Moon-Lake

I was looking at some pictures from several years ago which were taken during my trip to Himachal. All the treks were over and we were just visiting some lakes and small towns on our way to Manali. We were travelling along beautiful roads. I had a book with me and everyone was in a quiet and reflective mood.

We took a detour to visit the beautiful Moon-Lake(Chandratal) and spend a quiet morning there.The vehicle stopped some way away from the lake. We walked the rest of the way along a narrow gravel path in the direction of the lake.

I was waiting for the lake to come into sight. The constant scanning for the blue patch on the horizon reminded me of the cycle ride to Tso Moriri in Ladakh the previous year.

The sky in those parts can be very bright and sometimes this prevents you from really enjoying the beautiful sights once the Sun is up. But, that day, the sky was cloudy and the light was perfect.

There were small patches of grass around the lake and flocks of sheep grazing on it with shepherd dogs running about and barking at them.

Some of us took a dip in the icy water of the lake.

I just lay down in the moist grass with my book and spent some time reading and gazing out at the iridescent lake shining with a furious intensity in the many reflected colors of the sky.

As the clouds shifted in the sky the colors reflected in the lake too changed. I kept on moving around the lake to take in the sight from as many angles as possible.

The toughest part of that whole trip was the walk on the glaciers of the Pin Bhabha pass. This year, I am going again for a winter trek in Himachal. This time more of the trek will be over glaciers and it will be interesting to find out how I cope with it.

I am expecting it to be the toughest trekking expedition I have ever participated in and I can’t wait to see the sights and experience the adventure.

Come Oct, I will be on my way!

I hope that at the end of the coming trip, we will get to spend a few days roaming around and relaxing in beautiful places like this.

A wish!

Jack Kerouac Reads On the Road (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I like to drive, travel to new places and experience new things. Last month I was reading this book called On The Road by Jack Kerouac. In my opinion, the criteria for a good author should be the amount of character in his writing and not just whether you like the style or not. You can have correct grammar, orthodox construction of sentences and follow all the rules of composition. But, still, these things alone can’t make you a good writer. What you write should have soul and people should be able to tell that it is a work of passion and love.

On the Road is one such book. As I was reading the book I realized that I was simply wasting my time. Instead of going out and traveling and having fun I was reading about what others had done. I too wanted to do it. I too wanted to go without a plan and  end up where the road takes me. I too wanted to feel the deep, throbbing excitement that comes from not knowing what to do or where to go next. I too wanted to use my brains and figure out how to make the best out of a situation!

I figured that I should probably round up some guys and go on a road trip. I had even arranged for a vehicle and a couple of friends.  But, a few of them pulled out and my parents  discouraged me from doing it. So, for now, the plan is on the back burner.

But, I haven’t completely let go of it yet. If any one is interested let me know and we can work on the plan together!