THE HIMALAYAN EXPERIENCE

There comes August 2014 and its time to set out the long journey to Himalayas - destination LEH. And guess what, I am so glad we didn't take a flight and just land there in LEH, but took it slow and nice and climbed the Himalayan stretch in a public transport!! Yes, Himalayas are best experienced when we climb it and not when we just land in LEH and go back boom in a flight. You will soon know why. This post is about discovering beauty in nature beyond our mental pictures of the perceived beauty.

Well it was 1st August, and we started from Ujire, really a long way from Himalayas ;) and took a train from Mangalore to Mumbai. You know the West Coast journey in August is one of the most beautiful journeys ever. Yes it is raining and the train is messy, but along with the mess comes this beauty that you will not see in any other season. The paddy fields and the mountains of the Western Ghats bring such picturesque sights to you that you don't need any book or music, just looking out of the window brings you such immense amount of peace.

This is were we started our journey

I will let the picture do the talking

The mesmerizing beauty of the rains

 I have taken this journey from Mangalore to Mumbai in different times of the year, that is, in different seasons, but trust me the most beautiful time is in August when it rains cats and dogs, but when the green comes alive !!

From Mumbai we went to Udaipur, and then Jodhpur and then Jaipur. Rajasthan is really beautiful and colorful. One thing I really like while we were traveling is that, we walk a lot, yes there were times when my legs ached, but in the end it's all worth it because 'I came out alive, haha :D'. Well you explore a part of you, that you thought never existed. Though initially I was hesitant, I feel its one of the best experiences - to just let go of all your inhibitions, and perceptions about traveling like staying in a posh hotel, having food in fancy restaurants, visiting places in a cab, etc. We ate a lot of local food, street food and were never really particular about anything. We always used the public transport and always had local food and all these made me feel like a traveller and not a tourist, made me explore so many new types of food, pushed my limits, and it was all worth it. I enjoyed talking to people, understanding them, and just being in the place, admiring the nature and enjoying the moment.

Well from Jaipur we went to Delhi, and then we took a public bus to Manali. Well the journey from Delhi to Manali was suppose to happen in the night. But as soon as we reached the foothills of the Himalayas, our bus just didn't move. We all slept throughout the night in the bus, and it did not move even an inch. Then in the morning the road was clear and our bus started moving. Well, all that happens, happens for the good. In the morning when I opened my eyes, I woke up to the beautiful nature and I realized how I would have slept through this beautiful journey if our bus had moved in the night, and I was lucky that I did not miss this awe inspiring nature and enjoyed every bit of it.

While traveling through the Himalayas in a slow moving bus without a TV, I learnt my best geography lessons. Well I have to tell you how wonderful the journey becomes without these TVs in the bus, and AC. I was very glad indeed to be traveling in this bus were we had to hold an Umbrella to save our friend from getting wet in the leaking bus ;) .

I remember reading through my textbooks about how Himalayas are divided into Shiwaliks, Lesser himalayas and Greater Himalayas. But as I always say, reading through textbooks with tons of amazing pictures is no where close to being in the place and learning about it. Yes, it did inspire me to come here but never taught me geography so well.

Journey from Delhi to Manali was filled with lots of greenery and rivers. Then, the next day we took a bus from Manali to Leh, with a stop over in Keylong. The bus from Manali to Keylong was again without TV and AC, I thank those bus people for keeping it peaceful and letting us all enjoy the journey. I was so fascinated by the majestic Himalayas that I went to the front, sat close to the drivers seat, put my head out (off course I was making sure my head did not fall off :D) and enjoyed the fresh air, the greenery, hugeness of the mountains and how tiny we all become in front of them, yet the bond that we share so strong yet subtle.

I wish I was the goat out there!! ;)

Beautiful: Subtle greenery that compliments the rugged rocks 

At Keylong we stayed in tents which was amazing. And in the evening went to the places nearby and spoke to a family who were working in their apple farm :) I was really excited to talk to the grandma and her grandchildren, and her daughter in laws, they were all very friendly and we had such a nice time together.

Then the next day early morning, we set out the journey to LEH !! And I was still in the hangover of this beautiful Manali- Keylong journey and was expecting lots a greenery on the way. And then to the shock of my life, the terrain totally changed from Rotang pass, it was no greenery anymore. It was sharp, rugged mountain peaks everywhere and no vegetation at all. I was taken aback and was sitting quietly asking myself, 'Is this really nice? Where are all the trees?'. I was so grumpy and was looking for ideal beauty of Himalayas that were defined in my head. And slowly I realize that we had reached the Greater Himalayas and oh dear, it is dry, arid, and rugged.

The rock formations on the way to LEH. 

As we reached Leh, I just wanted to go back to Keylong to the green mountains, but then I was going to spend 10 days in Leh. It was a biking trip organized by YHAI, and I was so much excited about it. And now I was thinking, ' What!! Am I going to cycle in this place? Is it really beautiful?'.  We had three days to explore Leh before we started the biking trip. And I was still not sure whether I would have a good time cycling. Then it was 12th August and time to start the cycling trip. We started the trip from Lamayuru. As soon as I reached Lamayuru, I was astounded by the beautiful formations of  the mountains and it looked like we were in moon, a totally different place that I had never seen before in my life. We camped under the sky, and oh my God, the beauty of the land came alive in the night when the mountains sparkled under the moon light! And then I knew I was falling in love with these mountains that looked initially strange but it was me who had to see their beauty, who had to wait till they showed me how beautiful they are. I knew I was falling for their beauty and sleeping under the sky living a life of a nomad just cycling through the mountains for 10 days was just what I need to explore their beauty and the wonderful people who inhibited them.

Lamayuru

The next day when we started cycling, I was filled with new found energy and new found enthusiasm, and it was because I was falling in love with the mountains and was eager to explore them more.

Yes, that me!!

Thats us admiring the beauty of the mountains.

After long day of cycling, we rested in the evening, under the sky, on this road, lying down there, just watching the stars. Yes, I felt as if I was in a dreamland, no light pollution, sound pollution or any kind of disturbance, lying down on the road to watch the stars just like a fairy tale.

The next day, it was time to cycle again, and it was a really sunny day and a lot of uphills, it was indeed exhausting! But there came along a baby and his mom working under the sun. I stopped there to talk to them, and that smile of the baby, I still remember. His smile just spread so much joy and I was ready to cycle the next stretch.

Baby and mother who inspired me!

Then came along another person, and this was truly inspiration. This was a man from Europe who was cycling from DELHI to LEH. I had met him at the last stretch when I was really tired and wanted to head to the camp as soon as possible. But, meeting him killed all my tiredness. He was such a huge inspiration. He was cycling on his own from DELHI to LEH, and we spoke to him as we cycled, and he told us that we would cycle back as well!! We were completely taken aback by his zeal and energy and I was no more tired ;)

My inspiration!!

This cycling trip was one of the best, since I met so many different people from different walks of life coming together to cycle. I also met the world renowned cyclist from India, Sumit Patil.

Sumit - the super cyclist!! It was such a pleasure meeting him.

 And on the last day at Fotula Pass, I met a lady from New Zealand who was cycling on her own to Fatula Pass.

Thats me!! Cherishing the happiness of reaching a milestone in our journey

Yes, as you see it was the first time I learnt that sometimes true beauty is different from what we perceive in our heads. I had fallen in love with the most rugged terrains, the Greater Himalayas and the lovely people who I met and who inspired me. This was a journey of discovering beauty and it would not have been possible without my friends, people at YHAI and off course the Himalayas.

What this journey gave me was a deep sense of responsibility that how much more I can do to protect the nature, how much we are a part of it. Though I am not in Himalayas everyday, I came to know I effect them, yes I effect them the way I live, the way I travel, the way I consume. I effect them!!

In the end, it is always about the journey and not the milestone in itself that matters!! I would have never seen the vastness, the diversity and the complete picture of Himalayas if it was not for traveling the entire stretch, if it was not for spending time with the mountains and not just cycling or hiking for the sake of it. I am very glad me, along with our friends could make this journey possible.

Well, the mighty Western Ghats looked very tiny for a few days after I came back to Ujire ;)

My Transformation into a Loving Soul

When I started cycling further and covering longer distance, I used to lose my way so many times. But the people whom I met in the villages were warm, loving, greeted me with a smile, offered me water and then showed me the way. I sill remember one time when a farmer walked till the end of his other field to take us through a short cut to reach gadaikal! And I remember once I fell off my bike and my trousers were torn. So, I went to a house, where lived a very friendly couple, their young 12 year old girl and their elder son. It was early in the morning and I stood there watching the lady kneel down and stitch it for me. It is people like them who showed me how loving you can be to strangers and what it is actually to give your time to others. So many times people would be so happy to see us, and offer us water. It was new for them to see a lady on her cycle in the interior areas but they we were thrilled and always welcoming.

Yes, when I left Ujire I realized I had become beautiful, because mother nature nurtured me with fresh air, lots of love from children and loving people around me, warm smiles, touch of the animals and their love. Before leaving Ujire I had promised myself to plant at least 50 trees, because I felt I enjoyed so much during my treks, it was the nature that gave me so much pleasure and I had give her back something in return and that why I chose to plant the trees. Yes, it was never possible to plant the 30 trees without my friend and also Anand who offered to let us plant 5 saplings in his farm, and the lovely forest officers who understood our intentions and offered to help us.

Once me and my friend Sushmitha had gone to the nearby forest nursery to take some 10 saplings. It was the place where you could not hire an auto immediately nor a bus stop to take the bus. The forest officer offered to take the saplings in his tempo and we cramped and sat in the front seat of the tempo. On the way, I came to know for the first time in my life that forest officers plant trees every rainy season. I thought it was such a beautiful job and it convinced me that world is not so bad, we have at least some people planting the trees. I was so thrilled to know that trees were being planted by the forest department.

One of our planting sessions. We were planting a sapling on the roadside.

It was always my dream to see Ujire from the top of the mountain, to see how beautiful it looks from the above. So on 4th May 2014, me and my friend went up to Ballarayanadurga. Going to this place early in the morning was one of the best moments of my life. It was serene, beautiful and the nature beyond my words came explain. 

Landscape like I had never seen before

This was also the first trek where I saw the skin shed by a snake.

Next was the time for the monsoon trek, where we had got leech bites like never before and this time it was to Amedikallu. I don't remember any other trek where all of us lost so much blood!! Haha.

One thing we found out during this trek was that it echos from a particular point and you can hear the echo for three times. It was a beautiful experience climbing the mountains with the leeches. Special indeed !!

Next task on our list was cycle-trek-cycle, like the triathletes who combine swim, cycle and run. And this time, the destination was Kudremukha. Yes, it was a task that was crazy yet the dream that needed to be accomplished. So, me and my dear friend, set out in our cycles. Well, please note we adhere to the safety standards and always have our helmets on ! ;) Well my dream again was to see Ujire from the top, but since it was early June, it was the rainy season and from the peak we could see nothing but thick cover of clouds. Haha :D But during this trek I had one of my best lessons in geography that even my school couldn't make me understand. 'Seeing is believing' and that is when I saw the majestic mountains of the Western Ghats that stopped the clouds from moving further and brought so much rain to Ujire!! It showed me for the first time in my life, what mountains are capable of doing. I might read a thousand paragraphs about mountains and their role in shaping the climate and topography and blah blah. But this sheer experience of standing there and watching the clouds go back after hitting the mountains, oh god, thats when I realized how these beautiful mountains let me enjoy the rain. 

This is how the mountains brought the rains !!

This trek was so special because it was for the first time that two dogs had accompanied us for the trek and I had never felt so safe and happy. The company of the dogs as we climbed the hill is a memory that still resonates in my mind.

The two dogs - Kalu and Bellu who came with us. Look Kalu seems to be happy posing for the picture and bellu seems phased out ;)

These experiences in nature, and the loving people, and children - little did I know they touched me all in a way and has helped me transform to an individual more beautiful and loving. I take you to my next blog as I share my ever growing stories about transformation.