I got Leh'd

August 5, 2010. 27th candle on the cake. Man, am i running out of space in these cakes or what?? Its time for the birthday party, friends, birthday bums and what not. Isn’t that the same thing i do every birthday? Well, not this time. This time I am going make it special.

Take out the dusty leather jacket, fire up the thunder in good ol Royal Enfield and ride up the Himalayas. This birthday, I wanted to feel ALIVE.

July 29th, I started from Dublin to Bangalore. Round up my pals and picked the next flight to Delhi. From flight to rickshaws to train to Innova and finally the Royal Enfield. Himalayas, here we come.

After a long, tiring but exciting ride, we were one stop before Leh. We decided to camp for the night. Exactly at 12 midnight, my roommate, Jomy and my friends came over with a makeshift Birthday cake. A stack of Bread with Butter and Jam. And a small candles right in center. I don’t remember a birthday without cake on my face. This sure looks like a great start.

After a quick nap, we jumped back on the bike. We were on a hurry to reach Leh. By afternoon, we had reached Leh.  It was not long before we found ourselves in a nice and cozy home stay in Leh. After days of riding long days, the whole team was tired and decided to hit the bed early, But not before I got the bike serviced at a local Bullet garage. By 12, i was in deep slumber.

Half an hour passed by, i woke up to the huge noise my friends were making around me. I barely open my eyes that I noticed my friends standing on the bed and making a lot of noise. Confused, I stepped out of my bed and suddenly, the bed rose up and I am standing waist deep in water. Imagine waking up in a strange place, your bedroom is flooded with water. And this place is known for not getting any year throughout the year.

The Flash Flood
It took some time for me to realize that I am in a flood. The water level is rising by the minute. We jumped out of the room. Meanwhile my friends in the other room had also gotten up. Six out of the nine of us were in this cottage. While the other 3 was in another cottage on higher ground.I tried to open the main door. But it simply won’t bulge. It’s stuck with debris from the flood accumulating on the other side. Push the door, break the door, do whatever possible, but we had to get out. And that’s exactly what we did. As soon as the door gave away, the flood pushed more water into the room. All of us made our way to the higher grounds. Frightened, with no clue on what i happening around us, we stood there in the rain, drenched, covered in mud but relieved that all of us are safe and in high grounds. That is when home stay owner ran came running to us and told us to flee from there. He told us that all the building are made of clay and is not built to withstand water. With no buildings nor any trees or any structure to hold on to, our nightmare had just begun.

Time to run. Run for your life.

We ran out to the Innova. Thankfully the driver was already had the engines running. We left the bikes there and climbed into the Innova. The owner of the homestay had a few spare seats in his Scorpio and some of us got into their Scorpio. Time to speed away to safety, time to hit the gas. But the vehicle simply won’t move. The water had got the wheels stuck mud, debris and what not. I don’t know whether it was it fear or desperation, but out of nowhere, we had the strength to lift an Innova out of the dirt.

With all of us betting our very life with the Jeeps, we hit the gas. In the dark, both the SUV went in different directions. We kept going for some time, pulling the SUV out, whenever we got stuck. And finally stopped on top of a big rock where we felt a little safe.

In a strange land, drenched in rain and covered in mud, wearing just a shorts and banyan, cold, scared, puzzled we sat in the car. Running the heater intermittently so that we dont run out of fuel for who knows when we will get fuel again. Where was the other SUV? Are they safe? I guess we were so tensed that it dint strike any one of us to ring someone in the other SUV. At least not until couple of hours had passed. Once we heard from them, we were very relieved that all of us are safe. Untill now.

Even the locals were all puzzled on what is happening. Stories of missing people and death filled the air. We decided that on day break we will hike down to the room and will meet up with the whole gang. The roads were all gone and the our vehicle was stuck on top of the rock.

The next day.

By early morning, some of us had to use the bathroom. Guys are sure lucky, nature provides a lot of cover and ain’t have to hunt for a restroom. Then again, it’s not an all guys gang. A nearby monk invited us to his house and allowed us to use his restroom. It was then he told us that this was a flash flood and this part of the mountain had been wiped clean. Between you and me, I had no clue what a flash flood meant. Not until then at least. Once we left the monk’s house, we continued on our journey to the homestay.

I was walking barefoot as i did not have the time to grab anything last night. A native gave me slippers and insisted that i should take it. I have never seen this guy before. And he knew very well that he will never see me again. But still, he insisted that I take his best pair of slippers. I was so touched by his action. I cannot imagine someone in Bangalore doing this.

 

We met our friends by the time i reached our room. The flash flood wiped clean the whole side of the mountain. Tears of joy ticked down as i hugged my friends.  Last night, I was not sure I would see them again. I was not sure i would see anyone again. And here I am, feeling .... ALIVE. I guess, I got my birthday wish.