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Hiking from Makai Bari to Kalinchowk
Hiking from Makai Bari to Kalinchowk

A wide view from Kalinchowk[A wide view from Kalinchowk] Report Section Mother Nature and I - Anuj It was indeed a call, a call to me by Mother Nature, to her place. I urged myself to go and step on, so I went. I was happy I did. She seemed asleep; night was there to welcome us. Tired and exhausted, I whispered- Mother Nature I’m at your place Please hold me... oh! trembling legs I feel you asleep under the indigo-sky blanket Hear you whisper as the breeze come across my face Before-Sunrise[Before-Sunrise] Sound of the footsteps and my own breathe were the only harmonies I could hear.  It was weird. Light rain is what I often enjoy. I am not sure if I really enjoyed it that time. I was waiting for her to speak. And she did finally, in her own ways…unspoken, unheard but with adequate symphony from eternity. Son, come along, u have gone too far See I have turned old and my eyes are tired These are the places u played, enjoyed See your footsteps I have prescribed on my chest I felt glad. I was not misled. I did not miss my way. I was on her lap where I would take a nap. Where I would dream;where she would soothe me; where my eyes would relax, where my trembling legs would rest. I was missing something. My tired soul, I murmured- Mother, the night still has the same grace The stars are twinkling, moon has same face Though I see the unacquainted darkness Why this is so frightening where are my bygone days... She was quiet, night was swaying around. It was irresistibly cold. I guess she wanted me to rest. She always knows the best time to answer questions. Her silence reminded me of this. Night was over. The legs were still praying for some rest. I ignored. I wanted to perceive her from every angle before the first ray of the sun. I hurried to the top. She looks amazing from the top. How would I miss this chance? It was a tough climb though. Blessed by the Kalinchok, resting at the top, I finally did. I have always been blessed at hard times. It was nice to see her sleep on the white-cloud carpet, under the exceptionally blue sky-blanket. She looked amazing, silent and beautiful, peacefully asleep. I watched her without a blink. She looked old but still appealing. She looks even better when she smiles with the sun rays. Sun peeped slow and steady in its own way, as always. I could see her wake up, slow and steady, on her own ways, as always. Then I could see only the change, not good changes of course. I could not wait. I want her to answer me right away- Gaurishankar[Gaurishankar] Dear mother, have u grown too old, Why don’t your mountains put on the snow, Why don’t the birds sing for you now, Why don’t the faces wear brotherhood glow? With the unstoppable flow of questions, I was light. When the words are told, heart takes a comforting breathe. Waiting for the answers was intolerable though. On her morning voice, I heard her sob and say- Son, I have always remained the same Only your brothers have changed them I lay on their dirty hands, I am their prey And with the ugly heart they make me fade away I cursed myself. I could feel my ugly heart. I was one of them, with dirty hands, even if I never wanted things to go against her. She was helpless, I was useless. I stood still, biting my nails, cursing myself!!! KalinchowkKalinchowk Remembering Kalinchowk Hike - Pragya "Just follow the electrical poles and you'll reach Kalinchowk in no time”, someone on the van declared as we were getting geared up for the hike at a place called Makaibaari. "Could it be that easy?", I thought silently as I loaded my already heavy bag with spare bottles of drinking water and other snacks."A couple of hours then, isn’t it?”, I claimed intuitively. Little did I know about what was to follow. As the first of those 'navigational' electrical poles appeared, I wondered if I could keep count of the total number of such poles till we reached the top. But alas, the weight of my bag and the steep uphill climb began to take its toll far too early than I would've liked. In no time, the handful pole count dissolved into perspiration and disappeared into air. The next time I saw another of those poles, I dearly wished it were for cable cars instead. By the time we reached "Deurali", fellow hikers had already started a voluntary water distribution campaign among themselves in an effort to lose some weight off their bags. More than a third quarter of the journey yet remained to be travelled, as we set off from "Deurali" at around 4 p.m. after having lunch. As darkness crept over the jungle, the gradual drop in temperature and sporadic rainfall hindered our progress significantly. Soon the liters and torch lights became our eyes to the path ahead. The spare plastic bags, on the other hand, were used to shield our heads from the unforgiving chill of the blowing wind. The rest of the hike followed somewhat the same pattern. We were chasing pit darkness and cold winds in our march towards our stop for the night, a place called “Kuri”. On our way, we stopped at “Gairi” for usual snacks and refreshments and RUM to beat the chill. We finally reached Kuri at around 11 PM, nearly an hour after the early pacesetters got there. One Too Many Mornings[One Too Many Mornings] It’s not often that you can boast of having seen the clouds hover below your sights, and that’s exactly what we witnessed as we stood in awe, praising the beauty of the nature. Simple Twist Of Fate[Simple Twist Of Fate] Overall the trip was a pleasant experience. I would definitely love to revisit the place, especially when the roses bloom over the jungle. Coupled with the majestic views of the Himalayan ranges, it would indeed be an experience worth saving for a lifetime. Still the Same[Still the Same]


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2010-11-12 /
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