India

My road : Keylong, Darcha, Zing Zing Bar, Baralacha pass, Bharatpur, Sarchu, Nakila pass, Lachulung pass, Pang, Moray tray, Tanglang pass, Rumtse, Upshi, Thikse, Leh, Keylong, Manali, Mandi, Dharamsala, Amritsar, from 06-20 to 2005-07-16.

The passage of Kunzum pass and the crossing of Spiti valley weakened me, of rest to Keylong I have difficulty in taking out of a big pharyngitis, bringing me to the uncertainty to make the road of Leh. Nevertheless it is the destination which appears in me. By visiting a doctor, I make been looked after by the ayurvedic method, on base of plants but which has no rather strong effect on the disease.
Arrived at Keylong 2005-06-12 , I try a departure on 2005-06-19 but which is going to be impossible, the cycle ready, I feel without strength to leave and have to return to sleep. I do not know if I am able to making this road, which is certainly not easy. I am indecisive to make return. I question my friend Shubho in Delhi, which made the trip to Leh by bike last, to know of what he thinks of it. On 2005-06-20, new preparations for a true departure. Of this road, I have information but which diverge as if to feeding me and finding to sleep. I leave with the good weather, my progress being slow by my condition, and which I also take altitude. I follow the valley of Bhaga, staying beside it for a long road. I tried to become established stages. The first one is to move closer to the pass of Baralacha. I finish to Zing Zing Bar, not in the best condition which is. I find to spend the night with the army which is going to lavish attention upon me. The present doctor announcing me that I am feverish, puts me immediately under antibiotics, bringing me this time improvement. We give me a bed and put to sleep me at once for 2 hours. When I wake up, I feel a little better and warmed with the stove in the middle of the room which spits its energy. I share the dinner with this few men's, which to spend time consume the local alcohol. The following morning, the doctor gives me even of what to treat me for 3 days.

I begin my climb towards Baralacha, my second pass. The route is not easy, the rocky, wet road by the basing snow, not borrowed by a polluting heap of vehicles, spitting black and suffocating me. I spend 4 hours to be made climb my cycle on a magnificent decoration, white with snow, finding a still frozen lake. By coming down again, I have only one envy, to find a place to have a break and to get fresh supplies. I can make it in Bharatpur where tents are planted for tourist season. Immediately I notice another cycle, and do not delay meeting the owner, Solange a French woman left for a world tour of 27 months. My day stage thus stops there, staying in her company and exchanging our roads. It is the first night outside, the temperature quickly falling to go to zero degree. Solange also goes to Leh, we plan then to make road together. We leave the next day towards Sarchu. Behind there are 2 successive passes, that of Nakila and Lachulung, close with 5000 metres height. Solange does not feel in strength to cross them in cycle and planned to climb them by another transport. I come then to opt for the same solution. We find to put our cycles on the top of a truck. These vehicles are many, furnishing Leh in petrol. Along the way I realize the difficulty that it would have been for me there. Solange comes to save me with a lot of difficulties, I can thank her. To make the descent for cycle which we had envisaged, it is too late and let us continue until Pang, staying there for the night. The temperature is always so cold by sleeping in 4300 metres. We leave from there through a canyon, with variances of colors bends all on the sand or the ochre. It remains impressive for me. It is immediately necessary to climb one made uneven to climb on Moray's tray. Of the bottom we can perceive the long row of laces which waits for us. Up there we arrive on an enormous area, empty of everything, no vegetation, not a track of water. Only bald mountains. To ride is also hard as to be in full climb, because a redoubtable wind prevents us from progressing in more than 10 km/hour. The place is fascinating, only whom we are to cross it. The region is crossed by convoies of the army with whom we succeed in having our water. By progressing on the tray we find the nomads Kampas, stopping to meet them. We meet ourselves under their tent to drink the butter tea, a beverage not easy to swallow, in the fat aspect, in the taste of sheep. They also offer us the bread Ladhaki. The next evening, the place which we looked for don't exist. We have to stop our stage at feet of the pass of Tanglang. To spend the night we go up tents, trying to find lee in a small washbasin. The evening is magnificent, alone that we are lost in these immense spaces, contemplating the starry sky, something magic.
To reach the pass, we have no evil to find a truck, because ready-made where from we pull, they stop before dashing to climb it. It is even necessary to act quickly and to hoist cycles on the top of the truck. The rise is 17 km, that must make blow the truck and cool the engine along the way. This time we put us on top to take advantage of the place but also to make the descent with our machines. Where we are, we can really contemplate the chain of Himalaya which appears in front of us with summits all of white dressed. It is again incredible and magnificent to meet itself there, in such a place. It is our cycles which allow us it, because every persons making this route by bus or in jeep come to cross at night and naturally without making stop. We are to wonder then why they go to Leh. The descent is fabulous, announcing the luck which we have. In its departure, it is nevertheless necessary to wade in the mud and to wash in the holes of water cycles. We arrive on a magnificent valley, similar to a canyon. For a long time, we saw a cover so, as nine. We cross villages where are present terrace cultivations. The wealth of the region appears again. All this urge us to stay one night furthermore in this magic place, alone, popular than of the nature. The studed heavens continue to retain our admiration. We are only to one day of Leh, for me it is incredible having touched the cape Comorin. I am going to have reunite India from north to south. This day admits us in Ladakh, a region which I go through for a long time in magazines or broadcast reports. The warmth is ardent, close to 40 degrees and looking for the shadow to put the foot on the ground. The region is became again desert with a long road in front of us and dented. The arrival to Leh disappoints me a little by a big military presence, that really spoil the environment in which we are by all their installations, and by crossing them on the road. Fortunately, we find a peaceful place to stay some days, away from shops for tourists, but in the middle of small farms, fields, in a kind family, and mountains with panorama in front of us. We say ourselves while we could indeed stay there one week.

To Leh, we were able to get back of our road, to revise the pack and the cycles, and to spend quiet moments, such from the morning by having breakfast in the garden, by getting ready the coffee and sampling some fresh bread. Of Leh, on a day, we set off to Kargil to discover the meeting of 2 rivers, the Indus and Zanskar. We leave this place by bus, it is the thing which I do not like, being broken the back, and my material being tortured. I say to myself that in India, nothing is more comfortable than my bicycle to travel. But I have no choice this time to make a fast return. In 15 hours we return to Keylong, for only 360 km. From there, we take back our cycles for Khoksar. In evening, the rain come, the monsoon makes its appearance, putting 65 hours before making calm. To join Manali and cross Rohtang pass, once again it is necessary to make appeal to the bus, but we are really forced, to leave by cycle today is too dangerous, especially to go down a pass. The rain continues us 2 days lasting on Manali, learning the damages which the water can create. On the spot, the river is quickly transformed into torrent, becoming impressive, taking a terrible strength. We say to ourselves that it is not going to need to stay there, if we want to pursue our carefree road. In our last evening, having had Anna's message, we dash in her research, in streets where the water flows of everywhere. On the point to drop, in my last entry which I make in a restaurant, I come to perceive her. Approaching me, I shout her, "Anna". She gets up, turns around, and said me, "Hervé". We are happy both to meet itself after 6 months. The evening takes place to redraw our roads.
The next day, the rain is always there, but with Solange I take back the road. It is the fact of being in cycle which allows us to leave the region because the road is totally broken in a place. In 2 days we join Mandi, to take back then each of them our trip. Solange goes away towards Delhi then Thailand, while from my part, waits for me Amritsar. On this direction, there is Dharamsala and naturally the head office of the Dalai Lama. I thus plan to mark stop in this place. The heat, the sweatiness and the rain continues to follow me, continuing nevertheless to move. To Dharamsala, I can come to listen the Dalai Lama who assures an education with monks and with pilgrims. I try to meet him, but that is refused to me. Nevertheless, I would have been happy only to shake hands with him. Two days more, I catch up Amritsar, to be this time at the end of my Indian trip, after 8 months of road. In front of me, it is as the new start which waits for me with the entry to Pakistan, and from there to reach China.