Yo Ho Ho and a bottle of rum, motorcycles and mountains!

There is something special about motorcycles and mountains. The two are made for each other like Russia and USA. One would feel quite lost without the other!

It all started with a bottle of rum. We had the bottle, but not the weather. With temperatures creeping north of 35 degrees centigrade, we required cooler climes to enjoy the bottle. This could only be had in the mountains, the majestic and mighty Himalayas.

With a barebones basic plan in hand, we hit the road to the mountains. The temperatures had dropped considerably, with the previous evening being quite the stormy affair. No, I am not talking about Stormy Daniels!

At the foothills we were witness to an amusing spectacle. A police car chase was in progress. The cop car managed to get its nose in front of the runaway and push him to the shoulder of the road and bring him to a complete halt. Out popped a rotund police constable to round up the usual suspects. The getaway vehicle popped into reverse gear in an attempt to evade the cop. It was not crime's day, as he went into a ditch, lost control and drove into the paddy fields! All that we could see was the big belly of the policeman bounding after the car. He might not have been the fittest cop around, but full marks to him for commitment!

A quick break for tea later, we were hugging the sinewy asphalt of the mountains. Man and machine were one, as we hit motorcycling nirvana. Time flew and so did our bikes, and before we realised it, the sun was setting and we were caught in a 'traffic jam' because of a landslide. The falling mountain had covered up half the road. The idiocy of humanity was visible there for all to see. In the very narrow space, two buses were playing Robin Hood and Little John, with neither willing to reverse and make way for the other.

*Robin Hood and John the Little from "Robin Hood: Men in Tights". For the full scene of seeing what we experienced in the mountains:

Mountain Standard Time applies there. And we parked our bikes on the side and played the waiting game. My riding partner struck up a conversation with a local and the both of them smoked a borrowed cigarette. It always surprises me how easily smokers find each other and immediately make friends over a cigarette. As if they belong to a tribe and the smoking is a ritual!

We spent the weekend in a small village called Jibhi, a few kilometres before Jalori Pass in the state of Himachal Pradesh. At 10000 feet above MSL, we were sitting pretty. Steaming hot mountain grub and the cold wind were the perfect setting for the bottle of rum to be cracked open. Unfortunately after a full day of riding and a belly full of food, we slept off with nary a sniff of the bottle!

The bottle being much more than just half full, we chose to spend an extra day in the warmth of mountain hospitality. Along the way we met some interesting people, who told us about the growth of the place as a tourist spot. We even did a small trek to Serolsar Lake. The trek whet our appetite and we returned to the hotel and polished off the rum. Finally, mission accomplished, it was time to head home!

The ride back involved narrow roads, often without the Armco barrier. An error would lead you off the cliff and far away!

The bottle might have run dry, but the mountains and motorcycles will make us find another excuse to visit again soon...

One quick drop into oblivion!

Siddu. Whole wheat steamed bread with a juicy potato filling. The bread absorbs the juice of the potato while being steamed. This is local snack. It is served with a chilli mint dip and ghee (clarified butter)

Enter the jungle!

The lovely curves with often steep gradients make for an interesting ride

Steep climb. Inches deep slush and bald tyres ensure that the bus refuses to move ahead. Here the locals jump out of the bus and help push it up. And no that isn't a joke!

A typical mountain dog at the top of Jalori Pass

The view from above the clouds

Looking at valley, before we descend to it

A motorcyclist's work station

Down by the riverside

The last sunset in the hills

A friendly reminder that you are in the mountains, so don't act like a cool townie!