pravingandhino1's travel blog

Pravin Gandhi travels to Nako, Tabo and Kaza in Spiti

2010-09-21T09:33:00.000-07:00

Recong Peo - Spello -- Pooh -- Khab -- Kaa -- Somdhung -- Nako -- Hurlling -- TABO -- KAZA - NAKO - Recong Peo (Kalpa)

A Brown Desert, A magnificent landscape of Rock and Sand and Water.
Barren can be beautiful.
The journey is the experience.

Khab: Entrance to the Spiti Valley
Leave from around Recong Peo after b/fast, follow the Sutlej upstream, must-have lunch at Spello - nice Bhojanalya, nothing available till evening, past Pooh (army post) and arrive at Khab, a spot where the Spiti river flows into the Sutlej. Sutlej comes below the bridge from the right from China barely 25 km away.

The Sutlej coming in from China on the right. Straight ahead, across the bridge into Spiti.

The Sutlej entering from the China, which lies beyond yonder mountain

Khab - Kaa - Somdhung

Road carved from the rock: awesome ride. The scenery is daunting in its barenness and craggyness. Kaa is a settlement of mere 50 residents, and here is a rare swathe of a wide, gently sloping ground ending at the edge of the mountain, used by army men for training and sports. That might be the only claim for Kaa to be on the map.

At Somdhung all vehicles entering or leaving have to register with the army. Foreigners have to individually register and must have their passports and travel documents ready. Above the post, on top of the features, are camps from where the army watches China 24x7.

Somdhung - Nako

Good news! we can reach Nako.
Road hugging the heights. Mountains present a breathtaking variety of shape, sizes and colour, Mountains have wide arcing slopes to the river below, and patches of bushes here and there making interesting patterns. On the way we saw a bridge with the ravine it was supposed to span, completely filled with debris from mudslides from the cloudburst of last week. It was only on that day that a diversion was made operable, so we would at least be able to reach Nako if not beyond.

More good news! Just when we were about to reach Nako, we received further good news that the much maligned Malinga Nullah, a notorious mountain stream which brings with it rocks and boulders when it floods or rains, and which had broken the road ahead of Nako was now "cross-able". So now there were no more obstacles to reaching the destination that we had planned: Kaza!

We did not stop at Nako and moved on.

Nako - Malinga - Hurling - Tabo

After successfully crossing the Malinga Nullah, our driver stopped at a little shrine to the mountain goddess and we all thanked her for a safe journey. What followed was a zig-zag road with hair-pin bends from the heights right down to the river a thousand metres below. The mountain shapes are exotic. Once at the river, we had a smooth, relaxing ride along its bank, stopping at Hurlilng for tea, the first refreshment spot since leaving Spello. It was evening now, and the driver estimated that we would reach Tabo wjhile there was still some light.

The road blocked at notorious Malinga Nullah was cleared just that day, making it possibe for us to go our destination Kaza

After Malinga Nullah, the road snakes down to the river below. Golden stalactite-like structures along the route.

Tabo, at last (night halt)

From Hurling, it is a relaxed journey, all along the river rather than on the heights. The mountain walls on either side are far apart, making a wide valley.

We reached Tabo, with just enough light to see its monastery. And then all shops downed their shutters and owners went home. Lives of people are set to daytime hours. Electric power is on for 2-3 hours at dusk. There are plenty of guest houses in the "town" square and plenty of foreign travellers and trekkers who stay here for a few days. It hardly takes 5-10 minutes to do a round of the "town" centre of Tabo

Welcome to Tabo

This is not Pune: German bakery at Tabo

Tabo - Kaza (night halt)

A short, 2-3 hour ride through the scenic valley, with sand and rock mountains on both sides.

Once settled into a comfortable hotel, a walk to the town centre (One can call Kaza a town) but still can be covered in 10 minutes. The centre is dotted with guest houses, cyber cafes, and eateries offering food of all nationalities.

Tabo - Kaza: Strange formations along the route

Tabo-Kaza: Pleasant journey along the banks

Tabo-Kaza: Barren can be beautiful. Pleasant journey along the banks of Spiti amidst imposing barren mountains

Tabo-Kaza: Strange formations

In Kaza

The most "happening" town of Spiti. The city square boasts of shops, cyber cafes, eateries and is full of travellers from all Europe, Australia and Israel.

International "cuisine" at Kaza for travellers of all nationalities

Indeed, the "world meets here" in the city square of Kaza

Excursion out of Kaza

Next day, we had an excursion to the Dhunker monastery, one of the most ancient monasteries, precariously perched on craggy mountain sides.Then to a village called Kibber, where the road constructed under Prime Minster's Rural Road Scheme ends. And to Comic, a village of 125 at an altitude of 4250 metres, where people use mules to travel.

Dhunker Monastery, one of the oldest in the world, perched precariously on the craggy hills

The world's highest altitude retail petrol pump in the world, at Kaza

Road terminating at Kibber, constructed under the Prime Ministers Rural Roads scheme

That's the village of Comic, pop. 114, altitude 4250 m, serviced now by a motorable road and a daily bus service from Kaza; trekkers trek to here from Kaza

Road to Comic from Kaza

Village of Langzhu en route to Comic. Collect fossils here.

A resident of Comic and his mule

Pravin Gandhi family at Comic

View of Kaza from the hills above

We had reached the end of the journey, at the destination (Kaza) that we had planned to reach. All obstacles removed themselves to help us reach here, one of the remotest corners of India, and one of the most inaccessible. Despite the hard life, people here are prosperous. They are being served by a road, mobile phones, dish tv's , solar panels for generating electricity. Tourists who like a bit of adventure come in large numbers during the season, Some own private vehicles..May they prosper, Jai HInd.

Return journey
Kaza - Nako (night halt)

View of Nako "town".. that's it, all of it

blapeek insoide the homes reveals only floor mattresses and quilts. All life is outdoor, in daylight hours. Doors are to keep the cold out, not thieves.

The "streets" of Nako

Do's and Dont's for visitors at Nako. It shamed me to see that people here are more eco-conscious and cleanliness conscious than urban-people.

Locate the places mentioned in this post on the map

The journey is the experience

Pravin Gandhi finds Heaven in Kinnaur. And the world's best apples too.

2010-09-11T22:40:00.000-07:00

Sangla Valley at Chitkul

Sangla Valley at Chitkul, looking towards Tibet-China.

Imagine meeting a friend (Asutosh Bijoor on biking trip) at end-of-the-road Chitkul!

Famous Kinnaur Apples... want two? have ten!

Kinnaur apples everywhere, green and red... tempted to pluck them off the trees

How about an apple tree outside your house?

What's the joke? Happy Children

Along the Baspa-Sangla valley

At Rakcham, where we stayed

In Rakcham

Kinnaur Kailash giving a rare darshan... look further for the view from other side

Kinnar Kailash from the other side - from Recong Peo and Kalpa - Kalpa village below - the bunting looks like a garland to the mountain -- a view to be had only at 5:30 am

Maggie and Tibet Tea or Soup, anyone? The owner has tuned onto One-day cricket commentary on the radio, but does not know who is Sachin Tendulkar

"Downtown" Kalpa

End-of-the-road at Chitkul. No going further into army-controlled inner line

Pravin Gandhi finds that Government does work!

2010-09-07T02:33:00.000-07:00

See it to believe it! Despite the cynicism about the much-touted 8.75% GDP growth rate, what with corruption at large, infrastructure lacking and lagging, growth is lop-sided, development not reaching the masses. However, in my travels to far flung corners of the country, I see that Government does work. You do not have to take my word for it, see it in the pictures.

Since 1984 when I traversed the Himalay in Kumaon to reach Mansarovar and Mount Kailas, to last month when I visited Spiti in Himachal Pradesh in the wake of the cloudburst, I have been a frequent traveller into the remotest of remote corners of India and the most inaccessible, particularly the inner layer of the Himalayas hugging the border with Tibet-China. I have seen a lot of change in the lives of the people.

Falling rock, landlides, mudslides and junglee-nullas (flash-flood streams) are frequent, damaging roads and rendering them unserviceable, but bulldozers ("JCB" as they are fondly called) are on hand to clear them instantly during the daytime. JCBs are now very essential element of life in the hills

PHYSICAL CONNECTIVITY:
There is a motorable road passing near every village.

Roads have to be hewn from sheer rock, with a plunging gorge on one side

Roadways service all inner line regions with daily services, providing physical connectivity to villages of 75 people to "towns" of 1000 people. It is not uncommon to find private vehicles (maruti zen and alto) in this land of rough roads, and high altitudes)

Bridges make it possible for men and material to move from one side of the gorge to the other. WIthout bridges, people would have to travel long to go to the other side.

Despite this, ropeways like these are still used by villagers to send material, even a person, to the other side, making them essential to life in the hills

COMMMUNICATION CONNECTIVITY
Today there is mobile phone connectivity in every village and also internet connectivity.

Your snail-mail will reach this place through the government-run postal service, which also provides money transfer for expatriates to send home their earnings to family

Happy and coy! the mobile phone has made a difference to life in the remotest of remote, inaccessible parts of the country

A "bhojanalaya" on the roadside at Spello might be a strange place to advertise for internet services, but it makes sure every customer sees it

Electronic and Telecommunication is hampered by the lack of electric power which is available only for a few hours in the evening. This will change

1000 MW hydro power station being built by JP Group. A 45-km long tunnel is being built through the mountains which will bring part of the Sutlej flow to the power station with tremendous force to generate power for the region

ECONOMIC CONNECTIVITY:

Apple-pluckers. Contractors pick up the villagers' produce and pay a fair price.

Depots for collection and loading onto trucks and distribution. The has brought prosperity to people of this region who earlier had no markets nor a fair-price mechanism for their produce

A sign of their prosperity is that labourers who work in the fields or in construction are not locals but imported from Nepal! Some are converting their timber houses to cement-concrete houses (not good) and even have the latest private cars (picture at Roghi village in Kinnuar district)

Prime Minister's Guaranted Employment scheme for 100 days in a year for every villager

a State Bank of India branch at 3800m in Arunachal Pradesh

Water: One would imagine that people living in the Himalays would not have any shortage of water. True, but the houses are on the slopes and heights, while the rivers are below. The womenfolk had to go down into the valley with empty pots and climb up with 2-3 pots filled with water. One water tap in the village goes a long way towards liberalisation and empowerment of women. Further, the state government pays Rs.1,500 to build a scientific toilt in one's home and even helps them make on.

LITERACY AND EDUCATION: There is a school wherever one goes. Every boy and girl goes to school unlike their counterparts in the plains where they are sent to work in fields or in dhabas. Delivery of information and education is a challenge, one could see the heart-warming scene of children going to school in such remote places.

Medical:
There is a medical centre within 20-30 kiometres. Getting doctors from the plains to serve in such places is a challenge, but a carrot-and-stick policy does work indeed

Defence
Humoungous logistics of defending 2000 km of our borders in such difficult terrain.

Census:

Census

A nation-wide census was completed last year. Imprtance of census can be felt in such remote and inaccessible parts on the outskirts of the country as it creates a national identity in the people. It must have been herculean project

A visit to a school in Chitkul and in Rakcham in the Sangla Baspa valley

"Come to learn" invites this school in idyllic Chitkul

A Secondary school in Rakcham

Basket ball and Volleyball facilities in the Rakcham school. Rakcham holds this years' winners trophy and is displayed in the village temple

Such meagre grants and scholarships but they go a long way

Toppers of Sangla Valley!

Having seen the change over the years makes me feel good, and I have to admit that despite all the cynicism, the government does indeed work and that development is indeed reaching the most remote part of the country. It is heart-warming that the inhabitants of such regions are being brought into the national mainstream instead of being cut-off. If you find this post heartening, please share it with your friends.

Sangla-Spiti Trip: DAY-2: Shimla-Sarahan

2010-08-26T06:10:00.001-07:00

Waterfalls, Apples and the lovely Bhimnkali temple

Last evening, in Shimla, the plan fell into place, and we had a Plan-A and a Plan-B, and a Qualis SUV and a driver Sanju. The weather and road availablity would determine where we go, and upto where we would go. It could happen because I chanced to step into Band Box where I met Anil Bharadwaj, owner of Band Box Heights and Valleys, Tour Planners and Organisers, 9, The Mall, Shimla 171001 (98160-61160, bboxhv@gmail.com), pukka businessman but very professional, who gave us quality advice, quality vehicle and quality driver-guide. He arranges and manages tours and treks and logistics for foreign groups, trekkers, cyclists, film shootings, etc. but he gave me and my famly the same attention. I am glad that I met him and I recommend him to anybody who wishes to explore the Spiti.

Leaving Shimla, we passed by the boarding school and hometown on one of my favourite actresses Preity Zinta. Then past the town of Narkanda, a ski resort for 2 months in a year and a centre for distribution of apples. When had stayed here in the winter 10 years ago, there was no snowfall. We had stayed at the nice, plush circuit house with a grand, unobstructed view of the snow-capped Himalayan range; and had trekked to Hatu Peak.

A depot for loading and distribution of Kinnuar apples at Narkanda.

Between Narkanda and Rampur, there is a spot where one can stop and take a view of the beautiful Sutlej valley.

<-- And here is the view from this spot. We would snake down from this viewpoint to the Sutlej and follow it upstream till the China border.

There has been heavy downpour in the upper regions, the river is in spate, and the uncharacteristic cloudbursts in the India-Tibet region has caused the river to carry enormous amounts of mud and clay.

There are waterfalls aplenty along the way, and

<-- and also the famous Kinnaur apples - both the green and red varieties. One wants to stop the vehicle and pluck them off the trees, so heavy are the trees with the fruit. But our driver chides us mildly, saying "If everyone thinks like that, there will not be a single apple in the valley. Please either ask the owners, or buy them, but please do not pluck them".

Thus chastised, we bought a few from a roadside vendor. they were the most delicious apples we had ever eaten.

We reached Sarahan (alt. 1920m), a hamlet, home to a beautiful temple of Bhim-Kali, at tea.

<-- The temple courtyard has very nice, large comfortable rooms at very low prices. The HP tourism also has a property (the Shrikhand, outside the temple, with a beautiful view and a restaurant, but is a bit pricey.

The temple itself, the centrepiece of Sarahan, is entirely made of stick, it has the courtyard (with the rooms), an inner courtyard and an even inner courtyard.

Inner Courtyard

<-- The twin temples.

The one on the right is still the private temple of the Rajah. The one on the left, made of stick with engravings, is for the public. The two are so aligned that you only see the wooden temple from the village.

You climb up wooden stairs to the sanctorum housing the diety which is very pretty, not what one imagines of Kali. The temple is now managed by the governement, so there is no hustling by the staff or pujari (who are very nice), and there is no slaughter of animals (thank god, brrr!). village folk gather for the aarti and there is good atmosphere and singing amidst fragrance of pine and incense.

The temple in the morning fog....

<.. and when the fog lifts.

The Rajah's haveli/Mahel
There is a palace of the Raja of Kinnuar - Veerbhadra Singh. We were told the watchman would show us around the propoerty, but we didn't find any watchman nor watchdog! So we made merry in the Raja's property, inspecting his intricately carvbed verandah, and even audaciously plucking a few of his apples!

But thats how Kinnaur and its people are, very simple, uncomplicated, with theft, misuse far removed from their mind, exemplified by the way they leave their apple trees ungaurded.

Probably the Rajah, when he visits, has his tea and newspaper (and a hunting rifle) sitting in this chair, or his whisky by night

"Boudhisht" dhaba - not for the fussy

The owner of The Boudhisht

Dear Diary, over Salt Tea, Maggie and ...

... Momos

Sangla-Spiti Trip: Day-1: Shimla Mall is still the best

2010-08-25T08:37:00.000-07:00

The cloudburst and the ensuing devastation in Ladakh had put paid to our trip to Leh, leaving us no time to make alternate plans, but to cancel. However, we decided to go to Shimla, make enquiries and arrangements there. We chose to go to Sangla valley and Spiti valley, which is a round-about route to Leh, and push till as far as one can in the current conditions of weather and damage to mountain roads. Till afternoon, we were still at the Ridge, trying to figure out bus timings and places to stay, but after that things fell into a slot in one rapid stroke. Meanwhile, family enjoyed the time at the Ridge and Mall.

The mall of Shimla is still the best of all Indian hill stations. The British rulers of India built it in order to quickly escape from duty in the Raj's capital city, Delhi, to more English-like weather conditions. It still preserves the English in look and feel. Clean, good shops, lots of street furniture, viewing balconies. A happening place, a happy place where school-going children, teenagers, working people and elders converge. Two policemen, dressed in finery resembling the London bobby stroll leisurely. No vehicles, and a salubrious clime greets one. Monkeys too seem happy here and claim ownership of the Ridge.

Its a no-polythene-bags state, and a municipal worker who walks behnd horses collecting poo instantly.

In the mall, there are good shops, memorablia, again a lot of street furniture, and eating places, and no vehicles.

Very Quaintly English, reminiscent of the Raj days.

We stayed at the best address in Shimla, the Oberoi Clark, a magnicient "Tudor" building" (er.. actually, opposite it)

A happy, zestful place for all ages:

One would have thought that the Band Box brand of Dry Cleaners was extinct. It survives, in Shimla

Meanwhile, Nearly-Headless Nick (of Harry Potter fame) does exist (his face lost in the fog) and does his duty in Shimla

Trip to Spiti, August 2010

2010-08-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

Recong-Peo is no ad for a soft drink: it is Kinnaur district hq.
Khab (pop. 0) is no dream but the spot where Spiti river flows into a turbulent Sutlej entering from China barely 25km away.
From Khab to Kaa (pop. 100) is a road running along the China border, scary, narrow, road with overhanging rock, high above the river.
Spello is no game of Scrabble, it a spot along the road with an inn which serves a good veg thali
POOH is an army post.
Sumdho is an army post overlooking China.
Nako is a town (!) one one reaches after a long journey through sheer rock mountains, with myriads of colour, shapes and masses.
Malinga is a much maligned (wow, an anagram, and alliteration too!) nullah which frequently shuts down roads.
Tabo and Kaza are towns teeming with foreign travellers and trekkers, easy to mix up as Tako and Nato!
Comic is no Archie's Digest, but a village of 114 people (see pic... praani???) at 4250 metres where the mule is the official vehicle.
These are REAL places and REAL people actually live here. They are all in far-flung parts of Himachal Pradesh in India and the people are all Indians. There is a roadways bus service, post, cell phones, school, even a few Maruti Alto and Zen cars, and they use imported labour from Nepal!
Explore India, not Mahindra!!
Pictures: 1.Khab khud: mud-brown river Sutlej under the bridge, coming from China, 25km ahead; mud-black River Spiti, joining the Sutlej; See the road to Kaa beyond the bridge with the rock overhang.
2. Comic village, alt 4250m; polulation 114 praani!!