Reflections

The same evening as our return from Chail, we all went to the hotel restaurant and had a last dinner together.  A pleasant time to say goodbye to my British and Indian companions.  I know that the Brits will have opportunities to back together in the UK for periodic Blazing Tours weekend rides over the English countryside.  I won't likely see them again but I'll have good recollections.  Perhaps a few email exchanges in the future but that's likely all. 

Prior to dinner, we had also gotten together and each made a 2000 rupee cash contribution to a tip "Kitty" for Baloo and Sanjay. These went into two envelopes and were presented to them at dinner, along with applause.  During the meal I sat next to Sanjay who speaks hardly any English. Nevertheless, I quietly made it clear to him that I wanted to send him additional money to show my personal appreciation for his riding the bike for significant periods during the trip. Several of my UK companions had suggested to me that this was not necessary and that Sanjay's services was just part of the cost of the trip. He was earning his salary along with the tips.  I took no real comfort in this. In my mind I believe:  Express your gratitude both in words and deeds.  Make it real. I've got the financial depth do to so.  Sanjay was a great help for me and did it all with a cheerful grin.  We laughed together several time during the previous two weeks. A good guy.

Sanjay gave me his email and some basic banking numbers. Sort of sketchy.    But later, back in the states, I sent him several emails asking for more info and finally got from him the important routing numbers needed.  Then I used "Wise" to make a secure electronic transfer.   Within 20 minutes after I made the transfer, I received an email back from Sanjay that the money had hit his bank account.  Good! 

I've used Wise for transfers to individuals in Ireland, England, Brazil and now India. Over the last year I've maintained a balance in the account in dollars but can send money to recipients in their preferred currency with very low fees. I will probably get the Wise debit card to use for future trips. Their website is HERE   The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Wikipedia has an extensive ARTICLE on it.

The next morning I breakfasted downstairs with Damen, Lynn and Paul and we had a relaxed chat.  Damen was heading to Nepal the next morning for a motorcycling event.  He still was nursing the toothache but seemed to be past his crisis. Earlier in the week I think he had been running a fever and looking somewhat ashen at Solang. Not now.  Lynn and Paul were both heading back to England but on separate flights.  Neil and Charlie had already caught an early taxi to the airport for their flight.

I had booked an additional night at the hotel. I prefer to have a little extra slack time on trips. I arrived in India a day early at the beginning of this journey and was now departing a day after the road trip had concluded.  This gave me time to relax, reload my luggage for the airport, nap under the overhead fan, and line up my ducks.  

The following morning I caught a taxi to the Chandigarh airport, checked in my duffle at the baggage desk and worked my way through security and then found a seat near the departure gate. I resigned myself to the three connecting flights back to the states along with layovers.

My luggage got lost on the way home.  After the take off of my last flight, nonstop to Minneapolis, I could tell with on my iPhone that my 'AirTag' within the duffle was still sitting on the tarmac back at the Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.    36 hours after arriving back home in Western Wisconsin, the duffle showed up on my front porch, delivered by a special 'lost luggage' service.  

After a long sleep in my own bed, I rose the next morning and after breakfast I went out to the shed and got out my push lawn mower, started it up and cut down the tall grass that had grown over the three weeks I'd been gone.  

Two days later I was on my little Honda Rebel, riding on quiet, empty and straight Wisconsin Roads!

Small Engines

Reflections on My Experience

I am very happy with how things turned out .  

The road journey was not a 'Pure' experience.  I didn't ride on the motorcycle for the entire trip as had been anticipated.

But it was a great success by my definition.  

To enjoy a trip (or life) you have to be flexible, adaptive and not cling to Romantic, "Heroic" Projections.  It helps to be positive and keep a sense of humor.  Take things as they come.   I don't hesitate to adjust my plans as I encounter changes in circumstances.  If the situation doesn't allow me to deviate from the plan, I put my head down and make the best of it.  But when I have options and can make reasonable or advisable changes, I will do what makes sense.  History does not hang in the balance!  

I like a certain level of Stress.  A moderate level of anxiety can heighten the experience and burn it deeper into my memory.  I am not an adrenaline junkie. But I do appreciate some intensity and the experience of  'Flow'.  My only problem on this trip was that I often was not experiencing that flow.  My companions with their higher level of motorcycling competence often seemed to be in that state of balance. They enjoyed cutting thru the curves and generally handled the sharp turns as if they were just interesting technical challenges.  I was not at a level of proficiency where I could enjoy these turns as they did..  Often I was hanging on by the seat of my pants as I entered these turns and curves.  So, although I was learning a lot while in the saddle, and have come back home to Wisconsin a MUCH BETTER motorcyclist than when I left, the Himalayan hills presented quite a crash course!   (fortunately, without a crash..)

Flow

I like this definition of Flow:  

"A Flow state is a distinct level of mental consciousness where people are completely immersed in a task and perform at their best. In a flow state, people may feel like time has slowed down, distractions have faded away, and they are operating unconsciously. They may also describe the experience as ecstatic, awe-inspiring, or as if they almost don't exist.

Flow states also occur when there is a balance between the challenge of the task and the person's skill level. If the challenge is too high, people may feel insecure, but if it's too low, they may feel sluggish."

Obviously, I was not in a state of flow much of the time on the motorcycle!  But by getting off the motorcycle when it made sense, I avoided injuries and could find pleasure in the experience.   When the accumulating mental wear got to be too much, I didn't consider these changes from the original plan a reflection of my character.  Rather, I was making adult decisions. I didn't want to slip 'over the line', literally or figuratively.   

I like the "H.A.L.T." admonition: Don't get too Hungry, Angry, Lonely or Tired. And if you do, don't make irreversible decisions while in those states.  Get hydrated and fed, 'sleep it off', and then look at the situation with fresh eyes.  Have a backup plan.  Know your options and be ready to take them.

Sitting "Shotgun" besides Baloo, I was able to contemplate what was before me, take photos and appreciate the wider scenery. I gained from the experience.  The two contrasting modes---motorcycle and truck---gave me a broader perspective. By riding in the truck I also had the energy and leisure to observe and make mental notes.  The opportunity to step back enriched the overall experience. 

So, I come away from the trip Grateful.  I can emphatically state that it was a great time.

 Back in Wisconsin, I reflect on India and the Himalaya and contemplate possible future destinations and challenges.  For now, I'm going out every few days on either my bicycle or motorcycle and enjoying the breeze in my face....

Thanks for reading!

Straight and Empty Country Roads

I will periodically return to this blog with further thoughts and experiences to share. I am not on the usual social media.   So feel to check out this as well as my "Crazyguyonabike" site.

Final Day and Return to Chandigarh

The morning was mellow. We did not have to leave for Chandigarh until later in the morning. After breakfast back in a side dining room at the Palace, Neil and I happened to walk out and round the upper grounds.  There was a large lawn and a pavilion. The Palace is promoted for high-end weddings and has also been used for a number of films, television series and so on.

Front of the Palace

Nepalese Cedar

Lawn and Pavilion for Weddings, Events

On the way back to our barracks, several of us encountered two Rhesus Monkeys sitting along the path.  I was a bit taken aback to see how big they were. My guess is that they were nearly 20 pounds in weight.  The previous afternoon we'd been warned by staff to not leave our porch doors open and to keep the windows (heavily screened) latched.  The beasts have been known to raid and ransack rooms, looking for food.  One of our group stopped to take a photo and step a little closer to the monkeys. This triggered one of the Rhesus to bare it's impressive canine teeth and made a bluff charge.  It felt a bit like being charged by a dog with it's teeth out.  You could imagine being mugged by 3-4 of these to bad effect.  We quickly moved on.  

Rhesus Pair

Hair Up, Bluff Charge

I also stopped to take a few equipment photos.  Previously I had wanted to get beneath our Mahindra Bolero Camper pickup truck and photograph the underside.  Call me odd but I find these sorts of visual explorations interesting. I wanted to examine the  chassis frame, the leaf springs, suspension linkages, tie-rods and shocks.  Also, I wanted to see the power-steering mechanism, transfer case, skid plates and the clearance above the ground.

As I mentioned before, Mahindra originally started making "Jeeps" under license from Willys in 1947.  They continued to make Jeep-like vehicles up thru the present.  The story is  HERE.  I think the Bolero shares a lot of that evolved "DNA" from Mahindra's experience with the utility vehicle engineering.

Spending Time Under the Truck

Hero Splendor

Also, I saw a Hero Slender which is, in terms of numbers, the #1 Motorcycle manufactured in the world. I believe over a million Slenders are made each year.   These are not fancy or particularly impressive. The engine size is only 100 cc's.  (The Himalayan's engine is 411 cc's) . Originally, Hero-Honda Corporation was joint venture of Japan's Honda as well as a manufacturing business owned by the Indian Munjal family.  Started in 1984, the joint venture went for over 30 years before the joint venture was ultimately dissolved. (they didn't see eye-to-eye on several issues).  Hero kept making the Slendor and is the #1 motorcycle manufacturer with over 7 million different models being made each year.  Honda-India continues to make their own machines and does over 5 million units a year.  Honda's model, comparable to the Slender is the Shine.  An entertaining music video promoting the Shine:

A Bollywood-Like Musical Promotion of a 100 cc Motorcycle

(I never saw empty roads in India like in the video.  Nor anyone dancing and singing.....)

Chail to Chanigarh
(Dropping Nearly 7000 Feet in Elevation)

From the Palace, the group headed down a long, circuitous route thru the pine forests.  Many more of the usual hairpins turns and switchbacks.  I didn't regret my choice to ride in the truck.    Gradually, the temperatures started to heat up and the humidity rose as well.    

Shiva Roadside Shrine

Traffic gradually became dense and we eventually were in slow moving urban traffic.  Stop-and-Go became the norm and the heat became oppressive.  Many times we were stuck, hardly moving.  With the windows open, we nevertheless were sweltering.  I was glad I wasn't in my motorcycle jacket, pants and helmet!   Again, we became separated from the group.  Eventually, Baloo and I entered Chandigarh proper and after being lost for a bit, we found the GK International Hotel.  The motorcycles were all lined up along the parking lot curb.  Our companions were already checked in but waiting in the lobby.  We got their luggage unloaded and soon everyone was in their rooms.  

Modi Era Infrastructure and Roads

In the late afternoon the transport truck arrived.  The temperature was 105°.  When I would step outdoors from the air-conditioned lobby, the heat and humidity hit like a sledgehammer.  But I was fascinated with the truck and the process of loading.  The truck was big enough to hold up to 18 motorcycles.  Our 7 bikes were a small load.  I watched the Sanjay and Baloo run the Himalayans from about 15 feet behind the truck, getting a running start before muscling them up the ramp and onto the truck bed. There the rest of the motorworks crew (another driver and helper) lashed and secured the motorcycles into place.     The truck would not leave until after midnight. Although a straight frame truck, it was still too big to negotiate thru city traffic during the day. Only after midnight did traffic lighten enough that they could make it.

Back at Chandigarh, 105°

Sanjay and Baloo Loading Up the Bikes

Shoja to Chail; And a Decision

The Next Morning we started from the hotel and continued to climb up and thru the nearby village of Shoja which is at 10,000 feel elevation.  Then we began a series of descents and climbs thru a series of severe switchbacks, curves and hairpins.  This area was in a lovely forested area but I dared not take my eyes of the roads as I dealt with the multiplicity of turns. The descents and climbs quickly began to rattle me; mental exhaustion returned.  I was finding it hard to stay focused as I attempted to keep up with my companions who seemed to be effortlessly slicing thru the turns.  I was especially challenged by the descents.  Gravity was pushing me down the straight stretches and increasing my momentum into the next hairpin turn and I was constantly riding my brakes and almost slowing to a stop as I negotiated many of the turns.  It was becoming obvious to me that while I could, at my own pace, have made my way down these high hills, there was no way I was going to be able to keep up with the group.  Frankly, I was slower on the descents than ascents.  When climbing, gravity worked to my advantage.  Simply by reducing throttle, I could slow down. But on descents I had to both back off on throttle, apply brakes to compensate for the growing momentum from gravity, and negotiate the centrifugal forces generated with each turn.  

Around 11:00 AM Paul and I climbed back up to another high ridge and the group was waiting, patiently taking a rest stop while appreciating a lovely panoramic view of Panchtara Ridge.  Here I decided to get off the motorcycle and switch back in the truck.  I dismounted the Himalayan and walked over to Damen and told him that Sanjay should take over the bike. He didn't argue.  

I am sure that this was the right decision.  If I continued to try to keep up with the group, I would probably ultimately have missed a turn and gone down.  This was the 2nd to last day of the trip and it ended up being my last time on the Royal Enfield.  But I have No Regrets. It was the right decision. I had no desire to wipe out with only one full day left.  Time to relax, reflect, take photos and appreciate the scenery.

Shoja to Chail

Sitting in the left seat of the truck, Baloo and I followed on Highway 5, descending and ascending and crossing ridges. The group gradually dropped down out of the forests and into more apple orchards.  Going down through heavier traffic and many more switchbacks and curves we finally came to Highway 305 along the Sutlej River Valley, bottoming out at about 5700 feet elevation. 

Along the hillsides we came upon heavily terraced sections and many, many commercial apple orchards.  We saw a 7 story apple warehouse rising up on a slope.  As usual, the apple trees were all covered with nets to protect from birds.  And there were many bee hives along the road.  Pollinators need to make a living as well.  Busy bees....

Hillside Apple Orchards

7 Story Apple Warehouse On the Slopes!

Truck of Loose Hay

Small Terraces

Cargo

At the town of Theog, the thickening clouds finally decided to get serious and a heavy rain began.. Baloo and I had previously lost touch with the group but then we looked ahead and saw the bikes pulled over at a Dhaba with a large awning and our companions sheltering underneath.  Baloo pulled over and I reached behind me to the back seat and out of my day pack I pulled out my blue rain jacket and brought it with me when we scampered out of the truck and under the protection of the open shelter.  The group had ordered some Chai.  I passed the jacket onto Sanjay so he'd have better protection than the flimsy poncho he'd worn several days prior when we'd been in the earlier rains.  He accepted it gladly.

Heavy Rain

After a while, the rain began to moderate.  Damen signaled that it was time to go and I watched, without envy, as the group remounted the motorcycles and headed back out on the wet roads and into the traffic.

Back On the Road

Sanjay in My GoreTex Jacket

Fun in the Rain

At some point the rain thinned out and then ended as we started climbing side hills again.  The vegetation shifted back to forest.  We climbed and climbed and then entered a very touristy area with gift shops, homestays and hotels.  It turned into a heavy traffic jam.  The group on the motorcycles were able to wedge themselves between the cars and gradually get ahead of us in the truck.  There was obviously no way we could keep up and we stayed jammed in the craziness.

Resort Area Traffic

Later, the road opened up again into a series of switchback and we climbed up to a ridge with more hotels. We eventually made it to our destination, the very elegant Chail Palace which was a hill station built  in 1891 by Maharaja Rajendra after he had a dispute with the English General Kitchener and was disallowed to spend Summers in Shimla the nearby hill station of the British Raj.  

We were to stay in our own suites in what would have been originally the homes/barracks of the high officials/officers of the army of the Maharaja.

A "Hill Station" is where European colonial officials would retreat to in the high heat of the tropical summers.  At higher elevations, the officials and staff were more likely to survive temperatures that they could hardly survive at times.  Many did die from the prolonged months of heat and humidity. When I was recently in Brazil, I found that the Portuguese also had summer hill stations at higher elevations for the same reason.

Our Group dining at the elegant main dinning Room.  From left are Robin, Neil, Charlie, Baloo, Sanjay, Paul, Damen and Lynn

 

 

Back On the Motorcycle

 Having felt well rested and refreshed from the day off, as well as the lower altitudes, I thought I'd get back on the motorcycle.  So in the morning I suited up and headed off down the valley with my compatriots.  A full day of riding lay ahead.

There was a cool drizzle  falling as we assembled at the lined up motorcycles.  I had my rain pants on as well as my rain slicker on inside my riding jacket.   

Ready to Go

Solang to Shoga

We would be following the Beas River Valley using primarily Highway 3.  Since I was riding the motorcycle, I had no opportunity to take photos.  

The first part of the day we were in the rains. The road traffic was relatively open as we got down near the bottom the the river valley. Snaking down the road was a new challenge for me since I've never ridden a motorcycle on curving roads with wet pavement.  So I was working up my confidence that the tires would grip while leaning into the curves.  But obviously they did. I could see my compatriots ahead of me leaning and cutting into the shifting course.  As we continued, the road began to open up into a 4 lane and our speeds increased.  Soon we were going nearly 50 miles and hour!  The fastest I'd ever gone in India.  

I learned that in India we often stayed in the passing lane (inner) since the outer lanes were line with shoulders where traffic was constantly entering and exiting.  There were no ramps off the 4 lanes.  Just continuous shoulder.  As usual, I was still at the back of the pack and often lost sight of the group.  But I had Paul with me so I felt confident that we were on route since he would pull ahead of me if we came to a change.  Sometimes Paul did pull ahead in order to push us forward and then I would tail him as we wove in between traffic.  At some point, while motoring along at around 50 mph around the town of Bakaira, Paul was ahead of me as we approached a large area where a bridge crossed the Breas and there was a decision point for people who wanted to stay on the left side of the river.  A sedan started shifting to the left without any sign that the driver saw Paul.  

Bridge Crossing Near Bakaira

Paul honked his horn but continued to yield to the left to avoid a collision. I dropped my speed and followed behind Paul about 20 feet, monitoring the overall situation as best as I could.   Within seconds Paul was forced to evade and turn off the road totally via a roundabout.   On the shoulder, he pulled over and came to a stop. I rolled up beside him and put in my clutch and braked to a stop.  "I had to exit!" he yelled to me.  "I thought he was going to take me out!"  I nodded emphatically.  It was instructive to me to see an experienced motorcyclist take evasive action in chaotic Indian Traffic.  It is not like a motorcycle can 'stand it's ground' against a sedan. I'm not sure if the sedan driver had his windows closed and a radio or phone going. But he didn't seem to have heard Paul's horn nor saw him. Oblivious.  

We re-entered the roundabout and were soon back on course.

Eventually, we came to a road junction. Lynn, with her bright red helmet (seen easily at a distance) was waiting for us to direct out turn off the main highway. Here the Beas and Sainj Rivers converge. After going thru a tunnel under the rivers, we got on Highway 305 which follows the Tirthan River which is a tributary of the Sainj . Now, we were back to climbing on a narrow two lane road, passing through countless smaller villages. Periodically we would encounter congested two-way traffic including some problematic oncoming trucks and buses.  Twice we stopped. Once for lunch and later for a rest break. The rain had long ceased and so I was able to strip off my rain gear.  Underneath of these, it was quite stifling when the bike was not in motion.

Back on the road, around 3:00, it was obvious that schools were emptying in the villages along the road and the traffic was filling up and as we climbed, we were in a very slow moving traffic jam while climbing this narrow road.  When occasionally there was a way to snake between vehicles the group would slowly push ahead. There was a lot of time we were also sitting while using clutch and brakes.  A nearly frozen mess.  

A Real Shit-Show!

At some point, Paul and I were trapped behind a narrowing of vehicles on this sidehill road.  Paul got ahead and tried his best to push us forward. But it was difficult for him. Eventually we came to a disorienting situation where we saw a bus facing down the road at us as well as a dump truck on the left side also facing toward us. What?  It turns out the dump truck was trying to repair damaged road and was dropping a load of rocks.  Not gravel. But rocks!  Paul was ahead of me, trying to snake between bus and truck as the load was coming off the back of the truck and Paul's motorcycle was inundated with cabbage-sized rocks flowing around and under his bike.  He got stuck and workers were reaching around and under his bike, pulling the debris out so he could pass.  Unbelievable!  Paul was eventually able to get purchase with his tires and gunned the motor and move forward beyond the bus and truck.  Not wanting to be trapped on the wrong side of this "Shit Show", I gunned my throttle and squeezed through the same pile of loose rocks. I could feel crunching under the bike but I kept working the engine and clutch whilst in 1st gear and soon I was beyond the two big vehicles.  Like toothpaste being squeezed between cracks in a rock.  As I rolled forward the road workers were calling out and pointing to the bottom of my bike.  As I got up to where Paul was waiting, I stopped and Paul also pointed out that My kickstand was hanging limp from the bike. It had been partially pulled and damaged by the rocks!  The retaining spring had been stripped away and the kickstand was slightly bent.

While I stayed parked with my right hand on the hand brake, Paul got some tape out of his medical kit and wrapped it around the leg of the kickstand and was able to secure it in place so it didn't drag on the pavement.  Gads!

After that, we continued up the hill.  There was no following traffic.  We were the last to escape the mess below and would not see any following traffic for the next half hour as we continued up through a series switchbacks passing thru heavily forested sidehills. Rising towards to ridgeline. 

Finally, we made it to the top of the ridge and there was our hotel, the Sojha Holiday Inn!  As we rolled to a stop our companions were all standing by their motorcycles and gave us a round of applause for making it!  I think this was especially directed at me.  The retarded motorcyclist had made it!  I shook my head. I felt like the poor guy who'd just won the "Special Olympics" for completing a day on the bike.  Still it was a bit of an accomplishment for me with my lower skill level and so I took the well-meaning congratulations and encouragement with good spirits.

The hotel was one of several hilltop hospitality locations on the ridge. The view looking down and across the forested valley was lovely.  I again got my own room with a view.   It certainly was a nice compared to the usual tenting venues I often am in when bicycling in North America!  There was hot water but no shower.  A sponge bath was the only alternative but I took it gladly.

My Compatriots on the Balcony

Nice Toilet But No Shower

Well Laid Rock

Parking Above / Kitchen Below
Baloo and Sanjay Tending to Their Equipment