My finances came in every time I was broke, since the beginning. Then Abhi, Karthik, Sai, Chandra, Naresh, My cousins, will give all names and figures later because I don't want to differentiate people by the figures. They all gave me what they could without me asking. That’s the most beautiful part and that's something I wanted to treasure. All I had as a backup was some stocks worth 18000, Every time when I went almost broke and decide to sell the shares, there was someone who would help me. I do have a business but my expenses there also needed to be managed. I pay 15000 as an EMI for the loan to my sister, have a 1 lakh loan to my grandmother which my mother used for the farm, 1,75,000 to another aunt. Three workers come in every day to work. The man is paid 450 and 2 ladies 250 each per day, a LIC policy that wasn't a necessity of 3000. My whole life was tied to money! Chandan our worker's son helped mom in driving around for feed and other things. He's been a great help to me indirectly. So overall I have an expense of about 60000 rupees a month. So this is no game for me. Every booking I take I only take a 500 rupee advance to confirm and that's my part, rest is paid to mom upon checkout and she managed finances. Haven't asked dad for a rupee so far. The god I believe in is still guiding me on my way. I'm simply kept changing gears and rode further.
I finally have the confidence to at least complete what I have started. If God wills. In my overall expenses of about 75000 at least 55000 was offered by people and I still have the question why? I even asked many of them, they said not all can do it or most don't get a chance to do what I was doing, so, Enjoy.
Since I started riding I didn't have a visor, was managing with a ray ban my cousin had bought me on my birthday a few years ago but with the kind of cold here I had to prepare myself or it would be like just banging my head against rocks. Last week while I was in Lucknow, I had about 4000 in one card and 1500 odd in another. Luckily I found a store superbiker to buy a helmet visor at 750. Again to my luck, I passed by a decathlon board and that was the right place to upgrade on quality with my budget. I picked a pair of gloves at 599. My old gloves were bought at 300 in Tawang which I used till they tore in the crash a week ago in the Bhutan border. I picked another glove at 70 rupees wore one on top of the other to beat the cold in Bihar. Bought a balaclava at 199, super cosy, thermals upper and bottom at 299 each, one woollen sock at 199 expecting worse weather. The previous thermals were given by another cousin on my birthday years ago, did their best over the years but it wouldn't beat the cold out here. Bihar was nail-biting cold even with thermals, t-shirt, sweater, pullover, jacket and rain jacket all worn over in layers.
After a bill of around 1800 I came out and got a balance message of about 1800. Since I had dysentery I was forced to take a bed at 250 in town, so had withdrawn 1000. To analyze my situation I checked the balance on another card and it said 15000 odd. Bump shock again. Had two guests over the weekend so thought it was their payment but when I opened my google pay I was stunned. Gayathri my cousin with whom it's been more than 10 years that I've spoken had sent me 5000. Sudeep Anna husband of my other cousin Ramya sent 5000 and Abhinesh bugger, we haven't met more than three times in our lives, sent 5000 all on the same day! I was shaken. I sure was thankful to them and the one god I believed was felt at that moment. In this generation of fools running behind money leaving family, friends, sanity, truth and Dharma still, miracles do happen. That moment changed a lot in my life. I swear I was holding myself back until then but was free yet again on another way. I went and bought myself a drink, ate a biryani and went to sleep. Next stop, Uttrakhand.
I felt happier moving away from the city and it only got better, better food, better places and for sure people living better lives. Rode through the Sitapur side of Uttar Pradesh, where most of the land was now owned by people from Punjab. I camped in a Forest area just beside the road. In Lucknow, I had lost my feeling to eat which affected my health pretty much, had lost my appetite drastically. In the noon I stopped at a Punjabi Dhaba for roti and rice. I was done with two rotis and asked him to pack the rice. Rode through the day, bought an omelette with 2 eggs and ate it with the packed rice for dinner. The Other reason for the low appetite could be being sober for over weeks unable to find some stash.
The next morning was too cold, I was up at 6 30, on the road after an hour riding towards Nainital, felt similar to Darjeeling but a lesser crowd on the way. Reaching Nainital I was disappointed again seeing so many people and buildings on all sides of the hills, all fancy stores, and food joints across the lake. Took a room at 500, left my luggage and went hunting for some stash.
When I walked past the lake a boatman greeted me and asked to take a ride. Upon asking the cost he said 160. I said okay and floated on the water for some time, spoke to him about the land and people and the development. He said the place got famous during the British and still there were many buildings of their times, all just around the lake. He showed me where the Indians were hanged and dropped into water, their churches and old buildings. With tourism being the only major breadwinner he says without it Nainital might have to start begging. He was a thin man, said he was from a nearby village, forced to come here and work for money. Upon asking about charas he suggested a few places around Almora, that was where I was heading next. He said many Sikh people have also come in and settled and there was a Haridwar serving free food. I handed him a 200 asked him to keep the change and took a walk around the lake trying to have some good hot food from a temple. Unfortunately, when I couldn't find the place where they fed, I walked around the market, visiting a Haridwar and came back near the room. Ate some momos and went to rest.
Almora was again big and developed. With so much crowd I wondered what they did. The city was packed. I parked the bike with all my luggage on it and went to the museum. A beautiful collection of history and culture. There I met the person in charge and asked a few questions about the life and culture of that era. It looked like most of our Hindu God's were kings or rulers of a period and were predicted as gods but on the other side temples were already there and people later started making temples in the name of kings and queens based on the kind of life they lived. Many beautiful paintings and designs are very unique to the modern designs in temples and astrology.
Luckily the bike and luggage were untouched, I started and rode to Kasar Devi, missed a road but didn't mind taking longer roads because the place was calm and serene. Numerous hotels and restaurants in the area. Reaching the place to hike, a man stood asking for some money at the parking. He looked more than delighted when I asked about charas. Then we rode down to a village and got some hand-rubbed charas. Some of the best in the country, and Rightly priced. 250 rupees a stick. It costs 800 in Manali and not as pure as this. I didn't want to smoke there, after the bhang trip going wrong in Lucknow. I dropped the guy and went back to Kasar Devi again. A temple for Shakti and a little above, another temple for shiva. The place has the vibe most temples have, I sat there in silence for some time with my eyes closed and then came down.
On my way, I visited the site where Vivekananda had meditated. The roads and nature were so beautiful that I wanted to ride further. The next town was Bhageshwar. I rolled a smoke by sunset and reached Bhageshwar before night. Went straight to the temple to witness the evening pooja and rituals, found a place to eat, I was thinking of going back and camping on the roadside. Jeera rice, dhal and a half portion of mutton. He gave me 4 good pieces. I still wanted to move back and camp but just on the opposite side I spotted a lodge which he offered for 300. I said okay as I did not want to ride backwards again. It turned out to be a disaster. It was the filthiest room of my whole trip so far. I said, "keep the money, I'm better in my tent." He took me to another "better" room, which was still worse. With the cold and no other choice, I agreed to stay and tried catching some sleep after a smoke. The charas is the best I've smoked in my entire life. I've been smoking up for about 8 years now and The taste took me back several years.
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