How a slight documentation problem almost denied me an entry into Nepal

On a motorcycle there is something really exciting about the prospect of entering another country. I remember the time on this trip when I was near the Wagah border, Attari, Amritsar and I saw a board near the border which said Lahore - 24 Kms. Immediately I had this thought that I'll race across to the border gate and make the bike jump across the border gates and land on the Pakistani side. Then I'll just speed across to Lahore city with the Pakistani rangers and the Pakistani police following me in their jeeps and vehicles, shooting at me with guns and missing all the time and just about the time they almost catch me I would have crossed back to the Indian side displaying the same heroic stunts on my bike. Also somewhere in between all this there would be a hot woman in a bikini somewhere coming out of the water. But then I gave up on the thought as I felt it won't exactly play out the way I have described. I mean its too naive to believe that there would be a hot woman in a bikini coming out of the water in that border to Lahore stretch and back.

So yes I had to wait another 40 odd days before I could finally get my motorcycle to a different country. The country being Nepal. Now India - Nepal relations being what they are, it makes Nepal the easiest of countries for an Indian to get in. But trust me to complicate the easiest of things. If rules were followed to the letter I would not have been allowed entry in Nepal with my motorcycle but I am extremely grateful to the Nepalese custom authorities who followed it in spirit and allowed me to enter. Now during the trip I had written a blog on Nepal (http://thecluelessrider.blogspot.in/2013/07/nepal-country-you-ought-to-visit.html) and there I had mentioned about the slight documentation problem with my motorcycle. I had also mentioned that I might write about the documentation problem once I complete the trip. So now since the trip is complete and the fact that I want to look like a person who keeps his promises, I shall get into more detail about that slight documentation problem.

Now my motorcycle is registered in my Dad's name and I had lost the original RC book of the motorcycle a few years back. I have a photocopy of the RC book and I have never really made an effort to get a duplicate copy of the RC book from the RTO. In my defense the motorcycle is registered at the Chennai RTO as my Dad was there at the time of buying the bike in 2006. Now my Dad is settled in Kerala and since its registered in his name it is him who will need to go to Chennai, register an FIR and get the duplicate copy of the RC book. To make matters worse the motorcycle also needs to be present in Chennai at that time. When I was starting the trip I thought I'll ask my Dad to just take the bike, go to Chennai and somehow get me an original RC book for the motorcycle. But then at the start of my trip he did agree to the idea that I undergo this 7 month trip but he wasn't really all gaga about it. So somewhere I had this feeling that maybe if I suggest something of this sort to him he would just tell me to forget about the trip. I wasn't really sure but then I did not want to take any chances. As that old saying in Rome goes "If you are getting laid in the night never ruin your chances by asking her if she could cook dinner too"

So like most problems that young people face, even this one can be blamed on one's father and the systems prevalent in the country.

So anyway I was prepared of the possibility that I may not be able to enter Nepal and should that be the case I'll just call it sour grapes and continue the trip inside India. But as it turned out a good friend planned his vacation accordingly so that we meet in Katmandu for three days and more importantly since he was footing the bill for a very comfortable hotel room, I was very determined to enter Nepal at any cost. Don't judge me on this - when you are traveling budget every comfortable bed free of cost is something to kill for. So I started from Lucknow on a Tuesday morning and kept on riding till the Nepal border at Sanauli near Gorakhpur stopping only for food and nothing else. My only aim was to enter Nepal by doing whatever it takes and sleep the night on the Nepalese side of the border so that I ride tension free to Katmandu the next day.

Now entering Nepal by road is a very simple process for an Indian. If you are using public transport you just enter. There's no need of a passport or anything. I guess its handy to carry one id proof in case they check but its not at all a cumbersome task. Now in case you are entering by your own vehicle you just need to get photocopies of your vehicle's papers and pay a specified amount depending on the number of days you plan to be in the country. It comes out to 70 Indian Rupees per day for a two wheeler. The only problem is they check the original copies before they give you a challan to enter the country. Now with whatever limited experience that I have I can tell you whenever you are in a government office for any documentation purposes in a motorcycle trip make sure you enter the office wearing the riding gear. It tends to impress and sometimes intimidate the other person. The next thing you need to do is to smile a lot and look very lost and confused and ask stupid doubts regarding the filling of forms. The smile is very important. There is something about a cheerful, stupid, lost man in riding gear that makes people want to help you out.

So the guy in charge in that Nepalese customs office asks me for the original RC book of the bike. I tell him that I forgot it at home in Bangalore. I make a sad face and cook up a story as to how I have been saving money for the past four years to live this dream of mine and if there is any way I could enter Nepal I would be just grateful to him. I might not have been entirely truthful with him but the being grateful part was something I sincerely meant. I did have the originals for every other document and this one thing could probably be ignored. He took pity on me and told me that if I could just go to the Indian custom officials office just 200m away on the Indian side of the border and get that photocopy of the RC book attested by them telling them of my predicament he'll take care of it.

So I went to the Indian custom officials and employed the same strategy of smiles, confused looks and a sob story of saving money for four years for living this dream of a trip. But I was disgusted by the way the Indian officials behaved. I do not blame them for refusing to help me out. They had every right not to help me out. The thing that disgusted me was their highhandedness and the mocking tone they indulged in. There is nothing brave in being rude to a guy who is alone and not from those parts. I lost patience when he said two months of a ride is enough and now you can go back home. I just told him not to tell me what I what I should or should not be doing. Its none of his business and I don't need his help. I'll ask the Nepalese guys to help me out and started walking towards the Nepalese side of the border. Then I cursed him with the choicest of abuse words. Well of course I am not stupid enough to do it in front of his face. I abused him only when I was confident that I was out of his line of sight and out of earshot.

So I reach the Nepalese customs office. Its already dark and some 7:30 pm. I was angry, disgusted and to be a honest there was disappointment written all over my face. The Nepalese guy in charge there asked me what happened. I just told him that the Indian custom officials refused to entertain me. He just looked at me and patted my back and gave me a 'Don't you worry child' look and just passed my papers and gave me the challan. I can't really express the sense of gratitude I felt at that moment. I just knew at that very moment that my time in Nepal is going to be a great one.

I do know I was at fault and rules are meant to be followed in letter but there are exceptions when you need to follow it in spirit. I never greased palms to get this thing done. Somewhere in the trip I had started believing in the goodness of people and small things like these help me strengthen my beliefs. I am really grateful that I could visit Nepal. When you are travelling alone there comes a certain point where you feel totally free. You tend to let go of a lot of things that were bogging you down. Nepal ended up to be that place. Maybe there is something about Nepal or maybe I was just there at the right point in my trip, Nepal is a place I will never forget.

Oh by the way just to show my gratitude I only consumed alcohol brands which were authentic Nepalese brands. Gorkha beer, Everest beer and Khukri rum and trust me Gorkha beer is one of the best beers that I have had anywhere in the world.

Also some people have suggested its not really a slight documentation problem but then I have rode across every state in India, parts of Nepal, parts of Bhutan and one town in Burma too without an original RC book. So I think its just a slight documentation problem that you can ignore :)

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.

You can find more information on my Facebook page and Instagram account

How To Classify People You Meet On The Road

Traveling alone in a motorcycle tends to get you a fair amount of attention wherever you are passing by. Basically it gets you a lot of opportunities to have brief interactions with a few people (around 12 - 15) in hotels you stop for food or lodging, wayside tea stalls or just some random place in the middle of nowhere where you stop to rest for a while. The interactions can leave you in a state of mixed emotions but generally it keeps you humoured on your way. Classifying a motorcycle rider based on their behaviour and motives is something a lot of you may have come across but there is very little research on classifying the locals based on their behaviour that a motorcycle rider meets briefly on the road. So I present a humble attempt on my part to understand and explain these people based on two factors - Curiosity and Shyness.

Now to understand a person a brief interaction helps. Trust me just keeping on stalking their facebook profiles has its limitations. So let me first take these two factors - Curiosity & Shyness and explain through the help of a flowchart as to how based on the amount of curiosity or shyness you can make them interact with you by using these helpful activities 'A', 'B' & 'C' as shown in the flowchart.

Now when you stop somewhere and you see a person, instinctively you first have to identify whether that person is

1) Low on curiosity - if yes do activity 'A'
2) Either High on curiosity or Low on shyness - if yes do activity 'B'
3) High on shyness - if yes do activity 'C'

For all the activities please do ensure you are in the line of sight of the person you are trying to interact with

Activity A

• Take out the road map and keeping a confused look in your face draw out directions in the air with your fingers
• Start your engine and pretend to look in the bike as if there is something wrong with it. Ensure that you keep on revving it up to make a lot of noise 
• Pretend that you are talking to your Mom on the phone and say things like 'Todays ride is so exciting. 3 months back when I started from home I had no idea that even after 15000 Kms on the road I would still be all excited'. 
• I guess you get the hint of this activity. The whole idea as you would have guessed is to be subtle enough to increase curiosity in the people. 

Activity B

• Take your helmet off and shake your head to feel the hair ruffling. Wash your face and wet your hair with water and run your fingers through your hair.
• Just act cool. They will come and talk to you
• For best results sport long hair before you start the ride

Activity C

• If possible block all paths of entry and exit and then smile at them
• Ask for directions even if you know them
• Once they are done telling the directions smile and then prolong the conversation by asking the directions for the same place again.
• Repeat the above till you get bored or till he takes out a gun or any other sharp object

So now that you have an idea of how to interact with people let me go ahead and classify the people based on the two factors - Curiosity and Shyness this time taken together. The below graph where Curiosity is plotted on the y - axis and Shyness is plotted on the x - axis gives us four different scenarios which help us to formulate archetypes of people we meet on the road.

The various archetypes are

1) INDIFFERENT (Curiosity - Low, Shyness - Low)

• They are low on shyness but are low on curiosity too. So they generally don't give a damn about you
• Not really good for your self esteem.
• You can't act all cool in front of them

2) INTIMIDATED (Curiosity - Low, Shyness - High)

• They are almost like the Indifferent people. The only thing is because they are highly shy you can intimidate them a bit
• Slightly better for your self esteem

3) INTRUSIVE (Curiosity - High, Shyness - Low)

• These are highly curious people with low shyness. 
• Questions like when do you plan to get married, how much do you earn and a lot of personal questions can also be expected
• A little too friendly for comfort
• But on the bright side, good for your self esteem

4) PLEASANT (Curiosity - High, Shyness - High)

• These are the people who just make your day
• Most people you meet would be in this category
• A high level of curiosity combined with a high level of shyness just brings out the sweetest of smiles from people. A sentence is always spoken with a shy smile on the face.
• If this happens to be a very pretty woman, trust me you will never be able to forget that smile. 

So next time if you happen to travel and you meet people try to put them in one of these boxes. After all what fun is life and meeting people if we can't stereotype them.

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.

You can find more information on my Facebook page and Instagram account

Truck Drivers - The guardians on the road

A motorcycle accident is a very unforgettable experience. The way that people just fly, somersault in the air and roll on the ground is just incredible to watch. Once you are back on your feet, there are a few seconds where your mind is just blank. You are too stunned to think anything and then when you start figuring out things the rush of adrenaline ensures you don't feel any pain for sometime. Now I am not a sadist or anything. I don't want to be involved in an accident. All I am saying is that in case I am involved in a motorcycle accident, I would like the whole thing to be filmed so that I can watch it again. Its somewhat funny too.Well if you permanently lose a limb or someone dies in the process, funny might not be a word you like to associate it with but thankfully the few accidents that I have had in my life haven't been that bad that I can't find humour  in them. The only sour experience I have carried is that accident I had some 3.5 years back which has left a prominent 10 cm scar on my left hand. It still hasn't got me laid as I had hoped it would. Hopefully it would one day.

So anyway I had this accident in Sarchu and long story short I have loaded my motorcycle and luggage in the back of the truck and Rs 2000 is the amount that has been agreed upon to truck the bike till Manali which is some 250 Kms away. Read more about it here (http://thecluelessrider.blogspot.in/2014/01/leh-to-mandi-sometimes-only-goodwill.html)

So I was sitting in the front of the truck and just getting to terms with the fact that I might not be able to meet that pretty woman again whom I had met briefly yesterday ( read about it here http://thecluelessrider.blogspot.in/2014/01/leh-to-mandi-sometimes-only-goodwill.html) and with whom I had this instinctive feeling that there was some connection. But I should know better than to trust my instincts because if my instincts were to be believed I would have had gone out with every pretty face that I have come across in my life and I would have been driving a Rolls Royce by now. But as John Lenon puts it much more poetically "You may say I am a dreamer, but I am not the only one"

Suddenly my thoughts are interrupted by something Raju (the truck driver) said. Now I don't remember what he said but I guess it was addressed to me as he was looking in my direction and there was nobody else in that truck. That is when I had a more careful look of the interiors of the truck. It's basically just a box designed accidentally or purposely to torture people. In a kinder world people are just clobbered to death. No wonder its quite difficult to find a truck driver in a good mood.

Now since I wasn't listening to what he was asking and I did not want to upset him I decided to deal with the situation tactfully. I looked at him, cringed in pain and deftly changed the topic. After that over the next few hours we talked about everything under the sun - from women, sports, movies, religion, politics and even about the greater purposes in life. Truck drivers I realized are very lonely people who are away from their families and loved ones most of the times and just to rub it in further they are paid a pittance. Its a hard job and while I have almost always experienced kindness and goodness throughout the country from people belonging to every walk of life, I guess a truck driver isn't accorded the same courtesy. Being at the wrong end of the social structure every Tom, Dick and Harry - be it the policeman out to earn an extra buck, the excise department on the state borders or the village drunk out to feel good about himself, the truck driver is an easy target to extort from and ridicule.

Well since I don't want to make it a sob story I'll subtly change the topic. So somewhere in the conversation he suggested that instead of Manali I get my bike fixed in Mandi - another 100 Kms from Manali. He said Mandi would turn out to be cheaper for me as it was not a tourist town like Manali. I was a little reluctant as I still hoped that I would meet that woman in Manali but then I guess the truck driver was more logical. So with a heavy heart I agreed. I don't know if the heartbreak was very evident or its just that he was a very generous man when we stopped for dinner at Manali, he paid for my meal and refused any payment for it.

After dinner we were heading towards Mandi at around 10 when he did the sweetest thing. Somewhere 8 Kms after Manali on the roadside there is a natural hot water spring. Since I was in pain because of the accident he stopped the truck and suggested that I spend some time in that hot water pool so that I would feel a little better. So me, Raju and one more truck driver who was following us in another truck went to bathe in that hot water pool in the dead of the night. I kid you not if there was a woman or better two women with me at that time it would just have been way too romantic but then since we were just three men in our undergarments let me just leave it here. But all said and done it did feel heavenly sitting in a hot water pool when you are in pain. The pain just resides. Now since we had spent more than an hour in the pool and everyone was feeling sleepy we decided to sleep in the truck and head to Mandi early the next morning. The only problem was I and Raju were sharing the front seat of the truck to sleep in and also sharing a blanket as it was cold. It sounded very gay but then when you have just spent an hour in a pool in pitch darkness with two other men in your undergarments I guess I can take this too.

The next morning we headed to Mandi and reached the bike garage by 8am. The garage only opened at 9 but Raju waited with me till the garage opened and helped me unload the luggage and the motorcycle and when I paid him the 2000 bucks we agreed upon he gave me back 400 saying that I would undergo a lot of expenses on my bike repairing. I was overwhelmed and at a loss of words. I was very sure even if nothing else this is one story I'll definitely write about when I complete the trip.

Sarchu to Mandi through the Rohtang pass is one of worst stretch of roads with the most breathtaking of views. I am just glad I had some company on this stretch. Ever since I have always been nice to truck drivers whenever I meet them on the way in Dhaba's and other places. If you are ever on a motorcycle trip be nice to truck drivers. They are generally better with directions and more accurate with distances. Even logistically they are the ones who are better equipped to help you out and they have a lot of interesting stories to tell if you ever get an opportunity to spend more time with them. They really are your guardians on the road. I just hope I impressed them enough to ensure that the next time they see any motorcycle riders in distress they will gladly help them out.

Oh btw three months later there was another set of truck drivers in Manipur who helped me out. That one is a more interesting story. It also involved trucking the bike, sleeping under a truck and come to think of it I was again bathing with 7 or 8 men in undergarments - this time under a waterfall. Why are there never any women.. Sigh... But that story a lot later after I finish with the stories in between..

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.

You can find more information on my Facebook page and Instagram account

Leh to Mandi - Sometimes only goodwill gets you through (part 2)

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.

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.

You can find more information on my Facebook page and Instagram account

Leh to Mandi - Sometimes only goodwill gets you through (part 1)

Tso Moriri is a beautiful lake some 220 Kms from Leh somewhere near the China border. The roads leading you there take you through one of the most breathtaking landscapes you will find in the country. One gets to see naked mountains of different colours, 3 to 4 Army / paramilitary camps, a few horses (less than 20) and fewer people in that 220 Km stretch. Actually the last 160 Km odd stretch but I exaggerate for effect.
Oh in case you are really lucky you might even see a spaceship with aliens. Trust me this whole stretch is too spooky and deserted and with whatever limited knowledge I have about alien likes and dislikes, I presume this is exactly the kind of place that aliens would come to wind off after a busy day.

So all in all a perfect ride from Leh and somewhere halfway through I spot an Army camp. Stop there for some snacks and refreshment. Have my fill and decide to resume, the perfectly normal bike suddenly refuses to start. Along with the Army men around we check for everything, change spark plugs, clean them, say a silent prayer, let out loud curse words, hope against hope - basically do everything but the bike doesn't start. No one has an idea what's wrong with the bike but I have this suspicion that aliens have something to do with it. Still I decide to keep it to myself for the time being.

Then suddenly out of the blue one of the Army guys has a brilliant idea. I am generally not very kind to ideas which does not involve getting drunk but this guy was a genius. God bless him. He said we can push start the bike and voila it starts. Now I had a choice - either head back to Leh and get the damn thing fixed or continue to Tso Moriri another 100 odd Kms. I guess intelligent choices have never been my forte and I head to Tso Moriri ensuring that my engine does not stop till I reach the place. 100 odd Kms ensuring that the engine does not go off is a piece of cake except for the fact that that in the last 20 Kms someone forgot to make a road. But somehow I reach the ITBP check post just outside Korzok village, Tso Moriri at 7 in the evening. I have to stop to enter my details and make them believe I am not a Chinese spy and as I guessed, the bike refused to start after that. With a practiced expression of disbelief and despair on my face, I pleaded with the ITBP men to keep my bike with the luggage at their camp for the night whereas I head to the Korzok village one Km uphill to find a room for the night. I guess I played the disbelief and despair card pretty well cause at the end of it my bike along with the luggage was parked in the ITBP camp and the ITBP men accompanied me to the village and got me a room at a cheaper rate.

The next morning I clicked some pictures around, had some food and headed back to the ITBP camp hoping the bike would start without any trouble and if not to figure out a way to continue the journey. The ITBP men gave me warm smiles and somewhere deep down I was rejoicing on the fact that how my people skills had improved manifolds on this road trip. I was all smiles when suddenly it struck me and my smile faded away. There are a lot of things that a road trip teaches you and one of those things is that every man at some intrinsic level believes he is a mechanic par excellence. There were some 8 to 10 men eagerly waiting for me and everyone somehow had a solution to get the bike to start. Of course none of them worked and we again resorted to push starting the bike. This time the terrain wasn't all that favorable for pushing the bike and at 14000 feet pushing the bike for more than 200 metres is physically exhausting. Two and a half hours have gone and we go back and forth figuring out more solutions to get the bike to start and when they don't work again pushing the bike. But if there is one thing about these ITBP guys -I must say they never gave up. This is the kind of spirit that makes me believe that the country is in safe hands. These guys just won't give up.

Thankfully for everyone at this point two riders who had headed out from this village in the morning are returning because one of them had a flat tyre and they were looking for an air pump.Suddenly one of the ITBP guys had a brilliant idea - again one which did not involve getting drunk. He said why don't we get one of these guys to tow your bike with a rope. And voila after some 500 meters of towing the engine springs to life. I thank the ITBP guys profusely, give my airpump to those french riders, decide to go back to Leh and get the bike fixed and then continue on my journey to Himachal. But then there is a twist to the tale. I never reach Leh again but I did manage to reach Himachal. It gets more interesting. There's an accident, carrying the bike in a truck and a brief interaction with a pretty woman on the way just to spice things up.

All that in part two of this post... :)

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.

You can find more information on my Facebook page and Instagram account

India on a motorcycle - check :)

They say when death is staring down at you, your whole life flashes before you. They lied. But then I have been fed so many lies in my life that another one doesn't surprise me. There is a man pointing a gun at me and by the looks of it he has the physical and the mental strength to pull the trigger. My whole thought at that time was only one thing "What had I done to deserve this". Well probably something about me pisses him off. The guy had his reasons and I kind of forgive him. Not that I became a changed man suddenly but its just the fact that I can't figure out a way to make that son of a bitch pay. Four months ago when I started this motorcycle trip I would have never imagined this fate to beckon me. What went wrong ? Was I a victim of bad decisions or was God just having fun at my expense. For whatever its worth, forgive me Lord for I have sinned.

(Loud Gunshot)

 A second later I open my eyes and I can't believe it. That guy holding the gun just fell down with a thud with his blood splattered all over me.

Ahh alright this shit never happened. Although the motorcycle trip would have sounded so much more cool if I had such a story. Unfortunately I do not have such a story to tell. I have been alone on the road for seven months travelling across every state in India, parts of Nepal, Bhutan and yes one town in Burma too lest I forget. If I had to tell you only one thing about the whole trip then it would be this "The world is a much nicer place than what people generally give it credit for". Also women don't go crazy over men riding motorcycles if they happen to be handicapped in the looks and the intellect department which sadly is true in my case.

A motorcycle trip at the end of it is not about the different places or cultures you see. I mean if you have an IQ which allows you to tell that dogs and foxes are different animals or for that matter elephants and dogs are different animals you will definitely be able to experience the subtle and the not so subtle differences in geography and cultures as you pass by. The diversity in terms of culture, people and landscapes across the country is mind boggling. You have to see it to believe it. The colorful clothes in Rajasthan, the lush fields in Punjab, the breathtaking lakes and gardens in Srinagar, the naked mountains in Ladakh that change colours, the mighty almost impossible passes in the Himalayas all through from J & K - Himachal - Uttrakhand- Nepal - Sikkim to Arunachal Pradesh, Small winding roads through the misty tea gardens in Darjeeling, the almost inaccessible beautiful Buddhist town of Tawang on the China border, Majoli Island in Assam, the memoirs of the historical world war 2 battles fought in Kohima, the Scotland of the east as the Meghalaya countryside is called, the architectural beauty of Calcutta buildings, the Sun temple in Konark, the rice fields in Chattisgarh, the temples in Tamilnadu, the lush greenery with backwaters snaking through in Kerala. This is just a glimpse of what you pass across on a bike ride. Add to it the difference in dressing habits, culinary habits and languages. One cannot help but wonder that how is it that we manage to stay as one single country

But in my opinion a motorcycle trip is more about the small small interactions you have with people and the goodwill you earn. Its about the hotel boys in small towns who provide you the best service compared to the other guests there not because they think you are rich but just because you somehow managed to impress them. Its about the two young guys on a bike near the Mizoram Tripura border who led me to the highway lodge in a Tripura town cos it was dark and I was confused. From free lemonades in a dhaba in Rajasthan, to kids waving at you in the remote countryside of Ladakh, to tourists from Allahabad helping me get my bike in a truck when I faced an accident, to people in Nepal patting my back when I tell them of my trip, to people in Bhutan who always gave me a smile when I passed by them, to the person in Orrisa who stopped me on the road to offer me some Sai Baba prasad for my successful journey, to people who lead me to a rest house in some remote place in Mizoram as I had a language problem and we were not able to communicate, to people in Manipur who gave me Rs 1000 when I was short of cash, to a lady in Manipur who gave me a place to sleep when I was stuck in some remote village, to truck drivers in Manipur who transported my bike free of cost some 100 Km when my bike needed repair and with whom I slept under a truck on the side of a road, to people in Tamil Nadu who shook my hands when I was asking for directions, to a fruit vendor in Nagaland who gave me pineapple slices free of cost. Oh and by the way I forgot to tell you the best part about the guys in Tripura I just mentioned a few lines above. After helping me find a lodge we had some whisky mixed with beer (as we were short of water) and a wonderful dinner. Needless to say I was never allowed to pay for these things. It was on them. I could go on and on. 

Its the goodwill you earn that will just humble you. When you think about it there is nothing noteworthy you are doing that makes you think that you deserve all this kindness being bestowed upon you by people you meet on the way or the hospitality you are subjected to by your friends when you call on them on the way. I mean I am not making a change to anyone's life. Very often while I am riding I am searching for these answers. Well to be fair to myself I don't think I give out the kind of vibe that makes people want to clobber me to death. But then the closest I came to finding an answer was when I was drinking with truck drivers on the roadside in Manipur. One of the truck drivers after we all were pretty high looked at me and said " You know you are riding alone across the country on a motorcycle. Your family must be financially well off" What do I say. I nod a Yes. Then he's like "you know even if I had the money I would probably do it in a car or something, I would never be able to do it on a motorcycle". I was elated. I guess every man at some point in his life has thought about a long motorcycle trip and sleeping with Angelina Jolie. So I guess somewhere it does tend to impress people. But then when good things are happening I guess you shouldn't question them or seek answers - just enjoy the attention and be grateful for it.

And yes about the travelling alone part. I have been asked a lot of times that would it not have been better if I was travelling with a friend. Does it not get boring and all that. Well yes it does get boring but I think travelling alone makes you more free and you are more open to talk to other people. Talking to more and more people broadens your horizons in a way that you find hard to explain. No doubt travelling with friends is a lot of fun but I guess the number of new people you will meet and talk to would be a lot less than when you are alone. When you are alone as opposed to the popular belief that you are more scared, I have always felt it makes you fearless and you are more likely to trust people. Also being turned down by women does not hurt that much when you are alone.

At the end I'll just say do travel around India if possible. Preferably on a motorcycle, preferably alone. Its a wonderful country and you'll have wonderful experiences. Solo travelling is a very personal experience too. Your stories will be different but they will only be your stories. Whatever you are looking for be it spirituality, inner strength, love, patience, kindness or alcohol you might get it or you might not get it everytime but alcohol is something trust me you'll get most of the times.

The northeast - guidelines for Indian tourists

The northeast - Its always been a land which has remained out of the national consciousness. When I started this motorcycle trip I wasn't really sure whether I would have the motivation to continue till this point. But I knew if I made it till these parts, I would be spending a lot of time in these parts. Frankly I don't like to use the term North east to club everyone under a single shade as this is a region with a lot of diversity. I won't be surprised if someone were to tell me the demographic diversity in these parts would be more than that of what you would find in the rest of India combined. Anyway these are beautiful parts and should you decide to travel to these parts I hope this post could be of some help. Before I go state by state these are a few points in general you should consider

Pic Source

1. The roads aren't exactly the best in the country and if you plan a elaborate tour keep some spare days as buffer. 
2. It is safe. No matter whatever you tend to hear in the media, militant groups are active in only one state (Manipur and possibly some small parts in Assam - Nagaland has been in a ceasefire for a long time). Even there, as a tourist you should not be targeted unless you have the uncanny ability to be in the wrong place at the right time.
3. Bandhs for various reasons (separate statehood demands, anti incumbency bandhs by the opposition, implementation of inner line permits demands) have upset my itinerary in  these parts and these are things you might wanna check up on before planning a trip.
4. Traveling in the night is not permitted in some routes. I know of  two such routes - one is the Imphal Silchar highway and then there is a stretch before Agartala. There would be more I believe. Check on them but a simpler option is to travel during daytime only
5. Inner line permits are required to enter three states - Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland & Mizoram. Manipur no longer requires one for Indian citizens.
6. But check on them as there are protests in Manipur and even Meghalaya to implement the inner line permit system. 
7. Nagaland, Manipur & Mizoram are dry states. Although in Mizoram you get local alcohol in the shops and a local grape wine manufactured in the state. In the remaining four states the price of alcohol is either cheap or cheaper.
8. I traveled alone on a motorcycle all across India for 7 months and when someone asks I tell them India is a safe place and as a man you need not worry a lot about it. But I am skeptical telling the same thing to a woman. But this is one part of the country where I would be more confident telling a woman the same thing.

Assam 

Somewhere near Jorhat, Assam

1. The roads here are the best you would find in the whole area
2. No permits required for Assam
3. I have been a bit unfair in my travel to Assam as these are plains and on a bike I generally prefer the mountains as the weather is more conducive. 
4. I like animals cooked or caged, preferably cooked. So I never made an effort to go to Kaziranga. Everyone talks so much about it and this should not be a place to be missed. 
5. Majoli - the largest river island is a place you should try out. Specially the nearly 2 hour ferry ride from Majoli to Jorhat on the Brahmaputra is a treat. The Brahmaputra is a huge river - its almost like a sea.
6. Do try out the locally made rice beer in the tribal areas. Its cheap and really tasty.
7. If you are travelling alone on a bike be ready to answer questions on your marital status. Its a question that comes up in every part of India to be fair but in Assam it generally comes in the first 5 questions. In other parts it generally comes after 12 to 15 questions.
8. Blenders pride quarter is priced Rs 130 and a full bottle costs Rs 500. Make calculations accordingly for your brand of alcohol. (Prices as on Aug - Sep 2013)

Arunachal Pradesh 

Tawang city, Arunachal Pradesh

1. Permits are required to enter Arunachal Pradesh
2. Tourism is very restricted in Arunachal Pradesh and there are about 6 to 8 routes which are allowed for tourists. You need to take a permit separately for each of the routes. I took permits for the Tawang route and the Itanagar one
3. It is said there still are man eater tribes in these regions and that is the reason tourism is a lot restricted. I can't vouch for the veracity of these claims but I don't want to be the one to test it out.
4. Each permit costs Rs 20 each and two passport size photographs and a photocopy of some address proof. More information here http://arunachalpradesh.nic.in/enter_ap.htm
5. I got in 20 min on my way in Tezpur but like any government offices these things can take some time. So its never a bad idea to get them in advance. I go in these offices wearing a riding gear all sweaty and people generally are keen to help out a rider or they just want to avoid the sight of a man with all dirty clothes standing in the office. Whatever the reason it gets the job done quickly
6. There would be a provision to get the permits on a weekend also but ideally try to do it on a weekday. Arunachal was a weekday but I had to face some issues trying to get a permit for Mizoram on a Saturday - more on it later.
7. The roads to Tawang are one where your luck determines your passage through some stretches unscathed rather than your riding skills more so in the months when it rains.
8. In spite of all that Tawang is one city that is worth all the trouble. I do have a thing for Buddhist towns
9. How do I describe the roads in Arunachal. Well lets just say a person from Arunachal Pradesh residing in any other part of the country may complain about the weather, the pollution and a host of other things but I doubt he will ever complain about the roads.
10. Most importantly a blenders pride quarter costs Rs 100 and a full bottle costs some Rs 400 

Nagaland

War memorial, Kohima - Nagaland

1. Nagaland requires Indian tourists to obtain inner line permits. More info here http://tourismnagaland.com/Queries/EntryForma.html
2. If you are riding you can ride into Dimapur DC office and get a permit. 
3. It costs some Rs 150 for the permit along with 2 passport size photographs.
4. Nagaland is a very friendly place for bikers. Policemen invite me for a cup of tea in checkposts, everyone says ""have a safe trip sir" when I ask them for directions and they are done with it and on the Dimapur Kohima stretch when the hills start a roadside fruit vendor refused money for two big pineapple slices I had. Someone I just met on the street in Kohima arranged a guest house for me for free for a night. 
5. I could go on and on but let me just leave it here
6. The battle of Kohima as a friend told me was voted as the one of the most difficult battle for the British troops during World war 2. The war memorial and the war museum have great accounts of the battle
7. Hornbill festival in December is a major attraction and I do hope to attend that sometime.
8. Sadly this is a dry state. That just means you need to pay a higher amount to the hotel waiter to get alcohol but if you are used to buying liquor in Bangalore, Mumbai or Madhya Pradesh it doesn't really pinch you
9. And yes the Kohima city closes by 6 pm due to security reasons. Anyway in a dry state why the hell would you even want to go out after dark

Manipur

Near Imphal, Manipur

1. Earlier Indian tourists required inner line permits to enter. Now its no longer the case. However there are efforts to reintroduce it. So check up before traveling.
2. This is an area which has a lot of millitant groups active.
3. But as a tourist it should not be bothering you much
4. One interesting thing I saw there were some women wearing long bindi's on their nose rather than their foreheads. 
5. I wanted to photograph them but I have the courage of a mouse when there are pretty women in front of me. So I could never request them for it.
6. If you happen to be there do let me know if its actually a custom or something like that.
7. I was not drunk. I did see those women wearing bindi's on their nose. Trust me on this.
8. But the ride in Manipur has seen me bestowed with a lot of kindness. When I was in a border town with very little money and no ATM machines around someone gave me Rs 1000, when I was stuck in the middle of nowhere in a small village called Barak one lady gave me a place to sleep in her shop, my bike breaks down - truck guys truck my bike some 80 odd Kms to the next town for free.
9. And most importantly in a dry state I got Teachers whisky half bottle for Rs 600 in the black market. This is one act of kindness I would never forget 
10. Imphal also closes by 6pm for security reasons.

Mizoram

Football ground - Aizawl, Mizoram

1. You would need permits to enter Mizoram. More info here http://mizoram.nic.in/more/ilp.htm
2. The website might say different applications for different districts but you can get permits for all districts of Mizoram in one application.
3. Costs you around Rs 150 in total and 2 to 3 passport photographs
4. I did it on my way to Mizoram in Silchar and I did it on a Saturday but try to do it on a weekday.
5. The DC office was closed on Saturday. I had to talk to the DC, the people sitting in the office trying to convince them for over 2 hrs. I was polite, courteous, respectful - basically I sucked up. But then I got the permit
6. A fair amount of people do not speak English or Hindi. This makes them reply in very brief words or sentences and they tend to avoid eye contact so as to not prolong the conversation. Do not consider it rude.
7. If you are thinking I was treated this way because I was trying to hit on them you are totally wrong. Ok maybe you are right for 5% of the cases.
8. The number of snakes dead and alive I saw in Mizoram while riding in the interiors is way more than what I have seen in my whole trip. Be a little careful if you plan to camp on the side of the road
9. Also brush up on your dumb charades skills in case you are travelling into the interiors of Mizoram. It will help you overcome the language barriers and communicate
10. It is a dry state and Royal Stag bottle costs Rs 1000. But thankfully local alcohol and a locally manufactured wine are available in the market.
11. 'Zawlaidi' is the locally manufactured wine. Its a decent wine. If not for the taste try it for the name. Zawlaidi means 'love potion' in Mizo language.
12. Apart from the high the wine did not really live up to its name for me but then you might be luckier.

Tripura 

Sundari Temple in Udaipur - Tripura

1. You do not need permits to enter Tripura
2. Night traffic is not allowed on a stretch before Agartala so I had to stay over for the night at a lodge in Panisagar.
3. Two men on a bike helped me reach the highway at Panisagar and then invited me over for dinner and drinks. First impressions matter and I loved Tripura from the moment I entered
4. When I look back I did not know anyone in Tripura beforehand but I realize that the two days I stayed there I never had to pay for my food or alcohol. I love Tripura even more now
5. I just went to Agartala & Udaipur. Decent places to visit.
6. Oh by the way S.D. Burman is from Tripura. I had no idea.
7. Although I never had to buy alcohol but I am guessing a Blenders Pride bottle will cost you some Rs 400 to 450
8. Yes there is a place called Udaipur in Tripura

Meghalaya

Sunset in Shillong -Meghalaya

1. No permits required to enter Meghalaya.
2. But then there was a bandh when I was in Shillong precisely for this reason. Although unlikely to be implemented do check on it before you travel
3. On a bike ride looking clean is the least of my priorities. In fact a dirty look adds to the image. But Meghalaya is a matriarchal society and they judge you on your cleanliness. So try to look clean in these parts
4. Shillong is one of the most beautiful cities I have seen in the country.
5. Cherrapunji (Sohra as it is called there) is a beautiful place some 60 Kms away. Do ride if possible.
6. When I went to Sohra I did not get even one drop of rain. I don't know whether I should consider myself lucky or unlucky for this fact.
7. Do travel to Meghalaya. I do not know how to describe it exactly but the terrain is quite unlike what you would find in the rest of the country
8. I was offered a locally made pineapple wine in Cherrapunji at a restaurant. Brilliant wine. I could not get hold of it in Shillong. If you are travelling there and you feel generous do get me a bottle of that wine.
9. A quarter of Blenders pride costs Rs 115 and a full bottle costs Rs 450
10. Guwahati is just 100 Kms away. If you are going to Guwahati do keep 2 or 3 days to travel to Shillong and Cherrapunji also.

About Me:

I was working in an advertising agency when I decided to do a solo all-India motorcycle trip. I like to believe it's my spirit of adventure that made me go solo all across India but my friends (the few I have) believe nobody wanted to accompany me. My motorcycle ride took me to every state in India, parts of Nepal and Bhutan and one town in Burma. 

At the moment, I sit at home trying to write a book based on my experiences and coming up with ingenious excuses to not get married.

You can find more dope on my Facebook page and Instagram account