In two weeks time, the start of my 2 weeks leave will begin. Work is getting very hectic, with lots of things to do, and lots for things forgotten. It happens when you’ve got so many things to keep track of, and is something which I’m not used to doing. I’m traditionally more inclined towards designing, but it’s quite like a mini project management for me.

Still, my time here is also up, and I’ve heard that there has already been some searching for someone to take up my place. I know well enough how things work here, so it remains to be seen if that person will appear, or some other excuse crops up.

I’ve already had my 2 weeks leave approved, so I’m now starting to consider my options for my short 2 weeks break. It’s a mad rush, and I’m not exactly prepared for a trip proper. With a company laptop and some business like shirts, it’s not exactly the kind of things I bring on a trip.

My original plan was to make a trip to Ladakh, in the Jammu & Kashmir region. There’s some turmoil going on there, so I’m not sure if it’s a good idea. Leh, in Ladakh is supposed to be safe, and the unrest is mainly in Srinagar. The initial plan was to fly into and out of Leh. Then I decided to trim the costs a little, and thus changed it to a land route into Leh from Delhi via Shimla and Manali. In Manali, I can probably do some mountain biking or trekking or something exciting for a change.

All that was last week.

Lately, I’ve been researching on something new; not totally but is quite a deviation from the usual. I’m still looking at catching the bus from Delhi to Shimla and Manali. From Manali, I’m now looking at renting a 2 wheeler and then getting myself to Leh. It’ll be something like a 4 day motorbike adventure, which is exciting in itself. Problem is, even though I’ll be riding up the world’s second highest motorable pass, it’ll be my very first motorbike tour of such a scale. Worse still, I’m quite ill prepared for a trip such as this, since I didn’t expect myself to deviate from the plan to such an extent.

I lack a helmet, proper gloves and a jacket. I can probably use my trekking jacket, but it’s not suited for the roughness of a bike trip; a fall would definitely rip it apart. It’s also not easy to find out about organised tours between Manali to Leh, and I guess my best bet would be to hunt around once I get there. I’ll most likely be catching a flight back to Delhi anyway, so I have about two weeks for the entire adventure. Cost is also a minor consideration as I have brought along with me only a few hundred dollars worth.

The bike tour from Manali to Leh is a big draw, but the lack of experience and equipment is making me thing again. I definitely will not do this trip alone, so an organised tour will have to do. I also have a rather big backpack; securing it to the bike will be tricky. My options are not many.

Last alternative would be to head into Leh the normal way, by bus and then rent the motorbike for tours to the attractions around. That will probably be a workable option too. At least a chance for me to gain some experience, and maybe plan for a proper motorbike adventure in the future!