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.
Benediction 