My first Nepal trip.

A bittersweet experience.

I had been planning to go to Nepal for a long time. My wish was to witness Mt. Everest and Mt. Machchhapuchhare (Mt. Fishtail ). After a long study and getting information from several sources, I made an itinerary. I wanted to start in the month of March. However, this year, due to Corona, the board exams started in late April and I had to delay my trip.

I planned it to start on 7th of May. It was a 16 days trip. I booked tickets from Howrah to Raxaul in Mithila express. I decided to return by flight from Kathmandu because I thought it would be a hassle to come back again by bus from Kathmandu to Raxaul. I also had a secret hope that the flight would go over the Himalayas, which it did not. May is the end season for Nepal tourism. After that monsoon starts. But unfortunately I found out at the last moment that there were predictions for rain and thunderstorms all over my trip. I felt a little disheartened.

I included Muktinath in my itinerary, and according to the suggestion of my friend I also kept Manang in the plan. I had a plan to go to Nagarkot and Chandragiri from Kathmandu as Mt. Everest could be seen from those places. I hoped I could see a glimpse of Mt. Machapuchhare from Sarangkot. But man proposes God disposes.

The journey started on the schedule date. From Birganj bus stand few buses ply at regular intervals in the morning for Pokhara. Our bus was at 10:30AM. I eventually met a gold merchant in the bus who was full of negativity. He informed us that there was a traffic jam and we might have to spend the whole night on the road. Thankfully it was not such a serious situation and we reached Pokhara only 5 hours late, at 10 o’clock at night. I had previously booked the hotel.

Taking a taxi from Prithwi Chawk I reached the New Elite Guest House at Hallan Chawk,. It was beside Phewa Lake. The owner Purna was a very congenial person. Due to the upcoming election there were few restrictions in Pokhara. Restaurants, shops and pubs were to be closed by 10 o’clock at night. So Purna asked me to go to any restaurant to have dinner, as their establishment was already closed.

Next morning taking a taxi we went to Sarangkot view point, to witness the sunrise. The peaks could not be seen properly as it was partly cloudy. I took snaps of Pokhara. As I had a plan to go to Muktinath and Manang for which we had to get a permit from the Nepal Tourist Board. The first half of the day was spent in doing that. I wanted to go Manokamna temple, but it ended up into a fiasco. I was traveling with an acquaintance who was not interested in visiting Devis Falls, and other scenic places because she had already visited them. So we did not go anywhere except the lake at Pokhara. I consoled myself traveling Sarangkot by cable car arranged by our hotel owner.

Normally I travel alone. This time on request of an acquaintance, I took her with me. I had met her previously at Pathornachuni on my Rupkund trip. She also did a short Uttarakhand trip with another of my acquaintances in the month of February. She said that she traveled and trekked quite a few places in the Himalayas, and she was an ex-employee of Indian Railway, and she had got the job through sports quota. I thought she could be a good companion. I felt completely duped when I started traveling with her. She was neither a passionate traveler nor was she physically and mentally fit for taking the strain of traveling through a self organized tour. Realizing my mistake, I decided to keep patience and enjoy as much as possible in that situation.

After spending two days at Pokhara we caught a bus at 7 in the morning for Jomsom. On the bus I was delighted to meet a French lady who had been staying in Nepal for 14 years and adopted Buddhism. She spoke Nepali fluently and knew every nook and corner of Nepal’s trekking destinations. I felt envious of her. We reached Jomsom in the afternoon. We met a German trekker who also wished to go to Muktinath that day. So he took initiative to arrange a jeep, which we shared. We reached Muktinath when the sun was setting behind Mt. Dhaulagiri and Mt. Tukuche.

Gangapurna Peak, glacier and lake. Manang.

Muktinath was quite cold. The name of the hotel at Muktinath where we lodged was Norling. Food was tasty and good. It was near the bus stand. We slept early. Next day after 7 o’clock in the morning we started for Muktinath. My travel companion bathed in the twin kunds and 64 dharas and offered puja. It was actually her prime objective to come to Nepal with me. I offered puja and witnessed the holy deity. I felt blessed to visit there.

Next day was election day. No vehicles would be available. So after coming down from the temple I went to the bus stand to know the bus time to reach Jomsom. I wanted to spend one day at Jomsom and visit Dumba Lake there. But when I went there I came to know that no bus was plying on that day for Jomsom. I had to hire a taxi in a hurry, otherwise we could get stuck at Muktinath for the next day also. Going to Pokhara from Muktinath would take two/three hours longer than Jomsom. And also I was interested in spending one day at Jomsom.

We stayed in a hotel near Jomsom bus stand called the Muktinath Hotel. Jomsom is a scenic place with the view of Mt Nilgiri and Mt Dhaulagiri, Kaligandaki river and apple orchards. Next day being the election day most shops remained closed. Nepal armed forces were patrolling on the roads. We visited the serene Dumba lake after lunch. It was hardly 3/4 kilometer from the center of the small town. The lake is considered sacred by the Buddhists. I lost my camera lens cap while coming back from Dumba lake.

Next day we caught a bus in the morning and reached Pokhara in the afternoon. It started raining after we arrived. Our hotel owner Purna had booked our bus ticket for Besishahar. Spending one night in Pokhara we started for Besishahar at 7 o’clock in the morning and reached at 11 am. There we had our lunch and started for Manang.

Bagmati river, Pashupati nath Temple, Kathmandu.

Many treks start from Manang. It is a district of Nepal. There are small villages like Dharapani, Chame, Pisang, Braga, Tanki Manang, Khangsar, etc. Every village has its own beauty with snow peaks, Marsyangdi river, and innumerable water falls. Thorang La pass trek, Tilicho lake trek, Khangsar kang peak expedition etc. start from here. Mt. Gangapuna, Mt. Annapurna, Mt. Tilicho, Mt. Khangsar Kang, Mt. Manaslu peaks can be seen from here.

We reached Manang at 10 o’clock at night. Here I want to mention that going to Manang needs a lot of physical and mental strength, and traveling to Manang is quite expensive. It is not a cup of tea for an amateur traveler who travels for comfort and leisure. My Manang traveling experience is another story. *****

Spending two nights at Manang we came down to Besishahar. Here I realized that most Indian ATM cards do not work in Nepal and Bhutan. It was a disaster for me. Next day with the help of our driver and hotel owner we got two seats in the micro-bus for Kathmandu. After reaching Kathmandu we boarded in a hotel at Gangabu, where the bus dropped us. Gangabu is a convenient place and there are many budget hotels for locals, though not for tourists. Tourist area is Thamel.

Knowing my problem of lack of funds, the hotel owner helped me. My son sent him money through IME and he delivered me the cash. I shall remain ever grateful to him. I abandoned my plan for Chandragiri and Nagarkot due to my travel companion’s disinterest. We visited Pashupatinath temple, Swayambhunath temple, Patan (Darbar square), Bhaironath and Bhaktapur Darbar square in three days. We caught our flight for Kolkata from Kathmandu. My hopes to witness Mt. Everest and Mt. Machapuchhare remained unfulfilled this time. Maybe I shall visit Nepal again. But that will surely be a solo trip.

*****

Manang, an experience.

Manang, an experience.

_{A pristine district of Nepal}

Manang is a district of Nepal from where many trek routes start. When I was planning for a Nepal trip one of my trekker friends suggested to visit there. I asked him if one can go there by vehicle because I can not trek due to my health issues. I searched Google and YouTube and got a little information about Manang. But in those videos and articles none discussed the cost and the problems. It may be the cause that very few people go there and mostly they go in groups. They are mostly trekkers, so are strong in every way. It is a popular destination for foreigners who do not bother about expenses because 1 US $ is equal to 123 NC or 1 Euro is equal to 132 NC whereas 5 Indian rupees is equal to 8 Nepali rupees. It is a restricted and natural calamity prone area, so a permit (TIMS Nepal) is required to go there. The permit costs 1000+600 Nepali currency.

We took a bus from Pokhara to Besishahar at 7 o’clock in the morning. My companion was eternally irritating by nature. She has different health problems. It was a 4 hours bus journey and the bus did not stop for a break. She suddenly started shouting that she needed to go to the toilet. After shouting a few times, the bus stopped at a suitable place and she released herself. I felt a little embarrassed because it was against my culture and one should have control over oneself for hunger, thirst and other issues while undertaking a journey specially of this kind. There were few young foreigners from Europe who came in different groups from different parts of Europe. There was a solo female traveler too from Germany. All young.

When the bus dropped us at Besishahar, it was around 11-30 AM. We got down from the bus and had our lunch. After lunch I started searching for a vehicle to reach Manang. They asked for 5000 NC. means 3,129 IC. I was a little shocked, I had no idea that the cost of going to Manang would be so high. I could not check through Google because my Nepali SIM did not have mobile data. BTW, in Nepal most of the hotels provide free WiFi connection.

My friend got agitated suspecting that they were looting us. She asked me to bargain and I inquired of to the locals what the true price was, they informed me that it was 2500 NC for locals. I argued with a pick-up van driver and he agreed to take us at 2500 NC ( He was going to Chame, I did not know that the whole area is called Manang which is a district of Nepal and our destination point was Tanki Manang.).

When we started, the river Marsyangdi was accompanying us. It was a cloudy day and drizzling from time to time. On the way a couple from Tamilnadu joined us. The road was extremely rugged, the vehicle was swinging like a seesaw, but the view was extraordinary. We had a tea break at a beautiful view point where there was a large falls. After that there were three check posts where our permits were checked. The vehicle was carrying loads which it dropped at several assigned places.

At Chame it cleared all its cargo and the passengers, except us. He announced that he would not go farther. I was surprised because I was quite sure that it was not the place that my friend had described to me. I firmly told the driver that it was not Manang which we wanted to go for. To solve the dispute the driver took us to the tourist police who intervened and made us understand that we had to pay at least another 1500 NC for going to that particular place from there and he arranged another vehicle which luckily arrived at that time with two vacant seats, and we started again.

It was dark by that time. Outside nothing could be seen. My friend who was by nature always skeptical, started shouting at me that she had made a great mistake coming with me, exhausting herself physically, mentally and financially. She doubted that these people could kill us and throw our bodies into Marsyangdi. None would be able to trace us. I was already upset and tolerating her tantrums on different issues since the beginning of the journey, lost patience and threatened her that when she had come with me she had to endure things till we catch our flight.

When the car reached Tanki Manang it was 10PM. The village was sleeping. The moon was peeping through the clouds. Luckily our driver previously had informed a hotel nearby jeep stand to arrange dinner for all 6 passengers that he was carrying including himself. My friend was so ill mentally and physically that she was unable to stand properly; the driver and another person carried her and her luggage. She was hungry, scared and tired. She slept on the sofa of the dining hall. She could not eat properly and was out of breath. I kept myself calm and served her like a typical manager of a travel agency. She met me on a place during Rupkund trek, she informed us that she had done a few treks, it was unexpected to me that she proved herself so vulnerable in every way all through the tour. I lost my water bottle in the jeep during this chaos.

Next day was a sunny day. My friend was happy to see the natural beauty of the place and did a volte face as if nothing serious had happened previous night. Together we went to Gangapurna lake, watched Gangapuna peak and glacier and strolled in the village. Food was very costly. Even two fried eggs cost 320 NC. The name of the hotel was Hotel Yeti where we stayed. It was convenient for us due to its proximity to the jeep stand. We inquired about the jeep time and the rent after lunch. It was 4000 NC for going down to Besishahar. During dinner my friend asked for a green chilly. The manager of the hotel laughed and said he had not seen green chilly for a month. Instead he offered her chilly pickles.

Tanki Manang is a beautiful village with many snow peaks of Himalayas like Mt Annapurnas, Mt Gangapurna, Mt Tilicho, Mt Khangsar Kang etc. It is situated above 11,500ft/3500 meters from sea level. River Mansyangdi is flowing through the valley. Though arid by nature there are many apple orchards. The apples that grow here are of a different type. Many trek starts from here.

In the afternoon we went nowhere because my friend was neither hardy nor a travel freak, she loved binge watching on her phone most of the time or sleeping. I was also lacking enthusiasm after a few altercation from the beginning of the tour and was waiting for the end. Next morning we woke up early and I reached the jeep stand before 6-30 AM as per instruction of the driver. My friend reached there at 5-45 in the morning. When my friend went to the toilet she found my water bottle in the office cum tea shop at the jeep stand. I was happy to get it back. Ultimately the jeep started at 8AM. Then it stopped at Braga and Pisang to pick up local passengers. Both were small beautiful villages.

At Chame we had breakfast break. Jery (Jalebi) Puri of Chame is famous in Manang. When we went upward we could see nothing as it was cloudy. This time I looked around at Chame, a beautiful village. Manaslu peak was visible from there. From Dharapani the whole Manaslu range was visible, but I had to capture it only on my mobile as I lost my camera lens cap at Jomsom, I had to keep the camera under packing for its safety. We reached Besishahar in the afternoon, nearly at 4 o’clock and boarded in a hotel with the help of our jeep driver. Next day we reached Kathmandu.

An Unachievable Achievement

Rudranath & Madmaheshwar

“Rudranath ki Chadhai jayse Germany ki Ladhai(The ascent of Rudranath is as difficult as the battle with Germany)” that is what said by the owner of Hariyali Resort of Saggar village when I came down from Rudranath extremely exhausted.

I came back from my Kumayun trip 15 days ago and was tired. But there was Durga Puja. I don’t like to stay at home alone in this festive season due to several reasons. So I again packed my rucksack and started for Uttrakhand.

One of my Facebook friends with whom I traveled to Roopkund informed me that ponies are available on the way to Rudranath. My confidence level was high after visiting Roopkund, so I made up my mind to try it.

Once I wished to complete Panch Kedar (Five Kedars, Rudranath, Tungnath, Madmaheshwar, Kedarnath and Kalpeshwar). But when I resumed my travel after a long gap I discarded Rudranath from the list because of it’s difficulty level and my health issues.

When I heard that ponies were available on that path then my desire was rekindled and I decided to go there. I gathered information about the route. Madmaheshwar was always in my bucket list and I thought that if I get time I should also try go to Kedarnath again because I went there with my father long ago.

After reaching Haridwar I lodged in a hotel near the bus stand. Next morning I tried to go to Chamoli by shared jeep but due to lack of passengers it did not start and the driver asked me to go by bus. I boarded in a bus which was almost full at that time. As I did not want to sit in the rear side of the bus, the bus conductor arranged my seat in the cabin.

The bus started and we had brunch at Teendhara. After that, the bus kept on receiving passengers till it was packed. We reached Srinagar where some passengers got down and new passengers boarded. Then it started again. After crossing Dhrari Devi temple the car broke down at an odd point.

Somehow I Managed a shared jeep to reach Karan Prayag from there. From Karan Prayag I got another shared jeep to reach Chamoli. As I was tired with this journey I booked a full car from Chamoli to go to Saggar village. It dropped me in front of Hariyali Resort.

The resort was more decent than expected in that remote area. Next early morning they arranged my pony. We started at 7 in the morning. Initially the path seemed not too difficult till Poong Bugiyal but later it became very rough and steep. The stony staircases were uneven and high. After crossing Mauli Kharak my syce Nitin informed that I had to trek this path while coming down. It was about 3/4 km. But it was too late to withdraw.

The path was very dangerous, risky and breath taking. But when I reached Panar Bugiyal I forgot all my problems because one can witness 180 drgree view of Himalayan range from there with many peaks. Then came Pitradhar and PanchGanga Bugiyal. I had to get down from the pony twice as it was risky to cover those parts by pony. 22 kilometer of such dangerous path seemed too long to me. We at last reached Rudranath (11,811ft) at about 2 PM. From Rudranath also one can witness several peaks of Himalayas.

Food and accommodation at Rudranath was absolutely nominal. Being a single person I had to share room with other people. There was scarcity of water. One should carry Zeoline for purifying drinking water. In the evening we went to the temple for watching puja and evening aarti. Some people offered the deity whatever they carried to offer there.

I was extremely tired though I felt overwhelmed with gratitude that Rudranath brought me in such difficult and remote place. Night was decently cold but the room was cozy, although the quilt they provided was full of dust. I carried sleeping bag from Kolkata but my syce and my hotel owner at Sagar dissuaded me to carry it to Rudranath. I felt the need of it there at night.

Morning was beautiful. We started early after morning tea for Saggar. Going down seemed more difficult to me. It was an ordeal to sit on the back of the pony. Even for a singe moment I could not feel relaxed. We had Breakfast at Leuty Bugiyal at Kishen Singh Bist’s dhaba. He arranged my stay at Sagar and Nitin, my syce, was his son. Then came the most difficult part. I had to walk that very dangerous, difficult, uneven, stony and slippery path where every step should be taken cautiously. When I became completely exhausted I found my syce Nitin and my pony. He took me to Poong bugiyal where we had our lunch. Then we came back to Sagar in the afternoon.

As I drank less water in fear of stomach problem and the area was dry and arid due to lack of vegetation, my nose bled. My whole body was aching with terrible pain. After reaching Sagar I drank lots of water and bathed properly and took early dinner and slept. After a 12 hours sleep when I woke up next morning at 7 I felt that I could move for Madmaheshwar.

After breakfast a car was arranged to drop me at Chamoli. As soon as I got down from the car I saw a bus of UK Roadways. I boarded on it which dropped me at Rudrapayag, from where I got a shared jeep for Ukhimath. From Ukhimath I sat on another jeep for Ransi. Those who travel in group or can afford a car they don’t need to take so much pain. They can go straight from Sagar to Ukhimath or Ransi. It is about 60/65 km from there.

Ransi is the starting point to trek for Madmaheshwar. I stayed at Komal tourist point. This hotel had only the very basic amenities. Its owner arranged a pony for me whose owner’s name was Narottam. I met a monk, and his two disciples in the jeep at Ukhimath who came to Ransi with me. They also stayed at Ransi. Next morning Narottam took me to Madmaheshwar on his pony.

The road was though not as difficult as Rudranath, but it was quite difficult, as the road was steadily declining up to Gondar, then there was steady ascent. At some places it was quite steep though there was a proper paved path. We had breakfast at Bantoli. But I forgot to pay there. Narottam relieved me saying that I could pay while returning.

I reached Madmaheshwar at around 1Pm. I got accommodation with the same monk and his two disciples. My stay was a bliss at Madmaheshwar with them. The monk was from Tehri Garhwal, and one of his disciples was an entrepreneur of Shimla, and the other was a boy from Pangi( Himachal Pradesh). They could climb hill as easily as lizards. They did Panch Kedar at a stretch and all by foot.

In the evening I saw the deity and aarti. After that we had early dinner with roti and kadu(pumpkin) ki sabji. Next early morning was for Buda Madmaheshwar expedition. Mt. Chaukhamba seemed at a stone throw distance from there according to the opinion of Maharaj. After breakfast I started with Narottam. We had lunch at Bantoli. I did not forget to pay this time. There I came across a couple who were from AgastMuni. Hearing about my desire to go to Kedarnath they offered me lift up to Kund(where the road from Ransi met another road for Sonprayag) on their car. After reaching the end point of the trek I boarded their car and I got a bus immediately after reaching Kund.

Madhuganga and ramdana on the way to Madmaheshwar

When the bus crossed Guptakashi traffic jam started. The bus advanced very slowly. At one point the jam became stagnant. After an hour or two the bus conductor came to me and requested me to return as I was alone and aged. He said, I could face problem if the bus reached Sonprayag at night. I realized what he advised was true. He helped me to get my luggage and I came down from the bus and took another bus from the opposite side to reach Guptakashi. I spent the night in a hotel at the bus stand. I decided to go back to Rishikesh.

I got the news of extreme chaos in Kedarnath due to the rush of pilgrims next day. As there was a long holiday of Navratri, Dashera, Saturday, Sunday, many people from nearby places came in their car and there were many youngsters, who were inspired by the movie Kedarnath, came in groups. I thought it would be wise not to move upward anymore.

Next day I came down to Rishishikesh, but it took much longer time than usual as there was again a traffic jam after Tindhara. It started raining at night and red alert was declared by Uttarakhand government as heavy rainfall was predicted. It rained continuously next day. In the next morning I found that the greenish blue water of Ganga changed into mud colour and the water was rushing ferociously down with branches of trees and other things. I heard about many mishaps on the hills and felt blessed that I came down safely.

Next day morning after breakfast I came to Haridwar. I bought peda(sweets made by drying milk) for home and ate malai samosa and boarded on train at midnight.

Traveling beyond dream

MY ROOPKUND TRIP

Mt. Chaukhamba, in the morning from Almora.

I neither planned nor thought even in my wildest dream to attempt for Rupkunda. I did not consider myself to fit to go there. Probably it was the desire of destiny that I visited that heavenly place or I should say it appeared in front of my eyes to oblige me.

It thus happened that my scheduled plan to visit an interior part of Kumayun (Uttarakhand) was cancelled due to heavy rain and land slide. My local guide informed me that when my RT-PCR negative report was in my hand and my bags were packed. Just before three/four days of my departure one of my Facebook friends asked me if I was interested in going Roopkund. I declined her saying it was beyond my physical capacity and I had another plan too.

Suddenly I recalled her offer and called her immediately to tell that I would like to join them. My friend gave me the contact number of the travel guides who were going to arrange the trek. They were two/ three local young boys of 25/30 years ( Uttarakhand Tour Planner). I talked to them and they informed that they had no problem accommodating me if I could reach Wan village on 18th evening. Their package was from Wan to Wan village(19th to 23rd September,2021). They also guided me how to reach Wan through Kumayun.

My ticket was in Durgiana Express up to Bareily from Kolkata station on 14th September. So I visited Almora, Kausani and reached Gowaldam via Baijnath. I spent one day in each of these places.

From Gowaldam I went to Thalarali by bus. Then I took shared jeep to reach Dewal. From Dewal I went to Lohajung by another shared jeep. I had to wait about two hours at Lohajung to get a conveyance for Wan village. I reached Wan by someone’s car taking a lift instead of 150 rupees when the sun was about to set.

In the evening my friend and her two companions arrived from Dehradoon. We were very much excited. Next morning after breakfast we started our journey. Our first lap was up to Gairolipatal (10,000 ft app.)

Roopkund is a difficult trek. On the first day we covered about 5/6 kilometer steep path through beautiful forest, streams and we crossed Neel Ganga. Gairolipatal was a small place with two trekkers’ huts and one small shack of the local forester who served us tea also.

Our tent was pitched for that night. We got one trekkers’ hut to cook our food . It was a full moon night but we could hardly see the moonlit peaks due to cloud. It rained all night. In the morning Mt. Trishul peeped through the cloud for sometime though we missed the sunrise.

During the second day it was a long journey to cover 10/12 kilometers. After early breakfast we started. Our cook Mohan was an expert to cook tasty food with meager ingredients. We covered the forest and reached above tree lines. On the way we crossed eye alluring Bedini Bugiyal. There were many unknown plants that enhanced the beauty of the path. There were shepherds who brought there herds of sheep for grazing on the bugiyals(grassland).

We reached Pathornachuni( 12,700 ft) by 2 o’clock. Here we could not get trekkers’ hut. So a kitchen tent was pitched and hot lunch was served. It was drizzling. We took shelter in our tents. In the evening we enjoyed pakora and tea. Night was pretty cold. But our organizers provided us good tents and cosy sleeping bags that we slept very well.

Next morning the distance we had to cover was not quite long but very tough due to steep and difficult trail. When I reached Kalu Vinayak, Lal Singh, an enthusiastic boy, brother of one of our organizers, told me to ask whatever I want from Kalu Vinayak. I was already so much overwhelmed that I lost words. One of our team mates Mrs. Pratima Mandal( MP/ TMC party) broke into tears out of joy.

We reached our last Destination Bhaguabasa (14,000 ft). On the way we found lots of Brahmakamal with other high altitude plants. It was extremely cold and dark after sunset. Here we managed one trekkers’ hut with the initiative of Kartik, one of our team members. He reached early and occupied one. Being a Garhwali boy he could walk fast on the mountain and he was young too.

Next day was a vital day. We started before dawn. The organizers gave us an escort to each of our four members so that we could walk in the difficult way to Roopkund. The trail was not only steep but also in some places there was no path at all. One had to cover it balancing on the body. The beauty of pristine Himalayas was indescribable and mesmerizing.

My friend Rinku Basu and her uncle were the steadiest and experienced trekkers among us. I was the most crippled one and my escort Dikpal Singh Danu was a very patient one to give me encouragement on that difficult path. Pratima was the tenacious one who never gave up.

Roopkund is a small mountainous lake on 15,570 ft altitude. Due to cloudy weather no peak was visible from there. Only the historical skeletons, the small temple of Shiv-Parvati and the Kund was seeable. Coming down was also not an easy task. It started raining in the mean time. We came back at noon time and had our lunch and again started our down ward journey for Pathornachuni. We stayed there at night. Though it rained heavily, our crew members did not neglect in any way to serve us.

Early morning view, on the way to Rupkund

Our guide Heeraji was an expert in his field. He told us mythical stories of Pathornachuni and Roopkund. He guided us as a professional so that we did not get succumbed to Acute Mountain Sickness or other ailments. Sometimes he carried me like a trolley bag so that I did not fall on the slippery slope. Rain accompanied us till Wan village.

Roopkund ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roopkund )

Next day we left Wan village by a jeep arranged by our organizers. It dropped me at Tharali and went to Hrishikesh with Rinku, her uncle and Pratima. They dropped me at Tharali as my ticket was from Lalkuan. I came back via Goaldam and Nainital.

N.B. One who never traveled and spent night above 10,000 ft should not attempt this trek. It is not a pleasure trip in anyway. Only very basic requirements can be provided. One has to use toilet tent or manage in open air and use toilet paper to clean up oneself because of the scarcity of water. It is very cold. So those who can not endure cold also discouraged to go.

Darjiling Diary

Lepchajagat, Sandakfu, Falut, Tumling.

This year I could not go out for a long time and was feeling suffocated with the situation of Covid-19. Like a pleasant breeze I came across a post on Facebook where two retired Himalaya lovers were organizing a short trip to the above mentioned places with few enthusiastic but novice travelers. So I decided to join them. It was risky for me to arrange this trip solo as I was afraid to encounter strangers in public transport. Sandakfu is in West Bengal, and is the highest point of Singalila National Park and the whole Kanchenjunga range is visible from there. It was one of my dream destinations since childhood. I only became capable of making this trip a reality this December.

I reached Sealdah Station and met the two organizers for the first time. They were amiable. We started our journey on Padatik Express (a Covid special train). After reaching New Jalpaiguri they arranged vehicles for us with the help of their local representative. We had a pretty late breakfast at Rohini. There were traffic jam in multiple places. We reached Lepchajagat at 3:30 PM and had our lunch there. Food was good and everyone was hungry. Lepchajagat felt very cold to me. Later I came to know that during winter Lepchajagat gets very less sunlight as it is surrounded by huge pine forest. It is only few kilometers away from Darjiling town.

Next day after viewing sunrise and having breakfast we started for Sandakfu. After reaching Manebhanjan at around 10 AM we changed our vehicles and boarded four old land-rovers. It was quite difficult for us to sit properly due to the zigzag turns. We had breaks for tea and photography at Tonglu, Kalipokhari, Chitre and Gairibus. From Gairibus it was almost impossible to sit still even for a moment as the road was too uneven and made of stones, it was not a paved road. We reached Sandakfu in the afternoon and had our lunch. Few of our co-travelers got sick due to high altitude and cold weather. They had stomach problem, lack of appetite and headache. But the beauty of sunset and sunrise of Sandakfu was indescribable, only those who have witnessed it can understand, it was a heavenly experience for me. The whole range of Kanchanjunga, sleeping Buddha and other peaks like Everest, Makalu, Lhotse were clearly visible. Sky was very clear by the grace of God.

Next day after breakfast we started for Falut. We were late because there were some young guys in the group, and few of them kept on having excess alcohol every night. So every day they woke up late. It is one of the disadvantages of a group tour that one can not get every member to be like minded. We witnessed Himalayas from some view points on the road. After a particular point our organizers decided to return as we were getting late. The road was also very hazardous. This was the most hectic day of the trip. We came down to Tumling in the afternoon and had our lunch. After lunch I had to take a bath to clean myself as I felt very dirty and dusty. I changed my clothes too. Then I went to see sunset at Tumling. Tumling is a small beautiful hamlet. There were some trekkers and travelers came for Sandakfu summit. Next morning I witnessed my third sunrise of this trip. Then after breakfast we started for Manebhanjan. Kanchenjunga accompanied us till Manebhanjan. From Manebhanjan we changed our vehicles and went for Shiliguri.

A short trip to few mythical places of Birbhum.

Birbhum (a district of West Bengal) has many tourist spots , mythical as well as religious places related to ancient Bengali culture and it is also famous for Shantiniketan, place of two Nobel Laureate, Rabindranath Tagore and Amartya Sen, and also for its natural beauty, red soil etc. This year I went to spend my Durga puja holiday at Kachujor, Bakreswar Thermal Power Colony, with my aunt and cousin. From there we visited some mythical and religious places hiring a car.

Bakreshwar temple and the hot spring was very near so we started from there. We did not bathe as this place was visited by us previously. We went to the Shiva temple and the hot-springs. My cousin and I took two three photos of a local girl. Her face was very impressive. She was wearing few plastic bangles. She was proud of her bangles and showing them off but her two friends didn’t manage bangles from their mother. I heard their discussions and bought bangles for three of them.

Then we headed for the Temple near Gaurangapur, made by Ichhai Ghosh, a local feudal lord of 15th / 16th century, crossing Ajay river through a temporary bridge. It seems strange that how that so tall a temple was built in those days and how architecture and materials were of high quality in those days in such an interior part of Bengal.

Then we went to Garh Jangal, a natural fort and hide out of Ichhai Ghosh to save himself from foreign invadors. this place is also related with Hindu mythology. According to Markandeya Purana first Durga puja was held here, here Rishi Medhas told Chandi Mangal Kavya to Raja Surath, the Chandi temple here is considered as the first Chandi temple. We visited the natural fort wall within the forest and the temples.

Jayadev was a famous Vaishnava poet of medieval age. There were so many stories about him and his love for Lord Krishna. It was said that Lord Krishna himself came to complete a couplet when he went to bathe at Ajay river, for which he was confused and could not come to any conclusion. We visited his house at Kenduli. An annual fair, popularly known as fair of folk singers (Baul Mela), is organized at Kenduli, at Ajay river bank, on the occasion of Makar Sankranti( Mid January) in the name of Jaydev. After visiting his temple we came back home.

My Experiences of Recong Peo and Kalpa.

Recong peo is a small transit town on the way to Spiti and Kinnaur. I happened to stay there twice on my way to Spiti ( Himachal Pradesh). First time I went there in September 2019 from Shimla by bus and reached in the evening. I only watched the beautiful Kinnaur Kailash peak from my hotel window. Next day in the early morning I set out for Kaza. Next time I went there in 2020 March at noon time starting early morning from Shimla by news paper jeep from old bus stand. It dropped me at the market. I went to the bus stand by a local bus.

All hotels were mostly closed due to Corona and March is not proper season for Spiti trip. I went to a hotel at the bus stand and had lunch with rajma chawl. I asked the boy, who was serving food, that I needed an accommodation to stay at night. He was a bit hesitant because the rooms were not cleaned properly as there was no tourist. I agreed to wait for cleaning. He cleaned the room and bathroom, changed pillow covers and then I settled there. He took only Rs 500 from me. The owner was away to Shimla.

The water was so cold that I started sneezing as soon as I washed my face. He said that they had solar heater but as it was not functional, he could give me hot water next morning. It was 4/5 degree temperature then at noon time. In the afternoon I went to the market place taking a short cut behind the bus stand, I bought some extra vitamin tablets for myself to protect from cold and Corona. The taxi stand was full of empty taxis. Next morning I went to Nako and had to return to Kalpa spending one night at Nako as Spiti hotels declared closure due to Corona Pandemic. I came back again in the afternoon to Recong Peo by Kaza -Peo morning bus and caught a local bus to reach Kalpa.

When the local bus dropped me at Kalpa bus stand in the afternoon I saw no one in the road. All hotels were closed. I saw an old lady working in their cowshed, collecting cow-dung for making fuel. I tried to draw her attention but either she was deaf or she did not understand my language, she kept on muttering something that I could not hear. I felt puzzled and started walking slowly towards the market. I saw a traveler bus full of tourists. I asked them where they were going to stay, but they were also in search of a hotel. Suddenly I saw 2/3 people in a balcony of a building. I proceeded towards it, it was a hotel, named Hotel Destination. I went up and asked for a room and got one. Those tourists in the traveler bus also came there later. They had ladies and kids with them. They were a group of 13/14 people including kids.

In the evening I was informed by one of my Himachali Facebook friend that Himachal Pradesh hotels were going to close for tourists from the day after the next day for unknown period. I called my son and arranged my return flight ticket for the day after the next day. At night there was light snow fall. In the morning when I woke up there was fresh snow all over which started melting with the rise of sun. Next day early morning I visited the local temples and monastery. Narayan Nagini temple was built up of wood and its carvings were unique. After breakfast I went to the bus stand to catch the bus for Recong Peo. There was a bus for Shimla at 11 AM. The group of people that came by traveler bus they remained there. Their leader informed me that they would continue their journey to Manali and then Amritsar and would not give up the tour in any case. He was looking very confident. I reached Shimla in the evening and spent the night in the same hotel where I stayed previously. They gave me a warm welcome. I reached Kolkata on 21March evening. I still remember that group and wonder when they did manage to come back and how?

Chandpur, an off beat weekend trip.

One of my friends offered me a trip to Chandpur in a weekend in April 2019 when I had just come back from another long trip. I was tired but I accepted the offer because I don’t get much opportunity for short trips within West Bengal, and secondly they were going by car, so no hassle for transport problem. According to previous arrangement they picked me up from Rabindrasadan metro station. Chandpur and Tajpur are two sea beeches in the south of West Bengal, newly developed for tourism. One can also go there by bus which plies from Esplanade to Digha. In that case one has to get down at Balisai and hire Toto from there. The beaches are just one or two kilometers away from there.

We reached Chandpur in the evening. After viewing few hotels we found Chandpur Eco Hut as a suitable stay. They provided us sea side rooms. Though rooms were not large but they were clean and tidy. Food was good there. After tea and onion pakoda we walked along the road. The sun was already set. Probably due to breaking of bank the sea was barricaded by huge log fence. In some places there was no barricade.

Night was cool and breezy. We had a nice sleep with the sound of rhythmic waves . In the early morning we woke up to see sunrise but unfortunately the sky was partly cloudy. We enjoyed our morning tea and breakfast. After that we went to Tajpur beach. There we roamed for sometimes, had coconut water and kernel of green coconut. There were few sea side restaurants. Sea food was available there. They cook freshly in front of the customers as per their choice. In the evening we returned to Kolkata. It was a good place for serenity and peace of mind. I wished to stay a day more, but my friends were reluctant to come back.

My experience of Nako.

Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, March 2020.

Spiti is a cold desert mountain valley located above tree line in the north-eastern part of Himachal Pradesh. The name “Spiti” means “The middle land”, i.e. the land between Tibet and India. To enjoy winter Spiti by public transport March is considered as the best month because in March chances of road block is less due to snowfall. Though temperature remains subzero but not as severe as January/ February. Buses keep on plying on the routes regularly. There is plenty of snow around. I went Spiti in the previous year during September to Visit Chandratal crossing Kunzum pass. This time my target was to go to Mudh Village, enjoy the beauty of Pin Valley National Park, and on the way back visit Nako lake and Kinnaur Valley.

I went to Recong Peo by a shared jeep that was carrying newspaper in the morning and reached Recong Peo at 12 noon. Next morning I went to the bus stand to catch bus for Kaza. But the bus was full with the students whose institutions in Shimla suddenly closed due to Corona pandemic. It was the only bus from Recong Peo to go to Kaza. I was a bit disappointed. I came to know that there was another bus at 11AM which was going to Samdoo. I thought it would be better to go to Nako without wasting time at RecongPeo. Nako was in my itinerary but on the way back. So I bought ticket for Nako and boarded the bus.

I reached Nako in the evening at 6 o’clock. There was a hotel at the bus stop. I asked for accommodation. The landlady said that they were going to close the establishment from next day, so I have to leave by next day. It had been decided by all hotel and home-stay owners of Spiti that all the hotels and home-stays would remain shut for the tourists from the next day onward. I got into the room. Room was cozy and almost clean, but the toilet was locked. I asked the lady about the toilet, she informed that it was not functional because the water pipe and sewage pipe both were choked with ice. There was a bio-toilet outside the building. I requested her to open the toilet for at least at night and to give a bucket of water. She firmly disagreed. I could neither eat properly nor drink as I was afraid to go out in the mid night in such freezing cold and I was afraid of the hill stray dogs too.

Next morning I woke up at 6-30 AM. It was pretty cold, my fingers became blue as soon as I took off my gloves to take a snap of sunrise. When I asked about the lake to the land lady she informed casually that there was nothing much to see because the lake was frozen, it did not lower my spirit to visit the lake. After taking a cup of tea I went to visit Nako lake. No one was there on the road. I asked a small local girl to show me the way to the lake. She took me near the lake. There were three guys who also came to visit the lake. I am a person from plainland. The beauty of white frozen Nako lake in the morning was mesmerizing to me. I took few photograph of the lake. I requested those visitors to take few snaps of mine. Then I came back and had breakfast. In the cafe I met three bikers who stayed at Dhankad as they were refused accommodation in Kaza the previous night. I caught the morning bus for Recong Peo. I reached Recong Peo in the afternoon and from there I went to Kalpa.

Talasari(Odissa), a week end trip.

Talasari is in the Baleshwar district of Odissa, at West Bengal-Odissa border. It is not a so popular as Digha, though it is very near to Digha ( West Bengal). Talasari means series of palm trees. I planned this week end trip in the winter (2018) with a friend of mine. We got accommodation in OTDC Chadaneshwar. We went to Digha by Howrah- Digha train. From the station we took a toto for Talasari. After reaching there we had our lunch and then visited Chandaneshwar temple. It is a small Shiva temple.

In the evening we went to the sea beach. A branch of Subarnarekha river meets Bay of Bengal here. During low tide one can walk crossing the river to reach the beach, but during high tide, when the river is filled with water, there is boat service to carry the tourists to the sea side. We enjoyed sunset there and walked on the beach till the boat service was about to stop.

Next early morning we went to the river side to watch sunrise and waded through the river as there was no boat and the water level was low. But due to haze we could not see proper sunrise. It was pretty cold, so very few people were seen on the beach. We walked along the beach till the end. There were many sea weeds and specially lots of red small crabs were seen. As soon as they felt the vibration of our footsteps they went inside the sand bed.

In the afternoon we started for Bichitrapur Mangrove Sanctuary which is at the river mouth of Subarnarekha river. We had our lunch there. Crab was pretty cheap, and they cook only on customers’ order. We had to wait for sometimes because it was low tide time and boat service to the mangrove island started when water filled the river bed. The boat jetty is at the end of a canal. It was dry then. Later water level increased with the tide and we started. We reached the sanctuary within 15/20 minutes. It was a vast shallow land full of red crabs. But we could not enjoy much roaming around there because of few intoxicated men. They were behaving in an unruly manner. We roamed near the boat jetty and took few snaps. In the evening we came back and again enjoyed walking on the beach.

Next morning after breakfast we came back to Digha and visited Mohana of Champa river. There was a big fish market. I bought some dried fish. After having lunch at old Digha we took a stroll along the old Digha beach. Then we went to the railway station, waited in the station waiting room to catch the train for Howrah.