Tired of the daily work schedule and fascinated by the solo tales, the girl with heels decided to pack her bag and moved ahead to her first .Trust me, this title sounds way too romantic than the reality.
Smittened by the sheer whimsicalness of the idea, I decided to go on a SOLOTRIP to any god forsaken place that fit my budget. Being a woman who never stepped out without heels on her foot and plan on her head, this trip was beyond my comfort zone! They say unplanned is sometimes the most happening plan ,they say it right. Thursday night, while I packed my bag and boarded a red bus to Dharamshala at 10 evening, it took me almost 12 hours to juggle with thoughts of anxiety, excitement and what if’s.
Years ago, I had come here before and Where everything else had changed the city felt just same. Warm, embracing and Alluring . Kay Nang Gi Ma ray (You’re welcome) said the hotel owner where I had thought to dig in. He asked me if I am alone and made sure I felt safe and comfortable.
In my very first day I had decided to explore Thai food, native lanes, Bhagsu falls and Shiva Cafe! Well, that was the beginning of an extremely interesting day in Mcleodganj.What ensued was a long, almost a never ending night of enlightenment. The white waters of Bhagsu were peace to the soul. The view was no less than those landscapes drawn in art workbooks. A Mesmerizing eternal white trail coming from great green ranges. In no time I decide to dip in the waters that made everyone else believe if I am psychopath. It was 3-4 degrees and water was near to freezing. I gathered myself to move ahead .Who by the way hasn’t heard of the cult called Shiva Cafe, to be honest? The hippie culture of the small hamlet called Mcleo has made Shiva café synonymous to the place. A visit to the hills can never be accomplished without a session in the lap of Shiva! A place to soothe the wrench of your veins and attain a temporary state of NIRVANA.
The very next morning I started my trek to Triund which brought with it some fresh air and green valleys. I breathed deep. First few miles went okay until my foot stumbled over a stone and I fell down! But hey! Joy of standing up enthrills only when you fall down, that’s LIFE! It took me around 4-5 hours to reach TRIUND, the beauty so BREATHTAKING! Perfectly capped snow peaks that stood bold and high, and clouds walking down besides you, I have always been romanticizing such view in my life and it was a dream come true! Beyond the hustle bustle of the capital and daily workloads of 9-5 , that place just felt HEAVEN!
I was thinking to get down till Diana turned up to me. Well the best part about travelling is you meet new people, share experiences, make friends, know more and grow more! A fine Blue camp pitched at the slope caught our eye and we settled our stuff there! In no time walking clouds turned into twinkling stars and trust me stars never felt this closer. Two Italian (Chris and Leena ) accompanied us to the bonfire which later got resided with almost everyone .Camp had served us dal and rice with some pahadi pickle.That night, that particular night amidst all the talking, gossipings, music around I felt indifferent about myself. The only time in life that changed me, for better! I knew I was probably never gonna meet them again but journey of life is all about being demotional and living that moment to its best and let Universe do the plannings!
Morning 06 am sun had painted the sky with alluring colors and it felt warm to the skin. Post an hour I started to move downhill and took me 4 hours to got down. Meanwhile I had found my way to German bakery that served the best apple pie and mud cakes ever. I boarded my bus back to city and got into my daily schedule like before but something about it was changed, and that was ME!
With love
-J.T
ReadingArt By Jyoti Tandon 