Delhi – Ramnagar Road Review
Last weekend, I drove to Corbett and I discovered few new things and thought that a quick road review would benefit fellow ghumakkars. Delhi…
Read MoreLast weekend, I drove to Corbett and I discovered few new things and thought that a quick road review would benefit fellow ghumakkars. Delhi…
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Another motivating factor was the leeches. They wouldn’t let us stop anywhere. Every stop we had to check for them on the path first and then on our shoes and then take off the ones which had had some luck with our blood.Balloo kept us occupied with his “jokes” all along.
Read MoreNH 24 – Delhi, Ghazibad, Hapur, Garh Mukteshwar (NHAI)
NH 24 – Simbhavli, Gajraula, Moradabad, Rampur (NHAI)
NH 87 – Rampur, Bilaspur, Rudrapur (mostly UP)
NH 87 – Rudrapur, Haldwani, Nainital/Bhimtal (Uttrakhand)
Quick Drive to Amritsar Amritsar, more correctly called, Ambarsar is located close to 500 Km from Delhi, capital of India and the biggest reason…
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рдХрднреА рдЧрд╛рдбреА рд╕реЗ рдЗрдзрд░ рдЭрд╛рдВрдХ, рдХрднреА рдЙрдзрд░ рдЭрд╛рдВрдХ | рджреЗрдЦрддреЗ рдХреЗ рдХреБрдЫ рд╕рдордЭ рдЖ рдЬрд╛рдП┬а, рдХреНрдпреВрдВрдХрд┐┬ардЖрдЧреЗ рддреЛ рд╣рдо рд▓рдЧрд╛рддрд╛рд░ рджреЗрдЦреЗ рд╣реА рд░рд╣реЗрдВ рдереЗ рдЖрдЦреНрдиреЗ рдлрд╛рдбрд╝реЗрдВ , ┬а┬а рд╣рд╛ рд╣рд╛ рд╣рд╛ …рд╡рд╣рд╛рдВ рдЧрд╛рдбрд╝реА┬ардХреА рд╣реЗрдб рд▓рд╛рдЗрдЯ рдХреА рд░реЛрд╢рдиреА рдореЗрдВ рдЬреЛ рдХреБрдЫ рдПрдХ рджреЛ рдореАрдЯрд░ рддрдХ┬арджрд┐рдЦ рд░рд╣рд╛ рдерд╛ рдмрд╕┬ард╕рдордЭреЛ рдЙрд╕ рд╕рдордп┬ард╡рд╣реА рд╣рдорд╛рд░реА рджреБрдирд┐рдпрд╛ рдереА рдмрд╛рдХреА рддреЛ рдХреБрдЫ рджрд┐рдЦ рд╣реА рдирд╣реАрдВ рд░рд╣рд╛ рдерд╛,рдереЛрдбрд╝реА рджреЗрд░ рдмрд╛рдж рд╣рдореЗрдВ рдЦреБрдж рдорд╛рд▓реБрдо рдирд╣реАрдВ рдХреА┬ардХрдм рдХрд╣рд╛рдБ рджреЛ рдЪрд╛рд░ рдордХрд╛рдиреЛ┬ардХреЗ рдмреАрдЪ рд╕реЗ рд╣реЛрдХрд░┬ард╣рдорд╛рд░реА рд╡реЛ рдкрдерд░реАрд▓реА рд╕рдбрд╝рдХ рдЧреБрдЬрд░ рд░рд╣реА рдереА (рдЕрдБрдзреЗрд░рд╛ рд╣реЛрдиреЗ рдХреЗ рдХрд╛рд░рдг ) рддрдм рдЧрд╛рдбрд╝реА рд░реЛрдХреА … рд╡рд╣реАрдБ рдПрдХ рджреЛ рдЖрджрдореА рдорд┐рд▓реЗред рдПрдХ рд╕рдЬреНрдЬрди рд╕реЗ┬ардкрд░рд┐рдЪрдп рд╣реЛрдиреЗ рдкрд░ рдЙрдиреНрд╣реЛрдиреЗ рдмрддрд╛рдпрд╛ рдХреЗ рд╡реЛ рд░рд╣рдиреЗ рд╡рд╛рд▓реЗ рддреЛ рдмрдбрд╝реЛрдд (UP) рдХреЗ рд╣реА рд╣реИрдВред ┬а рдпрд╣рд╛рдБ рдЙрдирдХреА┬а┬ардкреБрд░рд╛рдиреА рдЬрдореАрдВрди рд╣реИ, рд╕реЛ рдпрд╣рд╛рдБ рднреА рд░рд╣рддреЗ рд╣реИрдВред ┬ард╡рд╣реАрдБ рдПрдХ рдШрд░ рдореЗрдВ рднреА рдмрдиреА рдЫреЛрдЯреА рд╕реА рджреВрдХрд╛рди рд╕реЗ рджрд░реНрдЬрдиреЛрдВ ┬а“рдкрд╛рд░рд▓реЗ рдЬреА ” рдХреА рдмрд┐рд╕реНрдХреБрдЯ рдХреЗ рдкреИрдХреЗрдЯ рдЦрд░реАрдж рдЕрдиреНрдиреВ рдФрд░ рдкреНрд░рд╡реАрдг рдмрд╛рдмреВ рддреЛ рдмрд┐рдЬреА рд╣реЛ рдЧрдП …..рдореИ ┬ард╡реИрд╕реЗ рднреА рднреА рдмрд┐рд╕реНрдХреБрдЯ рдирд╣реАрдВ рдЦрд╛рддрд╛ рдФрд░ рдЧрд╛рдбреА рднреА рдЪрд▓рд╛ рд░рд╣рд╛ рдерд╛ред ┬ард╕реЛ рдЙрди рд╕рд╛рд╣рдм рд╕реЗ рдмрд╛рддрдЪреАрдд рдХрд░ рдЖрдЧреЗ рдХрд╛ рд╣рд╛рд▓ рдЪрд╛рд▓ рдФрд░ рд░рд╛рд╕реНрддреЗ рдХрд╛ рдмреНрдпреМрд░рд╛ рд▓реЗ рдЪрд▓ рдкрдбрд╝рд╛ред
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Yuksom is still regarded as the base camp of Kanchenjungha, although ascent from Sikkim side has stopped over a decade ago. The mountains are revered as God by localites and stepping foot on the sacred slopes amounts to desecration of the divine forces. Kanchenjungha is abode of the Gods. We came across camps of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. Their basic and advanced mountaineering courses are conducted at Rathong Glacier, the starting point of which also happens to be Yuksom.
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When in Doubt, ask again. Ask someone else if you feel that the shmuck you just asked for directions was an inebriated nincompoop. I believe that even now, in the age of GPS and other bond gadgetry, the ultimate GPS is still the roadside paan wallah. Such is the level of accuracy & dependability, that i think they should be hired to proofread the local Google maps data.
You stop by a tapri/ khokha (as referred to in mumbai), light up a smoke, order a sweet paan, strike up a light conversation about how good or bad the weather is, and thatтАЩs it. Camaraderie set. The paan wallah will now easily divulge even the most complex info about the routes to take, routes to avoid, probable shortcuts & other awesome places to see in between. Screw you, GMaps !! I got my own local wiki/GPS/navigator/tour-guide.
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Cloud 9 after initial hiccups has come up well with semi urban setting with villas and cottages with Khabrar Hill on the northern side and Jim Corbett like hunting forest on the southern slopes with thick jungle of oak, cedar, pine and rhododendron trees whose red flowers make excellent rejuvenating syrupy juice, frequented by the leopards and the tigers.
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рдЪреВрдБрдХрд┐ рдЖрдЬ рд╣рдореЗ рд╕рд┐рд░реНрдлрд╝ рдмрджреНрд░реАрдирд╛рде рд╣реА рдкрд╣реБрдБрдЪрдирд╛ рдерд╛ (рдЬреЛ рдХреА рдпрд╣рд╛рдБ рд╕реЗ рдорд╛рддреНрд░ 125 рдХрд┐рдореА рд╣реА рд╣реИ), рдЗрд╕рд▓рд┐рдП рд╣рдо рд╕рдВрдЧрдо рдкрд░ рдХрд╛рдлрд╝реА рджреЗрд░ рдмреИрдареЗ рдорд╕реНрддреА рдХрд░рддреЗ рд░рд╣реЗ. рд╕рдВрдЧрдо рдХрд╛ рдЖрдирдВрдж рд▓реЗрдХрд░ рдФрд░ рджреЛрдиреЛ рдирджрд┐рдпреЛрдВ рдХреЗ рдЬрд▓ рд╕реЗ рд╡рд┐рд╢реБрджреНрдзрд┐ рд╡ рдЙрд░реНрдЬрд╛ рдкрд╛рдХрд░ рд╣рдо рд▓реЛрдЧ рдЖрдЧреЗ рдХреА рдпрд╛рддреНрд░рд╛ рдкрд░ рдирд┐рдХрд▓рдиреЗ рдХреЛ рддреИрдпреНрдпрд╛рд░ рдереЗ. рдврд╛рдмреЗ рдкрд░ рдирд╛рд╢реНрддрд╛ рдХрд░рдиреЗ рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рдж, рд╣рдо рд▓реЛрдЧ рд╕реАрдзреЗ рдмрджреНрд░реАрдирд╛рде рдХреА рдмрд╕ рд▓реЗрдиреЗ рдЖ рдкрд╣реБрдБрдЪреЗ. рдереЛрдбрд╝реА рджреЗрд░ рдЗрдВрддреЗрдЬрд╝рд╛рд░ рдХреЗ рдмрд╛рдж, рдПрдХрд╛рдз рдмрд╕реЗрдВ рдЖрдИ рдкрд░ рд╕рдм рдЦрдЪрд╛рдЦрдЪ рднрд╛рд░реА рд╣реБрдИ, рдкрд╛рдБрд╡ рд░рдЦрдиреЗ рддрдХ рдХреА рдЬрдЧрд╣ рдирд╣реА рдереА, рдпрд╛рддреНрд░рд╛ рд╕реАрдЬрд╝рди рдореЗ рдпреЗ рдПрдХ рдЖрдо рдирдЬрд╝рд╛рд░рд╛ рд╣реИ.
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Just this morning I was overwhelmed to see the abundance that water has bestowed in the southern part of Lahaul. I thought that is glorious. And now I stand awestruck in this dry and desolate landscape where soaring mountains surround a vast high altitude rolling plain through which is a deep gorge and a river flowing through it… We are a little short of Sarchu and these are the Lingti plains where there is virtually no precipitation even in the winters…
And finally, Sarchu! There is virtually nothing in the place except a few tented camps during the summer months and a small army detachment year round. The wind howls making me burrow deeper into my jacket the minute I step out. We take a walk around the place and soak in its unique charm. But nature has been kind in all its adversity. Or maybe it is the stark unspoilt and unpolluted beauty that I am so taken with. Such places need no adornment, no embellishment. Just this raw, unadulterated nature is enough. This is a place one must travel to at least once in this lifetime!
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This July, I completed a motorcycle ride from Gurgaon to Ladakh, covering Spiti Valley, Leh, Kargil and Srinagar – one of my many trips to this part of the world. Despite having done these rides multiple times earlier, why do I keep riding to these crazy terrains, where unless someone has actually travelled on a motorcycle? They wouldnтАЩt believe what one would experience. WhatтАЩs the lure of Ladakh still, when everyone and their mothers-in-law are riding/driving/flying there these days? When
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Woke up with a terrible headache and nausea on the Day 3 of the voyage to the once forbidden land, Spiti Valley. Outside it was just another dawn in Kaza, the snow is reflecting a tinge of orange in the early morning sun; the spotless blue sky in the background is arched over the town. The Gong inside the head continued meanwhile; I needed oxygen then.
ItтАЩs the primary state hospital of Kaza where I met Serine and the fellow patients. An ugly looking machine was pushing oxygen through my nostrils and I was trying hard to concentrate. Serine teaches english in a local private school, where tibetian is hardly taught seriously, she frowned. Her mother was lying sick on the bed adjacent; they have ultrasound machine here but nobody knows how to operate, looks like she will have to take her mother to Simla, a 500 kms and a strong determination away from Kaza. She had once travelled to Delhi though, her sister works as a hotel receptionist there. The Metro escalators are amongst worst inventions of the human kind; and she frowned againтАжit continued and the other patients joined in no time. Soon I was being invited to their homes; for tea, thukpa and country liquor ! Never felt more disappointed on leaving a hospital; was feeling better already. Affection works better than the oxygen may beтАжwho knows !
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