Our Travelogue

There have been great travel experiences and memories i cherish. Well some of the experiences were a part of my job(Army) and some which I explored. In this platform I would like to share two such experiences. As part of my job I was fortunate to be posted to many beautiful and scenic places. One such place was when I was posted in Jammu and Kashmir. This state is really a heaven on earth. Unbeatable beauty and so natural. During my stay in this place for 3 years I got an opportunity to dig out and explore the rarest of the places. There is a place known as Sundarbani near Rajouri . I happened to go on a official visit. This place is actually sunder as the name goes. The shape of the mountains, the thick forest covering it and a peculiar smell found in air, only in this particular place. Though there is less civil population the establishment is of Army. I was to finish my work and return to my base camp. But due to some militant activity I was struck in a place between sundarbani and Udhampur. Wherein we had put up on a hillock and stayed in the Mahindra jeep(army vehicle) for nearly a week. This was the time that during our chase for the militants we could see the beauty of that place. Its beyond imagination that the place is scarcely populated and that too of militants. There were natural springs, river Chenab flowing and water falls. The sight is so deeply engraved in my mind that it is unforgettable. There is also a temple cave which was discovered recently. There are one million gods and goddesses inside it, people say a short cut route to Amarnath. Though I have no photographs of the place but the images are so fresh and clear and flahes in my mind whenever I think about that place. Thus with my Army job I got an opportunity to visit such rare places. Another visit was to Leh and ladakh. We had planned to visit the place in extreme winters ie in the month of December. I flew from Bangalore – Delhi-Leh. And then traveled immediately to Thoise. Thus with 23 C reached to -23 C temp and height of 18,000 ft with virtually no acclimatization. This visit to Leh was to test our endurance. We visited Khardungla pass the first day infact the first hour. It was difficult as there is less of oxygen and it was snowing. Though I conked off there. But to prove this we again visited khardungla to feel the height. And yes we spent one hour walking and without suitable warm clothing. We visited places of Army establishment and went on a atrack aswell. The experience was magnificent. I must say India’s beauty is uncomparable. One doesn’t need to visit foreign countries in search of scenic places.