this was cleverly captured on tape in a string operation by yours truly! Post Lunch it was Shekhar to take over and we left just after 3.30 pm. Nisheeth was still deprived of his lassi which he still figured would be available at some ‘Haveli’ food court down the road but that was not to be as it never appeared. So Nisheeth never got to drink the potent white stuff.
Leg 3. At the wheel, S.W.
This was the stretch from Jalandhar to Pathankot, about 120 Km and we had to get off the highway at Jalandhar to get on to the state highway which was also under extensive expansion. What amazed all of us throughout our drive in some parts of Haryana and all of Punjab, was the very serious focus on highway development and the war footing on which the job has been undertaken.
The single carriage stretch on the state highway however was very frustrating as we had to tail slower trucks, buses and other forms of traffic. However Shekhar deftly maneuvered the black beauty which powered on over undulated road surfaces, unmetalled patches and more. Sitting at the back were Nisheeth and Vijay, were not quite enjoying the proceedings. While they were being shaken and stirred at the same time ( unlike Bond’s Martini), they held on for dear life and asked for the music to be toned down as the faster it got the faster they were being tossed around. Maybe the Caribbean music got to Shekhar at the wheel!
Vijay was craving for his black sugarless coffee and we for our tea and then the oasis appeared. A Nirulas, just on the outskirts of Pathankot around 6.15 pm. A few bumps and back breaking jumps later we were there with Vijay crawling out of the back checking if all his bones were intact! It was a happy and colourful outlet
( perhaps due to it being a Sunday) and we ordered our respective beverages, with Shekhar opting for a Chip Chocolate ice cream. The staff at the Nirula’s outlet was headed by one Rajeev, who would actually put Bobby Darling to shame! And when we asked if we could take photographs, he promptly checked his(?) cap, and cozied up to Vijay for a group. Wonder if the ‘Very Sexy’ plastered on Vijay’s back had anything to do with that!
It was getting dark and we were entering J&K so we decided to leave thereafter without wasting time.
Leg 4. At the Wheel, V.S.
We crossed over into J&K just after Nirula’s and had to show the Vehicle papers and Driving license to the border authorities, this being a high risk area. The initial 10 minutes were toughest on the SUV and for Vijay at the wheel. There was a non existent road, apparently under repair and the potholes also appeared from nowhere. The apathy and abject poverty, as we crossed into the state was apparent and visible. However full marks to the SUV for shielding us from the aftershock of the surface we were traveling on . The suspension and road holding ability is to be commended.
It had now become dark and there was no illumination. The road meandered into half made and unmade stretches, which tested Vijay’s driving skills to the full. He did a great job and considering his was the toughest stretch of the day, didn’t mind doing what he was. We took a turn at Samba, from the highway we were on, leading to Jammu. This was a sort of by pass to Udhampur our final destination for the day. While it was a winding hill road, we had to miss out on the scenic surrounds as it was pitch dark. The road as before, was bad, with large patches of unpredictable surfaces. Shekhar and me tried to figure out for the first time, how the GPS worked and while we did mange to get a hang of it, realized it was not the best to have on board. Some of the info being displayed was incredulous, so we let it be. We would probably test it on the next stretch as so far the signage and Shekhar’s navigation skills was adequate to guide us along.
We finally made it to Udhampur at 9.30 pm and looked around for a decent place to eat. It being a Sunday, it was all quiet and peaceful. We spotted a small Hotel with a Restaurant ( Samrat) and settled for some Tandoori Chicken and Butter Chicken for the Dinner menu. A sidelight was the T-20 finals which were being telecast on the television set in the lobby. While we watched Australia precarious against England, we saw some late stage heroics after they were 8 for 3!
We then headed for the Officers mess in the Military Hospital campus where we were scheduled to stay for the night. Vijay’s old friend and schoolmate, general AK Singh in Lucknow had helped work this out and Col Bajpai was ready and waiting when we arrived at 10.30 pm. He also had his roots in Lucknow ( Kanya Kubj College lineage) so we chatted on a few common subjects before we thanked him for the courtesy and apologized for spoiling his Sunday evening. We got two very comfortable suites and after watching England overwhelm Australia with a comfortable victory, retired for the day. A wonderful cool breeze which was blowing translated into good weather for the morning and first at the wheel tomorrow, I was looking forward to the day ahead!
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Day 1. Bhains ki Poonch, Shekhar ki Mooch! : 15th May 2010
The Toyota Leh Jayenge campaign started in real earnestness as per schedule. The excitement of days, culminated in an early start. Bags were packed, everyone decided to hit the shack early except me as I indulged in watching a hopelessly placed Australia outsmart a poised Pakistan, who stumbled at the winning post. That was the Cricket ICC World Cup T20 Semis in the West Indies. It was a match that kept me on the edge and therefore from sleeping early. Nonetheless, I did mange to get up early and ready in time for the 5.30 am pickup by Shekhar. I dreamt of the glorious panoramic glory of Leh and its surrounds as I am sure every other member of the team did!
It was barely sunrise and as I waited outside with bags packed, Shekhar arrived, 10 minutes late as he had to put together breakfast for the first leg. Next halt was at Vijay’s and after a farewell from the respective spouses, we ended up picking Nisheeth before we finally hit the road. Sitapur was the first halt and Vijay was entrusted with the first leg of driving the gorgeous Fortuner which looked absolutely stunning with all the sponsor logos adorned on its exterior, make it look every inch a Leh Jayenge Rally car!
Prayers said, bhajans playing and some leg pulling to start with had us traversing the 125 odd Kilometers in good time. Maigalganj was the first halt where the famed gulab jamuns were ready and waiting. Amidst the zillion flies that infested the shop area, we still devoured two each. This was supplemented by the aloo tikki which is a specialty too!
And while we licked our fingers over a cup of tea, Dr Anand who was aware of our trip, thanks to the media, happened to stop there too, with his family, en route to Nainital and wished us well, It’s a small word alright!
By now the music had changed from the solemn bhajans to some old classic Hindi numbers and Ghazals from Jagjit Singh which we nostalgically sung along. The road so far was a mix of good patches and undulated stretches caused by the road widening process on the highway. But Vijay deftly handled the prized Fortuner and made it to Shahjahanpur in good time. Just before however, we had a very fast reflexing Shekhar almost jump out of his seat next to the driver, when we overtook a buffalo hitched to a cart. The buffalo swished its huge tail targeting Shekhar’s moustache which fortunately was secured behind the window glass but the reaction it evoked from Shekhar was that of incredulous surprise and bewilderment! After a few sandwiches and some breakfast snacks, and sharing the SMS’s that kept pouring in to wish us luck, we had Nisheeth take over the wheel for Leg 2 of the day, which was till Moradabad via Barielly, Passing through UP towns is nothing short of a drivers nightmare, The roads are narrow with speed breakers thrown in for good measure, which appear without warning, besides the plethora of bullock carts, rickshaws, trucks that prefer to drive everywhere but the right side, and not to miss the two wheeled maniacs who attack you from all sides like the meteors from outer space. While Nisheeth was waging his Star war on the road, he kept cursing the rest for a raw deal as he had a harrowing two hours of nail biting moments. And this was just the beginning! He had chosen to take the wheel when he did and mockingly told us that Vijay had tricked him into doing so! Not that we believed him and while a couple of closed railway crossings added to his misery, we chose the oddest times to ease ourselves to stop and start. It was then decided that the Dostana would be fair and Jahanpana Vijay though feeling sorry for Nisheeth took him on a circuitous route to his nephew’s residence where we were invited to have lunch. By now the befuddled Nisheeth was at his wits end and refused to touch the wheel once parked in Moradabad. While we could not help laughing at the ‘Naught Kid’ getting a taste of naughtiness, we agreed that a cyclic pattern for driving would be followed on day two, Divide each days sector into four and allow each one to take the wheel by rotation. Sounded perfect, but Nisheeth still felt he had got a raw deal. We convinced him that the first session on the 16th was all highway so he finally accepted the laid system, While all this was happening on a lighter note and the 6 hours just flew in mirth, a little more salt was rubbed when I took over the wheel after a sumptuous lunch and hit a majority of straight highway stretches.
The music had now changed to some old Hindi numbers from yesteryears and added a bit of nostalgia again. By sunset we stopped at Baghpat for a quick cup of tea at a roadside restaurant and Shekhar took over the wheel. We were a couple of hours away and were relieved to reach Karnal. The local dealership offered to help by cleaning up the car while we checked in and did a super job. All credit to Toyota for networking with their dealership en route and offering quality support. Mr Sandeep Chakravorty of Globe Toyota should get credit for a great job done,
One of our very young well wishers who has traveled to Leh 4 times by road from New Delhi and who has been a source of information and resource for this trip, messaged Vijay trying to catch up with us. While she also follows our Blog ardently, there was this glint in Vijay’s eyes which Nisheeth did not like. Recently the press had covered this young friend chatting with Nisheeth, sharing her Leh experiences with him but had since not gotten in touch. And the fact that she was doing the needful with Vijay, had Nisheeth turn green! Who said there was anything wrong with going green??!! But Nisheeth being the environment friendly guy he is stayed that way! All this was the spice for Day 1.
After checking in at the Jewel Hotel in Karnal which was comfortable, we ventured out to a Dhaba close by, for dinner,
( Zhil Mil ) which turned out to be much below expectations. Incidentally there were THREE Zhil Mil’s right next to each other. So we took the option of going to the most crowded, which was the logic for the most popular Zhil Mil. But we were tired and hungry so managed to eat well. The throng of inquisitive youngsters at the Dhaba, the Hotel and pretty much along the way, wherever we stopped, had us sharing the USP of this adventure trip which fascinated them.
The Fortuner has been performing as expected and all of us enjoyed being behind the wheel, the vagaries of traffic and road conditions, notwithstanding!
We turned in after dinner and looked forward to the next leg tomorrow, the 16th of May 2010.. But not before I had put our Day 1 experience on the Blog.
Incidentally Nisheeth was entrusted with the central accounts for expenditure incurred which he capably handled.
A quick recap of the stretches and time covered on day 1 reads as under:
• Lucknow to Sitapur: 80 Km, 1 hour 30 minutes. Road still under widening interspaced with rough patches.
• Sitapur to Shahjanpur: 80 Km, 1 hour 30 minutes. Road conditions good but two track highway.
• Shajahanpur to Barielly: 80 Km. 1 hour 30 mins. Road conditiond fair but driving through Barielly a nightmare as there was no bypass.
• Barielly to Moradabad: 90 Km. 2 Hours. Road conditions good but HEAVY vehicular traffic and multiple railway crossings.
• Moradabad to Meerut: 120 Km. 1 Hour 30 Minutes. Road Conditions excellent. Highway. Going through Meerut however was arduous and city traffic painful.
• Meerut to Baghpat: 50 Km. 1 Hour. The road, a state highway was decent but traffic was consistent. Passing through Baghpat though was complicated as we had to negotiate narrow crowded bazaars and streets.
• Rohtak to Karnal: 80 Km. 1 Hour 30 Minutes. A mix of excellent highway though partly under expansio
It was barely sunrise and as I waited outside with bags packed, Shekhar arrived, 10 minutes late as he had to put together breakfast for the first leg. Next halt was at Vijay’s and after a farewell from the respective spouses, we ended up picking Nisheeth before we finally hit the road. Sitapur was the first halt and Vijay was entrusted with the first leg of driving the gorgeous Fortuner which looked absolutely stunning with all the sponsor logos adorned on its exterior, make it look every inch a Leh Jayenge Rally car!
Prayers said, bhajans playing and some leg pulling to start with had us traversing the 125 odd Kilometers in good time. Maigalganj was the first halt where the famed gulab jamuns were ready and waiting. Amidst the zillion flies that infested the shop area, we still devoured two each. This was supplemented by the aloo tikki which is a specialty too!
And while we licked our fingers over a cup of tea, Dr Anand who was aware of our trip, thanks to the media, happened to stop there too, with his family, en route to Nainital and wished us well, It’s a small word alright!
By now the music had changed from the solemn bhajans to some old classic Hindi numbers and Ghazals from Jagjit Singh which we nostalgically sung along. The road so far was a mix of good patches and undulated stretches caused by the road widening process on the highway. But Vijay deftly handled the prized Fortuner and made it to Shahjahanpur in good time. Just before however, we had a very fast reflexing Shekhar almost jump out of his seat next to the driver, when we overtook a buffalo hitched to a cart. The buffalo swished its huge tail targeting Shekhar’s moustache which fortunately was secured behind the window glass but the reaction it evoked from Shekhar was that of incredulous surprise and bewilderment! After a few sandwiches and some breakfast snacks, and sharing the SMS’s that kept pouring in to wish us luck, we had Nisheeth take over the wheel for Leg 2 of the day, which was till Moradabad via Barielly, Passing through UP towns is nothing short of a drivers nightmare, The roads are narrow with speed breakers thrown in for good measure, which appear without warning, besides the plethora of bullock carts, rickshaws, trucks that prefer to drive everywhere but the right side, and not to miss the two wheeled maniacs who attack you from all sides like the meteors from outer space. While Nisheeth was waging his Star war on the road, he kept cursing the rest for a raw deal as he had a harrowing two hours of nail biting moments. And this was just the beginning! He had chosen to take the wheel when he did and mockingly told us that Vijay had tricked him into doing so! Not that we believed him and while a couple of closed railway crossings added to his misery, we chose the oddest times to ease ourselves to stop and start. It was then decided that the Dostana would be fair and Jahanpana Vijay though feeling sorry for Nisheeth took him on a circuitous route to his nephew’s residence where we were invited to have lunch. By now the befuddled Nisheeth was at his wits end and refused to touch the wheel once parked in Moradabad. While we could not help laughing at the ‘Naught Kid’ getting a taste of naughtiness, we agreed that a cyclic pattern for driving would be followed on day two, Divide each days sector into four and allow each one to take the wheel by rotation. Sounded perfect, but Nisheeth still felt he had got a raw deal. We convinced him that the first session on the 16th was all highway so he finally accepted the laid system, While all this was happening on a lighter note and the 6 hours just flew in mirth, a little more salt was rubbed when I took over the wheel after a sumptuous lunch and hit a majority of straight highway stretches.
The music had now changed to some old Hindi numbers from yesteryears and added a bit of nostalgia again. By sunset we stopped at Baghpat for a quick cup of tea at a roadside restaurant and Shekhar took over the wheel. We were a couple of hours away and were relieved to reach Karnal. The local dealership offered to help by cleaning up the car while we checked in and did a super job. All credit to Toyota for networking with their dealership en route and offering quality support. Mr Sandeep Chakravorty of Globe Toyota should get credit for a great job done,
One of our very young well wishers who has traveled to Leh 4 times by road from New Delhi and who has been a source of information and resource for this trip, messaged Vijay trying to catch up with us. While she also follows our Blog ardently, there was this glint in Vijay’s eyes which Nisheeth did not like. Recently the press had covered this young friend chatting with Nisheeth, sharing her Leh experiences with him but had since not gotten in touch. And the fact that she was doing the needful with Vijay, had Nisheeth turn green! Who said there was anything wrong with going green??!! But Nisheeth being the environment friendly guy he is stayed that way! All this was the spice for Day 1.
After checking in at the Jewel Hotel in Karnal which was comfortable, we ventured out to a Dhaba close by, for dinner,
( Zhil Mil ) which turned out to be much below expectations. Incidentally there were THREE Zhil Mil’s right next to each other. So we took the option of going to the most crowded, which was the logic for the most popular Zhil Mil. But we were tired and hungry so managed to eat well. The throng of inquisitive youngsters at the Dhaba, the Hotel and pretty much along the way, wherever we stopped, had us sharing the USP of this adventure trip which fascinated them.
The Fortuner has been performing as expected and all of us enjoyed being behind the wheel, the vagaries of traffic and road conditions, notwithstanding!
We turned in after dinner and looked forward to the next leg tomorrow, the 16th of May 2010.. But not before I had put our Day 1 experience on the Blog.
Incidentally Nisheeth was entrusted with the central accounts for expenditure incurred which he capably handled.
A quick recap of the stretches and time covered on day 1 reads as under:
• Lucknow to Sitapur: 80 Km, 1 hour 30 minutes. Road still under widening interspaced with rough patches.
• Sitapur to Shahjanpur: 80 Km, 1 hour 30 minutes. Road conditions good but two track highway.
• Shajahanpur to Barielly: 80 Km. 1 hour 30 mins. Road conditiond fair but driving through Barielly a nightmare as there was no bypass.
• Barielly to Moradabad: 90 Km. 2 Hours. Road conditions good but HEAVY vehicular traffic and multiple railway crossings.
• Moradabad to Meerut: 120 Km. 1 Hour 30 Minutes. Road Conditions excellent. Highway. Going through Meerut however was arduous and city traffic painful.
• Meerut to Baghpat: 50 Km. 1 Hour. The road, a state highway was decent but traffic was consistent. Passing through Baghpat though was complicated as we had to negotiate narrow crowded bazaars and streets.
• Rohtak to Karnal: 80 Km. 1 Hour 30 Minutes. A mix of excellent highway though partly under expansio
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