Day-2
Arriving Pooh
Having no option,we decided to take a chance of availing cozy room of the PWD guest house at Pooh and luckily we grabbed it without any hassles. As it was already getting dark at 6 PM and it was looking imperative to give rest to our running hot bike engines.Weirly hot engines had to stand in a cool corner of at least 10 hours break to smoke out their lungs after the battle over dusty,draggy,rugged roads of Kinnour right from Tapri-Sangla-Chitkul-Peo to Pooh.The surface of almost all of this route was full of asphalted, gravel and sand all except after Akpa bridge which was a bit nettled now.There were appealing warn graffitis on the way written by BRO about shooting stones which may fall on strollers down on roads.Some notice boards were written with the lines " Don't get gama,in the land of lama".
Fortunately the care taker of PWD Guest house was a Khampa gentleman hailing from Shamshi,Kullu. Initially he was reluctant to allow us only one room available in that guest house as all other rooms were preoccupied by their engineer officers who were there on awarding a civil work tender.Showing the generosity after introduction, he allowed us a very comfy room in upper floor.
Meanwhile I telepathically called on two of very well acquainted retired officers from a public sector undertaking (Now settled in Solan & Parwano)who originally hailed from this small town Pooh.Knowing our stay in their home town,they offered hospitality and asked us to go to their home across a nalla on the other side where the original old town of Pooh is situated.I thanked both of them for their good telephonic chatting gestures and humbly submitted them not to do anything as we were already in a comfort zone now.
Wou,after half and hour we were called by the caretaker to share same dining table with PWD officers for the dinner.Simple rice,chapatis,mixed vegetable filled our starved stomach with full contentment of crave.Before going to bed,a requisition for early morning tea was forwarded to him.Sooner we were diving in long slumber.
Next day as early as 6 AM we took shower in hot geyser water and re-packed our logistics in to bike.After having bed tea, we paid the room rent and billing of dinner service.It was very economical again as charge was just around Rs.600.After expressing the gratitude to the PWD guy now we moved ahead on our excursion to Spiti.
DAY-3
Excursion to Spiti Valley
Our bikes proceeded towards old Pooh village as guided by someone that link road again conjoins main sate highway road no.22 down ahead 2 Kms away.
Upper Kinnouri people with predominant physical mongoloid features were seen in the street.There is marked difference in ethnic features of upper Kinnouras with those of lower region.
We entred through a transit camp of army wherein an early morning drill was going on.After few strtches we reached the Dubling bridge.After crossing it,we moved from the other side of valley and reached Khab,a typical confluence where Satluj river was joined by a riverine flowing from probably Tibet border area.On the way we saw a BRO gate signalizing information about a link road towards Shipkila pass in right hand.This border post with China was just 40 KMS from there and is an offshoot of ancient silk route.The river Sutlej, which is called Langqên Zangbo in Tibet, enters India (from Tibet) through this pass.If one is intrested to see this pass closely, he has to take permit from ITBP,a unit of border police force guarding Indo-China border.
Paucity of time induced us to drop the idea to visit Shipkila pass.Now we were at typical junction named Khab where Satluj river commingles with Spiti river.This looked quite ditto to from where we enter to Bharmour valley of Chamba.
The peak of Reo Purgil, which rises to 22,400 feet (6,800 m), is visible from Khab confluence and the cold desert of Spiti just begins now after acrossing the bridge.The valley splits wide after snake like curly roads which fetches us to high altitude upper Kinnour villages.
Most of the time river and valley was at our left side of the road and the view became very scenic with barren hills upto a Y junction at Yangthang. From here right side road goes to Nako.
This village is about 3,662 metres (12,014 ft) above sea level. Misjudgeing the road of lake, I took my bike inside the streets of village which ended at a Budhist monastery gate. So we started glancing the campus of the old and new temples.After parking bikes near a dhaba we started exploring the hidden gems of this village on foot.Then we came close to major attraction the lake Nako which is surrounded by full of willow and poplar trees.
I found this small lake a bit polluted as water source pouring down from nearby stream was already being used by villagers for washing their clothes.After clicking a few shots,we walked around the streets of this hermit village.So many foreigners bikers were reposing in a hotel and camps as well.
Here we met a guy named allias "T" from Kota,Gujrat.He was too on excursion to Spiti along with his giant looking friend on Royal Enfield machismo models.They had a night halt in a hotel at Nako.We became friends after a short introduction but we didn't chalked out to move through collaboratively ahead towards Spiti.We ordered for a heavy breakfast in a small dhaba.The owner was a Ladakhi young boy married to a native girl of this village.The thick pranthas with butter and half fry egg was damn delicious.
Now our bikes roared towards Spiti road.We reached at Maling nalla,a hectic portion to be cared by BRO which now and then remains closed due to landslides.Here we met with a military convoy.The trucks were jam packed with military men.The commanding officer a tall looking Sardar sitting in a Maruti jypsey was viglilantly guiding the troop under him.
After covering so many typical topographies,we finally landed down to Spiti river where came a station named Chango.A big monastery on a coon of hill was visible from far away main road.We again dropped the idea to stop and see that.Now road was getting worst and we were moving ahead along side of river.
Now moving ahead,we reached a water george wherein a Buddhist styled decorated gate on right hand was indicating the link to the Gieu monastery.Suddenly Gujrati guyz who met us at Nako joined us and they asked us to let go collaboratively to see that place.We turned our bikes to famous Gieu,a place in Spiti known for mummy of a lama.
