Episode 259 : The Devbhoomi Experience- Part 13

Later in the evening, Srini, Tiger and I go to a mechanic to fix Srini's motorcycle. We see three Westerners- two men and a woman, on two motorcycles. One of them comes up to the shop and buys a bungee net (an elastic net to put belongings together).

We watch in amusement as the two men pack their belongings, which are just a couple of cloth bags and a large fur coat, and keep them in place with all the bungee nets they have. None of them are wearing anything to protect them from the elements.

'And look at us- saddlebags, riding gear, shoes and helmets. This is what we take with us on rides like these' Tiger comments. Sometimes I wonder if we complicate our life on the highway with so much gear. But considering the kind of speeds we like to ride at (60+) versus the speeds the Westerners ride at (30+), the protection becomes a must.

We fight for a clean bathroom at this tourist home as well. It appears all bathrooms attached to dormitories are not maintained well, while the ones attached to rooms are. The manager promises to get the bathroom cleaned, but someone messes up the place before we use it. We figure our bath and morning ablutions will not happen till we reach Uttarkashi the following evening.

Day 13: October 12, 2008

Scarcely two hours into the journey, I see Zim, Tiger and Muthu waiting for me by the wayside. All of them want to squat behind some bushes and wanted me to guard their motorcycles.

It is my turn to laugh at them. Only a few minutes earlier, the three had honked at me when I hid behind a tree to pee.

Milestones show Srinagar as the next town in our route. For a moment I rub my eyes in mock disbelief. Are we in Jammu & Kashmir already?

60749 @ Srinagar

We stop for breakfast at Srinagar. The boys opt for dosa and idli while I play it safe and stick to parantha.

The Alakananda gets broader the further we ride away from Srinagar. What was a young river at Rudraprayag is now a large river. We figure the Tehri dam has begun storing water to cause the rise in water level. Which means the dam is not far from where we are.

A photograph by the Tehri bridge is a must, so we take a few. We stop for tea at a nearby stall. The locals confer among themselves. The owner says in an all-knowing tone that the hotter the engines get, the faster the motorcycles move.

He is correct, but there is only such much heat an Enfield can withstand before giving way!

We move on, and after what seems like ages, we stop for another tea break. The tea stall is owned by a very old man. Seeing our number plates (four out of six are TN registered), the old man tells us about his pilgrimage to Rameshwaram and enquires if we are on a Char Dham yatra. We shake our heads and I make a note to self to find more about it.

After making tea for us, the old man proceeds to start his hukkah. We notice a black lamb in the stall. The old man is the foster parent for the lamb- apparently its mother abandoned it after birth. This act leaves us speechless.

A life in the city robs us of basic kindness and when we see what humans are capable of, we stare at it in wonder.

As we near Uttarkashi, I narrowly avoid hitting a Qualis at a blind curve. The driver finds Muthu and the others behind me and yells at them about my rash riding. I claim he turned without honking. Both of us are lucky to be alive.

The river runs through the town of Uttarkashi with green military buildings dotting the place. We quickly make our way down to the tourist home and settle in. The rooms are large and bathrooms are clean. A bath later, the bottles are out.

60902 @ Uttarkashi

Muthu takes out his karaoke set and we have a good time singing along. However the evening chill gets to me and I begin to feel feverish. By the time I go to sleep, the fever sets in. It looks like the next day's ride to Gangotri will be a non-starter for me. The thought is very disappointing.

But what's scarier is that we ride to Mussoorie the day after tomorrow. I usually take two days to recover from fever... if I do not panic at all!