When was the last time you did something for the first time?
This used to be a favourite question I loved answering, when I had my annual lists of challenges ready.
Something happened along the way and the lists stopped, the challenges became a scary thing of the past.
When a friend told me “ where there is a will, there is a way” I knew it was in me to do the things I liked most.
Old memories have a way of popping up with an overly invasive social media.
Some made you yearn for the old you, the carefree smile, the confident poise and don’t care attitude.
Dussehra always being a time when I took off from work to spend time at home alone or travel with family or friends.
Being a pseudo bong getting leave during this festival was never questioned.
Work, family, illness, responsibilities, COVID all affected travel, only leaving behind guilt if I wanted to get away one my own.
But also changes on the Homefront and a need to know if all was well, made me take a chance.
So when opportunity knocked, I grabbed it.
A quick decision to travel to a state I had never been to before.
I did make some plans, for a 3 days quick travel, which then I decided to extend into 4 as I got greedy
There was an opportunity to go rafting, trekking, relaxing and experience calmness through a spiritual retreat
But of course, the best trips are the unplanned ones!
So it was this time as well.
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| Devprayag at night |
Driving through the night , viewing the confluence of two rivers the bashful, gentle Alaknanda and the stormy, wild, Bhagirathi to form the Ganges at Devprayag , staying the night near Rudraprayag.
Small towns, villages following our journey.
Early morning start to get to Sonprayag and onwards to Gaurikund.
Travel in the mountains, teach you that distances are measured in time and not in kms
We started the climb at 9:45 AM, having read and researched that it takes about 5 hours to reach the top.
The first 3 kms were hot, steep, crowded with people and horses.
Watching me struggle, I know why the question” Aunty Ghoda chahiye?” were a constant chorus
I would have given up! The body was ready to, but the mind and soul had been promised exciting things, that made me go on.
Coolies and horses are constantly awaiting a word from you, to take on the burden of reaching the top.
view while driving towards the mountain
If lemonades were not there, we would have died of heat stroke. The small stalls, dhabas on the way, selling lemonades, lassi, hot tea, Maggi were life savers.
View from the top
To stop, sit, take a break, refresh and move on.
It seemed like forever.
The steep climbs and the heat were relentless.
Signs of the devastation of 2013 are visible, in the extra 2 km route as well as broken down bridges.
Again after 4 long hours of climbing, the sun seemed to suddenly disappear and made the air cooler, the elevation and the chill, seemed to make the end possible.
But it was not to be, the 12th to 14th km were tough, almost vertical, with heels sore from the constant uphill climb.
The one motivator was the flow of the river Mandakini, gushing, cold, the waterfalls, the constant.
It took us 7 hours, with me slowing down often towards the end, a sense of satisfaction in having experienced the Darshan and Aarti at 3500 m high
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| view in the evening |
We decided to stay on at the top at night, since the clouds obscured our views, having climbed so far ( 16 kms ) we had to see the Himalayas in their glory,
Copious amount of hot tea, spiked with ginger was our saviour that cold night, along with hot , syrupy jalebis
The night stay was an adventure and we waited for the morning.
morning view
For clear views, for a truly spiritual experience.
The climb down was supposed to be easy, it is not... 4 1/2 hours of sheer grit with just one stop and suddenly it was all over.
A long winding drive back to Rishikesh, just in time for one of my dreams to get fulfilled - Ganga Arti on the Ghats .
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| Ganga Arti |
Morning walk along the Ghats, to visit Laxman Jhula, the crazed Beatles Ashram and a mad rush to get to Landour, yet another childhood dream.
Ruskin Bond’s "Room on the Roof" was a book I read when I was about 8 years old.
The imagery created had me dream of mountains and adventure as a kid.
My most recent read by Ruskin Bond was the Blue Umbrella, so innocent and giving and again set in the mountains he loves.
We walked the hills, silence greeted us along with the Oaks, Pines and Deodars.
And the majestic homes of the authors and producers who sought the calm and peace of the mountains. "peace does
come dropping slow" -Yeats
We did the tourist circuit, visited the places everyone did and finally stilled the body in constant motion with a little help from some hot, spiced rum!
Surprises come from the most unexpected places, the prim and staid professor, lit up with a smile when asked about Ruskin Bond, he ran down the stairs, next door and showed me his picture at the doorstep and told me to run up the stairs while he stayed watch down!! 
home of the author
The next best thing to not seeing the man himself, was knowing our hotel shared a wall with his home that night!!!
Hot parathas for breakfast, food for the soul and the drive back to the airport.
Memories that will last a lifetime and appear on my social media accounts years later, when I could never make that climb again, yes I will smile, but after a slight grimace!!!
