Plastic Phenomena

What they don’t tell you about riding on the Roof of the World   You can do your planning & packing in half an hour. A 6 day motorbike voyage to the Land of the Llamas can be packed for and flights booked in 30 minutes. But make sure your team consists of trusted & adventurous mates.     Those who have gone before you will give you the most apt advice. They will tell you it will be cold, that you won’t be able to keep up with the other riders and among other gems - you can’t smoke at high altitudes. Choose not to listen to that. Instead get those essential tips from people who’ve been there. Know your Airports. The Bombay airport will graciously provide free Wi-Fi; police officers will smile while giving you directions. Strangers will tell you how to get to the smoking room in the quickest way possible, and the airport bar will make lone women travellers feel safe and welcome.     Always pay heed to the mo...

Go travel the world; you’ll be wiser for it they said. But they forgot to add it was an elite club with a contemptuous acceptance criteria coupled with pretentious goals. I’ve met just four people who’ve broken the rules and then some. The uncrowned king of beer pong, but most importantly, when told of a possible camp, trek or climb, will board the closest vehicle and get his magic bag of BBQ equipment lovingly packed by his wife. http://www.tripoto.com/trip/redefining-india-female-travelling-solo-with-no-money-566c58410487b#.VnLewEx-_Os.facebook A girl who I chanced to meet on the NH8, determined to reach a hill station from Bombay – without a cent. The absence of a vehicle doesn’t shackle her journey. http://breakfreejourneys.com/  The founder of Breakfree Journeys, who knows some of India’s best riverside spots to set up a 5-star camp and give you a history lesson at the same time. The giggly music man who will insightfully inform...

What They Don’t Tell You About Riding On The Roof Of The World . V Get ready for great roads but with high temperatures. From a jarring introduction to Chandigarh with potholed roads for 20kms it was a welcome relief to ride on the smooth roads of the plains. Although we were sure the road would go easy on us, we were aware that the heat certainly would not. Luckily we got cloudy skies with intermittent showers and sparse traffic. Whew. I’d heard that other riders had to stop every 10 to 20 kms to water themselves down to cool off from the blazing heat. Make sure you drink those Manali wines before you depart from Delhi. We’d ridden 1,500kms, 500 of them with glass wine bottles – apricot, peach, plum, strawberry & grape, all without breaking a single one – through the twists and turns of the Manali Mountains and then on Chandigarh’s traffic-ridden roads. We rode through potholes, muck and grease with the added weight. Yes, lots of care was taken. So whe...

What They Don’t Tell You About Riding On The Roof Of The World . IV  Remember… Every cloud has a silver lining. Our team-mate 40-Fit dropped out and our guide gave us a last minute notice that he would not be able to make it too. It was a disappointment, though one with a silver lining. This is how our back-up vehicle came into existence! We were 10 kms from Rhotang Pass when the bike’s front tire got punctured.   We were lucky to get some locals to put the bike onto the trailer until we got to Manali to fix said puncture. Now if we did not have a back-up vehicle in tow, we would have to shell out at least 25k to get the bike transported to Manali. There may be quite a few cars, bikes and vans, but they will not be able to help you. Most of the snow at Rhotang had melted away leaving mucky pathways with clouds blocking the way - being stranded at Rhotang will not be a fun experience. Stock up on those momos! We (well me) decided that Captain...