[HowieUK]

I'm sure this is in the wrong topic, I tried to start a blog but for some reason I didn't get permission!

Anyway I arrived in Delhi on the 13th August - sh*t it was hot! Arrived at the airport with two big jackets on! (at the time no hand luggage allowed so I had to put Laptop and camera etc all in the hold!) Luckily all survived although everything was soaking wet but no damage done!

I had a hotel pickup from the Namasker which worked well! First night the Ist floor room was ok but next morning I asked to see some other rooms! I settled on room 39, a third floor room with three big windows looking over the rooftops of Paharganj - brilliant but cost 450rps a night but worth it as I was to stay 10 days while my Enfield was serviced for the journey to Leh.

Mercurie and his wife and daughter met me on my fist day and took me for dinner and a tour of the sights.
I must apologise for my very poor company as I had slept about 2 hours in the last 48 and will make it up to them next time we meet!

Paharganj was chaotic but I found the touts to be 'pussycats'. Maybe its my age or the fact I lived all my life in Coventry that does not have the best reputation in England! In fact one day when I was bored I went to Delhi station to 'wind up' the touts but was disappointed to only be approached by one person!

Another day one member took me to the Taj hotel where we partook of beer and old monk rum (which I am sure is better mossie repellant than deet!) Once I left Delhi and had to drink Contessa Rum I started to get bit by the blighters! After the Taj Hotel he took me to a place where 'real' indians eat! I think the bill for 3 of us came to 110rps a bit of a contrast to the Taj, I had some chicken curry type dish that was the best Indian food I have eaten!

Ok I eventually set off North on the Bike! The first night I stayed at Ambala - Not really on the tourist map I think? I stayed in the "Hotel Savoy' 350rps per night with AC and a fan, also the lawn was about 50m x 50m surrounded by trees! Over the road was a more classy place the 'Hotel Batra Palace' with AC, a nice bar and good food, where I downed a few beers and some bar snacks! The next day I set out for Mandi but it pissed down big time for hours! I ended up staying  in a HPDC called 'Hotel Hill Top' In Swarghat a bit pricey at 650rps but I had to spread all my clothes all around the room to attempt to dry them out.

I decided to do the 210km to Manali the next day. It rained on and off all day and there was some difficult mud/water on parts of the road! I arrived in Manali shattered and it was pouring with rain! I checked in to Hotel Rajhans, expensive but I had had enough by then!

I've spent the last two days driving around in circles trying to locate the hotel! At last I know where it is now and can find myself around the area!

On Tuesday I head for Leh!

More to come soon!

Howie

[iwanttogoback]

good to hear from you howie, and that you are enjoying your trip.

looking forward to more posts.

[Ray kelleher]

Nice one John...

Sounds about right !!! Well just done the Whitefrier's August Beer Fest !! and am with a slight Hangover !! if that makes you feel better.. Good night with 25 different Ale's Ouch !!...

[HowieUK]

I had a nice bottle of apple wine in Manali today, about 180rps and not bad at all - went to bed for an hour or two and then went for a meal in 'Johnsons'. A bit pricey but nicely cooked food - I'm splashing out at the moment before the journey to Leh! Think I will need it!

Speak soon

Howie

Ray kelleher, on Aug 27 2006, 08:03 AM, said:

Nice one John...

Sounds about right !!! Well just done the Whitefrier's August Beer Fest !! and am with a slight Hangover !! if that makes you feel better.. Good night with 25 different Ale's Ouch !!...

[Ray kelleher]

Was that the Seven days Apple Wine ? It's lovely if it is... Drank loads of that up in Mcleod Ganj... Howie Check out The Bar upstairs in the Hotel ( cant remember the Name ) But its just up from the Bus station on the same side, right by the Taxi stand it's all right in there you will meet a few old heads in there... There used to be a right rough old bar by the Bus station where the locals drink, that used to be a laugh.. Have you been to the Sulfur baths in Vashisht great, but get there early in the Morning when the water is it's cleanest... God im Jealous mate, wish that I was there mate your going to have a great crac ... Try the Trout in Johnsons, Ah I remember sitting the Garden eating great Trout and Chips lovely evening.. I used to stay not far from there at a place called the Jupiter good rooms and really mellow... Well keep in contact mate and let us know how your getting on and remember if you need to know anything just ask...

Yours jealously....

Ray....

[vinayverma]

Hi John,
nice to hear that you are doing fine.
Keep us updated on your trip.
Ride safe and enjoy
Cheers
Vinay

[HowieUK]

Thanks Vinay and Ray for your encouragement!

The bike has now been re-tuned in Manala,
and is now starting a lot easier! (In fact I can use elec start all the time now except when I'm in a mood and want to kick start the darn thing(I mean 'my darling')!) over!

The Apple wine was made by 'Sutton House' but I don't recall the actual name
The night before I drank the 'Sutton House' Cider which claimed to be " no more than 8% abv  - That weren't bad either!

Anyway, I am setting off for Leh in the morning and will probably stay the night at Keylong.

I'll Let you know how things pan out

Howie

vinayverma, on Aug 28 2006, 07:31 AM, said:

Hi John,
nice to hear that you are doing fine.
Keep us updated on your trip.
Ride safe and enjoy
Cheers
Vinay

[kullukid]

 ladakh_pics_064.jpg   222.16K   50 downloadsHi Howie, Great to hear from a TreeMonkey live on the road especially when they're in one of my favourite areas.  :mrgreen: with envy!!  Sounds like  your managing to find plenty of liquid refreshment!! Is this the first pub crawl of India & Ladakh?         
I've attached a pic to give you an idea of your 1st climb the Rhotang Pass. Have fun drive carefully.   KK

[Hippie at Heart]

I remember that one KK, few KMs after tree line, on the leeway side before dipping into valley for crossover to Marhi. I saw my first ‘Be gentle over my curves darling’ somewhere around those loops.

[cyberhippie]

Hey thanks for keeping the dreams alive Howie!! I'm caught in "the slog" right now and it does my mood a world of good to hear your stories from the big SC

I wonder who "the other" member was taking for for real Indian food and a splash of Old Monk............actually the Old Monk was a a giveaway and he's the right man for the job, when it comes to Delhi, Enfields and mean cuisine!!

6 more months and I'm headed eastwards, until then live a little for me Howie!!

[HowieUK]

Hi Friends,

just to let you know I am safely in Keylong! gonna be staying 2 days as I need to get my wet weather gear dry again (All used up!)

I won't say too much here as I will be starting a blog tomorrow! Lets just say don't always believe a sign that says "Rhotang Pass"! It lost me a day but all will be revealed tomorrow!

I will also check this thread if anyone has any answers/questions

Regards to you all

Howie

[Judi]

I can't wait for you to start the blog, Howie .... and I'm so glad that you are safe, well, and finally living that dream.  Don't keep us in suspense .... tell us all about it

[priya]

C'mon Howie, don't keep us waiting too long for that blog of yours.  We want to hear about all your advertures in Wonderland, and don't forget Delhi, and that ol' Monk  

[allanm]

Oh man, the suspense is killing me, let's have it already   Mmmm apple wine...

[YETI]

Nice one, Howie - sounds like you're having a blast.

Ahhh, the Manali - Leh Road - one of the most staggeringly beautiful road trips in the whole world ...

Keep us posted, mate. It's good to hear what you're up to.

[HowieUK]

Hi Folks,

haven't got my head around blogging yet it kept coming up with An error message (that I wrote down but left in Hotel Room!)
So here it is!


I set off from Manali on my way to Keylong on Tuesday 29th August.
Packed the bike up in the dark around 5am - Tank bag, Crampster saddle bags and an holdall bag strapped onto the back seat with bungees and a cargo net, also a 20kg small backpack on my back!

After the journey from Delhi to Manala in hours of torrential rain I had found nothing could withstand getting soaked through in any of the bags! The worst was my holdall bag from England, the second was the Crampster bags and the best although this also let in some water was the custom made tank bag!

To get over this problem I searched some hardware stores in Manala to find a plastic bin with a sealed lid - found one that looked about the right size and handee over 230rps(ouch!).
Got back to hotel and the plastic boxes fitted all my luggage (just!) - one in the tank bag,two in the Crampsters and one in my Holdall.  Rushed back and bought another 3 of them. He didn't want to drop the price and sent the lad upstairs to bring them down. To his credit they did have 230rps written in felt tip on the plastic wrapping around the bins, (but plastic is banned in Manali?). After a bit of haggling I did get 40rps off the price, so felt a little better!

Ok then, I set off at first light at 6.10am "All packed up with someplace to go!" and headed for Palchan. This is where my problem started, instead of turning right to Gramphu (which the right hand sign didn't mention!) The straight ahead sign said 'Rhotang pass' Being a total idiot I thought this must be the correct way!
The road deterioted badly and after a few km's there was a rope across the road with red flags on it but just enough room for a bike to squeeze through, so I 'squose' The road got worse and worse towards Solang. At Solang I asked some fellows 'Rhotang Pass'? and they waived me on. Just passed Solang a fast flowing stream easily 2 feet deep was cascading across the road. I stopped and hesitated but a man sitting on a rock waived me on! . it I thought, slapped it into top and gave it some stick! It just made it through and conked out the other side. Had a fag and a rest and dumped the plastic bin inside the tank bag as I was losing about 25% steering lock, not a good idea on hairpin bends, and carried on - The road was totally mud and rocks and it was here I found out don't use the front disc brake in thick wet mud as you slide sideways!
Carried on in this vein for another 10kms, by this time I didn't know whether I was heading for Bara Bangahal or I had taken a bit of a right at Solang Nullah which I believe is a possible back way to Rhotang.

I came to a steep very muddy incline that led to a metal bridge crossing a river.  I paused at the bottom and then gunned it and made it to within about 10ft of the bridge and had to roll slowly back down again. By this time a group of teenagers had started arriving at the bridge and I thought at least I would get some help if I couldn't make it the second time. OK, went for it big time and made it and crossed the bridge! Paused for the obligatory fag on the other side, contemplating a massive incline of perhaps 500mt of thick wet mud thinking "I don't think I'll get up this one - These bikers are better men than me" After 10 minutes a rock moving lorry came sliding down the hill,you know the ones with the big . off tyres on them! I stopped them and asked Rhotang? No was the reply the road totally impassable! "That's my trip to Keylong out the window then I thought and hardly started - What a wimp!"

Five minutes later an army truck came down the mud slope. These guys  explained to me that I should have turned right at Palchan -  only 20km back the way I had come!
I looked around at the bridge and the guys had removed most of the iron sheets on the bridge as they were being replaced and the army guys had come to supervise - So no way back! I asked how long before I could cross and they said about three hours - But I could go th a chi shop accross the river by crossing rickety old home made plank device. I watched a few locals cross this and went for it.  The problem was I had on a backpack and was of a heavier build and the . thing was bouncing up and down halfway accross with a seriously fast flowing river below! I made it trying to look as though I did that sort of thing everyday and headed for the chi shop which was in fact just the guys shack. He sat me down on a bed while he prepared chi and on the opposite bed his wife was sleeping. Drank chi and then he pulled the sheets back to show me his wife (she was clothed!) I don't know if he was offering her to me or was offering me the bed! Either way I politely declined and legged it!

After half the bridge was completed I managed to recross and headed back to Solang. This time the river had risen another foot! Luckily there was a helpful guy there who waded through it and it only came up to his knees! I took my heavier bag off the bike and he carried it across to the other side. I gunned the muther and it conked out about 6ft before reaching the other side. I was sat there water up to my knees and the guy came back in and between us we managed to push it the rest of the way out! I only had a 100rps note on me which I gave him out of shear gratitude, he tried to refuse it but I forced it on him! A big rock and mud carrying lorry came the other way stopped and the guy must have said to him  "there's a mad foreigner giving away 100rps notes” “sorry boys I replied no more backshish"
Needless to say apart from the mud and rock lorries there was no other traffic on the road all day(except me!)

Got back to Palchan along the mudslide and took the right road this time! Not making light, but the rhotang was a doddle after that (although it has its moments!) Went through a few streams – You don’t walk with fully laden bullets you Gun them!

Had to stay at Marhi as it started to rain and I was cold by then – Damp room and wet blankets! Don’t stay there unless you are desperate!

The next morning  Did the run to Keylong. Set off Marhi 8.30am and arrived in Tandhi 12.30pm for fuel intake plus two 2 lt PEP bottles (I have an oversize tank on the bullet!)
This included a 30 minute wait coming down from the Rhotang because of a rockslide when eventually the army foced the lorries and cars to move over to allow bikes to pass!

What can I say about the views that haven’t been said? Only problem biking you have to permanently look at the road for potholes or running over the edge if you start day dreaming!

Just before Gondia managed to scrape the bottom of the engine on a rock crossing a stream - No serious damage I hope!

Brilliant Biking from Gondhla to Keylong - mainly 'tarmaced' so you can give the babes some well earned throttle!

Stopped Keylong in the Hotel Tashi Deleg, in LP and praises its food but I didn't find it good last night!

Signing off now and no access till Leh  - More to Come?

Howie

[priya]

Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant!!!!  Sounds as tho you're having an absolute blast Howie (in more ways than one)  Keep the posts coming - that was a great read!!

[malkers]

Second that Priya, fantastic reading that.

Just go steady Howie, we need to see some more posts from you before you go off the side  

The bad word filter don't seem to be working but hey, what the hell, cant think of other words to describe it better myself!  

[priya]

malkers, on Aug 31 2006, 01:45 PM, said:

The bad word filter don't seem to be working but hey, what the hell, cant think of other words to describe it better myself!  

Couldn't agree more!!!! IT certainly added more verbal punch to a great blog.  The 'infamous' Dr F may find he has some competition now

[john.sw]

Bloggers, Moderators and Admin don't have a BWF... only Members with fewer than 200 posts are not allowed to say ######, ###### or ######!

By the way - ###### is also a banned word!