Trip update

Today I completed phase 1 of my preparation for the trip. For a while now I've been going through countless articles and write-ups to try and get a sense of what I'm in for and what I'll need while i'm on this journey. I don't know how helpful those articles have been but the singular feeling running through me as I read them is that of exhilaration. Maybe that's a testament to just how disdainfully I viewed my life all this time. I can't believe how much I've built up the concept of this trip in my mind and how much I expect of it. I don't exactly know what I think I'm in store for. Maybe I think I'll have an epiphany of sorts, or some spiritual awakening, or the resurrection of a long dead zest for life. I don't know. I truly hope that I can keep myself grounded and simply enjoy the trip for what it is and not put it up on a pedestal in anticipation of it falling down to perdition. It was also extremely amusing to see the reactions I got from different people when they learnt of all of this. I got a little bit of everything from envy to apathy to open contempt. It can be quite a revelatory experience in terms of understanding where you stand in the eyes of the people around you. Nobody really seemed to get why I was doing this, why I'd shy away from the apparently 'luxurious' lifestyle that I have, to go and rough it out in the mountains, even if it was for only a period of 3 weeks. It felt really difficult to try and explain to them or maybe I'm just terrible at expressing myself. Nobody can see past the surface and into the disarray and confusion that you probably really are. And it's confusing for people around you to see you engage in such eccentricities when you seemingly have it all going for you. I just think that everybody's broken underneath in one way or the other and they need to find a place to heal. I'm hoping this is my place. As simple as that. Onto more exciting things now :D

I bought a new laptop today; an HP Pavilion DM1. It suits my needs, it's a 11.6" laptop making it extremely light and portable. I don't know what it is about me, but I simply cannot seem to write on paper. I need a keyboard and a screen staring me in the eye before I can write something. It's extremely inconvenient at times, but I have to live with who I am, so I went out and splurged on this laptop. I'm going to take it along on this trip to document all the experiences and relevant information. I always try and make it a point to write about any trip that I take. Not only does it impart valuable information to those that care for it, but also I think it offers the opportunity to the reader to vicariously live through the trip and experience a semblance of the beauty of the whole experience. I have read hundreds of travel blogs and articles and experienced all the colors of emotion contained within. I can only hope that what I write will help others feel the same, even in the most infinitesimal of manners. So with the help of my trusted HP, i'll be posting updates and pictures as I go along. I also bought trekking boots at woodlands. They look sturdy and weigh a ton and the guy at the store assured me that I wouldn't 'slip and fall down', a tall claim considering who's going to be wearing them :) I just need to get a few more logistics into place and procure a few more items. My friends have been extremely considerate and gracious in helping me with all of this. Every blanket, swiss-knife, sweater, set of camera batteries, and plenty of other stuff helps. I can't help but feel like the golden child of the village being sent away to a better place with blessings and goodwill. This trip hasn't started and already it feels right. The beautiful snow-clad mountainous landscapes await me and I can't wait to be among them.

Destination Himachal Pradesh

So the moment of truth is coming up faster than I thought it would and I decided that I had a very limited timeframe within which to work in an escape of sorts. Therefore I decided that I would leave on my little odyssey in May rather than June and started charting out a plan. Regardless of how attractive carefree vagabonding sounds, a little attention to detail and logistics goes a long long way in making your trip memorable and free of stress. People, who are for all intents and purposes sane and rational, suddenly seem to become neurotic when it comes to planning a trip or a vacation. You have to work out a rough draft of what you want the trip to turn out to be but if you're obsessed with the specifics you'll miss out on the wonderful detours that you can take and the little segues that life throws at you. Traveling alone helps hugely in such a situation. I digress, however. I plan to take a trip through Himachal Pradesh right into the heart of Spiti Valley. My rough sketch of the trip runs like this:

Hyderabad to Delhi - Train
Delhi to Reckong-Peo - All bus travel hereonafter (unless I'm fortunate enough to share a taxi with decent people)
Reckong-Peo to Sangla to Rakcham to Chitkul
Chitkul to Kalpa
Kalpa to Reckong-Peo to Nako
Nako to Tabo
Tabo to Kaza
And then the incredibly long trip back to Hyderabad.

This is obviously a very tentative plan and I plan to adjust accordingly to situations thrown at me. The only constant through this haphazard sounding trip is that I'm going to try and travel as cheaply as I can covering as much ground as possible. I might omit a place or two but it would be nice if I didn't have to. Just the planning part is getting me very excited and I'm looking forward to be back on the road and in Himachal Pradesh. I haven't been fortunate enough to meet interesting people on my trips before and hopefully that changes this time around :) I'll be taking plenty of pictures and will be writing about my travels every single day. At the end of the day I plan to put together a nice little journal from the trip that can help/encourage other people to take a trip out there. I'm torn between wanting people to discover the beauty of inner Himachal Pradesh and keeping it a secret :) Lahaul and Spiti are supposed to be two of the most pristine places in Himachal Pradesh and I can barely wait to visit them. I'll try to cover the usual touristy stuff but also try and document the culture and life. A friend offered to lend me his Eneloop batteries and charger so that I don't have to worry about taking photos :) It just goes to show how much your trip is influenced by the many small generosities and courtesies by people. I don't know if anyone is going to be the least bit interested in all of this, but let's see :)