Love for the Mountains

Sunday, February 25, 2007

- by Mridula

This is an essay written by Mridula on her love for the mountains, as second part of her interview published earlier. Since the interview posted earlier, Mridula has also won the Best Travel Indiblog award.

When Arun suggested the topic 'My Love for Mountains,' I thought there are many ways to approach this one. I could say, this is actually an acquired love, my husband simply refuses to go anywhere else but the mountains (and only the Himalayas qualify for him as mountains) so I have to love them. But then it is really not true. I equally love going to the hills.


View from Kuari Pass. Image Courtsy: Mridula

I could also say it is something mystic, beyond what the words can describe, that pulls us to the mountains and the matter would end there. After all, I really do not have proper words to describe why we run to the mountains at the first opportunity. But recently something happened that I think gives a good insight into love for mountains (and travel in general).

Last week we went to a small village in Himanchal Pradesh and stayed at a place called Shringi Vatika. It was really cold out there but then I saw snowfall for the first time in my life. While coming back, I realized that I have dropped my cell phone somewhere. After a few phone call to the owners,we found it and my cell phone is with them. Now how do I get my cell phone back? Many suggested I can ask them to courier it. But the couple that runs he guest house is old and I do not want to trouble them. They would have to go some distance to find a courier service.

Then I tried persuading my husband to go there again next month. He kept giving me vague excuses as to why we can't go back so soon. Then I realized my younger nephew is finishing his final exams for class 11th soon and he certainly needs a break before he gets into the grind of 12th board exams. So guess what? The two of us are going back to Shringi Vatika, because I really need my phone back. And I am wondering why did I not leave my cell phone behind in Lachung (Sikkim) or Ladakh. Let us see how many other places I will manage to leave my cell phone behind from now on.