Day 2 : Ludhiana - Amritsar - Jammu

Day 2 : Events (Aug 16)

• Started from Ludhiana by around 9 am
• Got into Amritsar to visit Golden Temple and touch up on Wagah Border
• Got boiled up with traffic and heat while reaching Golden Temple
• Visited Golden temple in 2 batches (each batch would guard the bikes and luggage in turn) and started the journey again at around 3-4pm (skipped Wagah border visit)
• Reached Pathankot and enquired about the direct road to Udhampur
• Changed plan, and instead of Udhampur, started towards Jammu city which was 70 km away
• Rode through mountains to reach Jammu.
• Took a right turn from Jammu chowk toward Srinagar
• Then followed a guy through twists and turns to reach an area with few budget hotels
• Found one for 1200 per room.
• Had good food (chicken, jeera rice, egg curry, and roti)
• Me, Naren, and Murali shared a room.

Route:

Ludhiana - Jalandhar - Amritsar - Pathankot - Jammu

Road condition:

Till Pathankot, it's again Punjab highways, so I maintained a good speed. From Jalandhar to Amritsar is a single-lane high traffic, high-risk overtaking route. So had to be alert and careful all the time. Just before reaching Pathankot, the highway gets narrow briefly and the number of trucks increases causing slow-moving traffic and occasional jams. Again after Pathankot, roads are decent till Jammu. So not many problems there.

Climate/Weather:

Punjab was hot and humid, but good cruising speeds on highways, more than compensates for the same. As one crosses Pathankot, the cold breeze can be felt and the surroundings get cooler (than Punjab).

Fuel Stops:

Ludhiana : 

Rs 740 / 72.00 pl = 10.3 Ltrs

Filled at a bunk while leaving Ludhiana.

Entrance to Lovely University, near Jalandhar

Pointers on the way guiding towards Amritsar.

Murali rolled past my parked bike.

MG waves off as he overtakes.

Sameer stops to pose for a shot.

Kept the shoes in counter# 7, which had less crowd

After bearing through the hot and humid weather in Punjab since our arrival, I just loved standing in the cold water spots before the stairs.

We were parted with few members amid the chaotic traffic and bad roads.

It was a refreshing site for me and provided a good breather for Pegasus too.

Getting my mobile charger wiring fixed in Punjab. The crowd around gathered out of curiosity to meet us and see the bikes.

There was a narrow road and a trail of trucks, just before reaching Pathankot.

The first sight of mountains after riding for 500 km.

Punjab to Jammu route that we took.

Night Halt:

Place                : Jammu-Srinagar Highway

Accommodation : Some hotel

Cost per room    : Rs 1200

Room Capacity   : 2 + 1 additional mattress

Other Details     :

- Bikes parked at the entrance of the hotel with the guard keeping an eye

- Food (dinner/breakfast) charges were separate

- Food quality and taste were great, but expensive

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Day 1 : Ghaziabad - Delhi - Ludhiana

DAY 1 : Events (Aug 15)

• Slept well and got up at 6:30 am and started packing my saddle bags
• Realized my helmet padding is missing, must have left it at home in Bangalore
• Once packing was done, went downstairs (10-12 floors) to unwrap the bike
• Unwrapped the layers of bubble wrap, tapes, and carton sheets, amidst the truckload of dust settled on the bike
• Found some damage to the tank, the fog lamp, etc, took pictures of the same to share with GATI
• Took the bikes to bunk, filled enough for Delhi
• Couldn't find a decent helmet shop in Ghaziabad to source padding for my LS2, so finally bought a half helmet for 400 bucks and continued riding.
• Filled the fuel tank till the brim (literally) as petrol was cheaper in Delhi, and continued towards Jalandhar, the planned location for night halt
• Reached Ludhiana by late at night (9 pm) and decided to call it a day, as Jalandhar was still 60kms and many people were struggling to ride at night
• A few Punjabi youth insisted us to experience stay at a nearby Gurdwara instead of a hotel and I kind of liked the idea
• So stayed in Gurdwara for the night, with bikes safely parked inside the premises

Route:

New Delhi - Sonepat - Panipat - Karnal - Patiala - Ludhiana

Road condition:

Punjab's 90% (or more) highways are in really good condition. I maintained 80kph on average, except for the part when I crossed busy cities on the way, but that was for short periods.

Climate/Weather:

Extremely hot and humid. Make sure the riding jackets and helmet has ventilation. The good part is, as the roads are good, once I started riding, the wind kept me cool all through.

Fuel Stops:

Ghaziabad : 

Rs 200 /  = 2 Ltrs

Delhi:

Rs 1400 / 70.13 pl = 19 Ltrs (Full Tank)

Good Morning Ghaziabad :)

A leisurely halt on the way to Ludhiana.

Coconut water - The best, most healthy, and safe refreshment while riding in hotter Indian states.

A beautiful view of the fields, where children were working and playing.

Taking a break on the side of the highway.

Rode all the way to Ludhiana and reached it by night.

Travel route for this day.

Night Halt:

Place                  : Ludhiana

Accommodation: Gurudwara next to the highway to Jalandhar

Cost per room    : Rs 200 (just a cover charge)

Room Capacity  : 6 people with luggage

Other Details      :

- One has to wear something on the head (bandanna/handkerchief/buff) while entering the premises

- Strictly no alcohol/cigarettes in possession

- Rooms are neat and tidy with attached bathroom

- Peaceful environment

- Breakfast is served in the morning as part of Gurudwara rituals

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