Day 2, Monday:It's 5:00 am, and clearly someone didn't get the memo. The mechanic's alarm is ringing away, waking me right up. I guess that speaks to the thickness of the walls between our rooms. Anyhow, It's not that much earlier than we planned on waking up, so I won't bother going back to sleep. Instead, I'll go out and see what's happening.
I open the door, step outside, and wow! That's not a view I was expecting. (Was dark when we got here last night)
The view:
It's crazy how just yesterday, we were in the most chaotic/polluted city in the world (Delhi), and with just a few hours of riding we wake up in these lush greens and clouds.
That's the view, but as for the guest house itself, it could easily be mistaken for a small roadside hut, with only the roof visible from street level. The rest of the building hangs down the mountainside, clinging to the slope.
And yet this tiny roof.. boy this roof.. itf serves as the lobby, the owner's bedroom, a
Dhaba, a little kiosk, and some more.. In short, there's a lot going on up here.. Oh right, it's also our parking lot.
Street view of the guest house. Bike parked on the roof.
As I'm enjoying this fresh landscape, the mechanic rolls outta bed and climbs up to the roof. It's now 6-ish (ye..he woke me up an hour ago..), he doesn't seem to be as impressed by the scenery.
He goes straight to warming up the bikes.. In terms of breakfast, the owner is already putting something together and offers him a bowl. I’m good with my granola bar. And so, we grab chairs, sit down, and start planning our day.
Planning our dayToday's goal is to reach the town of Manali. (What's Manali? The way I see it, it's from where the real adventure begins, more on this later.) Google maps says 5 hours. Mechanic says 10.. that should give you an idea of the accuracy of Google Maps' ETAs up here.
Today's route: Swarghat (A) to Manali (B) 182 km.
Holy watersOur first stop will be for Mikvah. So we gotta find some water. Any kind.
Running into water up here is actually fairly common, as there are streams flowing down the mountains. However, planning around it, is where it gets tricky -
Google Maps does in fact show you where there's water (sometimes); however, until you actually get there, you cannot know whether the water is down a 200-foot cliff, more than a inch deep, or if the water is altogether there in the current season.
So it's kinda a guessing game.
With that in mind, I pin the
first stream on the map. ETA is an hour down our route, and that's pretty much where today's planning ends.
I ask him to bring up the bags and pack the bikes, while I start working on today's playlist. First up is
this hour-long podcast, which aligns nicely with our hour-long trip to the stream.
With everything sorted and packed, I zip up my jacket, put on my helmet and start the bike.
Of course, as always, my wheels hit the tarmac, and I magically start remembering everything I forgot.. Today, it's the Pushka I forgot to bring along. I take the bike outta gear, kick down the stand, run back in, find an empty water bottle, stuff it with some Indian rupees, and we've got a makeshift Pushka. Now fully prepared, giving the throttle a twist, we take off.
Riding to MikvahRiding these roads early in the morning is a welcomed change. With fewer cars, nice scenery, and air temperatures dropping as we climb the mountains, this makes for an enjoyable ride.
As planned, an hour in, as the podcast is coming to a close, we reach
our stream. We pull up; I get off the bike and have a look. Can’t say I'm surprised, but the water is way down there. Plus, the water's current isn't looking too safe (even by my standards).
Unsure if I'll get something better, i decide to keep riding forward. Worst-case scenario, we can always turn around. And so, we get back on the road, with our eyes open, looking out for water.
Sure enough, some 45 minutes later, as we are approaching
this bridge, I have a look down, and Tada, there's water. With a honk of my horn, I signal to the mechanic, and we pull over.
Satellite View of the bridge and stream.
(note: this is an example of where Google Maps doesn't indicate water)
There are some friendly locals sitting on the side of the road. From the looks I'm getting, I don't think they've seen a foreigner in a nice while (covid, or maybe just in general). The mechanic chats with them in Hindi for a bit, and they're more than happy to show me the way down.
I grab my towel and head down to the water. It's fairly shallow. I poke around with a stick, until I find this section about 2 feet deep. enough to lie down and get the job done.
I designate my bench (rock) and start untying my boots, while, from the corner of my eye, I notice someone, way up there, on the bridge, staring down. I take a closer look, and sure enough, it's the mechanic. He's curiously waiting up there, trying to figure out what this whole water ritual thing is all about. I wave my hand, telling him to move along. But not before he grabs a photo.
I spy: me.
I do my thing, come out in one piece and climb back up. The mechanic is happy that I'm happy. I call that a success. With mikvah taken care of for today, we’re ready to head out. Here we come Manali.
ConstructionLittle did I know, these roads had some surprises in store for us. Every few miles we are rolling up on some sort of construction site, cleaning up a landslide, building a new bridge or just a bunch of guys knocking away at rock. It's impressive how much work goes into these roads. Scary to think what they could've look like...
So back to our story, as we’re riding along, cars start tapping their brakes and slowing down, the first signs of an upcoming site. At this point we've been through this before, the Mechanic and I are on the same page, and so, we start squeezing in-between the cars.. That's one of the perks of riding bikes.
It's about a mile until we hit the site. Seems like they are repaving the road, 1 of the 2 lanes.. Remember it's not like they’re the widest in the first place..
With no one directing traffic, it becomes this mess of cars trying to drive in opposite directions, in the same lane, at the same time. Trucks, cars, bikes, people..
Amid all this chaos, I somehow end up directly on top of the work area, like where they are repaving the road:
youtube videoThe construction workers are waving their hands. I'm a bit confused, Just not sure if they mind me on their work. After exchanging some sounds and hand motions I ride over it, and I'm back on the road to Manali with 7ish hours remaining.
Today's rideRiding gives you a lot of time to think. It’s just you inside your helmet, focused for hours. Today is the first day the ride starts to feel like something more. Yesterday was about getting out of the city, away from the noise and rush.
Today, we’re on smaller roads, getting farther from the main paths. You notice the slower pace, the calm of nature, and how people live in these remote villages. It’s not the grand views, but the everyday details of life in the mountains.
On the other hand, we’re riding between huge mountains, each turn revealing a new scene. In short, the landscape keeps changing—tunnels, tiny villages, rainforests, and fields. Oh! And the thin fresh mountain air, wow (though sometimes mixed with construction dust).
Many guys doing this trip skip this part and only start from Manali, taking a bus or flight there (not sure why). Today's riding assured me that this route was well worth it.
Have a look:
youtube video(I have too many videos, so just put a few short clips together..)
LunchAfter a few solid hours on the road, it's about time for a break. We find a quiet spot to pull over where there’s a food cart for the mechanic, a place for me to refill on water and buy a Coke. He gets his 40¢ meal, I fish out some rice cakes from my bag, and lunch kicks off.
Gotta say, He's physically holding up better than I am at this point. My back and shoulders are falling apart. I’m used to getting a break after a full day of riding. And so, i find a wall to slump down against and give my bones a short rest.
I Don't speak Hindi, nor does he speak English, so breaks mostly consist of me eating, letting locals snap selfies, Davening and getting some rest. Nothing too exciting, but it works. Meanwhile he, on the other hand, is always on his phone, video calling. Who? I had to ask. Turns out, his wife, he’s married—with kids. Didn’t see that coming. didn’t realize I’d be dragging away a guy from his family for a few weeks. nunu..
While he is sorting out his family affairs, I'm on the floor munching rice cakes and scrolling through my phone when i notice that tonight’s forecast calls for rain.. Won't be a first.. Well survive. but i'll look for a hotel now rather than schlepping around Manali, hotel hunting in the pouring rain tonight.
Booking and Paying now also avoids potential "foreigner pricing" shenanigans when I arrive and they see I'm a foreigner. I find a
decent looking place and book it for $26.
The mechanic finishes his meal, and heads for dessert, the sugarcane cart - the go-to drink out here, second only to chai. They basically take a bunch of long sugarcane stalks, throw them into this crusher machine, and out comes this green-yellowish juice. I'll have some pity on my stomach and opt for water. Personally, just looking at it almost makes me nauseous. He fetches out some 20 rupees and gets his overflowing glass.
I see an old villager with a nice big mustache nearby, staring so I offer him a cup. He happily accepts while I snap a photo.
(Note: I've since come around on this sugar juice thing.. It's now a favorite.. add some fresh lemon juice and chill with ice.. perfection. Wish i would've appreciated it during this trip..)
That's a wrap for lunch.
Heavy rainThe mechanic tells me his buddy from a village, on the way to Manali, wants to say hello. It’s an hour before Manali, I don’t mind the slight detour. With a hotel booked and a break in our schedule, we are off.
We eventually reach his friend, another mechanic. They greet each other like good old friends. The mechanic introduces me, and tries explaining that he’s here with this "foreigner" in case something happens to his bike. His friend looks at me, up and down then back at him, confused. "Where’s the rest of your group?". It’s always funny watching them try to figure out what's going on.. The two sit down for chai, while I slip away to daven. They snap a few photos together.
We’re both with waterproof covers as we wait out the heavy rain.. it keeps coming and going. But gotta get there somehow.. So we continue..
Arriving in ManaliWe roll into town as dusk sets in. With the heavy rain and fading light, it’s hard to get a feel for the place, so we go straight to the hotel. I pull up soaking wet, and the staff quickly grab my bags and show me to my room. I leave the mechanic in the lobby while I go wash up—the front desk agrees to take care of all the paperwork afterward.
Cleaned up, back in the lobby, almost forgot about the mechanic, he's still here searching for a cheap place to stay. He's been asking around, but can't seem to find one within the budget. So I pull out my phone, and find him
this hotel on Agoda for $6 a night. He's happy with that.
Since we’ll be staying in Manali tomorrow (more on that later), there is no rush to get up early. I tell him we’ll touch base at 8:00 am, and he heads off for the night.
DinnerI ask the front desk to call a taxi. Not gonna get wet again. I tell the driver “vegetables, market.” he gets the message and drives me down to New Manali. I get out, this place is livelier than I expected—packed with locals - no foreigners. turns out that the vegetable stores had closed about 20 minutes ago. But it's quite a nice market.
With no vegetables in hand, I head back to the hotel, poke through my bag, and decide to make pasta. On the bright side, I have a proper bed, a clean room, and even a bathtub. I wrap up a few things and finally call it a night. Packed days coming ahead.
Good night.
thanks again
@Yo ssi
