Day 2, 07 00hrs: Woke up reluctantly, I knew I did not have enough sleep. Then little running, stretching to warm up in the morning cold of Manali! The streets, were empty as against what I imagined, reminded me that it was the off-season. I asked for plastic covers--which I had forgotten in spite of it being in the checklist--in the tea shop, only then I came to know that the plastic covers are banned in the state. Which came as a horror to me as I had planned to cover my socks with the plastic inside the shoe to avoid my feet getting wet while riding. Because I knew to how much extent my life is safe when I can avoid being frozen, as I was already once threatened in my last December's North East Expedition. But my come-what-may attitude took over. No time to buy gumboots. Got ready and when I was checking out the reception guy pressed buttons in his calculator and asked me for 90rs. I asked him why and I had paid everything in MakeMyTrip. He said GST!! I had no words, mudivu pannittan, after all, he helped me a lot in getting me to the hotel the midnight. 8AM was the time I was supposed to be ready to join the team, but it was already 8 15 when I checked out. I cannot afford to have my breakfast. I cannot let the team, under whose mercy I am making this trip, wait for me. But I am also someone who becomes a Hulk when I don't have my food on time. I consoled myself that I should be doing ok with the biscuits I will buy in our first stop.
Day2, 8 30hrs: Met Amar--whose face I have seen only in his Whatsapp DP, but unlike his DP he had a warm and calm but affable nature, like any of the Tibetan race--who picked me from my hotel with the RE I was going to ride. While I was going with him on the bike I was mumbling what sort of guys these Keralites be. It is always a matter of great concern in any of my travel/life the people I take the journey with. It in many ways controls the success of the trip. As soon as I met and spoke to the 3 idiots, Ajish, Vivek, Jesel (you will know why in the coming chapters when we go to the Pangong lake and that's cool!) I was happy, they too, that chuckle from Jesel confirmed it. That we all were novice riders and we could really gel well. They were all really young even though they were 6-7 years elder to me. Their stories are super cool which will take up a lot of space in a later chapter.
We wasted no time, as we set off to Vashisht, our first stop to pick Sonu, our mechanic and to buy water, chocolates and biscuits. Then began the great road trip to Leh.
The first few kms were lavish green, sometimes it provided us with the ceiling. The yellow texture was also equally alluring! Little waterfalls on the sides, majestic views of Manali, mighty valleys, distant, remote communities which will make you think why do someone live there? I wanted to capture everything with my camera. But I cannot delay the others, also I have to return the same way alone, without them, so I could now experience and later do the camera work. But I could not later, and that's whole different story when my life was important than taking the camera out. Moreover, they had the GoPro running. As we were climbing up, the barren brown started taking control over the green.
Day2, 11 20hrs: Rohtang Pass, our first milestone. 
Signs of snow, it was my first, enticing!!
Day2, 12 45hrs: Koksar check-post, time to lunch. I was starving inside but the excitement and enthusiasm eclipsed my hunger. 
Amar assured us that the mutton we get here is like nowhere else, I also believed it should be healthy as the sheep here grown in the wild and graze the nature. Amar was right, also my starvation for something spicy and breakfast-less day ensured I had two mutton gravy for my meal!! After a delicious meal and full stomach that wants you to snooze and you ride on amazing terrain that you never imagined, is nothing short of a dream!
Day2, 15 50hrs: Jispa camp, our final destination for the day--our campsite. I was in awe, how can someone bring so much sophistication to such a remote place! It was deep in a valley with the stream very close by. The 30-40 white tents were neatly organised. Each had 3 compartments.
My much-needed power nap after full travel of 2 days and the midnight adventure cannot get any cosier. After an hour of coma sleep, look what I woke up to. Can life get any better?
Then we all sat together for gossip(I learnt that gossip means casual not-so-important conversation and it means not just backbiting.) A lot of it were discussed our journeys, career, life, Kerala, TamilNadu, North India, Foods, Movies, Songs, Languages.....
...for nearly 2 hours, before we continued it on the campfire.
Day2, 20 15hrs: Dinner time. You are in a remote place deep in a valley that does not exist on the maps, what do you expect for dinner?
After a sumptuous meal, it was a splendid sleep to get rid of all the tiredness and get rejuvenated-- before I got sick again, the next day!
Know why in the next chapter....
