The most memorable road trip of my life

Travelling was, is and will always be my passion. Be it with friends or family I love exploring new places and meeting different souls.

But this time it was different as it was a contest organised by Audi India in accordance with Channel V.

I was selected among the top 5 people who along with a partner were going to contest for a grand prize which was an amazing “Audi R8”.  Sahil my best friend was my companion for the trip.

The contest was a road trip whose starting point was Mumbai and destination was Ladakh.

Between Mumbai and Ladakh there were 4 halts and 4 tasks associated with them. The 5^th and final task was to reach Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh, the quickest. The one to have the best overall standing in the tasks was the winner. It was mandatory to complete all the tasks before you get to the final stop. Every contestant was given an Audi A4 to complete his journey. Man I couldn’t sleep the whole night before the day we were going to start for the ultimate Road trip.

The first stop of our journey was Gir national forest of Gujarat and along with that came the first task which was to click a pic of the king of animals “The Lion”. Gir is famous for its lions but taking a snap of the king requires a lot of courage.

Distance from Mumbai to Gir is around 800 kms. The journey is smooth and comfortable. Everything was normal till the time we hit national highway NH8. We had just traveled 5 kms when a girl came right in front of our car. We had goosebumps as it was night time and we had watched a lot of horror movies in the past. Scenes of Chudels stopping cars and killing drivers started revolving in my mind. Some how we gathered courage and got down from the car.
As we got near to her , she started sobbing. I asked her what was the matter. After 10 minutes of continuous crying she finally stopped and told us the story.
"I and my bf had decided to go on a long drive but it didnt end that long. He dumped me right here on this highway and left me alone to suffer. I tried to kill myself by getting in front of your car but that too didn't work", saying this she started crying again.
I told her that he were going to Gir National forest and will drop her on the way.
She hesitated first but having no other option agreed to come along.
Well she was a smart lady with an enormous sense of humor. I was amazed by the fact that someone dumped her. I told her about the trip and the grand prize. We exchanged numbers and off she went.

All the teams reached the first spot at the same time. We were to report at the Gir sanctuary main entrance where each one of us will be given a jeep to travel in the forest and complete our task.  We were to travel on our own and there was only a map of the forest for our aid.

We had a trick in our mind to disguise other teams. The plan was to plant a tape recorder which produces sound of roaring lion. In the starting as everyone was a bit frightened so they decided to stay together but we parted ways as we had to execute our plan. After travelling for couple of kms it was time to make the fake lion roar. But we hardly expected what was coming our way. As the fake lion roared, an original one jumped right out of the bushes and came roaring in front of our jeep.
We were so frightened and excited at the same time that none of us could hardly blink. Understanding the criticality of the situation, I kept my nerves and clicked a pic of the king without any flash and even sound.  We waited for the lion to depart and quickly drove back to the starting point.
We were happy to finish first in the task and take lead from the start of the journey.

The next spot was Udaipur.
The distance from Gir National Park to Udaipur is around 650 kms.
Rajasthan has always been a place known for its hospitality but this time we were proved wrong. We entered Rajasthan border with great memories of the awesome rajasthani food but it didn't last long as our car was stopped by a group of dacoits who only had bullets for breakfast.
Well driving an Audi has its cons also and the first one was right here.
We were asked to come out and hand over all our belongings to them.
Within 10 minutes police came there. Wondering how?
Let me tell you that Audi cars has this amazing technology where you can feed in the mobile numbers of your relatives in its memory. When in danger just press the white button on your car's key and an sms will be send to those relatives along with your location details.
Isn't that impressive ?. Absolutely yes and this is how we got out of trouble.

We were 2^nd to reach the City palace of Udaipur, the spot to report at on arrival. The task was to get two pics. First was of the horse of Maharana Pratap , Chetak at the City Palace and second was of the Rolls Royce Phantom II at the vintage car collection. But that was not it. Another condition was that pic should also have people of 3 nationalities together in it. So at once we set off to find foreigners who would be glad to click a pic with us. Well girls never say no to 2 handsome hunks so our first target was a group of beautiful college girls and the tricked worked for us. It was a different thing that we also promised them for a drive in Audi A4. This time we came second in the task after John and his wife Jasmine who easily got foreigner boys go mad for her and stood first.

After exploring the city of lakes, Udaipur it was time to head to the city of golden temple, Amritsar.
The distance between Udaipur to Amritsar is 900km and it takes around 16 hours to complete the journey.  Amritsar is a beautiful city and spiritual centre for the sikh religion.
But for us it was neither spiritual nor beautiful but tragic. A woman on cycle got hit by our car. She was riding in the wrong direction and on seeing the car lost her balance...bang.!!! came the sound. Quickly tall police men with turbans came running in our direction.
I had cracked lot of jokes on sardars and this time I was sure they will return it back with due interest. Slap...Slap was how they started the conversation. We tried to explain them that it was not our mistake but words didn't do that for us, though 5000 bucks did. Again one of the few cons of driving an Audi. Quickly we got off and drove our way to Wagah border, the 3rd spot of the race.

Unfortunately we lagged behind and were 3^rd to reach the destination.
The task here was to click a pic which had both India’s and Pakistan’s flag together. This happens daily during the retreat ceremony called ‘lowering of the flags’ but timing was the most important part in this task. Quickly we took our seats in the stadium and waited for the moment to occur.
This time 3 teams stood first and we were also one of them.
The competition was getting tougher between us and the couple from Goa, John and Jasmine.

3 Tasks were over and we were left with the last 2.

Next destination was Shimla, the queen of hills which was 325 kms from Amritsar.
We were enjoying the beautiful sight seeing of Shimla when something unusual happened.
Amid the hills we saw a small red shaped hill which was radiating heat from its sides and bottom.
Before we could guess what it could be, the hill shot up like a supersonic missile.
I was damn sure of spotting a UFO as it neither looked like a satellite or a newly added ammunition in India's kitty. Anyways we moved on.

We were the first one to reach Kufri , our destination in Shimla.
This time the task was a bit difficult. One person from each team had to Ski down the snow laden slope and the one to reach the finish line quickest was the winner.
I had learnt skating but was not sure if it could be of any help here. Anyways I decided to give a try.
To my amazement I finished 1^st and man this brought us back in the game.

It was time to leave Shimla and had towards the final destination, Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh.

Ladakh is 710 kms from Shimla and it takes around 12 hours to cover the distance.
The most amazing part of this 710 kms is the beauty of Ladakh. Though Himalayas has lot of variety and beauty to offer, some places stay quite close to your heart and Ladakh is one of them.
One our way we were the witness to some incredible and breath taking sites.
No blue sky is like what we saw here. The beauty of brown hues and snow capped peaks is just amazing. The never ending plateaus, monks in their maroon robes and the predominating ochre colour leave an indelible imprint on the mind.

Amid the mountains while we were driving our way to LEH , we saw something suspicious.
There were movements along the valley of the hill on the far right side. I pulled out my binoculars and was terrified to see the sight. Around 20 people, fully loaded with rocket launchers and other heavy ammunition were moving swiftly. I donno how did it happened but I was spotted by the only person carrying binoculars in that group. After 2 minutes a rocket went flying just 3 feet from our car. Fortunately we had taken a local sim so I quickly called the jawan who's number I took in case of any emergency. Listening to the rocket blast sound the battalion at the nearest post were already in action. I could hear helicopter buzzing , the thump thump sound was all over the valley. We wanted to wait and see how those bastards were crushed by our army but we had our job done. Audi R8 was calling and we could hear it loud and clear, so we were back on track.

Pangong Tso is a 5 hour drive from LEH. The mountain roads are rough and dramatic.
There are lot of security checks along the path and an Inner permit is also required to visit the Lake as it lies on the Line of actual control.  

In spite of having so many beautiful things around our focus was determined on the grand prize “Audi R8” and we were just a step apart from it.

But this time there was no one to stop us from reaching first at the final destination “The splendid Pangong Tso lake” and winning the contest. As we reached the lake , Channel V team announced us the winners. The feeling of winning and seeing one of the most amazing place in India was just out of this world.

We were the proud owners of Audi R8. This was the best and will remain the most memorable road trip of my life.

 This post is part of contest "Perfect road trip" on Indiblogger.

Savior On Harley Davidson...

This was our 3rd consecutive trip in a row..First we had traveled to Mahabaleshwar, Khandala, Lonavala, Goa and Mumbai. Second one was to South India..
This time it was a call from the Goddess Vaishno Devi herself and no can deny her call so we packed our bags for a trip to Vaishno Devi.

                             

It was organised and financed by my Nanaji . We booked a bus as there were around 30 people ready with their packed bags. We started our journey from Indore and than it was going to be via Rajasthan , Amritsar, finally to Katra. We were enjoying a lot by playing, singing and eating that we even didn't realized when did we reach Bikaner. It took us some 13 hours to reach there.
But there was no stopping by , our next destination was Amritsar.
Some 10 hours later we were at a DHABA in Amritsar and the time was around 2 a.m .
Driver had stopped to bus to eat something and take some tea to himself awake in the night.
It was summer season so we children also got down from the bus to take some fresh air on the KHATIYAS of the dhaba. It was me and two of my elder brothers who were enjoying the cool breeze on a full moon.
The moon was shinning bright with the stars glittering like diamonds. I was amazed to see such a sight , but in no time I fell asleep as we were continuously traveling for last 24 hours and were very much tired and exhausted.

In the morning when I got up, I saw myself sleeping on the Khatiya with none of my family members around.
It was like a bolt from the blue. I was only 14 at that time and was not that strong mentally. Feeling very lonely and scared I asked the Thabe wala where did the bus that stopped around 2 a.m in the night had gone?.
He told that it went away in the night itself. "Were you from that bus", he inquired.
Yes I was from that bus only and we just got down to have some cool breeze as it was hot inside.
Me and my brothers were watching the moon and the sky full of sparkling stars, but than I fell asleep. It was dark and everyone was half asleep, so I think they forgot to wake me up before boarding the bus.

At that time I didn't had a mobile, also I didn't remember my Nanaji's no who alone was carrying a mobile on the trip.
I started crying like a child , when a man in his 30's came near me and asked me what happened?.
We was wearing a black leather jacket with a skull printed T shirt inside.
Levis jeans with leather boots to top up. Sunglasses, helmet and a french beard completed the look.
He seemed like a biker to me.
I told him everything , but than rather asking for help I asked him whether he was a biker?

With a nod in yes he showed me his bike which was parked at the roadside. WOW man...I didn't believe my eyes. It was HARLEY DAVIDSON. I was very crazy about bikes from 5th class itself. Infact I had tried my hands on Royal Enfield also.

I actually forgot that I was lost and anything can happen to me the next very moment . What I was looking forward to now was a ride on Harley Davidson.
I asked him whether I can ride his bike and I would take only a small turn and come back.

He laughed on my questions and told me ,"little champ it will be Harley Davidson all the way now".
Next he introduced himself.
Hi, I am Rajiv Rathore, Architect by profession and a biker by passion. Thrice in a year I take leave from my work and travel to different parts of India on my Harley. Fortunately this time my destination is also Vaishno Devi.
I will definitely help you, so trust me ,we will reach there sound and safe.

I told him about my craziness for bikes and how I also wanted to become a biker and purchase a Harley Davidson someday.

He was impressed by my knowledge about bikes. There were lot of amazing experiences he had while traveling on bike and it was so much fun listening to them. He also told me how crazy he was for bikes at my age and fantasied in the same way for Harley Davidson as I did now.

I have to contact your parents as soon as possible because they might me madly worrying about you.
Do you remember which company's sim did your nanaji had.
Yes I do, its BSNL, i affirmed.

We went to the BSNL office which was situated in Amritsar city and told them about my plight.
I gave them the details about Nanaji, his name and address mainly.
As nanaji lived in a small town called Neemuch it was easy for them to locate his no.
Within half an hour they found the no and contacted him.
Rajiv told him about himself and that I was safe and sound, so they need not worry.
He also told him that he too was travelling to Vaishno Devi so he will drop me there.

It was 10 in the morning and the bus had reached Katra( base camp for Vaishno Devi) at 8 only.
All were very much tensed and worried when they got down at Katra but couldn't find me.
My mother was weeping like anything, but got appeased on listening to my voice.

Katra was only 180km from Amritsar so it was just a 4 hours journey for us.
I really enjoyed Rajiv's company, the ride on Harley , but it was those breathtaking experiences which he had on his bike trips to different parts of India which frenzied me.
He was by far the most amazing and interesting person whom I had met on my travel to different parts of India.

We reached Katra at 2 p.m. where everyone was waiting for me.

My mom hugged me tightly and became very emotional. She also slapped me lightly because of been so irresponsible and careless.

I was very happy to see everyone again as if I was meeting them after ages.

Also I was glad to have a ride of my life on Harley Davidson and find a biker friend like those we have seen in Hollywood flicks.

Today I am 23 and I have my own Royal Enfield Thunderbird.

                            

I also have my biker group "The Titans". We have a bike trip once in a year to any place within India.

It's awesome fun , thrill ,with many mind blowing experiences.

This entry is part of contest Around the world with Expedia on Indiblogger

Vaishno devi trip, Amritsar cops, accident and KFC meal.... Experience I would never forget

The work was less in office as Christmas had just passed and new year was going to come.
Everyone was getting bored so we decided to share some of our past experiences which still caused goose bumps to us.

Abhijeet started with his hostel experience of how they used to go for long drives on their bikes at 3 in the morning to eat at a famous chat centre and roam on the streets of Jaipur.

One day they were chased by police and it was a thrilling escape for them, same as in Dhoom movie.

Deepti narrated the incident of how she saved her sister and herself from the fire which started from their Rajai and extended to the whole room.

Now it was my turn. I was trying to recollect those incidences which had left their mark on my conscious as well as subconscious mind and suddenly one incident came at the top of the list.
It was one of those experiences where my sharp mind and fiery tongue got me out of a sticky situation.

Everyone in the family was busy thinking about the destination we should be visiting in this summer vacations. Some said south India, few came up with suggestion of Rajasthan brahman, at last Nanaji came up with idea of Vaishno Devi trip which was accepted unanimously.

We decided to go by our own vehicle because the main fun of these trips lies in enjoying the journey together by singing, dancing and doing other activities. Amritsar was where we were going to halt as one of Daddy’s friend lived there.

We started on 15^th from Indore and reached Amritsar on 16^th.  We got a warm welcome from Dad’s friend and his family. They were very vivacious and amiable people. We thoroughly enjoyed their company on our visit to places like golden temple and Jaliawala Bagh.

                                     

We planned to leave for Jammu on 18^th in the morning. There was a tradition in our family to give some gift to the family members of the house where we stayed. Dad’s Friend and his family was a big fan of KFC. So I was told by Dad to get a meal packed from the nearby KFC outlet


                                       

I told our driver to get me to the nearest KFC present in the town. We had travelled for an hour but luck was not in our favour as we couldn’t find a single KFC outlet. Suddenly our Innova came to a halt. As I was totally immersed in listening to music on my iphone ,I had no idea of what had happened. I was awed by the set of events that happened thereafter, within few minutes of time span.

A couple, Sardarji and his wife came towards our Innova and pulled me out.
My Driver ran into the nearby park leaving me alone.
There was a police station nearby from where I could see two 6 feet tall muscular Sikh cops approaching us.

Sardar’s wife started conversing with the cops in Punjabi and after 5 minutes of conversation one of the cop came to me and TADAK……………….was the sounded that resonated.

Cop demanded 5000 bucks to be paid to the couple; otherwise they would seize my vehicle and put me behind the bars.
I appeased myself, controlled my anger and tried to explain them that it was not my fault and he should listen to the whole story.   
Cop rebuked me and threatened to put behind the bars.

I was shocked, humiliated and at the same time in no men’s land as I didn’t knew what to do next.
It was a straightforward plot against me as I could see nothing had happened to Sardarji and his wife and also to their bike.
Suddenly an idea stuck my mind. I knew that Jaswant Singh was the MLA from Amritsar, so why not call him for help.
I dialled a no, the name which was displayed was Jaswant Uncle, my father’s friend…:P
Coincidently his name was same as that of Mr MLA from Amritsar.

Me:  Sasriyakal Jaswant Uncle, Ankit here

Uncle:  haan putarrr tell me what happened?

Me:  Actually uncleji I just left from your home an hour ago as I had some work to finish.
        We were moving swiftly and safely but suddenly a couple on bike stopped infront of us and          
         started accusing us of hitting and damaging their bike and also causing bruises to them.
         There is also a police station nearby whose cops after listening to the lady slapped me hard
         without actually knowing my side of story.

Jaswant Singh was among the league of wise men present on this earth. He understood the matter quickly and told me to handover my cell to one of the cops present there. I did the same.
After 10 minutes of conversation I could hear only 2 words continuously pouring out of the cop’s mouth SORRY SIRJI… SORRY SIRJI…
“I know I have done a mistake and I promise I won’t repeat it again”, reassured the cop.

He then handed the cell back to me with a sorry and please forgive me gesture.

Me: Thanks Uncleji, will come home in 1 hour.
Saying this I cut the call as I had matters left to settle with Sardarji and his wife.

I told the cop to check Sardarji for alcohol as I got a foul smell from his mouth, when he was shouting and accusing me on top of his voice.
Cop verified for the same and found Sardarji guilty.

“So sardarji should we put you up in lockup for drinking alcohol while driving bike”, I enquired.
Sardarji and his wife went on their knees and with joint hands pleaded for forgiveness.
Ok I can give you a chance to compensate for what you have done.

If you can get me the best meal from KFC in half an hour, I will let you leave untouched, else you know the consequences. Don’t try to act clever and disappear as the cops has made a note of your bike no.
At once they picked up their bike and flew away with great speed.

Now the driver had also returned as he was watching everything happen from a nearby place, that he was hiding at.
I scolded driver for being so irresponsible and coward when he knew that it was not his mistake.
The cops took us inside the police station and ordered for some snacks till the time couple came up with our meal.

Within 45 minutes the couple was infront of us, with the KFC meal in their hand.

The inspector rebuked them for what they did and gave a warning that, if next time they were found
doing such stuff, they would be put behind the bars.

I was really very happy as my sharp mind and fiery tongue not only got me out of the trouble but also helped me in getting a delicious KFC meal for free and saving lots of my precious time which would have been otherwise wasted in searching for a KFC outlet.

So that was my story.
Everyone in my team appreciated me for my shrewdness, specially my Project Leader who in a humorous manner, advised me to show some part of it in the Project also….:D

This post is for the Indiblogger KFC fiery grilled contest "Set You On Fire".