Why Do We Run to the Mountains?

Mountains on the Kuari Pass Trek, Uttrakhand

At the first opportunity, Sesha and I head to the mountains. And winters are no exception. Recently it was my husband's birthday and hesulks and cribs if taken through the restaurant and movie routine. However, as his birthday came squarely in the middle of the week there was no way we could travel. So, this time around it had to be the restaurant and movie routine or nothing. As soon as we entered one of numerous malls that have mushroomed in Gurgaon, he told me, "You know what? I never feel relaxed at this place." And by this place he meant malls in general. I had to agree with him. I think that is why we run to the hills, it is very different there, quiet, peaceful and relaxing.

One of these days, a colleague of mine was also joking, "Why do you have to walk all day to feel relaxed, I mean I need all the creature comforts to have a good vacation." I agree, on a trek creature comforts are actually missing but then that is the only time I when I try to think about things that are of earth shattering importance to me :) With a big flat rock and miles of serenity I manage to think better, in fact that is the only time I manage to think and gain some perspective :) That is another reason why I long for treks and mountains.

And this is part nostalgia and part crib too, as I said after five long years it has happened that I am not sure if I am trekking this summer or not. I better manage it somehow or I will die with envy when others come back from some trek and show me the pictures.

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

I started reading Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer late tonight (or should I say early morning, it is around 1.30 in the night). I am just through the back page, the snippets from the various reviews and the first chapter. I read a lot, or at least I try to. And never before I started blogging so early about any book. The first chapter starts backwards, Jon is hading back after standing on the top of Mount Everest and later discovers (while he is waiting for 'a traffic jam of climbers coming up to clear at Hillary Step') that he is left without oxygen. He also mentions at the very beginning what a disaster this 1996 expedition was going to be.

He wrote in the introduction that there are variations in his account that he did for the Outside Magazine and the book. Looks like that entire article is online at the Outside Magazine site.

Also, I have borrowed this book from my colleague (the same who took these pictures of Prashar Lake). Remember what I said there-

This is what Prashar Lake can look like in December! No, I didn't go there but Anil did ... Anil is my colleague from work, not at all active in the blog world and I guess least inclined too!

Well, he proved me wrong, he went ahead and acquired a travel blog! I hope he will update it too.

Photography at the Dubare Elephant Camp Site, Coorg

The Couple at Dubare Elephant Camp, Coorg

I took this picture of a couple at the Dubare Elephant Camp in Coorg (some details of this trip can be found at my Club Mahindra post). They of course were quite engrossed with each-other and we were wondering why they needed a tripod (it is not visible in this shot but the camera is on a tripod) in the broad daylight and when taking pictures at this close distance. But then who am I to question their technique, I myself know next to nothing about photography. I also remember they crossed our path sometime later and the guy said in a chirpy to me, "We have the same camera." Of course I had to smile in return.

No Trekking Plans for Sure this Summer!

Ladakh- The Food Place Near Pangong Lake

Since 2003, every summer we have trekked or at least tried to trek. Tried as in we went trekking but could not complete the Markha Valley Trek in Ladakh, as I took ill.

In the summer of 2003 it was Saar Pass

In the summer of 2004 it was Har Ki Doon

In the summer of 2005 it was the unfinished trek in Ladakh

In the summer of 2006 it was Kuari Pass

In the summer of 2007 it was Spiti

So, of course, I feel quite like a fish out of water as I am not sure whether I will be able to trek this summer or not. I mean there could be some work related travel (but this one is with a big 'maybe'). Of course, my family merrily told me that if I am not coming they are trekking on their own and anyway my nephews are much better trekkers than me, Sesha only likes to think so! I am keeping my figures crossed. I mean I don't know which one I want more.

Lazy Sunday Photo- Oxford City Center

Oxford City Center, UK

For the week that I stayed in Oxford, dinner was mostly taken around the city center on all occassions. Never visited the Burger King or any such chain while there, but it is interesting to see these fast food joints jostling for space with really really old structures, like the structure on the left to the Burger King and the tower further left to the old building.

Happy Holi!

Wish you all a very happy Holi. This is my tall nephew (Brat 1, Brat 2 is giving 12th board exams) and small niece playing Holi.

It has been ages since I played Holi. I don't know how it happened but somewhere along the way, I have completely stopped playing Holi. Like this time, I did not go anywhere near the colors.

Only at office we had a small get together. There too I kept standing quietly. Only when one of the senior professors put colors on our foreheads I too reciprocated. Some of the color sticked to my hands and instead of properly putting it on someone's face (there were four people sitting next to me) I was looking for something to wipe it off! I politely asked a young colleague who was wearing a white shirt that was already colored, "can I wipe my hands on your shirt?" He let me do that!

Next time at Holi, I am going to relive one of my wilder years (not that I was really wild ever) and play Holi like my nephew and niece are doing above.

Protest by Tibetan Monks in Nepal

Sirensongs brings some disturbing pictures and news of monks being beaten up for protesting against China in Nepal.

The Nepali boys went straight for the one monk of the three protestors - -with large 2x2 wooden sticks raining blows.

"Don't take pictures! Don't take pictures!" they yelled at anyone with a visible camera. Then, "This is not a place for protest! This is our God-place! Do not protest here!" in English. Which to me, sounded very rehearsed and conspicuous. In English? The attackers were local Nepali boys (from the Tamang community, if it matters).

Hotel Hunting in Lansdowne

Mayur Lodge, Lansdowne (The Building with the Flags)

It feels like ages since we visited Lansdowne and not just the last month. The best part was that we had as usual showed up without a hotel booking in town. The good folks at Indiamike had warned me that there are just three to four hotels in Lansdowne and at times one can't find even a single room vacant.

From our research at Indiamike we knew that the Fairydale was supposed to be the best place in Lansdowne. We asked for directions and started walking that way. On the way we also saw the GMVN accommodations. On reaching the Fairydale property we found that it was completely booked. We decided to try our luck at the next best place, the GMVN. The caretaker at the GMVN told us that the same group that was staying at Fairydale had taken the rooms at GMVN too and it was booked solid. So we were left with no options but try our luck at the Mayur Lodge that was suggested as the last option at Indiamike. Of course, we got a room there and they too charged us Rs. 500 for the room, knowing that everything else was booked. Apart from these two, a new one has come up by the name of Blue Pine but it is 3-4 kilometers away from the main city and we did not want to walk that much with the Avomine still taking its toll on us. At Indiamike people also say another resort is coming up 3-4 kilometers away in the other direction, but we came to know about this only after coming back.

Did we learn our lesson from this and pre-book our next trip? You bet not! But the problem is that I really can't see a next trip (I know this happens so rarely). And how I need it!

When I started Blogging ...

When I started Blogging ... I would blog just for the heck of it. Then I started thinking more and more about it and suddenly when I wanted to write something today, I was just giving it too much thought. Should I write it like this? Should I write it like that? Then with a start I realized I am treating it almost like work. And then it dawned that I enjoyed blogging so much because I did it for myself ... Time to go back to that mode again.

The Lover's Lane Saga- Lansdowne

Fast Asleep- Lover's Lane Lansdowne

Sesha and I reached Lansdowne on Saturday morning and after dumping our luggage in Mayur Lodge (shabby place, hotel hunting is another tale to share about this trip) we as usual started walking around the town. We reached a small shade where a young girl (college going) was standing alone admiring the view. She started chatting with us, asking where were we from etc. After a while we decided to walk ahead, saw the sign the lover's lane and decided to explore it. After walking for about five minutes Sesha decided that he was still quite zonked on Avomine, found a sunny patch and decided to catch up on sleep (the picture above is the proof). I too was zonked but not as bad as him and I told him I am walking in the lane. He asked me to come back in around half an hour.

I walked ahead and found the view quite soothing. Walking on narrow twisting kaccha rasta (mud path) with just my thoughts for company is always a refreshing change from trying to cram 100 things in a day in my city life. OK, it may not be 100 things in a day actually but at times it feels just like that.

Soon enough I found the young girl whom I met near the shade with a young guy walking from the opposite side. She refused to catch my eye this time and I must say they made a cute pair. I continued on my walk and returned after an hour or so to find Sesha still peacefully sleeping at the same spot.

Looked Like A Doll's House- Lansdowne

This small house was quite near the city center (which is pretty run down) in Lansdowne. Nearby was a tea shop (you got it right, we had our evening tea there) and next to it some benches from where one could see the sun set. I liked the bright color of the roof and the way this house resembled a doll's house! I wonder if anyone lived there?

That Morning Cup of Tea!

Welcome to Lansdowne, Bus Stop .5 Km away, that is what the board in Hindi

We visited Lansdowne, a small hill station in Uttrakhand around February 10. The nearest railway station to Lansdowne is Kotdwar. Mussoorie Express is the train we took from Old Delhi Railway Station. And this time for a change instead of hiring a taxi to the Old Delhi Railway Station we hired one just up to Dwarka Metro Station. From there we took the metro to the Old Delhi Railway Station. This was our first metro ride in Delhi and I must say 'please mind the gap' was a constant here too. I liked the metro ride for the simple reason that it goes in a straight line, rather than a taxi that has to break, honk and swerve through the traffic.

For a change, we were traveling in AC III (Sesha loves the sleeper class) and the train deposited us at Kotdwar right in the morning, when it was not even daybreak. In fact, the Kotdwar station is so small that for a few minutes we did not know the train has actually stopped at the platform.

And then we got down, zonked and sleepy because we took the Avomine before, thinking it may wear off soon if we took it the night before instead of taking it just before the jeep ride from Kotdwar to Lansdowne. And I anyway wakeup like a fish out of water in the morning.

And that is when that morning cup of tea is all that you can think of. We headed out of the station looking for the tea and were immediately surrounded by shared taxi drivers heading to Lansdowne. We promised one of them that we were coming back after a cup of tea. Ten meters outside the station, there was the chaiwala and we headed straight to his thela. Then the ritual started. There were three other people waiting for their morning cup of tea. The chaiwala poured already hot water in the pan. Then came his own masala (and I believe it is this that makes every corner tea shop different from the other) that would go into the tea. A little milk and tea leaves and the magic drink was ready. As I started sipping it, the day also started breaking over. As I finished the tea, I had started feeling almost human once again. And soon enough we were inside the taxi, heading to Lansdowne.