DEV BHOOMI - Day 4

7th July 2010

Woke up late, really late at around 8.00 am. Dinesh as usual was all ready and raring to go. He was cleaning his camera and lenses. The point was that we really had no place to go to. Rohtang crossing was out of the question, so it would probably mean hanging around Manali and places around Manali. Got ready and proceeded for a leisurely breakfast of piping hot Aloo Parathas at the Hotel dining room.

Met up with Vinayak and Rajeshbhai to find out the latest position on Rohtang Pass. Situation looked pretty grim. Possibility of the road being cleared by the afternoon, but then again, just a possibility! The weather is still quite cloudy and chances of rain are pretty high.

Finish our breakfast, and decide to leave in the car for a trip around Manali. First destination - Hidimba temple. Lovely old temple, built entirely of wood and stones. Lots of huge Deodhar trees surround the temple premises. Full of tourists and mainly honeymooning couples. Its drizzling a bit. The umbrellas are out. Spend some time here and decide to move on.

Big dilemma, where should we head next? Decide to head towards the Rohtang pass road. The last time I was in Manali, was in 1978(Yes I am ancient), so I remember very little, and whatever I do is because of the pics at home! Though one thing I remember very clearly, is that the HPTDC Tourist Lodge was housed in a large compound, on the banks of the river Beas. It was among the few hotels in Manali at that point of time. As of now, the HPTDC Beas stand next to the Tourist Lodge and there is a road, right in front of the two hotels. I am pretty sure that wasn't the case in 1978. I remember very clearly climbing three floors to reach our room from the ground. Now, your entry into the hotel is from the 3rd. floor itself. How times have changed Manali!

Across the one way bridge over the River Beas and we are on the road leading to Rohtang Pass. We stop to take few pics of the mountains in the distance. Arshad's first time seeing the ice capped mountains! Dinesh behaves like an old hand, having been here many times before. Me, I'm too excited for words. Go crazy with the camera, shooting everything in my field of vision.

Head off again after some time. The whole road is dotted with shops renting out Ski Gear, Warm clothing and Rubber Gumboots. No names, just numbers, starting at 0 and reaching 4 figures! Business is slack though, what with Rohtang being closed! Stop for a cup of tea at a small restaurant. The backside of the restaurant is on the banks of the Beas. What a view! Head out and reach the Solang exit. This is where the new tunnel is going to start from. After completion, there will hopefully be, all weather connectivity with the rest of Himachal. Spend a few moments there , take a U turn and head back towards Manali.

Its almost 4.00 pm when we reach town. Park the car at the Hotel. Decide to walk down to The Mall area. Arshad decides to rest for some time and heads back to the hotel. Dinesh and me decide to stroll along the Mall. I suddenly realise that I need a good pair of shoes for the onward journey. The present ones are not preventing water from entering, and that is something, I'm not too comfortable with. So off we go to scout for some nice hiking boots. Into one small lane and an even smaller shop. But the variety he has, just amazes me. Try on a few and settle for a First Outdoor ankle length hiking shoe. Am told its waterproof. Credit cards not accepted. So off looking for an A.T.M. For all its advertising, Axis bank, doesn't have an A.T.M in Manali! The funds in the BOB account are still not cleared. Will have to wait another day to withdraw from that account. (My advice to fellow travellers:- If travelling within India, get yourself a S.B.I. Account and A.T.M. card. There is a S.B.I. ATM everywhere and I mean really everywhere!)

On the way back to the hotel, look up at the sky and for the first time in many days, see the sun shining. There is a huge smile plastered on Dinesh's and my face. We are the only two Idiots in the middle of the Mall looking up at the sky and the mountains with this stupid grin on our faces. If this weather holds, we will surely be crossing Rohtang tomorrow. The rest of the public, could hardly be bothered. They were way too busy, buying stuff, walking around, eating GolGappas, et al!

Return back to the Hotel, to give Arshad the good news bout the weather. Head to the terrace of the Hotel to capture some images of the mountains. Some truly scenic views all around.

Photo-op session over and we head for a cup of tea in the Dining room. Meet Vinayak and Rajeshbhai again. Some cars were allowed to pass today, but very few. The landslides are still continuing. We take the advice of Rajeshbhai, who suggests that we should stay one more day in Manali and allow the area to stabilise and the BRO (Border Roads Organization) to do a thorough clearing of the road. Sounds like a good and practical suggestion. So crossing Rohtang is out for another day.

All three of us decide to go back to the Mall, me to buy the shoes, Arshad to loiter around and Dinesh to guide us! LOL. Reach the shoe shop, wear the shoes, ask for a discount before buying, no luck with that. Get to chatting with the shop owner and ask him about the durability of the shoe. He insists that it will last for a really long time. Dinesh comments: Is it "CHALA TOH CHAND TAK, YA PHIR SHAAM TAK!" This has the shopkeeper in splits. We have made his day. He says that he will not forget this phrase and use it whenever necessary! Since we have given him something to remember us by, we ask for more of a discount, he insists on serving us tea!

Return to the Hotel for dinner. The dinner is a feast of Trout stuffed with a chutney.(Sort of like the Paatra Ni Machhi). Its delicious! We are joined at the dinner table by Padma Tashi a tour organizer from Leh. He has just come into Manali from Leh by car, driving down a group of tourists. The situation at the Rohtang pass is very grim. He also suggests that we should wait for one more day and allow the mountain to stabilise. So its decided, we spend one more day and two more nights in Manali :-(

Head back to our room. I make my first call to Mr. H.V. Kumar, the guiding light of many road travellers in India. I explain the situation to him and he totally agrees, that we should have a little patience and try for the day after tomorrow. No point in taking unnecessary chances he says. I am a little relieved, that he agrees with our plan of action. With this big load off our minds, we retire for the night. Tomorrow can be another lazing around day!

To be continued..............................

DEV BHOOMI - Day 3

6th July 2010.

Wake up a little later than the past two days. Has been raining all through the night (I know, cos I woke up once in the middle to pick up a Razai to cover myself, Arshad had hogged the blanket for himself). Dinesh is already up and ready. Shaved and had a lovely hot water bath. Am hoping that the rains subside, or actually stop. The attendant arrives with the tea. Breakfast not available, so will have to make alternative arrangements. The attendant informs us rather sheepishly, that there are some charges to be paid for using the Officers Mess facilities. We ask him:- Kitna Dena Hoga? Almost apologetically he tells us Rs. 150.00. I almost spilled my tea, when I heard the amount. Any decent hotel would have charged us nothing less than Rs 2000.00 for a room of that size. We pay up and add a tip of Rs. 100.00, for services rendered and hoping to be attended to well, on our return journey!

The rains are playing a bit of spoil sport, but our enthusiasm has not faded. Today we will be reaching Manali. We leave the Officers Mess at around 9.20 am. Chandigarh looks pretty different in the day. Was less crowded last night, maybe it was the late hour and the Bandh. Today its a lot more of traffic and everybody heading towards work I guess. Good wide and clean roads.

After a couple of wrong turns and asking directions, we are finally onto NH21 heading to Manali. We reach Kurali Toll plaza at around 10.25 am. Stop for breakfast just after the toll plaza, at Lee Rose Fast Food and Restaurant. We order for Aloo Parathas. The Fast Food is a misnomer. The food came anything but fast. Leisurely breakfast (not entirely our fault) and we move on.

The rains have somewhat subsided. So the going is pretty smooth. There are patches of the highway, where widening and other works are happening, so some small diversions. Cross Ropar at around 11.35 am. A little after Ropar, we come across a bridge over a river. Interesting part is that the colour of the water is practically like chocolate. There is a spot where the water from a canal mingles with the water of the river. We stop to take a few photos.

This is the first time that we get a glimpse of the Great Himalayas in the distance. They will not leave us, neither will we leave them, for the next 12 days and boy are we glad! We move on and reach Swarghat (Not to be confused with Swargate by Puneites!) by around 1.10 pm. The climbs, the descents, the twists and turns have begun. It is truly a wonderful drive. Arshad and me are as excited as a couple of schoolboys. Dinesh more or less has a very "Been here done this expression" on his face, having done these journeys a couple of times earlier. Though it is his first time driving on these roads! We stop to have teas and capture some images on camera.

We move on, after a short break of around 20 mins. and soon pass towns and villages of Kullur, Bilaspur, Nauni, Lakhanpur, Hamirpur, Barmana. Barmana has a huge ACC cement factory (don't really know whom this is of interest to, besides me!), so the road is a little blocked by the truck traffic and trucks parked on the side waiting to enter the factory.

Pass Slapper (yes thats right), Charol, Sundarnagar, Ner Chowk and reach Mandi at around 4.20 pm. Head on towards Pandoh. At Pandoh we were informed that the road ahead to Manali via Aut is closed, due to the river Beas overflowing and submerging the road. This is the first time that we are facing a situation, wherein nature has conspired to thwart our journey. The unprecedented rains have necessitated some dam gate upstream being opened, resulting in the overflowing Beas. Traffic has been stuck since 11.00 am. in the morning. Was that bad news! We are informed of a single lane road, over the mountains from Mandi, passing through the villages of Kumand, Kataula and onwards to Bajora, bypassing Aut completely. We decide to head back to Mandi and try out this road.

Reach Mandi at around 5.30 pm., and stop to ask for proper directions. The shopkeeper in Mandi, tells us categorically, no point in taking that road, because it will most definitely be jammed with traffic. He insists that we should stay back in Mandi and leave the next day, when the water has subsided. A much better option according to him, rather than being stuck in a one lane road, without proper food and shelter. We ignore his suggestions and decide to carry on. (Having sleeping bags, food and warm clothing, in the car probably made the decision easier). We move on and hit the one lane road. A few kms. on and we reach our first major traffic jam. Being a one lane road, there is a snarl due to a Local transport bus being unable to pass due to cars lined up on one side.

The cops finally arrive to sort out matters. After about an hour, things ease up a bit and finally we are moving. Arshad takes over and drives for around 20 mins, until we reach our next TJ. This one seems huge. Cars just lined up, engines shut, everybody out of their cars, walking around, no concrete information, just that it will be sorted out soon! We wait, Dinesh catches a few winks, Arshad and me walk around, admiring the scenery and the quaint villages in the valleys. After about an hour, the three of us are resigned to the possibility of having to spend quite some time here, maybe the whole night. Do a check on the food and water situation, we are comfortable.

Still trying to gather some information regarding the TJ, very hard to come by. Finally someone with some pucca info tells us that we are just about a Km. away from Kataula. That is the good news. The bad news, there is an Army convoy, coming in from the Bajora side, that has got stuck in the village itself. Looks like its going to be a long wait, a very long wait!

At around 8.00pm. see some senior police officials arriving. Finally someone, who can probably give us some good information. Alas we were wrong. They seemed to be as clueless as us. Many calls over the cell and the walkie talkies, they tell us that the situation at Kataula village looks grim. The army trucks are unable to move, causing the other side of vehicles to be stuck. After a few minutes the senior lady police officer, informs us that the road at Aut is open and that traffic is now moving smoothly. No water on the road.

Its 8.30 pm. and we decide to head back to Mandi and onwards to Manali. What was going to be leisurely drive to Manali, is turning out to be a major Traffic saga! Reach Mandi at 9.15 pm. A lot of cars follow us, back down to Mandi. Head on towards Pandoh. Stop for Diesel at Pandoh at 9.45 pm and dinner thereafter. Have a quick delicious simple veg. fare at a roadside dhaba. I can't believe that I have managed to survive without my customary teas!

10.00 pm. and we leave for Manali. Arshad goes off to catch some sleep, I am driving, Dinesh beside me. Its raining quite a bit. Dinesh contacts the hotel in Manali (Hotel Marble), informs them of our impending late arrival. He is told by the hotel manager, that a group coming in from Leh is stuck on the other side of Rohtang, due to a landslide. So we will not be the only ones arriving late. Vinayak, the organiser of the tour group is a close friend of Dinesh. He is the person who will be arranging our accommodation and other things in Ladakh.

Driving on through the rain, through poor visibility we pass through the tunnel before Aut. All along, I can only hear the Beas river, unable to catch a glimpse due to the rain and poor visibility. Progress is a little slow. After passing over some bad roads, due to the rains, we finally reach Manali check post at 12.10 am. Pay up the Rs. 300.00 entry and parking charges for Manali, valid for a period of 7 days. Reach Hotel Marble at 12.10 am.

Some good news at the hotel. Vinayak and his group have arrived from the other side of Rohtang. They had to cross the area covered by the landslide on foot and then get into other cars and come to Manali. The Tempo Traveller they were travelling in, was still stuck on the other side of the landslide.

We meet up with Vinayak, Mr. Bhim(Hotel Manager), Mr Ramesh Bhai (Tourist car/bus service owner), exchange pleasantries, gather information. Rohtang pass looks unpassable the next day. So our plans of heading on to Jispa/ Sarchu look bleak.

Nice double bedded room, with decent sized Bath cum Toilet. Thankfully there is hot water. We wash up. Can you believe, there are no fans in any of the rooms in the Hotel!!!! This would be the case in every place we stayed, right upto Shimla!

The three of us, gather for a post midnight discussion regarding the next days drive. Decide to give the drive to Jispa/ Sarchu a miss for tomorrow, and let the weather and road conditions stabilise, before driving through Rohtang pass. The news on TV is that there have been floods in Haryana, Punjab and NH1 near Ambala has been shut down, due to waterlogging. Boy are we glad that we missed that!

Decide to finally retire for the night. We can sleep late. Nowhere far to go the next day!

To be continued..............................

DEV BHOOMI - Day 2

5th July2010

All three of us wake up at around 4.45 am after a fitful sleep. Raring to go and achieve our next objective, Chandigarh before nightfall. Only matter of concern is the Bandh/ Strike call. We decide to move out anyway, and handle matters as they come.

5.30 am on the dot, our tea arrives with bread and butter sandwiches. Finish up and leave RTDC, Hotel Panna, Chittorgarh at around 6.00am. The town is just waking up from its slumber, but we were glad to see a lot of trucks on the road. Maybe the Bandh is not happening. Have to pass through the town, across a railway crossing, before we reach NH76. The roads are not too crowded at this point of time, and we reach NH76 at around 6.20 am.

Once again the roads are great, and this being part of the Golden Quadrilateral, very well maintained. We stop at a local road side dhaba to have a real breakfast at around 8.00 am. Its double omelet and parathas for breakfast. Bread not available.

A very cloudy and gloomy day. One look at the sky and we know that there is a lot of rain in store for us.

Proceeded onwards, heading towards Jaipur. Passed the Ajmer/ Nasirabad exit at around 9.20 am. Lovely roads, again well maintained, with adequate space for parking of trucks.

Reached the Kishangarh - Jaipur GVK Expressway at around 9.45 am. Traffic was a little dense. Maybe a little lesser than on my first drive through the expressway in January 2010. Did not feel like there was a Bandh on. A few towns on the way had their shops shut. But that was about it. Passed a place named Dudu. Arshad was highly amused by the name and insisted that I take a snap, so that it is recorded for posterity! Managed to buy a plastic pipe for the funnel from a shop in Mahela town. This is one expressway, where the towns are on either side of the road and not barricaded, unlike the Mumbai-Pune and Baroda-Ahmedabad expressways. Smooth roads nonetheless. Onwards to Jaipur, and we are greeted with showers. Reached the Jaipur end of the expressway by around 11.00 am.

Onto the Jaipur bypass, heading towards Delhi. Take a tea break at a local roadside dhaba. The lunch being prepared for some truck drivers, looks delicious. We are tempted to order some, but we resist the urge as we are really not too hungry. So teas it is and then some more snaps. Our first group photo happens.

Reach Kotputli at 1.30 pm. and encounter our first real traffic jam. One look at the place and you know that the Bandh/ Strike is not successful here! Tank up with diesel at a BPCL pump on the main road and move on. Cross Behror at 2.00 pm and head on towards Shajahanpur. (The place has to have a history lesson, will try to find out the next time I drive through). Stop a little after the toll plaza for lunch at a local dhaba. Again order simple veg food, 1 paneer dish, one dal and roti. It begins pouring while we are having lunch. Finish lunch and head off into the rain, towards Delhi.

Cross into Haryana state at around 3.50 pm, Manesar (NSG Headquarters, remember them?) passes us by, and before we know it we are at Gurgaon, paying toll at the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway toll plaza.

Reach the IGI airport at 5.00 pm and then we are in the maze that is Delhi. From hereon it takes us around an hour to get to the Grand Trunk road: NH1, that will take us to Ambala and onwards to Chandigarh. Lots of Bridge construction, Road widening, Metro work happening on account of the Commonwealth Games 2010, scheduled in October. Will all the works be completed? Lets wait and see?

We are at the Sonepat exit at 6.30 pm. Decide to stop at one of the many dhabas here, adjoining the highway. All of them are huge, really huge. Some of the dhabas are fully Air Conditioned. (Now whoever heard of AC dhabas?) Move on and reach Panipat town. There is a huge 4km long elevated road over the highway, with the town on both sides of the highway. Smooth sailing because of the elevated road. Dinesh is on the phone, arranging for accommodation at Chandigarh. Good news, we are to stay at the Officers Mess, Chandigarh Police Lines. (It pays to have contacts). All through this stretch of the highway, there are diversions for road widening, flyover construction, etc. Progress is a little slow due to this. Some traffic snarls too!

We reach Ambala at around 9.15, fill up diesel at a BPCL pump. I call up Jassi paaji (Jasbir Singh Bachal) for eating options in Ambala. He suggests Puran Singh Dhaba on the highway, but unfortunately we have already passed the place, no point turning back. Go a little further and stop at Paradise Tourist Resort and have dinner. Slow service, decent food. Its almost an hour since we stopped. Time to move on.

Reach Chandigarh at 11.00 pm after passing through the Ambala-Chandigarh Toll Plaza at 10.35 pm. Expressway is sort of a misnomer, its a nice and wide two lane road. Finally reach Chandigarh Police lines after asking for directions from a couple of people.

Ofiicers Mess, huge AC room, really big bath cum toilet. Wash up. Speak to the attendant, who assures us of tea at 7.00 am. No need to really start early tomorrow. Just around 400+ kms to Manali, our next halt. So we can safely leave by around 9.00 am. Watch a little TV and off to sleep.

To be continued.....................