Rumi once said ..
"When will you begin that long journey into yourself?"
For me, as I was browsing through my court diary, going through each and every page one by one, my mind and fingers took a pause, an extended weekend it was!
All I could think about, at that point was the Himalayas, especially when the last days had really took a toll on you, The Himalayas rescue my psyche!
Swiftly recollecting the entries on my bucket list, All we could think was " Sar Pass", But keeping in mind the limited time frame, it seemed like a far-fetched dream as of now. As I started a Google search, all I could see was Grahan- It's base camp. I got more inquisitive about this small village , and lost track of Sar Pass,the place which landed me there.
I spent a considerable time, knowing more about the place,it enthralled me to the core, few moments later, all I could think of was Grahan. Fortunately I already had a wonderful company for the above mentioned en-devour. I gave him a call, all he asked! " When do we start?"
Where is Grahan?
Grahan is a small, self-sustaining village located at about10km uphill from the town of Kasol. It is a remote part of the Parvati valley, and gained popularity among the Trekkers, as it is the base camp for Sar Pass, but what do the Israeli do there for months, the answer is bizzare, " THE MAGIC HONEY", and all he said " When do we start?"
We started from Delhi, Late after work, the plan was to take the first stopover at Kasol and then start the hike to Grahan. We drove all night, and by the time, we reached Kasol, we were already comatose. We had only one place in mind for the layover, Hosteller. With drowsy eyes and almost dopey body, we had to walk for about 10 min, to reach the place.
The next day was pretty early as all we did the day before, was laze around and doing,and what we do in Parvati Valley......... relax( Don't divert your thoughts).
So we decided to have a light Israeli breakfast at Cafe Sunshine.
The trek to Grahan Village starts from Cafe Moon dance, and then diverts into a narrow path beside the stream diverging from the main Parvati river beside the trail into the forest.
We were standstill, the panoramic view of the glacial mountains, fueled our exhausted and senseless body to utmost zeal and energy, we almost forgot to check-in.
Classy Yellow interiors, contrasting the backwoods, electrified our moods as we were about to take the first sleep in 24 hrs.
We spent almost the entire day at the hostel as we were grossly reluctant in stepping outside, the hostel, We had all we needed, bed, Tea, and the balcony with a view.
The cafe had always been a must go- breakfast kind of place due to its KASOL VIBES and ofcourse never disappointing food.
We quicky grabbed a Falafel and packed tight for a long tiring hike ahead.
As we moved into the dense forest trail, we crossed several small streams and tree bridges, which repleted both of us with sense of peace and adventure.
We could here the noise of the flowing river, though the water body actually faded as we took the trail deep into the forest cover.
after walking for about 45 min we came across a small shop serving maggi and tea, and as a matter of caution, " Do not miss these things ever" when you go to the mountains.
The hike is full of tranquility as it is scenic with Pine forests all around, providing photographic landscape with wide range of flora encompassing the entire trail.
There were absolutely no travelers at that point of time, and a very few villagers constantly surpassing us faded into the nowhere. A good 3 hours into the woods and we were drained out, we needed rest desperately, but keeping in mind the remoteness of the village and the dropping signal strength, we expected nothing anything close to the word "luxury".
The vicinity was alive, as we stepped further, the fallen leaves, the whistling wind, the sound of the insects and the solitude was remarkable experience. We had not seen anything close to Shangri- La ever on a Himalayan village hike.
We took a deep eupnea and took a moment to repose, as we saw the old wooden settlement and the last stretch to Grahan.
The structures are mostly old, having the Himalayan charm, the path is narrow and less taken. small children playing and the cattle grazing.
We wanted to reach at the end, reason being the view of the snowy gigantic mountains were getting more extricating as we kept on crossing.
Amidst, the stony structures and rocky trail we almost forgot that we had our last hearty meal long back, we needed something vital- FOOD.
Now the chase took a detour, and we longingly decided to give the journey a small assuagement. We reached Old Krishna Homestay in Grahan.
We enjoyed a grilled sandwich with a warm glass of Ginger honey Lemon tea, and could not stop admiring the glipse of scenery across the homestay. The place was occupied with foreign nationals. The owner had been really friendly and advised us to our next and final stop.
The Blue Heaven Homestay, Grahan,
We were gathering the last chunks of energy, all we saw was a secluded Himalayan cottage, with no signs of mankind. Luckily, a young gentleman greeted us and his wife showed us the room.
"The nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished", these were the thoughts as I entered the coziest possible room I came across.
The glistening fairy lights, the comfort and the simplicty.
and not to forget, a MAGICAL WINDOW...
Tucked away from the hustle-bustle, work, people and Mobile Network, we decided to utilize our time doing, what was required at that time.
The next two days we had nothing in our mind, and we kept on doing nothing.
"That made it easy to get off my sorry butt and take full charge of the limitless possibilities in my life.
In the empty space of having nothing, there is plenty of room for the new and incredible to make its way in."
But what was more important was, resolving a mystery of the Magic Honey.
What is a Magic honey?
The locals of the village, Grahan were primarily the honey gatherers, the product, they strive hard to protect from the Himalayan Bears are very different from the ordinary honey. A couple of spoons and you will feel a strong sugar rush, more of a NIRVANA.
So the very next morning, the meddlesome soul, pushed us to explore more of Grahan or rather I should say " The Magic Honey".
We took a deep descent from the Homestay, roaming endlessly, deeper into the other side of the village towards the waterfall.
The search of Magic Honey, brought us to a different realm, which was much more beautiful, we chose to follow the voice of the water coming from the vicinity.
The sky went pitch hazy and like other villages around the valley, the stillness was profound. It envelops you in a comfortable yet vulnerable feeling that utter silence brings.the backdrop of patchy green hills and the mighty Himalayas with irregular tufts of snow embroidered on it like cracks.
Finally we reached the waterfall,
When the silence of the forest, provided the medication, we decided to spend a couple of hours, focusing on what was more important at that time, solace.
Then and there , we lost a part of us in the infinite wilderness, and that part is still unfolding the Mystery of MAGIC HONEY.