-through the grid onto Udyog Path, which bends 90deg to the right, left onto Madhya Marg, around Khudda Lahora, on the road that disappears into sand etc via Majrian to Maranwala, then state highway, SH16 to Jutogh, and the 205 to Shimla.
Rolled out of The Fern Residency Chandigarh bright and early. Stopped once to get directions. Went around Khudda Lahora, well out of my comfort zone, Looked up directions again.
It's amazing all the villages through here. People are spread throughout, everywhere.
I think this is about the hardest ride I can remember doing. It started on bitumen, hard dirt, then fine deep dirt, hard to keep control. Going was slow. I ended up pushing the bike for a bit. Saw a peacock 2 times.
Doing a left right from the 105 to the SH9, there is rubbish just everywhere along and around the river, big piles of plastic. The town asking the road had many small shops, the owners taking up a lot of space. I've got to go in one time but I can't speak the language so it'd be even more awkward.
You just gotta roll with the traffic and they'll move around you, while honking a lot. The road is single lane bitumen, dirt sides. For busses and trucks I get off right off the road. Some kids stare at the bike, some point and laugh. People don't say hello in general.
I saw a magic looking greenish brown monkey about a foot tall. There were several 2 foot tall ones doing Rambo jumps down into trees a good 3m below. Very noisy.
One guy did stop to talk but we couldn't understand each other. A truck also stopped in the middle of the road to ask where I'm from, that kind of thing. He couldn't block the road for long.
I held on my wee for a while, but finally found a side street. Stopping to get a bottle of water, I finally ask if he has a menu. He says no, it's just roti and mix veg. This is peak, finding someone who speaks enough English that I get to ask for lunch. It's pretty delicious. I haven't hit any properly spicy stuff yet. The lunch man advises visiting Kuthar. Turns out to be bad advice. This place is a truck stop and car wash. Not much point when it's going to get coated in dirt the minute you leave.
The greenery, scenery get better, while the rubbish decreases.
I stop in Kuthar and go to the dirt that has 4.7 star rating. At a glance it looks great, then you realise you are the only person in the place.
At 5.36 I get there. We try both cards to pay. Then they ask if I have UPI. Then they want cash but I have to go to the ATM. I hunt for the first, is out of service, then try to find the other but fail after going along a tiny side street that is also the shopping strip. It's getting dark.
I try to go to the other hotel after getting the rage coming on, but they're not there and not answering the phone.
I explain things and then he asks for the cash. Clearly he's not understanding.
Then I come up with the idea of a bank transfer. The boys calls 4 times, eventually it's done.
The water takes ten minutes to heat and about the same time to use it all up. I cook, then work out the cold tap then freeze again at the end.
Going to the dining room, no one is there. I wait for a while. There's dirty table clothes up there still. I consider not eating for a minute but I don't think I can. I then go hunting for them and give the order. Back in my room I am cold, hungry, and the Ac remote does not work. I feel this is the Indian version of the Bates motel. All 5 of the guys stumble around to get things. I genuinely don't know how they are still in business. This place is horrible. The food was surprisingly nice. I read they get a restaurant to do it.
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