Travelling Camera: #1
10th June
We Hit The RoadAfter a little (1 hour) delay caused due to Chetan and his car we finally set on the road. The car was pretty comfortable. A Maruti Suzuki Ertiga VDi model. We were cruising at 100kmph on NH-28.
You see the long stretch of road in front of you
and you know that you are going to cross it .You see the bridge on the river,
you know that you are going to cross it too. That is the thing about journeys-you
see distances infront of you and go on covering them.
After crossing Lucknow we stopped for breakfast at Fauji dhaba. They have made a number of thatched hut which are named after the colleges around there(quite interesting!).All we needed was Aloo Parathas and chai.
After crossing Lucknow we stopped for breakfast at Fauji dhaba. They have made a number of thatched hut which are named after the colleges around there(quite interesting!).All we needed was Aloo Parathas and chai.
We finally saw a canal with water(The canals previously were all dry).This was a sign that it was raining above in the mountains.
We finally reached Tanakpur-our destination at 5:45pm in the evening. The sun was setting. The outline of the mountains were visible against the backdrop.
23:18pm-Sitting under the moon,chattering with cousins after a sumptuous dinner. It was a wonderful end to a wonderful day.
11th June
Absorb the vastness
Next day we headed towards the Boom range. This is an adventure spot with adventure clubs for rafting in the river Kali.The road was like a roller coaster,not curving but going up and down. At many places the road was carved out of the rocks with big boulders on both the side. On the way I clicked the mountains.
When we got out of the car the sight was amazing. There was the vastness of river Kali and also the dense jungle of the Boom range .Every shot was worth taking. I felt the urge to absorb everything that was around me.
When we returned Dadi brought us a plate of pahadi phal. There were plums and peaches and I was like Yesss.
“The road through the
jungle”
We again took the car out in the evening. The setting sun was playing hide and seek among the woods as we climbed the mountains .
We halted at a spot from where the complete view of Tanakpur was visible.The houses in the valley were like tiny specks.
“I see the clouds. I hear the thunder. Feels
like God.”
We then went to the river side.The final rays of the sun were painting a perfect golden colour on the canvas of the clouds. The flowing waters of the river was trying to imitate the same shade. The colours quickly changed to orange,then to pink and then to violet.It was a treat to the eyes.
12th June
We again took the car out in the evening. The setting sun was playing hide and seek among the woods as we climbed the mountains .
We halted at a spot from where the complete view of Tanakpur was visible.The houses in the valley were like tiny specks.
We then went to the river side.The final rays of the sun were painting a perfect golden colour on the canvas of the clouds. The flowing waters of the river was trying to imitate the same shade. The colours quickly changed to orange,then to pink and then to violet.It was a treat to the eyes.
12th June
Who goes
37km to take a bath?
Well it was a bathing cum
swimming session. Just before the "Chalthi pul" there is a kutcha road which
takes you to the stream below. We put the tent on the banks and in notime all
were in chuddies
.
Sanaa was showing her swimming skills,Mann chacha was flaunting his yoga swim,Ashu chacha was helping Rikki chacha and papa was just looking funny in his shorts.
Papa took me in the stream to teach me swim.I went towards the deep waters and in notime I was inside the water gasping for breath. It was a terrible experience. But it couldn't deter my will and within few minutes I was back in the waters.
Ashu chacha told me to sit inside the water as if I'm sitting on a commode and to let my body float.I tried the “commode” pose and again the same happened i.e.I gulped lots of water.
To learn swimming you have to overcome your biggest fear i.e. of drowning. I allowed my body to go inside the water many times while practising to hold my breath. Finally, I got used to the drowning and finally was learning swimming.
When we came out of the water I had learned to swim for 20m in one stretch before stopping for breath.
We stopped for lunch at a roadside dhaba and we
had mixed dal,kadhi and raita.I had 3 rotis.
Handi meat
Sanaa was showing her swimming skills,Mann chacha was flaunting his yoga swim,Ashu chacha was helping Rikki chacha and papa was just looking funny in his shorts.
Papa took me in the stream to teach me swim.I went towards the deep waters and in notime I was inside the water gasping for breath. It was a terrible experience. But it couldn't deter my will and within few minutes I was back in the waters.
Ashu chacha told me to sit inside the water as if I'm sitting on a commode and to let my body float.I tried the “commode” pose and again the same happened i.e.I gulped lots of water.
To learn swimming you have to overcome your biggest fear i.e. of drowning. I allowed my body to go inside the water many times while practising to hold my breath. Finally, I got used to the drowning and finally was learning swimming.
When we came out of the water I had learned to swim for 20m in one stretch before stopping for breath.
Handi meat
We bought a handi(earthen pot),we bought meat
and it was time to cook some handi meat. Chetan(our driver) was the chef for
the evening. Actually it is a lazy way to cook;you put everything in a handi
and put it on fire then wait for it to get cooked.
13th June
Heading towards Champawat
It is an uphill road after Chalthi so the speed reduces considerably.Also there is risk of falling boulders.
It is an uphill road after Chalthi so the speed reduces considerably.Also there is risk of falling boulders.
On the way there is the village of
Swala. Legends have it that the people of this village had to leave their
houses and shift elsewhere because of Ghosts. The people were soo troubled by
ghostly activities that they had to leave their home. We stopped to click some
shots of this haunted village.
Quite surprisingly we managed to spot a few people there.
The rains greeted us in Champawat.It was a light drizzle but enough to refresh us.
After having lunch in the town we headed to Bisaun,our ancestral village.It is around 10km away from the town.The road is single lane but pukka and goes through a jungle.
Quite surprisingly we managed to spot a few people there.
The rains greeted us in Champawat.It was a light drizzle but enough to refresh us.
After having lunch in the town we headed to Bisaun,our ancestral village.It is around 10km away from the town.The road is single lane but pukka and goes through a jungle.
The
village had a different charm
We were greeted by small pink flowers growing wildly all around. I spotted a blue kingfisher near the stream.
The village had a different charm.It was isolated from the outer world and pretty much nothing happened there. The life there was simple. There were ladies working in the potato fields.I closed my eyes and I could listen to the chime of the bells from the fields, the cry of the cicadas in the jungle and the incessant tweet of the small bird hopping from one tree to another. I guess it is this melody which we miss in our city lives
We were greeted by small pink flowers growing wildly all around. I spotted a blue kingfisher near the stream.
The village had a different charm.It was isolated from the outer world and pretty much nothing happened there. The life there was simple. There were ladies working in the potato fields.I closed my eyes and I could listen to the chime of the bells from the fields, the cry of the cicadas in the jungle and the incessant tweet of the small bird hopping from one tree to another. I guess it is this melody which we miss in our city lives
On the way to Banlekh a couple of kids were selling Kaafal on the roadside. Kaafal is a fruit found in this region only. We bought around 500gm for 50 bucks.
When we returned to the city there was not a bit of space to park the car so we decided to stroll a little on the Manch Tamli road.
I was sitting on a stump of a fallen tree in the Deodar forest. The sight of the rays of the evening sun coming filtered through the trees was a spectacle.
14th June
Lohaghat is a neighbouring town of Champawat some 14km away. On the way to Lohaghat we couldn’t help but stop on the roadside to click photos. I got a couple of shots from the mountain top of the greenery around.
There was a huge traffic jam
in Lohaghat and no place to park so we drove ahead till Abbott Mount.
Abbott Mount is the highest peak in the Pithoragarh region. This place was developed by the British and has a small church there. People say that one of the cottages here is haunted.
Abbott mount has a field on the top. From cricket to bike riding the field was abuzz with activities The view from the top was surreal. One could see the magnificent mountain ranges.
If you are lucky and the view is clear you can also see the snow mountains from there. Unfortunately,I didn’t get the chance to shoot the snow-capped mountains but I contented myself with the natural beauty there. I got a couple of wallpaper shots.
There was a dhaba there and I got some maggi and chai .The maggi tasted wonderful at 6400ft.
Abbott Mount is the highest peak in the Pithoragarh region. This place was developed by the British and has a small church there. People say that one of the cottages here is haunted.
Abbott mount has a field on the top. From cricket to bike riding the field was abuzz with activities The view from the top was surreal. One could see the magnificent mountain ranges.
If you are lucky and the view is clear you can also see the snow mountains from there. Unfortunately,I didn’t get the chance to shoot the snow-capped mountains but I contented myself with the natural beauty there. I got a couple of wallpaper shots.
There was a dhaba there and I got some maggi and chai .The maggi tasted wonderful at 6400ft.
Returning to Tanakpur when
we were near Banlekh it started raining. It is really beautiful when it rains.
“Driving through the woods in rain.”The freshness in the air rejuvenates you
from within.
Well, the rain which I was enjoying soon turned into a nightmare. The rain transformed into a thunder storm. The wind was too strong and there was constant fear of a tree falling or rocks coming on the road.The rain followed us till Bastiya(about 60km).It was a scary ride.
15th June
Well, the rain which I was enjoying soon turned into a nightmare. The rain transformed into a thunder storm. The wind was too strong and there was constant fear of a tree falling or rocks coming on the road.The rain followed us till Bastiya(about 60km).It was a scary ride.
15th June
Returning home
When we woke up in the morning we saw that the sky was overcast with clouds. The clouds had formed a curtain hiding the mountains behind them. A cactus flower had bloomed in the house.
We embarked on another journey. The journey back home-Tanakpur to Gorakhpur. Again there was rain following us. It was risky driving but we didn’t stop.
When we woke up in the morning we saw that the sky was overcast with clouds. The clouds had formed a curtain hiding the mountains behind them. A cactus flower had bloomed in the house.
We embarked on another journey. The journey back home-Tanakpur to Gorakhpur. Again there was rain following us. It was risky driving but we didn’t stop.
I remember watching the
clouds trough the car window.The monsoon clouds quite fascinated me. I started
thinking about their journey.They start their journey from the sea. They come
to land. There they distribute themselves through paths unknown. Noone directs
them but them yet they know where to go. And finally they end their journey providing
water to the thirsty earth.
It is the journey which is important and not the destination.
It is the journey which is important and not the destination.
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