Being alone on the road and foot loose has always exhilarated me. Far away from the humdrums of monotonous city life, the feeling of freedom when on the road always makes me feel alive and at peace with myself. Himalayas has always been a great travel destination especially during the winters. The main reason being, that the place would be less crowded and will always have a calming and soothing effect. I felt like a 5-year-old in a candy store, always excited whenever I spotted snow. It is like a pure Zen moment.The destination chosen this time was Kalpa, in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh, which is a sleepy little town 20 hours by road from Delhi. After reaching Delhi by train I waited for the only direct bus from Delhi to Recong Peo (the get off point to Kalpa) which is at 8:30 pm. Once I got into the bus, I got the feeling of a military transport bus. Almost 90 per cent of my fellow travellers were service men of ITBP. The bus was a small tinderbox, a veteran of the rickety roads and hairpin curves. En route I befriended a few service men, some being deployed to the borders and some going for training. They were all friendly and good humoured men, and always ready to help a rookie traveller.En route the bus broke down. But there was a strange sense of calmness in everyone. It seemed everyone were used to this and were used to taking this as an inevitable occurrence. The bus reached Recong Peo at 4 pm, and the hotel owner, warm and friendly Pritvix Raj Negi was already waiting for me at the bus stand. It took a further 5 km drive uphill to reach the hotel, where I had decided to stay. Due to the extreme winter, people in the high altitude migrate to lower areas. When I reached, almost the entire town was deserted. There were almost 10 to 15 guest houses and, none of them were open. The hotel in which I was staying was kept open just for one customer, me. The hotel was located right at the lap of the Kinnaur Kailas and had a spectacular view. The first day was spent sightseeing around the town, with the hotel owner. When you meet the people of the village one will be struck by the simplicity of their life. The heart of the town is the temple for goddess Durga. All the inhabitants irrespective of being Hindus or Buddhists, worship here. Next day was spent hiking. I walked for about 6 hours through the woods. There was no honking of horns or no road rage. It was just me and the nature and nothing else came in between.The second day was spent hiking to a nearby village. The wind had picked up and was howling through the pine trees. And walking through the empty streets with just the howling wind as my only companion was a rather unique experience. The following day was spend with the village folks. For them kindness was not a abstract word but something to be practiced on a day-to-day basis. The hotel in which I stayed, 'The Great Shangri-La' was a great place to stay. The food was exceptionally good. The library of the hotel had a great collection of books on Buddhism, Tibet and the Himalayas. The view from the room and the top floor balcony was breathtaking. Sipping a hot cup of coffee has never been more pleasurable. The days were sunny but it was bitterly cold, To sum it up, the experience was a one to savor for a long time. The scenic view of the snowcapped mountains from the road and the hotel itself was worth the trip. And the friends you make on the road are always special.
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