Timelapse in Himachal

When in Bir, do as the Himachali's do!

Day 2 started early with me at the hostel gate, waiting for the ride to Billing - A hilltop 17 kms away, to try Paragliding. After a brief list to what to do and what not to do, my instructor and I jumped of the 3400metre high hill top.

"Aaaaaaaaa Woooooaaaahhhhh " is all that came out of my mouth as I took the flight of my life. The air time lasted around 20 min with every minute of it seeming to be a lifetime. The experience was one of a kind and the adrenaline rush was comparable to the time when I first sat on a roller-coaster times 10!!

After the Paragliding experience, it was time to explore the town and it's Monastries. Quickly walked backed to the hostel from the Landing site, took my bike and started off for the biggest and the most famous Monastry of Bir - Sherbaling Monastry. It was merely 10kms from town and people generally prefer to rent bicycles and visit this place. The Monastry visited rendered the much needed peace to the mind and I was lucky enough to have gathered some blessings from the Monastry priest for my journey onward. The Monastry has a nice basketball court and one is welcome to try a hand at beating the monks in the game of basketball only to be disappointed at the end.

The later part if the evening was spent at a cafe - Silverlinings Cafe, right next to the Landing Site, gazing into the Sunset frequently blocked by a fellow tandem Paragliding tourist. It was a nice time to soak in the town and its peaceful vibe sipping onto a huge glass of cold coffee.

Delhi to Bir on Bike 🏍️
Started from Delhi at around 5am after having watched a late night show of Avengers ENDGAME the previous night. Was a bit skeptical to go ahead with the plan due to lack of sleep and the long road ahead (750 kms) but as I stood in front of the mirror, trying on my new pair of shades, I closed my eyes and told myself that I've gotta take this journey for my soul. (I had plans of moving to another city in a couple of weeks and god knows when i would get the chance of riding in Himachal again)

After around 10 hours of driving (excluding the lemon soda breaks on the highway) on the 90% plains and 10% twisties, reached the small yet magnificent town of Bir. Evening was spent checking into the hostel and taking a stroll down the single main street if the town. That is when i came across the cafe - " Ilaka of Bir".  The owner was really sweet to suggest the must try's from the menu and I decided to go with it. The momo chaat was a pleasant surprise to my tastebuds. (A Delhiite who has has every possible variant of momo in the past couple od years). The town shuts at about 8pm with only a couple of cafes serving food till 10pm (considered late night in the town). After a couple of hours of hogging the must try's, I decided to call it a night and surrender to my hostel's bunk bed.

Day 3 comprised of the visit to Prashar Lake - A lake quietly sitting amidst the mountains with origin stories dated back to the Pandavas visit to the place. It was a 3 hour (90km) bumpy ride right upto the lake. The climb was tough but the view was worth it!! The place was so peaceful and scenic that I spent around 3 hours gazing at the vast exapanse and the snow clad mountains in the distant background.

After having a rejuvenating walk around the lake, I started off for Kasol, which was another 100 kms from the Lake. Made it to Kasol by 6pm and after having checked into my hostel, made my way straight to the main market area. Made a rookie mistake of not carrying enough cash with me which became the  source of an extra income for the local shopkeepers. (ended up withdrawing cash from a shop with 5% service charge for my own currency in my own country). This sad reality had to be dampened by trying on the mouth-watering apple crumble pie from the shop next door and some hash brownies to go along from behind the counter. The rest of the night was spent in HIGH spirits and in a state of Nirvana!

Trek to Malana  (oo- na - na)
Previous night's state of nirvana was overcome by the soul wanting to visit the ever so famous, oldest democracy of the world - MALANA.
The gate to Malana waa about 25kms of treacherous roads with potholes so big as if dug by the police in an attempt to prevent tourists from visiting the place. Once at the gate, the trek consists of only flight of tricky steps which are not as easy and effortless to climb as they might seem. The 2km long trek easily takes around an hour to accomplish but once at the top, the village is nothing like anything. All the stories that one hears about this town, all the myths, all the prohibitions are for one to explore and unravel. After spending around 4 hours in the village - speaking to villagers, kids, trying the malana cream and red ice, it was time to trek down. (ensured I was in my senses before heading down).

The ride back to Kasol did not seem treacherous this time (don't know whether it was my mood or the tetrahydrocannabinol in my veins).

As I retrieved back into my bed that night, all I could think about was the fact that I was the biggest fool to have even had second thoughts about coming here in the first place. A trip to Himachal can never be an incorrect decision. The aura this place has does wonders to one's spirits. It is like a timelapse of emotions flowing at a speed of 120 frames per second.