[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by himadrimondal

This is one hell of a travelogue.
Its page 1 and but adrenaline has already started flowing. How I wished you had the photographs during the 'Fool speed' but I understand.
The risk and tension was too much for photo/video graphy.
Away from the ordinary, the 'Kinnaur route' has made the writeup even more exciting.
Waiting for more.

That is my one regret..wish i had one of those dash mounted cameras like HVK that would have captured this entire saga. It really would have made quite a video!!

[Guderian]

Originally Posted by Manuuj

100,000 Kilometers together.

A truly delightful write up and wonderful snaps !
And now you know why I put off my long pending Leh drive to 2014 - so that this year I'd do Leh through you. Why waste fuel and time again & again ?!!
A full panch taare for this my friend...

A Fortuner and Pajero together. Nice. But go on - bring out the inevitable comparision. We are all ears. Or rather eyes.

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by Guderian

A truly delightful write up and wonderful snaps !
And now you know why I put off my long pending Leh drive to 2014 - so that this year I'd do Leh through you. Why waste fuel and time again & again ?!!
A full panch taare for this my friend...

A Fortuner and Pajero together. Nice. But go on - bring out the inevitable comparision. We are all ears. Or rather eyes.

It would have been fantastic if Admiral and Bison would have been on this trip together! Next year godwilling! No one goes to Leh just once in their lives..its an addictive place.

As far as the Fortuner and Pajero comparison goes they were almost equal in most respects but The Fortuner was far ahead of it in power and the Pajero seemed to struggle in some climbs and emitted thick black and rather embarrassing clouds of smoke. There was none coming out of the Fortuners tailpipes.

It also gave an average mileage of 6 kmpl once we entered the hills after Simla while the Fortuner returned a healthy 10 kmpl.

Offroad both were equally matched in places where Low range was required. The Pajero seemed to have a better ride quality on these rough roads though.

Abhimanyu did report that his suspension was shot after the trip while the Fortuner did NOT even require a Wheel Alignment job.

What really impressed me about Obelix was that we drove it in 2nd 3rd gear for the whole day, on river bed like roads for almost 150 kms..even using Low range in places from Kaza till Gramphoo but it did return almost 9-10 kmpl that day also.

Once we hit tarmac it continued to drive like i had just bought it from a Service at Galaxy Toyota.

It felt indestructible.

I have a real respect for Obelix now with some awe thrown in too.

[sapeco]

Manuuj bro. Wow what a journey so far. As i read the words i felt as i was going along with you.

To get Lehed is a dream for me as i live far down in Goa. I've never been to the mountains in the north and its journeys like yours that inspire the courage in me to do so.

Eagerly awaiting the continuation of this incredible journey.

[miharbe]

Excellent write up Sir!

You do have a way with your pictures and narration. This is supremely gripping and we still haven't reached Leh yet!

Driving to Leh has been part of my bucket list too and it's threads like these that will be helpful someday! It would also be great if you can share costs as well.

I was recently contemplating a 100000 kms done Fortuner but was worried about the excessive running. How've after seeing Obelix it makes me feel as if it's just a number and another day in the life of the Fortuner!

[hemanth.anand]

The picture of the Alto retreating back...that's the scene that's currently playing in my mind.
That must be one great feeling of relief.

I just felt that I watched a movie. But its just begun!!

Looking forward eagerly for the full movie. Nice writeup Manuuj

[Manuuj]

Originally Posted by sapeco

Manuuj bro. Wow what a journey so far. As i read the words i felt as i was going along with you.

To get Lehed is a dream for me as i live far down in Goa. I've never been to the mountains in the north and its journeys like yours that inspire the courage in me to do so.

Eagerly awaiting the continuation of this incredible journey.

My other dream is to drive to Goa.. I'm glad you are enjoying this journey..more pics coming up today!

Originally Posted by miharbe

Excellent write up Sir!

You do have a way with your pictures and narration. This is supremely gripping and we still haven't reached Leh yet!

Driving to Leh has been part of my bucket list too and it's threads like these that will be helpful someday! It would also be great if you can share costs as well.

I was recently contemplating a 100000 kms done Fortuner but was worried about the excessive running. How've after seeing Obelix it makes me feel as if it's just a number and another day in the life of the Fortuner!

I shall share costs also later but as for now I can say the cost of this 15 day excursion was about 40,000 per head including Fuel, Stay and Food. The amount spent on fuel was approx Rs. 18,000 Delhi to Delhi.

100,000 kms is nothing for Toyota vehicles. I also own a Qualis which has done 200,000 kms and runs absolutely fine. I have personally seen Vehicles with over 3.5 lac kms on the Odometer.

Originally Posted by hemanth.anand

The picture of the Alto retreating back...that's the scene that's currently playing in my mind.
That must be one great feeling of relief.

I just felt that I watched a movie. But its just begun!!

Looking forward eagerly for the full movie. Nice writeup Manuuj

Thank you for your kind words..More pics and narration coming up today!

[behaln]

Excellent thread and write up , another one to be relished , 2 japanese warriors did prove their worth , yet again

[clonedintellige]

"No one goes to Leh just once in their lives..its an addictive place."...Couldn't agree more ! Have done the Bangalore- Leh trip twice now. First time, we drove down from Bangalore on 30 day round trip back in 2010 in a Suzuki Swift. Roads were non-existent, to say the least. The second time was from September 1 to 15th this year in a group of 11 people in taxis. I digress, I just wanted to resonate what you said. Unbelievable place and truly worth going to, again and again. Coming back home after such a trip is the hardest part though. I'm still suffering from withdrawal symptoms.

Very good travelogue. Gripping and well documented !

Cheers !

[HappyWheels]

Manuuj: nothing much to add what others haven't done till now. Read the 'fooool speed' and has a query about dash cam, which was also asked.

A well written travelogue of a great trip. Thanks for taking us through it.

Looking forward to the next post.

Subscribed and 5* rated.

[venkat_iyer]

Awesome write up Manuuj!! will be glued to this for sure, till the end! Am planning a late September 2014 trip to Ladakh myself in my fortuner, fingers crossed

[Manuuj]

Puh to Kaza. The Journey Continues..

We had gone through quite a day so far. Kaza was our destination for the night and we were running behind time. it was past 5 pm now and we had another 60-70 minutes of daylight left.

Our pace picked up quite a bit as with the Taxi Innovas at our heels. We all stopped at Sumdo Check Post and i hurriedly had our entries noted into the register.

Hunger pangs had also hit us as we hadn't really eaten today. The trusty car kettle was pulled out and hot water poured into Cup Noodles for a quick and tasty snack. A dessert of Dairy milk chocolate renewed our energy and we sped on into the evening.

I was hoping that Karanbir at Hotel Deyzor had been called by Tenzin for our rooms as he had promised. I did not want to get into Kaza too late as that would mean that there would be no one to ask for directions to the hotel. It was cold now and people don't take kindly to late evening knocks on their doors..

The Journey continues..

The landscape gets very stark and Moonlike..Kaza is over 60 kms away still and that could easily mean two more hours


The stark landscape with hardly any traffic..i was missing trees already


It was like being on another planet


Shalkar in the distance..ahead lay Sumdo, Hurling, Tabo, Attarago and Kaza...our halt for tonight!


As the sun set it begin to get colder..the views were excellent though


Lari village in the distance


Then the sun broke through the clouds and the Valley took on an etheral quality.. It triggered a teenage memory. "Roja" played in my mind.


We just had to stop to take in the views..it was worth being late to stop and absorb the beauty around us. The wind had picked up and whistled in my ears..


We moved ahead and soon Tabo came into view. Tabo also has many Hotels and homestays as there is a famous Monastery here. We thought about staying here but decided to carry on to Kaza and our Hosts at Deyzor Hotel who i hoped were going to wait for us.


We entered Tabo


Tabo Monastery (or Tabo Chos-Khor Monastery is located in the Tabo village of Spiti Valley. It was founded in 996 CE in the Tibetan year of the Fire Ape by the Tibetan Buddhist lotswa (translator), Rinchen Zangpo (Mahauru Ramabhadra), the king of western Himalayan Kingdom of Guge. Tabo is noted for being the oldest continuously operating Buddhist enclave in both India and the Himalayas. A large number of frescoes displayed on its walls depict tales from the Buddhist pantheon.There are many priceless collections of thankas (scroll paintings), manuscripts, well-preserved statues, frescos and extensive murals which cover almost every wall. After the earthquake of 1975, the monastery was rebuilt, and in 1983 a new Du-kang or Assembly Hall was constructed. It is here that the 14th Dalai Lama held the Kalachakra ceremonies in 1983 and 1996. The monastery is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as a national historical treasure of India.


Tabo village was quiet


Tabo bridge was crossed around 6 pm..Kaza was still almost 50 kms away and this could mean 2 hours or more if the road was really bad..


This mountain reminded me of mount Kailash


We all stopped as Chandni wanted to take over from Abhimanyu..One must always pass with these structures on our Right. It is the custom here and when in Rome..


Obelix in full glory


Soon after we were on our way..the roads were no different from before and we picked up the pace. Billowing clouds of dust announced our advance


Maybe not ancient but still got my attention..like a lonely sentinel it stood its ground.


This traditional architecture of the area is sadly giving way to ugly tin roof structures. Gaurav quoted someone famous and said "Progress is a wonderful thing..if only it would stop"


The river flowed in the deep valley below us


Felt like we entering some forbidden gates


The headlight lit up the road ahead and the fading rays of the Sun reflected off the river which flowed serenely by us


It was getting dark fast..the sun was losing its daily battle..


We sped on..


When we finally got to Kaza it was almost half past 7:00 and dark.

Not only was it night but Kaza had not had power for 2 days. Finding the Hotel in this would prove to be a tough task.

We came to a fork in the Road. There was a sign that said Kaza with an arrow to the left

We took the road to the Left and below and entered Old Kaza..

The roads became really narrow now and we made our way through twisted almost villlage like roads between houses.

This could not be the right way i wondered. It was like being in a small colony of old Delhi with Narrow lanes and T junctions.

I remembered that Tenzin had told me that Deyzor is near the BSNL office and we asked the first Taxi we saw.

He told us to carry on up the road and make a left at the T junction. This would lead us to the highway and we would soon see a road to our left with a sign for the BSNL office.

We followed his instructions and went through some narrow twisted roads and even a small water crossing which looked forbidding in the dark.

A Maruti Van approached from the front and the driver beckoned me to carry on.. we crossed it without drama. He again guided me toward the BSNL office and soon we were on the main highway again.

I realized that if we had taken the Right Turn at the Fork and gone up the froad and not Down to the left side we would have ended up here without any fuss. Infact the next day it took less than 7 minutes to reach the same Fork again as we went into Kaza Market!

Within minutes we saw a Petrol pump and then a cut to the left and a sign with a left pointing arrow that read.. "Hotel Deyzor"

A collective sigh of relief greeted this development. Hot food, WiFi a place to rest and recoup..

When we got to Deyzor at about 8 pm just down the road it was in complete darkness. A couple of candles flickered inside and as our two cars stopped outside the wood and glass door opened and a friendly bearded face came into view.

He smilingly said he had been expecting us hours ago..but not to worry and that our rooms were not given away.
We entered the lobby cum restaurant and saw his friends and American wife at the round table chatting and having dinner.

Everyone turned around to say hello and the four of us took a table as we were all famished and wanted to eat.

Karanbir told us his staff was gone for the night as there was a cultural programme in town but not to worry as he had already summoned them back. In the meanwhile we would decide what to order and go through his superb selection on the Menu card.

A lot more candles were lit and the room along with our moods brightened up. We played Uno while we waited and had hot Coffee to warm up

Soon the cooks arrived and we had a hearty meal of Bruschettas, Mushroom Spaghetti, Salads and Pizza. Dessert was chocolates again.

We soon retired to our large rooms with clean linen and comfortable large beds.. My torch light lit up an inscription on the wall..


I smiled and fell asleep to the sound of Karanbir and his friends laughing and chatting in the restaurant below us.

It had been a long and satisfyingly adventurous day. This was what i had come here for.

[Manuuj]

We woke up to a cloudy day but the sun broke through in patches.

After some tea we went down to the restaurant for breakfast before we went to fill up on Diesel.

Our destination for the day was Jispa on the Manali-Leh highway about 210 kms away from Kaza.

We would leave the Spiti Valley behind today and cross our first mountain pass ..Kunzum La.

Meanwhile I enjoyed my breakfast at a nice leisurely pace and chatted with Karanbir about the route ahead, his Qualis and Hotel Deyzor among other things.

I highly recommend this place and shall stay here again for sure. Karanbir was a very warm and informal host and arranged for his staff to return to the Hotel and cook for us even though they were gone for the night. We had almost resigned ourselves to MTR or Cup noodles in our minds.

Inplace of that we had some very tasty hot food that was freshly prepared.

The Hotel is made with the traditional architecture in mind and melds well with its surroundings instead of clashing with them. The rooms are large and clean as is the linen in bed and on the dining tables. It is a comfortable and affordable place to stay.

Some pics of Deyzor Hotel Kaza.


Contact: Karanbir Singh Bedi : 09530570649/ 09414802660
http://himalayanshepherd.co/hoteldeyzor/


No electricity for past 2 days..so no WiFi either..Gaurav was distraught!


The weather was no better today and we were told about the tough drive ahead on roads akin to river beds.


View across the Valley from here..


The BSNL Office opposite here


The Owners: Karanbir Singh Bedi is from Chandigarh originally. He is also a noted athlete and has won many titles in the field of Adventure sports. He runs the hotel with his American wife. His Ladhaki Partner is an Olympian who represented India in Archery.


The clean restaurant where we had our Dinner and a hearty breakfast too!


Points to Ponder



(Disclaimer: I am in no way related to Karanbir and have no interest monetary or otherwise in Hotel Deyzor)


We soon left to get Diesel from the Petrol Pump close by. There was no power but they had a generator thankfully. After a quick round of the market we took of towards Lossar on our way to Gramphoo, Keylang and finally Jispa 210 kms away.

Karanbir had told us the roads would be pretty awful and AWE FULL till we hit Gramphoo and he wasn't wrong at all.

To be Continued..

[Manuuj]

Kaza to Jispa

“There's a race of men that don't fit in,
A race that can't sit still;
So they break the hearts of kith and kin,
And they roam the world at will.
They range the field and rove the flood,
And they climb the mountain's crest;
Their's is the curse of the gypsy blood,
And they don't know how to rest.”

What compels us to give up our daily life and take off into the wilderness? What force of nature pulls with such ferocity at our soul that it compels our body to move leaving behind in the process our daily lives, so we may satisfy our wanderlust ?

I think this is our natural state because when we are in nature and when we are awed by its majesty we feel a peace akin to the one we felt as an infant when we slept in our mothers arms.

This is why i was here..to experience the raw beauty of nature, to hear the windsong as i sat by the road staring into nothingness.

The Journey Ahead..

After a nice breakfast we decided to fill up our tanks and also take a quick look at Old Kaza Market as we had missed seeing anything in the dark last night..we headed back to the Market from the main road this time. It barely took 5-6 minutes this way from the highway.


Kaza below us..


Old Kaza Market


By about 11 we headed out of Kaza and made for Lossar the next big Village on our way to Gramphoo where we would rejoin the Manali Leh highway.


Bye for now Kaza..i will see you again. I intend to stay here for atleast two nights next time..


The mountains rose like the citadels of Forts and protected these areas from invading armies over the centuries..


The shadows of the clouds transformed the way the mountains looked with every gust of wind


I enjoyed the solitude..an open road and blue skies. This day had started well and i was smiling to myself



Key Monastery came into view. Key Gompa (also spelled Ki, Kye or Kee) is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery located on top of a hill at an altitude of 4,166 metres (13,668 ft) above sea level, close to the Spiti River, in the Spiti Valley.
It is the biggest monastery of Spiti Valley and a religious training center for Lamas. It reportedly had 100 monks in 1855


The walls of the monastery are covered with paintings and murals, an example of the 14th century monastic architecture, which developed as the result of Chinese influence. It has a collection of ancient murals and books, including Buddha images.

There are three floors, the first one is mainly underground and used for storage. One room, called the Tangyur is richly painted with murals. The ground floor has the beautifully decorated Assembly Hall and cells for many monks.

Key Gompa now belongs to the Gelugpa sect, along with Tabo Monastery and Drangtse Monastery, one of three in Spiti.


We moved onwards toward the tiny villages of Hull and Pangamo and saw these creatures grazing lazily..



The roads were not too bad till now and we kept a steady pace as we chatted and took in the views..oohs and aahs at every turn.
We even talked about how the pics we were taking did not do justice to what even are minds were finding difficult to process. The roads were not too bad..but they were awe full for sure.


A sturdy bridge across the Spiti below


The road behind us..as seen from the bridge


One vehicle at a time it said..


Pangamo was hurriedly crossed


We had to stop and take in the views here..we had climbed a bit and the view was breathtaking. As i was about to click Chandni who had sneaked behind the bush quickly popped up and surprised me. It made for a nice spontaneous pic.


We moved on ahead..we had a long way to go today but did not want to rush too much. After all the journey was as important as the destination here.


We reached this place with it straight drops to the valley below


The road looked amazing from here..even though it looked pretty narrow..


..and narrow it was


After this the valley opened up again..


We reached Kyoto Bridge 46 kms away from Kaza. Its also called Kyato Bridge by some.


100,001 Kilometers!! What a place to reach this milestone. Obelix deserved to reach it at someplace like this and not at some traffic jam on the Ring Road in Delhi.


At 100,000 kms the journey has just begun. Many places to see yet Obelix!!


To be continued..

[Sheel]

Hi! Enjoying your travelogue & thanks for sharing

Wouldn't have commented now save for the quoted part

Originally Posted by Manuuj

Rocks occasionaly slid from the mountainside and we had to swerve to miss them. Luckily our speed was low. Even though it was a bit risky i still was secretly enjoying this experience.

Please refrain. No, I am not asking you to take a hit (on your Car) but swerving to avoid on a mountain road can be dangerous. I know you too must be aware & it is just a friendly caution

I would advise to stop (if you can). You never know how fragile or strong the road shoulders are, hence...

EDIT : Thank God, my edit window didn't die out. That is the kind of narrow road I am talking about & what if an army truck approaches from ahead...? Freak