Thanksgiving 2018

Thanksgiving 2018

 

Its 2018, November has just started. The Delhi weather has started changing; its pre-winters & the foggy Delhi mornings have just started to set in. One fine morning, enjoying the morning mist with a cup of hot espresso; I checked my phone. To my surprise, there was a Whatsapp message from my friend Anil, who was currently in Bangalore. It had been almost 5 years that we hadn't been in touch. I dialed him back & what started as normal conversation, ended up with a plan. Anil wanted to go for a vacation & the time was right; as the Thanksgiving weekend was right there, at the end of the month.

 

With his tickets booked, well in advance, Anil was done with his part & now it was time for me to get in action. Even though we still haven’t zeroed on the destination; it was time to arrange for a motorcycle for Anil. Now this is where your friends come for your rescue; a few members from the Zephyr Treads adventure touring group came forward. The options we has for Anil were a Royal Enfield Electra & a Mahindra Mojo. Keeping in mind that the second bike had to keep up with my Royal Enfield Himalayan; we decided to opt for Mahindra Mojo. With the bike sorted, it was time to finalize the destination & start working on the itinerary. We had a 4 days, extended weekend in hand & after checking out various route options; it was decided that we will be doing the Delhi - Bhimtal – Nanital – Pangot – Jim Corbett – Delhi circuit.

 

It was Thursday morning November 22nd; Anil had already landed in Delhi & was in the cab for Noida. On the other side, I was busy with bikes, the last min touch ups; all thanks to Chand Bhai for coming in at 7:00am for installing the auxiliary lights on our bikes. It was almost around noon; after the meet, greet & eat; it was time to get in action.  

"All my bags are packed; I'm ready to go. I'm standing' here outside your door; I hate to wake you up to say goodbye….” 

Let’s break the bubble. Bikes loaded, Helmets fastened & Gloves up; we started off from Noida, taking the NH-9. If everything goes as planned, then where is the element of adventure.While planning this ride, it didn’t struck me even once that it’s a day before Kartik Poornima. This festival is of major importance amongst the Hindu devotees across Northern India. They gather at various Ghats of river Ganga, in massive numbers. Garh Mukteshwar, is a considered to be an auspicious place, to be around during Kartik Poornima & we had to cross it. After an hour of riding on the NH-9; suddenly there was a massive traffic. Vehicles crawling bumper to bumper, while struggling with this traffic for aver an hour; I gave up. The scorching sun, leather riding jacket, packed helmet, foul smelling diesel smoke choking you & the sweat; all combined, just made it impossible to ride any further.

 

We stopped at this road side shop; the shade of the tree was a priceless possession at this time. With some cold drinks & nicotine, we charged ourselves up. This is when we learnt about why there was this massive traffic. With no options, we again started crawling, another 2 hour of struggle & we made through the traffic. It was around 9:00pm & we had an open highway in front of us. But before the shops close down, we had to do some shopping; as there was one more thing I forgot to keep while planning (goof up #2). At Gajraula, we saw a liquor store on the high way & quickly pick up our friend; The Old Monk. It was almost 10:00pm & with not much options to stay, we decided to ride on, till the time its bright lit highways & where ever we find a suitable place to stay, we can stop. After an hour of cursing down the highway, we crossed Moradabad. It was time for a quick break, however while travelling in Uttar Pradesh, it was not the right time to stop on the highways. Up in the distance we could see the light from a petrol pump & decided to check it out. Will a small tea shop next to it & few truckers around; it seemed like a safe place. A kadak highway wali Chai was the need of the hour; as we both were a bit tiered. But the Adrenaline kept pushing & we dint wanted to stop & ride for few more kilometers. Being a traveler, somehow makes you a conversation starter; especially when on the road, this is a much needed skill. With a refreshing Chai & Sutta break; we heard that over an hour’s drive from here is Rudarpur, where we can find budget lodges near the bus stand & will be an economical & safer option to stay. Caffeine & Nicotine had made their way in our blood streams & the Adrenaline levels were up again. Another hours drive & we were at Rudarpur. It was already 12:00am & all we could see were the beautifully paved highways. Near the bus stand, we checked into this lodge, 2 shots of old monk & it was time to call it a day.

 

Parked for the night...

Somewhere... is always a good place to be...

It was morning & the care taker of the lodge was kind enough to get our tea & Omelette. Breakfast done, it was time to load the bikes again & hit the road. Another 2 hours of drive in the plains & we crossed Haldwani. It was time for the roads to change from the flat open highways to the twisted curvy mountain roads & the first glimpse of the mountains, reassured us that now things are going to be fine. After enjoying a few more kilometers, it was time for our first break. At Bhimtal, we spent some time near the lake, explored the local market & had Maggie & Chai by the lake. 

Bhimtal Lake

Posers...

It was almost 1:00pm, we were hungry again; however it was time to move. Next on the list was Nanital, the lake, not the city. On the way to Nani Lake, we stopped at the famous I 💓 Cafe (read as: I heart cafe); a very well-known place in the area. Pizza, Omelette & Coffee. A good old friend & lots of time to kill; we spent a few hour at this café & it was time to move ahead. 

 

Caramel Latte at  "I 💓 Cafe"

Outdoor lawn & fire place at I 💓 Cafe

Food @ I 💓 Cafe

By 4ish, we were at the famous Nani Lake.  Few clicks here and there & were done with 2 most commercial destinations of our journey. From tourists, it was time to switch gears & come to traveler mode; time to explore the lesser known, non-commercial off beat places. We started for our destination for the day, Pangot (P.S. – There is no cellular network coverage in the area. Telecommunication is possible over Whatsapp calls; provided the signal strength is strong enough.). 

Chai Time at Naini Lake

Pangot Village is about 15 kilometers from Nanital. We rode through the forested area of Naina Peak Range via Himalaya Darshan & Echo Zone which are famous for Himalaya view of Nanda Devi mountain ranges. We passed through the Kilbury Bird Sanctuary; it is the ultimate destination for anyone who loves watching birds& is known as the bird watcher's paradise.

Finally we reached the Janardan Resort; A warm cup of coffee on a wintery evening, a bit of chit chat; we settled our bags, freshened up, changed our clothes & it was time for round 2 of catching up with Anil. A few shots of Old Monk & chit chatting; the dinner was served & it was time to slip into the cozy beds. Next morning, we woke up to the bright sunlight entering from the window. I came out to bask myself in the bright morning sun.  The warmth of the sun, the chillness of the breeze & the eye catching scenic views, could be best complimented with a hot cup of coffee. Sipping our coffees, lying lazily in the sun & no to-do list for the day; we sat there lazily; it felt like as if the time has stopped for us.  After a heavy brunch, we decided to go down, check our bikes & then go for a little stroll around the area. No deafening horns, no noise pollution & constant chirping of birds & insects from the forest area, were like a therapy for our ears. The eye catching view of the Himalayan ranges, the lush green forest, a small jungle riverine & huge variety of colorful birds; were a treat to our eyes.  It had started getting dark & it was time to head back to our resort. By the time we reached back, the bon-fire was already lit & a group of friends, also staying in the same resort, we already there enjoying their drinks, playing the guitar & singing songs. We decided, to go to our room & enjoy the tranquility of this place with a few shots of Old Monk, remembering the past instances & discussing our plans for the future. We sat outside our room, smoothly sipping our drinks & discussing the plans for the next day. Disha, a member of the other group, walked towards us & asked if the bikes parked below belonged to us. This was a conversation starter; while talking about our bikes & she invited us to join them. Though, initially we were a bit hesitant, but a few more members from Disha’s group, started calling us. It was time to stop acting pricy & to move our lazy tiered asses. With nothing more to share apart from our travelling experiences & a bottle of old monk; we joined the group. After a round of experience sharing & some karaoke; it was time for dinner. Everyone came back to the camp fire after dinner. After some number exchanges & Facebook friend requests sent, to our newly met friends. A few mire songs & everyone knew it was almost time to say good night. but nobody wanted to go back to their rooms. It was time for the last song of the day & melancholy, everybody was humming, “Chalte Chalte… Mere Yeh Geet Yaad Rakhna… Kabhi Alvida Na Kahna… Kabhi Alvida Na Kahna…” Goodnight hugs & promises to meet again were done & everybody started retreating to their rooms. The next morning, as I stepped outside, the sun was out in its full glory. Disha & her friends were already up & were enjoying their morning tea. As they were staying there for another day, they requested us to stay back & join them for the jungle trek. But we already had plans for the day; we had promises to keep & miles to ride before we sleep. We had our breakfast; it was time to goodbye to Pangot & to our newly met friends.

Janardan Resort, Pangot, U.K.

Sun Kissed

Breakfast @ Janardan Resort

They also need some sun.. Resting...

 

On the roads again; it was time to head for our next destination. Corbett Village Camp, located in the Syatt village of the Kotabagh area of the Jim Corbett Forest Reserve (another location with limited phone connectivity); this where we were going next.  The distance was not much & we had an entire day at our disposal; we decided to keep it easy & reach our destination by day end. Enjoying the scenic routes, the beautiful weather, we stopped at various places for various reasons, clicked a few pictures here & there, and were enjoying the limited or no phone connectivity. It was around 3:00pm, with minimum signal strength, my phone rang. “Hi this is Sam, from the Corbett Village Camps. Sir, by what time do you plan to reach the resort?” said the breaking voice from the other side. “As late as possible”, I replied & the man started laughing & laughed on for a good 30 seconds. I asked him why he was going bonkers???   “I think, I am going to have a good time after a long while…” said Sam from the other side. “Even we hope for the same.” I replied & disconnected the call. It was an indication, that enough of leisure mode; it was time rev up the bikes. Cruising through small villages on the road, we entered the Jim Corbett Forest Reserve area. It had already started getting dark & I wanted to take a leak. The lonely road, huge trees, loud noise of many birds & insect, made it all the more difficult to answer the nature call. Finally we managed to reach, the resort & this here where I met the sweetest couple; Sam & Varsha, the owners of the property. As we entered the resort & parked our bikes; we met Sam. The quirky & mischievous smile on Sam’s face, was a warm welcome & a hint of what was coming ahead. Sam took us to our tents. By the time we freshened up & changed; Sam had arranged for the camp fire. We headed out for the camp fire & once again it was time some drinks & making new friends. Though I don’t remember much, what happened that night; but it can be best described in the words of Dire Straits…

 

“Last night I wasn’t sober, man I felt bad... Worst hangover that I ever had... It took six hamburgers and scotch all night... Nicotine for breakfast just to put me right...”

Corbett Village Camp

Let them start young... Let them fall in love...

Where we lay our head, is home...

Night @ Corbett Village Camps..

Fun in the Sun!!!

And finally time for some expert advise.., Talking to Myself...

Below are few more pics from the ride. Please leave a comment below & do let me know what you think about the ride.