FIFA World Cup Finals

FIFA World Cup Finals

Venue: Extreme Sports Bar (B'ngta Rd,Bangalore)
Audience: Rajiv, Soma, Nitesh, Pratima, Pradeep, Abdul, Mahmood

When i write about the venue-the only thingy missin here is that we were not in Johannesburg.Yeah– but don’t take upna Bangalore as some faltoo place. The football fever here is Full On with loads of Masti. We got to witness the crazy yelling crowd–watchin the knock out match of Germany Vs Argentina. Yeah- Me, Nitesh and Pradeep had a gala time at Extreme Sports Bar. But we had to go back home sulkin and cursing the bad play of the Argentines.

The Finals

If Biscuit & Bhupi are reading this – my apologies. I had plans fixed everywhere to watch the Finals. But I did not know where I would go. The Final small wee bit adjustments – apna Jugaad came handy – we finally managed to get places to see the Finals at “Extreme Sports bar”. Well, the entire place had been booked months back but we managed somehow.

Since it was late night show, all managed to binge a bit of dinner. Me n Soma already for the Finals. After all, it’s once in 4 years and who knows where we will be after 4 years.

We all reached by 11ish and settled for a table. I don’t have enough words to express – watta an audience n ambience it was to be there. The Spanish fans dominated the atmosphere and looked like a blanket of Reds around the pub. I carried a Red Scarf gifted by my Sister in Law when I was watching one of the Bull fights in Pamplona festival. (long back)

As we all waited for the minutes n seconds to pass by – the whistle finally blew for the Finals to be played. Yeah, I could hear the buzzing of the Vuvuzelas and roar of the crowd – It was a FIFA Finals.

We started off with our customary Big Beer Flask – donknow the actual name,,,but it carried good amount of cold beer . As we all sipped our drinks, we were glued to the giant TV screens. I wasn’t much bothered watchin the match – it was much more to see everyone there “just partying’’

After watching Germany’s energetic, innovative and flamboyant team-we all thought they would be the Champions. But we (me and Nitesh) always wanted a South American Team to win. We lost hopes on how the South Americans were devastated. It was now only that – we relied on Spain. Thanks to Octopus’s predictions–Spain was in the Finals. And of course –anyone would be charmed to know how they played as a team and the great players like– Puyol, David Villa, Xavi, Iniesta, Pique, Torres and Casillas.

Everyone was tensed like the players -the entire world watching them playing – the world’s most watched event. The 2 teams played in traditional futbol style but ball possession was more with the “La Riojas”. It was a sight of disappointment to see so many Yellow Cards- but the match went on. We hoped – none would be there in the Spanish team –but they were a few. Robben will always remember and must be haunting his memories for the 2 misses – my heart just stopped for those seconds.

The gang got back to life once again enthusiastically with a 0-0 in the 1st half. >>

We all sat for a post mortem and strategic analysis – nah – kidding. With all that beer in the belly – we were all waiting for some more action and a few goals. Extreme Sports Bar had an amazing music collection.

The game came a bit dirty with loads of fouls. I wanted Spain to play more better what I saw in the previous game with the Germans. Ball possession and tactics were amazing. Here, the passes were not constant and moves were few. The Dutch side was a disaster. They just had crumbs of possession and they always posed a goal threat. Spain had a well marshaled back four and created a few counter attacking combinations.

Thanks to the red card by the referee as it seemed better now for the Spaniards. We were all thrilled now that Spain will surely make a goal. It was only at the end that Iniesta managed to get a goal. Wow- we are all excited and I couldn’t believe that Spain will the Champions. Well, the Dutch could not fight it back as there was not enough time.

Spain are finally the Champions !!!!!!

The crowd went berserk, it was total madness at early morning. People were just not moving as the bar owner wanted to close down. But it was fun as majority wanted Spain to win.

This was a moment to live for and will always be remembered until I get to see the next world cup in Brazil.

For the moment, we can all sit and relax.

Pictures
http://picasaweb.google.com/kkrajiv/WorldCupFinals?feat=directlink

Project 4: You’re what you eat for your breakfast

The topic may have sent some wrong signals, but I’m not here to preach about vegetarianism or to talk about nutrition or nutrients like calcium and carbohydrates, like Fibre and Folic acid, or Vitamin A and Vitamin C.I’ll talk about something usual – that happens to our lives every day.

But first here’s a little incident that happened some days back.

I was criss-crossing the usual monotonous morning in crazy chaotic traffic. At one signal before the office, i saw a gorgeous girl sitting in a swanky car. She was holding and enjoying a glittering glass bowlfull of colourful cut fruits, while the signal was ticking down to zero. I spontaneously started blabbering about how fast the life has become, that a person doesn’t even has time to properly relish his meal. The time is like sand slipping through the hour glass “At this my consciousness, reminded me that just two days back, how I had skipped my breakfast to finish off a weary weekly status meeting and this wasn’t a one-off incident; this has been happening every now and then for some time.

I was reminded of this quote that I read some time back “You are what u eat for your breakfast” I really like this quote. I find this to mean much more than a quote about your eating habits. How? Let us see.

Breakfast is the first meal of the day; it is a gateway and a foundation of effective energy elevation for the day to come. Dedicated Dieticians have proved that the breakfast provides you the necessary jump-start after 6-8 hours of sound soothing sleep. Those who skip breakfast often feel fragile, fumed and frustrated in the morning. Having a healthy and hygienic breakfast helps you get ready for the loads of tensions and the physical challenges that wait for you in the next few hours. Imagine - the smell of breakfast and coffee (smell) drifting up from the kitchen. ...Aloo Parantha's with curd,bacon/sausage ham with brown bread and Idli/Vada sambar,,hmmmmm,,

Isnt then this a sumptous Breakfast ?

Isn’t then this quote true for every other aspect of life as well?

A good start is an important ingredient for success. Psychologists have proved that childhood experiences of a person have a bearing on his whole life. Good education and empowerment, for instance, is the start of a great career. And that’s why you find parents patiently queuing up for admission of their kids in the best brand of the schools.

Extend this example to the corporate world and you’ll find that companies, which started with a bang, continue to hold that advantage for years to come. When Sri-lanka won the World Cup Cricket in 1996, it was largely due to the flying and flamboyant start that Jayasurya provided them in the first 15 over’s in most of the matches. He deadly devastated the bowling attack and gave a mercurial rise on the run rate. It looked like it was raining 4’s and 6’s.

Some of the engineering marvels of the world – for example Enormous Empire State building in New York, our own beautiful historic love scintillating symbolic structure Taj Mahal and the Powerful Pyramids in Egypt – they are the greatest buildings, which have strongest foundations.

My dear friends, a full fledged Foundation is like a chair, it gives legs to stand up., that’s why we say a good start is half job done.

Remember your health is a personal diamond and if you take care you will swim in sea of diamonds.

But is a sound start in itself sufficient to guarantee you success? Your breakfast, however nutritious it may be, can’t see you through the day by itself. You need to supplement that with well-balanced, sumptuous and healthy meals later in the day. To succeed, you do need an Arvinda de-Silva in the middle order to cash on the great start that Jayasurya provides because after a great start, it’s all the more your responsibility to make sure that you live up to the opportunities that your great start has paved for you.

On similar lines, not all of us got opportunities and environment for public speaking in our school-days, but all of us are having delicious toasts of great speeches as our breakfast right here at Toastmasters.

So every time you feel that you’ve missed your breakfast, just remember the girl at the traffic signal I mentioned in the beginning. You can have your breakfast when you need it and are ready for it.

We don’t know that our body is a hungry dog. It is like a seed, it will never grow unless planted and nourished.
So a great start is really, very important. Whenever you can, work hard, make meticulously plans, have the required training and education before you delve deep down into that dream venture so that you have a great start. Follow it up with more preparation, planning and prioritization, but if you fail to get a great start, never mind; you still can be a winner if you want to. As they say, no-one can go back and make a brand new start; anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.

All happiness has its foundation on a sumptuous splendid and leisurely breakfast.”

"I assure you after your breakfast your body will be as happy as a rat with gold tooth, you will feel as fresh as a daisy and you will be as fit as fiddle."

Sunfeast Marathon-Open 10k-Bangalore

Sunfeast Marathon-Bangalore-Open 10 K>This is one the mega events that any runner would look forward too. Not far behind are Cycling, Spa’s, Meditation Centers and Unisex Salons – all trying to catch the mega bucks from Bangaloreans. Well, Sunfeast had done enough homework – as they had organized the same last year on 21st May. This time – it looked really like an organized event with loads of Corporate Sponsors, thousands of participants and NGO’s running for a cause.
Preparation>Running a 10K event is no joke. A human has the endurance to run or walk the entire 10k without any practice but no one can guarantee what happens after that ,,,,,I started my preparations 15days so that I could get used to running for longs hours and able to manage the pain in the muscles. I used to leave office early to head home for a quick 1 ½ hr session of Cycling and running. I had stopped Swimming – thanks to the Summer Vacation where all the morning batches – were jam packed,,I avoided to swim and focus more on running.
In the Gym>Running on the tread mill was fun. Having a good incline on 3 n running really helped to tone up the muscles for endurance. On an average – I ran on the treadmill for 30mnts-covering a distance of 4kms. Again- Followed by a 15 minute workout on cycling. I had a target to cycle for 15mnts. and burn 200 calories.On a normal day – by the time this routine exercise was over – I really felt the body and muscles were getting toned up for the mega event.
The Trials>I did not want to focus more on the treadmill as the actual run was to happen on the outdoors. Me and Soma did a trial run on a Sunday (16th of May) to check our endurance and get the of feel of running on the road.Our house is located near Banerghatta Road – so we had ample space to run. We did a 3km run followed by a 45 minute walk to an unknown area. By the time – we got to the hill – the view was spectacular. Standing amidst a superb landscape with fresh air buzzing by,,,
Bangalore Sunfeast Marathon-10k (23rd May-2010)>I was at the Kanteerva Stadium by 8:05. A few snaps in the stadium and checking out the big crowd – I felt – the day had come – the D Day. Runners did not even spare a minute – and saw most of them – jumping the fence to start early. I did not wait too – me and Gaurav sneak out of one of the mesh and started running,,,,,,,,Ganesh (the superstar) was at the venue to flag off the ceremony. Within a few seconds -I was out of the stadium – running alone with other participants. The initial 3 kms was a killer as it seemed i was stuck in a traffic jam. I had to hip hop here n there to pave my way out for a run. After that - it was pretty smooth. As i had done a few practices earliar - i kept a target to run without a break upto 6 kms - which i did. The turn near Commercial Street was a killer. A whole U turn - and an uphill task. That's where - you get to see the real endurance of running. Sunfeast had done an excellent job on the organization part. Banners were installed every 2/3 kms with loads of stands for Drinking water and glucose.The 8th km was where i managed to get some more spirits.Here, i met some RTMCians who helping the media recording the entire Marathon. (Arun,Vishu,Vijay and Heroin). I was totally exhausted by the end, sweating it all out. The last leg - 10km mark was a relief. I tried to do a sprint to get a better timing but couldn't. I was then at my regular pace and completed the Marathon. Hurrah - Finally done it.

Earth Hour

ABOUT EARTH HOUR

Earth Hour is the act of turning off the lights for one hour to drive home the dangers of global warming.On March 31, 2007, for one hour, Sydney made a powerful statement about the greatest contributor to global warming - coal - by turning off its lights. Over 2.2 million residents and over 2,100 businesses switched off, leading to a 10.2% energy reduction across the city. What began as one city taking a stand against global warming caught the world’s attention.

Purpose: "It's one hour, one day, one year. We're not saving the planet by turning the lights off for one hour." "What you are doing is adding your voice to a global call for action." You wouldn’t realize turning off your lights at home sometimes, keeping the engine running at a traffic signal – waiting for it to go green or washing your vehicle on a weekend. Well – all these are common things which we do in life. Above all – we forget the source. My intranet page – had a constant message for the past 1 week for – “Earth Hour”. For few days, I completely ignored, but when I started reading articles on the movement and what is really going to happen in future – it left me in a shock. You must have heard stories/headlines on Carbon Footprint and the Global Warming. Well, we are living in a world and have realized what Global Warming is going to the “Earth”. 27th March, 2010 With a busy schedule on weekends (doing an MBA from NMIMS-Bangalore), I had to rush home after the classes got over at 6PM. Juggling in traffic took another hour – but managed to reach home. I was all set for the “Earth Hour”. Me and Soma (my wife)had to do loads of planning in between so that we did not loose on time and miss out the necessary stuff – what you generally do on weekends – shopping. We switched-off all our lights – in-fact the main switch at 7:30. It was a different feeling altogether. Complete in darkness. I sensed a feeling of Darkness. Well – it’s a reality where everyone has to face. If we keep on abusing nature and carry on like this – Bangalore weather changing, New York’s Freezing winters, the Snow melting in the Himalayas !!! etc – the day is not far from chaos. Me and Soma went to the terrace to have a look – whether people really got the message or not. Unfortunately – we stay in one of the remote locations in Bangalore – Gottigere in Banerghatta Road. All we could see and hear – was a busy Saturday. We have done our bit for the “Earth Hour”. At the end - It gives a sense of accomplishment. Some Facts Message - Earth Hour 2010 Earth Hour 2010 continues to be a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community. A call to stand up, to show leadership and be responsible for our future. In what we hope will be the world’s largest mass participation event, Earth Hour 2010 will be the culmination of over one billion people around the globe, in more than 6000 cities, towns turning off lights for one hour on one night. Iconic buildings and landmarks across Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and The Americas will go dark. In India, we hope to make Earth Hour 2010 even bigger and better than last year. Besides Delhi & Mumbai , this year we are taking Earth Hour to Pune, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bangaluru, Chennai and Kolkata, apart from several other cities where people will be encouraged to participate and turn-off the lights in their homes, offices and buildings from 8:30pm-9:30pm on Saturday, 27 March 2010. Our participation will go a long way in showing to the world that India is united on its stand against global warming and is demanding immediate action. We want to let the world leaders know that the world is still watching, post the UN Climate Summit in Copenhagen in 2009 and that we, the citizens of the planet, demand commitment to actions that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions for the benefit of the planet.

International Speech Contest - Toastmasters

International Speech Contest in Logica- Toastmasters (27th Feb-2010) Area B5 Contest

Bangalore

The moment I got a mail for the “International Speech Contest” to be held in Logica – I wondered what to speak on. Thanks to my MBA classes – I had to give a presentation the same day with my colleagues which was supposed to be evaluated. Anyways – after reading the “Big” manual for the Intl. speech contest – the biggest hurdle was getting a script ready & what to speak on. As you all know – I am a Bike/Car aficionado. In one of my assignments for Marketing – I read amazing reviews/articles on Tata Nano – how the concept came and design. I did quite a bit to formulate the script and make it into a speech. Thanks to Google – where you will have an abundance of materials on Nano. Gosh – it is such a hit that you will be swarmed by the reviews. Well – I was more involved into it. It took me – almost 2 days to finalize on the Speech ,,,and now was ready to start on with the preparations. With my MBA assignments on track - - I had a 2 page to review. Thanks to my manager – who gave me time to practice – otherwise I would have been blank on the practice sessions. I do not know how may hours I had put on the preparation for the speech,,but I do know that many prepare for more than 2 months to take part in the contest. I heard from Alex – one of buddies who in Logica Toastmasters – that one of his friends prepared for more than 6 months. Wow – what dedication.

D-Day

Part-1

It was a big day for me as I had to present in the MBA class – my project on M&A and then rush to Logica for the Speech contest. The day began smooth at the Institute – but as the day approached for lunch – my heart started to beat faster and faster. I was not able to focus in any of the lectures,,finally,, it was time to leave. I had a group presentation to give with my colleagues on mergers “Emirates with Indigo Airlines”. I figured out that if I do the presentation – I will not be able to attend the Intl. speech contest. I informed my colleagues on this and headed straight for the venue.

Part-2

I can still remember the drive from Koramangala to Logica (Marathalli) – I was tensed. As I got close to the venue – my hands started to sweat. A moment that i would not forget. Approx. 60/70 members were at the venue and it was nice to see Alex, Lalan and Veronica around – after all – it was a Logica event.

4 more contestants were left to speak on the “Prepared Speeches” section. As the names were called out – I feared mine being the next. But, yes – it was called out – and I was there at the Dias within seconds. I looked at the crowd dazzled, I froze for a moment. Standing in front of an audience – listening to what you speak is something I will never forget. I gained momentum and spoke with confidence. Of all the hard work and preparation done – the speech went in a constant flow. I was in a rush to finish my speech – but that is where the challenge is all about-to speak at ease, confidence and above all – a powerful speech. I did not know when my speech ended. By the time – I was at the sofa relaxing – I finally had delivered my International Speech.

2 more speakers delivered their speck and the results were out. Logibods were delighted when the results were out. Alex came 3rd in the “Prepared speeches” and a win too in the “Table Topics”.

As the meeting got over, Sirur Sir was happy that the event held in Logica was successful. All of us - who were there present at the venue - clicked photos -Lalan,Soma(my-wife),Alex & Lata. It was an achievement for Logica Toastmasters.

http://www.toastmasters.org/

The Great Himalayan Expedition - Beasters in Lahaul,Spiti,Sangla & Kinnaur.

Preparations

Getting the bike shipped from Bangalore to Delhi is one helluva task. Got the bike packed with no scope of damages for the train to Delhi.I got it checked in Delhi once again and found the wires were cut some places. Got it changed at the last moment.The last 2 days had gone more in the preparation of collecting Mats and sleeping bags from Dimensions in Sheikh Sarai and meeting in the “Mecca” Karol Bagh for Shopping of Bike Spares. Riding in New Delhi is one hell of a task when the humidity hits a whopping 97% with the traffic snarls.

Day 1- 21st June.08
New Delhi to Bilaspur

Thanks to all as we were more organized. Met at Azadpur Mandi at 5am. I would not have made it here with the help of Abhay since driving down from Vasant aparts. to the meeting point was far. We got our 1st experience when our co rider Amar lost his pouch on the road. Clueless where it had fallen, we left soon for the highway. Yes, I finally made it on the highway and we didn’t waste a single minute getting out of Delhi. We stopped midway for Breakfast at one of the famous dhaba’s for Paranthas’ and chai-Jhilmil Dhaba. Thanks to Rohit who knew Delhi-Chandigarh highway and ridden a dozen times. We reached Chandigarh mid day at “Katani Dhaba’ for brunch.The yummy Paranthas were to good and had more n more - to find the Cramster jacket difficult to wear. Now- we head for the hills - Swarghat and further. Got a wee bit taste and bid adieu to the plains. The fresh air, road curves and trees - wow, we are in the Himalayas.Stopped for chai at 3 pm - when we got a 1st jhatka - Amar's standard bike gave problems,,it refused to start as it had ignition problem. Tool box, battery check up,oil - all that and it didnt work. We lost 2 hours of riding and had to dump it in a tempo for Bilaspur. Since Nishant and Megha were behind, we had to wait for them to catch up. Getting Amars bike fixed at Baldev Mechanic in Bilaspur took time. We settled for the day at Sangam guest house with thora sa Rum and heavy dinner.

Day 2 -22nd June.08
Bilaspur to Manali

Woke up late - left for Manali at 8. Amar - now his bike been fixed left early as he wanted to see Rohtang Pass and head back to Delhi. The ride was comfortable having good highways. We stopped for B.fast at Delhi Durbar in Mandi. Rohit suggested to take the Old Manali route to Vashist - less people and less traffic. A decent ride with less of trouble and settled near the old bridge in Hotel Dreamland. Had to help Nishant fix his Ladakh carrier as the "Patti" broke. Tanked up in the evening. Had to help once again - Amar's bike since it gave problem down hill in Rohtang. I wouldn't recommend a Standard bike on long tours as this one gave hell loads of problems. A yummy dinner with the Bikers and heard Panauti's story of his solo trip to Leh.

Day 3 -23rd June.08
Manali to Chatru via Rohtang (3970 m) n Gramphoo.

We left at 5am as we heard a mega traffic jam in Rohtang Pass - one of turns had mud n slush.Gaining an altitude of 2050mts - we had more to climb the pass. I had to squeeze my bike to get over the traffic - took the nearby hills to over take the jam. We lost 2 hours of precious climbing due to traffic and lanslide and i knew the Nallahs at mid day are high.The view Rohtang (3970 Mts) was beautiful seeing the herringboned ridges into the Lahaul Valley. Few kms. further - i found the SonaPani Glacier and down to Gramphoo - you get to see the Lahaul & Spiti Valley. We stopped for B.fast at Gramphoo. As you take right - the real safari begins with off roading - now only mud,slush, rocks and water crossings for another 170 kms - this was the moment i waited for years. It was a dream riding in this region. The 1st Nalla crossing was terrible - the water flow was high and glacier water was too cold. The 500's managed - Rohit and Nishant's bike. Manu tried his level best to over - he did but with burnt clutch plates - we tried to fixed it but it didnt work. Had to leave the bike n head to Chatru as it was getting dark. Leaving the chaotic traffic and coming to Lahaul is an experience - here its more rugged and loads of barren rocks in the mountains. I managed to do a small trek with Saurabh up in the hills to get a good view of the Lahaul Landscape.Here, at Prem Dhaba - we got the real hang over of "AMS" as Pooja says - aao mujh me sama jao - its Acute Mountain Sickness.We took a few snaps on the Chatru bridge and planned for next days early ride.

Day 4 -24th June.08
Chatru to Kaza via Batal & Kunzum Pass.(4590m)

We bid farewell to Manu and Saurabh as they had to get the bike fixed in Manali and it wasnt possible for them to catch up. I hope if Manu reads this - he makes it some day on this route - as this was his 2nd attempt to Lahal & Spiti. Getting used to the Nallahs and dirt track - now it was farely easy driving. The 2nd day in Lahaul - the landscape was similar and i felt i was in an unknown territory. On this stretch - we found no traffic at all and no bikers. The mountains are so huge as if they would eat you - barren and untouched with clear blue skies.Crossed Chota dhara and reached mid day at Batal. Had b.fast with garam chai n maggi tohead further to K.Pass.Crossing the Chandera river valley - the muddy n dusty ascent after Batal to Kunzum Pass was tuff. I found the need to have a 500 as i would see Rohit and Nishant cruising over mountains with ease. Tuff turns and ziz zag curves - it seemed y'r climbing the Pass - on 1st gear ,,the bike screamed for extra power as every curve was difficult. I enjoyed the view crossing the Bara Shigri glacier. Reached K.top and did a parikrama. Kunzum Pass (4551mts.) is a point which divides the Lahaul Spiti Region, since we crossed Lahaul - now we would travel in Spiti. After a breif photo shoot - we head to Spiti.15 kms down hill- you reach "Takcha" where the valley broadens with the river. I am short of words to describe Spiti. The 70 kms ride from K.Pass to Kaza is gorgeous - a mixture of the Rockies n Colorado mountains. The view is amazing and riding in Spiti was heaven - i felt that every minute driving in Spiti is worth it. Stark beauty, narrow valleys,,,as Rudyard Kipling says in his book Kim - Spiti - is a world within a world and the place the Gods' live.Had lunch at Losar, i rode to Kaza with good roads crossing Hamsa,Pangma,Morang and Rangrik.Checked in at Norbuling Guest house at Kaza.

Day 5 -25th June.08
Kaza - Caumic, Ki(4116m)& Kibber(4205m) Gompas

A relaxed day - left late for Caumic Gompa via Langza Village. At a very high altitude - the day ride was tuff but worth a visit. Steep rocky mountains and strips of cultivable land - the village Langza,Hikkim and Caumic were beautiful. Caumic Gompa - you get the real taste of Buddhism and meet tribal people. Settled for a cuppa of tea and left for Kaza. The gang wanted to rest where i found time to visit Ki and Kibber. Riding alone on this section was worth it - Ki and Kibber. Reaching Kibber had steep climbs. Kibber is the highest permanently inhabited village in the world. at Kibber - the view is awesome. I wish i had managed a day to trek on this route. Imagine temperatures dropping to below 35 degree C - people survive only to the prayers of "Om Mani Padme Hum". I dont know the number of shots i managed to click - but its worth it.I ran out of fuel - so drove downhill 10 kms to save fuel and reach Kaza.

Day 6 -26th June.08
Kaza to Nako via Tabo (3050m) n Malling Nallah

Tanked up at Kaza with extra fuel -left at 8am for Nako. I had loads of doubts crossing Malling - hearing the crossing was too tuff and road clearance. The roads were good and we zoomed by villages reaching Tabo by 10. Nishant's left his purse at the guest house and we had to find ways to get it at Tabo.Finally we left Tabo as Freya-RTMC would collect the purse.Thanks to Sanju. We crossed Sumdo - close to China border. From Chango - a 20 km uphill to Malling - we found neat n widened roads. On few turns - my bike refused to climb as the ascent was very high. I had to stop for a few minutes as the clutch plates were hot - i feared that it would burn. Climbing Malling Nalah reminded of Changla terrain. As we approached nearer - it got barren with dusty roads,,the crossing had a high flow of cold water with a turn. This was it - Rohit, Nishant and me had to reiki and check out the water level,,,unpack my luggage - cross the river and with full throttle - cross Malling. Yes - we did it. It was one of the difficult Nalla crossing we did on the entire route,,one slight miss - and the water would have seeped in the engine.Reached Nako by evening and checked in Knaygoh Guest house.

Day 7 -27th June.08

Nako

Nako is a beautiful village, our guest house had a perfect view of the Nako Tal overseeing the village. It looked like a perfect holiday - sipping Tea, writing points for the Blog and Beasters discussing school old days and past rides.Me,Pooja & Rohit did a Nako tour of the village and settled for late lunch. We found the village empty as most had gone to the fields and only a few Cow noises. Did a small trek to get a view of the mountains.Late dinner at the Knaygoh Guest house.

Day 8 -28th June.08
Nako to Sangla via Khab,Pooh,Skibba,Karcham

Left at 8am, drove for 1 hour to reach Pooh.A rocky terrain downhill with beautiful ghats. Stopped for Nishants carrier repair.We stopped at the Check post after Pooh and met few cyclists. Reaching Kalpa, we found the mountains landscape change -now it was green, snow capped mountains with fog and tarred roads. We reached Karcham - where we had to take a deviation to Sangla - 22 kms. The uphill had a good view - pine forest with loads of greenery. Yes - we were n Sangla Valley - a landscape totally different than Lahal and Spiti.Reached in the afternoon at Prakash Guest house.

Day 8 -29th June.08

Sangla
The view from the guest house was perfect - the mountains were covered in fog. The guest house had a big apple farm and we could see the Beasters Bike - resting.I took a walk with the Beasters to Sangla village - met a Kinnauri family, they offered Chai and showed their Carpets and badam jewelry. Vidya Rath is currently a school teacher. Did some shopping in the evening and had a heavy lunch n dinner. We were supposed to go to Chitkul but the roads conditions were not good and loads of water crossing.

Day 9 -30th June.08
Sangla to Narkanda (2708m) via Rampur

Since it was a long day ride to Shimla - had to leave early - but not that early of course. We got a good stretch of the Rampur ghats and the roads were perfect.I was sad for a while since now - we got back to civilization and the heat would get me in wearing the Cramster jacket. Stopped mid way for brunch - i could feel the plains would not be far. Then came the Narkanda ghats at noon - the stretch was good with a good gradient. As we entered the ghats - i found the view was great with lots of fod in the mountains,,at some stretches - visibility was bad and had to slow down. A nice ride to Narkanda - at the entrance - i found the Beasters waiting for me for Chai. We took a break - it was almost evening - and by Nishant and Rohits persuasion - we stayed at Hatu Peak - Narkanda. The Hotel Hatu had an amazing view and cosy rooms.It was my last night with the Beasters as i would take a detour to meet my freinds in Ludhiana and then to Delhi.

Day 10 -01st July.08
Narkanda to Ludhiana via Shimla

I had to leave early as i had a long distance to cover to ludhiana. Crossing Narkanda to Shimla was a nice ride with a good panoramic view of the Snow peaks and the cedar forests.I wanted to take a few pics. in Shimla - but when i saw the traffic - i was in no mood to burn my clutch plates - i zoomed to the bypass for Chandigarh.On downhill - i could feel the heat and was wondering what it would be in Delhi. Bought 4 kgs of small apples for freinds and reaching Chandigarh by 3pm. Got lost on the way but soon found the route to Ludhiana. Got the highway for Ludhiana - this route was tiring as it was very very humid,,,i miss the hills. I reached Hardeeps pind - Basti Jodhewal by 5ish.Happy to meet Hardeep after 3 years and saw his new horses.

Riders - Beasters-New Delhi
1. Rajiv Jispa (Electra 350cc-Blue)
2. Rohit Sharma (Machismo 500cc)
3. Nishant (modified 500cc)

Pillion
1. Pooja
2.Megha

Total distance covered
2350 kms.



Photo links
1. http://picasaweb.google.com/kkrajiv/BeastersInSpiti
2. http://picasaweb.google.com/kkrajiv/Spiti

Important Contacts and Phone Nos.
1. Mahendru Motors - (Adchini.New Delhi) 011-26856331
2. Salim Mechanic - (Uphaar Cinema.New Delhi) 9945366563
3. Shanta Negi - (Kinner Camps.Nako) kinnercamps.com,941844077
4. Surender - Alpine Trek - Manali 9816316293,alpine_treks@hotmail.com
5. Cramster - Bangalore
www.cramster.in 080 41519713