For Winter 2009, Burton Snowboards will introduce a new technical apparel line named Burton Restricted. To best exploit this new opportunity, Burton gave a group of its team riders: Keegan Valaika, Mason Aguirre, Yale, and Kazo creative control. The result was a collection created for riders who desire the best performing outerwear on the slope or backcountry. Yet, appreciate its everyday usage off the mountain.
The riders also added some of their favorite artists/designers into the fray, including works from the legendary comic book artists Robert Crumb, or better known as R. Crumb. Printed in all-over pattern of discarded everyday vices on its exterior, the Burton x R. Crumb Restricted Dyer Jacket opened up (much like a real comic book) into multiple black/white panes of Crumb notorious comic about sexual innuendos, violence, and crimes.
Limited to only 500 units and shipped in a "black bag", the Burton x R. Crumb Restricted Dyer Jacket will be available, along with the rest of Burton Restricted Collection, at selected Burton dealers only starting in August and September of this year.


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Undercover cab catches 30 law-breaking drivers
March 3, 2021 by admin 0 Comments
Nottinghamshire Police has revealed results of using an undercover DAF cab on the county's roads.
The news comes the month after Warwickshire Police's Commercial Vehicle Unit was recognised by Highways England for similar efforts.
In total, 30 drivers were caught in connection with a variety of offences by the cab on 25-26th February 2021.
Specifically, the offences included two drivers using a mobile phone and 22 not wearing seatbelts.
Furthermore, of the remaining six offences, three resulted in vehicles being seized.
The operation was part of Operation Tramline, which aims to make the road network safer.
The undercover cab features an elevated driving position, enabling evidence of dangerous driving to be collected.
Highway policing units are then alerted and instructed to pull offending drivers over.
"The unmarked HGV never fails to bring about results," said Sergeant Craig Luckett, of Nottinghamshire's roads policing unit. "It's amazing what people try and get away with behind the wheel.
"I cannot stress enough how invaluable this activity is in order to save lives and prevent crime," he added.
"I'd just ask drivers to think about what they're doing… is it worth costing a life or ending up in jail.
"Officers in marked and unmarked vehicles are out every day and endeavour to keep our roads safe."
Marie Biddulph, assistant regional safety co-ordinator, Highways England, urged drivers to take more care.
"Working closely with our police partners and through the use of the supercabs we want to encourage all drivers to think twice about their behaviour behind the wheel," she added.
Nottinghamshire Police plans to conduct further operations involving the HGV cab over the coming months.
This article was originally published by Truckingmag.co.uk. Read the original article here.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
«Леха́им» — российский ежемесячный иллюстрированный литературно-публицистический журнал, посвящённый истории, культуре и религии еврейского народа. Объединяет разнообразные жанры — художественную прозу, критику, исторические эссе, рецензии и обзоры. Журнал начал издаваться в декабре 1991 года по инициативе Боруха Горина, который стал его главным редактором.

История журнала
Журнал был основан в конце 1991 года (свидетельство о регистрации было получено 22 мая 1992 года) журналистом и активистом марьинорощинской общины движения Хабад Борухом Гориным. Первоначально предполагалось, что новый журнал получит название «Шалом», но затем всё же было выбрано слово «Лехаим».

Первый номер журнала состоял из восьми страниц и, по позднейшей оценке Боруха Горина, напоминал «студенческую многотиражку». Первый год журнал выходил нерегулярно. До середины 1990-х годов практически все материалы, публиковавшиеся в журнале, были переводными, знакомящими читателей с азами еврейской жизни, а сам журнал носил характер «агитки» не очень хорошего качества.
По признанию Боруха Горина, вначале журнал читали «потому, что читать больше было нечего».
Директором по рекламе на этапе становления журнала работал Александр Борода, впоследствии ставший президентом Федерации еврейских общин России.

Со второй половины 1990-х годов, по воспоминаниям Б. Горина, он стал понимать, что надо делать еврейский журнал, а не хабадский журнал.
И уже к концу 1990-х годов «Лехаим», по оценке одного из экспертов, стал «стильным полноцветным изданием с отличной полиграфией и рекордным для еврейских СМИ тиражом».
В 2000-е годы тираж журнала достиг  в месяц, появилась Интернет-версия, выходившая на две недели раньше бумажной.
В 2000-х годах происходило радикальное расширение круга авторов и тем, отказ от перепечаток в пользу эксклюзивных материалов. Журналу удалось выбраться из рамок «ведомственности» и постепенно превратиться в журнал, интересный не только религиозным евреям и даже не только евреям вообще.

Медиаэксперт Михаил Гольд в середине 2000-х отмечал, что стратегия «Лехаима» — это «действенный путь достучаться до контингента, третьей дорогой обходящего синагогу».

До 2007 года рубрикация журнала носила в основном ситуативный характер: рубрики появлялись и исчезали в зависимости от наличия или отсутствия материалов. Обязательный характер носили публикации писем Седьмого Любавичского Ребе Менахема-Мендла Шнеерсона, эссе раввина Берла Лазара на актуальные темы и новости Федерации еврейских общин СНГ (с начала 2000-х годов. — Новости Федерации Еврейских Общин России).
В 2007—2014 происходило постепенное переформатирование количества разделов в соответствии с концепцией о миссии журнала (см. ниже).
В январе 2007 года публикации журнала жестко структурировались по разделам, которых на тот момент было семь.
В конце 2008 года был упразднён раздел «Аллея Славы», где, начиная с 1990-х годов, публиковались статьи о выдающихся евреях и календарь памятных еврейских дат. Некрологи из этого раздела были перенесены в раздел «Перекрёсток».
С апреля 2006 по март 2014 года в журнале существовал раздел «Книгоноша», унаследовавший традиции одноимённого журнала, издававшегося в начале 2000-х годов издательством «Гешарим» и присоединённого к «Лехаиму». В дальнейшем его функции были распределены между разделами «Университет», «Перекрёсток» и «Парк культуры». Начиная с 2014 года журнал содержал пять разделов:
«Дом учения», посвящённый изучению еврейской мысли на основе Торы. Раздел включает несколько рубрик: «Послания Любавичского Ребе», «Слово раввина» (колонка главного раввина России Берла Лазара), «Читая Тору», «Календарь», «Щепотка знаний», «Актуальная Алаха».
«Университет», который включает образовательные статьи и очерки, а также эссе на актуальные научные темы и ответы на вопросы, связанные с изучением иудаики.
«Перекрёсток» — публицистический, ориентированный на проблемные материалы, анализирующие общественно-политические и культурные события, актуальные в еврейском мире, представляющий широкий спектр мнений экспертов.
«Парк культуры», который включает интервью с деятелями культуры, обзор книжных новинок, новинок кинематографа, музыкальных альбомов, афишу выставок и спектаклей, а также рецепты кошерных блюд.
«Библиотека», где публикуются оригинальные русскоязычные и переводные произведения еврейских авторов. Часто здесь впервые публикуются по-русски многие произведения еврейских классиков, написанные на иврите, идише и английском, а также первые публикации рассказов современных русскоязычных еврейских писателей.

Начиная с 2011 года в качестве приложения к журналу начали печататься препринты произведений классиков литературы на языке идиш, которые затем выходили отдельными изданиями.
5 декабря 2011 года главный раввин России Берл Лазар поздравил редакцию, авторский коллектив и читателей «Лехаима» с 20-летием издания журнала. В поздравлении отмечалось, что на страницах журнала находил своё отражение каждый этап восстановления еврейской общины России. «Сегодня для всех евреев, говорящих по-русски, очень важно, что есть такой журнал, что на его страницах глубоко анализируется ситуация в общине и в еврейском мире в целом, что он постоянно знакомит читательскую аудиторию с сокровищами еврейской духовности, культуры, литературы; что он, наконец, не только раскрывает людям важные страницы нашей истории, но и предлагает извлекать из них уроки на сегодняшний и завтрашний день. Рост тиража "Лехаим" ясно свидетельствует о том, что интерес к журналу постоянно растёт — и это доказывает не только общий подъём еврейского самосознания в нашей стране, но прежде всего то, что коллектив журнала умеет нащупать действительно актуальные, интересные для многих тысяч людей темы, глубоко проанализировать их и интеллигентно обсудить с читателем», — подчеркнул главный раввин России.

Миссия журнала
В интервью «Агентству еврейских новостей», опубликованном в октябре 2004 года, Борух Горин определял задачу журнала следующим образом: «Сегодня у журнала задачи не "научить быть евреем", а вовлечь в свой мир. Мы не говорим: это моя традиция, моя история. Мы говорим: это твоя традиция, твоя история, твои заповеди, твоя литература», а в интервью Интернет-порталу Jewish.ru, опубликованном в декабре 2013 года, Б. Горин сказал о миссии журнала, что у него — «культуртрегерская цель, которая есть у еврейской деятельности в стране. В рамках этого он ставит перед собой совершенно четкую задачу: сделать так, чтобы человеку, не слишком втянутому в еврейскую жизнь, этот журнал был интересен, чтобы это была его связующая ниточка, которая будет вовлекать его в сферу интересов еврейства. Понятно, что это могут быть евреи или неевреи, неважно».

Распространение
До 2009 года журнал был бесплатным. В 2016 году тираж журнала составлял  в месяц. Распространяется он в синагогах и общинных центрах по всей России, входящих в Федерацию еврейских общин России (около 160 общин), а также в странах СНГ и Балтии — по подписке и через общины. В США, Европе и Израиле он распространяется только по частной подписке. Работают Интернет-версия журнала, его блог и аккаунт в Facebook.

Редакция
Редакция журнала расположена в Москве по адресу: 2-й Вышеславцев переулок, дом № 5-А. На 2016 год, помимо главного редактора Боруха Горина, в состав редакции входят административный директор Яков Ратнер, ответственный секретарь Елена Калло, художественный редактор Евгения Черненькова, выпускающие редакторы Лариса Беспалова, Ишайя Гиссер, Галина Зеленина, Ирина Мак, Афанасий Мамедов, Лиза Новикова, Йеуда Рабейко, Виктория Рябцева, Михаил Эдельштейн; помощник художественного редактора Дмитрий Кобринский, корректор Юлия Блисковская, автор макета Евгений Григорьев.

Авторы
Среди авторов журнала — главный раввин России Берл Лазар (его статьи публикуются в каждом номере), публицисты Арье Барац, Владимир Бейдер, Михаил Горелик, Шауль Резник, Евгений Сатановский, писатели Григорий Канович, братья Давид и Яков Шехтеры, Александр Иличевский, Аркан Карив, Асар Эппель, Михаил Каганович, известные российские журналисты Борис Клин, Николай Сванидзе, Григорий Ревзин, историки Олег Будницкий, Валерий Дымшиц, Галина Зеленина, Геннадий Костырченко, Александр Локшин, Семён Чарный, литературоведы Леонид Кацис, Бенедикт Сарнов, Михаил Эдельштейн.

Примечания

Ссылки

 Борух Горин: «Переводы классических текстов — тяжелейшая ноша» — ГодЛитературы. РФ, 12.10.2018

Журналы России по алфавиту
Ежемесячные журналы

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Sorry for the delay in the last post of the "dressing leather" series. See the first one here and the second here. I had other posts scheduled for the interim and sure did not want to weary you guys with the same skirt successively.
Anyways, the last theme for this series was 'fun night out with friends'. A night like this calls for a snazzy look. I tried achieving this with a sequin jacket ( sartorially allowed even after the holidays ) in an unusual color and some smoky eyes . I love the waterfall collar of the jacket that definitely needs no adornment. The pulled back hair always speaks sassy and polished to me. Do add some height to the front with a little back combing and texturing spray.
To finish off, wear some va-va-voom heels and strut your way through the envious crowd...!
Hope you enjoyed this series!


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UK: Pregnant driver shot "for disrespect"
Submitted by: BlackSnake
Even in "No-CCW except for the Elite", gang-banger infested Los Angeles, where a "Diss" equals a fight, an atrocity like this has not been seen ... Where citizens (oops, "subjects") are disarmed, even petty criminals are emboldened to intimidate innocent pregnant women with a carful of kids.
"When Police later raided...the home...a gun came sailing out of a window, fully loaded but wrapped in a sock"
Welcome to the "gun-free Utopian paradise of the UK".
Dial 911 and Die
Incident where "a bullet grazed a woman's head" ... "The first Deputies, who had come by boat, did not arrive until 40 minutes later" (than the Fire Department/Paramedics, who would not move in until the scene was "secured"). I reckon they need some full-time Police or some trained Deputized armed citizens.
UK: ARMED Serial Rapist preys on unarmed victims
Police say "There is every chance this man will strike again and he needs to be stopped" ... "He was carrying a ... silver coloured pistol" ... In the "gun-free" UK Utopia, a serial-rapist is having an unobstructed run without worry of being stopped by a woman with a fistfull of handgun ... In the UK, one is not "allowed" to defend oneself, especially with a firearm.
Acting on a bad tip, SWAT team bursts into home; officer's gun fires
Submitted by: G. Hughes
"But the 3a.m. raid --in which police targeted the wrong man, and an officer fired his gun accidentally-- raises questions of how far police should go before bursting into people's lives."
~~More jackbooted thuggery.
VA: Candidates "Meet in the Middle" on Gun Laws
Jerry Kilgore, the Republican nominee for attorney general, backed away today from his calls for repeal of Virginia's one-gun-a-month law, as candidates from both major parties move toward an uneasy truce on gun issues.
CA: Rapists have right to be free, women have no right to have guns
A convicted 8-time rapist is about to be set free again--into a community of women (LA area) who don't have the right to bear arms. His doctors and the DA are against release--but a judge overruled them, saying that monitoring him (cost: $100k/year) was better than imprisoning him (cost: $30k).
GPS monitoring will prove that he was at the scene of the crime with his next rape victim--but it won't stop the rape, and she won't have a gun. Sexual predators 1, women 0.
ALERT: Calls Needed to Sink Another Anti-gun Schumer Amendment
Submitted by: Dale Nick
Website: http://www.users.qwest.net/~djnick101/index.htm
-This is an email I got from Gun Owners of America.
[Click Here to go directly to information]
Teachers, guns and zero-tolerance
Anti-Gun Hysteria - Zero-tolerance policy blasts away at the Constitution.
Michelle Malkin comes through again. "The classroom has become a Second Amendment-free zone. So much for 'sensible' gun control."
U.S. court says police can ask drivers about guns
Submitted by: Michael Pelletier
DENVER - A police officer who makes a routine traffic stop can ask the driver if he has a loaded gun in the car even if there is no reason to suspect a weapon... (From the 10th Circuit)
Rosie spying on her staff?
Submitted by: Ron Dotson
Website: http://home.pacbell.net/rsdotson/
Rosie O'Donnell is being sued by former members of her security staff for spying on them illegally. Apparently she doesn't even trust her own body guards! She a schizoid freak if you ask me.
Latest VPC Propaganda on high-profile murders
Silent on the last 2 high profile spree-murders where a knife and hammer were used, the Vampires at the VPC are happily dancing in the blood of the victims in the latest case where a gun was used. Get your barf-bags out for this example of socialist propaganda...
Dominican Republic: Machete-wielding Maniac Kills 3
VPC ignored THIS story: Triple homicide by a machete-wielding maniac. How do you spell
M-e-d-i-a B-i-a-s P-r-o-p-a-g-a-n-d-a
Doesnt' fit the gun-grabbing paradigm? No comment!
Michael New goes to Supreme Court
Submitted by: skypod
Website: http://www.GunControlVictories.com
Attorneys for Army Spc. Michael New will submit a Petition of 'Certiorari' to the Supreme Court on September 10, a move which may well "exhaust the military remedy," as they were instructed by civilian courts in late 1995.
Only one issue is allowed to be brought to the attention of the Supreme Court in this case -- that of whether a soldier accused of disobeying an order has the right to introduce evidence which might prove the order was unlawful.
Red China: Police shoot hostage-taker, Boy rescued
How did this one get by the censors? Communist Cops shoot a berserk Security Guard who stabbed one and held an 11 year old boy hostage at knifepoint. Of course, only the Police and Military have guns in this "Peoples Republic", and they've never been shy about shooting their "comrade citizens"...
History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid. �Dwight D. Eisenhower


After landing in Chile, I explored many sites to help with my transition from fast-paced executive to slow-paced expat. While many were very helpful, there was one aspect that just didn´t seem to be well covered. What should one do when finding acceptance from your mate´s family is more difficult than a camel passing through the eye of a needle?
While I had expected many challenges, I was nonplussed by the initial rejection. All of my years in advertising, much akin to door-to-door proselytizing, were wrought with immense rejection. However, I learned that it wasn´t personal, that it was only the product being rejected, and to just let it roll off my shoulder. This time, however, it was different. This was personal, and my normally winning personality wasn´t wooing hearts. Needless to say, it was a tremendous blow to my otherwise inimitable self-esteem.
Part of the problem was rooted in an incident that occurred long before I had met my mate. He had casually introduced someone he was seeing while visiting Chile to his family. My darling man, who by then had spent his entire adulthood, of more than twenty years, in the States, had forgotten a cardinal rule of Chilean courtship. An introduction to the family is as good as a lifetime commitment.
So, by the time we had our feet planted on Chilean soil, there was already an uproar brewing. The phrase that cropped up repeatedly, was "how could you bring that woman (meaning myself) here?!" The family, that is primarily the women, could not understand how he could introduce one woman and then bring another one back. It just wasn´t the Chilean way.
My career had been in a heavily male-dominated field, and I was more accustomed to the camaraderie and interaction with men than women. So, at Chilean family functions, I stood beside my mate, as my own person, interacting as I normally would have in the States. Given that my Spanish skills were limited to hellos and goodbyes, I also relied heavily on his translation skills and the limited English of one of his childhood male friends.
We stood around the grill, sampling the meats as they cooked, drank wine, told jokes and stories, and devoted considerable energy to merriment. According to one of the men, I was the Peggy Lipton to their Mod Squad.
At the time, I recall thinking how strange it was that the women kept themselves separated from the men, preferring to stay in the kitchen, or in their own group at a distance. I wondered why they didn´t join in on the fun. Language deficiencies prevented me from asking, and I had yet to learn the social structure. It was soon thereafter that I learned that my behavior would be misconstrued, reaping many derogatory comments from the women. I was behaving as a normal New York woman, and for a long time, our worlds would mix like oil and water.
The most disturbing rejection was from my mother-in-law. My family had readily accepted my choice in partners, and I had anticipated the same in turn. However, that was not to be the case, at least, not in the beginning. It proved to be a difficult transition from anticipating a familiar Chilean mate for her son to accepting the strange gringa that he brought home. The family safety net that I had hoped was to be as supportive as wet noodles.
Family gatherings became distressful, and I was thankful to have the cloak of the language barrier. As time passed, I relied less and less on my mate´s translation skills, and chose to remain silent. Rather than vent frustration over the inaccurate portrayal of my character, I stayed within my own thoughts. The need to quell the anger led to an initial and unfortunate loss of interest in learning the language. It was better to say nothing, than to give rein to my inherited verbal Irish temper.
During the first year of our relocation, a growing circle of friends began to fill the void created in leaving my own family behind. Also, in spite of myself, my comprehension of Spanish began to flourish. It was inevitable that survival skills would kick in.
It would be quite some time before I felt comfortable enough to attempt to speak in Spanish, and even then, would only be with those whom I felt confident and secure. For the most part, my silence act continued, and I joked with an edge of sarcasm that I was the perfect woman…I listened intently, but didn´t say a word.
This period of silence provided ample opportunity to observe and learn. Gradually, I began to comprehend the dynamics of Chilean relationships, both societal and familial, as well as the mores and parameters of acceptable behavior. I also began to understand my new family, how they thought, felt and had experienced life. I began to see how strange and incomprehensible they had found my culture and early demeanor. It is easy to forget that our perceptions are defined by our life experiences and exposure. As I began to understand the dynamics, the more my anger dissolved into sympathy. We were all subjected to our expectations.
Gradually, relationships and interactions began to change. Not surprisingly now, my early resistance to the language, out of anger, proved to be the hurdle to changing perspectives. Unable to communicate my thoughts and essence of personality impeded understanding and acceptance.
Thankfully, in addition to my brother-in-law, one aunt and uncle, and family of cousins, made me feel very welcome. They too had had many varied experiences, which perhaps one day, with their permission, I will share with readers. One cousin had once stood in my shoes, having married a man from and moved to a country more restrictive with women, and could understand my dilemma. The others, too, had been through experiences so life-changing that my introduction was hardly a novelty. They were and continue to be a blessing to my Chilean life.
The turning point with my mother-in-law occurred when we took a trip visit a cousin in Viña. This particular cousin, who I adored from the beginning, was very accepting of what my mate wanted in life, and hence of me. We had stayed with her off and on since our move, and I felt comfortable in attempting conversations with my limited Spanish. A very independent and strong woman herself, this cousin and I may not have spoken exactly the same language, but we understood one another from life experiences.
Within this more relaxed environment, my mother-in-law and myself were able to somewhat start anew, and try to find a common ground. It was the beginning of an accepting process, a time during which she began to who I really was as a person. I also began to learn more about her, her thoughts and experiences. It was the first time that I learned to have fun with her.
I know that we still have a long way to go. I also knew that if I stayed true to myself that eventually family would come to know my strengths, my convictions, my goodness and my aspirations. We still struggle to find ways to communicate, ways to find enough commonality. In keeping with my nurturing nature, I find ways to display my affection for her, which has grown over the past four years. While we may never have the type of relationship that I had originally hoped for, I think that we can at least develop something that will be liveable. All in all, we love the same man and have an invested interest in making the relationship work.
For those who find themselves in my shoes, I would recommend to stay true to yourselves, wear the hide of a rhino, don´t worry so much about what family may think now, always keep finding ways to show your real nature, be flexible when possible (knowing that it doesn´t take away from your real essence to do so), and give time a chance to work. Definitely do not expect it to be easy from the beginning… it´s normal if it isn´t a challenge. Most importantly, remember the love that brought you to the soil that you now stand upon, and work hard to preserve that love. And lastly, know that there are sisters out there, like myself, that are willing to be sounding boards for the struggle, confusion, challenge, pain and bewilderment. We´re all in this together, with the same goal of making a new country a home.


Apologies for the lack of information since the last thrilling installment of the Chef's blog. We have been extremely busy and also mixed a holiday into the period.
Several things to report. The first part is general information and the second a bragging section. Forgive me for the second item but most chef's have huge egos and I am no exception!
Our new Spring menus are up and running and came into service just in time for Easter. Easter was very very busy and we were completely full every night all over the Easter period and also since then.
The most popular items over Easter were the crab cakes served in their shell, the smoked haddock soup served in an edible bread bowl with a fillet of wonderful grilled smoked haddock sitting on top of the soup and the ever popular carpaccio of beef with parmesan which was carried over from the old menu.
For main courses, the tournedos of duck was by far the best seller along with the "noix de entrecote" (the centre cut of prime ribeye steak) both with choice of sauces. That perennial favourite, our slowly roasted lamb shank, was also a winner but at Easter that is not surprising. The new melange of oven baked cod, scallops and crayfish in a sauce was another new dish which seemed to please the fish eaters among us with good sales and opinions expressed.
This week we have another new dish as a starter on the menu which is tower of tartare du salmon served with a grilled red pepper lid and a gambas (prawn) topping on a bed of smoked salmon. It's a winner with a lovely flavour and it will be very popular for the summer if ever we get rid of this awful rain!
Now we come to the bragging section. Two weeks ago we were invited to lunch at a 2 star Michelin restaurant near Cahors for the presentation of our plaque and membership of the guild of Tables et Auberges de France.
We were visited apparently in February by an inspector incognito who gave a 100% review of us which is rare. It is normally necessary to be open as a restaurant for a minimum of 3 years prior to being enrolled but even though we have only been in existance for 18 months he was so impressed with his visit that he waived the requirement.
We are very honoured to be members as there are only 24 other restaurants in the whole of the Aude Department and fellow members include the Grand Duc restaurant at Gincla and the superb Le Parc Michelin 2 star restaurant run by Frank Putelet at Carcassonne.
We are of course nowhere near the same standard or style (or price!) of food but we are developing all the time and we try very hard indeed to continue to improve.
Anyway, that is my bragging section over but I will finish by saying how proud we are of our enrolment.


You can look up our track record when dealing with companies having difficulties with their relaunch and restructuring programs. We've counseled the national airline company during various relaunch and restructuring projects; we've assisted hotel management enterprises when purchasing large hotels at public sales and we've advised the government, shareholders and the management of companies dealing with various problems.
Furthermore, we regularly act as the receiver for companies which have been granted a suspension of payments or as the trustee in bankruptcies and we provide advice and litigate for parties involved in the suspension of payments or bankruptcies.


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News & Media 'From barnstormers to jets'
'From barnstormers to jets'
Stinson Municipal Airport marks 100 years
September 21, 2015 By Dan Namowitz
A Texas airport named for a pioneering aviation family is marking a century of continuous operation in 2015 by celebrating both its niche in the history of flight and its transformation to a thoroughly modern general aviation facility.
Stinson Municipal Airport, located just south of San Antonio International Airport's Class C airspace, opened in 1915 as the Stinson School of Flying, run by Katherine, Marjorie, and Eddie Stinson, on land rented from the city.
Katherine would go on to make her name (after soloing in four hours) by becoming the fourth American woman to earn a pilot certificate. She became a stunt pilot who performed as "the Flying Schoolgirl," and was recognized as the first woman pilot to fly such maneuvers as a "loop the loop." Katherine is credited with being "the first person of either sex to fly an airplane at night," according to an online biography.
Her brother Eddie created the Stinson Aircraft Co., which produced airplanes, many now known as classics, until 1950 when production of its last model, the Stinson 108, ended.
The Stinsons would likely be pleased to learn that the base for their flying school—which closed when a World War I ban shut down civilian aviation—is thriving in the twenty-first century as a city-owned, towered, 24/7 airport with two paved runways, about 85 based GA aircraft, many thousands of operations annually, and a variety of published IFR procedures.
"Year-to-date operations have increased 17 percent over last year," said Yasmina Platt, AOPA Central/Southwest regional manager, adding that a new fixed-base operation, GateOne, and a new airport sandwich shop, the Brown Bag, complement numerous aviation businesses, and an assortment of recent capital improvements, in adding to Stinson Municipal Airport's ever-growing aeronautical appeal.
The airport is home to the Women in Aviation, International organization's new Alamo City chapter that will participate in Girls in Aviation Day 2015 activities on Sept. 26. The airport also is home base for the Fort Sam Houston Flying Club.
As appropriate for an airport with a strong claim to a place in aviation history, Stinson Municipal Airport is the site of the Texas Air Museum, Stinson Chapter, a facility staffed entirely by volunteers and offering a diversity of exhibits, including Katherine's Blériot airplane.
A vintage aircraft show highlighted Independence Day weekend activities to commemorate the airport's centennial—and coverage of the occasion helped tell the story of Stinson Municipal's beginnings to area residents.
Further activities to mark the milestone are expected this fall.
"Pilots should make it a point to put Stinson Municipal on their list of destinations, and join in the celebration of this general aviation gem," Platt said.
Dan Namowitz
Associate Editor Web
Associate Editor Web Dan Namowitz has been writing for AOPA in a variety of capacities since 1991. He has been a flight instructor since 1990 and is a 30-year AOPA member.
Go to Dan Namowitz's Profile
Topics: Airport, Airport Advocacy, Advocacy
Pilot Magazine
Zero passion for flying
Virgil I. Grissom Municipal Airport, Bedford, Indiana


75% of earth's area is covered by water. Water is the major component of all living beings and it is the major constituent of human cells. Ayurveda considers water (aap or jala) as one of panchamahabhutas. ( Panchamahabhutas constitute human body). Water provides a good medium for most of the biological processes that happen in living beings. Dehydration or loss of water from body causes dry skin, lowered energy, muscle cramps, reduced alertness and affects vital organs.
Water which is not harmful to health and has all qualities to serve as drinking water is called as potable water. The potable water must be free from heavy metals, suspended particles and pathogens like bacteria.
Ayurveda recommends rain water which is devoid of impurities, microbes as pure potable water. This is called as "Gangambu". Such rain water is healthy, refreshing, cools body, increases alertness and satiates taste buds. The properties of pure Gangabu or rain water are narrated as follows.
In present environmental scenario the polluted sky, dusty winds, chemicals spewed from industries get dissolved with rain water causing acid rains. It is not advisable to drink such rain water. Even in ayurveda it has been mentioned that rain water has to be used after analyzing its purity.
The water contaminated with mud, weeds, algae and microbes is referred as "Dushtajala" in ayurveda. Dushtajala or contaminated water should not be used for any purpose as it is harmful to living beings.
Cold water reduces intoxication of alcohol. It relieves fatigue, giddiness, vomiting sensation and quenches thirst. It alleviates symptoms of increased pitta, rakta and poison.
Hot water kindles hunger, helps in good digestion, sooths throat, cleanses bladder, reduces hiccups, and alleviates increased vata and kapha. Hot water is recommended during panchakarma therapy. It eases symptoms of cold, cough, fevers and breathlessness.
Benefits of drinking water are manifold. Ayurveda acharyas explain health benefits of drinking water in various hours of day. In yogaratnakara the advantages of drinking water in early morning has been explained beautifully. Before starting this procedure one must evacuate bowels and urine. The teeth and face must be cleaned.
In morning when the sun is about to rise man must drink eight prasruti (8 times his hand full= approximately one big glass) of water. By doing this the aging process slows down, the signs of ageing diminishes and he gets immune to diseases. His life span increases.
When man drinks water during Sunrise, his three doshas (vata, pitta and kapha) get balanced. Agni gets improved and normalized. This method also acts as Vajikara. It increases man's libido and sexual energy.
Apart from these, drinking water in morning helps to reduce diseases like piles, edema, irritable bowel syndrome, obesity, allergies and back pain.
Persons who drink plenty of water regularly enjoy the following benefits.
Healthy glowing skin: A well hydrated skin prevents dry skin and formation of wrinkles. Increased water intake moisturizes the skin from inside. It maintains the elasticity of skin and gives young looks. Water acts as a fountain of youth.
Keeps Cardio Vascular system healthy: Researches have revealed that, drinking water regularly reduces the risk of heart diseases. The scientists say that dehydration increases the viscosity of blood and plasma which are risk factors of heart disease.
Good Digestion: Water is very essential for digestion of food and absorption of nutrients. Well hydrated body cells function normally and efficiently. Water helps in expelling waste products produce during metabolism.
No Constipation: Inadequate consumption of water and lack of fiber in diet cause constipation. Drinking 14 glasses of water per day along with good fiber diet ease bowel movement and relieve constipation.
Alert mind: Dehydration can affect mental alertness. Frequent ingestion of water keeps the mind alert and prevents dizziness which occur due to dehydration..
Regular Detoxification: In resent years our environment is full of toxins like pesticides, industrial wastes, vehicle exhausts etc. These toxins enter human body and get collected in tissues. Drinking lot of water help to eliminate these toxins from body. Hence drinking clean and pure water regularly in large quantities help to flush these toxins and prevent diseases which arise from accumulation of these toxins.
Apart from the benefits mentioned above , water regulates body temperature and boosts the immunity of body. Sports persons are always advised to drink plain water instead of aerated drinks.
Drinking 8 – 10 glasses of water per day flushes the toxins from body, hydrates the skin well and reduces wrinkles, makes dry skin soft and prevents acne and pimples.
Spraying water frequently on face and body helps to keep dry skin soft and smooth.
Drinking a glass of water before every meal helps in weight reduction.
Drinking plenty of water help to reduce dark circles.
Good water intake keeps headaches at bay.
Warm water consumption eases discomforts caused due to bronchitis and arthritis.
Drinking ½ glass of warm water once in 2 hours helps in indigestion.
Consuming water in between meals help in good digestion.


Be picked up by bus or minibus in the city center of Tromso, outside the Clarion Edge Hotel by the harbor. The drive 75-minutes to the Tromso Ice Domes. Upon arrival at the wilderness center of the Tromsø Ice Domes, you will be provided you with all the warm clothes and shoes necessary. Begin the adventure with a thorough safety introduction and practical demonstration. You do not need any previous experience to drive a snowmobile but you need to be physically fit.
You will drive in pairs with one driver and one passenger on each snowmobile. You will have the opportunity to switch places during the trip. Embark upon the tour, pass scenic mountains and the dramatic snow-covered Finn valley. Start at 250 meters above sea level and climb up to 900 meters above sea level. The trail is 15 kilometers each way and you will be on the snowmobile for approximately 2 to 2.5-hours. Due to the dramatic topography, you will drive at a reduced speed during parts of the tour. The highest point of the trail is on the ice-covered lake of Finn, where you can speed up and get your adrenaline pumping. If time and the weather permits, you can try out ice fishing on this lake.
10:15 AM at the Clarion Edge Hotel, Kaigata 6, 9008 Tromsø.


The process is being led by Epic Impact Education Group's CEO Dr. Bobby Moore. Dr. Moore was a principal of a Nationally-recognized middle school and a superintendent in a district that received the highest rating and distinction from the State Department of Education. We are excited to strategize to identify purposeful goals alongside such a passionate and experienced educational leader.
To support this thorough analysis and gather additional insights from everyone in the community, we will be conducting focus groups in the coming weeks. The focus groups will include all of our stakeholders, including students, staff, parents, and community members.
Our Key Stakeholder Focus Groups, to which you are invited, will be on September 6th at 6:00 pm and September 7th at 10:00 am. Both focus groups will be held at Three Rivers Local School District's main campus. These two focus groups are open to everyone in Three Rivers, including parents, staff, and community members. We encourage everyone to attend and invite their neighbors and friends to do so as well.
On September 6th and 7th, selected junior and senior students from Taylor High School will also participate in focus groups. We look forward to collaborating with as many stakeholders as possible as we plan for the future of Three Rivers. Thank you in advance for helping us gather information related to this important work! For questions, please contact Jeff Langdon, Three Rivers COO, at jlangdon@trlsd.org.


Meerut, India - The Massacre took place on May 22, 1987th, the Muslim holy month of the Last Friday of Ramadan.
Hindus say it is the birthplace of Lord Ram. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, a right-wing Hindu nationalist group, had laid claims to the mosque site since the late 1970s. By the Time Gandhi opened it in the 1,986th, both communities were on the Issue Highly polarized.
"During communal riots, the normal practice is that people are searched and their houses are searched for any legal or illegal weapons," said Vibhuti Narain Rai, the then-superintendent of police in neighbouring Ghaziabad district, who has written a book on the massacre .
Different Law Enforcement Agencies to conduct the searches and Arrests Collaborated in Night RIOT-affected areas that, according to the Court ' s Charge SHEET.
"The PAC at that time was known as an anti-Muslim police force," said Zafaryab Jilani, a legal advisor to the All India Muslim Personal Law Board and leader of the Babri Masjid Action Committee. "They do not come to action by themselves ... The local police generally calls the PAC because its numbers are not sufficient."
Yet these incidents Staged ARE likely to have been, said Paul Brass, A Researcher on South Asian politics and author of the Book of The Hindu-Muslim Violence in Contemporary India Production .
The judge last Saturday cleared the 16 accused PAC personnel - originally 19 before three died - saying there was not enough evidence to prove their responsibility for the massacre.
The "Fraternal TIES of the khaki," - police Officers wear khaki uniforms - they must also do Overshadow any Investigations on each other, said vrinda Grover, A victims ' Lawyer.
"But if they [PAC] did not kill them, who did? It's the state's responsibility to tell us," said Qadir.


On this lovely cruise from Perth to Fremantle return you will an interesting live commentary from the captain. He will point out all the places of interest as well as telling you the history of the area. You just have to sit back and relax!
Take in the wonderful sights that can only be viewed from a Captain Cook Cruises vessel on the Swan River as you cruise the calm waters between Fremantle and Perth on this direct return service. This 2 hour and 45 minute scenic direct return cruise between Perth and Fremantle allows you to discover the unique delights our wonderful Swan River has to offer.
You'll journey along the river, admiring the waterfront scenery of Perth's downtown skyline, Fremantle's busy inner harbour, upscale suburbs and yacht clubs - not to mention the beautiful cliff faces of Black Wall Reach, the famous Point Walter "Spit" (as the locals call it) and Perth's iconic "Blue Boat House", the Crawley Edge Boatshed.
Our office in Perth is located at Pier 3, Barrack Square, Perth.


Here is the list of the hotels near Lacadée. Book your hotel near Lacadée today, Tuesday 14 May for the best price, reservation and cancellation free of charge thanks to our partner Booking.com, leader in on-line hotels reservation.
Below here is the list the 50 closest hotels of Lacadée, sortable according your criteria. You will find the position of these accommodations on the Lacadee hotels map.
Below here is the hotels map of Lacadée.
Names and details of Lacadée hotels can be shown on the map clicking on the prices icons.


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Hackenbush
The game was invented by mathematician John Horton Conway, and named after the Groucho Marx character, Hugo Z. Hackenbush, in the Marx Brothers film "A Day at the Races".
It was described and analysed in: Conway, John Horton. On Numbers and Games. New York: Academic Press, 1976. 165. A fuller analysis was given in: Berlekamp, Elwyn R., John H. Conway, and Richard K. Guy. Winning Ways for your Mathematical Plays - Volume 1. New York: Academic Press, 1982. 183-220.
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I havent been able to solve this code/riddle, can you?
What do the first three digits in binary code mean?
Can I access parallel port in C++ code(on win98 virtual machine)?
[+5] What do the first three digits in binary code mean?


D-Mannose may help treat UTIs by binding to bacteria that would otherwise attach to the urinary tract lining.
Some bacteria that typically cause urinary tract infections can attach themselves to the lining of the urinary tract by binding to molecules of mannose that naturally occur there. Theoretically, if enough D-mannose is present in the urine, it would bind to the bacteria and prevent them from attaching to the urinary tract lining. One animal study has demonstrated this protective effect, but whether it would occur in humans is unknown, and no human research has investigated the effectiveness of oral D-mannose for the prevention or treatment of urinary tract infections.
D-Mannose is in many fruits, including Peaches, apples, oranges, cranberries, and blueberries.
As D-mannose is not an essential nutrient, except in certain rare genetic disorders people produce sufficient amounts to provide for the bodies' needs.
Test tube and animal studies suggest that consuming large amounts of mannose might lead to birth defects,3, 4 although the amounts of mannose used on those studies were far greater than the amounts a person would ingest from food or from a supplement to treat a urinary tract infection. Nonetheless, until more is known, pregnant women should use supplemental mannose with caution.
1. Herman RH. Mannose metabolism I. Am J Clin Nutr 1971;24:488-98 [review].
2. Wright JV, Lenard L. D-Mannose & Bladder Infection:The Natural Alternative to Antibiotics. Auburn, WA: Dragon Art, 2001:17.
3. Freinkel N, Lewis NJ, Akazawa S, Roth SI, Gorman L. The honeybee syndrome: implications of the teratogenicity of mannose in rat-embryo culture. N Engl J Med 1984;310:223-30.
4. Buchanan T, Freinkel N, Lewis NJ, et al. Fuel-mediated teratogenesis. Use of D-mannose to modify organogenesis in the rat embryo in vivo. J Clin Invest 1985;75:1927-34.


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Under The Radar: St. Patrick's Day 2021 in Belfast
Posted byThe Gown Queen's University Belfast March 19, 2021 March 21, 2021 Posted inAround Belfast, belfast, Covid-19, Crime, Features, Law & Order, News, northern ireland, Police & Justice, Queen's University, Belfast, Queen's University News, Society, Student News
Peter Donnelly, Editor
With notable exceptions, St. Patrick's Day 2021 was a suprisingly quieter affair in the student areas of Belfast, unlike previous years.
Policemen from the PSNI's Tactical Support Group observe young people leave the Botanic Gardens, on the Queen's University campus exit, of South Belfast following the Gardens' early closure after hundreds of young people gathered in the latter part of the afternoon. 17th March 2021 PA
March 2021 marked one year since the onset of the Coronavirus lockdown across the UK. 2021 was also the second year running where St. Patrick's Day events were officially cancelled worldwide. Since last St. Patrick's Day the deadly grip of the Coronavirus has laid bare its effects for all to see, with the World Health Organisation reporting that over 2.69 million people have succumbed to the disease.
The University areas of South Belfast have been notorious for anti-social behaviour in previous St. Patrick's Days, yet this year was, much to the relief of local residents and authorities, a relatively low key affair.
A taskforce consisting of the Police, Belfast City Council, representatives of Queen's University and Ulster University and local residents groups was formed, in the weeks preceding St. Patrick's Day, to ensure young people within the student areas were observing the Coronavirus lockdown and accompanying Coronavirus Health Protection Regulations.
Although the rate of Coronavirus infection has significantly decreased within recent weeks, in advance of St. Patrick's Day, Northern Ireland's Chief Medical Officer Michael McBride ordered people, who were thinking of holding gatherings, to "wise up."
On St. Patrick's Day morning local public representatives including the MP for Belfast South, Claire Hanna and Paula Bradshaw MLA were on the ground engaging with Belfast City Council Enforcement and PSNI officers. A significant policing operation had been put in place in the days immediately preceding St. Patrick's Day, with extra officers being drafted into the South Belfast area to participate in the multi-agency effort.
Additional police officers were also on patrol across Northern Ireland beauty spots where concerns about over-crowding had been raised, by organisations such as The National Trust.
Police patrols on the Ormeau Road on the edge of the entrance to Agincourt Avenue, South Belfast which formed part of the St. Patrick's Day operation. Matt Sterling/UTV
Students who were interviewed by the media expressed their frustration with, what they perceived to be, the authorities' heavy handed approach to enforcing the Covid-19 Regulations. One young woman said she felt that the concentration of police officers in the student areas of Belfast was excessive given other notable breaches of Coronavirus regulations where there was little enforcement action taken.
The proactice approach by the Police and Belfast City Council officials was welcomed by local politicians. SDLP Belfast City Councillor Gary McKeown said that the multi-agency partnership had led to a "generally quieter" situation in the Holyland during the St. Patrick's Day period.
Off-licences within student areas were operating on a reduced timetable, over the St. Patrick's week. Some off-licences placed security on the entrances to their premises.
A long-time resident of the Holyland told Belfast Live that despite a significant police presence he would be be moving out of the district over the St. Patrick's Day period, saying, "The last 12 months I have hardly stayed in my flat because of the noise, the parties and the disruption." The resident has lived in the area for 13 years and said despite the advent of the pandemic there was little reduction in noise, "It's just the constant noise at night – it's certain houses, the same houses every year – you follow up and nothing is getting done."
This resident's concerns are representative of the views of many local non-student residents living within the Holyland area. For many years residents have pushed for public authorities and the universities to ensure that a permanent and effective action plan and strategy could be implemented to ensure anti-social behaviour ceases to continue.
In 2009, the situation in the area deteriorated from significant anti-social behaviour to a full-scale riot as many intoxicated St. Patrick's Day revellers attacked the Police and caused significant damage to the surrounding area. In the years of 2016 and 2017, the behaviour in the Holylands was described as particularly bad.
A former resident of the area had also previously said that he had left the area after receiving repeated verbal abuse for complaining to the authorities about the level of anti-social behaviour. The abuse he suffered escalated during a particularly sensitive time for him, when his wife had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. He said that he had initially engaged with some students who were very approachable when asked to reduce the volume of the music. However, he then became subject to a barrage of abuse for raising concerns when his requests were disregarded.
It is generally accepted that some young people, who are not students of the two universities or of local further education colleges, travel to the Holyland district, widely considered now to be a partying hotspot, to engage in recreational drinking.
Holylands situation must be subject to "a fundamental transformation"
Councillor McKeown warned however that investment of such extensive resources, including police numbers, was not a sustainable approach for future years. "We can't take this as an indication that it will be the case in future. We can't police ourselves out of the challenges the area faces. We need a fundamental transformation."
For much of the day the Holyland area of South Belfast was unusually quiet for a St. Patrick's Day, with many students either remaining within their rental accomodation or not venturing into the City due to the lockdown restraints. Some students and young people in the Holyland's could be seen sitting within the entrance perimeters of their accomodation drinking alcohol and playing music. There were few scenes of the habitual St. Patrick's Day jubilation, reminiscent of previous years.
In the latter part of the afternoon crowds of young people, many of whom were university students, began to converge on Botanic Gardens.
The scenes at Botanic Gardens on St. Patrick's Day 2021 as hundreds of youth congregated on the green in South Belfast, in breach of the Coronavirus Regulations. There was no visible attempts to adhere to the health and safety measures, including the wearing of masks. Many of the revellers were also in possession of alcohol. PA/Press Eye
People in the park, in the earlier part of the day, had said that the numbers of people on the green at Botanic steadily grew to the extent that observation of social distancing became virtually impossible. Images taken by media photographers and members of the public show many people not wearing masks and making no effort to practice social distancing.
The Police eventually approached the Botanic green from the Ormeau embankment side, forming a cordon moving the large group away from the park, preventing a continuation of the breach of Coronavirus Regulations.
Botanic Gardens closed early at around 5pm.
Young people were also reported to have gathered within the Lagan Meadows area of South Belfast, which is situated in a wooded area, off the Lagan Towpath.
Health Message "Heeded"
The policing operation continued well into the early hours of Thursday morning, 18th March. Isolated incidents, including arrests occured as the night wore on in and around the Holyland's district. A video emerged online on the TikTok platform, during the course of the early hours of March 18th, purporting to show a young man detained on the ground by two policemen. The exact context as that video is concerned remains unclear.
Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd, head of the Police District Policing Command, issued a statement on behalf of the PSNI, on 18th March, saying that the operation, overall, had been a success.
Isolated Incidents: A Police Constable and Sergeant detain a young man and question another young male in the Holyland area, South Belfast, on their overnight patrols 17th/18th March 2021. PA
"I am happy to report that the vast majority of people across Northern Ireland heeded the messaging from ourselves, political representatives and partner agencies, and celebrated St Patrick's Day while adhering to the health regulations." ACC Todd continued, "Whilst we did note large numbers in some parks and beauty spots, officers implemented our four Es strategy, Engage, Explain, Encourage, and lastly Enforce, and encouraged people to return home where necessary, including a number of groups in Botanic Gardens."
ACC Todd further revealed that the Police had issued a total of 135 enforcement notices across Northern Ireland, with forty-seven Covid 4 notices and eight Covid 2 notices being issued within South Belfast's Holyland district. The issuing of Covid 4 notices, also includes a £200 fixed fine. Two people have been referred to the Public Prosecution Service, after repeatedly failing to follow Coronavirus Regulations. In total almost £10,000 in fines were handed out to those in breach of the law.
Breaching The Coronavirus Health Protection Regulations & Universities
Both Queen's University and Ulster University have been firm, since the commencement of the Coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent legal restricitions, that any students found in contravention of the rules would face significant penalties.
A surge in anti-social behaviour in the September period of last year, when students returned to the University area of South Belfast, was cited by local residents as a grave failure of policy on the part of the authorities. Since then the police presence in the form of vehicle and cycle patrols has noticeably increased.
On March 10th, The Belfast Telegraph revealed that a total of 252 students of Queen's University had been reported to the University by the Police. 229 of those students had been suspended for a fortnight by the University, following the coming in to force of emergency sanctions, under the University's Conduct Regulations, for students found to be in breach of the Coronavirus Health Protection Regulations, which have the force of law courtesy of the Public Health Act (Northern Ireland) 1967.
From these figures it is clear that the University authorities are taking a robust approach to those students found to be in breach of the Health Protection Regulations. However, The Gown understands that there are growing concerns within the Queen's University Student's Union that the University is privy to information of enforcement actions being taken against members of the public, who have no affiliation to Queen's.
As part of the University's data-sharing agreement with the PSNI and other statutory agencies, Queen's University examines a list of those who have been sanctioned by the authorities to determine who and who is not affiliated with the institution. Those students who have been sanctioned by the Police with enforcement notices, such as COV 2 or COV 4 penalty notices, will automatically face a mandatory two week suspension from Queen's University.
The process of lockdown easing has been set out in the Northern Ireland Executive's Pathway to Recovery blueprint. The current restrictions have been in continuous operation since Boxing Day 2020, when all non-essential travel, businesses and hospitality was suspended. It is expected that by April 12th, the Executive will relax the compulsory 'Stay At Home' message to that of 'Stay Local.'
Further information on the Coronavirus lockdown and its relaxation can be found here on the NI Direct government website or on BBC News NI's Q&A page.
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"At last they entered a world - a valley of leagues where the high hills were fashioned of the mere rubble and refuse from off the knees of the mountains... Surely the Gods live here. Beaten down by the silence and the appalling sweep of dispersal of the cloud-shadows after rain. This place is no place for men."
Spiti, also known as the "Middle Land", is a trans- Himalayan terrain located in the north-eastern part of Himachal Pradesh in India. The name "Spiti" means "The Middle Land", i.e. the land between Tibet and India.
I always had that constant urge of packing off and exploring unknown virgin destinations on a bike. The urge kept on boiling since the time I bought my Thunder Bird 350 cc in 2011. Back there, due to family pressures and new job I could not fulfill my desires of exploring mountains on bike, meeting new people and understanding new culture. I got married to Bhavna, my soul in 2013. Ours was a love marriage and we did shared lot of common interests and hobbies. Fast Forward to late 2014, I first mooted the idea of having a bike trip to Ladakh to my four childhood friends. Me and one of my other friend were married while rest of both were enjoying their bachelor status. There was a straight no from my married friend since he and his spouse are settled in Pune and cannot take leaves from their Job required for a ladakh trip. The bachelor friends kept on telling that you plan things and when the 2015 season of ladakh comes let us know we shall bump in. Their words did not gave me much confidence. Nevertheless, I was firm on taking a bike trip and Bhavna also wanted to come. This gave me added motivation and I started planning for a bike trip to ladakh in 2015. I had given up hopes on my bachelor friends joining the trip so it was me and Bhavna alone.
Few years back I had read about Spiti Valley and its enormous mystique. I started researching about Spiti and more I researched more I was drawn towards its beauty. Slowly my interest for Ladakh went down and I was completely swayed by Spiti. I also discussed with Bhavna about a bike trip to Spiti instead of Ladakh. Initially she was reluctant to go to such a unexplored place but looking to my childish face which had Spti written all over she agreed. In April, 2015, me and Bhavna started preparing for a trip to Spiti Valley.
Please note that I have used the words 'Ride towards' against each destination since things never go as per the plans while riding in mountainous regions especially Kinnaur and Spiti Valley owing to landslides. I had booked a Desert Storm 500 CC from Royal India Bikes, Chandigarh for the trip and the owner, Rajiv was helped us a lot in planning us the trip.
3.A nylon rope – essential in case your vehicle breaks down in between and has to be towed down since getting a mechanic at such isolated locations are difficult.
4.Dry Fruits and chocolates – Necessary for surviving higher altitudes. However, the same were purchased by us near Shimla as carrying the same from Vadodara would mean carrying extra luggage.
We packed only couple of jeans and few t-shirts for us since it is important to carry minimum luggage on trip. We had couple of ruck sacks with us. Royal India Bike gave us a Saddle bag at no extra cost. That was very helpful for carrying extra luggage during the trip.
We had booked hotels at all places except Sarahan and Manali through Himalayan Shepherd.
Went to the Office to finish urgent pending works. However, entire day could not concentrate on work being very excited about the trip to Spiti. We had all our luggage packed the previous day.. Ok Ok.. It was Bhavna who did all the packaging.. I left from the Office at 5.30 P.M. and reached home. Bhavna was already there at home applying finishing touches to the packing. We had booked the Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express from Vadodara for our journey to New Delhi. We reached Vadodara railway station at 9 P.M. and the train arrived on time. We boarded the train, had dinner on train and went to sleep.
The train reached New Delhi railway station on time at 9 A.M. We had booked the 11.05 A.M. Paschim Express for our journey to Chandigarh. We had to pick up Camera from house of my Brother in law since we did not have proper camera to carry it for the trip. The house driver of my Brother in law delivered the camera to us outside the New Delhi Railway station. Once we had picked up the camera we went to a eatery in the premises of the station and had tea and aaloo ka paratha for breakfast. After a health breakfast we proceeded to the Platform to catch our train. The train arrived half an hour late and we made ourselves comfortable on our seats. During our journey to Chandigarh we discussed all the things that we shall do and places we shall visit during our road trip. We reached Chandigarh at 3.30 P.M. Called up Rajiv and confirmed from him the way to his place. He was not there in Chandigarh. However, he informed that one of his colleagues is there and she will help us. We reached the office of Royal India Bikes where we were greeted by one of the colleagues of Rajiv. She showed us our bike. We decided to start the ride today itself towards Shimla. It was decided that we shall ride till the time we are tired and stop for the day wherever we get a decent accommodation. We loaded the entire luggage on the bike and started our ride towards Shimla. Our excitement knew no boundaries.
We reached outskirts of Chandigarh and then started the Himalayan Expressway. Here we had our first view of the mountains. I had been to Shimla and Dalhousie in past. However, it was first time Himachal for Bhavna and she was pretty excited. No sooner we started gaining altitude and started the ride on the ghats towards Shimla. It was turning dark sooner and there was lot of truck traffic as well as traffic of cars rushing towards Shimla for the weekend. We decided to stop the ride for the day and find a suitable hotel for the overnight stay. We found a decent hotel in Dharampur and decided to spend the night over there. We checked into the hotel. The room rates was Rs. 1500/-. We paid the money in advance and checked into our rooms. We had a quick shower, changed our clothes and went to the restaurant for dinner. We had roti, sabji and rice for the dinner. It was getting quite cold and we decided to have a good night sleep so as to start early for our next destination Sarahan tomorrow.
We woke up at 6.30 A.M. after a good sleep overnight. Had a quick bath and loaded the luggage on the bike. We decided to have breakfast enroute only and no sooner we hit the road by 7.30 A.M. for our destination for the day – Sarahan. Our first stop was at a tea stall near Solan and had hot tea and toasts. Once we were done with our morning tea, we started the journey and crossed Kandaghat in no time. We took the Dhalli bypass to avoid going inside Shimla City. We stopped at a small market near the bypass and purchased dry fruits and chocolates for the journey. We proceeded further and stopped at Kufri for breakfast. We had awesome Aloo Chat and Maggi enjoying spread of beautiful pine trees all over.
We drove slowly enjoying the route and reached Narkanda around 2 P.M. We first purchased 2 Plastic cans of 5 litres each for carrying Petrol for the journey. We stopped at a restaurant in the main market and had dal chawal for lunch. After a rest of around 15 minutes we proceeded further for Rampur. On route to Rampur from Narakanda we had first view of the Might Sutlej.. It enters in India near Shipki La (Himachal Pradesh) and meets the Beas River in Punjab before finally moving to Pakistan terminating into the Arabian Sea.
Ensure to fill up the tank and the cans at either Narkanda or Peo since next fuel Station is at Kaza. You would not like to be stranded at remote location for want of fuel. We reached Jeori at around 6 P.M. From Jeori, the straight road leads towards Kalpa while a right turn from the main market circle leads towards Sarahan. We took a right turn and started the steep climb towards Sarahan. Sarahan is a small town in Himachal Pradesh which has the famous Bhimkali temple (one of the 51 shakti peeths).
We reached Sarahan by 6.30 P.M. and went straight to HPTDC Shrikhand for accommodation for the night. We did not have a prior booking and inquired about the availability of the room. We finalized a beautiful room for Rs. 2500/-. Sarahan has few other accommodation facilities also. However, one should stay at HPTDC Shrikhand only when in Sarahan. It provides a wonderful view of the Shrikhand mountain Peak. We checked into the room and had a bath. I went to the Bhimkali Temple first since it was closing time for the temple. Had a darshan and went back to the hotel. We ordered coffee and some snacks at the restaurant of the hotel. It provides beautiful view of the mountains and the hot snacks added to the beauty of the environment around. We had a stroll in the town for some time and ate our dinner at 9.30 P.M. and went to sleep at 11.00 A.M.
As per the plans, we were supposed to reach Rakchham which lies in the Baspa Valley by today. Woke up at 6 A.M and had a bath. Went to the Bhimkali Temple and had a quick darshan. Wifey was ready by the time I reached the hotel. We did the final packing and loaded the luggage on the bike. Had a hearty breakfast and started at around 7.30 A.M. for our next destination. The climb down from Sarahan till Jeori is steep. Encountered many apple trees in between. Requested a local resident who had a tree in his courtyard to give us few apples. He obliged us by giving few apples without charging any cost.
From Jeori one has to take a right to proceed towards Rakccham. The road from Jeori till Wangtu are superb to ride.
The troubles start after one reaches Wangtu due to the hydroelectric power plants over there. Construction activities and blasting have rendered the roads difficult to manage. The roads from Wangtu to Tapri were horrendous. While driving straight, I chanced to see how the construction workers were transporting construction materials through a trolley from one bank of baspa river to another. Due to this my concentration from the unpaved road ahead was lost and did not saw a big stone in the middle of the road. I lost my balance and we crashed into the mountain with the bike over us. Luckily, few workers were working over there. They immediately rushed and helped us. We had few bruises thought nothing serious. Wifey was bit terrified though. We rested for 15 minutes to get back to senses. Had tea at Tapri to refresh ourselves and started the onwards journey.
Reached Karcham from where the Baspa Valley starts. From Karcham one has to take a right to go towards Rakccham. The straight roads leads towards Reckong Peo – the district capital of Kinnaur.
There is a straight road from Karchham Dam to Sangla however the road was closed and had to take a 24 kms detour to reach Sangla. There were no roads and it was all dusty trail. Wifey was getting irritated and we had numerous stops before we reached Sangla. Had coffee and few snacks there. Finally, we reached Rakchham at around 3 P.M. and checked into Hotel Apple Pie, which we had booked through Himalayan Shepherd. There was no electricity which is case with all the towns in the region. Water was pretty cold so cancelled the idea of having a bath. Had a rest for an hour to give rest to our battered backs and necks. Went to the restaurant of the hotel and had nice tea and pakoras. We then went to explore the Rakchham village. Only one word describes the village – Awesome. Beautifully planned and nicely maintained village. Spent about an hour there and went back to hotel as it was getting dark. Wifey was thinking of not going ahead with the trip due to the fall we had in the morning. However, could convince her that it was one of the things while undertaking such a trip and I shall be more careful in future. She agreed and we had our dinner at around 9 P.M. and went to sleep around 10 P.M.
Today our plan was to go to Chitkul, the last village on India – China border on Baspa Valley side in the morning before going to Kalpa our final destination for the day. Woke up at 6.30 A.M. Kept the luggage in the hotel as had to come back to Rakccham for onwards journey. Started for Chitkul at around 7.30 A.M. It was freezing cold out there and my hands were literally jammed while driving. It was a scenic drive towards Chitkul. Reached Chitkul at around 8.30 A.M. HEAVEN – is the word to describe the place. Nestled between beautiful mountains on the banks of river baspa, Chitkul is a place that will blow your minds away. Explored the town for half an hour and went down to the river bank. The water was freezing cold and felt surreal over there. Spent over half and hour there clicking few pics and went back to the village. Had a breakfast of Bread Omelet and coffee while wifey had bread toast with coffee. We bid goodbye to the beautiful village with a promise to come back again and proceeded back to Rakccham.
Reached hotel at around 11 A.M. Packed the luggage and loaded on to the bike. Paid the bills and started our journey towards Kalpa. Again had to take that difficult detour and reached Karccham Dam at around 1 P.M. One has to take a right for Kalpa from here and we company of might Sutlej all the way. Reached Powari at around 1.30 P.M. There is a fuel station at Powari. Asked the attendant for fuel and he replied in negative. Please note that the fuel station at Powari is closed at almost all the times and is not reliable. The straight road from Powari leads towards Pooh while a turn left side goes to Reckong Peo and Kalpa. We took the turn and started the climb towards Reckong Peo. Reached Peo at around 2 P.M. and first went to the fuel station to refill the tank and filled the tank completely. I thought of skipping Kalpa and going ahead with the trip and try to reach Nako by the evening. Shared the plans with Wifey. Initially she was reluctant but eventually agreed. There were 4 guys from Delhi whom we met at the fuel station. We had seen them in the morning at Chitkul. They were also taking the same route as us. They also had plans to skip Kalpa and reach Nako by the evening. So it was decided to target Nako by the evening. We went around looking for food for lunch. However, all restaurants were closed and one of local grocery shop owner told us that there was a Langar arrange today at one of the government place of the town and all the citizens are at the Langar including the restaurant owners so all the restaurants are closed. We were happy to see the bonding amongst the citizens and took few chips and biscuits from the grocery store and proceeded towards Powari.
From Powari we started for Nako. We had company of those 4 guys through our trip till Kaza. Our first stop was at Kasang Nallah. It is a beautiful set up with water flowing with might. Those 4 guys also reached there in no time. We spent few time over there enjoying the beauty and clicking the pics.
Due to previous day accident, there was some damage to the bike. The fabrication of the horn had come out as also the silencer was loose. Saw a mechanic shop at Skibba, The Delhi guys were already there. One of the bikes had a puncture. They were attending to the same. We also went to the mechanic shop and fixed our problems. Kindly note that the mechanic at Skibba is very reliable and you should stop there to check your bike even if there is no apparent problem with it. Had tea at a shop beside the mechanic shop.
My back was giving up due to the bad roads (you can say no roads). However, I went ahead driving slowly with all might and we decided to stop at any village having accommodation in case I am not able to ride further. Nako was ruled out and we targeted Pooh. Reached Spello at around 6 P.M. and by that time my back and neck had completely given up. There was a hotel in the main market. However, it did not gave me much confidence and I decided to ride ahead. With lot of troubles we managed to reach Pooh town. The last 30 kms from Spello to Pooh were like a hell. Now, the problem was finding accommodation since it was very dark. We again met the Delhi guys and they were planning to stay at the PWD Guest House of Pooh. However, they were also not sure of getting the accommodation at PWD Guest House since it requires prior booking. However, we decided to give it a try and started for it. The guest house is located at a distance of 3 Kms from the town and one has to take a climb up to reach. We reached there and the caretaker told that he is expecting some government guest and can give only two rooms The delhi guys decided to take one room and were gracious enough to give us another one. We checked in to the room. There was no electricity and hence decided to not to have bath. My back was aching like anything and first thing I did was applied Relispray over back and neck to soothe it. We had a rest for some time before going for the dinner. I had the best dinner of my life at such a remote location of the country. The cook had prepared the best rajma, sabji, rotis, kadi and rice. We ate to the satisfaction and strolled around the campus of the guest house. It was such a beautiful experience and we could see the milky way formation due to no pollution. We retired for the day at around 10 P.M. and had one of the most difficult rides of the trip.
Today it was going to be relatively shorter ride as our next stop was going to be Tabo which is around 90 Kms from Pooh. Although, 90 Kms driving in such a terrain will be equal to 200 kms of driving on normal roads. We woke up at around 6.30 A.M. and asked caretaker for breakfast and tea. He replied in negative saying that he has ran out of stock. So we decided to have tea and breakfast in the town. Paid Rs. 600 as rent to the caretaker and loaded the luggage on the bike. The delhi guys were planning to start late so bid goodbye to them and started our journey at 8.30 A.M. from the guest house. The town was all sleepy and we could not locate any restaurants to fill in our hungry stomachs. Had tea at one of the roadside shop and proceeded further.
The roads from Pooh to Khab were again very bad. We reached Khab at around 9.30 A.M. Took us around an hour to complete the 15 kms of distance between Pooh and Khab. Khab is a small village in the Kinnaur valley where there is a confluence of Satluj river has its origin in Lake Mansarovar, Tibet and Spiti river which flows from Spiti valley. It is a beautiful setting with two different colours rivers meeting and merging into one river. We stopped there for some time and proceeded ahead. The road ahead was relatively good and our next stop was Nako.
Nako is a small village located on the India-China border. It is famous for its lake, the Nako Lake. It is also famous for its apples and dried apricots. One has to take a 10 kms detour from the main road to reach Nako. It is a beautiful ascend towards Nako. We stopped outside the village at a restaurant to fill our hungry stomachs. The restaurant provided beautiful view of the valley and we had aalo ka paratha and coffee enjoying the view. We reached the town once we were done with our food. We parked our bike in the market and asked for the directions towards the lake. The locals guided us towards the lake. We kept the luggage on the bike. Be rest assured if you have to keep your luggage on your vehicle as there will never be any theft. The people of the region are very innocent. We were let down by the beauty of the lake as had heard a lot about the place . However, it was only half of what was described all over. We spent few minutes there and went back to the village. Wifey shopped for some local things and we started our journey towards Tabo.
Our next stop was at Sumdo where there is an army checkpost. One has to enter the traveler and vehicle details there before proceeding further. It is also from here where the Kinnaur Valley ends and Spiti Valley begins. A detour leads to Kaurik, the last village on India China Border. However, considering he sensitivity of the place, travelers are no allowed there without prior permission. We decided to skip going to Kaurik and proceeded further. We reached Tabo at around 4 P.M. and checked into Hotel Trojan House booked through Himalayan Shepherd.
We asked for lunch there and the manager obliged us with lunch consisting of rotis, dal and rice. Once we were done with our lunch we rested for some time in the room and headed straight towards the monastery as it closes by 6 P.M. The monastery was founded in 996 AD by Ringchen Zangpo, the king of western Himalayan Kingdom of Guge. The monastery had peaceful surroundings and few minutes spent over there soothed out battered bodies. We spent some time around the monstery and went to the local market. Had coffee at one of the restaurants and strolled around before going back to the hotel. While going through the market located a hotel where lots of foreign travelers were there. Decided to have dinner there anticipating it to provide variety of dishes. Rested for some time in the hotel and went to that hotel we had seen in the evening. It turned out that a local had converted his house into a home stay. We ordered local cuisine and coffee. The atmosphere around was very good and had a healthy course of meal. Went back to the hotel and immediately felt asleep.
Woke up at 6.30 A.M. and did the routine of loading the luggage on the bike. Went to the hotel where we had dinner the previous day for breakfast. Had a healthy breakfast there and started at around 8 A.M. for our first stop of the day, Dhankar Monastery. For reaching Dhankar, one has to take a straight road from Tabo and reach Sichling village. From Sichling, there is a detour towards Dhankar while the straight road leads to Kaza. We took the detour at Sichling and started the ascend towards Dhankar. Reached Dhankar at around 10 A.M. and parked the bike in front of the new monastery. Went to the monastery and clicked a few snaps. The old monastery is located further above the hills. We went there and spent some time over there enjoying the mystical settings. We then went to the restaurant located in the premises of new monastery and had our breakfast. Post the breakfast, we started our descend towards Sichling.
Reached Kaza at around 3 p.M. and went straight to the main market. There is a SBI ATM in the market and I asked Wifey to withdraw some cash for onwards journey as the next available ATM will be at Manali. Till time wifey withdraws the money, I decided to tank up at the IOC Fuel station which is on the outskirts of the main market. It has the distinction of being the world's highest retail outlet of fuel. I filled up the tank since next fuel station will be at Manali. I decided to go to the local mechanic to have my bike checked. The mechanic told that the chassiss has suffered damage and requires fabrication. I have to go to a local fabricator to fix it. I picked up Bhavna from the market, had some tea at a local shop and went to the fabricator to fix it. Things were done by 4.30 P.M. and we headed to Hotel Deyzor where we had our bookings for 2 days. The hotel is run by Mr. Karanbirsingh Bedi along with a local guy who jointly own the Himalayan Shepherd travel firm. I was not feeling well and was having slight fever. Bhavna wanted to go to the market to purchase some local things. I asked her to go alone since I was not in great shape. I had a good sleep for two hours before being woked up by a call from Bhavna. It was getting dark outside. I was very hungry and we both went to the restaurant to have a quick bite and coffee. We headed back to the room again and we both went to sleep. We woke up at around 8.30 P.M. and went to the restaurant for dinner since we did not wanted to go to market again. We ordered some Punjabi food and ate it to our satisfaction. We went to sleep at around 10.30 P.M.
Today the day was reserved for places around Kaza and we were relieved by the fact that we have not to carry all the luggage with us. We started from the hotel at around 7.30 A.M. and went to the local market. We had coffee and breakfast at one of the restaurants and started for first destination of the day – Key Monastery. One has to take the route towards Rangrik and there will be a bridge. Do not take the take a left for the bridge which goes to Rangrik. Instead, go straight and from there the ascend for Kye Monastery shall start. We reached Kye at around 10 A.M. where we met those Delhi Guys. They had stayed overnight in the monastery which provides accommodation for the tourists. We spent almost an hour at the monastery and it was one of the most beautiful placed I ever had been to. Spent some time with the lamas over there and understood from them the customs and traditions followed there. We then proceeded for Kibber village, which not long ago has the distinction of being the highest inhabitated village in Asia. However, Komic Village has now taken that distinction. Spent some time at Kibber and clicked few snaps before descending again towards Kaza. One has to cross that bridge intersection and go further towards Kaza and on left side of road a upward ascend will be there. The road leads to villages of Langza, Komic, Hikkim and Hokim.
The road till Langza was all in a mess or you can say there were no roads at all. Our backs bore a lot of brunt of bad roads. We reached Langza at around 1.00 P.M. The beauty of the place soothed all the pain. For me, Langza was the most beautiful place we visited during our trip and even more beautiful than Chitkul. We spent some time there and sat at a local pea farm. The local woman over there gave us fresh peas to eat which were were good. We asked for the rare collects of the Tethys Sea and she gave us couple of rare stones at Rs. 100 each (for more information on Tethys Sea visithttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tethys_Ocean). Met local children over there and distributed chocolates to them. They were very happy to meet us and we clicked few pics with them. We then proceeded towards Hikkim which has the twin distinction of being the highest polling station in the world and the highest Post Office in the world. We spend some time over there as the post office was closed and headed towards Komic. Komic has the distinction of being the highest inhabitated village in Asia. We reached Komic at around 4 P.M. It was quite cold out there and the air was also very thin owing to the altitude. We stayed there for only few time as it was getting difficult to breathe and started back for Kaza.
We reached Kaza at around 5.30 P.M. and headed to the main market to eat something. We then went back to the hotel to rest for some time. Today we decided to explore some local restaurant for dinner. We zeroed down to the restaurant ran by Spiti Ecosphere, a social enterprise working for sustainable development of Spiti. We had some local cuisine there and purchased some souvenirs. Had yummy seabuckthorne tea there, went back to the hotel and crashed to sleep.
Woke up at 6.30 A.M. and got freshen up. Our target for the day was majestic Chandrataal lake. The luggage was loaded by 7.30 A.M. Met Karabir in the restaurant and settled the bills. Thanked him for the hospitality and parted with a promise to come back soon. Went to Spiti Ecosphere for food and had a healthy breakfast there. Started at around 9.30 A.M. for Chandrataal and passed through various villages like Rangrik, Hanle etc. Our fist stop for the day was Losar at around 1 P.M. where there is an army checkpost. Entered our details as well as that of our bike and proceeded further. We met 4 guys from Israel there and exchanged pleasantries.
Around 20 Kms. from Losar lies Kunzum La. We reached there by 2 P.M. It is situated at around 4550 m above sea level. It offers view of Bara-Sigri, the second longest glacier in the world. It has also a temple dedicated to Kunzum Devi. We went to the temple and asked for blessings from Devi for our future journey. The entire place is mystical with strong winds and cold. We stayed there for half an hour and proceeded further.
Going further, we had a fall while negotiating a dangerous curve. My hand suffered few bruises and the difficult roads added to the problem. No sooner the detour for Chandrataal came. It is a 12 kms drive from here and further 2 kms. of walk leads to the lake where there are tents for overnight stay. The bike also had suffered some damage and we were also not in great shape to take the road which was very bad. With a heavy heart, we decided to skip Chandrataal and headed towards Batal.
Reached the famous Chacha Chachi dhaba in Batal at around 3. It is a must stopover for travelers going from Kaza to Manali or other way round. Till last year there was no accommodation facility at Batal and one had to stay at the tent accommodation provided by the Dhaba owners. But now a PWD guest house has come up opposite to Dhaba. Met the Israeli guys over there and had talks with them. It turn out that they serve the Israel National army and had come to Spiti for some adventure. With help of Chacha booked a room at Guest House. First thing we did was have lunch at the Dhaba. We had wonderful dal chawal and coffee there and went to the PWD Guest House for rest. Kept the luggage on the bike only and took the essentials for the night. We rested for an hour. Went back to the Dhaba for food and ate to our satisfaction. We went back to the Guest House at around 8.30 P.M. and were asleep by 9 P.M.
Woke up to a freezing cold. Went outside to feel the surroundings and it was totally heaven out there. Woke up Bhavna and we both got ready for the day. Paid to the caretaker of the guest house Rs. 600 rent and went to the Dhaba for breakfast. We had a heavy breakfast due to cold and settled the bills with Chacha. We bid goodbye to both Chacha and Chachi and thanked them for the hospitality extended.
Our destination for the day was Manali. It was going to be the most difficult ride of the trip as we have to pass numerous nallahs in between especially near Chotta Dhara. We started at around 8 A.M. from the Dhaba. The roads were very bad fill with pebbles all around. We had company of Chenab river almost till Gramphoo. The roads till Chotta Dhara were like hell and had deep nallahs on the way. Every time a Nallah comes, Bhavna crossed it on feet while I waded through waters slowly. I was hit by stones and pebbles on my feet while negotiating the nallahs. It was a experience in itself though. We reached Chhatru at around 12 P.M. where we had our first stop for tea and snacks. We ate at a local Dhaba there and rested to give our sore backs time to heal. Few more nallahs came till we reached Gramphoo. In all we had to negotiate 9 nallahs in between.
From Gramphoo, one road leads towards Lahaul Valley and further upto Leh while another road leads towards Rohtang La. We slowly started our ascend for Rohtang La and reached the same by around 3 P.M. We spent some time over there and proceeded towards Manali as it was a mad tourist rush there. It felt completely different since last few days we were accustomed to minimal human sightings. We started our descend towards Manali and crossed Marhi in no time. We reached Mall road at around 5 P.M. and checked into Hotel Kunzum, an HPTDC hotel. I immediately took a bath as since last few days we did not had hot water for bath. We then went to the Mall Road for snacks and some local purchases. Went back to the hotel and rested for some time. Went again to Mall Road for dinner and ate at one of the local restaurants. We got back to hotel at around 11 P.M. and went immediately to sleep.
It was going to be last day of our wonderful trip. Woked up with lot of memories of the trip and with a promise to come back again soon. Settled the hotel bills and loaded the luggage on the bike. We were to reach Chandigarh today and hand over the bike to Royal India Bikes. It was going to be longest journey in terms of distance in a day for us. Started at around 8 A.M. from Manali and took Manali-Kullu-Sundernagar-Bilaspur-Kiratpur Sahib-Roopnagar-Chandigarh route. Stopped at Kullu for breakfast and tea. The roads from Sundernagar till Kiratpur Sahib are prone to heavy traffic especially at Bilaspur. Reached Chandigarh at around 7 P.M. taking regular stops in between. Handed over the bike keys to representative of Royal India Bikes and paid the bills. The air was filled with nostalgia and with lots of memories we headed towards the Railway station where we had to catch our train for New Delhi. We boarded our train and immediately went to sleep.
The train reached New Delhi Railway Station around 7 A.M. We decided to take a Hotel near Airport as we had flight to Baroda next day. Took a taxi and finalized a hotel near Airport. We checked into our rooms and rested for some time. We decided to explore some parts of Delhi and at around 2 P.M. started from our Hotel. We went to Delhi Haat, Sarojini Nagar Market and Chandni Chowk. We went to famous Parathewali gali in Chandni chowk and had yummy parathas there. Went back to the hotel at around 11 P.M. and went to sleep.
We had our flight back to Vadodara at 11.10 A.M. We checked out of the hotel at around 9 A.M. and reached airport by 9.30 A.M. The flight was on time and we reached Vadodar at 12.30 P.M. ending our mystical trip.
1.Total travel by bike – Around 1400 Kms.
3.Visited the highest polling station and highest post office of the world.
4.Visited the highest inhabitated village of Asia.
5.Crossing numerous water crossings on the way.
To sum up it was the most exciting trip of my life. Doing it with my better half added to the excitement and fun. It taught me lot of things and I look forward to visit this mystical place soon.
Great log dear. Kudous to you for completing it at a go. can you share the details of charges you paid for bike.


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