“Never a dull moment in our line of work”, I said to a fellow trip leader just a week ago in response to a query on upcoming trips. Life as a trip leader is truly entertaining. Befriending new folks, taking them to explore hidden gems, trying out adventure sports together, sounds thrilling, doesn't it? But beyond this, what people don’t know are the funny situations that trip leaders become privy too! This ranges from questions prior to joining a trip and even incidents during a trip. Heh of course, as my mom often reminds me, if the tables were turned, probably, I too would have these questions, so, know that this is all in good fun and all questions are welcome. Don't you worry, question posers, no identities were revealed here!
Sharing some bizarre questions and situations that I've encountered as a trip leader:
1) Wonder Woman for Washrooms!
Trip Leading has truly taught me a lot but one of the key takeaways has to be the realization of how much human beings need washrooms. Don’t get me wrong, the necessity in general is pretty understandable. But the situations in which people presume that I might procure a washroom leads me to believe that they must think I have Wonder Woman on call and she zooms up whenever I signal with a portable washroom in tow! For example, in the middle of raw treks. Generally, I always brief my group on a trek day as to what they can or cannot expect. A washroom mostly falls in the cannot category.
Yet there’ll be many who’ll ask “yaar, is there a washroom here?”. Now I would understand if we were on a developed trail but these questions have come when we are on a trail that doesn’t even have a Maggie point, where the last human outside of our group was seen right at the beginning and where the path is so narrow that one has to tip toe to make progress on the trek but ah as a trip leader I have genies and superheroes on call to conjure one! Hey, Wonder Woman, I'd really appreciate this service, do me a favour, woman to woman, will you? 😉
2) Honey, I'm... Homesick!
This I think has to be one of my all-time favourites for sure. A girl had been asking me queries about a trip. From gear to travelling with strangers, cash to carry, etc. the girl asked all reasonable general questions. But then came a question that quite literally left me at a loss for words.
She asked and I quote, “What if I get homesick?”. Umm… what if I feel out of place, what will the others be like, see these are questions I expect one to have while trying to travel with strangers for the first time. But how do I intend to tackle homesickness? I will arrange a video call between your folks and you? I will sing your mummy’s patented lori for you to fall asleep?
3) Here for the Gram
Once again, we do get it when someone is apprehensive of travelling with absolutely unknown people and has questions about it. That’s something for which people have to take a plunge while we’re there holding their hand and hooting along. Occasionally, someone even asks if they could possibly interact with the others in the group prior to the trip. I understand where that thought stems from, but we ask people to wait till the trip as we must respect everyone's privacy.
But there is a whole other level to this. The Instagram Influencers! Hah influencers or not, I've had travellers ask for other trippers’ Instagram handles prior to joining a trip. No name, no city, no what do they do, straight away Instagram. Mind you, this was a boy who told me he’s painfully shy, so, I don’t expect him to talk to these people beforehand. Then why the Instagram accounts details? ACP Pradhyuman and I deducted that this must be an attempt to gain followers, to take the influencerrr route!
4) Don’t Tell My Mommy!
Dear mummies and papas of my trippers, I promise to keep your child safe and sound but ermmm what said “child” does to get on the trip, I have no role to play in that. Ahem ahem. From people travelling with their special friends and asking me to assure their mummies that they are tucked in with a sweet boy or girl of the same gender, to what not, numerous stories have been cooked up to make some trips a reality!
While couple shoots are conducted on a full-fledged scale (minus the chiffon sarees), the blocking of every long-lost relative is just as extensive. And, hey, I’m not always a part of these plans but somehow people assume that the trip leader will willingly get roped in. So, I’ve even had girls make me pretend to be their “work friend” over calls to their mothers during a trip! Because of course we are on an office excursion, lot of team building is underway, aunty, only that this is a whole new team. Right. A sincere request to any mothers reading this, please don’t curse me, oops.
5) Say Cheese to China
When we visit the ever so pretty state of Arunachal Pradesh, we go to Bum La Pass. It is a high-altitude pass between India and China and even has one of the major outposts between the two countries for discussions and diplomatic efforts. Basically, from Bum La Pass, as you stand on the Indian side, you can see the fence from where China begins! You can see some Chinese people too and essentially Chinese soil is right there, just a few metres away. With this information comes the question, “Can we go to China?!”.
Obviously, I politely reply saying no to which one boy said to me, “Aree you guys take groups so often, kuch toh aapki setting hogi Army ke saath?”. He’s absolutely right! The Indian Army is pretty strict in the area but when they see one of our groups turn up, they simply make way to let us proceed for a photo session with the Chinese troops, they even offer to put aside their rifles to click a couple of “candid” photos for us because of course, setting.
6) Where The Flush and Mobile Network Won’t Work But Wifi Will, Right?
It was the blistering cold of March in Chitkul, and, in the single digit temperature we dragged our puffy faces and layered selves into the hotel. The previous evening all calls had been made, from bosses to babies as the information had been shared that there is no network in Chitkul (BSNL is a myth). Plus, the snowy months freeze the pipes to the point that the flush won’t even work and water is accessed by boiling the snow that collects in the driveway!
The writer in me makes sure to mention all this in our itinerary, calls, reminder mails, everywhere. And, yet, my darling city kids glide into the quaint hotel lobby and ask, “Hey, there is WiFi, right?”. Because the people of the last village of Himachal care about you “checking in” at their humble village more than your checking out your ah, fluids? Ugh.
To tell you the truth, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The funny experiences one ends up encountering in this line can lead to a lot more stories! But I guess some will have to wait for us to sit down, converse and share a laugh over a cup or two of honey ginger lemon tea. And, hey, if you have been one of the people who asked me these questions, then a big hug and your cup of tea is on me!