Big Brother

Left for Leh from Kargil early the next day. The scenery was sublime and continously evolving and devolving into different states. Featureless dirt mountains in a vast desertscape, with a tiny black serpentine road. Expansive flat valleys with straight roads like Route 66. Then huge rock outcrops and cliff faces and snow in the distant mountains with sands blowing over the road, and lone monestaries perched on top of rocks or mountains with prayer flags flapping in the wind, and prayer wheels turning in the dusty heat. Occasonally we'd ride along the mighty Indus river - and there was no shade, and so quiet. We could only hear the engine, and my keyring knocking the handlebars.

It felt like we were the only people on the road. We covered two mountain passes. We couldn't stop taking pictures, until the memory card filled up.

I much prefer stark and remote scenery over lush forests. Such beauty. Thoughts freewheel and I'd think of completely disjointed and unconnected events - nothing leading one thought into the next. Memories from childhood, university, London, Africa, Big Brother all over the place. (Ok, Big Brother was because I saw a sheep. And the girl in Big Brother had a flock of sheep. So in this barren landscape I asked Sarita who won Big Brother.)

Arrived in Leh. Bike needs fixing - it misses too many beats. Sarita is mysteriously ill - stomach cramps and headaches. It's not altitude sickness.