Girlie Road trip Day 4 Tabo -Pin Valley- Kaza-Rangrik
We started our cold day in Tabo by deciding not to take a bath, considering the long wait and the shortage of hot water.
We all climbed up the hills to see the
Tabo caves. While some went up fast I listened to my body and took my own sweet time to trek up the mountain steps.
There was a big Buddhist mantra painted on the mountain side, I came to know later from our guide Rameshji… it read as -Om Mane Padme Huu… which means let all the living beings including humans and animals live in harmony and prosperity with their needs being taken care of.
We entered the small caves and I wondered at the simple life of the monks who must have stayed there many years ago. We admired the colourful flags, and the natural sun rays through the open skylight. There was even a locked door inside the cave that had some local paintings inside .
It was another photo opportunity time in and out and around the caves, with a birds eye view of the Tabo village. We managed to get a group photo in salutation to the rising morning sun, after which I slowly made my way to the base of the mountain.
We again welcomed the love of our caretaker Dolma in her Paratha breakfast and the welcome piping hot tea.
Our guide told us that this monastery constructed in the year 996 was the oldest monastery that is still in use in the world. We could see the interior of only one of the many small temples used for different purposes within the thick mud walled complex. We were stunned when we entered the temple of the 32 enlightened monks, we were amazed at the collection of old paintings, frescoes and sculptures inside the temple which was lit up only by the vent bringing in the natural sunlight, We were glad to see and experience the unique energy inside this ancient holy place.
We were again given a local soup by our friendly caretaker Dolma and we almost felt sad to bid adieu to her love and simplicity.
We were back on our road trip again to go to higher terrain. Suddenly our vehicle driver stopped to show us some beautifully form crystallized icicles on the roadside plants, the water on the plants has frozen in the sun zero temperatures giving rise to many cute icicles on the plant.
If we thought that this small icicle of nature was pretty, we were in for even a more spectacular sight. We suddenly saw what looked like a huge frozen waterfall. The excessive cold seemed to just freeze the water at the instant when it must have been gushing from above the high rocks, leading to a spectacular sight
I had seen boards along the roads saying Shooting stones zone, but suddenly our driver braked and reversed, I actually saw small stones rolling down the slopes with full force, the momentum seemed really enough to shoot a person or vehicle into danger.
Suddenly our driver got off the main road and got onto the semi dried river bank. Since winter was almost ending and the snow was just starting to melt at some places, the spiti river was not in much force, Touching and drinking the fresh waters of the spiti river was on our must do lisr and this wish was also fulfilled.
Unlike some of my friends I did not have the guts to take out the socks and dip my feet or face in the absolutely sparkling and crystal clear mineral enriched water straight from the hills.
The memory of all of us frolicking in the Spiti river bank is something I would always cherish for years to come.
We passed another board of the village of Lari with a population of 235, and later another board announced the village of
Kirith with a population of only 30..the driver pointed out that there were only 5 houses there.
We were continuously accompanied by fully white snow covered mountains on one side and bare brown mountains on the other side of the Spiti river. And then we crossed a snowy bridge and got to the
Pin valley and found ourselves surrounded by snow at all sides.
It was time for some snow games. Falling flat on the snow and making body marks, along with hand marks and foot marks on the fresh snow. Because of the onset of spring, at some places the snow felt more like slush and I fell down twice when trying to keep my balance.
At one place my leg went down almost knee deep in the snow. I suddenly felt difficulty to breathe whenever I exerted myself, so I stayed at the middle level and did not join most friends at the higher level. I did manage to get a group photo with 3 of my friends with whom I had gone on a girls only foreign tour, way back in 2002 when such women only outings was very very rare!!!
It was more fun to watch them having fun, as they had a snowball fight,made many cute shaped snowmen, came sliding down or rolling down the snow, wrote loving names on the snow and just enjoyed the snow and the fun loving company.
I started feeling uncomfortable with my wet jeans(should have worn waterproof pants instead). An overwhelming sense of tiredness and breathlessness engulfed me. What in the morning had started as a mild niggling headache at the base above my neck, was now a throbbing ache and I just had to rest my head on the back seat of our vehicle. I wondered why it seemed such an effort to keep my head erect on my neck.
While the others walked to the village bus stand and interacted with the locals, I preferred to rest in the bus. I just had to use the washroom and all that was nearly was our first experience of an eco-friendly dry toilet. From my personal experience of dirty normal public toilets on this trip, I found this dry toilet, comparatively hygienic to use.
We had worn layers and layers of clothing, I just had to remove my outer layers which had become wet in the snow. I tried to rest my head-on the seat and catch up on some sleep on the onward journey to Kaza village but this unexplained sense of uneasiness started becoming more and more and I had no clue of what was happening to my body at these heights.
By the time we reached our restaurant in Kaza for lunch, i was in really bad shape, I could barely sit on the dining table, and preferred to sleep in an adjoining hotel bedroom. I got tears wondering about the intense throbbing ache under my hair at some new part of the head. I still managed to take a picture of a biker who came riding here all the way from Malta
After a basic lunch, our guide Rameshji organized for me to be taken to Amchi Sangti Bhot to see a local doctor. He held my wrist and diagnized my condition as Acute Mountain Sickness. Lack of oxygen at high mountain altitude was the cause of my intense headache and breathlessness. Suddenly I got overwhelmed with the fear of not being able to breathe properly and surprised myself by bursting into tears of imaginary fears. Yes the mountains can do funny things to you. All he prescribed for me was rest and local concoctions for mountain sickness.
Other friends in the group also asked the doctor for all their minor health issues. We finally drove again out of Kaaza village and reached our hotel at a place called Rangrik which was at a height of 12370 feet above sea level. From sea level at Mumbai to having covered a height of 12370 feet in just 3 and a half day, I think my body could not take the reduced oxygen levels of the heights. In spite of carrying camphor to combat mountain sickness, I forgot to use it.
I just followed the local advice and drank many glasses of warm Ginger garlic water.Warm Seabuckthorn juice also was a savior. My guide Redij also took extra care for my needs and make a special jowar flour based soup for me at night, which I had along with momos and another hot soup.
More than everything else, it was the care, concern and the positive healing energy and attention of my 12 other girlfriends that helped me go through this physically draining experience.
Five years ago, I had stayed at still higher heights at Cusco and Puno in Peru, chewing local herbs and taking oxygen from their hotel lobby, without any mountain sickness.
Never thought such things can happen to me. I decided to take rest and could hear the laughter of others at their tea time. I did not even join them at the hotel restaurant for dinner.
I got the lone heater in the room, while others struggled with the intense cold. At night I made up my mind that the this AMS was a temporary phenomena and I would certainly be acclimatized to the high altitudes and be perfectly all right by morning.
I had slept mostly from 5.30 pm in the evening till 7.30 am the next morning..
What a memorable day… The helplessness of breathlessness made me appreciate my life even more and I still managed a small smile of gratitude to myself in spite of my physical condition.
So in 2018 do notice these simple smiling moments. Have a smiling year
Recent Comments