My Journey to Leh

[Khagesh]

what was ur top speed in khardungla-i m just being curious-u must had full throttle of platina

Naa, I never do full throttle for two obvious reasons.

One, bike wouldnt feel comfortable at full throttle. Briefly yes, but never constantly.
Secondly, if I use full throttle, in emergencies we need that extra power, from where I should get when I am in full throttle always. A lesson from my flying days.

Khardungla, as far as I remember, briefly I had to go to first gear because of the snow, slush on the road. While climbing down, it was already dark and I had all the road to myself so I really hurried fast. I did not bother to see my speedometer. May be I was doing around somewhere 40 to 50. But one thing I vividly remember, while coming down, my worse fear is, if my headlamp bulb fuses at that hour at that place. Luckily nothing like that happened.

Having said that, Rothang, coming down, the road was fantastic, I was really zipping fast, sure it was somewhere 50 to 60. Yes, the bike is highly maneuverable in tight bends too.

No issues with the bike on these sectors atleast. Just remember, dont strain the bike. Let the bike also enjoy the ride. Thats the biggest mantra.

 

[Tilak Francis]

Khagesh sir, Another beautiful travelogue. I am reading this after your Nepal travelogue. If you happen to travel through Vellore, do let me know. I really wish to meet you. Enjoy the depth of your narration.

 

[Khagesh]

Khagesh sir, Another beautiful travelogue. I am reading this after your Nepal travelogue. If you happen to travel through Vellore, do let me know. I really wish to meet you. Enjoy the depth of your narration.

Thank you Tilak. I will certainly look forward to meet you too. I will let you know if I pass by Vellore.

My Leh travelogue comes alive after such a long time. Thank you.

 

[Rohit Allavali]

View attachment 442825

[/QUOTE]

Khagesh Sir, I have no words but I'll try.

There was a monk named Hun Chuan in China, who wanted to make a pilgrimage to Mount Wutai.

For many years he prepared and prepared for the arduous journey, but he found that something or the other was always amiss.

One day when Hun Chuan was going to the market, he met his old friend Wu Zan, who he had not seen since many years.

"Wu Zan", asked Hun Chuan, "where have you been for so many years?"

"Why, my friend Hun Chuan, I have just returned from my pilgrimage to Mount Wutai", replied Wu Zan.

Hun Chuan's heart skipped a beat. How could this frail old Wu Zan have possibly made it to Mount Wutai on foot??

So he asked Wu Zan: "Well, I have been trying to make this pilgrimage, and I have been preparing for so many years, but I still don't feel that I have prepared enough for this long and tiring journey. So tell me, friend Wu Zan, how did you do it? And what did you carry with you?"

Wu Zan replied: "It was simple, my friend Hun Chuan. I took my begging bowl with me. When I was hungry, I asked for food in the begging bowl and ate from it. When I was thirsty, I dipped my begging bowl in streams and drank from it. And that's how I made it."

Someday, Khagesh sir, we will meet and I will hug you.

And then touch your feet.

Love you Sir and many more to come.





p.s.: Did I mention that this is the most awesome Leh travelogue on any forum anywhere?

 

[Khagesh]

Khagesh Sir, I have no words but I'll try.

There was a monk named Hun Chuan in China, who wanted to make a pilgrimage to Mount Wutai.

For many years he prepared and prepared for the arduous journey, but he found that something or the other was always amiss.

One day when Hun Chuan was going to the market, he met his old friend Wu Zan, who he had not seen since many years.

"Wu Zan", asked Hun Chuan, "where have you been for so many years?"

"Why, my friend Hun Chuan, I have just returned from my pilgrimage to Mount Wutai", replied Wu Zan.

Hun Chuan's heart skipped a beat. How could this frail old Wu Zan have possibly made it to Mount Wutai on foot??

So he asked Wu Zan: "Well, I have been trying to make this pilgrimage, and I have been preparing for so many years, but I still don't feel that I have prepared enough for this long and tiring journey. So tell me, friend Wu Zan, how did you do it? And what did you carry with you?"

Wu Zan replied: "It was simple, my friend Hun Chuan. I took my begging bowl with me. When I was hungry, I asked for food in the begging bowl and ate from it. When I was thirsty, I dipped my begging bowl in streams and drank from it. And that's how I made it."

Someday, Khagesh sir, we will meet and I will hug you.

And then touch your feet.

Love you Sir and many more to come.





p.s.: Did I mention that this is the most awesome Leh travelogue on any forum anywhere?
[/QUOTE]

Dear Rohit,

Trust me, after a long time, today, I somehow instinctively logged in, just to see if I need to reply to any posts. True enough, I have your post which, to be frank, made me emotional. Thank you for narrating the story. At the same time, many a times when I read such comments, I feel shy to read and even feel panegyric for not so a heroic act.

My very intention of writing the travelouge was to instill confidence if someone doubts their own mettle. Just keep going, the way opens by itself. Trust me.

After the Leh trip I made another solo bike trip to Nepal which also covers Muktinath and EBC trek and back home. This Nepal trip really tested me in all respects; physically on the slushy roads of Mustang with bare food intake, with oxygen level dropping to 65 or so on EBC, emotionally when I called my daughter from Muktinath but couldnt speak to her but just cried. These mountains humble us to tranquility.

Hope to read your travelogue too Rohit, soon enough.

Thank you once again.

Khagesh

 

[Rohit Allavali]

Khagesh Sir, I have no words but I'll try.

There was a monk named Hun Chuan in China, who wanted to make a pilgrimage to Mount Wutai.

For many years he prepared and prepared for the arduous journey, but he found that something or the other was always amiss.

One day when Hun Chuan was going to the market, he met his old friend Wu Zan, who he had not seen since many years.

"Wu Zan", asked Hun Chuan, "where have you been for so many years?"

"Why, my friend Hun Chuan, I have just returned from my pilgrimage to Mount Wutai", replied Wu Zan.

Hun Chuan's heart skipped a beat. How could this frail old Wu Zan have possibly made it to Mount Wutai on foot??

So he asked Wu Zan: "Well, I have been trying to make this pilgrimage, and I have been preparing for so many years, but I still don't feel that I have prepared enough for this long and tiring journey. So tell me, friend Wu Zan, how did you do it? And what did you carry with you?"

Wu Zan replied: "It was simple, my friend Hun Chuan. I took my begging bowl with me. When I was hungry, I asked for food in the begging bowl and ate from it. When I was thirsty, I dipped my begging bowl in streams and drank from it. And that's how I made it."

Someday, Khagesh sir, we will meet and I will hug you.

And then touch your feet.

Love you Sir and many more to come.





p.s.: Did I mention that this is the most awesome Leh travelogue on any forum anywhere?

Dear Rohit,

Trust me, after a long time, today, I somehow instinctively logged in, just to see if I need to reply to any posts. True enough, I have your post which, to be frank, made me emotional. Thank you for narrating the story. At the same time, many a times when I read such comments, I feel shy to read and even feel panegyric for not so a heroic act.

My very intention of writing the travelouge was to instill confidence if someone doubts their own mettle. Just keep going, the way opens by itself. Trust me.

After the Leh trip I made another solo bike trip to Nepal which also covers Muktinath and EBC trek and back home. This Nepal trip really tested me in all respects; physically on the slushy roads of Mustang with bare food intake, with oxygen level dropping to 65 or so on EBC, emotionally when I called my daughter from Muktinath but couldnt speak to her but just cried. These mountains humble us to tranquility.

Hope to read your travelogue too Rohit, soon enough.

Thank you once again.

Khagesh
[/QUOTE]

Dear Khagesh Sir,

Thank you for replying to my post. In fact I created an account here after reading your travelogue only because I thought what a sacrilege it'd be to not thank the man who has done this.

Yeah the mountains, as Kipling said, once they get in your blood, you'd come back to die there. Thankfully you came out of Nepal alive.

So when are you writing a book?

Would love to know what are you doing now-a-days.

Take care.

p.s.: Love that little 100cc Kawasaki motor, despite Bajaj's best attempts to ruin it.

 

[Khagesh]

Dear Rohit,

Trust me, after a long time, today, I somehow instinctively logged in, just to see if I need to reply to any posts. True enough, I have your post which, to be frank, made me emotional. Thank you for narrating the story. At the same time, many a times when I read such comments, I feel shy to read and even feel panegyric for not so a heroic act.

My very intention of writing the travelouge was to instill confidence if someone doubts their own mettle. Just keep going, the way opens by itself. Trust me.

After the Leh trip I made another solo bike trip to Nepal which also covers Muktinath and EBC trek and back home. This Nepal trip really tested me in all respects; physically on the slushy roads of Mustang with bare food intake, with oxygen level dropping to 65 or so on EBC, emotionally when I called my daughter from Muktinath but couldnt speak to her but just cried. These mountains humble us to tranquility.

Hope to read your travelogue too Rohit, soon enough.

Thank you once again.

Khagesh

Dear Khagesh Sir,

Thank you for replying to my post. In fact I created an account here after reading your travelogue only because I thought what a sacrilege it'd be to not thank the man who has done this.

Yeah the mountains, as Kipling said, once they get in your blood, you'd come back to die there. Thankfully you came out of Nepal alive.

So when are you writing a book?

Would love to know what are you doing now-a-days.

Take care.

p.s.: Love that little 100cc Kawasaki motor, despite Bajaj's best attempts to ruin it.
[/QUOTE]

Dear Rohit,

To be frank, there are many many more treasures on this site Rohit. Did you read the travelouge of a person who wintered in snow? He cant even write, someone helped him to write. Interestingly no pictures in that travelouge. Yet, so wild, so adventurous, all alone stuck in snow for nearly three to four months I suppose. You can ask our omnipresent Satinderji for the link. He would certainly help you here.

Trust me, I read many travelouges, seen innumerable pictures, collected data. That would certainly help one to feel comfortable with the journey. Did I mention somewhere, I never use nor own a smartphone. Everyone ask me how would I find my way or route. Simply its there in my mind. Well then with all the information one would plan some do s and don'ts. Invariably we end just reversing our list. Me, spending the night in Pang which I wanted to avoid, crossing those forests of Chambal during day time; ended up even spending a night in a Dhaba. But, thats what the adventure is all about. Otherwise we could never leave our comfort zone and become an armchair adventurer.

What I am doing, what I did with myself is a sort of jack of all ... my interests were leading my life in a way. I was associated with microlight flying, not that charismatic way that normal people think, I sculpt, I live on a farm house; sort of a farmer, teach now, well online to high school kids. A mixture of everything in short.

Rudyard Kipling; do you know there is a famous wild life conservatory connected to him which I passed on my both trips? It falls between Nagpur and Seoni.

By the way , my bike, its Platina 100cc. Wish I could find some time to write a book. Yes, Nepal, I was lucky in a way. Do you read books Rohit? Shackleton's South Pole story? There he says to his wife when she asked how he could return when the Pole was within 90 miles, he answers, "I thought my wife would prefer a live rat than a dead tiger." We do learn. No?

Take care. Hope I answered your questions.

Khagesh

 

[Rohit Allavali]

Dear Khagesh Sir,

Thank you for replying to my post. In fact I created an account here after reading your travelogue only because I thought what a sacrilege it'd be to not thank the man who has done this.

Yeah the mountains, as Kipling said, once they get in your blood, you'd come back to die there. Thankfully you came out of Nepal alive.

So when are you writing a book?

Would love to know what are you doing now-a-days.

Take care.

p.s.: Love that little 100cc Kawasaki motor, despite Bajaj's best attempts to ruin it.

Dear Rohit,

To be frank, there are many many more treasures on this site Rohit. Did you read the travelouge of a person who wintered in snow? He cant even write, someone helped him to write. Interestingly no pictures in that travelouge. Yet, so wild, so adventurous, all alone stuck in snow for nearly three to four months I suppose. You can ask our omnipresent Satinderji for the link. He would certainly help you here.

Trust me, I read many travelouges, seen innumerable pictures, collected data. That would certainly help one to feel comfortable with the journey. Did I mention somewhere, I never use nor own a smartphone. Everyone ask me how would I find my way or route. Simply its there in my mind. Well then with all the information one would plan some do s and don'ts. Invariably we end just reversing our list. Me, spending the night in Pang which I wanted to avoid, crossing those forests of Chambal during day time; ended up even spending a night in a Dhaba. But, thats what the adventure is all about. Otherwise we could never leave our comfort zone and become an armchair adventurer.

What I am doing, what I did with myself is a sort of jack of all ... my interests were leading my life in a way. I was associated with microlight flying, not that charismatic way that normal people think, I sculpt, I live on a farm house; sort of a farmer, teach now, well online to high school kids. A mixture of everything in short.

Rudyard Kipling; do you know there is a famous wild life conservatory connected to him which I passed on my both trips? It falls between Nagpur and Seoni.

By the way , my bike, its Platina 100cc. Wish I could find some time to write a book. Yes, Nepal, I was lucky in a way. Do you read books Rohit? Shackleton's South Pole story? There he says to his wife when she asked how he could return when the Pole was within 90 miles, he answers, "I thought my wife would prefer a live rat than a dead tiger." We do learn. No?

Take care. Hope I answered your questions.

Khagesh
[/QUOTE]
Dear Khagesh Sir,

1. Modesty thy name is Khagesh (Khokhar?)

2. Read 'em all but nothing like yours. Satinderpedia seems offline now-a-days.

3. That lovely lady in Pang is named Tashi Dolma. Muaaah.

4. Aviator. Farmer. Sculptor. Teacher. Traveller. Philosopher. Khagesh.

5. That's called Pench Tiger Reserve. And its got a MP Tourism resort called Kipling's Court. What of the hunting, hunter bold? Brother, the watch was long and cold.........

6. By the way, the engine in your Platina 100cc is a Kawasaki motor. Originally came in Bajaj 4S Champion in the late 1990s and then (like a true Bajaj) found its way in Caliber, Discover, Platina, Boxer, CT 100....AARRRGHHH!!!!!

Its a legend. And so are you, dear Sir.

Smooch!

 

[Khagesh]

Dear Rohit,

To be frank, there are many many more treasures on this site Rohit. Did you read the travelouge of a person who wintered in snow? He cant even write, someone helped him to write. Interestingly no pictures in that travelouge. Yet, so wild, so adventurous, all alone stuck in snow for nearly three to four months I suppose. You can ask our omnipresent Satinderji for the link. He would certainly help you here.

Trust me, I read many travelouges, seen innumerable pictures, collected data. That would certainly help one to feel comfortable with the journey. Did I mention somewhere, I never use nor own a smartphone. Everyone ask me how would I find my way or route. Simply its there in my mind. Well then with all the information one would plan some do s and don'ts. Invariably we end just reversing our list. Me, spending the night in Pang which I wanted to avoid, crossing those forests of Chambal during day time; ended up even spending a night in a Dhaba. But, thats what the adventure is all about. Otherwise we could never leave our comfort zone and become an armchair adventurer.

What I am doing, what I did with myself is a sort of jack of all ... my interests were leading my life in a way. I was associated with microlight flying, not that charismatic way that normal people think, I sculpt, I live on a farm house; sort of a farmer, teach now, well online to high school kids. A mixture of everything in short.

Rudyard Kipling; do you know there is a famous wild life conservatory connected to him which I passed on my both trips? It falls between Nagpur and Seoni.

By the way , my bike, its Platina 100cc. Wish I could find some time to write a book. Yes, Nepal, I was lucky in a way. Do you read books Rohit? Shackleton's South Pole story? There he says to his wife when she asked how he could return when the Pole was within 90 miles, he answers, "I thought my wife would prefer a live rat than a dead tiger." We do learn. No?

Take care. Hope I answered your questions.

Khagesh

Dear Khagesh Sir,

1. Modesty thy name is Khagesh (Khokhar?)

2. Read 'em all but nothing like yours. Satinderpedia seems offline now-a-days.

3. That lovely lady in Pang is named Tashi Dolma. Muaaah.

View attachment 792128

4. Aviator. Farmer. Sculptor. Teacher. Traveller. Philosopher. Khagesh.

5. That's called Pench Tiger Reserve. And its got a MP Tourism resort called Kipling's Court. What of the hunting, hunter bold? Brother, the watch was long and cold.........

6. By the way, the engine in your Platina 100cc is a Kawasaki motor. Originally came in Bajaj 4S Champion in the late 1990s and then (like a true Bajaj) found its way in Caliber, Discover, Platina, Boxer, CT 100....AARRRGHHH!!!!!

Its a legend. And so are you, dear Sir.

Smooch!
[/QUOTE]

Dear Rohit,

With many topics rolled over here, this doesn't seem to be a mere travelogue anymore; may be an insight memoir?

Though I saw your reply yesterday, I knew its something that can not be answered in a hurry and I was whacked out yesterday.

To begin with I feel little awkward when being addressed Sir even by my students. You know the story I presume; I am never knighted nor I wish either for we all know who were given knighthood.

1. My name is Khagesh and Khokar is the family name. Its not common in the place where I live; a tiny hamlet in the district of Mahabubnagar of Telangana. Khokar; my father was Punjab and mother, native of Telangana. Hence the surname Khokar.

2. Satinderpedia! Well said Rohit. Thich shows that you too read extensively on this website.

3. When I saw this photograph, trust me, my heart missed a beat. Thank you so much. This lady, so kind, so motherly. I remember she kept on feeding me this and that on that night till I retired to my tent. Tashi Dolma, how cruel of me not knowing or remembering her name atleast. I still remember vividly, she was arguing with someone outside the tent that she can not allow them inside my tiny tent where me and my bike were resting. Thank you so much for the photograph. Are you too there in the Picture Rohit? You know what, when I stopped for my late lunch, she said either I can stay there in that tent or a few feet away there is on more too, run by her daughter. I took a look, that was bit more organised with few cots and so on. But somehow, I felt more homely with Tashi and stayed there.

4. Naa, told you, just jack of all... that is all. I have a Desi cow which I call her Ammu. I dont know why, but just wanted to mention it to you.

5. So nice, that you love poetry. Me too. But not an avid reader, at least these days.

6. Ah, you have good knowledge of engines. My knowledge is limited to one that we dealt with microlights. At the early stages we used to have Yezdi 250 to a single seater engine which performed very well. Then Yamaha 350 for two seaters but always had problems with cooling system, the pistons used to freeze. Fedup of modifications, ignition, timings and all that we simply switched to Rotax 512 and then on wards no single seaters produced. Then came Simoneni for single seater aircrafts with a different aviation company.

Well, thats it. Take care.

Khagesh

 

[sayshh]

Stumbling is not always a bad thing...

Especially when one stumbles upon a gem of a travelogue like this! This is a truly timeless recount of your astounding journey of grit and determination.

Obviously she she was inspired. She is good at photography too. I asked her to write a travelogue; hope she finds time. She is lucky to have gone to the places in Ladakh which I could not.

Khagesh ji.. all I can say is.. the legacy continues...