Another dream came true. I (Willem-Jan) visited India for the third time, this time for a 3 week journey (2 - 24 september) on an Indian Enfield through the Himalayas.

Click on a day image to go to the photo album of that day (not for day 1, 3 and 23).

On a Sunday in September around 7.30am I was picked up in Burgerveen by Robert, our travelleader from Travel2Explore, and his wife Gerda. Together we drove to Schiphol Airport, where we met our fellow Dutch travellers, Carola, Henk (Robert's father), Hans en Henri.

After a two hour flight with Austrian Airlines we landed in Vienna to catch the flight to New Delhi in India. At the airport the group was completed by the Belgium travellers who had flown in from Brussels, David, Kathy, Ronny (David's father), Michael, Luc and Ronny. Here you can find more info on the gang and the crew.

Together we boarded a pretty old Boeing with an outdated entertainment system of Austrian Airlines. The food was however good. After more than a seven hour flight we landed around midnight at Delhi airport where we were picked up by a bus. The bus drove us through a dark and empty city to our hotel, Delhi Pride in Karol Bagh, a popular district among travellers.

After breakfast we split up in a Dutch and a Belgium group to discover Delhi. With a tuktuk, a three wheeler motortaxi, we drove through the crowded traffic to Old Delhi to visit the mosque Jama Masjid. It felt great to be back again in India. I had visited Delhi in 1981 and just walking around and absorbing the smells, the noise and the sights made me feel happy. Delhi has even a metro system nowadays, but the Old India was still seen in many places.

After the mosque we dove into the narrow and crowded streets of Old Delhi. We made a deal with 2 rickshaw drivers to drive us around and to the Spice market. The tour gave us a good sight of the streetlife in this part of the city. Even in a rickshaw it was very difficult to get around. We ended up in a traffic jam and doubled back into another direction. After an hour or so we decided to end the tour and after some hassle about paying the rickshaw drivers more money, the tour had lasted much longer than was agreed, we went for a nice Indian lunch. Ater the lunch we headed back to the hotel, still tired from the flight and the first day in India.

The district of Karol Bagh is also famous for its shops and open air markets. After dark the place comes really alive with hundreds of street and foodstalls and people just everywhere.

After a very early breakfast we went by bus to the railway station to catch the 6.40 hour train to Dehradun, in the foothills of the Himalayas. The train was very luxury with airco, good and spacious seats and nice provisions. I had never travelled in such luxury before. In 1981 and 1982 I had travelled around India in many trains, but always third class. It was cheap and slow, but always good fun.

We travelled past the slums of Delhi and through the countryside. This trainride gave us a good sight of rural Northern India with its sugarcane fields and lowland forests. Finally we saw the mountains coming into sight. We could not wait to get on the bikes to explore the mountains!

Around one o'clock we arrived in Dehradun where we were met by the local organization. With three cars, one was driving crazier and faster than the other, we were brought to our hotel. Here we met the guys who would accompany us for the next three weeks on our trip through the Himalayas, roadcaptain Gailson from Ladakh, roadmanager Biki from Nepal, road engineer Mr. Khan from India, driver Namgyl from Ladakh and master helper Nono from Ladakh.

The bikes were already lined up and after lunch we went for a short ride to get used to the bike. The Indian Royal Enfields (500cc) were the latest ones, with the European clutch, gear and brake system. They rode excellent!

After a quick breakfast we finally got on our bikes. Leh, here we come!

Dehradun was soon left behind us as we entered the Sub Himalayas. The roads varied from good tarred roads to bumpy dirt roads and everything in between. But hey, this is Asia, adventure and it is still a long way to the real mountains.

Gailson took the lead and led us through green landscapes, forests, ricefields and always the mountains were within view, just simply amazing. There was plenty time to stop for another nice photograph. We passed small villages and always there were schoolkids waving at us. The real first hill station we passed was Mussoorie. Just outside Mussoorie we stopped for a drink stop.

This was going to be our rhythmn for the next weeks. Drive for a hour or so with lots of photostops, then Gailson gave the sign for a drink and pee stop. This would repeat itself for a couple of times and then it was time for lunch in a small village. The afternoon went the same way as the morning. No one was in a hurry and everyone was having a good time, enjoying the scenery and the life on the road.

15 km from Mussoorie were the beautiful Kempty Falls, a popular tourist place for a picknick or a swim.

After a long day of riding through green forests over small roads we finally arrived in Barkot, a little mountain village.

Another day of riding through green valleys and past rice fields, with views on the rivers deep below and mountains around us. The road through a pinewood forest was just beautiful, the good tarred road invited us to speed up. Just over the pass the road went steep down, be careful for the cows, and with a small river on our right we passed a few villages and a lot of marihuana plants, just growing in the wild.

Just before Rohru we hit the main road and it was under construction. For the next 10 kilometers we drove in a traffic jam with cars, trucks and motorbikes riding everywhere and in all directions. It had not rain for days so the ride was hot and very dusty. But finally we reached our hotel, a nice one, just off the dusty main road.

Robert made during dinner a nice remark about our various ways of driving through the traffic jam that afternoon, overtaking whenever it was posibble, driving left or right wherever there was room. But that was not the way he wanted to see us drive. Traffic in India is really special and you should be careful in what you are doing, so only overtaking on the right hand side and always use your horn when overtaking.

The next day we left the dusty roads quite early and we headed back for the mountains, getting higher and higher, jumping and bumping over hard muddy roads, through waterbeddings and over rocks and stones.

It was apple harvest time and everywhere we saw people carrying big bags of apples on their backs to the nearest collection place.

We had a tea stop in a small village on a low mountain pass, just a few houses annex local pub/restaurant, a street stall and a nice little temple. Soon we gathered a small group of curious children around us, watching everyting we did. The elder people kept their distance, but were just as curious as the children.

After a nice descend we followed the Satluj river until we reached the turnoff for Sarahan. The road went up again, along military compounds where Sikh soldiers were watching us. Military slogans were written on the walls that surrounded the compounds. Finally we reached Sarahan, famous for its Shri Bhima Kali temple. where we stayed in a nice hotel with views on the snowcapped mountains from the balcony.

It had rained most of the night, so we were in for some nice muddy roads. We went the same way back, down the mountain, along the military compounds and back along the Satluj river. Numerous waterfalls were coming down the mountains. The road was good, but we had to be careful for the cars, trucks, pedestrians, goats, horses and cows that were all using the same small road.

The main road to the Jalori Pass was closed due to a landslide, so we took the bypass and what an adventure that was! Twenty kilometers of dirt, stony and muddy roads. It was amazing how people can make a road out of slate stones, all stacked on top of one another. The bikes were having a really tough time conquering those stones and so did we. Just to make it any better or worse, depending on how you looked at it, some stretches were really muddy. Just before the top we entered the woods where a really nice muddy road was waiting for us. A few got stuck or fell in the mud, while others went through the woods and got stuck between the trees. We all helped each other pulling the bikes through the mud and with the help of about ten bikers even the backup car got through the mud. It had taken us more than an hour to get us all through this muddy part and at that altitude, just under 3000 meters, it was really hard work.

The tea stop at the Jalori Pass, a few small buildings and the Ma Kali temple, was very welcome. After a good rest we found our way carefully down the steep forest road back to the main road that led to Sjoha. Just before Sjoha, we spent the night in a very nice lodge in Banjar, where the friendly owner gave us a very nice dinner with lots of beer. We were now mountain proof!

Today was an easy day. Over good roads we rode through the Kullu valley to Manali, a hill station and popular among Indian newlyweds but also for plenty of outdoor activities. But first we had take a 4km long tunnel with no lights, no safety lanes, no aircirculation system. It was just dark and smelly with diesel fumes. We even saw some bicyclists without lights.

We arrived in Manali in the early afternoon and rode through the town to our hotel, a few kilometers from the centre of the town. We stayed in the luxurious hotel Highland, with big rooms, nice beds and hot showers.

After a very copious lunch in one of the many Tibetan restaurants we explored Manali until the rain drove us back to the hotel.

Manali is on the highway to Leh, but to get there we first had to conquer our first pass over 3000 meters, the Rohtang La. The road was good, except for the last 10km which was just a dirt road with lots of rock and muddy passages. But hell, what a ride it was, nice scenery, beautiful views and everywhere mountains. We left the forests and rode through barren landscapes.

The Rohtang Pass was pretty touristy with lots of souvenirstalls, foodshops, tourists in four wheel drive cars and a small temple. After lunch we descended from the pass and found ourselves in a different part of the Himalayas. The forests were gone and it was much drier now. The air was clear, cool and felt good. Halfway down the pass roadworks blocked the way. It took a while before they cleared the road and over lots of rocks and stones we bounced further down the road into the small village of Gramphu, the junction for the Spiti and Lahaul valleys. We went left and followed the Chandra river towards Keylong, where we would stay for a day in Drilbu Retreat to acclimatize, to wash, to relax or visit monasteries.

Drilbu Retreat is a beautiful spot, overlooking the confluence of the rivers Chandra and Bhaga. Also on the site is Tupchiling Gompa, a nice and small monastery. We slept in simple but nice cottages. In the morning a few of us visited the Kardang Monastery, an easy ride into the mountains with nice views on Keylong and the mountains. In the afternoon we hired two taxis and drove to Keylong where we walked around for a few hours, visited the interesting Lahaul & Spiti Tribal Museum and watched the locals.

Today the first real high pass was waiting for us, but first our crew members had to repair a bridge, while the military and supervisors stood idle and watched. Thanks to our crew! The road through the Bhaga Valley took us higher and higher, we were now in the real high Himalayas. Finally we reached the Baralacha La (4890m) where we had a short stop to enjoy the views. The descend from the pass was tricky with lots of rocks and holes, but the views were again amazing.

In the late afternoon we reached Sarchu, just a fixed tent camp in the middle of nowhere on the Manali - Leh highway. We spent the night at an altitude of 4200 meters. And we really felt it. It was very exhausting just to do a simple move like getting up from your bed to go to the toilet. We also suffered from light pressures in our head and light headaches. Sleeping was uncomfortable with these headaches. I even got it so bad that I had to be hooked onto a oxygen flask. I had not drunk enough water that day. Robert and Gailson had warned us to drink at least two liters of water everyday and also all the tea and other drinks at every stop, just to get the blood flowing through your body. Well, I did not and paid the price for it. My dinner was three bowls of garlic soup and 1 bowl of tomato soup and fresh oxygen, but luckily I did not get the altitude sickness, which would have meant the end of the trip.

Until this day we had had some minor accidents, like falling of bikes at low speed or almost colliding with cats and horses on roads, but Henk, Robert's father, made this day a really nasty fall and hurt his foot badly.

The next day we were all fit enough to continue our ride over the high plains, along the Tsarap Chu river. Henk decided, however, to hitch a ride with the backup truck. The landscape had dramatically changed now. It was very dry and barren. The rivers had cut out deep gorges in the mountains and everywhere we saw strange rockformations in beautiful colors. And everywhere along the road were the yellow road signs with warnings on rhyme like "after whisky, driving risky" or "we cut the mountains, but connect hearts".

The dusty dirt road with dozens of hairspins took us over the first two passes of over 5000 meters, the Nakee La and the Lachulung La. The descend was through a majestic and narrow gorge. Lunch stop was next to the road where a few tents stood waiting for passers by. The waitresses were friendly and gave us lots of tea and cookies.

We were more or less self supporting now for our lunches. In these remote areas, with almost no villages and thus no shops, you had to bring your own food and soft drinks. Our lunch were sandwiches with cheese and a few slices of cucumber or lettuce, a candy bar or other sweets and a egg, simple but nourishing. The food stalls provided tea and noodle and garlic soup. Sometimes we could eat our lunch at those road side stalls, other times we just ate lunch next to the road, in the middle of nowhere, but always with great views. Dinner in the fixed camps were always good, rice with lentils, pasta, meat and vegetables. Life can be simple!

We slept again in a fixed tent camp with a very cold shower and toilets at the side of the camp, on the high plains near Lake Kar (Tsokar), a salt lake, at an altitude of 4600 meters. Nearby the camp were a few chortens, the Tibetan version of a stupa, in the shape of a white upside down clock and often containing Buddhist relics.

The temperatures during the day are comfortable in these high mountains, but during the night they drop to just above five degrees and for sleeping in those tents you need a lot of blankets or a good sleeping bag.

Gailson led the way over a dirt road back to the Manali - Leh highway. A few herdes of wild horses were running ahead of us, an amazing sight! Back on the road we stopped for two fellow motorriders. Luc had to make an emergency stop and fell off his bike, breaking his collarbone. He joined Henk and Henry, who had overstrained his knee in a fall the day before, in the backup truck. All the places in the backup truck were occupied now, so the next one who could not drive any further had a problem. Three crew members were now riding their bikes.

The dirt road through the plains and over the Tanglang La (5359m) was beautiful, the descend along the Gya river was even more beautiful. In Upshi the Gya river joined the famous Indus river. If you turned right here the road would take you into China, but we turned left and followed the Indus river towards Leh. It was a nice and good road through the Indus valley, with spectacular views on the mountains with it strange colors and rock formations. We passed little villages and saw more and more trees. Slowly we were riding back into civilization.

Just before Leh we hit more traffic and saw the first monasteries around Leh, such as the Stok and Thiksey monasteries. Our hotel was in Choglamsar, a small village about ten kilometers before Leh. It had nice rooms with hot showers and a Tibetan atmosphere.

Henry and Luc visited a small clinic in Leh to check out their injuries. They came back with nice stories about Ladakhi hospitals.

While the crew was arranging the permits for the last part of the trip we took a ride on motorbike around the area, visiting the Spituk and the Thiksey monasteries in the morning and Leh by taxi in the afternoon.

Both monasteries were a nice place to visit, with beautifully decorated walls, prayer wheels and bells, doors and small temples. From the top of the monasteries we had nice views over the airport of Leh, the surrounding villages and the Indus valley.

Leh was an easy going city with an abundance of tourist places, like souvenirs shops, Tibetan markets, restaurants and bars. The main shopping street was lined with local women selling fruits and vegetables.

I wondered how Leh had looked like thirty years ago when I wanted to visit Ladakh from Kashmir where I was in april 1982. At that time the roads were still closed because of the snow and I had decided to travel further east through the lower parts of the Himalayas, with places like Dharamasala and Shimla. But never mind I was here now and it was still a nice place.

Another day, another pass to conquer. Today we rode the same way back for a while and took the turn off at Chemdey, passed the Chemdey Monastery and started the climb to the 5400m high Chang La. Luc and Henk followed us in a hired taxi and Henry was recovered enough to continue on motorbike.

Needless to say that it was again a beautiful ride, with amazing mountain views and steep hairpins. On the top of the Chang La was the Baba temple and a teahouse where we could warm ourselves. It was getting cold now!

As with all passes we had driven sofar and also the ones still to come the first kilometers were good and the last part to the top and the first part after the top were the most difficult with muddy roads, rocks and sometimes wet snow. Chang La was no exception. The descent was hard with a very difficult stretch dotted with rocks and stones. We took this stretch one by one without too many problems. We were getting more and more experienced to ride the Ladakhi mountain roads.

Lunch was at a teastall at a very beautiful location on the Changthang plateau. We were not the only visitors to admire the peace and the views. Near Durbuk we had to stop at a checkpoint where police officers checked our permits. We all had to write our names and addresses in a big book.

We spent the night at Tangtse, in a nice little guesthouse with a couple of bungalows where for the first time our hired cooks served diner to us. Nearby was the recently built Tangtse Monastery with its bright coloured walls and doors.

Robert and I spent the night in the main house itself, because the old bungalows were too dirty and the new ones did not have room for all of us. A very nice experience, no shower and the toilet was just a hole in the floor. The living rooms had nice colourful carpets and the bedrooms had enough thick blankets to keep us warm. In the morning cows were walking through the courtyard.

In the morning we visited Pangong Tso, a huge lake, 95 kilometers long and at an altitude of 4600 meters. Most of the lake is situated in China and therefore a restricted area. A few people on bicycles came from that side, where did they spent the night?

After a few cups of tea we climbed on our motorbikes and rode the same way back, again over the Chang La where it was lightly snowing. This night we stayed in real tents with our sleeping bags on farmer's land in Chemre (Chemdey). Cows, yaks and horses roamed freely between the trees. The toilet was a square tent with a hole in the ground and you could wash yourself in a cold stream behind the tents. The diner and campfire made everything worthwile and after a lot of beers all sorts of national songs were sung.

We woke up under a cloudy sky. Again we headed north, but this time we turned left at Sakti and found our way over the Wari La, another pass of over 5000 meters high, where it was cold, the road covered with snow and the puddles frozen.

The descent into the famous Nubra Valley was another amazing ride. The Nubra valley with the meandering Shyok river is at places very wide and there we could ride over a very good and flat road. Sometimes we could speed up to 80 kilometers an hour, but not for long, because you never knew where the road would turn bad again. At other places we went higher up the sides of the valley where you had to be careful of rocks behind the corner. And as always the views were amazing, all those colours and rockformations never got bored. At times riding through this valley I felt free, proud and glad that I was able to undertake such a journey. I have travelled a lot during the last 30 years and seen amazing places on 5 continents, but this valley really got me impressed by its beauty.

Just before Hunder, our nightstop in a fixed camp, was a camelcamp in the sanddunes. It was a touristy place, but it was fun to play and ride with the camels. These camels were descendants from the camels used on the famous Silk Road to China.

Today was the day we all have been waiting for. The Khardung La, the highest motorable pass, was waiting for us. The weather had cleared up and we drove back through the Nubra Valley with a stop at the colourful Diskit monastery with its enormous statue of the Maitreya or Future Buddha. With a last view on the Nubra valley and the Shyok River we turned south and started the climb towards the Khardung La.

We had heard that the pass was closed the day before due to heavy snowfall. We did not know what to expect. The first part was again beautiful with some nice gorges. We passed the little village of North Pullu and during one last stop we put on some warmer clothes. Now the real work started, as usual the last fifteen or so kilometers were the worst and it was really bad today. The snow had alreay melted and left us a road that was covered with mud, wet snow and icy patches. Slipping and sliding we fought in our way the road and finally we all reached the Khardung La without problems. An emotional outburst followed.

Above the little Shiva temple lots of prayer flags were waving in the cold wind. I climbed to the top to put up a prayer flag that I had bought in the Kardang Monastery near Keylong. It was a very emotional moment for me to be up there so high, thinking of my parents, they both had passed away the year before. And as Robert later so tactfully said "this is the closest you can get to them". Thanks mate!

The descent to Leh was quite an easy one and with a last stop with a nice view of Leh in the far distance we rode into Leh, taking some smaller roads into the center and to our hotel, the Pangong Hotel. Wow, we had made it. It was really tragic that Henk and Luc, due to injuries, did not finish the trip on motorbike, but at least they were with us all the time. And I must say that we had been very lucky with the good weather all these weeks. Lots of sun, no rain during the day and nice temperatures.

The last day in Ladakh was spent in a very relaxed way. Everyone was going his of her own way, alone or in small groups. Walking around town I visited the Leh Palace, overlooking the city, with a nice exhibition of photographs of Ladahki life in the last centuries, the Tsemo Gompa, even higher up the mountain and the narrow streets in the old part of Leh. The Soma Gompa was a nice place to escape from the busy streets, but even in the sun it was too cold to sit there for a long time to absorb the sacred Buddhist atmosphere.

That evening we shared our last meal with the crew and we thanked them heartfully. Without them we just would not have been here, they were always present, ready and helpful with everything from beer to lucky charms and cookies and always in a good mood. Shukriya!

A few of us had to pay off the damage on their bike, such as a damaged headlight, ranging from five to forty euro's, a bargain if you had seen what they had endured these three weeks.

We had to get up very early to catch the flight back to Delhi. After a long wait at the airport we were finally airborne and enjoyed the views over the Himalayas. A few hours later we were back in hot and steaming Delhi. The ride from the airport was a hilarious one. On one of the highways into the city we ended somehow up on the wrong side of a six lane highway. All of a sudden we saw oncoming traffic driving towards us and one car was even racing backwards, followed by a dozen of cars with their noses in our direction. All the cars decided to turn in the middle of this chaos and drove back the same way, looking for a place to change to the right lanes and still there were more cars driving in the wrong direction. Finally we were again in the right direction and on the right lanes and continued our way to the district of Karol Bagh. During the day lots of streets in this area were closed or one-way so our driver had difficulties finding the right way to the hotel Delhi Pride.

After a short rest Hans and I took a rickshaw to visit the Red Fort in Old Delhi. On our first day this beautiful fort was closed. We wandered around for a few hours, looking at the buildings and the Indian visitors. Nice place! In the chaos of Delhi traffic we took another rickshaw back to our hotel. After a few mechanic problems the rickshaw finally gave up. The driver flagged down another one, gave him some rupees for the rest of the ride to the hotel. Once there he wanted of course more rupees, but we had made already a price with the other guy and he should go back to him if the price was not fair.

That evening we had a sort of farewell diner, because Michael was flying home the next day, while the rest of the group was going to Agra. Robert had prepared a little speech for everyone. In a few sentences he was able to point out what that particular person had gone through these three weeks. Simply amazing how good he was at analyzing the lot of us, just by watching and talking.

After getting up early again a bus brought us to the railway station where we boarded a first class carriage of a train to Agra. A few hours later we arrived in a very hot Agra. Riding through the city we saw how dirty Agra was, garbage, cows, monkeys and dogs everywhere we looked. Our hotel was situated outside the center and near a major road leading to the Taj Mahal. From the rooftop of the hotel I had my first view on this majestic complex.

We unpacked our things and after a quick rest and freshup we visited the Agra Fort. For these two days in Agra we had a guide and bus with driver, very classy. Agra Fort was similar to the Red Fort in Delhi, but with a guide explaining all the stories about the emperor, his wives and the buildings and structures it came more alive then when you were walking around by yourself. From the Fort, situated on the banks of the holy river Yamuna, we could see the Taj Mahal, which we would visit the next morning.

After visiting the Fort we went back to the hotel for a lunch, which took ages, because the restaurant employees looked like they were trained to do only one thing at the time and for every task another employee was needed. All of this was watched by a fat Indian chief, sitting behind his desk. Finally we had finished the meal and had to agree that the food was really good.

Most of the group retired to their rooms. The guide took the rest of us on a tour around Agra and we visited the Itmad-ud-Daula's Tomb, better known under the touristy name of Baby Taj. From the banks of the river Yamuna we got another glimpse of the Taj Mahal. After a few hours the guide did not feel like any more sightseeing so we went back to the hotel.

I did not want to sit in my hotel room for the rest of the afternoon so I decided to walk to the Taj Mahal, a three kilometer walk from our hotel. I passed a lot of souvenirs shops and little restaurants. Buses, cars and horse carriages filled with tourists were driving up and down the long road. The Taj Mahal was enclosed within huge red walls, so I could not see anything of the mausoleum. After a bit more walking around I headed back to the hotel.

To beat the many tourists and the heat we got up early again. No breakfast, but straight to the Taj Mahal with our bus and guide. With the first light we entered the Taj Mahal complex. What an amazing place. Of course I had seen already lots of pictures, but to see it in real is so much better. The guide told numerous stories, but they were lost on me as I wandered around on my own, enjoying the atmosphere of the place. So on my third visit to India I had finally seen the Taj Mahal. On the way back to the bus I gave a holy man some money after first taking a picture of him. All of a sudden he started to wave my money through the air, in the mean time shouting words I could not understand. I still do not know if I was being blessed or cursed for my gift. Oh well, time will tell.

After breakfast the guide took us to some souvenir shops where we were explained how the marble tables and other objects were made. Quite interesting though and some really nice objects like tables, elephants, chess boards and other touristy things were on display in the shop. The other shop had jewelry, carpets, clothes and musical instruments for sale, but I was not interested.

In the afternoon we had to persuade the driver to bring a few of us to the deserted city of Fatehpur Sikri, an hour's drive from Agra. The guide had already dismissed himself. He obviously had no more plans of guiding us around and that happens when people get paid in advance.

The ride through the country side was nice and the visit to Fatehpur Sikri with a local guide was also worthwile. The buildings were made of the same red stone as the forts in Agra and Delhi. Unfortunately we did not have enough time to visit the whole place. We had to be back in time for dinner and for the train back to Delhi for our last and short night in India.

Alas, all good things come to an end and after an early rise, yes again, we drove through a dark and quiet Delhi to the airport where we boarded a Lufthansa airbus, a very luxurious plane with toilets downstairs, never seen that before. Eight hours later we landed in Frankfurt, Germany, where we said goodbye to the Belgium gang. We continued our flight to Amsterdam and just before rush hour we were back in rainy and grey Holland. At the airport we had a farewell drink and said goodbye to each other. Robert and Gerda dropped me off in Burgerveen and I was back home.

It was a really nice holiday with lots of nice adventures, sightseeings, very high mountains, a nice bunch of motorriders and a good crew. Thanks everyone and India: I'll be back!

Here are two blogs (in Dutch) by Robert and Luc about our holiday: Robert's Motorwereld and Himalaya 2012.

Places visited in India, go to the roadmap for the route from Dehradun through the Himalayas to Leh.