I always thought of Ooty as a place only fit for honeymooners: cold, hilly and romantic. “Ooty and me? no way,” used to be my usual response.
When we reached Ooty, I noticed horses thronged this place as much as the tourists. I was convinced that I was not going to regret the trip. I gave all the must visit tourist spots especially the suicide points a miss for another time I might feel suicidal and explored the not so touristy and suicidal side of Ooty.
When I talk about trekking in the Himalayas, sometimes people ask me, “What is the point in walking or climbing aimlessly from one point to another, in rugged climate and terrain at that.” I was never able to answer that question. In fact I gave into the idea that it was pointless. During my recent trip to the Himalayas I realized why I was lost for words. Even if I tried, it would be a futile exercise. To express what it feels like to be surrounded by the Himalayas is beyond language.
I think Sheep and Goats are two of the most photogenic animals. No matter where I see them, I am drawn to them perhaps like nomads to Sheep and Goats. 😉 I find the mountain Sheep and Goats even prettier and their association with Nomads of various parts of India make them all the more interesting. I could spend hours just watching them graze relentlessly, bleat to warn and communicate and poop like nobody’s business and graze again. At the end of the session I come away feeling as if I have done hours of meditation.
Say no to mutton chops. 😉
I say this at every opportunity, “not for nothing people associate The Himalayas with renunciation of the material world.” If you spend enough time in the mighty mountains, renunciation becomes a natural process. When you are up there, in the lyrics of Metallica, nothing else matters.
Here I realized it was possible to walk in the clouds but without Keanu Reeves by my side. The white fluffy clouds descended so low on the town that it literally passed through people strolling on the narrow streets and made the town look like it was floating dreamily. For the first time I saw, between clouds, many Tibetan monks flooding the streets in bright maroon robes and shaved heads; men and women alike. McLeod Ganj is the headquarters of Tibetan government (in exile.) Icing on the cake was I saw Dalai Lama at the monastery and heard his discourse to the Tibetan monks, in the language I didn’t follow. I vividly remember the knickknacks and souvenir shops were, very lazily, manned by the Tibetans. Clearly their lives didn’t depend on the shops. And the travelers and hippies from across the globe added a hint of exoticism to the town. It had an air of a paradise.
As a kid the very sound of market excited me, because of its association with the pleasant prospect of shopping, much to my father’s dismay. The sound of shopping still excites me and the reason remains the same. However, now that I have to pay my own bills, I reluctantly learnt to sidetrack myself by means of a camera. Hail street photography!
From one campsite to another, Annapurna Circuit is replete with tea houses. They are multi cuisine tea houses offering delectable array of menu choices. Best part of the menu and something I enjoyed the most during the trails is, a warm cup of lemon tea. For one I can thaw my hands while sipping on the tea. And for another, it was refreshing. Unlike the other trails, end of a grueling trek I retired to a cozy bed. I literally buried myself under layers of quilts and read a book, while the mighty glaciers, sometimes bordered by rustling streams, busied themselves providing a stunning view.
This is what keeps me going: a new place, a new face, a new language, a new taste, a new smell, a new smile, a new friend, a new experience, do you get my drift?
Being a city dweller and coming from a place where anything I need is at a call, click of a button or Mum away, Kuveshi took my traditional beliefs on a roller coaster ride and restructured them for good.