Return to the Himalayas, Sarahan
Continued from the previous page
18th April 2006 Rampur - Delhi
Weather in the morning hadn't changed even a bit, with light showers continuing unabated. By 8:15am I was ready to start my journey home, but it wasn't going to be easy. As I stepped out of the hotel, I was greeted by rain.
After an hour of riding in the rain, I was beginning to get used to the cold and wetness. But hunger had me looking for a nice Dhaba, especially since all I had in the morning was a glass of water. Stopped near a small dhaba in a small village, Aha! a perfect setting for the first meal of the day. The dhaba owner cooked a delicious meal of Rajma, alu-gobhi and roties. With the main course followed by a cup of tea, all this for a princely sum of Rs.28. This is what I like about food in Himachal, cheap and delicious.
Now it was time to move on, with the rain slowing down to a slight drizzle, it was time to take the first shots of the morning.
For the next half an hour, I was mostly riding uphill and could see clouds in the valley bellow!
At that time I was only wishing that clouds would come to the top, so I could ride through them. And soon enough my wish was granted!
With clouds engulfing the road, it was time to put on the indicator and ride on. It felt like a dream sequence in a bollywood movie with the visibility reduced to a mere 30-40mtrs! But the dream sequence was over after half a km or so, much to my disappointment.
While riding through Narkanda, I started to experience the real chills of the weather. But I was in no mood to stop and continued my journey. As I was getting closer to Shimla, weather was clearing up and sun started coming out. With completely drenched cloths and gloves, I knew it would be best to stop some where and shoot some photos and let the sun dry my gloves and clothes.
With relatively warm gloves, it was time to move on to Shimla. Made a mistake here and ventured into the city, instead of taking the bypass. For the next half an hour, I had to zigzag between traffic. By 1:30pm I was on the outskirts of Shimla. It was time for another break and time to grab the last shots of the day.
Rest of the ride went without any hitch and I reached home by 9pm. The trip went as smoothly as possible, considering the weather.
Expenditure
Breakfast: Rs.28
Lunch: Rs.50
Petrol: Rs.200
Total Expense for the trip (including petrol): Rs.1906 (US $42.5)
Kms covered: 1180kms
Fuel average: 40.68kmpl
Route taken: Delhi to Ambala via NH-1, Ambala - Zirakpur crossing - Kalka - Shimla - Narkanda - Rampur - Jeori via NH-22, 17km diversion from Jeori to Sarahan
