The monsoon ride rally

Monsoon from within our car

The monsoon ride is on-willing? Obviously yes. For me the monsoons have always had that charm that went much beyond the smell of the wet earth. Chasing the monsoon has been on my mind since long-so how can a monsoon ride be let go?




Anukraman was called at WMS and with the requirements spelt out it seemed likely we were going, so was Chetan. Our swift would do, our insurance is valid - but hey it needs a rally insurance.




To arrange that is a seperate matter. I called up a few insurance guys and rally insurance--what/where / for whom/ we dont know were the answers.

Finally PSU comes to help and that was sorted out though at a hefty cost. Next we know chetan is out.

We started in our red swift, unsuspecting what we were in for. All we knew it was a small rally. The drive was a beautiful with rain and good highways.



Stopped at Amer and reached the flooded in reporting point in Jaipur. That is when it dawned on us the what we were in for.



 Rally preppedd gypsies with their exhausts vrrrroooommm and inspection and god knows what all. Anyhow we registered, needed pictures of ourselves and we did not have any.




 The neighbouring streets did not have a studio and going by the rain we did not wish to venture far. Mobile phone camera and the color printer did a ghastly job and I came to know how police prints its wanted pictures.





Formalities done, next was the stickering - our first go at it and with a lot of experimentation and help we got that done. Finally the inspection was over and done.





Next was the briefing - it was a confusing affair and Deepam the navi had many questions, she enquired and seemed to get a hang of it. All i was to do was listen to her and drive - brainless role - i was happy and in my comfort zone :) .

Parc ferme at 4 am!!!!Holy cow, but yup that it was. By evening we checked into Royal Orchid-thanks to Deepam and GE. Had a early dinner and slept of early with alarms set at 3 am. Dont wish to be late at the parc ferme - do we? heck no.








So off we were at the ungodly hour and reached the parc ferme by 4am and what ....no one is here? Deepam needs the wash room - what next - 5 star next door, we get the gates opened - use the essential rooms and we were about to go when the manager comes in- he feels something is amiss- enquires what the motives were to come in and go in 5 mins at this hour in a hotel- not satisfied with our answer but finding us harmless we are free to go.

Now some people start tricking in, start off at 6am. Collect our roadbook and the packed meal. Deepam is pryoing her brain out trying to make sense of the road book. She does finally. At start off (by the LR) we are flagged and off we go. No filmy rally-its TSD-all slow and steady.



First TC missed, later we came to know by nearly all. 2nd TC/3rd TC are all on time and we are contended team.By the 4th TC we realize everyone is running in circles - the TC is washed off. Everyone gets dead time and our good time now doesnt count - how unfair on the newbees. Then it starts again 5th TC, 6th TC all caught- check in for lunch and the return loop starts. Deepam gives an instruction drive at 30 straight for next 30 mins and dozes off. The faith full me drives straight only, doesnt take the natural loop in the road and takes on the kuccha with full gusto- shabbashi milegi:) but soon she wakes, finds out we are wrong, and the scramble to catch up starts.



We do eventually but vital mins are lost. The road takes us through bfull parts of monsoon rajasthan around alwar, we vow to be back, specially when the mist rolls in. The last part was tricky but we finish it. At time we were laughing at elementary mistakes people were making in reading the road book only to laughing at ourselves soon. Great fun.
With the Mewar cap Anukraman at the finish point flags us in and finished, the rally is finished in the day with almost 300km added to the odo. Great job as a team we finish 16th in 60 competitors and are happy. Next day is work so we rive back same evening without attending the PD, contended, tired and rally hardened.

Goa 11...another place, another time

Goa brings out the hidden, the subverted and the unknown. The pictures in this blog bring out the Goa effect. Not normal, some psycedelia some altered sense of living.

By the time we boarded the flight to Goa we knew nothing what we were in for.

More so work kept us pre-occupied. Only when we landed and the coastal breeze hit us on the face did we realize we were there. A short cab ride and some last end flaps over the flat we were to stay in and we were there by evening.


Our appartment was an endearing place, with a nice roof , but what the heck who wanted to stay in when we were by the beach.
Its difficult to be coherent about Goa, so let me just get in some facets.

Beach- beach beds, laze, race, dip in the sea, dry, coconut and more sleep. Kalangoot morning runs, Baga ughhhhhh, Vagador our fav, Anjuna ????

Old Goa - another time another place.
Food - different joint for each meal, tuscan, italian, french, lila cafe, after 9, toto, tito with Arnab , vagador hieght, fisherman cove




















Drive - scooty
Drink - cane juice wow















Flea market - awfull
Pork vindaloo

Salim Ali bird sanctuary and wrong-right side we were on
Hmmmmm seems another world and only when i get back there is i can find some details. 

Raid de Himalaya 2010

VVrrrrrrrrrrrrroooooooooommm

Fell in love with Spiti in June and we were looking for an opportunity to go once again. Raid de Himalaya proved to be our messiah and come October he headed down the same roads again. Did I say same?? Heck no, the landscape had changed with the seasons and it was a new place all together.

Fried Mirch at Chatru 

Raid de Himalays always has a special place in the heart of the Himalayan lover, adventurist, motocrazy guy. 

We got the hint of an opportunity and with due persual and thanks to Abhey we were in. Countless days of dreaming and talking about the raid, the desire to head in became stronger. 

Kunzum

Officials convoy at Kunzum 

Finally the day came, all our friends left early in the morning and we would start later in the evening after a day's work. 

Loops

After the seconds ticked by, evening came, gaadi was readied earlier, samaan packed, final byes done and vrrrroooooooooom. With the setting sun behind us, we were gunning for Shimla.

 The start point for the raid. After we crossed Chandigarh, the raid presence was palpable with sports exhaust note trumpeting in the air of every other gypsy that went by. Subaru with its deep throat was the most amazing car to cross us, we raced with them and yelped with joy at our mini rallies.

 Bleary eyed we checked into Holiday Home at Shimla, the parking was full of gypsies and rally guys. Had a short sleep and early morning jog, caught with old friends and introduced to new ones. The day was spent in getting stickers pasted, radio fitted and completing the formalities. Interesting aspects were walnut coffee which we shared with Priety Zinta etc and the photo studio. 

At Dhalli, there is a famous cofee dhaba with many bollywood star autographs run by 3 very hospitable surdars. We had some very unique cofee there and followed by the best passport photograph ever taken of my face. 

Next day we were off for day 1, flaggedd off from Peterhoff and returned to Shimla. The pictures of the day are lost as are the pics of the next day, so only the story shall persist. The route on day 1 was through all rubble roads in the hills, followed by some pleasant wooded areas. Ended in Shimla, crashed in at Peterhoff again, next day we were raring to go higher up. 

Most amazing bikers

Crossed one of the most beautiful hillsides I have ever seen, close to Jalori and through backdoor entered into Manali. Raced all the way from Jalori to Manali. In the mean time the radio sets were becoming great fun, with radio and music on demand interspersed with "MINNIE" time and again. 

Parc ferme at Tabo

We were having a great time in Holiday Inn at Manali as we had a late start, but rudely that was cut short by a radio message saying that a KTM biker was down near Marhi. 

Off flying we were, but all was well. Waited at the spot till all the cars passed by and then resumed our duty of being the sweeper. Crossed Rohtang, Gramphoo, Chatru, all were so different from when we last saw them, the snow was almost gone, the dust was in full tempest and sun was hot. 

At Chatru we had some ??RED BULL and food. By now the officials formed a convoy of our own and trailed the rally.

Close to Baralach la

 The conversation was spicy and fun. Abhey was a missing thorn and we had a great time at his expense, though. (Sorry Abhey- couldnt resist this part..:)  ) 

Any how we were moving slow and suddenly the darkness crept and swallowed us up. It was pitch dark, no one knew our night halt and after some frantic radio comm we were headed to Tabo. Reached our night dwelling very late, all dusty, drowsy and dreading the early morning start. We collectively decided we will have dinner and crash in 10 minutes. But who knew destiny??

Soon as we entered there was an issue about our stay that promptly was resolved by Rishi Kapoor wanting to go back in a second to Delhi....:)  (All personal jokes are to be taken with a smile, deliberately included as we have had a lot of laughs thanks to them) 

Ate some "kutta meat momo". Tarun, Abhey, Kunal, Nutan, Anirban, Raghav, Rishi, Deepak, Manisha Bobby were all at their entertaining best. 

Next morning came sooner than expected. Tabo to Tabo the circuit. Had a leisure drive and some forgetful food. The day to follow was the killer - Kaza to Pang - to Gata loops and back to Manali. 

Started early and at full pep, but being the last car role, our pep was determined by the most looser car pep.

The road and the road book 

 Pang was fun with fauji arrangements and Zing Zing bar, Whisky Nallah, Twing Twing bridge only added to the fun. Did a bit of offroading, spotted Yaks in plenty. Gata loops were fun when we not on the loops or the road. 

Followed by the long trudge back, by the time we were at Kelyong the sun had set and made a dash for Manali.

Midnight at Rohtang

Crossing Rohtang when its closed for the season at midnight is a fun few would have had. And in Manali by breakfast we were. Too tired to rest...no issues lets all get together and make merry, thats exactly what the doc ordered and we got at Casa Bela Vista, till it was time for the PD. And the merry continued after that as well. 

The drive back to Delhi could have been straight but we decided to relax and have a vacation, crossed the valley again and were back in Mashobra, spent a couple days there and reached back Delhi, with great set of friends made and huge list of repairs to be undertaken for the scorpio.