22 July 2010

The long journey home starts. We left as soon as daylight emerged. The road outwards is very smooth. We passed Pathar Sahib Gurudwara and Magnetic Hill. No halts there. The brilliant road continued onwards. We had planned to reach Sonmarg today. There were enough warnings the day before that you will have to leave very early. So, we had to cover the maximum distance early in the day after which army convoys will become a regular feature.
The first 70 kms were covered quickly as we took a stop for breakfast at _____. The place was sublime, right next to a fast flowing stream. The Assamese amongst here were the most happy people when they saw their home state manufactured chips being sold here. Vihans had kept himself busy by stepping into the kitchen to make eggs himself. The parathas were brought in later. Another group met us. These were 5 people coming from Bhuj. They had been riding all the way on one Classic, one Honda Shine, one Machismo. These guys show that you do not need any fancy gear to ride. All you need are pure, fucking raw guts. We looked overdressed and overloaded in front of them. They even did not have anything to eat. The eldest amongst them who was riding the Shine told us that they would only be eating in the evening after reaching their destination, Dras.
Now came the ascent to Lamayuru. This is a tricky one. The thin road runs right along the edge. If any vehicle came from the front then you are standing dangerously close to a deep gorge. One slip and thats it. Maybe, the new diversion being created will be safer. The good road continued till FotuLa top, the highest point on the Srinagar Leh road at 13479 feet. This was the first pass where we had witnessed tarmac all the way. And that was all. A short distance ahead and the roads disappeared. I had thought that Kargil and Dras, being strategic military points would have nice, clean roads, but no. Instead, it was very dusty. Such surface has a tendency to tire you down very soon. But despite that we kept going with minimum number of breaks. We were sufficiently filled with food and had a great distance to go.
The locals now were changing from Ladakhi to Kashmiri. One can notice the change happening as you pass through. Near Kargil, a sign greets you, "You Are Under Enemy Observation". We had heard about this one but standing there looking at it, it does shake you up at first. Then we saw the other travelers roaming freely, some even bringing out cameras. We did the same and the fear was gone. It was first planned to stop at Kargil. The market area was too crowded. So, we thought of stopping at a dhaba at one of the towns ahead. But there was none to be found. We would have to go all the way to Dras.
At one of the villages prior to Dras, one of the villagers told us that ZojiLa has been closed due to heavy rains. So whats new? It has been happening at every pass until now and it would have been a surprise if we would have passed the mighty ZojiLa neatly. Right before Dras comes the War Memorial, built in memory of our brave, Indian soldiers killed during the Kargil War. Only Rohit and I chose to stop here. The rest had reached Dras. A dress rehearsal for the next day's parade would be taking place here soon. The Tiger Hill and Tololing Range were clearly visible. It boggles the mind to imagine how our soldiers climbed these immensely steep slopes to kill intruders. The chest blows up another inch and then more as you realize the true meaning of the words, Pride and Honour. It has the effect even now as I write these words. These are the people that keep our borders protected so that you and me can sleep peacefully in our homes.
I discovered a puncture as we touched Dras(Puncture #4). The fixer was found some distance ahead but he was inexperienced in handling motorcycle tyres. We had to take the tyre out ourselves. As we fumbled, a truck driver came around and helped us. It made us feel even more ashamed. I called up our Bullet specialist, Zaheer in Delhi to ask for instructions. After the tyre was taken out, it was fixed quickly and again attached. But by now, it had gone dark. We would have to spend the night at a place that had recorded the second coldest temperature in the world. J&Ks Tourism Bungalow offered a neat bargain.
Without wasting time, we got together and sat down for rum. The Chinar bottle was almost finished. For dinner, we went to the neighbouring Ali's. The mutton was out of this world. Although the gravy was thin, it contained all the flavour of the meat and masala. Only the Mughals know how to cook mutton.
We would have to leave very early the next day as we had not reached Sonmarg. That meant crossing ZojiLa, Sonmarg and Srinagar the next day.