Cannondale and I have now successfully migrated to colder land though not avoiding the heat but going through it.
Riding from Amritsar to north Punjab in the cold rain and Himalayan headwind ensured it was a steady transition. Had I taken the eastern wing, I would have been in the snow with my blood pasteurised. But currently the snowline has only come in sight and might be a week before I put my footprints on it. In the pic, the snowline from today's home.
Heading towards Amritsar on the GT Road. Punjab has lots of wheat farms and with the harvest season going on, I got to eat farm fresh wheat. Switching back to western wing for migrating up north but before that I shall be halting near Atari. Blog to go on sleep mode next week.
Rajasthan-Haryana-Punjab for today. It was a farm ride. Wheat farms till the horizon and finally finding shade was easy.
As I moved north, I dealt with cross winds which soon will be headwinds from pak. A bit of a dodge here as to which wing to take: east or west. For now, it is time to rest.
present location: Bhatinda
Main course begins... Though the region still seems arid, nearing north is a bit relieving. Carrying too much water makes me feel like a tanker instead of a tank. Reaching bikaner, witnessed a local mela(fare). A glimpse in the pic.
About the ride...another quick one and though not a wildlife sanctuary, the wilderness was well showcased. I was shown an eagle eating his juicy meal and 3 deers hopping across the road. The lizards are almost always active here. Failed to capture those quick creatures.
So where do I go tomorrow?
Too much of rocks and sand to ride on makes me feel I am riding a tank. It was a great decision of not changing to sleeks but going with the 2.1 inch tyres.
Wandered around the desert national park but during the day when only camels and exceptional humans are out. Beneath the shrubs, rodents and birds can be found. Snakes don't dare to wander around in the heat. Will explore this place again in future with a tent.
Riding among the camels in a dried up lake was a great experience. Made me feel like their drill instructor. I am not sure about the 'dried up' part but one must not consider innocent water to be mirage based on past desert experiences.
Reactions to water and food shortages: packed food and 5.2l of water; sometimes gets tough to carry them but nevermind. I have transitioned from salt to sand desert in the past week. Tomorrow I would be at Jaisalmer.
In the pics, a salt crystal from the kutch.
Every state I enter, there are hills around(attract/distract ;-)). Mount abu is one of the hottest big hills to climb in India(probably the one). But well baked and heat treated, I was in good condition to enjoy the road and the view. A quick and early start from Deesa ensured I had lots of time to roam around in Abu. The day started with a jeera flavoured road. Loads of trucks moving around with that strong smell.
The rocks at Mt Abu are way too attractive. It is a climbers' paradise but currently the climber in me is on hiatus.
The pics from the climb.
Riding 180kms through the hottest part of the country and that too with winds...feels cool(after the ride ;-) )
Crossed the tropic of cancer, not for the first time though but saw a board. Reaching the vast white desert with just white floor beneath extending till the horizon is a great experience but does not make a great pic. So in the pic is a friend from the other species.
Getting solar charged in kutch :-) Tomorrow I leave to patrol the border area again but tonight relaxing at Bhuj. For numerophiles, the news is of completing 5k kms.
In the pics: a popular hangout for deers and a small lake (puddle) and thats not snow :-)
*The last civilian
To watch the sun set. Another extreme of the country but this time the climate is extreme too. Riding through hot conditions and overloaded, I decided to carry 2.2l of water for a short journey which was a wrong decision. Detours made the ride longer, headwinds tougher and no villages made me thirstier.
The first no-ceiling night came pretty late in this tour, but was enjoying the cool evening in the gurdwara. Decided to sleep stargazing but soon 'cool' became 'cold'.
Plenty of wildlife to lookout for. Made friends with some.
Morning exploration was near the border. Once a port, but after Indus changed its course, the rann has lots of corals to hunt for but beware of quicksand at places.
