Travelogue : (1) - ManiKaran - My first with wingMan

To start with a New year keeping on with my resolutions - I will go on and on within this year..And this is the start to my addiction...
My first one with a companion - Nitin Gera, My WingMan - Another Blue CBZ !!
I always wanted a CBZoid as a companion with real riding skills.
Day 1 : Jan 28 : Occassion : Birthday Celebration

First thing in the morning - to start is to get my Jess - have her breakfast get her tummy filled for the rest of the journey - it took 500Rs for 11.497Lts at 43.49Rs\ltr. Got back home and loaded my stuff onto my Jess - just a bag with basic clothes and left home at 5:20AM with my Odometer reading at 41.462kms.

Next up was a meeting with my new wingman - for an intro - it was Nitin Gera, another dood like me who has been in luv with a CBZ, quite alike me. Catching up with him on the meeting point - "Bus Stop - NH1" at 5:37AM. It was 23kms now from my home and I was slowly settling down into the couch of my Jess. We met with a warm hug and he wished me for my B'day ...yes its my Birthday.

For the First time I was riding with a WingMan - It was all dark and the heavy big vehicles in a hurry to exit through the city. At first I was not sure about how will I carry on with the Peer but it didnt took long to adjust as my focus was on whats ahead of me. It wasnt long before I took my first stop with a reading of my odometer and at the border and the time in my watch.
It was 37kms from my home to be precise and 5:50Am in my watch.

Once again, the Rythm started flowing with the night drive carrying us through the cold and wintery chill which started to freeze our hands and feets besides wearing gloves and thick woolens. I can feel the shivver as our visors kept on getting fogged up again and again but I wasnt as good as nitin to keep it open for a while in a regular intervals. OOOhhhh Laa laaa - to our surprise we were driving through the clouds of fog and I can feel that flying sense - riding at about constant 60-70k's ... And Nitin would often look at my stupidity - leaving my handlebar and spreading my hands through "Just like I am Bird".

After a shivver and the morning light filling up the horizon we sure were waiting for a next halt to get ourselves warm with hot Tea and something to fill our tummy. We had a planned thought for our first halt at karnal which counted into 140kms ride till this time - and the time : 07:18Am. This was when we were desparate to get Warm with our first cup of tea and it wasnt long now that we were eating our Parantha's as our breakfast .. the break extended till 08:05Am.

Leaving with our stomach filled upto brink we were almost about to settle down again - and wasnt long before that we realised there was a little problem with the front end of Nitin's bike. We stopped while I adjusted my muffler that kept me warm. Smooth were the roads and the we were gliding at 70's before we crossed the Pipli Flyover into the Eagle's Avenue - Was it really an Eagle Avenue ? - The real answer is from our Camera's - Nitin was too desperate and told him not to stop but to get his ultimate tool out of the box and There we were shooting those FreeBirD's right in our lens. We took about exact 30minutes from our time, the passion was quite visible between me and Nitin's action. They were eagles perching for that flesh from the dead cows and leftovers.. droolin time.

This was another stop for our machines = more over my Jess to have her second and the final drink of the day at 09:40Am with 250Rs worth of fuel filling 5.267ltrs to get to the brink. We have been challenged by a Pulsar - and no doubt we two drilled him down like peice of a cake .. Ask nitin. Indeed that person was no good before we decided - let him go - we have got a long journey still. Reached Zirakpur and By passed Chandigarh regardless of knowing that its getting to rush hour now. Landscape changed as we were welcomed by the First view of hills near Panchkula after driving for almost about 5 hours now. Took another diversion from Pinjore and we were headed for the ultimate Racetrack but not right away. It wasnt too soon though - Got the real pleasure of Butt Testing - Roads turned like an ugly face of the moon and we were tossing on our seats but I did what I liked the best - Knee Riding.... avoid being on seat and take the knee as your shockers... aaah what a heck of a ride it was - And I can see the tiring sensation falling into our nerves. After driving through the rough we were eventually on the curves and climb has begun...

Reached Swarghat at about 12'Noon and the real race track was ahead .. Smooth as it can be..But Thats when one can go wrong - me and nitin both trying to get going on the leaning and me overshooting on some curves and he was watching me overshoot them and he took the charge when all of a sudden a truck came out from behind of another truck on a curve leaving no space for nitin to stay on the road and he outbraked himself loosing his balance - My eyes seeing all the action - And then he landed on his knees and the face straight on the road with bike leaving him and going down the road and I was awestuck with no words but just a wish - he is all fine. By the time I put my bike on the stand He was back on his feets. I was atleast happy to see him get back on the foot but the bike was hanging where it required 4 people to pull his bike out from a metre down the road. I thanked the people who helped us getting the bike back on the road. It was time when anyone can loose that confidence but I knew he sure will get his biker spirit up and running again.
Bike was damaged with all the front cosmetics gone and few other damages which were recovered the very same time.

It took us about 1 hour to get moving again - Helluva experience. The place was Baner and we moved from there at 13:20. Now it was me who was to take the charge and I knew what was still going through my head each time I close my eyes.Eventful is all I will address it but I dont know what exactly was going through Nitin's head. He sure had to cope up with lot more than just what I saw. The fun sure went down but was not over - I was fighting with sleep and we kept on passing over the charge. Sometimes it was him and whenever I will get off from sleepy feeling - I used to keep him on my tail.

Hungy, we became by this time. We have reached Bilaspur and the time was 14:10, the location was too remote - away from the crowd and just two of us - took about 40minutes while I was drowned in sleep. By 14:50 we were back as the time we assumed - It can take us to darkness quite easily as we said it will be 20:00 by time we reach Manikaran. We picked up the pace but again it was in 60s with lot more precautions and I would feel that my front end was not picking up the good grip - too bad. But it was more of feeling only - I Guess.

Reached NerChowk by 15:45 and we got a awesome galore of the Eagle's Again. No way - we gonna miss it - Possibly last time for us to catch these birds - We were back with our guns and shot unlimited with few good shots and it was decided that we shouldnt be taking anymore halts. It took us 30 minutes and again it was not a feeling that we are loosing on time or the daylight - such great is that feeling.

Another awesome stop came by as we just passed the Pandoh and got a mirror shot in the water of the hills. Just too impressive for the shots of the valley and winds got stronger and then it was more and more of to get to the destination quickly but then the roads didnt made us feel that we are going to be delayed. There we were Finally before we to get the last and slow ride - BHuntar. Across the bridge - the winds were too nasty and the sun has disappeared completely into the darkness.

It was a Tea Break at 17:55 and took us about 10minutes and we just didnt wanted to leave our warm tea glasses - Wished we had warm handgrips on our bikes just like the BMW's... Just a wish.. Anyways total darkness enveloped us and we were chickens now in the darkness as each turn made us feel its dangerous at night with no one in sight...but I was too used to it now..after spending years in hills driving solo in night.

Final Touchdown at Manikaran - Finally after being on our saddles for more then 12hours we were in safe custody of GOD !! or We were in Heaven ? - I think heaven for me . It was 19:34 and 533kms for me from home. What a dare - I should call - What a way to celebrate the birthday doing what I like the most - Riding my bike - clicking with my camera and Enjoying the nature to its best...

Got a hot bath - and our back's were in pain - Nitin too tired - Me too sleepy now
Finally at 23:00 we went to our room and it took us a little while talkin about the incident that happenend. If one thing we were to take off from the day, it would have been too good But still we were in good spirits. And it was not long before that we dozed off ...

Day 2 : Jan 29 : Occassion : Day after I turned 24.

Alarm rang off at 06:00 and I snoozed it for next 30 minutes so as to complete our sleep but then nitin turned it off at 06:30 again before we finally stepped out of our bed at 08:00. It took us no time to reach for the Hot Sulphur bath and we were too excited but felt the water was bit hot then yesterday evening. Wasnt long before we set out with our camera's. Setting through the old street along with the Parvati river we reached to a place out of crowd and pure with straight sunshine on the water making it look like Crystal clear stream. One needs to see it to believe it at this time of the year what it looked like. Spending 4 hours that just went like 4 minutes and the thoughts that was there in our heads was - How to keep coming here with more time to spend on our shoots. It was like falling in love with it again - Indeed so pure when we dont have crowd in ManiKaran.

It was time again when we must leave and we packed our bags to leave from here at 12:10. So was the excitement that we were in no mood to waste anytime and stop wherever we find wonderful landscapes. We knew that these 35kms journey to bhuntar will take us more than 2 hours. We found a spot where we just went shooting up in mother nature's lap. Burst mode photography - Me and Nitin Flyin in air - yes ..dats when we did burst mode shootout - Jumping from height to land up a mush of green grass .. crazy it may sound but that wat it is like to be - there's still a kid alive in us.

Drove a little further with a though in a head that we must carry on without any stops but was hard to maintain - the landscape offered is such a beauty that it is totally difficult to stop ourselves from stopping and shooting again and again - Afer about almost 2 hours of stops and shoots we eventaully reached Bhuntar at 14:05. Time for our babes to take on their meals too - My Jess took a galloping 450Rs fuel accounting to 9.87Ltr - 45.60Rs/ltr. The ride was smooth again till we halted for a small break when Nitin took on his instincts shooting the video from his Lumix. goood goood - looks too nice ..

THis time we decided to reach Sundernagar and take our food - and through the city its always been rough as crowd just jumps out on road from anywhere.. huh !! Touched down sundernagar and took our food to kill our hungry lurch. A small break for 30minutes discussing by what time should we be making a final touchdown ?? 02:00 or 03:00 - lets keep it smooth is all was the conclusion.

Crossing the curves and see the sun spreading its last few rays - we were little in a fast motion - and Ohh Yeah - I met the same lady that helped us while Nitin was down and I said my "Namaste" to her with due courtesy. She was surprised to see who it was on a bike but when she saw second bike she realised - The Nasty guys r back ..LoL - Nitin wanted to look back and saw that spot very closely. I still have respect for this land and its people - truly appreciatable guys. We Touched Swarghat at 18:13 with 198kms ride so far from out start. Next up through the long traffic Jam was Kiratpur fighting those trucks high beam and cursing each of the A$$Hole - Cant they see others cant see when they are on high beam. Shoops and we had all the kind of Bad words - till we unltimately crossed the Beas river and took a small halt for washing our faces and streching out our legs. It was 18:54 till 19:00 we just chilled ourselves and said it will be another maximum 2 hours by which we will reach Chandigarh. But then there was a catch - and we were lucky, found two train crossings and yep YEP we left behind all the metal cages behind us by skipping those crossings. It was 20:13 and we were in Chandigarh when we didnt spent too much time thinking about our next halt. We though it will be Karnal but as we started off from Chandigarh it turned that by Ambala we were hungry and Decided to have our Dinner. Food was what Nitin ordered and I enjoyed this time around. It was getting cold so we kept ourself on our enegy reserves till Karnal. cruising at 70's. And it was 407kms till now and we eventually had our last break at 22:52 for some home shopping. Only next and the final stop for me was a fuel intake for my Jess for 150Rs bringing 3.46lts into her tummy costing 43.43Rs/ltr. Now was when I have taken the flight in a fast lane - it was that adrenalin which came into me for the first time going over 100 for the first time throughout my journey. Challenged the Cages and eventually the bikes were sure winners over those metal cages except it appeared that they will always wonder looking at us - how come these guys are driving in the chill outside.... Let Em Wonder.... .

It was 01:13 and We eventually reached the place that was the meeting point and now is going to to be a separation point. But thats what it is like - One that goes away must come back too.. We were back to our home and I have clocked over 1000kms on my odo with wonderful time.

In all I love whatever we did and hope this a new beginning.

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