SPITI- A journey to soul discovery

As i was travelling from Qatar, Delhi was my first halt.

Day 1:

The Journey begins.

So our journey began with a 12 hrs overnight bus ride from Delhi to Manali. Although a very hectic drive but nevertheless i was super excited about Manali after all i had been dying to be here ever since i saw "JAB WE MET".

I woke up to the beauty of sun rays shining on my face from behind the mountains. Manali had its own way of welcoming me. Before we reached Manali we had a quick chai halt at a dhbba. Well you are officially in the mountains when you get your morning Chai with a view.

We quickly checked in to our hotel in old Manali, freshened up and left for our first meal in Manali.

later we Strolled around the Mall road for some last minute shopping.

This roughly 200 km route was narrow, uneven and winding. It was dusty. It was windy. It was hot and took almost 12 hours to cover which involves crossing two mountain passes – Rohtang Pass and the Kunzum Pass.

Next before reaching Kaza for the night halt, we stopped at Kunzum pass. Every vehicle that heads to the Spiti valley by this route, halts here to seek blessings of Kunzum devi for safe journey through the mountains.

Finally we reach to Kaza and spent the night around the bonfire and star gazing.

That's a wrap for day 3.

Day 4:

The action packed Kaza.

Don't miss the mandatory insta click at the Worlds highest petrol station in Kaza.

Next stop was the beautiful 1000 year old Dhankar monastery which is locked between the rocky spurs at the top of cliff in the Dhankar village at an elevation of over 3,800 meters in the Spiti valley. It is a 16th century old fort monastery, which has also served as a prison in the erstwhile era.

As per old beliefs Dhankar Village is geographically situated in the form of a lotus flower whose petals are formed by eight mountains SARTOT GANGRI, MANE GANGRI, REWA GANGRI, BALAN GANGRI, CHOOKPO-JO-FERANGRI, KITLING THANG GANGRI, GYALPO PALDAN GIRI, CHOOPO JACULA GIRI.

Believe me when i say that the 15 - 20 mins that i sat here were the most peaceful and relaxing moments that i got to experience.

Later posted a post card to my sweetheart dad from the worlds highest post office(14567 ft) in Kibber. Well i reached home before the post card did????.

Next on our stop was the Mighty Buddha (Medicine Buddha) at the fossil village of Langza at the altitude of 14000 ft above sea level hence considered to be one of the highest villages in the world with a motor able road.

We grabbed ourselves the mandatory mountain Maggie at the "Space Ship cafe".

I found myself a new tea love(Buck thorn tea)

We wrapped the evening playing Ludo and sipping local Himalayan Miller beer at the "Himalayan Cafe" in Kaza. This cafe had the best food and also we grabbed a few souvenirs. Cant recommend this cafe enough.

Thats a wrap for Day 4.

This 1000 year old monastery is home to around 300 lamas who receive their religious education here.

Plan for today is to reach the beautiful Chandratal lake and spend the night there at a camp.

You feel like you are in a completely another world altogether.

The white of snow covered mountains and the blue of the lakes here is like nowhere else.

And here i found myself in between natures unscripted drama.

Whenever I am bored with the city life, and the pollution takes a toll on me, I head to the mountains! I have not always loved the mountains. I read about Chandratal a few years back, and from that moment on it’s always been on top in my bucket list. Nothing can be more soothing and rewarding than admiring the bounties of nature and that too by doing a trek to a place which is still unaffected by the ever-increasing endeavors of human beings.

Visiting this Himalayan Lake was one of the best experiences of my life! The barren mountains blended with snowy peaks, the beautiful lake, and the ever changing landscapes left me speechless and sights that’ll stay etched in my heart forever.

Unique geographical features make Spiti more desirable by explorers.

Trekking and camping are a must when you are in the valley. The highlights of the camp was the night filled with fun, bonfire(well it wasn't bonfire exactly but a heated tandoor around which we joined other fellow travelers and the locals for drink, music and dance. well we wrapped up the day star gazing. Well our cameras couldn't capture what i eyes saw

Way back we stopped to grasp the last bit of this mountainous journey at Rotang Pass.

What more do i say about Spiti, it has made me spellbound with its Gorgeous mountains,

flawless cold desert valley,

Captivating culture,

Contagious warmth

And beauty extruding from every quarter....

At the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, hair messy and your eyes sparkling.

I was always a beach person till Spiti happened to me. For some, mountains is just an escape for a while, but for me, now it feels like home to where i want to keep coming back again and again.

This is how 5 complete strangers met on a trip and became friends. Lol we even planed our next trip together????????.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

# ACCOMMODATION: Expect only basic facilities on the way as well as in the hotels you stay in. In some places, stay options will be limited to monasteries and home-stays only. So clearly, a trip to Spiti is not everyone’s cup of tea.

# CONNECTIVITY: Brace yourself for a detached life when you are in the valley. Network connectivity is obscure and Spitians are pretty cool with it. You may get lucky with BSNL signals at some places, but forget about internet.