Himalayan Heights: Aug 28 to Sep 9 2023

[Airguitar]

Last year (2022) in August, I was on vacation with two old schoolmates; Julian and Mike, and we got to talking about a ride. Mike already had the plan.
Julian, Mike Derek (me).

Ride Expeditions is an adventure company who organizes and runs adventure rides all over the world. Mike persuaded Jules and I to go on a ride called Himalayan Heights, where we would do a 12-day ride around Northern India (Not Nepal!) and follow some epic rides into some of the highest mountain passes on the planet.
We would fly into Delhi, then overland by car to Shimla, where we would meet our Royal Enfield Scram bikes.

The Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Delhi
Day 2: Delhi - Shimla transfer
Day 3: Shimla - Shoja 160km
Day 4: Shoja - Manali 120km
Day 5: Manali - Keylong 110km
Day 6: Keylong - Sarchu 100km
Day 7: Sarchu - Leh 260km
Day 8: Leh - Rest Day or ride out to Alchi Monastery
Day 9: Leh - Pangong Lake 175km
Day 10: Pangong Lake - Nubra Valley 190km
Day 11: Nubra - Turtuk - Nubra 165km
Day 12: Nubra Valley - Leh 130km
Day 13: Flight from Leh to Delhi (Own expense)

Looking at the map you can see some broken lines, indicating disputed territory between India and Pakistan in the province of Ladakh. This area is predominantly Buddhist, but Muslims, Hindus and Christians are also found.
An overriding Military presence is also to be seen in Ladakh. They also have their own language: Ladakhi, although Hindi is the official language and is spoken by everyone.
Ladakh and Kashmir is also home to a large population of Nepalese refugees who fled after the Chinese takeover of Nepal some 20 years ago.

South of Ladakh is Himachal Pradesh, which is the green forest-clad foothills of the Himalayas. Impressive and beautiful in their own right and awe-inspiring at every bend in the winding roads leading up to Shimla and beyond.

So, slowly, but surely, we made our plans, bought air tickets, and acquired the gear we thought would be necessary for such a ride... with some exceptions...

 

[RobD]

Think one of my clients is on a very similar trip, if I recall correctly.

 

[Airguitar]

Some logistics we had to deal with:

• Indian visas: Free if applying on the old Green Mamba (SA Passport), so, surprise!! It's good for something! The application process was long and tedious - I can't recall how many pages, but a PLETHORA, even though it was all online and done from the comfort of my computer station at home.

• International Driver's licence: Quick and easy online, cost about 50 Dollars.
• Medical cover
• Insurances
• No vaccines required travelling from the EU but check local regulations!

On arrival in Delhi I got a local prepaid Sim (Airtel). Gert this at the airport, it's almost impossible to get one afterward and there are many reasons to NOT get one.
None of them are valid. GET ONE!

I arrived a few days early so I could acclimatize and see a bit of Delhi. This is a good idea which many of us did. We stayed at various hotels at Delhi Aerocity, which is very modern and close to the airport, there are bars and restaurants nearby, which makes it easy to get some sustenance at a reasonable price.
I stayed at the Ibis from 26th to 28th August.
All of this was at my own expense.


I'm getting ahead of myself.... let's backtrack a wee bit..

 

[Airguitar]

I boarded the Jet in Amsterdam after a short flight on KLM Cityhopper from Luxembourg.
Economy Plus was a good call!!

9,5 hours later we landed in Delhi and I was feeling fine.

There was just this one little thing pissing me off.
Jules, being the master of procrastination, had screwed up getting his licence sorted, despite much encouragement, disparagement and downright verbal abuse from Mike and myself. We were really pissed because this was something we had agreed would be a celebration of a lifelong friendship and an adventure to bore our grandkids for decades to come with slide shows and exaggerated recounting of our exploits on two wheels in a foreign land. Mike and me are still the bliksem in about it.. Be warned, we will probably vent quite regularly on this thread about this...

After enjoying a breakfast next morning I set off to discover sweaty, sultry, stinky hot Delhi by "Rickshaw", actually a Tuktuk.
What an education!


Click the pic to see the Video (I think)....

 

[Airguitar]

Always agreee on the price before setting sail. The 30 minute ride cost me 300 Rupees, so, 100 per 10 minutes is fair.

Here's a shot of the taximeter in the Tuktuk..

NO IT DOESN'T!!

Something must be said about the driving culture (or lack thereof) in India:
1) Indicators don't mean what you think.

• Indicating left probably means the driver is contemplating a left turn.
• Indicating right could mean he wants to turn right, so long as he has moved to the center of the road or into oncoming traffic. However, if the vehicle is on the left side of the road but indicating right, he is probably indicating that you can pass him on the right side.

2) Hooters are more important than indicators and brakes.

• See exhibit A: the vehicle has a sign encouraging traffic coming up from behind to honk at hime. The do so whenever they intend to pass the slower vehicle, or when they have entered the vehicle's blind spot, or if they feel they are in a bigger hurry than the guy in front and want to pass. It all kinda makes sense, in a "Developing country" sorta way..

After a hellova ride through Delhi traffic my Tuktuk pilot dropped me at the Dilli Haath market, an upscale market specially designed to take money from tourists.
Some fine stuff on display there.

I reckon this chick could play circles around Van Halen any day of the week

I didn't buy much, but I asked a lot of questions and was even offered a night of Kama Sutra experience by a slimy dude in a silk suit.
I declined..
Some interesting stuff for sale.. The Swastika is a Hindu symbol which was co-opted by Hitler and co...
Get your Swastika Pyjamas right here, folks!!!

That said, the market was quite fascinating and I did buy FrauGuitar and daughters each nice Kashmir Pashmina (Scarf/sash).

I also stopped at an Enfield shop nearby the Hotel to buy a T-shirt.
Cool looking new/old bikes..

The heat was getting the better of me so I high-tailed it back to the hotel for a shower and a cold beer.
Mike was due to arrive that evening so we met up later and had a bite and more drinks.

More tomorrow....

 

[woody1]

Ek ry saam hier

 

[Airguitar]

Sunday 27th I met up with Mike and got introduced to Pierre, Siddo and Ryan (Mike's son).
I told them of my escapade the previous day so they were all keen to head downtown and look around.
Tuktuks were hailed and off we went...

It was fairly quiet, being a Sunday, so we enjoyed some light conversation and the Delhi breeze on our faces as we headed for the city centre.

We had a tour of the Gurudwara Bangla Sahib Sikh temple, which was kinda interesting...

They conduct religious services and feed the poor. We even got a look at the kitchen. It was pretty hot in there..

They can feed over 1000 people 3 meals a day.

Our Tour guide put Turbans on us all (Mandatory inside the temple)

Pierre, Ryan (Got given the name "Singh" and a special turban by our guide), Mike and Siddo.

Sahib Swami Cindy.
My nickname was given to me later in the ride. Look out for the explanation!!


Next stop was the India Gate memorial to Independence from the Poms.

One of my favourite photos of our time in Delhi.

Ryan, Siddo, Pierre, Mike. You can see the excitement and anticipation on the faces...

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Canopy.. Whoever he was.. I didn't google him..



Next up was Lodhi Gardens.. Kinda nice in a Zoo Lake kinda way...

You know it's hot when even the locals are sweating!!

 

[Airguitar]

Final stop for the day was the Oriental Carpet market..
This was totally fascinating. Some guys made purchases, which were not cheap but well worth it!!

We enjoyed a few very expensive drinks that evening. I paid around €85,00 for 5 G&T's!! Eina!!

 

[Airguitar]

Next morning, the transport arrived to take us across to Maiden's hotel in old Delhi.
This hotel has a more colonial flavour to it.

Checking into the Maiden's marked the official beginning of the tour we paid for.


Signing the Guest book reminded me of stays at the Victoria Hotel in Entebbe..

Mike and I have been mates since Std. 9 (11th grade for more modern types).
He was disappointed that I hadn't brought a guitar along, so a plot was hatched to buy a cheap guitar somewhere nearby, so once again we crammed into several rickshaws and entered the chaos that is the Delhi road system:

Ryan getting a refreshing drink from a street vendor. Mike is not impressed. He was bordering on paranoid about contracting Delhi Belly. Ryan was fine..

After purchasing the guitar, we were making our way back to the main road when we happened on a streetside party. I immediately instigated the dancing and the foolery commenced.
The locals offered me a local drink of coconut milk and strawberry quick. Mike was horrified when I downed it. He was having visions of me jetting brown liquids, but I was fine..

 

[Airguitar]

That evening back at the hotel we had a 15:00 meet and greet with Rob, our guide, who briefed us on the format of the ride, handed out our Ride Expeditions pack, and briefed us on the Corner Man system, which we used a lot during the ride. It works very well when everyone works together.

Left to right: Steve from Utah, Phil from Melbourne and his son Andrew (His other son, Richard, is behind Steve), Rob, Siddo, Sandro (Milan), his son Martino not in the photo and Pierre. Other riders not in the pic are Derrick and Alfie (Texas), and of course Mike and Ryan.

One piece of advice Rob gave was to get some Diamox tablets to aid in coping with the altitude, so another excursion by foot to the nearest pharmacy was made to make the necessary purchases. Lip balm and suntan cream were added to the list..

I have never understood why South Africans haven't taken to motorcycles the way we see here. They're cheap, practical and fun.

Some street scenes...

If nothing else, travelling gives you perspective on the lives of others, as well as your own.
India is excellent medicine for those who think they have it hard, and we hadn't even seen the first drop in the bucket.

Next morning we set off in some SUV's for Shimla, about 400km away.

That is Delhi's main waste dumping ground. It's the size of the biggest mine dumps around Joburg back in the day..

Taken from the window of our air conditioned SUX on the trip from Delhi to Shimla..
Goodbye Delhi.

 

[JohnB]

Sub

 

[Airguitar]

Pierre and myself enjoying a laugh at a roadside stop. Friendships were being forged pretty quickly.
Mike is a mutual friend. They both live in Oz but are Saffers. I only met Pierre the day before and we hit it off quickly. To be fair, all of us just clicked so well it was quite surreal!

I guess at this point I can relate the "Cindy" story.
Back at the hotel, we had agreed to meet at the pool. As I was getting ready, I realized that I'd forgotten to pack Flip Flops, so I improvised by wearing the hotel-provided slippers.
Of course this provoked endless ridicule poolside and my nickname progressed from "Cinderella" to simply "Cindy"
Mercifully, no photos were taken that I'm aware of..

Andrew from Oz taking the pic...

Ryan, Me, Alfie, Richard, Rob, Derrick, Martino, Sandro, Siddo, Mike, Pierre and Steve..

Dig the witty bathroom sign!

Gradually, the landscape changed and was quite pleasant.

Indian graffiti is more beautiful than its western counterpart..

I broke out my bluetooth speaker for some cheery music, and soon after we got our first glimpse of the Himalayas!!

 

[Airguitar]

Here we are crossing the border between the Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. Officially in the Himalayan province now!!
https://photos.google.com/share/AF1...?key=c0FsYWNKZjRUZzF4ZmdhV29fV3g3UHZGMENXM2lR
I must apologize, the videos are backed up to Google Photos. I downloaded many for a direct upload but if they're too big the system says "Nee, K@k" and spits them out. If anybody knows a workaround, please let me know.

 

[Airguitar]

One of my favourite sights was the heavily decorated trucks and buses. They make for a lot of amusement and something to look at when the landscape gets bleak, and believe me: It does!

Another roadside stop a bit higher up the foothills. Everything is lush and green. We were also beginning to see the first signs of landslide activity. This would become a very common sight as we ascended.

Some poor soul took a long dive off the road here. Note the speed limit. If you do, you're the only one. They are quite aggressive on these roads.

Our first glimpse of Shimla!

Trying to make a buck out here can't be easy, but they try!!

It's definitely gotten hilly, and the scenery gets better with every hairpin bend.

However, the spectre of landslide still figures highly in our minds. Later this would really become run-of-the-mill.

The scenery is downright Alpine if you block out the urban factor..

Who would have thought that a place so remote can be so heavily populated? And yet this would be repeated as we made our way further up the mountains.

The Suzuki Swift. Found everywhere you look and then many places you didn't think to look..

Too many people..

 

[Airguitar]

We finally arrived at the Hotel in Shimla and, after checking in, we met at the top floor to meet our bikes: Sandro and Martino getting excited.

Each of us was shown our bike and we gave phone brackets and chargers, etc. to the mechanics who duly installed them for us. I named my ride Palki, after the good looking Indian News Anchor on WION.

Happy, excited faces on the Hotel Terrace. The floors were numbered backward, with the highest floor being level 1 and the lowest, level 5. This is due to the steepness of the hillside. I've seen similar arrangements in other places where it's mountainous.

Early morning view from the Hotel Lobby. Stuff started to get real from here onwards.

I was too excited to sleep late, so I went to the terrace and captured these. I have to say that my Samsung Phones (S20 and S23) outperformed all the iPhones on tour by a long way. They are SO good in the camera department, and stood up excellently to the dust and abuse on the bike.
I'll let the mountains speak now..

 

[Airguitar]

I still pinch myself to think that I was there and saw this.

 

[Airguitar]

This shot courtesy of Pierre, who is an excellent Photographer.

 

[Airguitar]

Rob briefing us on the day's ride. Not too far to go (Shimla to Shoja: 160km) but this was the day we'd learn how to negotiate the traffic as well as the road conditions, which had taken a hammering after the monsoon season, which was pretty heavy this year.

The first part of the day was uneventful and we made good time. Stopping at a roadside tea house for a break, we took in the view, which did not disappoint.

Some excellent fellows guiding us on the ride:
Acho rode point and directed the corner man when necessary.
Manoj often rode as sweeper (Last man) and was the designated mechanic. I got on great with him.
The third guy is the backup vehicle driver. I don't remember his name.

Many, but not all of the photos are Geolocated, so you should be able to pick up on Google maps exactly where we stopped.

One of many bridges we crossed.

Mike, cutting it through Anni, a small town somewhere in Himachal Pradesh..

I had my phone mounted vertically on the bike because landscape mode would only show the dash.
As a result, many of the pics while riding are in portrait mode.
Here's Ryan taking a break in a particularly beautiful section.

Mike, making sure that the Indian population enjoys a dose of yellow Jaundice!!

It's indescribable to be standing here and seeing all of this. We stood there silently until refreshments were handed out by the support team, then the usual banter picked up again.

We were greeted in Shoja by a herd of sheep. The accommodations were rustic but authentic. It was, once again, just spectacular, and we stayed late into the night around the campfire playing guitar, enjoying a few beers and just soaking it all in.

As already stated, the campside and accommodations were rustic but perfect, and the food was out of this world. Of the 13 guys on the ride, only one got enough of Indian food. The rest of us were in heaven! This was also the first night of taking Diamox.
Shoja is about 2360 Meters above sea level. By comparison, Joburg is 1600.

As usual, many of us rose early and enjoyed the mountains' morning offering:

Then we settled down for a morning coffee and friendly conversation.

Some decorations in the little restaurant..

That's all for now.. Thanks for stopping by to read.

 

[Airguitar]

A video synopsis of the Shimla-Shoja ride here:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/oMsXcPjuX1eTR3M56

 

[woody1]

I use Panda Video Compressor. Free app on android to get the videos to size for the web