This Weekend

The bike has been resting pretty much for the last couple of weeks. Weather, work and road trip being the attributable reasons. For the last two weekends it has been plan and drop, so this weekend had to be a GO no matter the weather.

We hit Barog tourism our favourite spot for the current weather; about an hours ride and palpable change in temperature. So this post is not about the ride per se, but alarming sights that none of us have seen on this route. "The Pinewood Barog" is a place where riders come on weekends and so do family's for a day out. This time, the place had rooms packed to its occupancy and finding a place to park was a fight. Given that its a HP Tourism joint, it goes without saying the room conditions and the tariff charged; yet it was full. Back in November last year we did a ride to Palampur and the place we stayed, which charged us 4.5k a night, is today charging almost 13k a night ! Three times the tariff !! Logically it seemed, people would be opting for HP Tourism.

On the way back, almost every turn with minimum layby had a couple of cars stopped - being catered by newly sprung Maggi/snack joints. People were just standing there, enjoying the view, the weather. Have been riding this route regularly for almost 11 years, but have never seen anything on this scale.

So what is it, that has changed ? Its not that suddenly the population has exploded, or there has been an abrupt spurt in car sales - nothing like that. To my mind, what has changed is that people have stopped postponing. People have stopped assuming. The word uphill, which everyone has in back of their heads sitting in Shivalik foothills, is no longer being assumed. Thats my guess. With Covid cutting off access to mountains with every other wave; it has never happened in all years of my existence that I cant go uphill at my whim and fancy. So rather than postponing, everyone is like do it now while you can, you just don't know what tomorrow holds, or even if one would be around to do what they wished to.

While the whole change is welcoming in a positive way, I couldn't help but feel the tinge that everyone's in a rush; in a rush for the end is near.

Good Day

PS:    Would never forget two aunty's with their son. Sitting in their own camp chairs; son sitting afar reading his book, getting them a beer every now and then. It brought a smile; some people are doing it right !