A morning walk in Kangda

Part 2 of my Himachal trip. On the last day, I went for a walk. (Read part 1 here.)

8 am. I wake up. 10 C. The view outside is unbelievable.

The green fields, fog hanging over them. The blue of the sky is more blue than I have ever seen. The brilliant sunshine. And the mountains of the Dhauladhar range in the distance, with snow shimmering.

The scene seems to be right out of something I used to paint in my childhood drawing class.

Time for a walk. But not without a cup of tea. (Did I mention that the Himachalis drink more tea in a day than I do in a week?!)

Silence. Except for the birds twittering.

The milkman on his bicycle. Children going to school. A lady feeding grass to a cow. A group of retired men striding with enthusiasm.

I stand on a side-lane and click pictures with my cellphone. An elderly gent on a scooter looks at me, not understanding why a desi is doing this.

What do I tell him? That my usual walk takes me through honking cars and motorbikes trying to drive over me? Actually, I should be surprised – how can he not be awed by such beauty? Or does our mind become attuned to everything over time? 

I return in an hour. The city life hurrying tendencies don’t leave me even in these serene surroundings!

For breakfast, I have delicious alu parathas and yes, again tea. 🙂

I open my yet untouched novel. To mark a long-time dream come true – sitting and reading a novel with mountains and sun and greenery around. 🙂

My return flight is via Delhi at 2 pm.

As the Spicejet flight rises over the small airport, I get perhaps the best view of the Himalayas. Waves and waves of snow-covered brownish peaks, stretching till the horizon. Majestic, stunning, as well as a little scary.

And through the windows of the airplane, I bow and pay my respects to the mighty Himalayas, worshipped since aeons.