The Dream Catcher (Part 4)

The Traveler

What do you do when you meet a person again? I am very bad at this. We have met in Kasol and now here. What to do? Say Hi and Wave my hand or a professional handshake? What they will think that I am a stalker or something? With lots of dilemma in my mind, I drop of the jeep and went to them and said “What a small world! We met again”.

They shook hands with smile and one of the biker said “Are you following us dude? Because following a group of guys is lame and LGBT is still not legal yet here”.

I replied “No, even If the LGBT is legal.” And they laughed. “Good to see you guys here” I smiled.

Its evening so I started searching for place to stay in Kaza. They have pre-booked theirs, not like me. So when they checked in I asked in same home stay if they have any available room. The person was making excuses. Then one of the biker said he is with us. So that worked and I got the room. There are many home stays so they have adjusted one for me.

After getting a place to stay, I got of my bag and took my camera again and started wandering in Kaza Village. Kaza Village is very neat and clean. I have never seen a village so neat and clean. Even I can say the cities in India are not as clean as this village. I am impressed. Very well maintained. And you can see the Key Monastery from Village. It around 30 Km from Kaza and it takes around 1 hour to go there.

There is NGO also who accept the donations in form of monetary or cloths or food. Many artifacts made by village people only. You can buy souvenir from there. I don’t have much money. So I have donated some photographs, so they can use them as wallpaper in advertisement or album to show tourists. It’s getting dark as the first thumb rule of mountains is sleep early and wake early. In the night we can’t go to Key Monastery but we can go to roads form where we can get the front view of Key Monastery.

We have bikes and I hopped on one of them with my camera. I recorded the night view where all is dark and only lights from villages and key monastery are visible. On the bike you can spread your hands and feels like flying. Because the breeze is so cold as it feels like above the cloud. One of the biker is showing same stunt with hands spread but he is the one also driving the bike. Well he succeeded in doing that.

We stopped on the very quiet and vacant road. No vehicle is arriving at this time. We have all road to our own. We slept, danced and litter on the road. The view is great where the whole sky is canvas and the stars with black mountains are drawn on it. And the lights on mountains are decorated at them. Even darkness has its beauty and charm. We all 5 just sat for some time and no words were spoken. Only the cold breeze is there to be felt and the view to be enjoyed. The aesthetic beauty which satisfies your soul. And India is full of these kind of experiences. I am like viewing this without any blink an eye. The cold breeze hitting the naked eyes which is causing the flow of tears. One of the biker broke the silence. He said we have been here at this place many times but this view never has still his charm. Each time it is more beautiful and refreshing. Many tourist and travels go here and there but these kind of things are eternal.

We are all spell bound and after sometime we all get up and started moving for the bikes. I stopped all and asked for a group click. Snapped some memories and they have also shared their email ids so that I can share the pics. We are all silent not talking much on the way to home stay. All are at peace. Not much noise from inner or outer. We went for dinner where we enjoyed local cuisine. We have Thukpa and fresh green peas vegetable with gravy. It is good. I am a foodie but I hesitate while trying any new food. But the food here is good and not much spicy but tasty. It’s almost 8 p.m. in night and whole village is close. Not a single person you can see outside on streets. Markets are also closed. We are walking after the dinner. We only here the voice of the wind passing by.

While going upstairs, I am again thinking of having a home here for living. It happens to me. The places which I like the most, I want to spend rest of my life there. These kind of thoughts bug me very often. I shared the same with the bikers. They said nice thought but how many homes you are going to build? There are a lot of peaceful and beautiful places in India. You will get tired of making houses at each place.

“True that”, I replied.

One of guy said “When you have whole country as your home so why should we bother to build a house at one place. Let’s live everywhere. We are travelers, not tourists. We don’t build houses. Tourists build a home at one place. When they fed up with life, they start searching for peace in places like this. After finding peace for some time they again left to their respective homes. But, travelers are nomadic. They just travel. They are travelling and will be travelling.”

“It is deep. Now I know the difference between traveler and tourist. But sometimes I think that how last it is going to long. We will age and our body will not support travel. We have to stop at one time.” I added.

“True. That’s why we have our jobs for retirement. Always have some savings for your retirement.” The guy answered.

As we moved to our rooms. We shared a good night with smile and went to bed. These are the things which can’t be learnt in a school or college. These comes with experience. And our India is full of experiences. More people is equal to more lives is equal to more experience. We were taught knowledge in school and college but wisdom is gained only through experiences.

The Dream Catcher (Part 3)

The Package

I left Kasol with lots of questions in mind and thinking of the possibilities that if I get a chance to meet her again. Isn’t it obvious with human beings? We always think that the outcome of various possibilities is always in our favor. We are happy with that even if it was for a moment. Best time pass of a leisure person. The bus was good and the route from Kasol to Rohtang pass is awesome. It was from Parvati Valley to Beas Valley and then into the snowy mountains on jeep. You will fall in love with the journey itself. It is strange that at first I was avoiding to come here and now it is turning to be a game changer for me.

I have been in Manali and Rohtang pass before. First as a college student with my friends and then as traveler for my livelihood. I have taken this road many times and every time I fall in love with it. This time I am delivering a package to Leh as a request from one of my best friend. As he is busy and we don’t have any options left. So taking this package to Leh where my other friend is doing research on Buddhism. It’s like a dropshipping, but here I am doing it for free. I don’t know what is in this package? And what is special about it? But he insisted of delivering it in person instead of using some courier service. The suspense will break when I reach Leh.

You must be thinking then why took a road trip to deliver the package? Why not take a flight? The thing is I have heard many people say that if you are going to Leh then you must go through road once. I have been to Rohtang only, not beyond that. So that is one reason. Other reason is money. I don’t have enough money to book flight tickets in such a short notice. And in one way flight ticket, I can do whole trip. The thing is a traveler is rich when he has foreign sponsors because Indian sponsors can’t pay much. When you get paid in Euros or Pounds or Dollars then it is convenient to book flights from one country to another and can wander whole world. This trip is a favor to friends, not official trip. Also sponsors from India, they pay less in Indian rupee and you can only afford a road trip from that. So you have to be multitasking. You have to find other means of earning like blogging, giving reviews on everything, photography and freelancing sometimes. It always tough in the start but you will get used to it. One advice from my side is always keep some backup for hard times or whenever you are going to start something new.

I reached Rohtang in afternoon. The snow valley is all white. You can’t see without sun glasses. Pulled out my camera and sunglasses and started wandering around. Families were making snow man. Kids were playing with Snow. All people were happy. What a positive and happy ambiance! After some clicks, my stomach started growling. Good thing in snow that we have hot tea, coffee, Maggi and omelet etc. in India. Bad thing is that you get 20 bucks Maggi in 50 bucks or sometimes 60 and same for tea and coffee. At least something is there in this cold. I waited for my order i.e. a tea and an omelet.

In this cold where the temperature is touching 2 or 3 Celsius when you take first sip of hot tea. It travels through your throat via food pipe to the stomach. You feel each organ within your body that they exist. You feel the hot thing travelling inside your body. It feels consoling. People were doing skiing and parasailing. This mountain zone of India is completely different from other India. Well each part of India is different from other. You can visit various forts and deserts etc. in Rajasthan. There is so much green mountains,beaches and temples in Kerala and Tamilnadu. A variety of forests and lakes in Madhya Pradesh. India is full of varieties from beaches to desert to forests to lakes to snow. You can never get over with it. The thing drawing us back is the hospitality and maintenance of this wide range of heritages. If we can improve these things then we can attract more visitors from within India and outside of India. Our people are going out on holidays. Why? May be the answer I have given already.

With all these thoughts in my mind, I finished my tea and omelet. I wandered around for some time to get some positive vibes from kids and happy people. This is the fuel for every traveler. Or I can say it is the fuel for life. You can’t be negative all the time with all the bad things happening all over India. We have to find small objectives and positive attitude to carry on our own life. Well for most of the people it’s true that I came across in my life.

Until Rohtang I have been before. I am also excited to see beyond this. Next destination is Spiti Valley, which Google map says will take 2.15 hours for 145 kilometers. It’s no exact but it will take around 3 to 4 hours depends on traffic and road conditions.

So we left again in Jeep. I was sitting in middle and it’s very cold. I kept track of the edgy road for some time and road going between two snow-made mountains. It’s very cold, so I started feeling sleepy. I was feeling tired and the cold did the rest. After 5 hours of bus journey from Kasol to Rohtang and now again on road, one repower nap is must. I planned it for 5 minutes.

But it lasted for 2 hours. It is one of my specialties. I can sleep while sitting position also. And I thought there will be some speed bumps and huge pits which will wake me up but nothing. Why the road was so smooth? Incredible India. While in cities we face big pits and pot holes but here nothing. I am little disappointed with me because first time I came through this way and I slept. But not all route is gone. I woke up near the Spiti which is on the mountain and we can see that from a distance. I requested driver to stop and click some snaps from here. But I am not the owner of the jeep. Why would he stop? So I have to convince everyone in jeep to stop. That was a tough job for me because I am not convincing at all. I started requesting to others. But why would they listen to a stranger? I started showing my previous clicks to everyone. At last my work talked. That convinced them all and we stopped at one point.

I clicked some snaps and a group photo of jeep crew. It was nice. A wide range of mountains and a city at top of mountain and Spiti river flowing side by side. It is new for me. I have never seen this before. It’s like a small paradise among these mountains. Very well made and I don’t how they got idea of making a city here. Might be history can help here. So after my work is complete, we started moving to Spiti village. While going there I asked people what I missed during my sleep. They told me that we came through Kunzum pass and Spiti river going through mountains. Also we had chats around to Spiti Village.

I reached Spiti Village. I can’t believe what I found there. We have met before in Kasol and now here.

The Dream Catcher (Part-2)

The missed out Information(Part 2)

We spent some time there in silence. The cold breeze passing through my warm cloths and touching the body. It feels like cleansing my body and soul. And the bright sun is burning all the dirt coming from body. Hearing the sound of breeze as well as flowing river. The breeze makes us colder and the sun makes it even. It’s all magical and something in the moment that can only be experienced. I was spell bound and sat there until the girl stood up and started walking. I saw that and still the time was passing in slow motion. When I came to my sense, she was long gone. I stood and up started running. While running I wiped out my tears. The girl was walking and I joined her. I stopped and after taking a long breath.

“So you were right” I started the conversation. She chose to remain silent and continued walking.

“Okay. No talk protocol activated”. After saying this I picked my camera and started clicking around.

After click here and there, I clicked a pic of her. Checked the pic, it was a blur as she was moving. She got angry and rushed to me. She tried to see the pic but I hid it from her. She ordered me to delete the pic. But I smiled and replied “I want all these for my blogs”. She asked to delete her pic. I said “no and no means no”. She got angry and said “I will kill you”. I said “okay kill me but after seeing the pic”. She said “okay”. I showed it to her. It was a blur only colors visible but not exact images. She calmed down and asked for camera to check the pics by herself. I gave it to her and told her that it is a part of my livelihood so please handle with care. She scanned all pics clicked since last night. And by the expressions of her, she seems impressed. She handed me the camera and started moving forward toward camp.

And she talked “so you are photographer?”

I am amazed by her deductions and replied “Does this look like a DSLR to you?” turning my Point to Shoot camera around. “And I don’t even have a tripod”.

She was still waiting for the answer. I can say with the look on her face.

“No, travaller” I said

“ohh” in a low tone she replied.

“You don’t like travelers. You think photographers are better” I counter attacked her “ohh”

“No, It’s that you click nice shots”

“ohh okay thanks”

After some pause I thought as she now knows what I do so I should also ask.

“So what do you do?”

She remained silent and waived to her friend in camp.

“My bad, the walk was over” I became sad.

“I am an artist by the way” and after saying this she left. She joined her group. I left for my tent. I packed my bag to leave. I left the tent and I started searching the guy to whom I have to do the payment. After half an hour, someone told he is in another camp. I went there and started asking for the guy. I met the “bridge girl” again.

“hey! the bridge girl”. I called her. But she did not reply. I again called her “Hey Miss Artist”. Then she turned back and said “yes”. I offered my hand for handshake and said “It is very nice meeting you”. We shook hands. I was looking into her eyes and I felt something special. But the special moment finished soon as the guy appeared. And I broke the eye contact and hand shake. I paid and thanked him for the night stay and food. The guy left after that.

I turned around to see Miss Artist but she left. And it stuck to me that I don’t even know her name and contact. What a fool I was? I asked profession. I said nice meeting you, but never asked her name or any contact. It felt disappointing. I realized that I have met many people in my traveling days but she is special. I have met many girls also but never felt like this before. The Kasol air has something to do with that.

I ran to the guy and asked if he knew the group or the girl. But he did not. He told me that She left for Manikaran Gurudwara with her group. And there is one suggestion book where we take suggestion from groups visiting here. Might be you get something there. He showed me the book and there is one feedback written there. Group Name, Contact, Address etc. I clicked the pic of that in my phone. I tried calling the number. It is picked up by a lady living in Lucknow. And address was also from Lucknow. One thing is sure that the number or address is either belong to the girls’ house or someone in group.

Being a traveler I am very strict of schedule. I have to leave from here to Rohtang pass. Someone is waiting there for me. It was a memorable day at Kasol. Let’s see where the steps take. Or will they take me too Lucknow? Kasol is done for now.

The Dream Catcher(Pilot)

The Encounter (Part 1)

I am a traveler and we often come across people in our lives that touch our soul and heart and you don’t forget them in your lifetime. And there is one person that I want to share in this blog.

In 2015, I was traveling through Manali, India. Manali is very beautiful place and people here are very helpful. The people coming here from rest of India are full of party mode. That’s why you can find the party at every corner of Manali during Indian Festivals. I think it’s not only Manali. All the people living in mountains are like this. When I first time came here, at that time I want to live here for the rest of my life. But duty calls. There are so many beautiful places a traveler is seeing around the world but he/she can’t live there. And each place has its different charm and beauty.

I joined a group here. People here don’t mind to add strangers in their group as long as you are paying for yourself. And they welcome foreigners in India and obviously in their camping group. But I am not foreigner. I am an Indian. But I am a traveler. People have great respect for this profession. I think in India also, most of the people want to be traveler but everyone has to take care of family and earn money for them and other reasons, so they drop this idea. This profession has great respect among youngsters and people who want to become wanderer. Otherwise old generation still think it sucks. But it’s not easy to be traveler as people think. We need a proper planning and most important finances for this. So for finances we start blogging, Instagram accounts and also helping foreign tourists as a guide. We do lot of work to make money for living and traveling.

So I have joined this group camping in Kasol nearby Parvati River. They have given me a bed to sleep and food to eat. That’s all we need to survive. I settled down by throwing my rucksack backpack to the bed. Pulled out the point to shoot cam and started clicking around the Parvati River. There is a bridge around 400 to 500 meters from our camp, through which you can cross the river. It’s around 4 pm on the clock and the sun beams are coming through the tall trees. I clicked it at every angle. It looks very beautiful. Its looks a like a scene from movie. Whenever I see something like this I want to stop the time and praise this moment until I get over with this. And trust me there are many breathtaking views in a traveler’s life.

We have biker group in our camp also. They have their own bullets with leather jackets and leather gloves with cans of bear. They were side by the bone fire and drinking the bear and soft music on their Bluetooth speakers. I approached to them and while talking to them I came to know that they are going to Leh on bike by making some intermediate stops in Kasol and Manali. So they ride during day and spend night somewhere. They were 4 people and all are in different profession. One is doctor, one is engineer, one is in government job and one is Manager in Pharmaceuticals Company. All came from same society, so they know each other and having this outing. I introduced myself also and told them that I have never been to Leh. Probably someday I will go there. India is already very big and it will take a life time travel whole India. I have been to Gujarat, Rajasthan and Kerala so far and now heading north. Let’s see where the steps take us. So I don’t have any plan. The Manali travel is a request by some guy that’s why I am doing it. So these bikers told me about the party that is happening tonight in the nearby camp. They invited me to join there. But I have no invitation from host or anyone from that camp. The bikers told me to join them and then join party.

It is a six feet bone fire in party and DJ on full volume. Everyone has booze handy and around 100 to 120 people were dancing. I just started clicking the pictures for my blog and created some video. While clicking the photos, I saw a girl having booze on the bridge. She was alone there. Her friend came to her asked if she could join the party, but she ignored her friend. I have started clicking her from far.

I started moving toward her by clicking the people around. And as I reached the bridge, the music is audible very less and the Sound of Parvati River flowing beneath us is very much audible. I reached on bridge and recorded the current of water with sound. The sound of strong flowing water seems very angry with party sound. She was having her breezer. She is about 5.4”, long hair, fair, big eyes and cute lips. She is wearing a fur jacket, jeans and boots. The face is hardly recognizable in night. While clicking around I asked her “Not enjoying the party” in a loud voice because the water is not allowing us to speak low. She replied “I have better things to do like what you are doing”.

“Makes sense, so what is your better thing here?” I asked.

“You are capturing the moments so that you can remember them and re live it again. You don't care living the current moment 100%. I am just living in this moment 100% from all my senses and soul.” She replied

“You look like a lady baba. Do you also do the palm reading and all”. I offended her.

She looked at me first time and then left the bridge to join her group. I know she was right in a way and also I have to write a blog so I am right too. It’s just the perspective difference. I am not a late night party guy. So after some party clicks, I also left the party around 10 pm and went to my tent for some sleep.

I woke up at 5 am. And as I have alarmed my clock for sunrise 6.30 am, I am on right time. I left the tent with what I have worn to sleep. When I put my first step out of tent, the cold weather struck me and it’s 5 am then its worst. I put on some more warm clothes. I locked my backpack and brought the camera with me. The local people were awake by that time. The rule of mountains is very clear, do the entire task during day and rest after sunset. The temperature is lowest at this time of morning. I asked some local people to for a lovely sunrise point. They have directed me some where highest point in Kasol. After 30 to 45 minutes of walk I reached there fully tired. It’s tough to move on a peak of mountain. I was gasping heavily. I had the drinking water. But it was cold. I took some sips from it and took some rest.

Suddenly my alarm started ringing at 6.30 am and I started searching for the sun rise. I checked compass and I was facing east. There is lot of fog that I am unable to see it. Suddenly I feel a beam of ray coming through the fog. And slowly all the fog disappeared and it was a breathtaking view from here. I started to pull back my camera but suddenly a hand came and stopped me. “No need of this for now.” The girl from the bridge emerged from fog. “Just feel it 100%” She said. In life sometimes you feel so happy and all your senses were so pleased that tears will start hopping from your eyes. And you don’t know why tears. This is the same moment for me. We sat there and enjoyed the every bit of that moment and yes I have tears in my eyes and she has not. And I forgot to take pics.