Jalandhar - Roper - 115 km
The road to Roper was flat and smooth, making for a pleasant ride.
However, the hot and humid weather made it feel like I breathed pure
water vapour. Ernest was battling both the wine flu and a broken
wheel rim, making it fortunate that the ride wasn’t too strenuous.
Despite his attempts to fix the rim, the damage was too severe.
Nevertheless, we managed to make it to Roper, where we found a
hostel that, although it had seen better days, provided affordable
accommodation.
Roper - Chandigarh - 25 km (& 20 km by truck)
For breakfast, we stopped at a street vendor about 10 kilometres
from Roper where we had dhal and chapatti with a small salad.
However, a few kilometres later, Ernest, again, had a flat tyre,
assumed due to the broken rim. Unfortunately, the same thing
happened again a little further down the road. Fortunately, a kind
Samaritan offered Ernest and his wheel a ride on his scooter to the
previous town, though no solution could be found. So, he waved
down a truck which took us 20 kilometres to Chandigarh. The driver
dropped us off at a hotel and pointed Ernest toward a bike shop that
sold suitable rims. We were deeply touched by his kindness and felt
truly welcomed in India.
While Ernest was busy fixing his bike, I took the opportunity to buy a
SIM card and some essential items. Meanwhile, Ernest befriended
locals at the tavern and indulged a bit too much, ending the day
thoroughly plastered.