“Before the tunnel ride! A redo of the ride follows later.”
Vasist was the place where I first met Yuri. That was also the place I met Bahadur there. Regarding Vasist, One could say your official journey begins from that point. There were three brothers with beautiful souls waiting for us. Chotu, Jeetu, and Jhony who owned ‘The Enfield Club’. After completing all the formalities we had one last night to celebrate before there bike journey began.
“Memories remain when shared; Tizi and I shared talks, smiles, foods and bike together during the trip.”
I had never tried Israeli food before. Yuri and Tizi introduced me to this food for dinner at this cozy place called Cafe Kathmandu. We had to celebrate as it was our last day in Old Manali. We celebrated by enjoying ‘manala cream’. I don’t usually indulge in these things but that was an opportunity one could not miss. We dived into conversation that ranged from companionship to personal stories, past lovers, and adventures. And then we had the munchies!
After all the ride would begin tomorrow. Yuri had to return to Vasist. Tizi and I were staying at Old Manali. We ended the night with a short but memorable evening walk. We retired to our own rooms by midnight.
“Straight roads – at one point – make you monotonous. Curve roads always increase your inquisitiveness.”
The day finally came where we’d start our journey. I had worked a little more on my rented bike as I had a small flag of Nepal and tied it to the back of the bike with our amenities. Tizi had hers tied too but I could see her bike handle was a little wobbly because her stuffs weren’t harnessed properly. A little about Tizi. She likes to sketch. She listens to music almost all the time. And she also likes to do things her way not doesn’t like to be told. Having seen the improper way she’d harnessed her bags to the bike I knew telling her wouldn’t solve it so I reached out to help her without letting her do it. Thus, after breakfast we went toward Vasist to pick Yuri at the bike point.
“Get to know Tiziana (Tizi) a little more. Tizi, form Germany, was one of our daring motorbike rider. She rode her bike solo and non-stop along difficult roads of the region – that was one of the most inspiring moments of the whole tour.”
I realized I couldn’t trust Yuri with the motorcycle with his lack of experience. But regardless we switched a fair few times. I had worn my blue denim jacket as did Yuri. Along with the bike we also had a half helmet to accompany us throughout the journey. As a good gesture the brothers from the Enfield club let me keep the helmet for myself even after the journey ended.
The roads started off as expected. They were exactly like the ones you see in movies that depict hill stations. Hilly roads curved to perfection and trees on both sides. We almost touched Shimla but didn’t because our road diverged toward Spiti Valley. I remember we crossed this place called Banzar and we reached this place called Jhibi. It was a completely isolated. It was one of the most silent places I’ve ever been. I cannot tell you how quiet the place felt. We then came across the highlight of the day and also the best part of that day. A tunnel segment that captivated me so much that I pledged Yuri and Tizi to wait while I went back to experience the tunnel ride again. It was the first time I’d seen a tunnel that long let alone ride through it A lengthy stretch that made us turn on the headlights even when we entered midday. And I did it twice.
My companions must have wondered why I was so excited about the tunnel to ride through it twice because for them it’s a common architectural phenomenon. For me, it was alien and it felt majestic. I went back half way and zoomed through it to experience it a little more.
As the day ended in Jhibi I reflected on a few things. Jhibi wasn’t a place tourists usually end their day. They either go a little beyond or they stop a little earlier. While Yuri was funny in his own way and started growing on me. Jhibi resembled Danaque and Timang of Manang. Cold, dark, and very much out of civilization. More interestingly I was looking forward to entering Spiti Valley.
Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word!
