A new different day and well we are now locals with almost three days of being in here in Leh, you would really develop contempt, that’s human nature but you don’t change your dress though its still cold and its still the same altitude and precaution is better than cure.
The car has arrived and the driver is already there and we are close to making the first road trip in the plains of Leh. The mountains are beckoning us as we see from the windows, looks like there will be enough challenges that would make the project interesting. What would life be without challenges and it would be mere pushovers for us if it was that easy.
And for those who dare life it doesn’t come easy, it’s exactly the premise that life holds forth so many challenges that we are deservedly there to meet it, otherwise we would not face any.
The car had arrived and we had some issues in getting them on ground. Case of too much of Red Bull and it developed wings.
In peace time they say the armed forces are the best to help the civilians and here too the armed forces lent help to unload some of the things from the truck. Sometimes we get reminded that we are on that altitude and getting things at hands reach is not easy. So the trucks made their way to the Air Force base to get things sorted out.
It was nice to see them get the equipment on ground for us to take flight. Neel in the meantime was looking at the car he was going to drive. He has driven this car earlier to attest to the fact that ‘this was also my car.’
It took us almost a few hours to get settled with the equipments and more so with the car. Now everything is down here and the team RBR is full on with energy and enthusiasm as they put things together.
Even as the car was being readied word had spread that an F1 car was here in town. We had a regular stream of visitors both young and old. Some kids too had come in with parents to escort them. Lucky kids I should say, where on earth you would get access to touch a machine so revered by fans across the world. An F1 car – in all its glory. The kids had a gala time even got to press the machine on the hydraulic jack to get the car to the ground.
Team RBR gifted them with some nice caps and the kids were happy… beyond words. The accompanying parents too were happy.
As work was getting long into the night, we were eagerly awaiting the car to be fired. Something was seemingly amiss and the team went into overdrive to fix it up and then finally the engine roared to life searing through the silent valley. It was finally P1 as the team puts it!
There is an early and a long day tomorrow every body said this to everyone. And it proved to be true far beyond our imagination.
R Senthilkumar