The Cloudburst

During our 7 hr overlay in Mumbai we watched in the neon-lit departures lounge, pictures of flooded Ladakh breaking the news. It was all in Hindi, but there was no mistaking that it was where we were heading too.  Some hindi-speaking passengers confirmed that indeed it was Ladakh and that a massive cloudburst lasting less than 20minutes had sent torrents of mud and boulders down the mountains flattening everything in their path. More than 150 dead and another 500 reported missing.  A sobering start, that in fact I shouldnt have been too surprised about, considering how close the area borders to Pakistan that has also been suffering an onslaught of weird out of the norm weather. To tired and sad to consider more than getting to Dehli, we camped out in the waiting lounge and tried to get some sleep.

Newspapers with headlines of a massive cloudburst in Ladakh awaited our arrival in India: this high altitude cold desert had been for the first time in living memory ravaged by massive mudslides and rainfall of such intensity.

We arrived in Mumbai after midnight - sleep was on our agenda considering we were only going to leave for Delhi at 7am. Glad for our red SAA travel socks and eye-covers, the airport lounge provided us with our 'beds'.

Glad to have all of our bikes arrive safetly and in tack.

Nothing like a Southern Indian speciality, the Masala dosa (R5 -R10) to keep us going for the rest of the day and brave the Dehli onslaught.

...and of couse a cup of boiling sweet cardamon infused chai for a mere 5 roops (less than R1)

Delhi by day: exploring the bussling Chandi Chowk and finishing at the Jama Masjid, the largest mosque in India and then the Red Fort meant that we could leave, saying 'we had seen Delhi'

Kite flying as dusk over the Jama Masjid (both kites can be seen!)

 

 

 

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