So I have a wild and crazy idea..........................

[BCB1080]

I'd be happy to share what I can so feel free! Late June.

[greatbuffalo]

Something to wet the appetite. Not on a bike but this is road would definitely be on my list if it didn't enter Kashmir.

[BCB1080]

^^^that was awesome. Thanks!

I entered Ladakh from Srinigar (Jammu/Kashmir) over NH1 and would say you about need a guide/driver if you aren't a domestic (Indian) tourist. Military checkpoints, traffic, comms and navi. made it essential for us getting to Leh. After we rented our bikes in Leh we went alone and the military could be intimidating as hell; take your passport to the other room, pointing a little to liberally with slung AKs, raising their voices even though you have complied to the best of your knowledge. Other times they wanted a ride and to serve tea. No real problems just kinda scary to a white guy that hadn't left the US in 2 decades. I smoked cigarettes while there and that proved to be a great way to relieve tension with about anybody but just have lots.
Not trying to down play it though you can get REMOTE(!) really really fast. The bike rental guys/kids just told us to take a the company card and give it to someone to have them call if we needed help then "have fun". There were a handful of times a mechanical could have put us in for a VERY long walk to a person who MIGHT have had a phone...The rental people wouldn't give us tubes or a tool kit for christ'ssake(!). I bought a patch kit at a different shop and hoped we'd be able to 2-up it to a home/village and borrow tools if it came to that but in the end our Bullets where bullet-proof.

[greatbuffalo]

Great insight. The one thing we have going for us is that we will do this trip with at least two Indians. These friends are friends of the guy that owns the bike rental/tour company. I understand that traveling with Indian nationals will save you a heap of heart ache and frustration. Traveling with them will help in preventing the endless line of con men, hawkers, and beggars. It also helps to have friends that speak the language and understands the culture.

Its interesting to see Ed March's take on India. This is a guy that has traveled on a little C90 all over the world. His experiences traveling in India are about the worst  he has experienced. He cites several reasons why; Nothing works, Very dirty, nothing works, the worst drivers on the planet, nothing works, endless lines of people trying to take advantage of you, and nothing works. Here is the video of his experience there:

[Hank]

I'm not used to the type of public toilet shown in that vid!

Sent from the Altair 8800 I carry around.

[greatbuffalo]

I thought that was quite a site myself. When there I will do my best to avoid exposed public toilets beside the highway.

[BCB1080]

GB,
You hit the nail on the head man. I can't wait to watch this C90 vid. when I get a little more time in tonight's shift but I had to mention that the abuse of tourists monetarily that, I guess, didn't have "protection" was CRAZY. I flipped out and paid MY "travel agent" 400 Rupee to GTF out of our hotel room and leave us alone the rest of the night once. I remember the taxi driver in Srinigar distinctly "Your first time in India?" us responding full of naivety "Yeah! Couldn't be more excited!" then his pupils turned to dollar signs, his eyes spun backwards like a slot machine and our fare visibly quadrupled and I'm sure when he introduced us in the lobby of the hotel to the hotelier he shared as much. We had to learn fast to argue for 1/3 the initial price on EVERYTHING.

Oh yeah not much works (LOL)...."toilets" aka holes are subpar for sure I was not used to aiming with my butt and my quads were quivering initially also it is tricky in pants when you don't want to touch anything for balance.....and people LOVE to watch tourists use ATMs uncomfortably so at times.

If this all seems like I had a negative experience I want to clear it up. I had a trip that was at times trying and infuriating but we brought that on ourselves with poor planning and prep. I would go back in a heart beat(!) but this time I would avoid Kashmir during Ramadan; those guys get cranky when they don't eat till dark. (and I love beer, it is REALLY hard to get beer during Ramadan(made for an awesome story though; getting drunk in Kashmir(rally campfire type stuff)).

Also sorry for thread-jacking...it just stirs up all the excitement and stuff so I can't help but yammer.

[greatbuffalo]

No worries about jacking the thread. All the conversation on the topic is welcomed and encouraged. Knowledge is power, ignorance is limiting.

[Wizard]

You haven't lived until you have peed off a sidewalk in India...

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