One Living Life: Motorcycling across Sikkim | Day 4 | Okhrey to Pelling

Monday 26 December 2016

Motorcycling across Sikkim | Day 4 | Okhrey to Pelling


For every day ends with an admiration... (View at the end of day from Pelling)
It was the 4th day amidst the mountains. As usual, I woke up before others to finish up the chores in time. That included cold starting my motorcycle, inspecting it closely, prepping the cameras, packing up and finally tying the saddle bags for the day's ride. Yes! I was a little bit jealous of how luxuriously my friends woke up, had their breakfast and got into a warm 'n' enclosed vehicle. But, then I remembered my hands on the grips and the curves of the hills. And, that... kept me smiling throughout the day.

"The toughest leg of the journey is still 4 days away", I counted.



The ride for this day was from Okhrey to Pelling which was around 85 kms. Short enough, considering a 600 kms ride done on Day 1. But nonetheless, the turns of a mountain road can be fatal in a blink of over-confidence. Riding defensive was the key, as advised by Shanu (my friend). Starting off with a mild fever, I handed over the ride to Sumalya when he wanted to.
Handing over the baton...
 Perhaps, that compensated a bit of jealous-ness! He rode from Okhrey to Soreng. My front tire had a puncture and I had filled up just enough air to last me till the puncture shop. Tubeless tires are life savers on a long journey (but puncture sealants can be hell; will explain in later posts). Though, I did carry a puncture repair kit, I did not use it unless it was a necessity. Being in the car, meant competing for the co-passenger seat with Duti. But, a little bit of switching places felt nice at times.:)

Soreng onward, I was done with my ass being hauled inside the enclosed wagon. I took-over the ride and enjoyed a part of the journey on my Black Beast. The route from Okhrey to Pelling had many small villages on the way and they were quite populated. Although, I still doubt the face they carry after the sun sets. The snow clad Himalayan peaks kept peeking numerous times on the way and it was hard to decide which view to stop for. Perhaps, even a luxurious amount of time spent in these parts could still find it hard to quench your thirst.
From somewhere along the way...

After having stopped numerous times in between we finally halted at an Alpine Cheese factory owned by Amul. I had always loved cheese and a different form of the stuff was always exciting. We grabbed a couple of Alpine cheese balls and headed towards our next destination. It was Singshore Bridge, which is the gateway to Uttarey. But, before that, my friends had halted somewhere for some good wine and beer. This beer was not meant for Sumalya who bought it but for me, as I was to get drunk and leave him to ride for the rest of the day. He had chalked out details sharply. I did not think twice since the ride was short and some beer could certainly spice up my day, albeit in a different way.

By the time, we stopped at the destined Singshore bridge, I had finished my beer and was looking for some more.
Singshore Bridge
There was this small shop selling a few stuffs that interested me. She had stocks of Rhododendron wine and "Chaang", the Sikkimese local drink that I tasted on my first day at Okhrey. I started with the wine and ended with the Chaang.




Rhododendron Wine
Since, I keep drinking and riding poles apart, I knew I would not be riding for the rest of the day. Also a total distance of 85 kms did not excite me that much. The big day was coming soon and I could rather enjoy sipping the wine and dreaming about the Gurudongmar ride.
Gateway to Uttarey
The Singshore bridge, a gateway to Uttarey was also a nice place from where you could get a panoramic view of the valley around.




A few stops in between
We reached Pelling soon and even refueling at the end of the day gave a scenic view. The Kanchenjunga range displayed its full glory here. Probably, it is one of the most scenic Petrol pumps in India.
Refueling at Pelling


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NEXT PART: Day 5 - Pelling to Gangtok
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3 comments :

  1. hey, have been waiting for the next post for a long time. when is it coming?
    happy new year too

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sorry, I was a bit busy at the starting of the year!! But, nonetheless... Posts are continuing now..
    Hope you enjoy them... :)

    ReplyDelete