It is the start of the journey that stays with you the most, probably because you are aware of every ticking second!
I remember the jitters the night before and how D had to calm me down. With a sprained ankle and a strained shoulder, the physical weakness had almost convinced me that I call it off. But then everything that could go wrong already had – so only good was remaining!
So there I was in Manali in the company of these two awesome people I met on the bus. There was also another girl I had met – all of 19, dropped out of college and now dedicated to teach at a school located in a remote village. I met another girl who was just back from Spiti (her second solo trip) with a story similar to mine. The difference was probably how spirited she had become through her experiences over the last few months. I am hoping I have started a similar transformation!
The ride to Spiti was interesting. We were a heterogeneous group with barely any overlaps if we had to plot ourselves into a venn diagram. So a trekking guide, investment banker turned teacher, architects, marketing professionals and a consultant (that’s me, unfortunately) made for crazy discussions. There was also a Croatian travel writer – the coolest, the oldest and the fittest of us all!
Breakdowns and bladder stops. Lunches and languid walks. Chocolates and changing landscapes. Every turn brought new sights. We had a rainbow following us for a while, flowing on the fields or up and down along the mountain ridges.
We made stops at Kunzum Pass (15000 feet), Losar (perhaps the first village in the valley) and then Hansa (a small village but for the welcoming ceremony of the lamas that we were very lucky to catch). We made it to Kaza (administrative HQ of Spiti) in good time to relax and catch the blazing sunset over sumptuous momos!
The first day was acclimatization amid breathtaking views of a landscape that I will never be tired of. I visited Kee Monastery, Kibber and Chicham Gorge. It started the series of so many firsts I was about to have – every time I thought it cannot get better than this, there was magic awaiting round the corner.
The second day, before starting the trek, there was a stop at Langza (famous for its fossils) where I had a session with the local potter. I managed to make a cup with a lot of help and a slightly sore right leg. The trek to Komic spans about 10 kilometers dotted with meadows and fields and the unyielding majestic spread of Spiti. Hikkim falls on the way which is the highest post office in the world where I gleefully posted three cards.
Along the route, fresh peas were a constant snack. Every time there was a field, a smiling farmer handed freshly plucked peas – the sweetest I have ever had in my life. Maybe that is why even the locals are so kind and so giving. They spend their whole lives in that unforgiving land, putting long hours just to be able to survive and yet… Not a sour face or a bitter complaint. Always smiling, always sharing! They were happier than most of the people I have met in the city… Content in the simple life and truly immersed in the spirit of community living.
I headed straight to Komic Monastery on reaching. The valley at sunset was breathtaking – golden fingers caressing the green pastures. Rejuvenated with the view, the headache and exhaustion melted away with the sun. I was staying with a local family in Komic. Three noisy children and one mischievous baby did not deter the woman from making me feel at home and fussing over dinner and chai. Oh the chai! I have never had so many cups and varieties of chai as I had in those 10 days – lemon, mint and sea buckthorn were my favorite. That night – spent in the highest motorable village in the world – I slept deeply and peacefully.
It had been a wonderful start! Even better than I had imagined… And my imagination is wild 😀
You will remember that trip for the rest of your life. Thank you for sharing the experiences with us, and may more be told as the days progress! 🙂
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Thank you Colin 🙂 This was truly a trip to cherish
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sMiles Prajakta.. from the beautiful
photos of your Tibetan Mountain
trip into the wild and nice
of your
ancestral
past.. i was
struck by the
awesome coolness
of what i saw of your
hiking boots.. and iT seems
like it would be hard to sprain
an ankle in what gives so much
support to you.. feet.. feet.. feat
of connecting to Mother Earth..
Hands.. Hands.. Hands.. that
hoLd each other WitH arms
in places that have
no central
heat
to separate
us from the
warmth of others
that even a kind smile
bRingS for what seems
forevernow.. and porches..
front porches of the Southern
Wild of Panhandle Florida..
always my ancestral
home now
from birth..
and still in poor
sections in what they
term as across the railroad
tracks of then.. neighbors hang
on.. on porches young and old with
smiles.. and lazy love that fills a yard
with liGht.. beyond four walls of castle
now in mirror neuron ways of Electronic
Entertainment no different really than
the pacifier and the rubber nipple
that replaces a breast
of human love..
and when i
hear you say
how happy the poor
who work hand in hand
toGeTher for the subsistence
and shelter in life are in your
ancestral mountains there.. no
surprise even to science now.. showing
the most peaceful societies in the world
that number twenty all of that in common
of small.. and the giving and sharing way of
life day by day.. of hands and arms and feet
that Love all that is the same.. sure.. sure there
are difficulties that only makes the Love that comes
that much more iSreal.. when arms and hands and feet of
human are connected once again to all that is.. mY FriEnd..
i almost hate to call that God.. as that word has become so dirty
and divisive and violent too.. away from Beauty.. Innocence
and Love that even science shows that humans are
born to be.. never fallen any place
but cultures and religions
that do divide..
but it’s true too that
even science shows that
the human social connection
is the number one source of human
happiness in flesh and blood ways..
and that folks who make over 50K a year
who have met their basic subsistence needs
met in a First World country are no more happy than
the Billionaire Frowns of Trumps the same in grimace
for a never ending rat wheel journey of more illusory status
and power that never FeeLs uP the place of empathy and compassion
and all we feel of Love.. it’s too easy my friEnd.. to work 10 years and more..
30 and even 40 more to support a mortgage.. to support a boat loan and
even a yacht loan and more.. that only sits in a harbor for garden
parties that have no leaves.. of Love.. that are iSREaL iN
the simple comfort of Being
Love now with
each other
holding hands
with arms that
hug.. and that my
friend in loving contact
with the oxytocin receptors
on literally feet that allow us
to feel the love of Mother Earth
iSREaL.. is yes.. why some folks
who saw the animated paRt of the
movie.. Avatar.. that showed in Avatar
terms the death of our nature deficit disorder
in terms of first world problems.. was so much
to handle in the awakening to the slaves and prisons
they live in now.. already a depth of depression vague
that knows no home.. that yes.. some folks literally committed
suicide.. as the truth of the hell they learned they were.. was too
much to handle.. one more now.. there.. as there was no escape seen
for them back to a FoRest of Life that is real as FeeLinG LoVinG Touch..
sorry.. this is really long my friEnd.. but tHere IS A simple way out that is
possible
in Being
LoVe aGaiN..
it just requires shedding
all these illusory clothes of
culture.. that have blinded
us to the liGht of what hUman
even iS as and ISReaL Beauty of Love..
the problems is there is nothing simple
about the illusions now my friEnd.. they
are we and we are they.. and the
way back is
worth
iT noW..
when found..
beYond the
Castle Walls
of death as liFe..
as i’M sure any Tibetan
moNK would relate too iF
and when they come down
from the Mountain or Beach2..:)
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What you say is so true! In fact, one of the monks I was talking to said something very similar about nature and love and how closely they are connected up there! Thank you for a wonderful comment as always!
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Thanks my friEnd.. For
Such an inspiring
Vacation travel.. Story..
Particularly all
The Beautiful
Photos.. too..:)
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Thank you for taking us on that journey again. That rainbow on the rocks is absolutely breathtaking! Only caused by the sunset and the reflection of the minerals?
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I think it was the play of sun and rain clouds 🙂
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A natural spectacle!
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Waah!! Such a refreshing & positive read in the morning!! Thank You for sharing. Keep exploring; keep expressing!! :))
P.S.: Not unfortunate to be a consultant; gives you many privileges (non-financial :D) such as these. 🙂
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Thank you so much Rushabh bhai 🙂
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I am sure this will motivate many others to take such a trip! The pics are ‘wow’! Feels good to read this post. 🙂
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Thanks a lot Prakash 🙂
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Wow… How did you go about planning the trip? Is it normal for travelers to stay with the locals and interact with them? This seems like one of those trips that should definitely be undertaken alone, kind of to gain perspective in life. Thanks for sharing the photographs and your experience. I look forward to reading more about your trip. 🙂
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Homestays are very much normal in Spiti. You can stay in Zostel or guesthouses in the major villages like Kaza and Tabo or even a monastery, but if you wish to stay in the inner villages instead of just driving, homestay is the only option. Just land up – the people will make sure you have a roof over your head 🙂
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Oh! How interesting. That’s so kind of them. Definitely makes for an interesting experience, as I see in your posts.
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Great writing, Prajakta. Lovely to be able to read your adventures. Sorry I was late in getting to it.
Is it safe for women to stay homestay ?
I admire your guts and spirit.
Susie
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Thank you Susie… Spiti is probably one of the safest places for women to travel alone and stay with the locals.
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This is wonderful to read,you just reminds me my last trip to Leh Ladakh that was as special as unforgettable memories.We initiate with same way( Rohtang,Kaza…)i hope you’ve enjoyed the most.😊
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Thank you Prashant 🙂 Glad it brought back some wonderful memories!
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Trip of a lifetime i would say. I have read so much on Spiti that i can’t wait to be there (after i am in India).
I am sure i would love tea there, and those sweat peas too 🙂
Btw, is staying with locals the only option?
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Come soon and make sure you have at least two weeks kept aside for Spiti 🙂
At most of the villages, staying with locals is the only option. No hotel since the total population is around 50-100! Plus no phone or network. But major villages like Kaza, Tabo have guesthouses or “hotels”.
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I can’t wait much to be there. Staying with the locals has its own charm 😊
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Wowowow this is one place that I have to have to visit before I die. . My friends keep askinh me but something or the other keeps coming up..
Beautiful place …
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You have to visit this place as soon as possible 🙂 Just go for it!
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beautiful pictures…!!!!! reminds me of my own trip to spiti, almost exactly a year ago…!!! nostaligic now!! thanks for the post!!!
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Thank you so much 🙂
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I just couldn’t get enough of this post. I read it twice and swooned over the pictures like a baby who hasn’t seen any of the world yet. The first picture with the rainbow is breathtaking, and so are the others! Plus your narration of the whole account was like cherry on top!
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Thank you Zee ❤ I cannot get over Spiti… So difficult!
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Always !☺️
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Truly looks like a place where you can find your inner self…
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Thank you Sandra! It truly is a magical mystical place
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I love your attitude and enjoy seeing the world through your eyes. The big, beautiful sky and the prayer flags flying help me imagine the feel of the breeze on my skin.
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Sending some of the fresh breeze your way… It will have some traces of poo at times as well 😀 Thanks for your kind comment, JoAnna!
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An unforgettable trip. Surely you have met a number of people, have made new friends and, have your memory full of exquisite experiences. the RAINBOW!! I’ve never seen anything like it…not even in pictures…!! You are so very lucky… 🙂
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Thank you 🙂 These pictures honestly don’t do any justice to the beauty of the place!
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I can understand. I felt in the same way many times…
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solo adventures are always much awesome then the ones in groups… Each has its own indulgence but nothing compares to solo.. Wonderful post Prajakta 🙂
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Thanks a lot, Hemangini 🙂 It truly was an awesome adventure!
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We were in Spiti this last November and loved every minute of it. Plan to make another trip in summers for the wild blooms! Isn’t it all so gorgeous!
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Spiti seems like a place worth visiting, Prajakta!
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It absolutely is !! 🙂
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Great pictures…
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Thanks!
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