5th August 2010 16:03:  Kangla Jal, Himachal Pradesh

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My feet are wedged tight between rocks, and the surging water threatens to tip the motorcycle over. When leaning into the direction of the flow, only the tank and the handlebar remain exposed. Deafening thunder echoes through the canyon and I remember thinking that this was an almost impossible occurrence for this time of the year. Or anytime of the year, really – I’m in the high-altitude Himalayan Desert.

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In moments of undue stress, sometimes better sense prevails: do not thumb the starter; hold on and make sure the motorcycle does not go over the edge. I step off and put my arms around the tailpiece and hold the rear wheel. It helped that hold-on-tight help, in the form of Anand, was a few minutes away.....