BoP Khirsu Khukris Ride

 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

This was the first time in BoP history where motorcycles and cars were going on a ride together. However, the drivers were joining on Day 2. On Day 1, it was just me and Dips. Kora turned up early in the morning at my place to see us off, on his way to badminton practice and was kind enough to click a few pics, something Dips and I are notoriously unreliable at.

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.

A little further down, we found the perfect spot - Hotel Taj Himalaya Khirsu. Not only was this also empty and far from any houses, the rooms had balconies that offered a brilliant view of step-farms in the valley and it was reasonably priced at Rs 1800 for a double room. Without further ado, we confirmed this. Right outside the hotel was another road, diverging from the main road, that went up deeper into the hills - it looked very appealing to me, so we went up a kilometer or so and decided to come back here for a beer the next day. We went back to the GMVN, checked out and shifted our stuff to Taj Himalaya. 

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 walk started with a stony path through the forest, that we all enjoyed greatly. Ashok and Zaheer provided the much needed additional bakchodi doses, with their constant bickering about who takes more pictures of whom and Ranaji's jibes about Rajaji's nose length. A little surprise was in store for us - as we walked deeper into what we thought was the forest, the path took a turn and we were suddenly faced with a large park, with all sorts of swings, slides and ladders for children. While the car-people had a whale of time clicking pictures and taking videos, we old-school motorcyclists walked and lounged around on the park benches.

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

The day started with chai and toast, followed by a light breakfast. Agenda was a little trek up to Ulka Ghadi where there was a temple for Ulkeshwari Devi. a local deity. We were now travelling in luxury, sitting in Ranaji's car instead of riding anywhere. Google Maps missed the spot where the trek began and took us well ahead. So we turned back and found the correct spot.

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. 

Surprisingly, the dogs started accompanying us below. We thought it'd be only for a few minutes. But turns out that they were treating us like a flock of their own and guarded us the entire 1.5 kms downhill. It was both impressive and heartwarming. Neither of them demanded affection or treats like street dogs generally do. They enjoyed their head patting and scritching but did not actively 'ask' for it and neither were there any expectations once we reached our destination. They simply wandered off on their own. I enjoyed seeing them in their element - running around the forest, digging and exploring stuff, play-fighting with each other - they seemed to be having more fun than a lot of molly-coddled pets in the city and I hope they enjoy this free-spirited way of living for a long long time.

We drove back to the hotel, parked the car and took our bikes out. We wanted to ride deeper into the hills near our hotel and set off with some beers in hand. The route was fantastic for a few kilometers, with an even denser forest and cooler temperatures. It soon opened up though and we found a spot over a gorgeous cliff to park our bikes and guzzle down the beers. We then rode a bit further to Melsain for lunch, which had the grandly named "Green Hills Resort". It turned out to be a damp squib, serving nothing but snacks at that time. We rode back down 8 kms to the GMVN guesthouse for lunch, that we polished off efficiently. Once again, back to the hotel for a nap!

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.

We'd purchased beer on the way and after the Najibabad turning, we hit a cement road and stopped at a sugarcane field for a break. Dips and Zaheer were confident about it being fine, while Ashok and I felt it risky to enter a private property and drink openly. To prove our fears untrue, Zaheer went ahead and pulled out a stalk of sugarcane and dove right into it without a moment's hesitation; indeed, he was sure that if the farmer comes by, he'd be glad to see his sugarcane being enjoyed! It was a very relaxing break nonetheless and we rested in the shade for sometime. 

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!

BoP Ride to Ranthambore

2020 was a year where I truly counted my blessings. After an amazing ride to Nepal in January, I also visited Vizag and Bangalore briefly before the Covid lockdown started. Indeed, Bulls on Parade (BoP) planned and almost went ahead with the Khirsu Khukris ride, but wisely cancelled, otherwise we'd have been stuck there for 3 months! The lockdown gave me more opportunities to feel blessed - although away from family, I continued to be employed with full salary and had an entire 4 BHK to myself (almost) - none of these elements to be taken for granted. I did my part, buckled down and called on my inner reserves of introversion (and beer and whisky....) to coast through. 

The club did meet a few times July onwards, at BBB sessions or short 1-day rides. We were all itching to hit the road for a long ride again though. A second Khirsu plan was considered and cast aside in August; a third in November (cancelled again, very close to the ride day). Finally in December, a firm plan was made for a 4-day ride to Badnore in January, exactly 1 year after the Nepal ride. Due to a spate of cancellations caused by personal reasons, only Kora and I were left and we were in no mood to cancel a 4th time. We instead changed the destination to Ranthambore and made it a 3-day ride.

Dates: 23rd January to 25th January, 2021

Route taken/Places visited:

While going - Gurgaon - Manesar - Rewari - Neemrana - Dausa - Lalsot - Sawai Madhopur

While returning - Sawai Madhopur - Lalsot - Mala Khera - Nuh - Sohna - Gurgaon

Riders:

1. Krishnatreya Brindavanam - Silver RE Electra 5S - Katori pehen ne wala

2. Pravin Kora - Battle Green RE Classic 350 - Animal behaviour expert

Total distance traversed: 788 kms

DAY 1 - 23rd January: Gurgaon to Sawai Madhopur

An early start was decided upon, at 5 AM. We anticipated fog and also traffic jams due to the ongoing farmer protests at the borders. Since it was just the two of us, Kora and I decided to just meet near my place instead of our regular meet-up point at Leisure Valley Park. I'd packed alu paratha for breakfast and Kora was getting pulihora for lunch. 

We crossed Manesar without incident but the truck traffic was getting heavier. Near Dharuhera, we spotted a complete road blockade with trucks. Not even a motorcycle could pass through. So we followed the rest of the traffic on the wrong side and turned towards Rewari. We then looped around the blockade and rejoined the highway some 15 kms before Neemrana. We soon stopped for chai and had our breakfast there itself, before continuing towards Sawai Madhopur. Shortly after Neemrana, a second blockade appeared in front of us and once again, we went off the highway and into village roads to loop around. This time, it was a smaller loop of 9-10 kms and we were accompanied by a bunch of superbikers who seemed a bit worried about the damage their bikes might incur on these village roads (where the Bullet is perfectly at home).

Despite this ~30 kms detour, the riding was smooth, the cold wasn't particularly bad (as compared to the Nepal ride) and most importantly, there was no major fog. We were even lucky enough to find a 3rd blockade materializing in front of us, as a crowd was moving barricades into place and we simply went off the road for a few meters to avoid it. In this manner, we continued on and stopped for our first beer. Thekas in Rajasthan are generally set in the fields in wide, open spaces which is exactly what we preferred in these times.

The sun was up now and all the layers I wore in the morning were making me hot and stuffy. Uncharacteristically, we decided to stop for a second beer around 60 kms later. You'd all have heard or tried the famous combination of beer and biryani. This day, we had beer and pulihora! Post lunch, I removed my thick jacket along with the 'surgical' gloves inside my main gloves and rode in a more relaxed manner. We had a bit of misnavigation after Lalsot, but turned around and found our way back (BoP ride after all, how can we not misnavigate).

Despite our many breaks and riding almost 45 kms extra, we reached our hotel Tiger Haveli at 4 PM. Although small and hard to find, it was a clean place and had received rave reviews for the courteous and welcoming staff there. True to the reviews, the owner's son Anshuman patiently answered all our questions. I wanted to have authentic daal baati churma, but he told me very honestly that it's not that well made here and suggested chane ki saag and gatte ki sabzi instead. Such honesty and humility!

We relaxed in the room for a few hours, enjoying hot chai and excellent pakodas. We both wanted to take a walk around the city to get rid of stiff muscles and joints. As advised by Anshuman, we took an auto to the main market and walked all around. Pretty soon, however, we realized that there wasn't much to it. The town is small and basically runs on the tourism income brought in by the national park and maybe the fort but Sawai Madhopur in itself doesn't have a lot to do. The auto driver confirmed our theory and said that the lack of foreign tourists since the Covid crisis was a big blow to the town economy. 

We went back to our hotel to start our BBB in earnest. Continuing BoP's streak with rooftop restaurants, we settled in the open area. The weather wasn't particularly cold, but the hotel guys arranged for a bonfire. We consumed our beer and talked but the true highlight awaiting was the food. We had ordered 3 curries, not being sure of the quantity - the aforementioned chane ki saag and gatte ki sabzi and the much-talked about laal maas for Kora. All three curries were cooked in the traditional Rajasthani style - rich in oil and spices and very heavy. Combined with bajre ki roti, we entered a state of foodie bliss. We asked the leftover curries to be kept aside for the morning and went to take a second walk. This is when we engaged in a deep discussion on animal behaviours, particularly animal conflict-avoidance behaviours, an area Kora is well versed in. Little did we know that we'd be witnessing a practical demonstration of the same next day at the safari!

DAY 2 - 24th January: Ranthambore National Park

I love safaris. I have been only on two in my entire lifetime - first to Ranthambore when I was in school (and saw nothing but a tiger's tail) and the second was a night safari in Ooty (the highlight of which was a massive wild gaur). I was looking forward to getting lucky this time and spotting a tiger.

First order of the day was breakfast. Delicious parathas with last night's curries and pickle and cups of chai, eaten on a cold morning with weak sunlight. At the risk of repeating myself - blissful! The plan was now to ride to the Ranthambore Fort and return by noon for lunch, post which we had a safari booked on a canter (an open truck seating 20). It was a short ride to the fort, the last few kilometers through the jungle. The roads were paved with large cobblestones, presumably to force visitors to ride at a slow and safe speed. We parked our bikes and started climbing up towards the fort. My fitness had taken a toll during the lockdown and I was huffing and puffing within 10 mins. The only saving grace was my 2-week old attempt to get back into shape, which helped me reach the top without collapsing in a heap somewhere. Overall, it was a well-maintained fort with some good views of the national park around it. We clicked some pics and left soon.

Back at the hotel, we had a light lunch - kadi and sabzi with rice. We really needed that after the previous 2 heavy meals. We rested for a bit and the canter arrived exactly at 1.45 as promised. We were heading towards Zone 3, purportedly the best zone to spot tigers (although we suspected that's what they said to everyone). The canter picked people along the way, even going far ahead of the park entrance to pick up a party of 4.

Our guide introduced himself and we entered the park, turning into Zone 3. Safaris here are either made on a canter or a Gypsy. Gypsies are costlier but are more maneuverable and can seat an entire family. This does not seem to dampen the canter drivers' spirits though. Highly capable drivers, they manage to swing around their large vehicles with equal agility on the narrow forest paths and position themselves perfectly. As demanded by their job, they are also experts at reversing at terrifying speeds. The safari sights apart, it was a pleasure watching these drivers in action too.

Soon after entering Zone 3, our guide motioned for us to be quiet. We were at the edge of a lake, ringed by tall grass and there were whispers of a tiger sighting here. I squeezed my way to the front, right besides the driver and guide to get the best sight. Lo and behold, we spotted the tiger's head behind a tree trunk, as it lounged. As we squinted and angled our heads to get a better view, a huge male sambhar deer casually strolled into the scene. The tigress (named Riddhi, we learnt by now) looked up, leaped out of hiding and gave chase. It was too far though and the sambhar streaked past us, hollering his lungs out in fear. All was over in less than 5 seconds, but for a heart-stopping second in the middle, the powerful hunter's chase seemed to lead her straight towards our canter. What an awe-inspiring sight and what luck, seeing such Nat Geo style action less than 800 meters away!

The guide and driver then took us a bit ahead and we spotted Riddhi's sister Siddhi. In a large clearing, surrounded by dozens of vehicles and at least a hundred visitors, Siddhi lounged in a little pool of water for 15 solid minutes. Not giving a damn to anyone, majestic like a true alpha predator, commanding her viewers to stay silent and just watch. The only worry Siddhi had, however, was sibling rivalry. Seemingly, both sisters had been fighting for territory (the driver showed us a video of their fight; you can view it here - *not my video*, all due credit to Ajay who shot it a few days before). We were all excited about a similar showdown today, as Siddhi got up and started marking her territory with scent marks. The canter turned around and followed her as she casually strolled through the jungle, staking out her territory. Soon, her sister started following her at a distance. To our disappointment, however, no fight was going to take place today. Showcasing the same animal conflict-avoidance behaviours Kora and I talked about the previous day, the tigresses kept their distance from each other.

The guide then predicted that one of them is off to hunt and guided the driver towards a potential spot where we might witness a hunt. But time was running out and after waiting for a few minutes, we turned towards home. We did a bit of bird-watching and saw some crocodiles, but after all the excitement with the tigresses, these sightings were akin to the end credits of a non-Marvel movie!

We were dropped off at our hotel at around 5.45 PM. We tipped the guide and thanked him for a fantastic experience. Next up - BBB! After another chai and pakoda session, we set off walking to get beer (one of the caretakers got it for us the previous day). Contrary to the caretaker's emphatic insistence that the wine shop was very close, we ended up walking around 3 kms to and back from said shop. Today, we wanted to start and wrap up earlier, as we planned an early start next day.

Once again, beer, bakchodi and knowledge flowed in ample quantities. This night, it was much colder and the bonfire was welcomed with open arms. Shortly thereafter, we were joined by two people from Faridabad. After being subjected to an onslaught of animal behaviour and human behaviour knowledge respectively from Kora and me, they went to another table to have their dinner. We finished dinner, settled up all expenses at the reception and turned in for the night.

DAY 3 - 25th January: Sawai Madhopur

The first thing we did as we woke up at 4 AM was to pull aside the window and peep out. As we dreaded, a thick fog blanketed the locality. But what we dreaded more was getting stuck at the border or having to stay there for a day or two. 30 mins later, we were on our bikes.

Riding at a torturously slow speed through the fog, we found our way out of the city and onto the "highway" - with the fog, all roads looked the same. Over the course of the next 3 hours, we rode a grand total of 64 kms. This is included 2 short stops on the way for chai. The heavy fog led to dew deposits on our clothes and we were soaking wet soon, adding to the cold we were already feeling. At the 2nd chai stop, we were served by a terse villager with nary a smile or acknowledgement to what we said. After paying up, Kora asked, "ujaala kab hogi?" (when will the sun rise?). The guy simply replied "ho gayi, yahi hai ujaala, aur kitni chahiye?" (the sun already rose, what more do you want?) and broke into a broad smile. With less than 50 meters visibility and darkness enveloping us, it was hilarious and philosophical at the same time. I still chuckle at that straight-faced delivery of such an enigmatic and ironic statement and wonder what he meant by it!

Soon however, there was some light, albeit with no decrease in fog. I was soaking once again and now, the rubber gloves I wear inside my main gloves were soaked too. We had enough of this and at 7.30 AM, we simply stopped besides a bonfire, huddled around which were a bunch of villagers. As is typical, the group made space and invited us graciously to sit by the fire. It's such a simple but welcoming gesture that I have seen all around India. Over the next hour, as our clothes and gear dried slowly, we fielded many questions from them. The most important one was addressed to me, focusing on my 'metallic' knee guards - "je ghutne pe katori kyu pehen rakhi hai?" (why do you have bowls tied to your knees?). I was stumped for a moment, but he was correct. I cannot unsee it now, the image of me tying steel utensils to my arms and legs as I embark on a ride. 

We stayed here for more than hour, consuming many cups of chai and learning about the farmers' lives and thoughts about the agitation in Delhi (short answer - barely impressed or supportive of it). The fog was slowly dissipating, so we decided to make a move. As we were gearing up, Kora's client Gaurav called him up and told him he was nearby. He was on a solo ride, visiting an engineer friend of his who was working on a highway near Lalsot (30 kms from where we were). We decided to ride back together. 

By the time we reached Lalsot, the sun was up and shining brightly. As we waited for Gaurav, we had our packed breakfast - rotis and alu curry, prepared and packed at Tiger Haveli the previous night. He turned up shortly and after catching up and talking a bit about the remarkable coincidence and timing of his call, we started in earnest to cover up for the lost time.

The plan was now straightforward - more riding, less bakchodi! Well, OK, more riding with adequate bakchodi. We decided to skip the highway and take a different route, through Nuh and Sohna. Barring a misnavigation that led us through some obscure villages and around a kilometer of dirt track riding through the fields, the route was fantastic. Normal levels of traffic, no blockades and green fields lining the 2-lane highway all the way till Sohna. At around 2.30, we stopped for a final extended tea break, deciding to skip lunch (we finished the remaining rotis and curry though). We bid our goodbyes here, 60 kms before our destination, as we all wanted to ride non-stop to home now. I reached at around 4.45 PM, almost exactly 12 hours later!

Apart from being the first proper long ride since the Nepal ride, it was a landmark trip for me because of the highly successful safari and the awesome food we had at Tiger Haveli. 2021 thus started brilliantly (I mean, so did 2020.....) and I look forward to more riding this year.

Adios and Jai BoP!

BoP Ride to Nepal - V

DAY 7 - January 24th: Kathmandu to Ayodhya

The return journey was starting today. I decided to cover major portions today, till Ayodhya (via Sonauli border) and the next day till Agra, leaving me a comfortable 250 kms to ride on the final day. The prospect of 'return' winds down the enthusiasm and stamina of any rider. If I had stayed back with my co-riders, or even alone but still in Nepal, I wouldn't have experienced any tiredness!

I started off early, at 6 AM as I had to ride over 450 kms today. Food services at the hostel were at specified timings only, so I couldn't have chai. I decided to stop for breakfast after riding 50 kms. At this hour, there was obviously no traffic. The route was the same one I had taken while coming from Pokhara, but without the dreaded trucks. I was still riding at a slow speed due to the general bad condition of the roads.

Around 55 kms later, I spotted 'Hamlet Restaurant' and stopped for breakfast. The service mode is quite interesting here. They basically serve a buffet of sorts. All items are laid out, you look and choose what you want and they charge according to the items you take. In other words, the 'look' is of a buffet but you don't pay a fixed amount for unlimited stuff, you can just take some portions and pay for those. Quite a unique concept, especially for breakfast. I chose poori and alu sabzi and black tea from the adjacent stall. Once again, the food was excellent, as was the tea. This trip was quite a culinary delight, with almost no meal being below-average (yet....). While I had stopped randomly, because the restaurant looked nice from outside, PS later told me that it is actually a very popular hang-out spot. It's a nice, short drive out of Kathmandu and she'd been here many times.

As I was leaving, a guy in an SUV stopped and chatted with me for a long time until his wife gestured to him impatiently from inside the car. Guess she doesn't want him mixing with 'bikers' and getting his own ideas! Post breakfast, it was mostly an uneventful ride. The roads continued to be brilliant with sparse traffic. The weather was amazing too. This was another thing about Nepal. The air is fresh and easy to breathe, unlike the polluted air in Delhi-NCR. Then again, I'd be a hypocrite to complain about pollution when I myself ride a motorcycle.

My mood was a little down, to be honest. The trip was quite short, my mates were still here for another week and I was returning home alone. Post-ride blues are quite normal but this seemed to be worse than normal. As a result, I made one bad decision - to keep riding and not stop for lunch. I wasn't very hungry and I thought I could cross the border and eat on the Indian side. I kinda anticipated a lot of options.

Compounding my end-of-ride blues was what I perceived as one last attempt by this beautiful country to hold me back, 50 kms before the border:

Another little, heartwarming incident happened around 20 kms before the border. My brakes were very loose by now, so I stopped at a mechanic's to get them tightened. The owner of the store walked out to greet me and expressed regret that the mechanic wasn't around. When I said I just wanted to get my brakes tightened, he volunteered to do it himself (I am assuming that's not the norm at this shop). We chatted for a bit and he learned that I had a long ride ahead of me; without me asking him to, he lubed the chain, tightened a few nuts and even volunteered to dust the bike. To top that, he refused any money! My insistence fell on deaf ears. I was a visitor to his country and it was very minor stuff, he said, so no money required. Yet again, Nepali hospitality touched my heart.

I crossed the border without a single hurdle. The guards on the Nepal side simply waved me through. On the Indian side, I expected some sort of checking, so I stopped and asked a few people in case I get caught further down for some reason. When I was sure nothing was required, I continued. Bit of an anti-climactic ending to my first international ride, I must say.

Hunger pangs struck and I realized I should have eaten on the Nepal side. The roads after Sonauli are huge, smooth and empty. Nothing apart from fields on the sides. More than 50 kms later, at around 3.45 PM, I spotted a small restaurant. They served only snacks, so I gobbled down multiple plates of onion pakodas, samosas and a plate of gajar-halwa. The pakodas were perfect but everything else was strictly average. It was almost 4.30 PM now and I had more than 150 kms to cover till Ayodhya, so I started off without further ado.

At my next rest stop, I booked an Oyo Room (Spot On Jyotish House) for the night in Ayodhya. I hadn't paid attention to the name and assumed it was a regular hotel. I rode quickly through the darkness to reach at around 7.30 PM. As soon as I reached, I realized it was actually a small ashram of sorts, and they were probably renting out the rooms via Oyo as a side business. The caretaker there was a nice chap, who referred to 'bikers' as if it is a different species. After confirming that I belonged to aforementioned sub-species of Homo Sapiens, he proceeded to explain our various features to the other staff. He first explained how we all seem to wear these things on our arms and knees, how we carry a lot of stuff on our bikes, etc. I was allowed to proceed to my room only after the staff had properly observed this newly-discovered sub species.

The room was large and clean, although there was a lot of construction going on outside. I jumped into the shower quickly and stepped out refreshed. My only peeve with the place was that I couldn't grab a beer. But they served unlimited poori-sabzi for dinner (repeat of breakfast!) along with a huge bowl of kheer that I could barely finish. Before sleeping, I checked the distances and decided to stop for breakfast in Lucknow on the way to Agra.

DAY 8 - January 25th: Ayodhya to Agra via Lucknow

The fog was back, although not as bad as before. I started off from the ashram at around 7 AM. The main priest/head of ashram was also up and the caretaker jumped at this opportunity to show off his latest discovery to him. The head of the ashram was duly impressed by the young man's discovery and asked an insightful question - "what do these bikers do then?" To this, the caretaker responded that bikers seem to ride long distances, over plains, mountains and even deserts, they don't seem to get tired and claim to enjoy doing all this. I didn't get a word in edgewise, such was his mastery of the subject. He informed me afterwards that he had come across 'bikers' in Lucknow and thus knew so much about them. I congratulated him for gaining such valuable knowledge and bid a farewell to everyone gathered there.

Riding through huge throngs of people heading to the temple nearby, I touched the highway soon, where I stopped for tea. I was in touch with a couple of my friends from Lucknow, who all recommended Sharma ki Chai in Lalbagh. I reached there without much difficulty at around 10.15 AM. There was a huge crowd but service was super quick. I had bun makkhan, samosa and chai, of course. While all 3 were great, I did feel it's a bit too hyped. Don't get me wrong, they were really tasty, but I didn't think it was anything unique or mind-blowing and not really worth a detour into the city. Nevertheless, Lucknow seemed to be a nice and clean city to hang out in, at least the areas I had passed through.

I made my way out of Lucknow and hit the Lucknow-Agra Expressway, that eventually continues up to Greater Noida. I had heard a lot about this expressway, but this was my first time on it. I paid the toll and started. There is nothing much to write about from this point. It's a long, empty and monotonous stretch. I stuck to a speed limit of 75-80 kph. The only hiccup I faced was petrol. I had not tanked up since I crossed the Nepal border and now I was on the expressway with no way to go but straight. I could take the next exit but that'd mean repaying the toll when I entered the expressway again. The first 'rest-stop' was 75 kms from the start. I heaved a sigh of relief when I spotted the signboard announcing the rest-stop, tanked up and continued on my way. Lunch was at the next rest-stop, another 130 kms from the first one. Here, once again, I booked stay at 'Friends Guest House and Hostel' in Agra. I reached there at 6 PM. I was back in a dorm room now, after my stint in the private room in the ashram.

2 'dry' days had passed now and I was not looking to make it a hat-trick. Before that though, I stepped out and walked into a petha store nearby. How can I miss petha in Agra? The shopkeeper had a slow business day and was about to shut shop when I walked in. I just wanted a couple of pieces to eat, not to pack. He showed me his entire range and I chose a regular petha, a paan petha and a chocolate petha. He also refused payment! I was really on a freebie roll now. As promised, I am sharing the location here for anyone interested - with your back to the Friends Guest House and Hostel in Taj Nagari (Shilpagram Road), walk to your right for less than 30 meters, you'll find the petha store on the same side of the road. I recommend both paan petha and chocolate petha, they were amazing and unique.

I returned to the hostel and went up to the Bob Marley Cafe on the top floor. Beer, starters and some light dinner were consumed with gusto. Post 10 PM, I was requested to park my motorcycle inside. Inside meant REALLY inside. I basically rode over a small ramp into the hostel and parked my bike in front of the reception desk. Now that's a first! I was dead tired and hit the bed soon.

DAY 9 - January 26th: Agra to Gurgaon

The final day of the ride! I wasn't excited of course, but my mood had improved considerably since day before. I made a late start, at 9 AM to avoid the fog. Right before the Expressway Tollgate, I stopped to have chai at a small stall. I had a long chat with the stall owner. He was under the assumption that bikers who go on such long rides are sponsored by companies. When I told him that we mostly spend our own money, he was quite impressed and commented on the freedom and spirit of adventure we all must have inside us to embark on such journeys. His own life journey was quite interesting. He happened to be a skilled worker, who used to work in a chemical manufacturing plant nearby. After multiple burn injuries, his mother requested him to quit and he then started this tea stall. He mentioned that he earns less now, but at least his life and limbs are not in danger. I found this to be quite motivating, he seemed to have made peace with his life and its circumstances and did not dwell too much on the past or 'what-could-have's.

Thus motivated, I embarked on the last leg of my journey. I crunched through the kilometers and reached the Greater Noida-Noida Expressway. This is home stretch for me. I had spent many years putting my brother's Karizma through its paces on this very Expressway. Noida holds a special place in my heart, as I was born and brought up here and those 23 kms were quite nostalgic!

I made a quick stop to meet a friend of mine in Noida, though the 'quick' break turned into a 2-hour long lunch session. I finally reached home in Gurgaon at 5 PM.

This ride is now my second-longest ride, after Rann of Kutch. It was my first international ride and I truly wish I can go back to this nice little country again in the future. I felt that the good times I had here deserved a tribute in form of this blog and thus, this ride also helped push me over the 3-year long writer's block!

Until next time! Cheers and Jai BoP!

BoP Ride to Nepal - IV

DAY 6 - January 23rd: Kathmandu

This was the first and only full-day I had to relax and roam around. The day started really early, as I got up at 4.30 AM. The staff at the restaurant below had indicated that parking the bike in the airport may not be safe. I was also worried about carrying my helmet inside the airport, so I decided to take the taxi instead. There was one right outside the hostel that took me to the airport for Nepali Rs 700. I think it was quite a steep price for the distance, but considering the hour, I didn't think too much about it.

The flight was to take off at 6.45 AM. It's a 45-mins flight (called the Mountain Flight) that shows you Mount Everest and other high peaks in the vicinity. All seats are window seats. However, Sunder had told me to reach early and get seats in the first couple of rows, as the engine might block the view if you are sitting near the wings. I was probably the first person to report at the Yeti check-in counter at 5 AM! I chose a seat in the first row, went past the security check and into the boarding area. I had a long time before take-off and the food stall was just opening up, so I just took a nap on the seats there. I woke up at 6, had breakfast with tea and waited for boarding to commence.

As the clock ticked past 6.30 AM, I was a bundle of nerves. Mountain flights can get delayed or cancelled because of the fickle weather in mountains. I absolutely did not mind a long delay, as long as we took off. Once-in-a-lifetime is a bit too much, as I do intend on returning to Nepal some day, but I definitely wouldn't get a chance soon. Due to the weather up there, Everest-viewing flights by other airlines were also delayed. At around 7.50, things began to look up. Buddha Air's flight was called for boarding, and their original take-off time was before my Yeti flight, so I was quite positive. At 8.15, they called for us to board. YAY!

As we took off, the friendly air-hostesses explained the protocol. First the left side of the aircraft would get to see the peaks. Those sitting on the right, like me, would be called one by one to spend a few moments in the cockpit. Then the aircraft would turn around and the protocol repeated in reverse. As I awaited my turn, I noticed the contrast was remarkable on both sides. On the right side were low black/brown hills that barely rose above the cloud cover. On the left were peaks covered with snow that almost towered above the aircraft. While I awaited our turn to see the peaks, I saw an intriguing sight of a river of clouds. What you see in the pic here is not a glacier or river, but clouds shaped by the mountains around them. I was soon called into the cockpit and saw a brilliant view for a few seconds before being ushered back out. As usual, I forgot to take a photo.

We were all given a pamphlet that accurately showed the peaks and their respective heights. At first glance, for a city-boy like me, all the peaks look the same and I wondered if I could even spot anything. In reality, the peaks are quite distinguishable if you look at them long enough. The air-hostesses also point out to the features that can help you better distinguish one peak from the next. As we took a turn, I started paying attention to the peaks and accurately spotted peaks like Makalu, Amadablam, Lhotse and of course, Mt. Everest.

Once we had reached the 'last' mountain, the air-hostess came up to me and asked if I wanted to come into the cockpit again! I think they had time for a few more visits only and approached the first couple of rows. I jumped at the opportunity and took a small video from the cockpit. Please pardon my below-average video taking skills, I am not a natural and I had to decide between viewing and video-taking in less than 20 seconds.

Till now, the experience had been tremendous. Watching the huge peaks, the river of clouds, going inside the cockpit twice, the lovely service provided by the air-hostesses, everything made the delay worth it. The crew decided to add a cherry on top of the cake by offering champagne! What better way to celebrate this breathtaking scenery?

As we made preparations to land, we were all given a certificate signed by the pilot. I must say, Yeti Airlines not only had impeccable service, they also know what clicks with the tourists and marketed their services really well. For this entire experience, I have PS to thank, for arranging the tickets at such short notice and that too discounted! Credit to Sunder too for recommending the Everest flight in the first place.

I took another taxi back to the hostel. I was meeting PS for dinner at around 7 PM and had the entire day to roam around in Kathmandu. I also wanted to get my helmet visor replaced, as it had fallen on the ground and there was a big scratch right at eye-level. Before that though, I got in touch my dad's friend in Kathmandu for a trip to Pashupatinath Temple. While he was busy elsewhere, he put me in touch his driver, Shyam, who said he'd meet me in the parking lot of the temple. It was now around 11 AM and Kathmandu, for a city that small, seems to have a lot of traffic. Navigation was old-school (asking people for directions) as I did not have a mobile holder attached and did not have my tank-bag. It took me over 40 mins to reach the temple entrance. Another 15 mins were spent figuring out the parking lot's location, as the regular route was barricaded for some reason.

We entered the temple from the back gate. Shyam seemed to know a lot of people there and cheerfully greeted and talked to the guards and other staff. I'm not a religious person but the temple was beautifully constructed and had a peaceful air to it despite the crowds. We walked around for a bit inside, saw the sanctum sanctorum and walked through the maze of 184 shivalingams. As we stepped out, I spoke to Shyam about purchasing a khukri, and whether he had any idea about taking it over the border. Instead of listening to my question, Shyam simply walked over to the nearest stall selling memorabilia and asked him to show me khukris. I was looking at one of them and Shyam started bargaining with the stall owner there! In no time, they decided on a reasonable amount of Nepali Rs 650 and turned to look at me. Seemingly a decision had been made for me. At ₹400, it was a steal and I could afford it even if they do not allow it over the border. After purchasing it, I thanked Shyam for showing me around and went back to the parking lot. As I was taking my bike out, a bunch of bikers came in. I introduced myself to them and was intrigued by their 'SK' number plates. I assumed they were from Nepal, but turns out they were Indians! This was the Eastern Enfielders from Sikkim, who had entered via the Siliguri border a few days ago. They also had reached Kathmandu the previous night, only difference being that they entered the city at 9 PM and saw no traffic on the roads.

I got stuck in traffic again, on my way to the helmet shop. It was a fruitless visit too, as they only accepted Nepali currency and I had used up most of mine. The owner, however, kindly offered to hold the visor for me till the evening in case I got hold of NC somewhere. I reached the hostel and went to sleep after lunch. I woke up feeling refreshed at 5.30 PM, but was in no mood to go back to the helmet shop, so I called and informed him to not hold it for me. I'd have to risk using the scratched visor for now.

I was to meet PS at Radisson Hotel nearby, where she was attending a conference. Once again, Google Maps failed, as it kept leading me into private roads or dead ends. I had to ditch it and use my intuition to find the hotel. I was meeting PS after more than 6 years now and it was a joyful reunion. We went to Lalitpur on the other side of Kathmandu, over the Bagmati River that divides the city into two halves. It was now 7.30 PM and there was barely any traffic. It was a breezy ride to our destination, Patan Darbar Square.

I have never seen something like this in all my travels in India. The Darbar Square is like a heritage site/old palace/town center/hangout spot/plaza, all in one. The buildings are mostly made of wood and stone, in a distinctive architectural style that I am not informed enough to comment on, but resemble Buddhist monasteries externally. It is an incredible sight in the night, with little lights all over the complex that beautify the buildings but are not bright enough to overpower the view. Once again, I was so lost in looking around that I didn't take pictures. But trust me, a night visit to Patan Darbar Square is worth it.

We walked around for a bit, talking and admiring the views. PS grew up around here, so this was probably a daily sight, but I couldn't take my eyes off from the buildings as we walked. We were starving and went for dinner to Cafe du Temple. The rooftop was empty, probably because of the cold. Service was a bit below our expectations, but the food was delicious. It was a nice change to have soup and American chopsuey, instead of thakali. Post this heavy dinner, I still had room for dessert. PS recommended Roadhouse Cafe, where we had their signature 'Sizzling Brownie'. It was simply mind-blowing and a perfect way to end my day in Kathmandu. I had a very pleasant evening with PS, as we caught up on each others' lives and talked about our college friends, so many of whom we lost touch with but still knew enough about, thanks to social media! It was getting late, so I dropped her home, thanked her again for being an excellent host just like her fellow countrymen and found my way back to the hostel. I had to ask for directions till Thamel, but managed to navigate on my own through the little streets. Guess I still have some hope left in the navigation department.....

Link to Part V

BoP Ride to Nepal - III

DAY 4 - 21st January: Butwal to Waling via Lumbini

Remember those two points we were dissatisfied about? Not enough riding and no sightseeing. The first was taken care of on the Chisapani-Butwal stretch and now it was time to address the second issue. Earlier, we had briefly considered taking a safari in Bardia National Park but the costs and timings did not fit into our plans. On Day 4, we decided to head to the Vishwa Shanti Stupa (World Peace Pagoda) in Lumbini in the morning. This was around 40 kms from our hotel, so we headed out in the morning and planned to return by check-out time and proceed towards Pokhara.

A slight aside first, to explain the planning for the ride ahead. As I said, I decided to split off the rest of the group sooner than I initially had planned. The reason was that Jomsom had a very tough off-roading patch which would take a lot of time to cover. If I went to Jomsom, I'd have to skip everything else and start my return journey immediately afterwards as I had to reach home on 26th at all costs. Furthermore, heavy off-roading can take a toll on the bike and I had a long solo ride ahead of me, for which I needed the bike to be in a perfect condition. Finally, Sunder, our riding partner from Bangalore had posted pics and information about the Everest flight from Kathmandu and this caught my fancy. I thus decided to stay the night in Pokhara, roam around the next day and then leave for Kathmandu the day after.

On Day 4 though, we made an early start for Lumbini. The weather was cold as usual and the fog was back with a vengeance. Near Lumbini, we took a wrong turn and headed off a couple of kilometers away from the Stupa before realizing our mistake and turning back. We parked our motorcycles in formation in order to have the Stupa form the backdrop. It was completely empty when we reached. When we switched off our motorcycles, it was very quiet, as if the monument and its surroundings were aligned with their true purpose and channeling the spirit of world peace in the realest sense! Without anyone telling us to, all of us dropped our volumes by a few notches, such was the power of the place.

The Stupa itself is a majestic white structure and it stood out even more against the grey and misty sky. We had to remove our shoes at the entrance. I hesitated initially due to the cold, but realized it doesn't make sense to turn back now. The Stupa had 3 levels that you climb, circumambulating as you proceed to the next level. Ankit informed us that you have to circumambulate as you head back down too, instead of directly coming down three sets of stairs. Let me note here that only Dips and I scrupulously followed this rule, while others went down directly. Guess they don't care about world peace as much as we do!

While a few were busy clicking solo pictures here, the rest of us headed back to the parking where we had spotted a small outlet serving tea and breakfast. Once again, wai-wai and chai! Tea is customarily served black in these parts, you have to specify if you want milky tea instead. The noodles tasted excellent and I washed it down with 2 cups of tea.

We had an uneventful ride back to the hotel. As we were checking out and packing up, I got chatting with the guard there about khukris. I wanted to purchase a khukri, as did Ankit and Dips, but we weren't sure if bags would be checked at the border. Locals seemed to be unsure, with some suggesting not to take the risk. The guard informed us of a khukri-seller in Palpa where we could buy and get more information on whether it can be taken across the border. As it was almost 12 PM, we decided to make a stop at Palpa for lunch, around 45 kms from here, on the way to Pokhara.

A Prussian military commander once said, and I paraphrase - "no plan ever survives contact with the enemy" (more information on this quote here). I now present to you the motorcycle touring version of this quote - "no plan survives beyond the first kilometer of a ride". It is the essence of touring, it is very hard to stick to schedules when you don't know what the roads would throw at you. What was thrown at us on this day? A load of mud.

Couple of kilometers from the hotel, as the hills started and we started enjoying the curves, we were forced to halt due to what we thought was a landslide. There were piles of dirt on the side of the road and a JCB was hard at work. We were told it would take atleast an hour and had no option but wait. We clicked pictures and chatted around for almost 1.5 hours before they started letting through the bikes. We realized it was some road repair work going on and not a landslide.

We reached Palpa, where the rest of the group stopped for lunch at a restaurant perched over a beautiful valley. Dips, Ankit and I headed towards the khukri shop, only to find that the guy had shut shop and moved out a few months ago. We went back for lunch. Lunch consisted of another delicious thakali. We also sampled 'kodoko raksi', a local alcohol. The single glass was quite potent and we wisely stopped, considering the riding ahead of us. Post lunch, the entire group left together but I had to return as I forgot my arm-guard there. This meant that I had to catch-up with the rest of group for the next 30-odd kilometers. I found them at a tea stall, where Zaheer was impressing everyone with his grasp of the Nepali language. He has a knack for languages, as we saw during the Rann of Kutch ride where he made friends with locals by speaking in Punjabi and Gujarati. The lady at the tea stall here remarked that he looked Nepali too!

The delay earlier meant that we would not reach Pokhara that day. It did not affect our plans terribly, but for me, it meant that I couldn't spend a lot of time seeing Pokhara. I was in touch with a friend from college, PS, who stayed in Kathmandu. She had a few contacts in Yeti Airlines, which runs the Everest flights and was helping me arrange for tickets for a flight on 23rd morning. We thus stopped at Waling, a village 60 kms before Pokhara. This was the last group BBB session for me, and I switched to whisky instead of beer. We finalized our respective itineraries and turned in for the night.

DAY 5 - 22nd January: Waling to Kathmandu via Pokhara

Solo riding day! While there is always the risk of ennui when you are alone, I have, over the years, started enjoying them. I still hesitate to go on a completely solo trip from start to end, but this sort, where I cover some stretch with the group and the rest alone is very much within my comfort zone. As a rider, it is necessary to get comfortable with solo riding, as it is inevitable sometimes.

We had to make an early start, there was a lot of riding to be done for all us. Everyone else had to reach Pokhara and then turn towards Jomsom. My friend had arranged for me to pick my tickets up from Pokhara that afternoon for the Everest flight next morning, post which I had to head to Kathmandu. At 5 AM sharp, we all reported downstairs for a breakfast of chai and toast. I settled up the accounts for the last time in this ride while others packed up. For the first time, the hotel manager hesitated a bit before accepting Indian currency. This definitely is not the norm, but it'd happen more often to me now than before.

As we left Waling, we decided to stop only after reaching Pokhara. We were now riding in the mountains and the fog had enveloped us completely. The roads were patchy on this stretch, which made it more challenging but we pushed ourselves. As we climbed higher into the mountains, the fog reduced and the Sun rose pretty soon. Some distance before Pokhara, the tree cover reduced briefly and a breathtaking sight lay in front of us! Our strict schedule was temporarily suspended and we had a good time clicking pictures here.

Further ahead, at another turning, I witnessed the snow-clad Himalayas for the first time. I mean, I was riding 'in' the Himalayas, but I refer to the mighty, snow clad, towering peaks we see in documentaries and movies all the time. I have to say here that it was momentarily scary to see such a huge peak right in front of me. In this manner, we reached Pokhara a little before 10 AM.

We had reached well in time, so we gathered around at the beginning of the town. The first task was to hand over the accounts book to Ankit. Amidst some applause and cheering, I retired from the role of Chief Ride Accountant and took over the new role of Lead Scout. I was now in charge of mapping the route ahead till Delhi/NCR and giving updates to the rest of the group behind, as they'd be taking the same route a few days later. After clicking one last selfie (last for me, as I don't take selfies myself), I bid my farewell to the rest of the group and headed towards the Yeti airlines office.

PS had expected me to reach a couple of hours later and had to make some calls to get the tickets. In the meantime, I waited outside the office and got chatting with a passerby. He had a travel agency of his own down the road and said he visits Delhi quite often. He took my number and asked if we could meet when he next visits and I responded positively. This little instance encapsulates the entire experience with locals I had in Nepal - they are very warm, friendly and welcomed us with an open heart. On a political level, India and Nepal have had their issues but none of this has seeped down to the general public who all seem to have nothing but good things to say about Indians. I was blown-away by this level of hospitality and I hope I get a chance to make them feel equally welcome when they visit my country.

I collected my tickets from the office and spent some time there figuring out a place to stay in Kathmandu. I found a hostel called 'Famous Traveller's Hub' in Paknajol Marg in Thamel at an amazing price of Nepali Rs 455 for two nights. Before I headed there though, I wanted to go see Lake Pame and the arrangements being made for Rider Mania.

With the help of signboards put up by BOBMC and FORE, I made my way around Lake Pame and reached the venue. A few hundred meters of dirt track riding led me to the main entrance which was barricaded. I assumed it was shut for visitors and was about to turn back when a small boy materialized and opened it for me without a second glance. I went further in to the tents where a FORE member flagged me down. Now I was clearly not meant to be here, so I was honest with him about it - I told him I am not registered in RM and won't attend it, but I just wanted to stop by and see the place and if it was a problem, I could turn back. He was happy to let me walk around but told me not to take any pics inside as they were to go BOBMC first. They were clearly busy with the arrangements on the lakeside, but Pramod aka Goofy, the Vice President of FORE was nice enough to spend some time chatting with me. He also happened to be the first motorcyclist I ever met who does this for a living and not as a hobby like we all do. I also saw a guy there casually using a khukri to cut vegetables! I later read that despite the widely-known use of khukri as a weapon by Gorkha soldiers, it is actually more commonly used as an implement in households.

I thanked Goofy for letting me see around and started my journey to Kathmandu. It was lunch time now and I had a sixth sense telling me that I am going to be massively late, though there wasn't much I could do about it now. The first 50 kms break was lunch break for me at Green Hill Restaurant and Lodge. I had yet another excellent thakali here with black tea. The lady cooked delicious food but did not seem very welcoming initially. When I appreciated the food, however, she broke into a big smile for a moment! Having been told by many many friends about how I come off as unsmiling and unapproachable, I could completely empathize with that lady.

I continue my ride to Kathmandu. The roads were amazing and the traffic was still light. I emphasize on 'still'. Light traffic means you can ride at higher speeds in the curves and I took full advantage of this opportunity. But slowly, the truck traffic was building up. I had to spend several kilometers stuck behind a line of trucks before making a break for it and overtaking them. What's good, however, is that the truckers are very nice here and help you overtake by switching on the indicator when it's safe. I'd wave them thanks after overtaking. In this manner I covered the next 50 kms in 1.5 hours and stopped for chai. As I finished and headed out, another group of riders parked beside me, coming from the opposite direction. They were the Wanderers MC Hyderabad chapter, who piped up when I spoke to them in Telugu. Such is the magic of motorcycling, speaking in a South Indian language all the way over in Nepal! Wishing them a safe ride ahead, I continued.

The truck traffic was at its peak now. The final 50 kms were a torture, as it took me 2.5 hours to cover that distance. The roads in this stretch were horrible too, so even without traffic, it'd have been a pain to ride on them. Trucks enter the city only after 8 PM and were thus parked on the side of the road. There was barely any space for a motorcycle to squeeze through at many places. At one point, I had no choice but ride through a large sand-pile, that nicely coated my boots and bags with a film of sand.

The roads finally opened up inside the city. It was almost 8 PM by the time I reached the hostel in Thamel. Despite GPS, I was unable to find the exact location because of the narrow streets. I called up the hostel guy who stepped out of a small alcove and beckoned me inside. The hostel was right above a small restaurant and I parked my bike almost inside the restaurant entrance.

I had booked a bed in the dorm, since I was alone and did not see any need to spend money on private rooms. It was a small clean hostel. The first order of the day was to jump into the shower and wash off all the dust. The water was tepid but I could not care less about it. Refreshed, I headed downstairs for a beer and dinner. I wanted to walk around for a bit, but I had to wake up early next morning to catch the Everest flight at 6.45 AM and thus went to bed immediately.

Link to Part - IV