Travel Log to Khardungla: There's nothing to breathe up there at 18340 feet

Trip snaps are available at http://picasaweb.google.com/umashankar.nv

DOES GOD HAVE AN ADDRESS? DOES HE STAY IN A TEMPLE, A MOSQUE, A CHURCH, A SYNAGOGUE? CAN HE BE FOUND IN A PRAYER, IN AN AZAAN, IN THE CHANTS, ON A GHAAT?
THE WISE HAVE TRAVELLED AND FOUND HIM IN THEIR HEARTS.

It’s said that India is every traveler’s dream come true. India has everything which a world tour can offer. After exploring some parts of the beautiful southern India, magnificent west India. I headed for the extreme north, Leh, This was rather a dream come true for me. One pleasant evening in Bangalore Feb 2007, I was browsing through the adventure snaps of two guys who made it to the highest motorable road, Khardungla. Since then I was getting restless to do this myself.

When I moved to Mumbai in OCT 2007, there came my opportunity on 28th June 2008, with a group of bikers and a common goal. Needed one month's preparation to get things in order for the trip. Once that was through, we were all set.

Day 1: Mumbai to Delhi



Initially I was planning to ride all the way from Mumbai to Delhi, but due to a last minute assignment at work I had to desert that plan and go by train. So I set out to Delhi in a train. Booked my bike from Mumbai to Delhi the previous day. All through the journey to Delhi I was so excited to go through the maps, plans, stays, do's and dont's. Reached Delhi on a hot summer afternoon. Picked my bike from the station and stopped over at a friend's place to refresh and rest. Made sure that my bike is in working condition. One night rest.

Day 2: Shopping & Rest at Delhi

Had to do some last minute shopping for the trip. No matter how prepared you are, for one or more reasons the excitement gets the better off you. Shock No. 1, just a day before I started from Mumbai, realized that my camera has died on me. Murphy's Law. "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong, and at the worst possible time, in the worst possible way. So I decided I will not let Murphy's Law bog me down. So I straight headed to Gurgoan on my bike to get by Canon fixed no matter what. Thanks to the fantastic support by Canon I received my camera all up and running by 16:00 Hrs. Now this is it I realized that is it. I am all set. So reached back to the place where we all were supposed to meet.

Shock No. 2. Some of my friends coming all the way riding from Mumbai were running behind schedule. So they will take a day more to rest and then start. The lead biker was still not back from US, by the way forgot to tell you the lead biker was suppose to join from US yes USA, he had gone there for a small project. So I was a deadbeat, all my excitement to start biking for that day was short-lived. So I sat thinking, should I venture to Shimla and meet the fellas in Manali. And the feeling got stronger and stronger by minute. At 23:45 hrs, I picked up my bags, loaded them on the bike. I just started my bike, when the lead biker landed right there, So we exchanged hugs and he wished me a safe and happy journey.

DAY 3 - 00:00 HRS - Delhi – Chandigarh - Shimla

So what if Midnights are not be the best time to ride, but believe me the bike doesn't mind it at all. Infact, the engine loves it. So did I. So fueled by bike and started towards Chandigarh. It was the feelings of a Vagabond; the sleepless ride was worth it, enjoying the pleasant breeze, light music and dhabas on the sides of the highway. Planned for an hourly break and by the time I reached Chandigarh it was 5:30.

Shock No. 3. I just realized that I lost my cellphone. 6 AM, no internet, no email and no contact list, so was in a fix. Suddenly realized that my passenger in the train had exchanged his visiting card, See how funny things work. So called him and apologized for disturbing him early morning, and yes he had internet. Got one of the biker contacts. Also called home and informed that I would not be reachable for a day or two. By this time my body was craving for rest. Checked into a hotel, freshened up ate couple of paronta's and off I went to sleep.

Got up at 11:00, first things first, needed to buy a phone and get my number back up and running. So got the job done by 16:00 hrs. Roamed around Chandigarh and Mohali. This is a place worth settling down. The city is so organized and clean. Chandigarh crowd and their sense for fashion are worth the mention here. I was in two minds whether to ride to Manali or Shimla. Today didn't want to do a night ride as the roads on the way are narrow. So chose the later. CHD to Shimla (120km) is easily the most pleasant weekend getaways and the ride was great. Stopped over at several places to put my photography to good use. Had enough variety of juices to keep my engine going.

Yes, finally my number was active by 18:00 Hrs, Reached Shimla by 18:30 Hrs, gave my bike for service and was exploring the places around to see if I can click a CANON moment..... Finally done with the service checked into the hotel. For a change, i was treated like a celebrity, the way I dressed and camera around, for a while the hotel staff thought I am from the Discovery/ Travel and living channel. Finally came out to explore places around Shimla. This was the longest conscious day of the trip, next day's ride is a long one so retired to bed.

DAY 3 : Shimla to Manali

Got up at 9 AM. Got ready and took a ride around Shimla. Shimla was busy; the roads were bustling with kids to schools and men to work. 11:30 started my onward ride to Manali. Sometimes I wonder how much nature has to offer to the mankind if we let the nature around us its space. The entire Himachal Pradesh is probably a testimony to that fact.

Took a lunch break at a Punjabi Dhaba, 154kms more to go. The paronta's, Dal and curd was filling and setting the tone for the good things to come. Most of this ride is right parallel to the river BEAS. The water levels during summers are high, good for adventure water sports, but no where compared to Hrishikesh.

Stopped over at a place where I could park my bike across the banks of the river BEAS. The water felt like a refreshing break. Reached Manali by 19:00 Hrs. Checked into the hotel. This time with a discount. Remember the Shimla hotel owner, he offered me a reference. The hotel was plush with Apple orchids, flora and ofcourse the apples. So here I am again in Manali, but for a change during summers. Now I had to park myself here for other guys to join me. One group reached half way from Chandigarh to Manali, Some still stuck behind Chandigarh due to some technical snag in one of the bikes. Touch wood, no problems with my bike yet. I met one of the groups and we roamed around the Manali market to buy some warm clothes and leather gloves. The trip has just started now. Had a wholesome meal and retired to sleep.

DAY 4: Manali - Rotang Pass.

We were still waiting for all the guys to assemble at Manali. I decided to take a pleasure trip to Rotang pass. It’s about 52 kms from Manali towards Leh. It’s about 4000mts above the sea level and generally is covered with snow during winters and very pleasant during summers with abundance of flora & limited fauna. Time 11:00AM. I thought I should be back in 3-4 hrs and try my hands at river rafting. The ride was just out of this world experience, in all the right senses except the roads; it took me 2 hrs one way. Roamed around the places. The crowd was enjoying the horse rides to the mountain peaks and I was just capturing every moment in my heart and some on camera. I was starting to feel dizzy by now; the weather was getting to me. Hence decided to lose altitude, started back and on my way stopped at a DHABA which was in the mid of the river. The star hotels which serve guests on rooftop middle of pool are no match, just to remind, I was 4000M above the sea level.
I was back by 18:00 hrs. So the ride took me approximately 5 hours to and fro. Got my bike washed and serviced. Met up with friends back in Manali and gave feedback on the horrible roads. Had to back my photos onto a USB drive before I am hit by Murphy's Law once more. Finally all the bikers arrived that night by 21:00. We decided to park tents by the BEAS, river side and the idea was fabulous. The food, the limited lighting, the gushing river and the night was and will be eternal.

PART II



Why I didn’t regret river rafting with the guys that evening.
When did I turn into an accountant
The deserted roads, springs & mountains.
The cold feet
Nature’s calling where are you
When does one truly start giving up and give into God & Destiny.

First let me start by thanking you all for the great feedback and motivation to proceed to the Part-II.



Day 5: Manali – Rotang Pass – Koksar

Finally the day had arrived; before checking out of the hotel I just took some snaps of the beautiful garden, flowers and the apple orchids. Plucked & ate couple of fresh apples too. All of us got together after having a filling breakfast. Made few groups and started towards Rotang pass. Time 11:00 AM. It’s a known fact that in these valleys you have to start early, I mean as early as 7 AM and never do a night ride unless you are in a group, weather could get extreme and god forbid if your bike is down, you had it. We were running 4 hrs late. Our plans were to reach Keylong and rest. Today the weather was against us, yesterday when I took a pleasure ride, the valley & roads were clear as far my CANON 12x optical zoom could catch. Today it was foggy and visibility was down to 1-2 Meters. Now you know the reason why I do not regret river rafting. Let’s do it at Hrishikesh / Sikkim.

From here on you see some funny & sensible Road signs, hail BRO (Border Roads Organization). The first one that got my attention, Road Sign No.1. “IT IS NOT A RUNWAY. IT IS JUST A HILLWAY.

ROAD SIGN No. 2. “HORN IS TO HONK PLEASE DO IT ON MY CURVES”. No point putting every road sign in here, I would just highlight the ones which are a stand out.

The ride was tough, there was a major landslide on the way and the four wheelers completely came to a stand still. The road was just enough to ride one bike through. The BRO was on the job to clear the mess. We were riding through rivers flowing onto roads 1-2 feet deep. No matter how many times BRO builds the roads, the landslides and the river water weathers all their efforts and this process is virtually never ending, hats off to their efforts. This is the way to keep catching up with nature. The ride to Rotang Pass that day took around 3 ½ to 4 hrs.

Stopped at Rotang Pass for everyone to arrive, in the meanwhile we had some hot noodle soup and garam chai. Unlike the regular chai, this one is made out of Yak’s milk, so it was different and for a change I liked it. Here I turned into an accountant for the group. It’s not the nicest of the jobs to do on trip but someone had to, so why not me. Here is the place where the locals were selling Shilajit, conqueror of mountains and destroyer of weakness (youth of fountain which has close to 85+ minerals) and saffron at rock bottom prices, so got some for myself.
Clicked some more CANON moments….. Especially of three cute chubby kids who were looking fabulous in their winter suits. Finally all the bikers arrived and we waved good byes to the locals and moved on. Now this is a down hill, with heavy breeze blowing which can topple even a heavy truck if you mess with the nature’s gift, the gravity. I stopped several times on my way to capture some breathtaking valley, springs and mountains.
Once, I had stopped my bike at the right side of the road and the wind was heavy and the bike was slipping away in the sand leading me off the cliff, here the bike’s first gear helped, clicked snaps parking myself on the bike. It took me nearly 5 minutes to move my bike out of the sand and get going. Finally emerged a winner, fighting the Newton’s third law of reciprocal action.

Road Sign No.3. “IF YOU ARE MARRIED PLEASE DIVORCE SPEED”. Well you know what; I thought that was not for me.

I couldn’t see any biker friends around, may be they were racing away to glory, I was in no hurry I wanted to thoroughly enjoy and cherish every minute of the ride and capture everything in my photomemory and some on my CANON S2 IS. Since I was loosing altitude breathing was getting better and better. Finally reached a place where I could see two bikers relaxing, stopped the bike and the view was perfect. On my right was a gigantic mountain and on my left a thick effervescent spring of water flowing down. This place is Koksar. We had to stop here because one of the biker’s had a flat tyre. It was 19:00 hrs. So we decided to rest for the day. This place had one deserted Dhaba and the owner was kind enough to let us park our tents next to the Dhaba. Most of the bikers were requesting to use the owner’s cellphone (BSNL Connection, the only connection which works there). The owner was paid a premium for letting us use his phone; I also got my opportunity, called home & informed parents about my whereabouts and not to expect calls for another three days. The location for the night was perfect and the Dhaba owner cooked great food for us. One of biker’s in the group was a doctor- A physician, so he was the complaint register for most of us, took a Diamox, an anti mountain sickness pill as a precaution and as recommended by him. It pays off to have a doctor on such a trip, but not a must.
Overnight lots of truckers on their way were stopping at the DHABA to have food. I was craving for rest, I was not carrying a tent, so me and one of my friends were camped inside the Dhaba, and the owner was kind to oblige. That night’s conscious sleep didn’t seem to end; finally at around 2AM the Dhaba was shut from inside and was at peace, off I went to deep sleep.


DAY 6: Koksar – Sarchu – 150 kms

6:30 AM. Got up and quickly got ready for the long ride ahead, wish we could rest for some more time. Had a paronta and thanked the owner for offering great hospitality and in return we contributed a 10 buck tip per head. Thinking of tipping, one must feel that one has to tip, not out of force or just because you walked into one of the jazzy restaurants, its not tipping that matters but the genuineness. You must watch “Reservoir Dogs” for a funny starting scene on tipping.

8 AM started the ride. This ride was actually off road with loads of dust, gravel and few trucks passing by making breathing even more difficult. Finally all assembled at Tandi which is 9 kms before Keylong, where we had a chance to refuel; we will not have any fuel station till the next 372 kms, 30 kms before Leh. Considering the roads, I did not expect a mileage of more than 20 KM/ Ltr on a Pulsar 150cc DTSi. There are places where you cannot ride above 3-5 KMPH on the first gear. I was carrying 5 ltrs of spare fuel just in case the Murphy’s Law comes haunting, however I did not use the spare fuel till I reached Leh. Bought a few Dairy milk chocolates to fight mountain sickness through the ride.

150 kms on these roads is actually a day’s ride, I mean 10-11 hrs. Reason No. 1. The roads are not motorable. 2. Several places where you would like to stop and click snaps of the great landscapes, bridges, and river, virtually everything. 3. The rising and dropping altitude is not so great for the body, so you need rest at regular intervals.

Road Sign No. 4. Tricks of survival on Hill Roads. Start Early. Drive Slowly. Reach Safely.

One of the biker’s carrier broke and had to get it welded so most of the bikers stopped at KEYLONG. I was in no mood to stop as I knew they would catch up with me faster. From here on the ride was getting a little scary with deep gorges and off roads. The next 30 min ride was taking me to altitudes where I could actually look back at most of my ride that day. I couldn’t trace a single biker on his way up. I decided to move ahead and wait for them at a place where I can rest.

It takes some time to really appreciate the towering stature of Himalayas among the world's mountains -more than top 100 of world's highest peaks are located here, in fact the highest peak outside this region is Mt. Aconcagua in Andes in South America, which at 22,841 ft it's still 1000 ft shorter than the 100th ranking Himalayan peak (and Everest is 29,000 Ft.!).

Finally found a deserted makeshift Dhaba at DEEPAK TAAL, A tiny deep blue sweet water pond at an altitude of 12,500 feet by the side, decided for a butt break. The pond had a small paddle boat, trust me I had no oxygen left in me to paddle the boat across, so gave the idea a skip. At such altitudes any physical activity can be as tiring as one can imagine.

Gained an altitude of 2500 feet from where I started. Had a hot noodle soup and tea. At these altitudes, the water boils at such low temperatures that it makes cooking really difficult, so most of what I ate I knew is half cooked. Clock was ticking fast, its been almost 2 hrs now I have been off to conscious sleep, opened my eyes, found a biker coming my way, and waved hand at him. Finally when he stopped, realized he is firangi, he is William from Vienna. So we sat sipped few cups of tea, while we were having a conversation. Finally he decided to move on and I too was getting restless for the last 2½-3 hrs so I decided to ride with him, this was my longest wait for the group. It is not recommended to spend that much time in the open at these altitudes.

From here on the ride was getting better as roads were getting better. I and William stopped at several places to click some jaw-dropping shots. We found couple of more ponds Suraj Taal & Chandra Taal. There we were at the one the highest passes in the world, BARA-LACH-LA standing at 16500 ft. (BRO data). Interesting anecdote at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baralacha_la. It was truly the feeling of reaching heaven. The Moon and the Sun, bestowing blessings on me. Now I can say with much more conviction that I have seen and been to heaven. This season the mountains are half filled with snow. The sight was mesmerizing and nothing in this world seemed more important.

Stopped at Bharatpur. Shock N0. 4, my shoes were not cold resistant, the tape around it didn’t make things any better; I was a dead man by the time I reached Bharatpur, my feet and hands were numb. Took some pictures of the mountains around and rushed into the tent house, Dhaba. I wanted to take my shoes off and put on polythene over a new pair of woolen sock. For the first time I was counting the fingers on my feet, all ten in shape, no frostbite, but no sensation too. The cold was rapidly spreading all over my body. The owner of the Dhaba had thick blankets. I took as many as 4 of them and went under cover. Had a hot tea and biscuits. Things were no where getting better, infact even after all the blankets my body was not warming up. The owner rubbed my feet and hands. William arrived, he was fine. He just needed some rest, he ate his lunch and I was in trance still recovering from the teeth-rattling cold. I was feeling unconscious. I was just not letting my eye lids close. William wanted to leave the place by now, I was in no position to pick myself up and do the ride, so I thought I will wait for sometime. The wait was not worth it. I thought to myself, is this it, should I just wait for the next army truck to come and pick me and my bike and drop me to a safe place. I let that feeling sink completely. Got up put on my shoes went near the fireplace and warmed myself up for a good 15 minutes, I was feeling a little better. I realized to start my ride now so that I reach Sarchu by dusk. Thanked the Owner and asked him to keep my biker friends posted about my whereabouts.

The rest of the ride was very conscious one with every passing minute longing an hour. The road was really narrow and bad. Stopped ate some chocolate, put on some light music & clicked some scenic beauties around me, no matter what I just didn’t want to get carried away by the anything and not capture the beauty around. That’s why my ride lasted longer…and longer and so the restlessness. At one point I had come to a stop to plan my ride through the river, it was deep and I did not know if I can pull it off without my feet getting wet. Finally at the count of three I did make it on the first gear. I was thanking my stars. Had my feet got wet, I do not know how the rest of the story from here would have been. The roads were completely deserted but for a one off truck or a bus. The roads were getting better as I was approaching Sarchu, also known as “Vomit Hilton”. At about 14,200 feet altitude, Sarchu is more acclimatization than you may need. It is very cold here, with strong windy conditions giving even camp managers who reside there constant headaches. Sarchu is enclosed with gigantic mountains on both the sides of the road and the stretch doesn’t seem to end. Found some really cool ready to check-in tents. To my surprise this camp had western commode in each tent. That’s probably a little too much to expect. I was feeling much better at Sarchu, was back to my normal self. The ride took approximately 10-11 hrs.

19:00 Hrs. All the bikers parked at the same camp, before I and William checked in. A group of two were warming their feet in hot water; some were sipping several cups of hot tea. The Biker-Doctor was at work ensuring everyone gets enough attention. Some retired to sleep under the thick blankets. I was in no mood to rest, decided to capture as many unique shots as I can.

William and I were sharing a tent, so we had some great conversations before we got the first call for dinner, the dinner was pleasant and it felt like I was having a wholesome meal after a lifetime now. Dal, alu-gobi, chaval, roti, egg masala was on the menu. Had a very light dinner. Came back to our designated tent, the lights went off by 22:00 Hrs. So in the dark one had no choice, William managed with a head lamp to click some pictures of the serene sky & stars. It felt as if stars have descended on earth that night. Our conversations continued till 23:00 hrs, before there was a lasting silence. Suddenly in the mid of the night started feeling very very nauseating, got up realized the entire tent is smelling petrol and the tent canvas door was totally open with breeze blowing in making it difficult to breathe. This night’s rest was very important to me. William couldn’t sleep, as he woke up before me to open the cover of the tent so that the smell of petrol subsides. But it was not and that’s no rocket science at that altitude. I don’t know what time, but yes finally went to sleep.

DAY 7: Sarchu to Rumtse

Got up at around 7:30. Was having a very bad cold and all night’s breeze had made my lungs and head heavy. Finally got ready and checked the status of others around. Almost all of them were sick and or fast asleep, I checked with the lead biker about the plan, and he would need one more day’s rest. Most of the guys that day were planning to stay put in the tents for the entire day & night. I did not want to spend so much time at such altitude; secondly I was not well. I decided to make my move. I informed the guys that I would see them on their way.

9 AM I began riding, the light music made me feel better. I had a great mix of music just for this trip to suit all moods, soft, romantic, rock, metal, inspirational, spiritual, devotional…. I can go on. After riding for about 10 mins, began climbing the circuitous 21 hairpin bends known as GATA loops, which would eventually elevate me from valley floor to a height of 16,616 ft to the second pass LACHULUNGLA. On my way here I saw a short cut to bypass couple of kms, I tried riding the uphill full throttle, but to my SHOCK the bike was not upto it, I was sliding back and finally I had to leave the bike on the ground, waited to sum up all my energy to pick up the 138 kg monster not to forget the baggage added another 30-35kgs. To lift a bike and go back downhill slowly was quite a task at that altitude, where even walking couple of steps is like a sprint. Some learn the lessons the hard way so did I, there are no shortcuts to life. The roads were good and the pass was deserted except a small SHIVA temple, me and a cyclist, I only heard but this time I saw a firangi cycling on these peaks, no wonder travelers around the world go crazy when they land here. I could see some tents down there from the pass, so wanted to just reach there and rest for a while. The ride didn’t seem to end and was feeling dizzy again, how much more can my body take? I felt I was pushing myself too hard, I was running short of Oxygen and breathing was getting heavier by minute. The only way to get more oxygen is to keep drinking hot water at regular intervals, finally reached PANG; at 15640 Ft. this is world’s highest transit camp. Here I just crashed onto the chair, almost unconscious, didn’t want to get up at all, one of locals asked me to get into the army transit camp for immediate medical assistance. Rushed to the medical camp, got in, first things first the designated doctor asked me to drink 2-3 glasses of warm water. Gave me pills and asked me to rest on the bed. It was getting late so had to start, the doctor advised me to have water at regular intervals. There was a huge queue of callers at the camp; waited for my turn, called home and told parents that my next update will be after two days.


16:30 Hrs. The army guys recommended to take it easy for the day as my chances of reaching Rumtse before dusk were bleak. However, resting at such a high altitude without acclimatizing is inviting trouble. So decided to ride ahead, in terms of scenic beauty this was a breath taking ride. You will agree if you check out the snaps. But the ride was real tough; the music was the only company. This was truly the test of character for me now; I was getting desperate to see some landmark. I totally gave up on my senses and was at a point where I was truly helpless, I could neither ride as my body was aching and nor rest as there was not even a convenient place.

This was the toughest ride of my life considering all the conditions. I really was desperate to see a mortal soul. Not even a bird around. This was the truly the time where nothing was more important than just going back home. When all the energy and enthusiasm seem to die you give into GOD. I did just that. I was just praying that I reach Sarchu ASAP. I was chanting Mruthyunjaya Mantra most of the ride. It was as if some cosmic force was riding me through. Reached Tanglangla, world’s 2nd highest motorable pass at 17582 ft. This pass was deserted but for a BABA MANDIR (TEMPLE). From here on Rumtse is around 42 kms, was a downhill ride. The desperation and the helplessness finally ended when I saw some camps and people. I was at peace with myself finally. Got a place to stay which was more like home as Sarchu doesn’t have any rented camps. That night had a very light dinner and went to bed early as the body was battered and bruised and so was the mind.


DAY 8: Rumtse to Leh: 70kms

Got up at 9 AM. Went to the Army medical camp at Rumtse and was supplied some oxygen. That felt better. The rest of the ride was cool with no more altitudes to climb. In fact the ride was just about 70 kms, roads were awesome, stopped on my way at UPSHI for lunch, and had some Chinese for a change. My mobile phone signals were up by now. Reached Leh at around 14:30. Checked into the hotel and got my bike washed and serviced. Had a terrific hot shower after almost 3 days. The body was craving for rest. The final frontier was yet to be conquered; Khardungla 37 kms from Leh. Had a decent meal and crashed on the bed.

Needed to acclimatize here for a while as the body was still recovering. Today we were busy getting the paper work done for Khardungla. Had to also book my return flight Leh-Delhi-Mumbai. Another day’s rest.

DAY 9: Leh to Khardungla: 37Kms

Started early at about 8 AM, the final frontier is just 37 kms away and that road to me was a 3 hrs ride one-way. The ride was just out of the world experience, it felt like we were riding into the laps of the sky. You must take a look at the snaps to know what I am talking about. Every minute on this ride was worth it. Finally when we reached Khardungla it was like Mission Complete. How satisfied one feel’s when the desire, the dream turns to reality inspite of all odds. That’s exactly what I felt too. It was like conquering the mind, body and soul. All in SYNC. What a feeling it is, I guess I can’t put all of them in words.

Fighting hypoxia (inability to think clearly at such high altitudes) most of the trip was like a fight between the heart and body…finally I sign off my travel log for this trip which will last forever in my heart……. My next mission is virtually an impossible one… hope someday I will be upto it too… They say that the same state can be achieved from within without actually traveling; well that’s sainthood for me…. And I am no saint yet…..

DOES GOD HAVE AN ADDRESS? DOES HE STAY IN A TEMPLE, A MOSQUE, A CHURCH, A SYNAGOGUE? CAN HE BE FOUND IN A PRAYER, IN AN AZAAN, IN THE CHANTS, ON A GHAAT?
THE WISE HAVE TRAVELLED AND FOUND HIM IN THEIR HEARTS.

Until next adventure, Hasta la vista…adios. See you later