So part of our job description is to go where no man (woman) has gone before, or something like that. I'm sure people have gone to these places before, but from the looks of the road, I would say not too many! We awake early in the morning (ok so I awoke, April and Julie stayed up all night) at 3am, and set off around 4am for our day of travelling. We had booked a taxi the day before, and were planning on going to a lake about 6 hours away by taxi.
Now keep in mind that the lake is only about 110kms away, however it takes 6 hours to give you an idea of the roads we were traveling on! I decided to sit in the back, which was stupid, (imagine having to brace yourself everytime you hit a pot hole, then imagine a road made entirely of pot holes!) so after the first 3 hours I switched to the front seat, next to the driver- Much wiser.
The morning fog was just starting to lift as we made our first stop, (yes b/c I had to use the bathroom) and we watched as the fog started to rise and evaporate off the mountains, leaving what looked like two layers of clouds. We continued for another 2 or so hours before the road started to get really bad. I don't really know if you could call it a road, our driver didn't. He used the Hindi word for way, not road. I really can't describe what we saw...the entire 6 hours was magnificent. I have never seen mountains like it before.
There must have been a totaly of 5 people that lived in the area. We discussed it an came to the conclusion that there was 1 person to every 500 goats.- Pretty accurate I think!
We kept driving and driving thinking that we couldn't see anything more beautiful that we had already seen. Words and pictures cannot describe it! It is so unusual to think about that day. It was such a sereal experience. Our country is PACKED full of people, the cities are congested and polluted, and there are people oozing out of every opening, yet in the mountains, there was no one, no pollution, nothing in fact! I didn't feel like we were even in our country.
After the 6 hour journey we arrived at the lake.
And there is was, a large body of water, 2.5kms around, crystal clear, as if no one had disturbed it for centuries. We were kind of expecting maybe a little inn, or hotel or something, and we arroved to find, 3 multicoloured tents, and one black tent. We were a little disappointed because we were exhausted and hungry, but after about 2 minutes a man approached us and told us his Dhaba was the black tent. (Dhaba=food) We started walking around the lake taking pictures and just admiring the view.
Once we got about half way round we realised that maybe for the first time in our lives there was complete silence. Not a bird, or a fly, or people shouting, horns honking, no locusts mating, nor chipmunks calling, mice squealing.
Nothing, no sound, no wind it was like we were in a black hole, and all sound was absorbed. Realising this was a first for ALL of us, we laid down on the grass, and passed out. 3am is early no matter who you are, and after 6 hours of pretty strenuous driving, we were all ready to sleep.We slept for a good two hours, and the weather started to change.
The wind picked up, and there was noise. The stillness of the lake was interupted by ripples created by the wind, and the sun was blazing! We took a few more pictures and then headed back to eat some food (I was starting to get cranky because my blood sugar was low). After a couple minutes of rest, a soda, and some food, we all felt rejuvinated and ready for the 6 hour ride back home. It was perfect timing, the wind continued to pick up and the rains came in.
Our driver told us to hurry, so we paid and then tried to run up the hill to the jeep. I don't know if any of you have tried to do any physical activity in the mountains, but trying to run uphill at 15,000 feet
preis NOT the most easy of tasks, for anyone other than sherpa. Those pilates videos I've been doing, definitely do not help at 15,000 feet. We waited for the car to heat up and then we were off. The rains came in and after a couple minutes of our driver looking frantically about him, he explained to me that it got late, the rains came, and the area we were in is prone to mud slides (the surrounding mountains were made of scree, little rocks).
I tell the girls to start looking out the windows for mudslides! Thankfully there were no mudslides and the weather cleared up, and we were on the 6 hour journey home. The way home was just as fun as the way there, and our driver was teaching us some good Hindi. We stopped for Numkeen chai on the way home (otherwise known as Yak tea). Most people hate this stuff, but I think it's because you're expecting regular chai, when in reality it tastes for like salty/buttery soup. If you go in thinking "soup" it's actually quite tasty! We left there, and finally arrived at our house at 9pm. Exhausted we fell asleep and didn't wake till late the next morning, well some of us that is!
So part of our job description is to go where no man (woman) has gone before, or something like that. I'm sure people have gone to these places before, but from the looks of the road, I would say not too many! We awake early in the morning (ok so I awoke, April and Julie stayed up all night) at 3am, and set off around 4am for our day of travelling. We had booked a taxi the day before, and were planning on going to a lake about 6 hours away by taxi. 
Now keep in mind that the lake is only about 110kms away, however it takes 6 hours to give you an idea of the roads we were traveling on! I decided to sit in the back, which was stupid, (imagine having to brace yourself everytime you hit a pot hole, then imagine a road made entirely of pot holes!) so after the first 3 hours I switched to the front seat, next to the driver- Much wiser. 
The morning fog was just starting to lift as we made our first stop, (yes b/c I had to use the bathroom) and we watched as the fog started to rise and evaporate off the mountains, leaving what looked like two layers of clouds. We continued for another 2 or so hours before the road started to get really bad. I don't really know if you could call it a road, our driver didn't. He used the Hindi word for way, not road. I really can't describe what we saw...the entire 6 hours was magnificent. I have never seen mountains like it before. 
There must have been a totaly of 5 people that lived in the area. We discussed it an came to the conclusion that there was 1 person to every 500 goats.- Pretty accurate I think! 
We kept driving and driving thinking that we couldn't see anything more beautiful that we had already seen. Words and pictures cannot describe it! It is so unusual to think about that day. It was such a sereal experience. Our country is PACKED full of people, the cities are congested and polluted, and there are people oozing out of every opening, yet in the mountains, there was no one, no pollution, nothing in fact! I didn't feel like we were even in our country. 
After the 6 hour journey we arrived at the lake. 
And there is was, a large body of water, 2.5kms around, crystal clear, as if no one had disturbed it for centuries. We were kind of expecting maybe a little inn, or hotel or something, and we arroved to find, 3 multicoloured tents, and one black tent. We were a little disappointed because we were exhausted and hungry, but after about 2 minutes a man approached us and told us his Dhaba was the black tent. (Dhaba=food) We started walking around the lake taking pictures and just admiring the view. 
Once we got about half way round we realised that maybe for the first time in our lives there was complete silence. Not a bird, or a fly, or people shouting, horns honking, no locusts mating, nor chipmunks calling, mice squealing. 
Nothing, no sound, no wind it was like we were in a black hole, and all sound was absorbed. Realising this was a first for ALL of us, we laid down on the grass, and passed out. 3am is early no matter who you are, and after 6 hours of pretty strenuous driving, we were all ready to sleep.We slept for a good two hours, and the weather started to change. 
The wind picked up, and there was noise. The stillness of the lake was interupted by ripples created by the wind, and the sun was blazing! We took a few more pictures and then headed back to eat some food (I was starting to get cranky because my blood sugar was low). After a couple minutes of rest, a soda, and some food, we all felt rejuvinated and ready for the 6 hour ride back home. It was perfect timing, the wind continued to pick up and the rains came in. 
Our driver told us to hurry, so we paid and then tried to run up the hill to the jeep. I don't know if any of you have tried to do any physical activity in the mountains, but trying to run uphill at 15,000 feet 
preis NOT the most easy of tasks, for anyone other than sherpa. Those pilates videos I've been doing, definitely do not help at 15,000 feet. We waited for the car to heat up and then we were off. The rains came in and after a couple minutes of our driver looking frantically about him, he explained to me that it got late, the rains came, and the area we were in is prone to mud slides (the surrounding mountains were made of scree, little rocks). 
I tell the girls to start looking out the windows for mudslides! Thankfully there were no mudslides and the weather cleared up, and we were on the 6 hour journey home. The way home was just as fun as the way there, and our driver was teaching us some good Hindi. We stopped for Numkeen chai on the way home (otherwise known as Yak tea). Most people hate this stuff, but I think it's because you're expecting regular chai, when in reality it tastes for like salty/buttery soup. If you go in thinking "soup" it's actually quite tasty! We left there, and finally arrived at our house at 9pm. Exhausted we fell asleep and didn't wake till late the next morning, well some of us that is!
2 comments:
wow! That is stunning, it looks like a mirror!
Those pictures truly are breath taking. I've never seen anything like that I don't think.
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