Sunday, October 31, 2010

Himalaya Calling !!



"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did.So throw off the bowlines.Sail away from the safe harbour.Catch the trade winds in your sails.Explore.Dream.Discover." -Mark Twain

Since last few years I have been thinking of taking a long break for 1-2 months so that I can spend the time exploring and just be myself travelling and satiating my irepressible wanderlust. All the travelling and expeditions I have been part of since last few years have been for 1-2 weeks and I always end up asking for more once they are finished.Nevertheless,I didn't get a chance to have a long break as I just got busy in the dungeons of life.It seems life became a race where we just cling ourselves from one milestone to another till we run out of gas.By the time I came from Saudi I was pretty sure of moving to a new organisation if they ask me to go to Saudi again.Meanqhile, I started getting offers from various organizations and decided to move.I thought this transition phase to be a right time for taking a long break after joining an organisation,it will be difficult taking a leave for 1-2 months at strech.I pushed my joining in all the organisations I got offers by 2 months.

Now as the agenda was set, all important planning phase started.I got myself busy with Internet exploring options and costs. Initially I thought of 20 days backpacking trip to Europe and then navigated to Thailand/Malaysia and then to 2-3 weeks trekking tour in Bhutan/Nepal.I enquired about them and somehow things were not conducive as dates and availability didn't matched.Later I read about very famous pro-mountaineering course through lonely planet in Nehru institute of mountaineering,Uttarkashi and Himalaya institute of mountaineering,Darzeeling and seriously got interested in these courses. I mailed them asking for dates and availability and thankfully NIM basic mountaineering course dates matched.

I told my parents about my trip plans.They initially were quite apprehensive but after much cajoling agreed.I told them to accompany me for the tour to Haridwar and Rishikesh for initial few days as they themselves wanted to go there for a long time.We all booked for the journey from Kolkata.My great Himalaya sojourn began as I packed as along with usual stuffs I packed both Lonely planet's INDIA and Rough Guide's HIMALAYAS.

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