Do read part one of this entry on the below link before starting this to get a better idea
http://thecluelessrider.blogspot.in/2014/01/leh-to-mandi-goodwill-hunting-part-1.html
Catch 22 - a book by Joseph Heller is one of my most favorite books of all time and among other things this book gave the phrase catch 22 to the English language. As a very good friend of mine who happens to be a connoisseur of this book would tell anyone who cares to listen that the term 'Catch 22' is often mistaken to signify a situation wherein one has to choose between the devil and the deep sea. A 'Catch 22' situation is different. A catch 22 is a situation wherein there is a problem for which there is a solution in hand. But the only problem with the solution in hand is that you can't use it because of some other circumstance and in the end there is no escaping the problem.
The distinction is important to know because 9 times out of 10 a 'Catch 22' situation makes a much better story than a 'devil and the deep sea' situation.
So I head out from Tso Moriri towards Leh and some 5 - 10 Kms down I realize I have a 'Catch 22' situation. Let me just chart it out for you
The Problem: The fuel in my tank is not going to last the entire 220 Km stretch. No petrol pumps on the way and I think I'll just about manage some 120 Kms.
The Solution: I am carrying enough fuel in a container tied with my luggage
The Catch: Even if I fill in petrol when the bike stops, it won't start unless its towed a distance. The whole stretch is very lonely and deserted and finding a vehicle to get it towed might be tricky. I can't even try filling in petrol before the fuel runs out because the keys for the ignition and the fuel tank are the same and if I have have to open the fuel tank, I'll have to switch off the ignition.
So after subjecting myself to a volley of sarcastic praises, I came to the decision that I won't be heading to Leh but instead take the road leading to Pang on the Leh - Manali highway via Tso Kar lake wherein finding help might be a trifle easier. This road will take me to that highway in 60 to 70 Kms. The road was good wherever it was present and then there are patches where you don't have any roads. One such patch was a difficult mountain pass. Even though I like to believe I have a sense of humour regarding these things, this was one patch where I was cursing loudly and praying silently that the bike doesn't stop. I don't quite know if its the curses or the prayers that worked but the bike did not stop and finally I did manage to reach the highway
Once I was in the highway I was all upbeat. I was singing songs & dancing to the tunes whilst I was riding. Alright I might have mentioned that I exaggerate for effect. So I guess the dancing part is made up but the singing part is true. Shortly after I crossed Pang, the fuel in my tank got over and I had to stop to fill in petrol that was tied to my luggage. I knew my bike wouldn't start without being towed and I need to stop some vehicle for help in this regard but then I was riding continuously for a long time and I thought a little rest won't do any harm. I realized I was thirsty and out of water so I just thought I will stop the next vehicle that passes and ask for some water and then rest for a while. There was a Force traveler coming and I stopped it to get some water to drink. Then the most beautiful thing happened. It is something I remember perfectly to this date.
Before getting on to this story, I guess its imperative that you know this. See when I am riding I do apply a liberal amount of sunscreen. This results in a lot of dust to stick to my face and somewhere it helps to give an impression of looking a lot more tired than what I actually am. So yes do wear sunscreen if you are riding. Yes it does help you prevent sunburn but more importantly in the unlikely event of meeting a very pretty woman who is also kind hearted in the middle of nowhere on a ride, the (hopefully) genuine concern that she displays will just melt your heart away. So yes I stopped that Force traveler to ask for some water. There was a group of tourists most probably heading to Manali and one look at that pretty woman sitting in the front and I was blown away. I am generally a very soft spoken guy and considering the fact that this road is on a very high altitude I speak more softly to conserve energy. The fact that I was smitten by this woman also doesn't help matters. So this is how the conversation goes.
Me (very soft voice): Can I have some water ?
Pretty woman (hands me a bottle of water): Are you alright ?
Me : Yes, I just need some water
Pretty woman (with a heart melting look of concern) : Are you sure ? Do you need something to eat ? Biscuits maybe ?
Me: No I just need water (Suddenly I feel the urge to prolong the conversation and I am overwhelmed by such concern bestowed on me. Women seldom do that to me)
Me (Acting really tired now): Ya if its not a problem can I have some biscuits
Pretty Woman (hands me a packet of biscuits and someone in the group tells her give these sweets also to him. So she hands me the sweets too) You sure you are alright. Do you need anything else ?
Me: I am fine. Thanks a lot for everything
My only thought at that time was tomorrow when I reach Manali, I will find her somewhere (Manali is a small place and if she is there I was pretty sure I will bump into her) and use some cheesy lines as to how she saved my life and get pally with her. Don't judge me on this. I am not exactly proud of my thoughts but for whatever its worth I was really touched by the gesture and if by any chance this blog reaches you, I would just love to take you out sometime. So anyway these guys left and I filled in petrol and stopped a truck to help me start the bike by towing and by night I reached Sarchu some 250 Kms from Leh and for Rs 100 a bed in a Dhaba I thought there is no better place to spend the night.
The next morning I had a sumptuous breakfast, sourced petrol from the black market - basically did everything to ensure that I reached Manali without any issues because once I start the bike I can't stop it anywhere in between.So this time I got a Tata Sumo to tow my bike to get it started. But therein lied the problem. I have earlier started the bike by towing it with a bike and a truck. A bike and a truck do not go very fast and somewhere you are in control when you are being towed. But a Sumo driver pressed the pedal and I lost balance and the bike dragged on for some distance. I escaped with minor injuries but the same couldn't be said about the bike. But there were four guys from Allahabad who were going to Leh who waited with me, flagged down a truck for me, loaded my bike and luggage inside the truck for me as I was a little injured, bargained with the truck driver for trucking my bike till Manali for Rs 2000.
Well this truck driver (Raju) took me till Mandi which is another 100 kms from Manali and only took Rs 1600 at the end of it when I paid him Rs 2000 the next morning. In between he paid for my dinner and breakfast the next morning. Also me, Raju and another truck driver spent some half an hour in a hot water spring pool near Manali in pitch darkness and I slept with him in the front seat of the truck at night. This is a story I'll tell some other time but give your dirty minds a rest. There's nothing romantic.
But then I stayed a day in Mandi to recuperate from my injuries after I got the bike fixed and since there is nothing much one can do in Mandi I started reminiscing about he last few days of my trip.
The Army men on the Tso Moriri route, the ITBP guys in Tso Moriri, that God send french rider in Tso Moriri, the pretty woman and that group of tourists on the Leh Manali highway, the four tourists from Allahabad in Sarchu, the truck driver Raju who trucked my bike till here - these are people I have never ever met in life but then their kindness ensured that I was on track in spite of the challenges I faced. In the end why it mattered is because now I knew that even if some unforeseen circumstances come my way, goodwill will see me through.
http://thecluelessrider.blogspot.in/2014/01/leh-to-mandi-goodwill-hunting-part-1.html
Catch 22 - a book by Joseph Heller is one of my most favorite books of all time and among other things this book gave the phrase catch 22 to the English language. As a very good friend of mine who happens to be a connoisseur of this book would tell anyone who cares to listen that the term 'Catch 22' is often mistaken to signify a situation wherein one has to choose between the devil and the deep sea. A 'Catch 22' situation is different. A catch 22 is a situation wherein there is a problem for which there is a solution in hand. But the only problem with the solution in hand is that you can't use it because of some other circumstance and in the end there is no escaping the problem.
The distinction is important to know because 9 times out of 10 a 'Catch 22' situation makes a much better story than a 'devil and the deep sea' situation.
So I head out from Tso Moriri towards Leh and some 5 - 10 Kms down I realize I have a 'Catch 22' situation. Let me just chart it out for you
The Problem: The fuel in my tank is not going to last the entire 220 Km stretch. No petrol pumps on the way and I think I'll just about manage some 120 Kms.
The Solution: I am carrying enough fuel in a container tied with my luggage
The Catch: Even if I fill in petrol when the bike stops, it won't start unless its towed a distance. The whole stretch is very lonely and deserted and finding a vehicle to get it towed might be tricky. I can't even try filling in petrol before the fuel runs out because the keys for the ignition and the fuel tank are the same and if I have have to open the fuel tank, I'll have to switch off the ignition.
So after subjecting myself to a volley of sarcastic praises, I came to the decision that I won't be heading to Leh but instead take the road leading to Pang on the Leh - Manali highway via Tso Kar lake wherein finding help might be a trifle easier. This road will take me to that highway in 60 to 70 Kms. The road was good wherever it was present and then there are patches where you don't have any roads. One such patch was a difficult mountain pass. Even though I like to believe I have a sense of humour regarding these things, this was one patch where I was cursing loudly and praying silently that the bike doesn't stop. I don't quite know if its the curses or the prayers that worked but the bike did not stop and finally I did manage to reach the highway
Once I was in the highway I was all upbeat. I was singing songs & dancing to the tunes whilst I was riding. Alright I might have mentioned that I exaggerate for effect. So I guess the dancing part is made up but the singing part is true. Shortly after I crossed Pang, the fuel in my tank got over and I had to stop to fill in petrol that was tied to my luggage. I knew my bike wouldn't start without being towed and I need to stop some vehicle for help in this regard but then I was riding continuously for a long time and I thought a little rest won't do any harm. I realized I was thirsty and out of water so I just thought I will stop the next vehicle that passes and ask for some water and then rest for a while. There was a Force traveler coming and I stopped it to get some water to drink. Then the most beautiful thing happened. It is something I remember perfectly to this date.
Before getting on to this story, I guess its imperative that you know this. See when I am riding I do apply a liberal amount of sunscreen. This results in a lot of dust to stick to my face and somewhere it helps to give an impression of looking a lot more tired than what I actually am. So yes do wear sunscreen if you are riding. Yes it does help you prevent sunburn but more importantly in the unlikely event of meeting a very pretty woman who is also kind hearted in the middle of nowhere on a ride, the (hopefully) genuine concern that she displays will just melt your heart away. So yes I stopped that Force traveler to ask for some water. There was a group of tourists most probably heading to Manali and one look at that pretty woman sitting in the front and I was blown away. I am generally a very soft spoken guy and considering the fact that this road is on a very high altitude I speak more softly to conserve energy. The fact that I was smitten by this woman also doesn't help matters. So this is how the conversation goes.
Me (very soft voice): Can I have some water ?
Pretty woman (hands me a bottle of water): Are you alright ?
Me : Yes, I just need some water
Pretty woman (with a heart melting look of concern) : Are you sure ? Do you need something to eat ? Biscuits maybe ?
Me: No I just need water (Suddenly I feel the urge to prolong the conversation and I am overwhelmed by such concern bestowed on me. Women seldom do that to me)
Me (Acting really tired now): Ya if its not a problem can I have some biscuits
Pretty Woman (hands me a packet of biscuits and someone in the group tells her give these sweets also to him. So she hands me the sweets too) You sure you are alright. Do you need anything else ?
Me: I am fine. Thanks a lot for everything
My only thought at that time was tomorrow when I reach Manali, I will find her somewhere (Manali is a small place and if she is there I was pretty sure I will bump into her) and use some cheesy lines as to how she saved my life and get pally with her. Don't judge me on this. I am not exactly proud of my thoughts but for whatever its worth I was really touched by the gesture and if by any chance this blog reaches you, I would just love to take you out sometime. So anyway these guys left and I filled in petrol and stopped a truck to help me start the bike by towing and by night I reached Sarchu some 250 Kms from Leh and for Rs 100 a bed in a Dhaba I thought there is no better place to spend the night.
The next morning I had a sumptuous breakfast, sourced petrol from the black market - basically did everything to ensure that I reached Manali without any issues because once I start the bike I can't stop it anywhere in between.So this time I got a Tata Sumo to tow my bike to get it started. But therein lied the problem. I have earlier started the bike by towing it with a bike and a truck. A bike and a truck do not go very fast and somewhere you are in control when you are being towed. But a Sumo driver pressed the pedal and I lost balance and the bike dragged on for some distance. I escaped with minor injuries but the same couldn't be said about the bike. But there were four guys from Allahabad who were going to Leh who waited with me, flagged down a truck for me, loaded my bike and luggage inside the truck for me as I was a little injured, bargained with the truck driver for trucking my bike till Manali for Rs 2000.
Well this truck driver (Raju) took me till Mandi which is another 100 kms from Manali and only took Rs 1600 at the end of it when I paid him Rs 2000 the next morning. In between he paid for my dinner and breakfast the next morning. Also me, Raju and another truck driver spent some half an hour in a hot water spring pool near Manali in pitch darkness and I slept with him in the front seat of the truck at night. This is a story I'll tell some other time but give your dirty minds a rest. There's nothing romantic.
But then I stayed a day in Mandi to recuperate from my injuries after I got the bike fixed and since there is nothing much one can do in Mandi I started reminiscing about he last few days of my trip.
The Army men on the Tso Moriri route, the ITBP guys in Tso Moriri, that God send french rider in Tso Moriri, the pretty woman and that group of tourists on the Leh Manali highway, the four tourists from Allahabad in Sarchu, the truck driver Raju who trucked my bike till here - these are people I have never ever met in life but then their kindness ensured that I was on track in spite of the challenges I faced. In the end why it mattered is because now I knew that even if some unforeseen circumstances come my way, goodwill will see me through.
About Me:
A 7 month motorcycle ride that took me to every state in India, parts of Nepal and Bhutan and one town in Burma. These blog entries are inspired by this trip. Stories about people I met, stories about places I saw. Things that intrigued me, things that amused me. They say traveling changes you, they say traveling inspires you and they say a lot of other stuff. I don't know. I think a gun on the head is a better way to change people. I just hope that my travel stories entertain you
Right now I am in the process of writing a book based on this trip and figuring out the difference between a writer's block and procrastination.
Right now I am in the process of writing a book based on this trip and figuring out the difference between a writer's block and procrastination.
You can find more information on my Facebook page and Instagram account
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