I did it, I made it!
After what seemed like an endless battle with ordering gear online, getting delayed due to late delivery, assembling bike parts and packing a night before, we successfully entered Himachal Pradesh!
Our first major task was getting a COVID19 test done to be double sure before we left. Once that was out of the way, our bike was set up and our stay confirmed, we left for our first destination for the day - Hatu Peak near Narkanda. We had originally decided to camp there but a minor bike fix took 4 hours in Chandigarh. One thing led to another, and we couldn’t make it past Solan.
The next morning, we made the final stretch towards Banjar, the biggest town of Tirthan Valley. Instead of the usual Delhi - Mandi - Aut - Banjar route, we decided to take the more scenic Shimla - Narkanda - Jalori Pass - Banjar route.
As we crossed Narkanda and entered Sainj Valley, the blue Sutlej started flowing by us. We found a beautifully secluded spot along the river bank and decided to rest and enjoy the dying of the sunlight. With each moment that passed us, I kept remembering how long it had been since I had seen the mountains, since I had sat in an HRTC bus, since I had chilled by the river.
It felt almost surreal to be breathing the crisp mountain air, to be breaking back from sitting on a vehicle for too long, to be running wild and free in the woods. But it was here, it was happening.
By the time we reached Jalori, it had already been well past sunset. After a quick chai stop to warm ourselves against the freezing winds, we were just hopping on to the bike when I accidentally looked up. And there I saw the Milky Way, lazily spanning the entire sky, faint as a cloud, but mesmerising enough to make me yelp in excitement. How many months had it been since I saw the Milky Way? I couldn't remember, and I couldn’t care less. All I needed was to keep telling myself, this is real, this is happening.
It’s been a week since I’ve been at The Blue Sheep Homestay in Tirthan Valley and each new day brings a new hike to a new village with new people I met here. On some days, we go swimming in the icy cold water of a lagoon nearby, and on some, we stay in and drink punch and laugh and talk all day. It’s everything I could ever ask for, especially when the world is still grappling with a pandemic.
I try to keep myself from forgetting that the coronavirus is still very much a reality. It’s easy to forget when you’re in a place where the impact might not be as terrible, but it’s still very important to keep your masks on, sanitizers nearby and social distancing in order.
WHAT EVERYONE HAS BEEN WAITING FOR THE MOST
Let’s finally talk about the elephant in the room. I’ve kept you on your toes since August, promising you of a new blog on travel movies with a downloadable link to watch all of them in one place. I know I’m terribly late, but I’m keeping my promise!
Click below to read the list and what I thought of the movies I saw!
“25+ Travel Movies to Watch this Winter”
Instead, if you want to skip to downloading and watching these movies right away,
Happy watching!
Lots of love,
Avantika