A Traveler's Memoir

I have left bits of me in various places that I can visit anytime in the blink of my eye. As I rode on towards Dharamshala, I understood that the best part of my journey was over and I was coming back into senseless civilization and meaningless lives.  I found a place to dump my luggage in a small crowded town and went out to visit the Dalai Lama monastery or the Kalachakra Temple. The place was lit with numerous lamps and was glittering like gold. The streets were filled with their traditional style of art and craft.  The next day I started riding to Vaishno Devi temple in Jammu. My intention was to touch the last state on the north and  The Kutch of Gujarat on the west before returning home. After riding through the day, I reached Katra around 6 PM, I got my pass to enter the temple, left my luggage in a locker and started hiking.  When I saw food being served, i ate and continued to climb. This was where I realised I had become numb. I didn't feel any pain and was simply rushing

Reaching Chougan around 4 pm, I called Yudhvir Singh, he said we could fly the same day. He took me in a taxi to billing for my first flight after an 18-kilometre drive through the winding roads of the Himalayan Mountains. He strapped me and himself into the Harnesses and all I had to do was take a few steps to be airborne. I don't know why, tears started rolling in down my eyes. It felt so beautiful. I thanked him for the ride and decided to spend that night there. Found Amar guest house run by Sanjay Dutt, no not the actor, who offered a room at 400 and I stayed.  That flight, Opened me up to a very different dimension, a new feeling, a feeling of self-love, a feeling of being alive, I felt a change in me forever. My mind was so full, I couldn't think about anything beyond that flight. Some things just cannot be explained and I decided that I must learn the sport though didn't have the money. I thought if it costed less, I'll do it else it wasn't my cup of tea. Y

I packed my luggage and rode towards Malana and Kasol. Being a stoner, it was something to cherish, to be there for the New year. With the present climate, I could not start early. I started around 9 in the morning and found a stay by 7 in the evening. On reaching Malana after 2 days, I ended up at a fake party that brought me together with a few boys from Kerala. We just smoked up and lazed. On the 31st we took a bus ride to Manikaran for a natural hot spring bath. My plan was to attend a party as it was the new year but ended up cooking dinner for 5 people.  Happy New year 2020. Yeah, Cheers!  The first day of the year was lazy and I didn't like it. Everything happens for good and good things take time.  The place was a mess. Torn blankets, filthy kitchen, dozens of bottles stocked up, ashes everywhere, with cigarette buds thrown around. Cleaning happened only once a day though. The guy running it, Regish was a lovely soul but in vain. He said he used to work in Dubai for a few