Day 5


Today was supposed to be our rest day in Leh so that we can acclimatize to the high altitudes.
Last night only, we all could feel heavy breathing while taking off our luggage from bikes and taking it upstairs to our rooms.


But how can we stay put?



Many of us were quickly running out of clothes and wanted to look for a laundry somewhere near our guesthouse.


Asked the aunty(owner of the guesthouse and the lady we met last night) about laundry and heres how our conversation went:


Us: "Aunty is there any laundry nearby, we need to get some clothes washed"


Aunty: "Washing machine chalana aata hai?"


Me: "Yes, but hamare paas surf nahi hai"


someone from the gang: "Market se le aate hein"


Aunty: "Ground floor pe peeche washing machine hai, 10 baje tak paani aata hai, uske baad balti utha utha ke daalna padega, surf I'll give"


Me:


Me: *pumped everyone to hurry up a bit and get all the clothes out which needs to be washed*


I, then went downstairs behind the guesthouse and could see washing machine in the corner, lot of water tumblers, a water pipe, and sort of farm around that area where lot of vegetable stuff was being grown.


Filled up washing machine with water, added surf and added my clothes. In the meantime, almost everyone got their clothes.


So, a sort of team work happened. Me operating the machine and the dryer, Ishan and Jitta taking out surf from washed clothes and giving back to me to put in dryer, i give clothes back to Vibhor, mandhir and tushar to hand them for drying.

Some pictures to show all this team work:


Kapde to dhul gaye, now what? When we glanced at all our bikes, we were like


These deserve a washing too, we thought. But pehle pet pooja. So, we all went to the market at Fort road which was hardly 5 mins away and sumptuos breakfast at a restaurant.


Came back to our guesthouse, took our bikes and went around town looking for washing place.
Soon, we were near Airport road and asked around from some shops about washing station.
Ishan, in the meantime wanted to get his bike checked from a mechanic as his bike had been missing and cooking up spark plugs (already used 3 spark plugs till that time).
We went to a mechanic after bit of asking around but the head mechanic cum owner was not there, so we went to a different mechanic (if we had stay put and waited at first mechanic only, story in the coming days would have been so different, we realised that later, this will be unfold later on).


In the meantime, rest of the gang had found washing centre and directed me towards them. Long waiting at that centre, charges 50 without soap and 100 with soap


Strange, anyhow we went further down and located one washing point. I went in to enquire.


Me: "Bhai how much for washing bike"


Washing guy: "Kitne bikes hein?"


Me: 5 bikes hein.


Washing guy: 250 rupees.


Me: *Thinking in my head, 50 for each bike and he seemed to be using soap too* "Kar do, I said" (How Naive of me)


He was busy washing two bikes of some other guys, so we had to wait a bit.


Then he started washing two of our bikes, and in the meantime some argument started between him and the other guys whose bikes he finished washing related to money.


Mandhir and me could hear, he was adamant on charging 150 for each bike, whereas other guys wanted to give 100 bucks as they had some reference.


Me and Mandhir looked at each other


We then spoke to the washing guy after he was done dealing with the other guys, and he was like he said 250 for one bike


We were like "Are you kidding me" and an argument followed between us and him. He said pay for one bike he has washed and can take other bike somewhere else.


We started taking down our bikes from the ramp and the argument still went on with the guy.
Finally he agreed for 150 for one bike, which was still expensive, but still we thought lets get it done and over with. For the remaining bikes, he did a very pathetic jobs in cleaning.


Some pics from the washing point, thank to [MENTION=56859]tusharxtreme[/MENTION]:


After getting the washing done, Ishan getting his bike fixed, we returned back to our guesthouse and enjoyed home made tea made by Aunty and rested.


In the evening, we planned to visit Shanti Stupa, which was hardly 5 or 6 kms from our guest house I think.


So, we all freshened up, cleaned up and started for Shanti Stupa around 6.30pm I think and enjoyed our time at the Stupa till around 8pm or so I think.

Came back to Leh City and enjoyed dinner at Fort road and retired back at guesthouse by 10.30pm.
Big Day coming up tomorrow.


End of Day 5


Upcoming Day 6: More Ladakhi blue color, Khardung La, Diskit.

Day 6

Day 6

The night before I carefully read the Leh-Nubra valley guide printout I took from the internet and then realised that we all should better carry fuel for this trip a petrol availability in Diskit was definitely questionable.
Also, Jitta called some of his friend and he also recommended to carry petrol for the Nubra valley trip.


Discussed this with everyone, Jitta already had brought a 5 ltr empty cooking oil plastic can from home. We needed few more such plastic cans.


By the time we all got ready and leave guesthouse, it was close to 9.30am.



Ishan's bike was still not 100% and was missing in between.
His bike's spark plug was again going kaput.
In the morning, he asked me if I was carrying any spare spark plug, which I was but that was for my Thunderbird.
His was a Bullet Standard (old version). He checked my spare spark plug and was able to fit the same in his bike even though the nozzle size was a bit long.
The evening before I told him specifically to buy atleast 3-4 new spare spark plugs from the market but he didn't as they were all desi spares


The cost of this mistake...Well that we paid heavily later on Day 7



First we all tanked up at the petrol bunk and then asked the attendant there about cans. He said we will find it at some shops on Airport road.
We went around the airport road and started finding plastic cans. We were able to locate them at some general stores and a hardware store.


We bought four * 10 ltrs white plastic cans from the store, even though the quality seemed very iffy, but couldnt find any other choice.
Ishan's bike didn't had any rear footrest, so me, Mandhir, Vibhor and Jitta tied the cans at the rear left footrest area near saree guards of our enfields.
Jitta already had 5 lts cooking oil can tied up with the crash guard of his bike. All went back to fuel pump and filled all the cans.


Had parantha breakfast at a punjab dhaba, so by the time we started for Nubra valley it was close to 11.30am already.





Soon we started our ascend. Sharing some ofthe pics clicked enroute to Khardung La.

Lot more pics coming up from Day 6 as we entered the magnificent Nubra valley

Re: Lived the dream we dared to dream - Ladakh 2014

Awesome narration, so much ups and downs in the journey. Wow..
Wating for the coming days story.. I am also planning next June.. Keep writing. :thumbup:

"LIVE YOUNG, LIVE FREE "

Re: Lived the dream we dared to dream - Ladakh 2014

So what happened after?, the story must end only when back to start point

Day 6 contd

Sincere apologies for not updating this log for so long. Hopefully, this time I will be able to complete it
After spending good 15-20 minutes at the top, we started the descend. Roads were quite bad for next 20 plus kms I think.



At one point, petrol started leaking from the can tied to Vibhor's bike. Some small stone from the road hit the plastic can and it made it leak. Me and Vibhor were ahead of others. We had to wait for others to catch up so that we can empty the petrol from that can into everyone's bike. In the meantime we cut the upper half of an empty water bottle to facilitate the filling up of petrol in the bike's tanks.


Soon everyone joined, and we took off the leaking petrol can from Vibhor's bike and emptied it into everyone's bikes. We tied the additional can Jitta was carrying, again to Vibhor's bike and tried to use the leaking plastic can as cushion, after we crushed it. It did helped to some extent.





Soon we were entering Nubra valley and the views on our right were just heavenly.
Sharing some shots from my P&S camera:

Some shots from Vibhor's lens:

By the time, we all reached entry point of Diskit town, (including the South Group), it was around 8pm and it seemed like a ghost town, total darkness with very few lights here and there. Vibhor and Jitta went around looking for accomodation and we all waited at one point. They came back within 15-20 mins but with not much success. The point where all of us were waiting, I could see lights from two guesthouses/hotels just few metres ahead. I tried our luck there and Voila, one of them was actually a hotel who gave us one room for 1000 for 3 people I think.
It had nice gated parking in the front and a seating area within the lawn in the centre, rooms were good. Not bad of a deal, we thought.
We had packed light and carried bare essentials for this 2-3 days trip to Nubra, and left most of our luggage at our guesthouse in Leh.
So it was a welcome change today, that we had to untie very light luggage and of course the petrol cans (which were kept in the washroom, as we were getting the petrol fumes smell from it).


End of a good day


The hotel we stayed at:

Upcoming Day 7: A very significant day in the journey which changed the course of rest of the trip.

Re: Day 6 contd

Some mesmerizing captures! Please carry on.

Day 7


Today's plan was to visit Hunder Sand Dunes, then ride up to Turtuk and return back to Diskit by evening.


All of us were ready for day's drive by 8.15am, I wasn't carrying any luggage apart from my fly tank bag.
Others from the team carried few bare essentials and we were all ready to roll by around 8.30am I think.


We thought of having breakfast somewhere in Diskit town or Hunder Village.
We spotted an Army cafe at the entrance of Hunder village and had good breakfast at the cafe.


One of the clicks from the cafe:
By the time, we were done with breakfast, it was around 10am.
We thought of visiting Hunder village from that point and soon spotted the way towards Hunder Sand Dunes tourist point.
Below pic shows the access road, if we may call it a road, from the village to the sand dunes:
We had lot of fun at the sand dunes
Presenting some of the pictures at the dunes:




I didnt feel like moving from there at all and wanted to spend whole day at the dunes only, but some of us wanted to ride up to Turtuk.
So reluctantly, we all moved from Sand Dunes around 1.30pm I think.


Upcoming: Day 7 contd: How such a good going first half of the day can turn into a nightmare in the second half of the day

Day 7 contd.


We moved on from the sand dunes, and started riding towards Turtuk. I was ahead of all. After around 20 mins of riding, I stopped for photography break. At that point, all of the other guys came to the point except Ishan. I asked everyone to move on and I will wait for Ishan for few mins and then join them.


I must have waited for Ishan for another 10 mins I think and then I moved back towards the opposite direction to look for Ishan. I must have easily went around 4-5 kms back but couldnt see Ishan anywhere. Then the thought came to my mind that maybe I am mistaken and Ishan was in front of us all. I went back 5kms back to my original point and then little bit further ahead when I saw Vibhor waiting for me to return.
I asked Vibhor about Ishan and he confirmed that Ishan was definitely not ahead and he was surely behind somewhere. We again waited for 10 more mins hoping that Ishan will show up, then we returned back. I was quite tense at that point for Ishan.


While we were returning back, I saw a guy in blue shirt and black trousers with a backpack on the roadside on right hand. It seemed like he needed a lift. Vibhor crossed him (he anyways had some stuff tied up at pillion seat, so couldn't give a lift), I almost crossed him and then suddenly I decided to stop. As soon as I stopped and looked at his direction, he came towards me and asked me if I can give him a ride till Diskit. I told him I am not sure if I will be going till Diskit as we are looking for one of our team mate who is left behind, but I can surely take him till where ever I will go (my pillion seat was empty). He readily agreed and hopped on. While we were going ahead, I heard the fellow talking to someone on the phone, and then it struck me. I asked him if I can make a call from his cellphone to our friend. (Ishan was carrying a BSNL postpaid number, luckily). He happily agreed and I then was able to call Ishan. He was stuck at place called Parthap pur which was another few kms down the road from us. His bike has stalled.


We reached Parthap pur and spotted him on the road side with his bike near a dhaba cafe. I asked him what happened. We were now about to pay for The Costly Mistake which I have referred to in my below post:


Before leaving from our guest house in Leh, he had installed spark plug of my thunderbird into his Bullet Std. Now his bike was jerking again and he thought he will remove the spark plug, clean it and install it back. While removing the spark plug, it sort of got jammed and after lot of force, it got loose but the additional length of the spark plug nozzle broke off and went inside the engine chamber. He immediately realised that and didnt try to start the bike after that, else the broken piece would have caused damaged inside the engine. He also spoke to some of the army guys near to him, found an army mechanic too but he couldn't help.


Now the only alternative left was to take the bike back to Diskit and hope that some mechanic there can help. Diskit was another 40 odd kms from there I think. The gentleman I gave lift to, was also with us at that time. We then thought of pushing the bike with leg from other bike.
Vibhor couldnt push as he anyways cant plant both his feet at one time when he is on his thunderbird.
So we decided that Ishan will hop on Vibhor's bike and Vibhor on Ishan's bike, and then Ishan will push the stalled bike with his leg.
We tried that for few meters but as soon as a minor incline came, the plan fell off.


We then thought that maybe we can tow the bike if we can get some rope or something like that. The gentleman I gave lift to, and me went around that area, as he knew almost everyone it seem. He was the sole veterinary doctor in Diskit and around. He was able to find us a solid cloth rope. Ishan and Vibhor got it into action and tied the ropes between Vibhor's Thunderbird 500 and Ishan's stalled Bullet Standard.
Ishan started riding Vibhor's thunderbird and Vibhor was on Ishan's Bullet.
They were able to pull Bullet succesfully for another km or so up the incline I think and then small descend came.
Veterinary doctor who was sitting behind me told me to tell them to remove the rope now.
I shouted out to them and asked to remove the rope. Somehow they couldnt listen and within a split second, what I saw was pure horror for my eyes


The rope got entangled in front tyre of Ishan's bullet, bike's balance went off, bike fell right in the middle of the road and Vibhor fell on the road on the weight of his left shoulder. They were at max 20-30kmph speed I think. Within couple of seconds I was with Vibhor, trying to talk to him but it seemed he went blank for few seconds. His right arm was immediately supporting his left arm and he could feel extreme pain in his left arm and shoulder. After some seconds, me and Ishan helped him up to sit on the road side. The vet doctor who was with us picked up Ishan's bike. Right in front of us from other side of the road, a toursit Xylo taxi stopped and a gentleman immediately came rushing to help.
It seemed he was a doctor. He immediately tried talking to Vibhor after I removed his helmet, tried checking his vision and other senses by making him count his fingers. Vibhor seemed fine. Just then, amid all this, his wife called him from the taxi and I still remember her exact words:
"Chalo Ab! ho gaya bass, baaki ye log dekh lenge, ya main jayu aapko yahi chhod kar" (Lets go now, enough already, rest these people will manage or shall I leave you here). We were all so stunned by what she said. The poor fellow went back to Xylo and they went on their way.
I spoke to Vibhor, made him stand up and tried to see if he had any other injury. His knee guards did take lot of scratches from the road, he had very minor bruises here and there, but his left shoulder was paining a lot. Vet doctor told us that there is an army hospital in Hunder and we should get Vibhor checked from there. Very luckily, a mini truck came from behind and it was empty. Vet doctor talked to the driver in local language and he agreed to drop us till Army hospital and then he have some half hour work after which he will be going to Diskit. We lifted and loaded Ishan's bullet in his truck, Vibhor sat in front seat of the truck along with driver. The Vet doctor stood up alongside the bullet in the truck and supported it. Ishan, then started riding Vibhor's bike and both of us followed the truck till the Army hospital.
In the meantime, Tushar,Mandhir and Jitta were all ahead and didnt return back. They went all the way till turtuk and waited for us there but of course we didn't show up.


When we reached army hospital, got the truck guy to take us to Diskit and we will wait for half hour for him to finish his work. He had some work in the army hospital only. In the meantime, I took Vibhor inside the hospital, the doctor was on break but he came back within 15 mins.
He had to first attend a sick army guy first. Vibhor in the meantime was generally fine only his left shoulder was hurting and he couldnt move his left arm freely.
After about 20 mins or so the army doctor attended to Vibhor.
After his examination he said it looks like muscle sprain in the shoulder and should heal in 3-4 days time, but just to be on safe side we should get an x-ray done. He sent his assistant along with us to the x-ray room in the hospital. The only money we paid in the hospital was for the x-ray which was 105/- only. After around half hour, the x-ray report print came which doctor again checked thoroughly and again confirmed that its only muscle sprain. No fracture or shoulder dislocation. He gave some medicines to Vibhor and advisedto take rest.


In the meantime, truck guy was done with his work. I asked Ishan to take his bullet to the mechanic in Diskit and ride Vibhor's bike along.
The Vet doctor I gave lift to, was still with us and he guided Ishan to the mechanic in Diskit, also spoke to mechanic in his local language.
The Vet Doctor was of immense help to us and all I did was agree to give him lift till wherever we are going. He even kept calling Ishan later in the day to know whats happening and all.


I then took Vibhor on my bike and we reached our hotel in Diskit. Made him take rest in our rooms, he immediately felt asleep as doctor has given him such medicine to get rest. I then called Ishan and reached the mechanic shop where he was. The mechanic couldn't resolve the problem as it involved opening up the engine chamber and he was not confident enough to do it on a bullet. We, then knew the bike will have to be taken to Leh now. We left Ishan's bike with mechanic for now and came back to our hotel for few mins.


We spoke to hotel staff about how bike can be taken to Leh and they said if hire a mini truck specially then he will surely charge anything close to 3-4k, but lot of goods truck come from Leh to Diskit and return half or completely empty. If we can get such truck, he will charge at max 1k. One such mini truck guy was of hotel itself and the driver was very helpful to us. He made few calls to some guys in Leh and asked about any truck reaching Diskit now and leaving next day morning. Luckily, one such truck, carrying vegetables, was expected to reach Diskit soon. After about half hour, we went to the vegetable shop and saw vegetable crates being unloaded from the truck.


The hotel truck guy spoke to the vegetables truck driver and he agreed to take the bike to Leh for 1K, but only thing is he will be leaving at 4am next day and we will have to load the bike today evening by 7pm. We readily agreed, went back to hotel and waited for 7pm. In the meantime, rest of the guys returned back to hotel and were shocked to know what happened. And I was really pissed to know that ride upto Turtuk was not all that worth anyways. If we had stay put at Hunder sand dunes, all this mess might not have happened, I thought.


We then went back to mechanic shop, which by that time was closed and bike was parked outside the shop. One more bullet was to be carried in that truck of some guy from Pune whose bike had stalled too. So all of us helped loading two bullets in the half empty truck.
The other guy had been to Ladakh few times and he advised to take bike to Jumma mechanic in Leh as he is good with Bullets.


After doing all the loading work, came back to hotel. Spoke to hotel staff of possible taxi ride to leh and was told that one shared taxi leave in the morning to leh and charge 400/- per head. We then decided to get a seat for Vibhor bhai.


Me and Ishan decided to leave by 6am from the hotel, reach Leh, get bike unloaded from the truck and take it to Jumma mechanic and get the problem fixed. Ishan will have to ride Vibhor's thunderbird500 back to Leh.


*Phew* another hectic and bad day came to an end.


Upcoming: Return back to leh and events thereon.