Finished

Finished the ride I spent two more days in Delhi playing the tourist. I'm not sure I'm good at that but I did my thing. The weather is thick and heavy. I'm getting old and dirty....not nice to see but at least the in the airport the AC is OK 

Bikers non bikers and different bikers

In Europe I've a clear idea of what a motorbiker should look like. How s/he should be dressed up and what kind of gear s/he should wear.

The security constraints are pretty standard and the helmet, some basic protection and few riding rules are kind of standard. Less than that and at most you ride a scooter, not that different in some cases but not quite the same.

As riding a motorbike in India requires to comply with a "different" set of rules, a big bunch of westerns come here with little or no motorbike riding education and just jump on a bike to ride it. Nothing wrong with it but very visible. No proper gear, riding in flip flops, everything quite improvised.

On the other hand, locals used to local motorbikes have a solid motorbike riding preparation but the basics are very different from what I am used to. The motorbikes and the roads are different and with it the requirements for a safe trip change. Scarfs, goggles, jackets...à different part of the world.

I'm number 1, I've seen quite some 2 and loads of 3

You must see Dharamshala

Bullshit

Tomorrow the road is dangerous, people throw stones at bikers. We have to leave at 6am, few weeks ago a biker was killed But if are together there are better chances to make it. The sun raises at 7:30, it will be cold as there is a pass at whatever-big-number of feet (yes in India they measure heights in feet). Ok let's make it 6:30.

So here it goes:

1. The sun raises at 5am

2. At 6:30 am I had breakfast and the motorbike was loaded and I was alone 

3. We started at 8:30

4. The sun was shining and within my four layers of technical gear temperatures were high as the deepest part of hell 

5. Nobody showed up to throw stones or anything at all 

6. The road was nice indeed but the only thing that I understood of the conversation is that Indian bikers have beards, all of them 

BTW they do have hot water, just ask 

Alone vs group

Traveling alone doesn't leave space to mistakes, an issue with the bike, the road or yourself and you have no spares to help you out. 

In group you have backup and you can share every moment fixing it in your memory with the vibe of the shared excitement.

Alone is without compromises, I do what I want, go where I like and move at my time. 

With others I have to adapt but sometimes because of this I push myself a bit further discovering more.

Sometime I'd rather sleep in a shit hole town (Banihal) than forcing myself to a rithm that is not mine.

But dinner was great.

Men in flip flops

I don't respect you 

Phetouchuni

Yesterday one of the highest roads in the world

and then some light off road 

before a beautiful landscape toward nubra valley.

A road trip brings me around the country giving me the opportunity to taste different food and several local dishes. So far so good, I don't understand everything but every dish I tried was great and the Indian cuisine is full of great surprises