Friday, June 26, 2009

Day 110 - June 26 - Almora Jageshwar Binsar Almora!

June26 at EveryTrail

Map created by EveryTrail: GPS Trip Sharing with Google Maps

140 KMs Trip meter 14324

Again got up late. The weakness seems to have reduced. Pretty much clueless, take the suggestion of the Hotel owner to visit Jageshwar and then check out Binsar. Run through the busy streets and out of Almora. Pretty much miss all the small points that he suggested :D Either cant leave the bike or could not find it. Any way just went along with the plan for the day. Took it pretty slow enjoying the mountain ride. Take the deviation to Jageshwar. Suddenly the pine forests gives way to Deodar forest. It was fantastic to ride between those tall trees. Checkout a temple in the area and get to Jageshwar. Its crowded, so cant leave the bike. I ride ahead a bit, which climbs on a narrow road. The isolation and the nature was great up there. Make my way back till the fork to Whruddha Jageshwar, a must as recommended by the hotel owner. Its a narrow road of 8 KMs and some offroad sessions in between. Bike is tough to handle and hands get shaky. Man my offroad skills have gone down pretty bad i guess. I get to the top. Nothing much enchanting. I was supposed see mountains as far as 200 kms but with overcast sky the nearest mountain is also not visible. Disappointed i make my way back till a restaurant at a junction.

As i have lunch a cab driver gets curious and talks. Suggests to take the road to Sergot if i want to get to Munshiyari. Pretty much tempted but that would be a long detour and in this cloudy season there is not much hope of seeing the mountains i guess. Will leave it for later. Stick to the plan for the day. Head to binsar. Hoped to find accommodation there and thought will head out the other way. Now it rains, and rains hard as well. Get to Almora and take the shorter road to Binsar. Water is rolling down from mountains and i have to do some dirty water crossing. What timing i seem to have hit the switch backs just when the water is making is way on the road and i have to cross the same channel of water on successive switch backs. Each time kinda loose balance and get shaky. Common i cant get that bad. After like 10 kms i have to now make entry into sanctuary area with a fee! I head its pretty crowded up there and room would be difficult. Crowded? i imagined a small nainital like crowd. But it was completely different to my imagination. The road got narrower and narrower, rougher, and when into thick forest! It was a nice ride though, could see late fall colors, where all the leaves are turning to common brown. After 11 kms from the check post i am at the tourist rest house and thats it. There is nothing there! By crowded they meant all the rooms are booked!! Just laughed at the difference of perception. Went ahead till the Daak bunglaw and back to the Tourist rest house, no rooms obviously and even if there were its like 1.5k!! Desided to go back to Almora any way. Cos its already 6pm and cant go any where else.

Called up the hotel owner for a room and he was like "see i told you u will be back :P" The day went pretty much like he predicted as he seems to have roamed uttaranchal by his scooter many times it seems. On the way thought i might as well check the air pressure may be its less and thats y i am feeling troubled. But what do you know, the rear tire pressure is blown to 40 and the front to 38!! They said the air pressure increases on its own if it gets very hot! Never knew that and don't understand why that happens. Obviously with such high pressure traction. Corrected it, and when i ride on the stones washed on to the road now its kinda fine!! will be problem and is giving me scares. Any way reach to the same historic hotel and i am given Delux room for the same price!! Softer beds and a TV. I could definitely do with them :) I assume munshiyari will give no clear views and will most likely skip it and head towards Auli.

The old Hotel's Room...


Big parking space in a hill town...





On the way to Jageshwar through the pine trees...





Strange stone formations...


Nice ride under the canopy..


In no time i am among Deodar trees...





One of the temples at Jageshwar...


Some gyaan...








Trying my hand at Macro... Flower was like 10 cms wide...


me there...


Now this was less than a centimeter wide!!


Ride a lil ahead of Jageshwar...


Now each of those flowers were just 2 millimeters!!


The main temple at Jageshwar...


I am not the widest of people but the tree was that wide!!


On the return...


One of the temples on way to Whruddh Jageshwar...


The main temple there...


The beautifull bird was jumping around the trees. Lucky to have managed a click...


On way to Binsar....


The narrow road inside Binsar sanctuary...





There was lot of monkey who would run away, and then came this alfa male and sat there like 'what now huh?' I thought it was smarter to move away after a click!


The road gets bad and forest thicker nearing Binsar...


There but there's nothing there!!


Just a Daak Bungalow at the end...


Eikes... Do i see a Leopard, a bear in the list!!


Kinda late fall colors?


Rare species of Mountain cattle spotted!!


Bit out of focus....

2 comments:

jsr said...

excellent! good going!
--
jsr

manisha sharma said...

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won't be nice if i u can clickover to my blog page too ,
& post some suggestion