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The
Turning Point
I don’t know if it rained all night but it appeared
so when I opened the window next morning. October 3, 2004
and newspaper flashed heavy rains lash the Manali hills and
Rohtang gets its first, heavy snowfall, landslides happen,
gets blocked. Lo! There we were, stranded in the rain, 145
kilometers before Manali. Making ourselves optionless, we
started from Sundernagar in a mild drizzle which gradually
turned into a heavy rainfall. My goodness! The whole route
appeared as if we are riding on a mountain under the Sea.
With clouds trying their best to engulf and assimilate us,
we felt like riding half-drowned. Incessant pour made riding
extremely difficult. We desperately wanted to get to a dry
place. After crossing Mandi township we saw the signboard
for NH-21 towards Pathankot (210 kms). We just couldn’t
resist the idea of turning, so much pissed off we were by
the rain. Imagine us quitting the lure of Manali – Leh
Ride. Mandi to Pathankot is one of the best hill riding routes
of Himachal with picturesque scenery and excellent greenery
but the rain kept hogging us and it was not before Baijnath
that we could have respite from it. After ‘darshan’
at Shiva temple and a ‘dekko’ at the valley alongside,
we had a late but good lunch. Restaurant opposite to the temple
complex has a good service with a nice Punjabi menu and preparations.
Soon we were zooming past the Palampur Tea Gardens. We took
off the symbolic raincoat that we purchased from Bilaspur
and gradually our clothes started drying in the wind. We enjoyed
the pleasant evening ride with incident sun rays putting up
a spectacular effect on the grey clouds flashing crimson,
foliage greener than ever and birds chirping to say good-bye
to each other. We imbibed a panoramic view of the hills and
the river by making a brief halt at a bridge past Palampur,
seeing off the pleasant evening and welcoming the moonshine.
Hills have always meant a calm haven to me, a city dweller.
It was half past eight when we touched Pathankot and headed
straight for Hotel U-like. We then had talks with Gaurav,
Amol, & Shekhar. Had dinner and logged off for the night.
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