Rai - Shimla (15th June 2006)
15th June 2006
Start Trip Meter: 165 km
End Trip Meter: 610 km
Route: Rai - Sonepat, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Chandigargh, Pinjore, Lohgarg, Kalka, Solan, Shimla
Stay & Cost: Single Bed, Gulmarg Hotel, Rupees 330 (Inclusive Taxes)
I wake up at 5 AM, get ready, thank my hosts and by 6 AM I rush towards Chandigargh. There’s not much I can describe about this ride other than monotonous (LOL!). When I enter Chandigargh, Simi and Dushyanth Khosla from the Chandigargh Bullet Club (Road Survivors) message me to enquire of my coordinates. I first met Simi and Dushi at Rider Mania '06 (Casuarina Bay, Chennai). We agree to meet at the tribune circle. While I was waiting at the tribune circle, I met with a patrol of chandigarg police men who ended being friends with me. I told them of where I was going and what I do in Bangalore. I enquired about their life style. Surprisingly, these men work just for 8 hours a day. Whereas in other states a police man's job is a 24 hour duty. The reason is that Chandigargh is guarded by Hariyana Police, Punjab Police, Chandigargh Police and the Military.
Start Trip Meter: 165 km
End Trip Meter: 610 km
Route: Rai - Sonepat, Panipat, Karnal, Kurukshetra, Ambala, Chandigargh, Pinjore, Lohgarg, Kalka, Solan, Shimla
Stay & Cost: Single Bed, Gulmarg Hotel, Rupees 330 (Inclusive Taxes)
I wake up at 5 AM, get ready, thank my hosts and by 6 AM I rush towards Chandigargh. There’s not much I can describe about this ride other than monotonous (LOL!). When I enter Chandigargh, Simi and Dushyanth Khosla from the Chandigargh Bullet Club (Road Survivors) message me to enquire of my coordinates. I first met Simi and Dushi at Rider Mania '06 (Casuarina Bay, Chennai). We agree to meet at the tribune circle. While I was waiting at the tribune circle, I met with a patrol of chandigarg police men who ended being friends with me. I told them of where I was going and what I do in Bangalore. I enquired about their life style. Surprisingly, these men work just for 8 hours a day. Whereas in other states a police man's job is a 24 hour duty. The reason is that Chandigargh is guarded by Hariyana Police, Punjab Police, Chandigargh Police and the Military.
One thing I love about these men is their sense of humor.. I miss this in the south! Dushy and Simmi arrive at the tribune circle, I bid farewell to these men and head to their Mohali residence.
The moderator of chandigargh bullet club, JoJo Khurana arrives and we get to discussing the route I am planning. JoJo, is all but 23-24 years old and has definitely done a lot of riding in the past and current, always helpful, JoJo suggests me to do the lake circuit (Will talk on that later).
Simi and Dushi treat me to a great lunch at a cool restaurant. They were joined by another road survivor, Addy.
I then leave to Simla thru Kalka and Solan. One thing I found when I just entered the Himachal Pradesh (HP) territory was the immediate drop in atmospheric temperature. The weather was moist and cool, the roads were ghat like (the western ghats that I frequent is cake walk compared to this). The roads are beautiful, a smooth transition and well matted. As I am about to reach Solan, the weather changes and it starts to rain. A stone falls from the top and barely misses my bike. So I stop riding and opt in for a coffee break, the dhaba makes a wonderful nescafe-coffee and while I was sipping into the coffee, a Mercedes Benz from Mumbai screeches to a halt and a man and woman scuttle into the dhaba. The guy looks at my thunderbird, notices the Karnataka registration number and a conversation begins. This guy has been to Sangla in a Merc :). I then ask him if the Shimla-kufri-fagru-theog-naldera-narkanda-kumharsain-ani-khanag-mangalaor-banjar-larji-aut route is effective. The man, Capt Jeetendra Varma (A commercial pilot with Air India) advices me not to go in for this route due to landslides.
I have better adventures to do and so I chose the shimla-arki-bilaspur-dehar-sundernagar-mandi-aut-kullu-katrain-manali route. I bid adieu to Capt Verma and his wife. I then head to solan and shimla.
When I arrive at Shimla, i meet a Himachali youth who offers to guide me to a Hotel at Shimla.. This pleasant guy sits pillion and I end up at gulmarg hotel, a single bedroom with a shared bathroom.
In shimla, floors are negative. For example, in a hotel, the entrance would be floor zero. You don’t climb up, but rather climb down. My guess, Its easier to construct buildings that way..supply of building material is easier. All buildings have pillars (columns) unlike buildings in the south.
I have dinner at a Punjabi restaurant and go to sleep after a walk.
When I arrive at Shimla, i meet a Himachali youth who offers to guide me to a Hotel at Shimla.. This pleasant guy sits pillion and I end up at gulmarg hotel, a single bedroom with a shared bathroom.
In shimla, floors are negative. For example, in a hotel, the entrance would be floor zero. You don’t climb up, but rather climb down. My guess, Its easier to construct buildings that way..supply of building material is easier. All buildings have pillars (columns) unlike buildings in the south.
I have dinner at a Punjabi restaurant and go to sleep after a walk.
posted by Adarsh @ 7/07/2006 05:29:00 AM
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