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Travelogues Himalayan Winter Sojourn
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Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.
~ John Lennon Life. A perpetual maze of tunnels and roadblocks conveniently placed for us to get lost. Wherever we go, we seem to hit a dead-end or, if we are lucky, end up right where we started. A life full of confusion and commitment. Mostly, we simply fulfill our elementary goals of food, family and money. We limit ourselves by playing it safe, imposing boundaries and rules, sitting at our desks, punching keys for a living, whether we are clerks or CEO’s. Life resembles a coke bottle; you cannot differentiate one from the other. No identity. No adventure. No fun. Often, it’s the successful people who seek adventure. For them, the sky is not the limit; it’s merely a doorway to the mesmerizing realm of outer space. They are fascinated by the unknown and at the first available opportunity, pack their bags to fulfill a curiosity. For them, Mother Nature is not a mere source of beauty; but also a source of inspiration. They see truth in the mighty mountains which remain unmoved, impervious to rain, wind, sun and snow. In the ocean waves, they see the fighting spirit of the warrior intent on encroaching on the landmass. They hear the waves say, be sure the tide will turn, Travelling they seek and fulfil a purpose, a higher meaning beyond the humdrum, mundane existence of living. |
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 Editor: Romola Butalia (c) India Travelogue. All rights reserved. | |||||||||
One unavoidable by-product of travelling is the company of fellow travellers, which only ensures a larger group of friends. You rarely lose a friend on vacation, unless of-course, you push him down a cliff. During holidays, there is a joy of being, a bonhomie, a camaraderie, which makes you smile at strangers, laugh at the faintest hint of a joke.
The first day of our trekking expedition was dubbed ‘Acclimatization and Orientation’. Folks who had managed to finally sleep off from sheer fatigue in that biting cold were woken up at 5:30 and offered tea. Everybody cursed. Our rucksacks were filled with blankets to make it heavy, so that we get ‘used to’ carrying weights while trekking. Our destination was the Samadhi of Ajit Singh, uncle of Shaheed Bhagat Singh. It was the ice-breaker that allowed the various groups to meet and mix. Predictably, the girls started with their antakshari!! Of course, they were soon abandoned by the guys who set off to explore the place and take snaps. Just when we reached the samadhi, it got dark. All the locals rushed for cover. A swarm of white particles completely engulfed us. It took us a while to realise we were experiencing our first snowfall. Hurrah! Hurrah!! Hurrah!!! We were children again. Dancing on the streets. Not a care in the world.
The third day of the trek was indeed THE best. The trek was from Kalatop to Khajjiar spanning 19 kms. 12 of those 19 kms were through a dense jungle. Even the Sun could not filter through the dense foliage to touch the Earth. The sight of those towering trees; the sound of the birds chirping; the wind aimlessly brushing aside shrubs; the smell of the moist earth: it was an awesome experience. Mother Nature at its best in the forests that keep this planet in perfect balance. The forests have taken us from our Neanderthal forefathers to the cradle of our modern civilization. And now, mankind is hell-bent on destroying it.