QUOTE FROM THE ROAD

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BHOLUNATH and CHATURNAAR

Part 1 *meet the aVATARS*

Our new avatars, Bholunath & Chaturnaar are our travel companions. Meeting them was like finding the brand new us. Vibrant as the roots we emerge from, these characters bring out our submersed desires of living in a free-spirited world and being footloose wanderers. Living in this mechanical high-rise world, following a time-bound routine life, most of us at some point or the other want to break free and drive into unknown lands...the lands we have left behind long ago...which no longer are visible through naked eye, but through kaleidoscope of our sub-conscious desires.
These characters are also travel freaks, but unlike us they are more enticed by the modern-india. Bholu and Chatur own a tractor but dream of sports cars, live in a’ kothi’ (a big house) in the village but yearn to live in a big-city high-rise tower , relish home-made dal-roti but want to dine in a 5-star.....are well known in their own village and around but want to meet the bollywood stars.

This journey is a quest to discover vibrant vast lands of this country from 2 different perspectives...a modern India, which entices Bholu & Chatur and a countryside unadulterated by technology, that gives Amit & Jace a new high.

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TRAVEL FROM THE PAST

Chitkul Village - 'the dREAM tHEATER'

Chitkul (Sangla Valley, Himachal), at 3450m, is a quiet village along the River Baspa and is one of the last stops on the old trade route to Tibet. This place is like a little cocoon with all little wonders wrapped up inside…all ingredients for a perfect fairyland recipe…stone and wood houses, a gurgling river, an outstretched expanse of colorful vegetation, towered by mountains overshadowing the sun…..a place full of bliss and even more wonderful people. It has its reasons fair enough to be higher than so many beautiful locales.

Mountain shadows in the sky- sunrise in Chitkul


.Around 3 km trek from Chitkul is Nagasti post, an ITBP camp, which also is the last point till where civilians are allowed.


washing our bikes in bone-chilling cold water stream


'a-MUSED'


Sunset in Chitkul

After spending a day at Chitkul, we moved ahead to our next stop, Kalpa . The road downhill was so narrow, something we have only read about in fables...as we glided through gushing streams and a tide of mountain grazers (read: goats & sheep).

'sTUCK and gOATED'

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FEATURED FOLLOWER (read: companion)

Name: Leena
Check out some gr8 blogs and pics by Leena at;
http://paantha.blogspot.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23985741@N06/

P.S.This column will feature work of one companion everyday. Please send your pic. and links at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to be featured here.