Part 1 -Everything about Pune to Manali and Ludhiana to Pune

THE START

June 11 -Pune to Vapi (292 kms)

We began the ride from Aundh at 7 am. Our friends -Ajay Kolhatkar, Rahul Nagpure, Ketan Pasalkar, Aniket Sawant and my parents had come to see us off. (Read -to make it an emotional departure)


Moms




(from left) Aniket, Ajay, Chaitanya, Ketan, Sagar, Rahul, Tejas and me






And we started the journey...



It was raining heavily all through the day. As we reached Panvel, our bike got punctured because of a five-inch nail. Thankfully it was a tubeless tyre and not much damage was done; although we spent about an hour looking for a puncture wallah to mend it. (We were carrying the puncture kits, but did not want to do it ourselves in the heavy rains). It was about 10.30am when we left from Panvel after which we stopped at 1.30pm at Ghodbunder road for lunch. We were completely wet and the raincoats proved inadequate in the heavy rains. By then, we had gotten used to it and did not care much about the mess. That day, we barely managed to cover 292 kms to reach Vapi (as against out planned average of 350 kms every day till Delhi). We had put plastic bags in our saddle bags to save it from the rains, but somehow Chaitanya's clothes got wet and here is how they dried it in the Vapi hotel



Drying clothes in Vapi 



June 12 -Vapi to Kapadwanj, Gujarat (330 km)

Thankfully it wasn't raining. But before we could be relieved, we realised that batteries of both the bikes were down. Also, Chaitanya's pulsar was making weird noises and breaking down, which we thought was because of bad petrol. After struggling with it for an hour ourselves (since none of the nearby garages were open), Chaitanya called his mechanic friend who said it could be because the spark plug had got wet in the heavy rain. We then took it to a mechanic and got it mended.



The guys trying to figure out the problem





Chaitanya's friend giving instructions to this mechanic in Vapi on phone, who fixed the bike

 We finally left Vapi at 10.45 am. It was only on these two days when the bikes throwed some tantrums. Till the en of the trip, even on the toughest of roads from Manali to Leh, the bikes went smoothly, which is one of the main reasons why we could complete the trip and on schedule!

THE ROUTINE

We used to get up at 5am and start by 6,6.30am. We took a bath in the evenings when we reached the hotel. This freshened us after the ride and also helped us escape the morning cold.

We also made it a point to halt and take a 5-10 minute break after every hour, which helped in sitting on the bike longer.

Eating breakfast, lunch, evening chai and dinner on time also helped in remaining fit during the ride (special section on the food we ate is written below).

Lastly, we ensured to wear the riding gear (except gloves) at all times on the bike -however tiring it would get..Other than protecting us during a couple of falls, it helped in getting us a lot of attention that made the journey interesting! (Read people's reaction section at the end of this post)

THE EIGHT STATES

Many people who had done Delhi-Leh told us to not to start biking from Pune for many reasons -tiring for us, wearing out of bikes, highway would be boring etc etc. But we had decided to start riding from Pune and did not budge...And it was indeed an enriching experience to ride through nine states, feel the difference in people, language, food, nature, weather, roads, vehicles, roads and feel the unity in diversity. 

As we left Maharashtra and entered Gujarat began the NH 8 -wider road, lesser traffic, more heat, no rains!



Before Shamlaji on Gujarat-Rajasthan border

The two-wheeled tractor in Gujarat

 We had already started feeling the heat when we left Gujarat and headed for Rajasthan. After crossing the Tropic of Cancer line, we kept checking the temperature and the maximum we rode in was 45*C. We had removed the thermal lining of our riding jackets and placed it under the saddle bags that provided good cushioning and made it bearable for the 525 kilometers -the highest that we rode during the trip.

We met Surbhit and Krima near Baroda, but we forgot to take pictures.. Sorry Surbhit-Krima!

We took the decision to leave NH 8 and take the state highway (probably the shortcut from Nadiad to Shamlaji bypassing Ahmedabad. It was indeed the shortcut and the road was good too, but the lodging facilities here were not good and a little uncomfortable for girls. Take this route only if you are short on time or can adjust with the basic lodging facility (details given in hotel and food section below)

Anyways, as we entered Rajasthan, a classic Rajathani architecture welcomed us...and so did the heat!




The welcome arch

 


The helmet goggles proved handy everywhere -in heat, dust and snow reflections



In Udaipur -for the Rajasthan royal fans




It was the only time when Tejas rode pillion on the Pulsar. The other time was in Leh when I drove and then on our return journey



A camel cart in Udaipur





It is after a long wait that we found this neem tree for shade. We also ate some of its leaves to clear our system of any impurities

 On the way back, it was just Tejas and I and we took the state highway to reach Churu and Beawar -our two night halts in Rajasthan. It was a good decision as we rode through small villages, lush green fields, desert sand, and even spotted peacocks and peahens on the road.



As we neared Churu in Rajasthan




The elongated faced rickshaw in Rajasthan




This is hay stacked on a two-wheeler...quite a common sight in Rajasthan. Couldn't take a picture of the driver though



 From Rajasthan, we headed for Delhi via Punjab and Haryana and did a lot of masti on this road.





On NH 8 divider



As we entered Delhi, we got the urban feel, which was lacking for the last three days. Huge roads, larger than roads traffic and complicated ways. Although we had reached Delhi at 6pm, we spend more than an hour-and-a-half looking for a moderate level hotel there. Finally we founf one near the airport! But we were so terrified by Delhi traffic that we had decided then and there that we would bypass the capital while returning!

Amruta and Sohil came to meet us in the hotel and had dinner with us...we felt better after meeting them!





With Amruta and Sohil



Chaitanya and Sagar had gone out in the evening to get something and saw a mattress workshop on the way. the bought two pillows from there, which proved a boon for us all through the trip...



The bike with the pillow

After Delhi, we headed for Chandigarh and reached there at around 1pm. We looked for a Bajaj and Hero Honda service stations in Industrial phase I and also a hotel nearby. By the time we had reached Chandigarh, we had travelled 2000 kms abd Tejas and Chaitanya dropped their bikes for servicing to get them ready for the bad roads beginning from Manali.

Chandigarh to Manali was exciting as we had entered Himachal Pradesh and started spotting snow clad mountains, hilly roads and ghats for the first time in the last couple of days. We had also started seeing other bikers heading to Leh...





At Swarghat on the way to Manali







Fellow bikers





A holy procession in Himachal





Road to Manali





Manali skies





Hot air balloon on the banks of Beas river in Manali







view from the hotel room



We stayed two nights in Manali -the only place where we spent more than one night..We needed the time to prepare ourselves for the coming tough ride -to buy gum boots, to lodge police complaint about loss of my wallet, catch up on some sleep, withdraw cash and so on. It was our wisest decision during the trip that helped us recharge ourselves..

THE ROADS 

Although it was a highway till Chandigarh, the road different in all the states.



in Gujarat





the NH 8





Road melted in rajasthan







The super NH 8





State highway in Rajasthan




Another patch of the state highway in Rajasthan

The road from Mandi to Manali

As we were nearing Manali

As we were nearing Manali

The 2.2 km Manali tunnel





The state highway in Punjab and Haryana are good and scenic, in case anyone is contemplating to use them.

THE HOTELS and FOOD

Following is the list of hotels where we had stayed and their ratings. We have taken photos of only some of the hotels, which are given below...

Vapi -Hotel La Carta (while going to Leh)

Location -near Vapi flyover on the left, on NH 8

Amenities -basic, urgent laundry service within five hours, toiletries, mechanic/garage nearby

Room tariff -Rs 800 A/C, moderate

Food -we had dinner at another restaurant Crossway diagonally opposite to this hotel. Food was good there

Vapi -Hotel Fortune Park Galaxy (while returning)

Location -before Vapi flyover, adjoining NH 8 service road

Room tariff -Rs 2900 (highest of the journey), toiletries, expensive. We chose this because it was the last halt in our journey and wanted to indulge in the luxury

Amenities -good,business hotel

Food -good.



Lunch at Atithi resorts about 70 kms before Vadodara



When we enetered Kapadvanj, we found that it was a very small town and was difficult to find a good hotel. Therefore, we decided to ask the local policeman to suggest a hotel. He suggested Awkar guest house.

Kapadwanj -Awkar guest house

Location -Cross the town, opposite a petrol pump

Room tariff -Rs 500 A/C, cheap

Amenities -basic

Food -not available, went to hotel Shabari, about 2 kilometers away

Sagar asked the hotel manager for hot water. The manager replied -"itna garmi mein garam paani kaun leta hai?". When Sagar insisted, the manager took him to the bathroom tap in the room and showed him the hot water coming from the tap.

When the manager showed us the A/C rooms, he said -"A/C chalu hoga to darwaja band karo." We said yes. He said, '"Nahi, abhi band karo darwaja" and banged the door behind him.

Waiting for dinner at hotel Shabari in Kapadvanj

outside a chai tapri when we left Kapadvanj for Rajasthan

It was around 7.30 pm by the time we reached Kishangarh and were desperately looking for a hotel. After looking at a couple of places, which were either not good or rooms were not available, we settled on Hotel Mayur.

Kishangarh -Hotel Mayur

Location -near the city main bazaar

Room tariff -Rs 500 A/C

Amenities -basic

Food -was edible, but wasn't sure of hygiene

Room in Hotel Mayur

There is another hotel 'The Royal Heritage' on NH 8 towards Delhi, which would have been a better deal. It looked good from the outside and also convenient as it is on the highway.

Morning chai at a dhaba in Rajasthan

Dal-bati at Sharma Bhojanalaya ahead of Udaipur

Delhi -Hotel Vishal Residency

Location -Mahipalpur on NH 8, opposite Delhi airport road

Room tariff -Rs 2200 A/C

Amenities -luxury,good,hot-cold water, kettle, toiletries

Food -Good

Chandigarh -Hotel Rajashree

Location -Industrial phase I close to Bajaj Service station

Room tariff -Rs 2000 A/C

Amenities -luxury, good, hot-cold water, toiletries

Food -Good

The touch screen controls in Hotel rajashree, Chandigarh

Manali (Vasisht village, about 3 kilometers ahead of Manali) -Hotel Surabhi

Location -Vasisht village

Room tariff -Rs 1200

Amenities -luxury, good, toiletries, hot water, beautiful view of Beas river

Food -good, terrace restaurant

The terrace restaurant in Hotel Surabhi

Since rooms in Surabhi were not available the next day, we shifted to another hotel nearby.

Manali (Vasisht village) -Hotel Arohi

Location -three buildings from Surabhi

Room tariff -Rs 1650

Amenities -luxury good, toiletries, hot water, better view of river beas than Surabhi

Food -good



The room in hotel Arohi

We had decided to halt at Ludhiana, but there was maddening traffic jam because of ongoing NH 8 construction. We got bored and decided to not to go till Ludhiana when we saw this hotel on the highway

Phugwara (30 kms ahead of Ludhiana) -Hotel Vilas International

Location -on NH 8

Room tariff -Rs 1600 A/C

Amenities -luxury,good, toiletries

Food -good

Churu, Rajasthan -Hotel Rathod

Location -opposite Churu railway station, almost on the highway. Since, it is a railway station outside, the area doesn't look good. The hotel, too, is not very impressive from the outside...but the room was nice, safe and comfortable

Room tariff -Rs 1150 A/C

Amenities -luxury, good, toiletries, hot water

Food -good

Beawar, Rajasthan -Guest house of Shree Cement..arranged for us by my friend Nandini Gupta and her father B D Gupta

Ahmedabad -Hotel Surya palace

Location -on NH 8, about 10 kilometers before Ahmedabad city

Room tariff -Rs 1150 A/C

Amenities -luxury, good, hot water, toiletries

Food -good

PEOPLE's REACTIONS

The most asked question during the trip was -Tum log koi mission pe ho? . It started with an uncle at a chai tapri in Gujarat and continued in Haryana, Punjab and even while returning

2. Roadies??

A young boy in twenties on his bike came beside us and asked with a wide smile -roadies??? seeing the karizma and riding gear.

3. Ladakh? Kay vishesh?

When our bike was punctured at panvel, a man was showing the puncture wallah to tejas. Then he asked where we were headed. Tejas said Ladakh, which he did not understand. Then Tejas told him it is in Kashmir. After a pause of a minute he asked Kay vishesh?

4. Race mein ja rahe ho? -at a petrol pump in Rajasthan

5. Aur kya seva?

In Haryana, two guys on a motorcycle overtook us twice and then started riding next to us. Then, looking at the knee guards, the rider pointed at the knee guards and asked -yeh kya pehna hai? Tejas told him it was to guard the knee in case we fell. Then, looking at the pillow, he said kafi durr se aaye hai aap? tejas told him that we were from Pune, had been to Ladakh and were returning to Pune...he asked -aur kya seva aapki?

...the main journey from Manali to Leh and Leh to Ludhiana is continued in part 2