Travel Story:
The pristine waters flowing in the rivers and streams, the large expanses of emptiness surrounded by mighty bare mountains and the mystic blue sky above; all blend perfectly together and form a heaven called Leh – Ladakh!
Om Mani Padme Hum, the Buddhist mantra adrift with the flow of the wind, the aura surrounding you all over Leh. Asking around what the meaning is of the sloka would be in vain for it is inexplicable. Besides the colourful panel of rectangular prayer flags representing five elements to the enchanted prayer wheels, engraved rocks, this mantra keeps following you, or should I say travel along with you. The place is full of chortens and large prayer wheels at every corner which gives the feel of the rich Buddhist culture and its glorious tradition carried through the ages. All these, in the midst of the magnificent Himalayas appear and give a sense of a portrayal of a great painter’s imagination on his imaginary canvas.After being in such heart capturing scenic beauty, the language spoken by the natives of the place soothes your ear. For a while I stood still to realize whether it is because of the place from where I had come. The conversation which lands in your ear, intentionally or unintentionally, adds as nectar to the whole thing. The greetings of the natives with the word julley, wearing a smile comforts you to the core.
Calling a visit to this place a pilgrimage would not be wrong. The place is a heaven for every person who loves traveling and one will not be tired capturing every scene that comes across hundreds of times. And still finding the next moment more worth capturing with another scene in the camera besides the heart. Thanks to the new technology with digital cameras. Unlike the roll cameras of yesteryear's, we can take in numerous pictures of a cloud creating a shade, touching the swirling trees on the mountains, the fluttering flags against the unforgiving wind, etc. One need not have to worry about setting a perfect frame. Whatever you see would be the perfect frame in itself. As soon as the summer season sets in, and as the connectivity regains to function, people rush there from all parts of the world. Do not be surprised when you come across people with various ideas of fun, adventure, exploration, looking for serenity. This is the perfect destination which makes this place a different world altogether. Many prefer to reach the place by air while many think it is worth a ride to reach these mountains on bikes and start their journey from either Manali or Srinagar to make it a trip to be cherished forever.
I had always wanted to visit this place about which I have heard about from thousands of people who had visited it. My urge to explore by myself what this place is all about grew stronger day by day. The question which usually came on my mind was “is it like any other tourist destination or more than that?” So, the planning started with some of my friends. However, I had to visit this place alone as none of my friends could make it to this trip. But, fortunately, I found a companion who's a wanderlust and travel enthusiast just like ME who joined me and hence, we paired up for this trip. What happened next was two wanderlust having the fun of their lives. A look from the air-bus and you will see the mighty bare mountains below giving you their first glimpses of splendor and charm and making you feel more humble but, We chose to ride to this dream land as it was the only practical option left with us being bikers and what came next is an experience words can't describe. You will simply be mesmerized by the way they stand high and marking a magnificent landscape on this earth. This is one of the most beautiful and challenging road trip in the world.
Thanks to Sagar Motgi - A brother, childhood friend, fellow rider for making this come true. For many more rides to come and this is just the beginning. Cheers!!
Keep riding!! Live your life!!
#2brothers #mothernature #roadtrip #wanderlust #1intruder #12days #unlimitedfun