Spiti, Always, Forevermore.

Day 0, Day 1

Delhi, departure – 13/10/2021, 7.12 p.m. Karnal – 10.12 p.m. Shimla, arrival – 14/10/21, 4.00 a.m. Delhi -Shimla HRTC Service from Kashmere Gate ISBT

Shimla, departure – 14/10/21, 4.20 a.m. Sunrise – 5.56 a.m. Rampur, post office pickup – 9.09 a.m. Rampur New Bus Stand – 9.28 a.m. Jhakhri – 9.58 a.m. Jeori – 10.25 a.m. Bhabanagar – 11.59 a.m. Reckong Peo, arrival – 2 p.m. Shimla-Pooh HRTC Service from Shimla ISBT

Day 2

Reckong Peo, departure – 7.30 a.m. Spillow- 8.54 a.m. Chango 12.42 p.m. Hurling – 2 p.m. Kaza, arrival – 4.30 p.m. Reckong Peo-Kaza HRTC Service from Reckong Peo ISBT

Day 3

Kaza, departure – 9.40 a.m. Hikkim – 10.45 a.m. Komic – 11.20 a.m. Langza – 12.10 p.m. Key Monastery – 2.15 p.m. Kibber/Chicham Bridge – 3.05 p.m. Kaza, arrival – 4.10 p.m. Spiti Taxi Union car

Day 4

Plans for Dhankar lake trek dropped due to unavailability of cars, and clouds rolling in through the valley and not so distant peaks disappearing, immediate peaks lightly dusted with powdery snow. Day spent on the banks of the Spiti, and at the Himalayan Cafe playing Uno and Scrabble. Plan to leave for Manali next day, HRTC bus scheduled at 5 a.m.

Day 5 (morning)

Up at 3 a.m., light snowfall. Kaza bus stand at 4 a.m., no signs of life. Wait till information trickles through at 5.30 that Kunzum pass is closed due to heavy snowfall, bus to Shimla at 7.30 a.m. only option.

Day 5 (afternoon)

Hurling stop at 11.30 a.m., Sumdo Check Post at 12.30. Long traffic jam since morning. Landslide ahead, roads closed. Steadily increasing snowfall. Wait. Walk. Search for food and warmth. GREF run canteen rations samosas. Roadside eateries already out of Maggi and eggs. Slow realization that we’re actually stuck for the night at least, until snowfall stops and roads open. Flickering talk of having to sleep inside the bus.

Day 5 (evening)

5.30 p.m. Gathering darkness, falling snow, road still closed. Road back to Hurling blocked too. Boxed in. All networks down. No working radios with BRO or ITBP. Cast about for accomodation for spending the night and any kind of hot food. Go up to Army Base 2 kms away to seek assistance (Help!) Sent back with hope of word to come later. 6.30 p.m. Word from Army for all vehicles stuck to come up to base.

Day 5 (night)

7 p.m. Hot tea. Army hospitality. Barracks cleared by men for close to 200 stranded people. A belly filled with delicious grub. Sleeping bags, bunk beds, burning Bukharis. Peaceful sleep.

Day 6

Early morning. Brilliant white mountains, blue pre-dawn glow. Quietness. Clearing skies. Clouds going back North from whence they came. Mobile network still unavailable. Sunrise. Smoking peaks. Breakfast. Slowly melting snow. 12 p.m. Network up, inform home. 2 p.m. Lunch. Snow all but gone from the field. Bright sun. ‘No movement’ order still out. Sleep. 3.30 p.m. Sudden word, roads clear, all to move out ASAP.

7.30 p.m. Nako, 14th day of the moon, glowing peaks. 11 p.m. Reckong Peo again.

Day 7

11 a.m. Booked out bus to Delhi. Bus to Rampur at 12.40 p.m. Rampur- Delhi Himsuta Volvo at 5. 5 p.m. Stuck in traffic outside Rampur. Visual contact of Volvo at ISBT. frantic run with luggage from bus to leaving Volvo. Stuck in traffic in Rampur, but onboard Himsuta now.

Day 8

7.30 a.m. Kashmere Gate ISBT, New Delhi

| Cumulative hours spent in a bus – 60 |

5 days after I returned from Spiti, I had to step out into the full force of Delhi, and it finally hit me. I was going around with the thought that the journey and the stay was successfully left behind, and the city wouldn’t affect me. I was so foolish. I inevitably had to bear the entire brunt of this city. And as I was still pondering why there was such a reluctance inside me to go out to reach where I had to reach, I moved along with the crowd and the metro and wondered why. Why was I here? This is where I have to be, but this is not home. Spiti is home. The Himalayas are home.

My ears buzz from the noise, and the music can hardly drown out the cry that almost escapes me. My head hurts, my eyes don’t want to see this, this abomination that we call a city, the luxury, the comfort, all just humans playing pretend. The sky isn’t blue, try as it might. The wind, neither cold, nor clean. Nothing can be held up to dwarf the mountains. Nothing that we can build.

My only consolation is a pigeon that was flying along with the metro, and I tell myself I am a bird too, still there over the valley of the Spiti river.