As I'd described in the Ranthambore blog, Khirsu was fast turning into a "jinx" ride destination for us, having been planned and cancelled twice in 2020, along with being considered and dropped another two times. A standard reaction to such a string of cancellations is to drop the destination altogether. In BoP however, we have the opposite reaction - we become even more determined to break the jinx. Break it we did, and how!
The dates and plan was finalized in one of our meet-ups late in February. Dips and I confirmed, while Kora and Ranaji were tentative, The latter had sold his motorcycle and was mulling over booking a new Meteor before the ride, although it seemed difficult. The alternate plan was for them to drive down instead. We decided to make this a 4-day ride, to give us more time to relax and explore.
Dates: 18th March to 21st March, 2021
Route taken/Places visited:
While going: Gurgaon - Ghaziabad - Ganga Canal road - Khatauli - Kotdwar - Buwakhal - Khirsu
While coming back: Khirsu - Buwakhal - Kotdwar - Najibabad - Noorpur - Garh Mukteshwar - Ghaziabad - Gurgaon
Riders/Drivers:
1. Ashok Rana (Ranaji) & Zaheer Saifi (Rajaji) - White Honda City - Dard nai hone wala & Dhoke daalne wala (respectively)
2. Diptinder Singh Chhabra (Dips) - Black RE Electra 4S - Chicken piece giraane wala
3. Krishnatreya Brindavanam (BK) - Silver RE Electra 5S - Sabse peeche chalne wala
Total distance traversed: 846 kms
DAY 1 - 18th March: Gurgaon to Khirsu
We hit the highway soon enough and made our way through Haryana-Delhi and Delhi-UP borders. We had some concerns about diversions due to the protests at Ghazipur border but it was smooth riding. I was particularly impressed by the Hindon/Raj Nagar Elevated road. The sun was up by the time we hit Ganga Canal road - a beautiful diversion before Modinagar, to bypass Meerut. I last rode here 11 years ago, in May 2010. As I write this blog, I went back to my album from that ride, finding a much thinner and less balder version of mine on the Karizma looking at the same beautiful road and gushing waters of the canal.
It was now pleasantly chilly and we made the best use of it, knowing how the sun would be beating on our heads in a couple of hours. We stopped for a quick breakfast and chai on the way, before the turning towards Khatauli. I switched on the navigation now and led the way. The roads were mostly nice till Kotdwar, barring a random, deep pothole that caused a little muscle pull of sorts in my lower back and further misery throughout the ride.
At the Uttar Pradesh-Uttarakhand border near Kotdwar, we were surprised when we were stopped at a checkpoint. Turns out that Covid testing is compulsory before entering Uttarakhand. It is, however, more of a formality than anything - they have limited testing kits, the sample is collected and tested, but results come out only after 3 days. The team there worked quickly and efficiently and we were back on the road soon. Next order of the day - beer!
To avoid the troubles of finding a theka, I was carrying 4 cans of beer in my saddle-bag, that had been kept overnight in the freezer. We crossed Kotdwar and entered the hills. Our priority was to find a shady spot near a viewing point, which we did around 15-20 kms later. The beer was just the right temperature and a welcome relief in the heat. We relaxed here for a bit before starting again. Lunch was at a small village further ahead, well-made but nothing out of the world. The heat, bad roads, the general soreness and my lower back, coupled with the fact that no signboard had mentioned Khirsu till now were making me irritable which made riding even tougher.
Every sign we saw kept mentioning Pauri until we were 8 kms from Pauri. And then, things turned around completely. A right turn towards Khirsu! A few kilometers ahead, the road split and now we were exactly 10 kms from our destination. The road was butter smooth, we were in the middle of lush green forests, the evening chill started and our moods soared. Suddenly, all soreness disappeared and sheer joy of riding was the only feeling I had; it is hard to describe but a feeling well-known to any motorcyclist worth his/her salt! At the 1.5 km milestone, we stopped for a few pics and Dips finally said it out loud - "jinx tod diya!"
Right at the beginning of the village are the 3 key spots - Forest Rest House (FRH), biodiversity park (or "Van Manoranjan Kendra") and the GMVN guesthouse. We made our way to GMVN guesthouse first, to see if they had a place to stay. They did! The guesthouse offered a splendid view of the valley but unfortunately, they did not allow drinking out in the open. So we booked a cottage, with a little gazebo at the corner of their property. We freshened up and took quick power naps to prepare for the critical thinking and discussions ahead of us.
The first Khirsu BBB duly began at around 7.30 PM, with Sikkim Rum (brought by Dips from Gurgaon) and snake items prepared in the restaurant. Interestingly, we were sitting in the gazebo of another cottage, not our own, as a couple of old people had moved into the adjacent one and we were requested not to disturb them. We realized that the GMVN, although great, was not conducive to the uninhibited bakchodi that'd inevitably be high on volume when Ranaji and Rajaji arrive the next day. The two old people were actually bird watchers who had organized a tour for local students and there was a party of 30+ students expected next day. Thus, among other important topics (like new motorcycles, fights with flatmates, RC renewals, etc.), we also decided to find a new place to stay the next day. Meanwhile, it got colder and we figured that Sikkim Rum was not as potent as Old Monk in keeping us warm. We finished half the bottle, had a great meal and turned in for the night.
DAY 2 - 19th March: Khirsu
Breakfast today was ideally supposed to be had outside, admiring the view, but now there was a danger of monkeys so we stayed inside the restaurant. We spoke to one of the bird-watchers, a friendly and passionate man who told us that the DM is arriving to inaugurate the event and how this was the best time to spot birds in that region.
Next order of the day - find a different place to stay. The first option was FRH. For this ride, my dad had tried to talk to his contacts to book us the FRH but they required a government letter and arranging that would have taken more time. So we just strolled around and entered the FRH premises. It was beautiful and empty, perfect for our purposes. The caretaker informed us that there were bamboo huts available but he needs a call from the Pauri DFO to confirm our stay. We took the phone number but nobody responded, so we dropped the plan. We then took a shortcut through the forest into the village to explore other homestays. Like villages in hilly regions are, the paths are ill-defined and we found ourselves climbing around on private property walls and into people's courtyards, although nobody seemed to mind it. No luck here either, all homestays were too close to houses, plus there was no parking space either. We then went back to GMVN, took our bikes and went back up to the road.
Next order of the day was getting Dips' headlights fixed, that had conked off just as we were starting from Gurgaon. We rode to the nearest mechanic a few kilometers away but figured we'd have to go to Pauri, around 19 kms away. That would give me an opportunity to get petrol too, and more importantly, to get beer. We rode up to Pauri quickly, where we both tanked up. Dips found a Bullet mechanic who he recognized from a previous visit, while coming back from Chakrata. Headlights fixed, we purchased beer and chakhna and headed back. Once again, we found a quaint spot on the roadside to have a beer each, although inefficient packing had broken open the namkeen packet and we had to scoop up large quantities from a jagged hole in the paper packet. It was afternoon now, and we wanted to taste the local cuisine. We went back to the hotel and duly ordered some alu thenchwa (a potato curry) with dal and chapati. Ashok and Zaheer had started on time and were making good progress. Having accomplished a lot since morning, we decided to take a nap.
The nap was cut short soon by Rajaji banging on the door and demanding, "itni door yaha sone aaye ho?" They'd skipped breakfast and lunch and drove almost non-stop to Khirsu, barring short breaks for lassi and cold drinks! As they were starving, we quickly ordered parathas and bread-omelette for them. The evening plan was thus - first, we'd explore the Van Manoranjan Kendra nearby and then we'd head back for a grand BBB and dinner, which was to be ordered and prepared in advance - more alu thenchwa, 'raai' ki sabzi and the critical chicken curry, with mix rotis, all to be made in the local style.
The best part of the day, a full-strength Khukris BBB, was ahead of us. So as the sun started setting, we headed back. We did stop for a quick bite and chai at a little stall. As the official accountant, it is my duty to pay up at the end, take the bill, compliment the chef and/or tip the staff, if relevant. Thus, I complimented the chef for the chowmein, that Zaheer didn't like, and he roundly cursed me for false appreciation. I still maintain that this is a democratic country and I should be able to compliment food that I liked! Back at the hotel, we arranged our drinks - Ranaji got wine for himself, I took his Jim Beam and Dips had his leftover Sikkim Rum. The BBB was loud, hilarious and one of the best I've been part of. The highlight of the evening was when Rajaji asked Dips to show the sole chicken leg piece they got. As a drunk Dips lifted it out of the curry, it slipped and fell on the floor. Rajaji's first reaction - "koi nai, isko dhoke daal denge, curry toh bachi hai isme". It was perfectly timed and I'm pretty sure he was serious about his suggestion, but it had us in splits for the next 1 hour. It became his catchphrase, a potential solution to every problem in life is to wash it and put it back ("dhoke daal denge"). By the end of our dinner, we were laughing so much that Rajaji complained of a headache. Point to be noted here - despite all 3 of us being drunk, it was Zaheer the non-drinker who broke a glass! Still recovering from the aftermath of this crazy session, we turned in for the night.
DAY 3 - 20th March: Ulka Ghadi, Melsain and Khirsu
My fitness had taken a toll during the lockdown and I had recently started getting into a routine of walking and exercising. Nevertheless, it was barely sufficient and I was lagging behind throughout the trek, much to everyone's amusement. Despite this, we were walking through an isolated forest and it was beautiful in every sense. Ashok and Zaheer were goofing around as usual. Their latest entertainment activity was taking videos of each other breaking thick pieces of deadwood. Zaheer convinced Ashok about how strong and pain-resistant he is ("Ranaji ko dard nai hota!") and chose a particularly thick piece for him to break. Ashok, buoyed with confidence, hit it with full force, only to hurt his palm badly. For the rest of the trek, he kept his hands in his pocket, seemingly a guaranteed way of reducing pain.
The route was full of bells tied to trees, that potentially announce your arrival to the temple. As we neared the temple entrance, we were greeted by two 'bhotiya' dogs - a local mountain breed, renowned for being intelligent, strong and fearsome. They were generally employed to protect flocks of goats or cows from bears and leopards. Here, however, they were simply companions for the priest. The priest welcomed us into the temple and convinced us to attend a small puja. We were the only visitors there, so he claimed that it is rare for people to make this trek and we had probably been called by Ulkeshwari Devi herself to climb up. Puja done, he then led us a bit deeper into the forest and showed us the remnants of a small fort across a ravine, where supposedly, kings fought pitched battles. After relaxing here for a bit, we made our way down.
The evening plan consisted of yet another walk into the biodiversity park and then back to the hotel for a final BBB. By now, we realized that although scenic, there isn't a lot to do in Khirsu. We could have spent another day exploring surrounding villages or even Pauri, but Khirsu is strictly a 3- or 4-day ride. After a pleasant walk in the park, we returned to the hotel. This time, we were having beers instead of hard drinks and ordered egg curry and rice for dinner, to avoid a similar chicken-piece mishap. We seemed to have chosen a wrong time to have beer though, as the night got significantly colder and we thus decided to turn in earlier.
DAY 4 - 21st March: Khirsu to Gurgaon
Although we'd planned a start at 7 AM, none of the hotel staff were awake, probably due to the ruckus we'd been creating with our BBBs in the night. We got ready, packed our stuff (for Ashok and Zaheer, that basically meant throwing their bags in the car) and waited for breakfast. It was definitely colder today but nobody complained - it'd make the ride much more pleasant and we'd be returning to the Delhi heat soon anyway. After yet another round of tea, butter toast and bread omelette, we were ready to start. The first stop was a few kilometers down the road, where we'd spotted a small stall selling local delicacies like pickles and juices. I picked up a bottle of 'buransh' (rhododendron flower) juice and 'lingda' (fiddlehead fern) pickle, both known to be local specialties.
Riding with a car was a unique experience for us, but Ranaji is an excellent driver and there was never a huge gap between the 3 vehicles. We'd zip past in the hills, but as the plains drew closer, he'd be in the lead. Halfway to Kotdwar, we stopped at the 7 Heaven restaurant, which also showed up on the map as "Rana Fish Corner". There was even a little stream there, but it was dirty and no fish available here. We all had a light breakfast here, with some juice to beat the heat. Despite the sun, however, we had a gala time on the way down. Somehow, this side of the road was in a much better condition than on the way up and we were able to maintain a good speed throughout.
Next stop was at Kotdwar. There was the River Khoh down in the valley, but it was too difficult to reach and we decided to skip the idea of a dip altogether. We crossed the checkpoint without any issues and entered UP. Our route was to be slightly different now. Partially to avoid the Meerut-Modinagar traffic and partially to explore a new route, we opted to take a left at Najibabad and reach Delhi-NCR via Gajraula, Garh Mukteshwar and Hapur. This turned out to be an interesting experience.
It was afternoon now and riding was tiresome. even if the roads were perfect. The traffic and drivers were generally crazy, zipping past without any warning or bringing vehicles too close. I think we were all on the edge a bit when Dips suffered a small mishap. A puppy jumped onto the road and as Dips tried to avoid it, an oncoming biker, overtaking a truck, hit him on the right hand and leg. Both kept their balance and the other guy rode away, but Dips now had an injured toe and little finger (turned out later to be a fractured toe). He was, however, confident of continuing the ride and we started off after a few minutes.
As we continued, the side effect of the afternoon sun and straight roads was that I was feeling sleepy. I let others go ahead, informed Ashok that I'll meet everyone for lunch at Garh Mukteshwar and stopped under a tree for a power nap. 15-20 mins later, I was back on the road. Before Gajraula, I rode on one of the most beautiful stretches of tarmac ever, with the trees forming a little tunnel of sorts for a couple of kilometers.
The highlight of the ride back was just outside of Gajraula. I stopped to confirm the direction and was "helpfully" informed of a shortcut through the village onto the highway, instead of going through Gajraula. This led me to a river bank and I stopped by a group of villagers to ask again. They pointed towards a small path and one of the guys asked me if I could drop him onto the highway. I agreed and he climbed on with a heavy sack of something. The next 2-3 kilometers were off-road but manageable. My pillion, however, turned out to be a bit unstable mentally. He started by telling me that he was actually my long-lost relative, that we had met at a cousin's wedding and invited me to his place in.....Delhi. Normally, my instinct is to act with empathy with such people but now, I was on my guard. What if he got violent? We soon touched the highway and I found a convenient spot to drop him off. He insisted for a bit but I told him that I'd visit him next time and left swiftly. Well, not that swift, there was a major traffic jam over the bridge ahead, but at least I got rid of him.
Ashok and I shared our respective WhatsApp Live locations, they were just a couple of kilometers ahead. We decided to meet at some restaurant he knew of a kilometer ahead. But as I could see the Live location, they went on beyond a kilometer. 5, 7, 10 kilometers and they were still moving! I wasn't sure what was happening and was super hungry, so I stopped for a quick snack. Zaheer called me and asked me to join them ahead - turns out Google Maps led them to a different restaurant. Famished and tired as we were, we had a quick meal here. I closed the accounts "book" (a frayed piece of paper, to be precise). Yet another successful ride was wrapping up!
The next 120-odd kms did not feature anything special, barring crazy traffic in Ghaziabad due to the flyovers being closed off. Dips and I stuck close together, but we lost Ashok and Zaheer long back. Although we mulled over having a farewell beer near my place, my parents had been calling me for some work, so I bid adieu to Dips and reached home at 9.30 PM.
Apart from the thrill of breaking the jinx, it was a much needed group ride. The BBB was phenomenal, as was the destination. Dips' accident did take down our exhilaration a notch, especially considering the seriousness of it, but he was a true soldier who did not let it affect the mood and stoically pushed on. I can only imagine what pain he must have been in! The next ride to Sach Pass is now in the works, so until next time!
Alvida and Jai BoP!
Reading your Travelogues us always a pleasure and this one is no different. Too bad that the ride ended on a sad note but overall it was quite an adventure! See you soon #ontheroad.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Che