[1100D]

Some experience the return leg must have been. Awesome Narration. Glamorous Pictures, that too, with the locations being mainstream. Inclement conditions at this time of the year is not unknown, so it must have been a deliberate decision grab it by the horns and make a lasting impression of it, for life. So Bravo to PapaBravo and his companions.

One little question, when you look back at this, would you consider this as :-
A> Lesson Learnt
B> Best Practice

[arindam_xeta]

Had a great time going through the narration and the pictures. Sikkim is a paradise and is so different in each season.
I have been getting updates of this drive through connected friends and surely can imagine the stress you guys took, albeit the excitement and adventure keeping you refreshed .

Super trip to be part of, that side of the steering wheel and this side of the travelogue! And similarly either side of the lens - great snaps and posing !

I surely know it's so much more tough to be there and face it upfront and you guys did it wonderfully!

Hope your machines are all back in good health, after being subjected to such hydration!

Rated a Five!

[hikersoul]

Awesome Travelogue explaining well that our appetite for adventure will be full for quite sometime now given the fact that nature has played in possibilities with us in this trip.

[PapaBravo]

Originally Posted by GhostRider28

Thanks Pawan for writing down the trip log. It will remain as one of the most memorable trips indeed, Mr Murphy had .............
A big thumbs up to UPrasenjit and team. Without their help might not have been possible to cross the flooded North Bengal districts.

Thanks Sayantan. The company made this trip even more epic.

Originally Posted by lovecars21

Beautiful pictures and awesome narration. Pawan, you have always hit the iron when its hot. After reading this travelogue I feel like going to the mountains again.

Thanks a lot Arun !! I think now you should pack your bags & head to the Himalayas. We guys can't really stay away from it for too long. Can we ?

Originally Posted by PointZero

Thanks Pawan Da for sharing the travelogue. Though the journey was scary I hope all you have enjoyed the real adventure being very experienced travelers.

Thanks Tutai for the appreciation. Your travelogues & journeys have been an very motivating. We enjoyed the whole experience. Your Bolero looks great in that waterfall. It seems to be a favourite spot for Bhpians. This our Brio at the same spot

Originally Posted by ARAY

One of the most Epic blogs for this year. Firstly great narration and some excellent pictures.
You have covered great deatils and can be used as reference by anyone planning a trip.

Thanks a lot for the kind words Aritra.

Its post the Dessert session things start getting super interesting. I must say doing those crossings with 3 cylinders is stupendous. I would compliment the K9K but the one driving the K9K matters the most. Super work done there Pawanda.

Thanks Aritra. Driving on 3 cylinders was indeed scary, especially in those conditions.

Since I am based out of Hyderabad, I dont get a chance to hit the Himalayas like you guys so often but I make sure I do it atleast once a year.
Sikkim has always been my place of interest.

I was there last year and I have plans of doing Arunachal Pradesh this year and I hope the roads shall improve by then.

Sharing a picture from our last trip.

I am sure Bong Duster would be very happy to have a owner like you. You have taken it to so many places till now. Complete justice to what the car was meant to do.

Originally Posted by justwheels

If any word describes this TL very well, it has to be "WOW". Just that. Sikkim is indeed best explored on road and when you the companionship of a Thar and Dusters, it cant be better. To top it all, fellow Team Bhpians make it a dream drive. Beautiful TL and crisp pics. Indeed the water crossings were scary, specially with the limited power on offer. But glad you guys made it through all the hurdles and we have a wonderful TL to read.
..........................
Thanks again for taking us through the beautiful landscapes and the journey. Looking forward for more.

Thank you for the appreciation justwheels. We have never been to Sikkim by any other mode of transport. And yes, the company of like minded friends enhances the experience of the trip.

Originally Posted by BlackPearl

Fantastic travelogue with superb pics PapaBravo and that too within a week of coming back from the trip! I thought of posting a few pics as well once the TL is up, but there is no scope left.
Thanks for not mentioning about the discomfort that we faced in the Thar while going. But I am not that lenient. The incessant rain for close to 18 hours resulted in water dripping inside the Thar from every possible nook and corner. Rajsri was completely drenched and I had to drive close to 13 hours with soaked feet. Saying that, I always knew what I was getting into when I bought the Thar. The ease with which it handles bad roads, the peace of mind and the confidence that it provides in tough situations is unparalleled. At the end, all these things including Murphy's interventions make a memorable trip!

Thanks BP !! That indoor rain was sure very uncomfortable. But I think the disappointment of water leaking in went out of the window (no pun intended) when we were driving on that trail from Geyzing to Legship. Thar felt home there.

Originally Posted by Teesta

Even though though you have made it look easy on this TL, but hats off to all three of you(drivers) for showing immense patience throughout the trip! The drive was not an easy one especially in such hostile conditions. At no point did I see disillusioned or unhappy faces, you guys kept on saying that even this, is an experience, one should not miss. It was very hard especially for Sumitro to drive as Thar was not favorable to us. Water was pouring in from all possible places, glove box was half filled with water, documents got wet, remote of the music system stopped working, there was a pool of water exactly where I was sitting, I couldn't even keep my feet down. Honestly hadn't Thar been such a looker, I would have sent it to the junkyard. Mahindra and the services that they try to provide, is absolutely class apart! We have spent hours in the service station to fix the leaks but they just seem to reappear every time it rains! Now they are telling us to change the canopy as if that will fix the problem! I think we have to buy a Toyota, even though they look ghastly and ugly! Anyway enough of me abusing Mahindra, coming to our trip, it will be one of the best trips till date without any doubt in mind. We had a wonderful professional photographer(Twinkle) with us who flew all the way down from Delhi and god she did a splendid job. Meghna was our planner and made sure we always tried out something different. She entertained us through out the journey. We had a pleasant surprise from Moon and Sayantan on the day we were supposed to start. The more, the merrier has always been our motto. Gangtok's stay was epic and will never be forgotten, the late night ventures, the games that we played, the food that we ate, the plans that were made but never realized made it worth the ordeal that nature presented us to bear. I usually do not prefer long trips with friends as I end up with an ill feeling, but being with you guys has been such a breeze! You all have been the best travel partners till date. Kudos to all of you :-) I hope we have many such trips in future.

Also special mention of Prasenjit, Atish and Gourab. We made it to Kolkata just because of them. They have some serious caliber to help others and are very brave! Samba too kept in touch with us to know whether we are safe or not. These things matter so much! Thank You guys wholeheartedly!

Thank you Teesta. You have written all that I missed out in the TL & given credits where due. The gang was perfect this time. Now let's plan our next one.

Originally Posted by Samba

Amazing travelogue and brilliant pictures. When you travel with four gorgeous ladies, pics are bound to come up great! May i dare to ask how many retakes the photographers had to take for the final output?!

Dangerous territory Samba. You never ask these questions

Coming to the travelogue its no less than an adventure. I can understand the uncertainty you guys had to go through. But hats off to all of you for negotiating all the troubles with cool head and ending the trip in a safe way. From this travelogue one thing i will mention is experience do matter and all the drivers have done a fabulous job. Specially when Papabravo's Duster was handicapped with one failed injector! Surely a newbie or inexperienced driver would have failed to pull out this trip in such a neat way. A Special thanks to Bhpian Uprasenjit, Bhpian Hikersoul (Atish), Gourab, Saikat da to keep you guys updated.

Thanks a lot buddy!! Driving at 50-60 on highway itself is quite irritating. With only 3 cylinder running, keeping a tab at tacho was a headache as well.

No amount of thanks is enough for these guys. There help was instrumental in getting us back home.

Originally Posted by siddarthab

A real adventure indeed.... with all the flooding and blocked injector !!!

Wonderfully written travelogue with splendid photographs. The real fun is when you have such capable co-travellers in your escapades. Keep travelling and sharing.

Thanks siddarthab. It was an adventure indeed. Co-travellers are indded very important. Thankfully my wife is always game for any such adventure trip.

Originally Posted by 1100D

Some experience the return leg must have been. Awesome Narration. Glamorous Pictures, that too, with the locations being mainstream. Inclement conditions at this time of the year is not unknown, so it must have been a deliberate decision grab it by the horns and make a lasting impression of it, for life. So Bravo to PapaBravo and his companions.

One little question, when you look back at this, would you consider this as :-
A> Lesson Learnt
B> Best Practice

Thanks a lot Anirban Da. It was quite an adventure indeed. We love the hills in monsoon and so this trip was planned. As soon as we entered West Sikkim, all the troubles we faced were wiped out of our memory. The overdose of greenery is addictive. This situations may teach us a lesson, but in the end you never care too much about them when you are planning the next one. In the past, I have been stuck in floods in my Brio & have taken in excess of 18 hours just to reach Darjeeling due to bad roads & traffic. But that has never discouraged us from making a plan to these places. I would not think twice before going to these hills again.

Originally Posted by arindam_xeta

Had a great time going through the narration and the pictures. Sikkim is a paradise and is so different in each season.
I have been getting updates of this drive through connected friends and surely can imagine the stress you guys took, albeit the excitement and adventure keeping you refreshed .

Super trip to be part of, that side of the steering wheel and this side of the travelogue! And similarly either side of the lens - great snaps and posing !

I surely know it's so much more tough to be there and face it upfront and you guys did it wonderfully!

Hope your machines are all back in good health, after being subjected to such hydration!

Rated a Five!

Thanks a lot !! It was a great experience for us. Hulk is in perfect health.

Originally Posted by hikersoul

Awesome Travelogue explaining well that our appetite for adventure will be full for quite sometime now given the fact that nature has played in possibilities with us in this trip.

Thanks hikersoul. The appetite never really gets full for a long time. I am sure we all will grab the next opportunity to go up the same route


Regards,

Pawan

[StallionAmit]

Great TL Pawan Bhai, your calmness despite so many concerns and issues on the way is really commendable, but things like these make a trip memorable.
Kudos to all the drivers in this trip.

[1100D]

Originally Posted by PapaBravo

This situations may teach us a lesson, but in the end you never care too much about them when you are planning the next one. In the past, I have been stuck in floods in my Brio & have taken in excess of 18 hours just to reach Darjeeling due to bad roads & traffic. But that has never discouraged us from making a plan to these places. I would not think twice before going to these hills again.

Great to know that these known seasonal setbacks don't deter your spirits from taking these pleasure trips despite the certain uncertainty. Also awesome is the fact that neither this is the first instance, there would be more for us to go impressed about in the future as well. Keep it coming.

However, since you mention that this sort of a thing is already part of your lives, how do you manage to answer yourselves, each time you manage your employers, to accommodate extending your absence from your employments on grounds of holdups due to calamities Natural (or otherwise). When in reality, these delays become vehicles for Additional enjoyment and exhibition.

Forgive me for asking, how many days was the trip originally planned for and how many days did it get extended to?

[PapaBravo]

Originally Posted by 1100D

Great to know that these known seasonal setbacks don't deter your spirits from taking these pleasure trips despite the certain uncertainty. Also awesome is the fact that neither this is the first instance, there would be more for us to go impressed about in the future as well. Keep it coming.

However, since you mention that this sort of a thing is already part of your lives, how do you manage to answer yourselves, each time you manage your employers, to accommodate extending your absence from your employments on grounds of holdups due to calamities Natural (or otherwise). When in reality, these delays become vehicles for Additional enjoyment and exhibition.

Forgive me for asking, how many days was the trip originally planned for and how many days did it get extended to?

Thanks Anirban Da. I am sure you feel the same way. Regarding the extensions, the best way to treat them is to consider them as bonus day of your vacation. If one is stuck, might as well enjoy it. This time we did it by going to Rumtek & having a good lunch at MG. The trip was for 4 days which got extended to 7.

[1100D]

Originally Posted by PapaBravo

The trip was for 4 days which got extended to 7.

So practically a 1 day leave got extended to 4 (400%!!). I would have died out of anxiety. The Biggest challenge of life now is to manage my absence from work and this would have given my upper hierarchy an opportunity to look for someone else to fit in.

Originally Posted by PapaBravo

Regarding the extensions, the best way to treat them is to consider them as bonus day of your vacation. If one is stuck, might as well enjoy it.

That's quite a cool attitude. Maybe someday I may be able to adopt from it, because personally I couldn't get myself to internally enjoy in my mind, knowing that my current engagement might have to get rid of me for being regularly unavailable beyond planned absence. Maybe because I am from an inferior demographic, wherein maintaining employability/dependability is of prime importance. Sustenance of near and dear ones, like the child, wife and aging parents, depend solely on it. Any negligence shown towards the source of bread earning, is indirectly a negligence meted out to the family members. So continually look forward to ways of avoiding situations like these and in the late Monsoon, our region, it is like asking for trouble.

Anyway, sorry for digressing on your thread. These days I hardly comment beyond the usual standard applause. I took the liberty to type a little more, since its "your" thread!

Here's wishing that you Continue Having fun, and it lasts forever as well.

[rajarshi.sarker]

Amazing Travellogue PapaBravo!!!! That was some adventure. Landslides, Floods, Injector Blockage all in the same go!!!

On top of that, loved the way you have paced the travelogue. I never felt bored in between and it maintained that sense of adventure.

[mi2n]

Absolutely fantastic photos! The transformation of Sikkim during monsoons has to be experienced in person! The gushing waterfalls and low flying clouds and the generous greenery. After sundown, the incessant sound of rain and when it stops raining every now and then, the sound of the wild(mostly insects) really stretches the boundaries of your imagination. Excellent narration as usual.

Thanks to the entire team for sticking together and braving it out amidst the most unfavorable conditions during the return leg.

[DriveTrain]

Pawan , thanks for gifting us another epic , this time of a hair raising adventure , that is superbly narrated and accompanied with brilliant photographs.

Originally Posted by PapaBravo

I had to maintain an rpm between 1500 to 2100 in order to minimize juddering & putting load on the engine. I was driving at 50 kmph for the rest of journey.

Did you get to put the Speed-Limiter to good use under those circumstances ?

[PapaBravo]

Originally Posted by rajarshi.sarker

Amazing Travellogue PapaBravo!!!! That was some adventure. Landslides, Floods, Injector Blockage all in the same go!!!

On top of that, loved the way you have paced the travelogue. I never felt bored in between and it maintained that sense of adventure.

Thank you for the appreciation rajarshi.sarker !!

Originally Posted by mi2n

Absolutely fantastic photos! The transformation of Sikkim during monsoons has to be experienced in person! The gushing waterfalls and low flying clouds and the generous greenery. After sundown, the incessant sound of rain and when it stops raining every now and then, the sound of the wild(mostly insects) really stretches the boundaries of your imagination. Excellent narration as usual.

Thanks to the entire team for sticking together and braving it out amidst the most unfavorable conditions during the return leg.

Thanks Mithun. Sikkim is indeed something else in the monsoons.

Originally Posted by DriveTrain

Pawan , thanks for gifting us another epic , this time of a hair raising adventure , that is superbly narrated and accompanied with brilliant photographs.

Thanks a lot Angshuman Da. Glad you liked it.

Did you get to put the Speed-Limiter to good use under those circumstances ?

Nope. Once the warning lights came up, electronic aids stopped working. Cruise control & Speed limiter were disabled by the ECU. If you notice the ESP light turned on too. It is because the engine speed & the corresponding vehicle speed were not matching according to ECU. Therefore, for safety, ECU disabled all electronic aids.

Regards,

Pawan

[Gannu_1]

The concluding bits gave me the shivers! At this rate, my drive to Sikkim remains a distant reality.

Are the roads usually this bad during monsoons?

Amazing travelogue nonetheless. Kudos to you guys.

[GwD]

Hats off to you all and thanks for sharing your journey. Each time I read the TL it felt I was there with you throughout. It was an awesome adventure and your narrative takes all your readers with you.

How did you manage to wade through the deeper sections without revving the engine over 2000?

Best wishes to all of you and look forward to more of your adventures.

[PapaBravo]

Originally Posted by Gannu_1

The concluding bits gave me the shivers! At this rate, my drive to Sikkim remains a distant reality.

Are the roads usually this bad during monsoons?

Amazing travelogue nonetheless. Kudos to you guys.

Thank you Gannu_1 !! The roads are pretty unpredictable in the monsoons. The plains area sometimes gets flooded & the hills usually have landslides. So basically, July to August end is not the best time to visit because of these factors. We were in Sikkim in the first week of May this year & we faced no such problem. But as I said, once you reach Sikkim, you tend to forget everything & soak into the beauty of the wonderful state.

Originally Posted by GwD

Hats off to you all and thanks for sharing your journey. Each time I read the TL it felt I was there with you throughout. It was an awesome adventure and your narrative takes all your readers with you.

How did you manage to wade through the deeper sections without revving the engine over 2000?

Best wishes to all of you and look forward to more of your adventures.

Thank you for the appreciation GwD. Glad you liked it. For deep water stretches I took the liberty to revv up till 3k since I had no choice. But these were short bouts & not continuous revving.