I left Manali early on Wednesday morning after spending just under two weeks there having my bike converted into a classic which it now is. I spent two of the most boring and relaxing days of my journey waiting for Bonnie the mechanic to finish and each day I would go to his garage and stand there looking whistfully at the bike and with sorrow at him in the hope that he would speed up the work in order to get rid of me, if not out of pity then just to get rid of the love-sick bull mooning around the place. It didn't work. But then it was ready (except for some minor cosmetics to be done in Delhi) and after a test drive to town and back, a distance of about 4 kms, I too felt that It and I were both ready to hit the road one last time.
So early on Wednesday morning I rose, brushed ny teeth, had a last shower, made coffee, woke up Amit and Maya who though they were not going with wanted to see me off (at the ungodly hour of 6:45). We did this and that, said this and that, smoked this and that and then I was off. For the past week it had rained very heavily every night from about 3 or 4 often till 10 or 11 but this morning promised to be better with few clouds and an open road. And I was off and 20 minutes later it started to rain and went on doing so till 12:30. Sometimes it was light rain but more often it was hard and once I even stopped at the side of the road in a dhabba with a bunch of curious locals (of course!). But after that the rain stopped and I eventually discarded my "SCANIA" on a branch by the side of the road hanging on a branch for the next lucky scavanger - it is big enough to house at least a family of Indians. Good luck scavanger wherever you are!
The route was as usual in the north magnificen, I drove through narrow valleys with raging rivers, I wound up and down the mountains (none of which, incidentally, were snow topped - but I still get to use the term). The road was good and not overcrowded but I am running in the bike and can't ride too fast. So I'm going about 50 - 55 and I pass through Kullu where I once went specially (in a particular fit of miserliness, to print pictures for 6 ruphees instead of the 10 I was beimg charged in Kasol - I must have saved at least 5 ruphees on the 3 hour trip) and then Bhuntar where I spent the night on the way to Paravati and then the temple where Guttes gear gave out and we could only limp on and then Mandi and then Ner Chowk where Houdini hit the car and then through Barmana and Ghaggas and Bilaspur and Swangaht and Kiratpur and Rupnagar and Kharat where I turned right and Morinda where I turned left and Fatehgarh Sahib where I turned left again and then I was on the NH1 to Delhi.
A few kms down the NH1 I pulled into Ambala for the night - for your
information Ambala is one of the places where the Indian Mutiny of 1857 started. Why have I mentioned all these places? Mainly because they are ndestinguishable, they are all dirty and dusty and rundown and set in beautiful surroundings and I drove for kms along the Kullu River and then the Beas River and still the towns were dirty and dusty and rundown.
The next morning I set of to do the last 200 kms to Delhi and it was most frustrating to be on a real highay for the first time since March and I couldn't do more than 55! I was passed by busses and trucks and cars and even rickshas and the ocaisinal bicycle ricksha! The only things I could be sure of passing were the bullock carts.
The nearer I got to Delhi the heavier the traffic got and all of a sudden I
was in the city and in a traffic jam and totally unaware of where I was. I
stopped an autoricksha and told him to lead me to the Main Bazar and he did just that, leading me right to the hotel I had chosen. I am now settled in a room the size of a basketball court with A/C and TV and an overattentive staff who barely allow me to enter or leave without bugging me.
What I have seen of Delhi is not much, the Red Fort and Hanumans statue and the Main Bazar and it is all dirty and unappealing and anyway I dont really have time for touring and the weather sucks and so I don't believe I will see much of the city.
Now I am off to Conaurght Place to find a MacDonald's - I need a fix even though I know the burger will be chicken - but think of the chips (fries) and milkshake.
No comments:
Post a Comment