For some reason I woke up quite early at 5:23 A.M today. I feared I had overslept and immediately checked my phone to see what the time was. Realizing what the time actually was, I decided to sleep some more before I was up and out. I finally woke up at about 7:45 and worked out for a little bit in my room. After the gruesome (for me) workout, I took a shower and stepped out to have some breakfast before I left on my trek. I had two paranthas, tea, and a cream scone and I was happy.
I bought water to take with me and left the hotel at 10:40 A.M in the direction of Rakcham. I walked past several guest houses and hotels on the outskirts of Sangla and came upon an establishment called Cafe 42. It was a queer thing really; an upscale coffee shop in the middle of nowhere. Even the foreigners who visit Kinnaur would have the sense not to pay the outrageous prices that they were charging. The prices were on par with what you’d find in Cafe Coffee Day, Barista, or Mocha. I wanted to take a picture but the guy sitting outside had a dour look about him so I let it be.
I continued my journey onwards all the while taking pictures of some old fashioned wooden houses (with Dish TV satellites outside) and some landscapes. Some distance later I saw the board pointing towards the Igloo Nature Camp site and I took some pictures of the accommodation that they were providing. From the outside it looked like an extra large tent with added amenities. The location wasn’t great and it just seemed to be in an awkward area.
I lost interest and I walked on. After a little bit of walking I came to the Gangarang naala and the bridge built upon it. There was a Shiv Mandir on the other side and I went in under the pretext of praying and I took a couple of pictures. After that it was just solid and steady walking for a long time admiring the landscapes and the cool breeze. The sun was shining with full intensity and I think I’ve been sun burned as a result of it. On the road I saw a woman piling flat rocks into potholes and she asked me why I was walking when I could have taken the bus. I told her that I wanted to enjoy the surroundings and she seemed appreciative of the sentiment. I asked her about the villages that would follow and she gave me some good information. I gave her a chocolate and started walking again.I found a ledge to place my camera on and used the self timer to take a picture. It was the first picture of the trip that had me in it. I wish there was a better way to include myself in the pictures at the places where I want to be in the shots. I then came to a bridge and saw a Hanuman temple outside of it. There was also another temple with no clear indication of the deity worshipped within. I can only assume that it was another temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. Next on the road was the spot where Kinner Camp was located. The sign said that it featured ‘Swiss cottage tents with attached toilet/bath, bonfire, & a good bistro’. They must have taken out the bonfire option for obvious reasons. They looked like high quality make-shift medical tents in war-torn regions. I was itching to go down and have a look but I thought I might not be welcome and so I moved on. All this while I had been eyeing the river in the valley and was dying to find a way to get to it. I eyed some dodgy looking mountainsides and wanted to descend there, but decided against it keeping my non-existent climbing skills in mind.
Just when I almost gave up on the idea of getting down to the river side I found a road that would take me down into the valley. It was at the archway that led to the Banjara Camp Site. The sign said that the road was 2 KM long and I happily started walking down the road. After walking about 600 meters, I noticed that road was long and winding and unnecessary if you were on foot. You could cut through if you trekked through the mountain side. I decided to do just that and started descending on the half-existent trails. My trekking boots really came into play and they supported my endeavor tremendously and I was able to cut right through the trails and save a lot of time and distance. I got into the village of Batseri and started walking towards the river. I could hear the wonderful sound of the river flowing and could barely stop myself from running all the way towards it. I made my way through the grass and rocks and got to the edge of the river. A clear sight of the river was being barred by a large collection of rocks and I found that I needed to walk over to them.
From a distance this looked easy enough as the rocks appeared to be in a tight cluster. Upon closer inspection I found that the rocks were some distance apart and there was a decent current flowing between them and also plenty of acid green moss. After some inspection I found a way where there was minimal risk of me falling into the water. This way, however, was barred by two cows that did not seem to take well to my being there. I wasn’t about to take my chances with the mountain fit cows and I tried to wait it out to see if they would move. A staring contest then ensued and finally the cows moved away and I was free to hop over to the river. Making my way to the river was a little tricky and I had to exercise extreme caution and agility before I finally made it. I sat on the edge of a big rock and happily looked at the river for a while and took lots of pictures. Then I made my way back to the road and saw the bridge and the village beyond it. I was in two minds whether to get back onto the main road and continue my walk towards Rakcham or to go into that village. I finally decided on the latter and made my way into the village.
The sign at the beginning of the village informed me that this was Batseri and that it was a green village. I started walking in and came to an entrance decorated with Tibetan symbols and pictures. Right after the entrance on the left there was a beautiful temple. The temple premises were empty and there wasn’t a sign with any name on it. There was a boy nearby and I asked him if he knew what temple it was. He shook his head vigorously and took off like a bullet. I was unsure about whether to enter and if so, with or without shoes. Thankfully I saw a man coming out wearing slippers so I went in and marveled at the temple. The temple (as I later found out) is called Dev Mandir. I don’t really know any history of it but the way it was designed, I’m going to say that it is a testament to religious tolerance and true secularity. The temple doors featured deities from almost all religions found in India and the gateways were adorned with two dragons. It was simply beautiful. I spent quite some time taking pictures there.
After the Dev Mandir I stepped out to see a stone which said that there was a Bodhi Mandir ahead and I walked towards it. When I finally reached I found that it was in a dilapidated condition but it certainly looked it had had some good days. I checked the time at that point and saw that it was 1:40 and I decided to turn back because I knew that walking back would take longer. I traced my steps back and slowly and painfully marched towards Sangla. I heard a bus coming towards me but I chose not to flag it down because I wanted to complete the entire distance on foot. One of the highlights of the return trip was reaching a place near Sangla and seeing my boot print in the sand from more than 3 hours ago. I also met the woman again and told her of my travels and gave her another chocolate and continued.
The last few kilometers were positively excruciating because every part of my legs ached. I tried to distract myself by singing or talking to myself and giving myself mini-pep talks. I finally reached Sangla at about 4:40; a full six hours from when I had left. I barely managed to walk into a Tibetan Cafe and order some vegetable chowmein and momos. I came back to the hotel room at 5:30 and didn’t step outside afterwards. Sometime during the late evening I heard rain crashing down on the roof. I’m thankful that it didn’t happen during my walk back; that would have hugely complicated things. Now, it’s time to lay my weary body to rest and wake up tomorrow and proceed towards Rakcham and Chitkul. Cheers till tomorrow!
Lessons learnt:
1) When going out for an adventurous walk, take surplus water, dehydration is no fun and the general stores might just be closed as was the case with me today.
2) Talk to the locals from the villages about interesting places, they have an excellent idea of where all things lie and they’re only too happy to help you out. Give them something as a token of your appreciation!
3) Try to walk as much as possible. If you take a cab you’ll have the advantage of stopping wherever you want to, but I still think that walking is better. It’s a whole different experience and you’re guaranteed to love it.
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