Cloud Nine Ecstasy – First foot forward [Part - I]

Tour Map

This one was the first break since I started blogging. Therefore, back from the break, the break that breaks me up in pieces but still it is given me a lifetime experience.

During our lifetime we dream about many things, dreams are neither a sin nor is harmful and not considered to be an illusion. Lying in cool comfort in your bed, staring endlessly at the roof and keep dreaming about unachievable, no, I always dream when I move around, so my dreams are always a constructive one. Of course some dreams may failed to see the light but quite a few are there that I able to put it where I wanted.

In 1987, one of my friend from Mumbai visited Valley of flower, after looking at those beautiful snaps instantly started dreaming to be there. Sadly, not able to make the trip and due course now I am older by twenty-three years but my spirit is still young as well as my urge to visit the place never died down. After reaching a particular age some of the things looks very difficult but last year after coming back from Orissa, I told myself ‘Now or Never’. I knew all the way that my folks would not able to accompany me and I have to travel all by myself. I was petty sure that I will manage to get a package tour from my city Kolkata, but after surfing the net, I found there was none. Finally, one hot afternoon, in the month of May I had to knock the door of GMVN office at Marshall House in Kolkata.

While booking, I was bit confused about the suitable scheduled to book, finally gone for the one that starting on August 25. Without any delay, I got both train tickets, I mean for Haridwar-Howrah, back and forth. Uttarakhand! Even my whole family visited these places, I was never been to this part of the world before. These three months period was a tense one for me as I was always feeling that something or other could emerge that may forced me to cancel the trip. Only thing that was eating up my mind, after reaching Haridwar I have no fixed place to stay. My friends gave me a few contacts but still little scared thinking if train gets late. In our country, it is very difficult for a woman to travel alone no matter what is the age or criteria one belong.

Back counting all the way for ninety days while busy with my fourteen hour daily scheduled. When I was just fifteen days away from the journey date, started gathering the things that mostly needed. My grand, who is eleven years old, kind enough to lend me his shoe but I decided to buy a new pair from Reebok, an extra two GB memory card for my camera, a raincoat and the other things that was a must for the tour. Finally while packing I found that my backpack was overloaded so decided to offload a few things and carry one extra bag for all my basic necessities.

Starting was not very good one, on the day of the journey, I mean August 22, train was late by two hours, instead of taking the car I decided to take a cab and reached Howrah station, waited patiently around three hours for the train, after that long wait, finally boarded. My co-passengers were three gentlemen, also to a trekking mission and their plan was big one, hundred and seventy-two kilometer that includes Valley of flower and Hemkund Sahib.

We reached Haridwar next day and around 10.30p.m., that means train was late by six hours. It was scary to be an unknown land all alone and at night, but the three gentlemen who were travelling with me helped me to get a room in a nearby hotel where they too decided to lodge in. Next day I have to reach Hrishikesh and join the remaining members of the tour to GMVN Yatra office-cum-hotel. Morning was no good as it was raining heavily, finally around mid-afternoon rain stopped and I took an auto-rickshaw to reach the destination. I was relieved after clearing the first hurdle. Bought myself a lunch from the restaurant and tried to get some rest, looking forward to the tour which going to start from next morning.

!!!Having the courage to chase a dream, no matter even it is twenty-three years old.!!!

[Journey Cont….]