What will happen if you put 9 strangers for 15 days in an unknown location with less to no connectivity back home? You come back with bitter sweet memories. At least that's what happened with us.
9 of us and 10 if you count Sonamji (our Ladakhi driver/tour guide) knew almost nothing about each other except names, planned to go on a dream trip to Ladakh. The land of barren beauty, harsh winds and lakes that reflect the sky. The only thing common about us was the expression of ‘WOW’ on every turn.
Like any road trip this too was not complete without an impeccable playlist. There was an endless, ever changing playlist but not all the songs stayed with us till the end. And since we were 10 different personalities, we came back with 10 very different but equally memorable songs.
Like I say, “Road trips and good music are like orange juice and vodka.”
Here is a list of songs that made their way to the memory vault. Locked and sealed.
1. Maahi Ve – This song from the movie Highway, has the word “Road-trip” written all over it. The beats and the lyrics are so perfect that you seal your lips in a smile and take in the view the valley has to offer. ‘Main hi to hoon tera pataa. Hai doosra naa koi raasta.’ You are a part of me now, there is no other way, and there will be no other way. I'm taking you back with me.
2. Eye of the Tiger - Helmets on. Jackets on. Sound of the bullet echoing through the valley. What better way to start the journey from Nubra? This is the ultimate song to commence the trip, any trip. An air guitar performance with some serious head banging was the need of the hour. Let’s do this people!
3. Lakshya- Almost everyone who has been on a road trip to Ladakh is familiar with the view of army trucks moving along side in a line. Like migrating mammoths they pass us by swiftly, reminding us of the power this nation stands on. Which other song would fit better in a setting like this? With the occasional smile and wave they make us feel at home.
4. Kitni Hasee Zindagi- Lucky Ali was a magical name in our group. Why wouldn’t it be? His soulful voice blended perfectly with the landscape there. So much so that we did question ourselves ‘Kitni haseen hai yeh zindagi?’ Look around you, such beauty. It’s unbelievable.
5. Banjarey- By the 5-6th day of non-stop breath taking views and road journey, I was convinced I’m adding ‘Nomad’ to my name. With each passing BRO sign our physical energy went down but our spirit kept us going. We felt like nomads who didn’t want to stop. We wanted more, more of the mountains, more of the winding roads, more of the blue sky, we wanted more of Ladakh.
6. Hard Sun - On our way to Turtuk we came across a stream of fresh water. In a split second we decided to stop. All we could think of was to sit by the stream and stop time in its tracks. We all rushed towards it, took a spot each on the bank and that's it. The sound of the water flowing through the stillness, I couldn’t get my eyes off the milky white. The chosen song? ‘When I go to cross that river, she is comfort by my side. When I try to understand, she opens up her hands.’
7. Sweet Home Alabama- It was 2015, my thoughts were long, my hair was short. And this song demands a ‘sing along’. The song about friendship, the song about love, the song about madness, the song about making memories, the song about life.
8. Larger than Life - Have you ever been cooped up in a tent with 8 of your fellow travellers, shivering and watching the moon reflect in Tso Pangong? Well, I have. And while I was at it, I did an impromptu dance off with my new bestie to the song ‘Larger than life- Backstreet Boys (alright)’. Yup! We just sprang up and started to sing and dance. (And Gwen I know you are grooving to it while reading this.)
9. Sutta- Ahh....! What can I say about this song? There isn’t much that I have to. All millennials in India have heard this song once in their life, and by default it’s been with their idiot friends. So cheers to crazy friends! Cheers to undivided friendship! Let’s hear it one more time. ‘Doston mein baitha main sutta pee raha. Papa ne mujhe sutta peete dekh liya. Ghar jab mein pahuncha mujhe danda ho gaya...............(censored)’
10. Tibetan prayers - This one is my personal favourite and hence left for the end. The day we started the journey I noticed Sonamji play a calming tune, a chant. It was an instant connect. This happened every day, so the 3rd day we asked him. Why did he play that particular chant every time we commenced the journey and what did it mean? He said it was the Tibetan Morning Prayer and as a ritual he played it every day in the start of the journey. So, how could we not continue with this beautiful ritual?
It's funny how these strangers are now an important part of my life. I'm glad we did it guys. We took a chance and we didn't regret one bit.
Until next travels........!! Stay awesome.
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