Traveling is that one thing which helped me with my depression. Its been around 2 years that I started traveling and I do budget backpacking. It has changed me into a whole different person and it has enhanced my strength & self-confidence.
I don't remember exactly from when, but Kaza, Spiti valley is my favorite place. No matter how many more travels I go on, this will always remain as my favorite place.
So I wanted to make it special. But I didn't know how. That is when I decided to work for 3 months and then spend it on Kaza travel. Now, I'm a B.tech dropout, no one would call me and give the job. Then I thought, Why not I try something different. I started my first job as a Reliever for a textile company, I used to sell clothes in Shoppers stop from noon 12 to night 9. There were times when I wanted to quit. But I didn't. I was fucking hungry to explore Kaza. I even got my first tattoo in my first salary and the tattoo said 'Good things are wild and free'. I got this whole traveling kit and trust me I'm not a materialistic person but I love my rucksack the most than any human.
We finally boarded the train to Delhi. From Delhi - Shimla - Kalpa (Reckong Peo) - Spello - Nako - Tabo - Kaza - Manali - Delhi, so I entered Himachal through Shimla and exited from Manali. It was a 9 day road trip and from Delhi to Delhi, it cost me around 6.5k.
In Tabo we pitched our tent for the night. Next morning was my dream come true day, because it was Kaza. The thing is, I was so excited and didn't sleep till late. By the time we woke up, we had missed the bus for Kaza, the next bus was in the late noon. We packed and started walking towards Kaza. After a mile, we got a lift in a school van and it was my first experience with hitchhiking, it was obviously great. Then I decided, it is a perk when you miss your only bus.
We reached and the moment I stepped on Kaza, I had tears and I was also smiling. May be I can never experience the same again but I hope to.
The pictures are from Kaza. They're not just pictures to me, it's something more than that. Something I can't put in words. If you want to feel the same then please start traveling. Our lives are not just meant for paying bills & dying, we don't have roots like plants and trees, feet are meant to travel. Don't stick yourself for one place. Go, get lost, find yourself, make yourself a story.
At least I can remember all this in my 80s and smile :)
In Himachal road trip, I met many people, so many. I would like to share this one experience that happened in Kaza. Our next plan was Manali, we had to board the first bus from Kaza and that was a 12 hours long journey.
By 6pm we came back to Kaza from Kibber and started pitching our tents. By 7pm we when to Zostel hostel to have our dinner. Actually we had met a bunch of 5 guys from Hyderabad in Nako, we were in the same bus to Tabo but by the time we woke up they had left and now I see them again in the Zostel in Kaza. We all had dinner together and sat outside. It was 9 I think, the vibe was hilariously awesome. We were smoking, laughing, sharing things, that cool breeze of Kaza and it was below 10 degrees. Mountains, that soothing sound of the river and suddenly from no where the power went off. I see the time, it's already 12 in the night, I don't even know how the time went so fast, I just lift my head thinking all this and there I see zillions of stars right over my head. My jawline dropped and I uttered "Best power cut", Indeed it was the best power cut.
And then it hits us that our bus is at 4am and it's already near to 1am. After that, we headed back to our tents.
I'm really lucky for having the best night at my dream place. At 3 am I pack my bag for Manali and I'm sitting in the bus. I have another 5 minutes before the bus leaves from Kaza. I close my eyes and remember myself everything that happened in that one day. You know what? I was smiling with tears in my eyes.
Again, Kaza is not just a place to me, it's an emotion 👣
