The country has lost one of the finest actors in the form of Irrfan Khan, who was legendary not only in his acting but also in his day to day behavior. With him, passing away, the Indian film industry will surely feel a void. An NSD alumni has given the nation some of the quality cinema in the form of his acting in world acclaimed movies like The Namesake, Life of Pi, The Lunchbox, Piku, Paan Singh Tomar, Hindi Medium, Life in a Metro, Slumdog Millionaire, Karwaan and so many more.
As the nation mourns the actor, sharing some of the best travel quotes from his movies.. May he keep inspiring the traveler inside each one of us.
1. “When you are young you are fascinated by so many things. Some things drop, some stay. I can be without anything but I cannot be without nature.”
3. “I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye.”
– Life of Pi
4. “Do yourself a favor. Before it’s too late, without thinking too much about it first, pack a pillow and a blanket and see as much of the world as you can. You will not regret it. One day it will be too late.”
– The Namesake
5. “Haan train par hi hoon, lekin apni nahi, dusri par chad gaya.” – Qarib Qarib Singlle
Ever wonder if a mobile app can give wings to your travel itch!!
For all adventure travelers, the app Walk the Distance could be a savior during this lockdown only if you are an iPhone user.:-)
Well for the beginners, Appalachian Trail is a hiking trail in the Eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine.
This app primarily lets you experience the AT trail virtually based on the number of steps you complete over the day.
What Is Walk the Distance?
This iOS app is created in a way that, it will track your phone’s pedometer or any step counter connected with your phone followed by mapping those steps with the 3500km long AT hiking trail or any other place you would like to virtually visit, which you can select from the menu. What is more exciting is the way you will crossing away virtual signposts, involving shelters, scenic points and all the virtual people who are currently on the app giving you the feel of traveling with the group.
Isn’t it thrilling that you are satiating your hiking pleasures by simply walking inside your home? Essentially, even if you are moving from one room to the other, you are moving ahead on the AT trail at least some distance.
It’s a simple app, which is linked to any of our fitness apps and tracks the number of steps completed in a day. It then maps distance traveled by you, as captured in your fitness app to the miles on AT and put your profile pin there.
All you have to do is like any other Ios app, install it, log in, allow permissions from Walk the Distance, and get going to Appalachian Trail.
Isn’t it cool!! iPhone users, what are you waiting for? Download today and start your hiking adventures.
Android folks!! Don’t be disappointed, it should be soon this year on the play store:-)
Team Ghoomophiro was lucky to get some time to chat with Sachin Sharma, Senior Naturalist at Singinawa Jungle Lodge, Kanha. Sharing some excerpts from his exciting journey.
Ghoomophiro: Plz let our readers know about you?
SS: I am Sachin Sharma, working as a Senior Naturalist at Singinawa Jungle Lodge. I am from Jodhpur (Rajasthan) where I had done my studies (B.Com and MBA in Finance) and also have started working as an Operations Assistant. After working for almost 8 years, I decided to join the Hospitality industry and worked as an Executive Operation in a Company where we would provide Audio Guide to the tourist visiting the Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur. This was the place where I came to know about the Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park and this was the place where I had started my career as a Naturalist. Ghoomiphiro : Why did you choose to be a naturalist?
SS: Since my childhood, I used to get fascinated by naturalists working in the National Geographic and Discovery Channels and would think that interesting work these guys do. This is what made me have a dream to become a Naturalist.
Ghoomiphiro: Who is your inspiration?
SS: Truly speaking, nobody was aware of being a Naturalist. Jodhpur didn’t have much awareness about the Naturalist profile. So all the Naturalist on the TV were my inspiration. Ghoomiphiro: Did you face pushback from your family on choosing this out of box profession?
SS: Yes. As I had done my studies in Finance sector, everyone at home thought that I should be in this field. All family members, friends, everyone opposed this and they thought that there is no such thing (Naturalist). But slowly when they saw reviews about me posted on Facebook, TripAdvisor, etc. they realized that I am doing something and now they are happy that I had chosen being a Naturalist.
Ghoomiphiro: What are the most common challenges you thing every naturalist’s face?
SS: There is no particular course for being a Naturalist or else it’s very much restricted to some particular regions of the country only. Most of the Naturalist which you will meet are either MBA, BE, MSc. or something else. Ghoomiphiro: How does your regular day look like?
SS: For most of the people working as a Naturalist, our working months are from October to June, as this is the time when most of the National Parks are opened. So during this period our morning starts at around 4-4.30, as we have to get up early for the morning drives which last from 3-5 hours. Then we get a break for around 1-2 hours where we have to freshen up, have lunch and again get ready for the afternoon safaris which lasts for around 3 hours and then we are back to the lodge. After this, we sit with the guest for some chitchat about the jungles and also discussion about the next day morning.
This a normal schedule of a Naturalist. Apart from this when we don’t have safaris, we would be busy with writing Blogs, taking Pictures, reading or doing some official work. When we are off to home after 9 months, we would plan for some excursion to other areas to explore the wildlife in different parts of the country/world.
Ghoomiphiro: Share 1-2 most memorable experiences during this journey?
SS: That’s a tough question, as being in the Natural World is always memorable and every moment will give you something or the other experience. But to share with you here, before entering in the World of Natural History, I was extremely scared of Lizards and would run away from those areas, as I thought that it would bite me and I will die. 🙂 But after coming to this field, I now am 100% comfortable with most of the things.
Apart from this, there have been some close encounters with the Natural World where it could be a Tiger, Leopard, Wild Dogs, Deer, Birds, Snakes, Spider, etc. Ghoomiphiro: Any piece of advice to the ghoomophiro readers who are interested in pursuing Naturalist as career :
SS: Friends, if you want to be a Naturalist, there are nowadays some Organizations that are providing training for being a Naturalist. This is a very big help. Apart from this, being a Naturalist is 100% dependent on your interest in working in the Natural World. If you are not interested in this, after a few times it will become a burden and you will turn into a totally different thing. And also keep yourselves involved in the Natural World reads, videos, etc, which would help you develop your interest in this field.
Apart from this, one very important thing is that “Do what you love doing by your heart, which will give you 100% satisfaction”. Till that be happy and be safe.
Mountaineering is not an easy job and one needs a lot of courage along with gentle initiation into the environment to not go mad. And before you begin the journey, here are a few books you should delve into for the Himalayan feel. Learn about the beautiful mountains and see them through the eyes of the author.
1.Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer
This is one of the strangest books I have read and shows the journey of Harrer’s escape from British PoW camp. He traveled over the Himalayas and into Tibet near the end of the second world war. What intrigued me most about this book was the suffering of Harrer throughout the book and also his meeting with the then young, Dalai Lama.
2.The Confessions of Aleister Crowley
Crowley is also a significant mountain climber and the routes he essayed up for the ascension of K2 and Kanchenjunga were proven to be the final routes chosen for climbing those mountains. Though he never made it to the top, he succeeded in climbing around 25000ft which is a marvel considering the climb was made in 1902 with tweeds and nailed boots. The book has more than just the accounts of these climbing experiences and while it is an autobiography, not everything is to be believed.
3.Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster by Jon Krauker
A special account of May 1996 disaster as told in the words of John Krauker. Journalist and Mountaineer Jon Krauker did not know that there was a storm brewing on the not-so-distant horizon. The storm not only killed five people but also left many people in a state of disarray. This book was very enlightening about how the body adjusts to high altitudes and how the tiniest decision can be important for survival.
4. Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the conquest of Everest by Wade Davis
This book is a monumental work of adventure and history where the question asked isn’t whether George Mallory was the first to reach the Everest summit but more a question of why he kept on climbing. The writing of this book is so magnificent that it left so many lines for my collection of favorite quotes. Just inspiring words and a book that shows such heroic events is absolutely worth reading. It tells the story of twenty-six British climbers all of whom endured a lot in their quest of climbing Everest. Everest has become a symbol of radiance.
5.Lost Horizon by James Hilton
A thrilling tale of four people who got kidnapped and were transported to the Tibetan mountains. A story about Shangri-La and a mysterious Chinese man. Reading this is like slowly getting your senses overwhelmed. It is a legendary book that one can’t help but love. It is one of the magical books that cast a spell.
6.Red Shambhala by Andrei Znamenski
This book is mainly about the role played by Shambhala in Russian geopolitics during the early twentieth century. This book presents a completely different look at the subject of Soviet history which is both fascinating and Erudite. All in all, it is an interesting book about how Stalin’s oppressive secret police were penetrated by Himalayan inspired Mysticism. The story begins in the aftermath of the revolution. The attempt to convert Tibet into a Buddhist-community stronghold makes this book a good read.
7.Himalaya by Michael Palin
Though there is a TV series as well based on the accounts of this novel, we suggest reading the novel as it covers more ground and Palin’s writing is certainly something a reader should experience. The book is quite enjoyable to read as it shows the offbeat accounts of his travels. We might not be much into celebrity writing but this list would be incomplete without the mention of this book. Even for those who aren’t into adventure, this book can prove to be an inspiration making them want to go on adventures.
8.Left for dead: My Journey Home from Everest by Beck Weathers
The journey of the life of Beck Weathers who was left to die on the summit of Mount Everest and how he escaped hypothermia and a murderous storm. The book has also been adapted into a movie but a book is always better as it has more details. This book is inspiring and shows great heroic bravery. A man’s story of survival against all odds. It did get boring at times but it is a great book overall.
9.The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest by Anatoli Boukreev
After mentioning Into Thin Air by Jon Krauker, it would have been entirely unfair to not include this book so the readers can view the disaster situation from another set of eyes. Anatoli Boukreev remains the most respected mountaineer despite Krauker’s efforts of painting the picture otherwise. This book is incredibly well written and an enthralling account of events shown in a descriptive manner. This book is one of my favourites because of the honest portrayal. The mountain-climbing business is booming and people with no experience try to attempt it without proper knowledge. It just shows the repercussions involved.
10.The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
This Man Booker Prize Winner novel set in Northeastern Himalayas, at the foot of Mountain Kanchenjunga may not be entirely about the mountains but it does keep the feel in the background as the story goes on. The book is one of the most memorable ones for its characters and themes with comprehensive storytelling. The only problem is that the pace is a little slow at times.
People who travel to the Himalayas often share their experience through writing. Amongst many books that we read, skimmed, pondered over and even reread, these are the few that we would like to go back and read again. These real and imagined journeys taught us a lot about the Himalayas.
We all go through our share of ups and downs, but few of us keep our wits and ensure we sail through the patches and come out with flying colors. Vidita Kamat, founder Mezclaa is one such person we came across whose journey would inspire you to go beyond when it comes to chasing your dreams, the lady who firmly believes “family is the ultimate support system, we all need”. Presenting the excerpts from our recent chit-chat with her.
GS: Brief us about your background?
VK: I come from a family with a hospitality background. I have been around food and people from the time. Growing up, my life has revolved around food and foodies all the time, everywhere and anywhere I have been. From my childhood. Mom’s traditional food and dad’s innovative cooking gave birth to the chef in me! Cooking & baking has always been my first love; I love everything that is associated with food and culinary. I have always been a bubbly and chirpy child through school and college years and an enthusiast to learn more about food and the world around it. My focus has always been towards food and I have always loved to be a peoples person as I have been brought up in such an environment and would never want to change it for the world.
GS: Tell us about the support from family?
VK: I have been blessed to have a very supportive family. Since everyone is in the same segment we all enjoy each other’s company. We eat, breathe and sleep with only hospitality and could never get bored about it….we may not know what’s happening in Bollywood but we would definitely whose doing what in the hospitality world. I have worked and still continue what I like doing since I have started my own venture called MEZCLAA and I have conducted classes, events and other activities regarding food and people and I wish to continue to do the same.
GS: How did it all start?
VK: Well, I always wanted to do something of my own and like any newbie entrepreneur, I fought my battles on my own. I had a shop in Bombay which was doing pretty well but I had to shift to Pune where I started my own catering all over again set up the business. I was able to manage and arrange a lot of events in the city, but eventually, have to shift back to Bombay where I figured that I need to re-vamp the entire thing to get out the best of me and my brand.
GS: Being into this for a while, how do you feel?
VK: (laughs)I have been in this industry u could say the day I was born…Its has its own share of ups and downs but I guess I could never think of any other industry and I could actually say…haha, it runs in my blood.
GS: Share your journey, so far?
VK: I have seen a lot of highs and lows in this industry from scratch and related things related to this industry through my experiences…The food industry has become so vast and there is so much happening around and so much to learn and hence it enticing and exciting to meet people related from the same industry. I have enjoyed my journey and will continue to do the same as I know this is what I love and this is what I love doing and would love to continue and do whatever I am doing now.
GS: Who is the role model?
VK: My father being more on the entrepreneurial side and my mother being innovative; both have been my role models, creating a cocktail effect. As I grew up, my teachers from Sophia Polytech – Chef Linus D’silva, Chef Hufriz Motawara have mentored me, during my days in Sophia College. In my professional life, Chef Vikas Bagul from The Oberoi’s in Mumbai, Chef Gaurav Kapoor from Taj Lands End, and my friends and associates like Annabelle Rodrigues Ma’am, Elenka Rebello Ma’am and Andre Fonseca (from Don Bosco College who have helped me understand the nuances of being a chef in some way or the other.
GS: Is the career you opted for, gender agnostics? If not, your specific challenges.
VK: It has been an interesting challenge, of sorts. It is very important to be upright and strong, otherwise, it gets difficult to survive in the industry. Women rule in domestic kitchens because there is no one to tell them what to do and how to do things. They make their food with all their love and compassion. In a commercial kitchen, it is a male-dominated area because it is a totally different ball game. The pressure in the commercial kitchen is immense. It’s not about handling only the food, but also the people and the management. If you are an executive or sous chef, it is imperative to divide work accordingly. In order to survive in the kitchen, one needs to be mentally and physically prepared to deal with any situation and its consequences.
GS: Your message to our readers?
VK: In this world, there are going to be a lot of things that will be beyond our control, but what you do have control over is how you react to whatever happens in your life. You become exactly what you believe – so if you believe you can do all things because you have been endowed by a power given to you by the grace of God and making sure that you make the utmost use of it, because ‘God believes in those who believe in themselves’.
What a delightful conversation we had with her, she is extremely warm as a person and has an aura of confidence and self-belief, she is truly the next-gen hotelier. We wish her success and loads of happiness!!!
Folks in Mumbai, don’t forget to order your bakery from Mezclaa.
The trans-Himalayan feel that grips you as you travel across this remote mountain desert is somehow halted when you see the ecosystem being damaged by irresponsible tourists who give more importance to their own comfort and luxury than to the fragile place and the locals.
Though Ladakh is now connected by flights, it is still hard to find internet, running water here. It is a desert area of extremely hot or cold temperatures and as such, one needs to take certain measure while traveling in Ladakh.
Eco-footprint
Instead of choosing to travel in your private car, choose to ride in public transport or taxi, sharing stories with fellow travellers. Yes, it is the easy option to have your private car, and if you do choose that option, be nice enough to help locals or hitchhikers. After all, the journey is the most important part of travel, as if drive amidst the snow-hooded mountains and beautiful roads. Ladakh is one of the safe places in India, where you can hitchhike without worrying about your safety.
Water
People seem to forget that Ladakh is, in fact, a desert and most of its drinkable water come from melted glaciers. Water conservation is one of Ladakh’s higher priorities and travellers who expect fresh running water all the time and flash-style western toilets would be disappointed. Learn to settle for buckets of water for bathing. And take fewer baths if you can. The idea of dry composting toilets may seem unusual to a first-time visitor but it is hygienic.
With the increase in tourism in Ladakh and higher demand for water, the glaciers are melting away fast, making it more troublesome for the place to keep up with its water needs.
Plastic Land
There is nothing worse than going to a beautiful lakeside and seeing plastic bottles or Chips wrappers spread around the place tarnishing its beauty. The litter that takes away the beauty of the hillsides is turning this hill station into a garbage dumpster like so many others as well. It is better to practice recycling and taking the non-biodegradable trash back with you. Use a single plastic bottle that you can refill instead of buying new ones and laying waste to the previous one. The easiest thing you can do is carry a small trash bag with you. Don’t ruin the natural beauty of the place with your garbage. The usual thinking is that one little wrapper wouldn’t hurt much but the truth is that the single wrapper by countless other tourists is what in the end ruins a good spot.
Run havoc
We had been warned by the locals about the obnoxious tourists who play loud music by the lakeside and run havoc after getting drunk. We were shocked to hear of such an instance. So instead of being a nuisance to the locals and other travellers, try peacefully enjoying the scenery and let others enjoy it as well. Try the local food and flavours and befriend the people instead of shoving your camera everywhere and being choosy about your meals.
In the end, if you are using a travel company for your trip to Ladakh, research on how much they care about Ladakh’s ecosystem. What methods they have of recycling waste and water conservation, how much they support the traditional way of living.
Prefer the home-bred organizations for stay or eco-camps that use solar cells and leave a lesser carbon footprint. Try to let go of your luxurious urban lifestyle and go all organic and traditional. It will be a memorable experience and you will feel good about yourself afterwards.
Uttar Pradesh is one of the most well-liked spots in India popularly referred to as the ‘Heartland of India’. The state boasts of a rich cultural heritage where you can find and cherish all kinds of colorful festivals celebrated by all communities. Planning your tour to Uttar Pradesh? Then you should not miss the cultural and traditional festivals of UP. These festivals are the symbols of age-old traditions that those people are proud of and even though they have entered the 21st century, they celebrate these festivals with the same fervor.
Here, we list a few very famous festivals that the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is known for.
Ganga Dussehra- Ganga Dussehra is mostly celebrated in this particular state. The festival approaches in the excruciating summers in the month of June every year. Dedicated to the holy river Ganga, which acts as the lifeline of the people in here, the festival is highly awaited and the people participate in the celebrations with an insane level of excitement which is a great sight to savor. The festival lasts for 10 days.
Buddha Purnima- The festival gets celebrated in the rest of the country as well, but in UP it holds a special significance for the people. UP is one of the most populated states in the country and it has people from all the religions in abundance. The Buddhist community is one among them and they are known to celebrate the birth of their lord Gautam Buddha with great enthusiasm. This day is the most auspicious day for them in all year.
Ayudha Pooja- Hinduism followers constitute the biggest part of the population of the state and they are avid followers of Lord Rama. The festival falls in the months of October or November each year. Lord Rama is worshipped on this very auspicious day. It actually is celebrated around the time when the much-hyped festival of Dussehra is celebrated in rest of the country.
Makar Sankranti- Entire country celebrates Makar Sankranti, mostly in the second or third week of January. But the festivals takes an entirely different shape in UP. The festival gets celebrated here in the months of December/January and the people take their ritualistic bath in the holy river, Ganga. There are few other customs and traditions which get followed and that make the Makar Sankranti celebrations different from rest of the country.
Lath Mar Holi Lath Mar Holi is the most colorful and a prestigious festival in Barsana near Mathura not be missed in the state of UP. The festival takes place just few days before actual Holi. This festival time is a great holiday option for visitors which captures attention from tourists and pilgrims from all over the world. During the Holi celebrations, Ladies are found hitting sticks (laths) at each man as the common custom during this fest.
Janmashtami- Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna celebrates and rejoices the festival of Janmashtami with great enthusiasm. The major festival celebrations take place at Dwarkadhish Temple.
Mathura the birth-place of Lord Krishna, and Vrindavan where he spent his childhood, both the cities celebrate the festival with equal fervor. Around more than four hundred temples are dedicated to Lord Krishna in this sacred city. Among the list of temples, some of the major temples are Banke Bihari, Rangaji, Shri Krishna Balaram Temple and Gopinath temple.
Taj Mahotsav- Experience a cultural bonanza with Taj Mahotsav
Taj Mahotsav 2017 will be held between 18-February to 27-February. The event is held annually in the historic city of Agra and is known to be one of the most spectacular and awaiting events in UP according to the Indian calendar. The event organized by Uttar Pradesh Tourism Dept in Shilpgram complex, 500 metres from Taj Mahal east gate encourages the unparalleled cultural heritage and cultural activities of the state and the country as a whole.
Durgotsav- Also known as Durga Pooja in rest of the country, the festival falls in the months of October/November. However, it can be said that the festival gets celebrated at its very best in West Bengal and other adjoining states but in UP as well, there is much hype about the festival every year.
Other festivals such as Diwali, Holi, Christmas, Eid, and Muharram are also being rejoiced with great enthusiasm among the people here. But the style with which these festivities are cherished and celebrated by the colorful people here brings an additional charm to the overall festivities.
Ruskin Bond loves India and the Indians like anything. The world-renowned author has lived in India for a better part of his life. Mussoorie happens to be the place where he is having a beautiful house and many of his short stories have the place as the background. Spending a beautiful evening with Mr. Bond at his house was nothing more than a treat. We have waited for that moment for a long time and when we finally got the chance, it felt like a dream. He was our childhood hero and Mussoorie was one of those places that we always wanted to visit.
Now Mussoorie is one place that has always been an enigma to us. Ever since we remember, we have heard a lot about the place. We had no idea what kind of seductress this hill station located at about 7000 feet above the sea level is. Maybe, this was the inner fan inside us who always thought that Ruskin Bond was the greatest writer of all times and that he was almost always associated with Mussoorie. We didn’t really know what it was, but it was something special.
Known as the Queen of hills, it makes you fall in love with it at the very first sight. A soon as we got out of my car we knew we were in for something special.
And that special thing was mostly the excitement of meeting our childhood hero. That temptation got turned a little bit on the other side, where the eternal beauty of the hill station lies. Located at a distance of about 35 kilometres from Dehradoon, one other beauty of a place, Mussoorie is hauntingly beautiful.
The majestic view of the Shivalik range in all its grandeur, the greenery on the hill and the rich variety of flora and fauna captivated my senses. The second highest peak in the city, the Gun Hill is also there making it all look dreamier than anything. Standing on the top of the hill, you get a great view of the entire valley along with the very famous Doon school. At a distance of about 6 kilometres from the place is a marvel of nature locally known as Jharipani falls.
There are so many things in and around that we will probably fall short of the words while describing the place and do justice to it.
Ruskin Bond has made the city what it is today, in our imagination at least. It is said that about half of the international visitors who come to the place are in some way inspired by Ruskin Bond and the words that he has written while describing the place
Now was the time when we had to finally meet the man himself, Mr. Bond. He resides in a lovely cottage called Ivy Cottage. We climbed the stairs and stood there on the first floor and as he answered the knock on the door, we were awestruck. We had a wonderful evening with the man and then we took a walk around the town and this was something we had never even dreamed of, having a walk with this beautiful man on probably the most beautiful place on the entire planet.
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a coming to age film which shows the after-effects of seven Britishers who come to an alien land (Jaipur in India) to reinvent themselves. It was a beautiful and heartwarming movie, perfect for a nice Sunday afternoon to fill one with the necessary inspiration and giddiness. This was the kind of movie you can take your mother to see with you and though the first impression was one of ‘just another Hollywood meets India’ movie, the movie proves you wrong in that context.
“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: is the place in Rajasthan in India where these seven Brits head top to make their retirement possible because of the low costs. All the seven characters have a past, a complication and something they are looking forward to. The main characters like Evelyn who has lost her husband and is trying to find a job in a call centre or Muriel who wants to get a hip replacement in India but by an ‘English’ doctor are played by incredible actors who put life into the movie. While Graham is searching for a gay lover, Jean and Douglas are trying to make their marriage work. The Nymphomaniac Grandfather Norman is looking for free sex while Madge wants to hook up with a rich guy. With such interesting mix of characters shoved into a movie together and played by Veteran actors, the result could only have been the charming movie that The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel turned out to be.
When the movie began with them crammed up in a bus from the airport, we wondered if it’ll be THAT movie, with everything going wrong and the hotel also turning out to be a fake. But the smoothly crafted piece of entertainment that we got to watch wasn’t what we were expecting. The movie introduced the characters with their past experiences when they were still in England.
On reaching the hotel, they are greeted by owner Sonny Kapoor, but the hotel is far from its advertised self. They were alluded to the place by its profile on the internet which was photoshopped. The real hotel has cockroaches and rats and pigeons, leakages and rooms with no doors. The way the scenes and dialogues were carried out in each frame is what made the movie so delightful to watch. The host himself is going through issues and wants to run the shabby inn that he has inherited from his father after going against her mother’s wishes. How all these stories intertwine themselves and how everyone finds what they were looking for in India is what is there to look out for.
Though the whole cast with Judi Dench as Evelyn, Maggie Smith as Muriel, Bill Nighy as Douglas, Penelope Wilton as Jean Ainslie, Tom Wilkinson as Graham, Celia Imrie as Madge, Ronald Pickup as Norman and Dev Patel as Sonny delivered wonderful performances, it was Judie Dench who stole the show and with good reason. She provided credibility to the otherwise predictable film as she rose above the script with her performance. But not to understate the other actors, the film provided ample rich moments for all of them.
To us, Graham was the most interesting character with his persona and his daily secret mission, exploring India. He instantly opens up to the atmosphere since he had stayed and studied in India since childhood before moving away to England afterwards. His character is a source of curiosity for the audience throughout the film. Entirely opposite from his character is that of Muriel, who hates India and distrusts Indians. She comes to the country for an affordable hip replacement surgery, but slowly we begin to sympathize with the character as her story is revealed to us. Norman who plays the Casanova at the age of sixty adds humour to the equation. His frequent visits to sexologists, Kamasutra poses, smart retorts gave us something to laugh about.
Dev Patel acting as a host was infuriatingly goofy but that was part of the character he was playing which was meant to be over the top irritating. For the most part, the movie remained light-footed but there were certain touching moments as well that left their impact on our hearts. The cheerful moments of when Evelyn goes to look for a job and when the online dating is portrayed it all done in good humour. There is this ‘human’ factor that this movie showcased so marvellously. At times, the movie strayed to the path of being cliché and predictable with its usual portrayal of India with the big crowds and animals, poverty etc. Yet, soon the characters adapt to the surprises and shocks that incredible India brings their way. The country itself emerges as a secondary character in the movie with its quirky and maddening ways. Mostly, foreign directors fail to exhibit a true understanding and showcase the real picture of this country but John Madden has tried his best to stay true to all the multi-faceted aspects of the country.
Even with the deep philosophical moments, the movie never lost its light charm and it is the kind of movie that makes one laugh and cry both at the same time. The movie was basically human-centric and shows that vulnerable side of people which we love to view on a big screen. It made us feel relatable to each and every character despite the differences. It tugged at our heartstrings and that shows the craftiness of the director and brilliance of the actors. The movie did have a good end. There was a fair share of incredible moments in the screenplay by Ol parke, based on the novel ‘These foolish things’ by Deborah Moggarch.We enjoyed this movie and would prefer to re-watch it sometimes in the later years. If you find this even remotely interesting, do watch this feel-good movie about life and how it takes you to various places through various paths and with various people.
It’s easy to find the itineraries and guides to the base camp easily, each explaining how the journey is not too tough. Well, as long as it isn’t climbing Everest, right?
Well, like the great saying, “It is not about the destination but about the journey,” we actually felt it is true on this trip. The trek to Everest Base Camp is not the actual climb to Everest but a hike to where the actual climbers begin from. That doesn’t make it any less special. The walks are equally beautiful though ours was a little less challenging.
Mount Everest towers 8848m above sea level over the Himalayas and is every adventurer’s dream. Our dreams only took us as far as the Everest base camp which is still 5364m above sea level and not child’s play. It was common sense to think that the trek would be hard but we underestimated the level of effort it would require getting to the feet of the world’s highest mountain peak. While it was all about reaching the destination when we embarked on this journey, looking back from the destination, we realized it was more about the trip, because the base camp itself was nothing more than a pile of rocks, though, with a great view.
This blog entry is all about our day-to-day experience while on the Trek. The idea was to capture each moment before it slipped away from memory and instead it became a caution tale too about how hard it was to hike each day. This is just daily documentation of our experience and you can judge for yourself if it is the right trek for you.
Let’s start from the beginning. Before starting about the day-to-day activities on the trip, we’ll talk about our arrival into Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal and the chaos that it ensured. The arrival at the airport was met by a mess of people and a struggle to get our baggage. We spent a couple days exploring Kathmandu since there were places we wanted to visit there. And after a few days of wandering in the city streets, we finally went to bed knowing that the experience that began the day after would remain with us for the rest of our lives.
Day 1 Fly from Kathmandu(1400m) to Lukla (2860m), then hike to Phakding- 7.8 km (2 hrs 20 mins)
We woke up with an early alarm excited for the beginning of our journey. While en route to Tribhuvan International Airport, we kept thinking about the trip and beautiful sights we would get to see on the way. We took an 8 am flight and sat on the window seat while flying to the world’s most dangerous airport- Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla and we must say either it was the beautiful sight or the thrill itself, it just added to our excitement.
While Lukla is just a small town at the foothills of Himalayas, its airport is built atop a hill and has been prone to many air crashes. The flights also get canceled a lot because of bad weather. We were grateful that nothing like that happened with us, though the flight was delayed by ninety minutes. The short scenic view during out flight towards the hills is imprinted on our minds. As soon as we got off the plane, we were greeted by lots of guides and porters, much like the Taxi and Rickshaw drivers in usual airports. Some things just never change. But it is good for people making last-minute bookings who haven’t planned the things beforehand. It was after this that we finally started walking. It took about two and half hours to reach the small settlement of Phakding. The walk through the Himalayas jungle and swing bridges seemed easy enough and the first day was the easiest of them all. Phakding has developed a lot over the years and we saw shops on either side of the rocky pathway with even a Reggae bar and free wi-fi. We got a hotel room and it was clean and comfortable.
Day 2 Hike from Phakding (2600m) to Namche Bazar (3440m) – 12 km (In 6 hours, 15 mins)
Though yesterday’s walk was easy, we knew it wouldn’t be the same today. Our introduction to the Himalayas had prepared us or something more challenging today. We had a climb over 800 meters so we began by having a hearty breakfast. It was going to be a big day hiking after all. The steep ascension and moving across suspension bridges was exhilarating, especially with the wild wind blowing. The mountainside was filled with many prayer wheels, shrines and stupas. Along with the beauty of our surroundings, we were also able to take in the spiritual feel of the place. But the feeling of stepping on the suspension bridges, 80m above the river really made us feel pray. The thrill had an edge of fear to get off the bridge as soon as possible. But the view from the bridge, the huge waterfalls and massive gashes in mountainside is a sight to behold if you are able to concentrate anywhere besides your own feet that is.
The path was a busy one though not crowded with our fellow humans but with Yaks and donkeys who carried people’s belongings through the path along with goods for locals and tourists that would be sold in the main Market area, which was also our destination for the day Namche Bazaar.
The walk started pretty mildly and we enjoyed it but once we passed Monjo village, it got steep with no signs of the earth flattening anytime soon.We kept climbing up and up and up. It was when we crossed about 3000 meters that we started to slow down since we knew the altitude also starts affecting at the time. That was a tough walk and our body started feeling the one and half hour long hoke on the steep slope. Afterward, we reached a checkpoint and felt like we were finally getting close. Reaching Namche bazaar was exciting since this whole settlement seemed to have popped out of nowhere, just around the corner. Located on the edge of a cliff, the place was full of color and felt like fun from the moment we stepped in. This is one of the main trading posts in the Himalayas and is used as a spot for acclimatization because of its wide availability of shops and bars and relaxed surroundings.And we abided by the same principle, taking in delicious food and resting after the difficult hike we had just endured.
Day 3 Acclimatization Day in Namche Bazar
The thing about rest days in a trek is that they aren’t really resting days at all. So we had to throw the idea about sitting back in our hotel room, lying around or wandering Namche Bazar out the window. It works like this, this day is a chance for your body to adjust to the high altitude, so to do that, you have to hike up to a higher elevation and then steep lower to sleep. Our day constituted of climbing a ‘small’ mountain behind Namche Bazar to the highest five-star hotel in the world, the Everest View Hotel. The hike did put a lot of strain on us as we started to feel the effects of high altitude. Along with puffiness of breath and getting tired easily, there was a nagging headache. But the little rest time in the Hotel with a cup of tea and a view of the Everest made things wonderful again. That afternoon we also went to a museum on the outskirts of Namche that displayed artifacts of the first-ever ascent to Mount Everest.
The best advice is to slow your pace on the rest days and save energy for the days that matter. It is a 12-day long trek, so it becomes essential to pace accordingly. We relaxed for the rest of the afternoon to save some energy for the upcoming days. The altitude had started affecting us at this point and we felt shortness of breath even while doing everyday tasks. At this point, it is essential that while hiking you walk slow. It was already starting to feel like a difficult hike but we still had a long way to go.
Day 4 From Namche (3440m) to Tengboche(3860m) (4 hrs)
As the walk began, we were amazed by the glimpses of Everest as we walked on a fairly easy path around the sides of mountains. We saw an amazing view of the majestic Ama Dablam Mountain. Frankly, this was one of the most scenic days of the hike and as the trail took us down, we reached close to a river where we stopped to have lunch before indulging in a steep climb again. And by steep, we mean scaling over 500m of the steep slope for 90 minutes. By the time that ended, we were all sweaty and yet it was an accomplishment knowing we had made it.
Tengboche has a beautiful old Monastery, one of the oldest in the Himalayas and it welcomes guests and tourists every day around 3 pm when the local monks come to pray. That act itself is something mesmerizing to witness. The whole ceremony takes place in less than half an hour and yet it leaves such a spiritual impact. Tengboche also has a bakery with a delicious range of cakes and we tried some. At this point, we were already pretty tired and it was funny how our body shut off right at 8 pm, straight after dinner. We needed the rest after all and by this time we were already at a high altitude, so it seemed reasonable.
Day 5 From Tengboche (3860m) to Dingboche (4410m)—11.6 km (4 hours)
It was at Tengboche that we discovered how hard it had gotten to breathe. Even the landscape was now shifting from trees to a desert feel. Though we didn’t mind the shift in the terrain, the shortness of breath, while we had to climb such a long way, was quite difficult. It was good that this day didn’t include any steep sloped, but some steady and slow inclination up to the mountain till we reached Dingboche.
We hit the track and were still amazed by the scenic beauty of the place. The swing bridges came back again and so did small settlements. A headache begin too at this point as we kept moving to high altitudes and by the time we finally got to our destination, we both felt fatigued as well. Dingboche turned out to be a big settlement with a couple of shops and a Café. What struck us interesting about the café was that it was filled with tourists eating popcorns and enjoying coffee, watching the movie ‘Everest’. Turns out they show the movie every day.
After having our dinner, we both went back to bed and ate Diamox (altitude sickness medicine) because the headache still refused to leave us.
Day 6 Dingboche Acclimatization day 6 km – 4 hours
Another rest day that wasn’t really a rest day at all, but today’s goal was easy. Well, who am I kidding? It was again a strenuous exercise. We all headed towards the Nangkartshang peak. It started off mildly but close to the top when only last couple hundred meters was left, we finally started feeling the pressure. But once we did reach the top, the views were completely astonishing as it had snowed there the night before. We got to see a snow-covered view of the mountains and the entire valley which was glorious. The rest of the day was for just that, rest. And we have to say it does get boring since there is nothing much to do during that time.
Day 7 From Dingboche (4410m) to Lobuche (4925m) in 3 hours and 50 mins (9.8km)
It was a fairly easy hike in theory but the altitude made it difficult anyway, yet it was the great views that kept us going even while our bodies protested. The glorious walk along open pastures and old abandoned houses is how it began that day until we reached a small settlement named Thulka where we stopped for a cup of tea. After the break, it was still a 45-minute walk straight uphill, at a steep slope. We had to take quite a few breaks on this hike because of the pressure making our heart hammer fast but in the end, we made it to the plateau safe and sound and almost healthy.
While walking uphill, we were greeted by many stone memorials of the climbers who had lost their lives right there on the mountain that we were so determined to climb. It was quite moving actually, instead of being demotivated, we became even more determined to climb the mountain. Many people paused to absorb the serenity of the place and the emotions it arose. We came across one special memorial- Rob Hall and Scott Fisher’s whose fate we had seen in the movie just a day before. That really was the highlight of all the things we saw on the way. It just had a special significance that couldn’t be forgotten. The rest of the walk was quite tough as we had started to feel the fogginess in our heads along with the loss of concentration. That didn’t bode well for the kind of path that we were on and all the stumbles and near falls made us more careful.After reaching our guesthouse at Lobuche, we finally decided to rest and do nothing else for the entire day.
The guide had told us that it was necessary to save our energy for the upcoming day. We were also told to take a short walk to a higher level but we were just too tired to muster up energy, so instead, we decided to sleep and give our bodies some rest from the exhaustion.
By this time, we had already begun to look forward to getting off the mountain but that hope was a little less than our excitement for the final destination- Everest Base Camp.
Day 8 From Lobuche (4925m) to Gorak Shep (5140m) and finally Everest Base Camp (5364m)- 13.2 km (In 7 hours including breaks)
Knowing that this was the day we had been waiting for and had made so much effort made for a great motivator to battle the altitudes. With each step, the excitement level rose with the anticipation of the destination. After all, today was the day it was all about, right? It was quite a struggle to reach the place but as we kept walking, slowly yellow specks appeared and that kept us walking faster. There were amazing views all around us throughout the whole walk and we also passed by a dried river where Khumbu glacier used to be before it receded up the mountain by a few kilometres.
We had an early lunch after we reached Gorak Shep to muster up more energy for reaching the Base Camp. Though, we have to say it was a bit underwhelming,Everest base camp turned out to be nothing more than a pile of rocks with a couple of flags. The case is probably different for the actual Everest climbers but to us, the journey so far had drained everything. But it wasn’t all about the destination and the underwhelming pile of rocks but the journey we had undertaken and the rocky transformation we had gone through to reach the place. The rocky landscape was more a symbol of our achievement and when we looked at the place with that thought in our heads, it actually looked like the place of dreams.
We had finally reached the place we had been climbing so hard for, yet, no one broke out the champagne to celebrate.Probably because you should NEVER drink at high altitudes, yet, we were dizzy enough from the altitude itself. We spent around half an hour at the place, capturing pictures to keep a memory of that moment and taking in the surroundings.One of the most awesome things about Everest base Camp was that we could hear the ice shelves around the place creaking and breaking under the changing atmosphere. Then we had to trek back to Gorak Shep which was 200m descending since our resting place was there.
Day 9 Gorak Shep (5140m) to Kallar Pathar (55mom) to Pheriche (4371m)
We were finally relieved to have been getting down the mountain, yet there was another hill to climb before that. This was the day we had decided we would climb the Kallar pathar, a place known for its beautiful sunrise and panoramic views. Though we were reluctant to climb any more, yet it seemed a shame to miss out on the place when it was right there and what is a few more hours anyway. The hike was the toughest till yet and the altitude had started taking effect as we were on the brink of vomiting, yet we made it to at least 5400m which gave us a magnificent view of the tallest mountain in the world along with a vantage point for seeing the sunrise. After this, we began descending, knowing that there would be no steep slopes from here, just going down. We were exhausted yet relieved from the pressure which kept us going for while longer.
We trekked down the valleys while passing the glaciers and memorials on the way till finally reaching the treeline that was 4000m above sea level. We stayed at Pheriche village. It was the same village we had passed by on our way up yet entirely different, for this time we felt comforted, knowing that there were no more hard walks ahead of us, just retreat. Yet, we turned out to be so wrong. What the walk back lacked in hard terrain and pressure of high altitude, it matched up with covering long distances in a day’s time. Even the walk back made us so exhausted and strained our bodies. This place has rudimentary hospital under Himalayan Rescue Association.
Day 10 Pheriche (4371m) to Namche Bazar (3440m) (In 8 hours and 45 mins)
We had finally started feeling better at this point and the lower altitude was doing its job well, keeping us comforted. Yet, these last two days of backtracking the same path we had come upon were quite strenuous and so long the day didn’t seem to end. Even the scenery wasn’t much of a motivator anymore since we had already been in awe of it before and now the only thought in our heads was going back to Lukla. As we passed through Namche Bazaar again, we stopped by to get a brownie at a café, taking in the place for the last time. When we had come to the place we had been going up with such determination in our eyes and anticipation for the glorious views, overcoming hard obstacles and making it through the day. Yet this time around, we came with tired eyes and had finally become resigned as it was time now to head back. Then it was time to head back to the village Namche Bazar. We finally took a bath and it was unbelievable, the level of satisfaction one gets after finally taking a bath after so many days. It is all about the small luxuries at places like these.
Day 11 Namche (3440m) to Lukla (2860m)
It was here, the last day of the trek and we looked forward to it with the same anticipation as we had looked towards reaching the Everest base camp. The whole trek was so glorious and it gave us plenty of time to think about the whole journey and recall every aspect of the ten days that had gone by, in what seemed like a blink of a moment now. The track had gotten busy by the time we were heading back and there were a lot of climbers excited to go on the same path we had just retreated from.
We looked at the faces of energetic climbers and hope for the best for them, knowing the distressing journey they were about to undertake. They had no idea about how physically, emotionally and mentally challenging these few days were going to be. But a person comes out better at the end of it, knowing that if you could make it out of such hard course, you could do anything.
We kept walking, knowing that the end was coming soon, yet when there were only two kilometres left for the trek, we felt exhausted and it was at that time that the walk also turned tough. The track turned into an ascending one towards Lukla and it took a lot of effort out of our energy tanks to take each step upwards. One good thing though, that by now we had been used to such strain and so after much effort and putting one step in front of the other, we finally reached Lukla.This was the end of the journey and we had done it! It was such an accomplishment. We were filled with joy at the moment.
Day 12 Departure from Lukla and the flight back to Kathmandu
It was another spectacular ride from the most dangerous airport in the world, which we enjoyed the exhilarating views. It was a comfortable ride and in a 16-seater turbo-prop no less. It just took the full runway before lifting off as the plane leaps off the cliff. Yes, exhilarating is the right word for such a feeling. We saw glorious sights again from out of the window and this time we didn’t have to walk or exhaust ourselves to see it. Our legs were aching and the body was screaming from pain and exhaustion by this time. Yet, all we felt was happy and perhaps, a little melancholic about having to head back and leave the Everest behind us. The city of Kathmandu greeted us with same hustle and bustle and it made the thought hit hard. The trek had finally ended. All that was left now was to go back home with a lot more memories than we had before, and a lot of pictures as well.
The trip ended on such a wonderful note that now when we look back at it, we see the good moments, the awesome views, the amazing memories we made on the way more than we think about how hard it was or the exhaustion or the pressure. Things like that are momentary and forgotten as soon as one takes a long bath and rests, but the memories and the sense of accomplishment remain for a long time. The trek to Everest Base Camp seems easy because it is nothing compared to climbing Everest.Yet it requires a lot of effort and determination. We were lucky enough to not fall sick, yet, we did see a woman being taken down on a stretcher who would have to be deported on a helicopter to get medical help because of altitude sickness.These are real issues that have to be tackled on the trek. Yet, somehow, it is worth it. It is worth all the stress, strain and risk. It is worth going days without taking a bath. The feeling that one gets while one of the suspension bridges or seeing the sun creep up from behind the snow-covered mountains, the people you meet on the way and the way even little things taste delicious after a long exhausting day is what makes it all worth it. We experienced it all. Now it is your turn!
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