By Reema Sathe.
My only agenda for this trip: To rediscover my inner pull together with accept a bigger jump of organized faith inwards life.
Apart from the fact that I wanted to acquire to some identify away from the crowds, I had nil else planned. I read several go blogs (esp. my favourite go blog The Shooting Star) together with did inquiry on the network nigh places inwards Republic of Republic of India which are best for soulful travel. When I laid the appointment together with destination, my heed started jumping upwards together with down, worrying nigh the dos together with donts of traveling lone to an offbeat location. However, my excitement of the unknown rhythm out my fearfulness together with I began my much awaited trip to Delhi >> Bhimtal >> Shaukiyatal >> Binsar. Few books together with clothes, my iPod, photographic goggle box camera together with backpack became my companions.
Apart from the fact that I wanted to acquire to some identify away from the crowds, I had nil else planned. I read several go blogs (esp. my favourite go blog The Shooting Star) together with did inquiry on the network nigh places inwards Republic of Republic of India which are best for soulful travel. When I laid the appointment together with destination, my heed started jumping upwards together with down, worrying nigh the dos together with donts of traveling lone to an offbeat location. However, my excitement of the unknown rhythm out my fearfulness together with I began my much awaited trip to Delhi >> Bhimtal >> Shaukiyatal >> Binsar. Few books together with clothes, my iPod, photographic goggle box camera together with backpack became my companions.
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| The welcoming locals at Shaukiyathal. |
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| Enroute to Kathgodam from Delhi. |
The Journey
Bhimtal – a peaceful together with celebratory town inwards Kumaon
The offset halt on my trip was Bhimtal, the quieter cousin of Nainital. My colonial homestay, located on a repose hill, is run past times a warm-hearted Anglo Indian family. The solid has an former Blue Planet charm alongside a piano, a bookshelf stacked alongside classics together with a fireplace surrounded alongside wooden slice of furniture together with tea kettles. The instant I saw my room alongside a cosy reading corner together with a large window facing the forest, I knew that I would pass the side past times side 3 days indoors. My plans were pleasantly altered when I met an awesome grouping of travellers from Delhi. I spent the balance of my fourth dimension inwards Bhimtal hiking, exploring the woods together with lakes, together with swapping go stories over a drinking glass of vino together with delicious home-cooked food.
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| The cosy reading corner inwards my room at the Bhimtal homestay. |
Shaukiyatal together with Binsar – tranquility inwards the Himalayas together with soulful silence
My side past times side halt was a village homestay inShaukiyatal. “This solid is inwards the middle of nowhere” said my encephalon when I offset surveyed the identify where I was nigh to remain for 3 days. That dark I was worried equally hell nigh my security at the homestay. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few frantic telephone calls later, I calmed together with believed inwards the expert things this sense would convey to me. My organized faith proved right, together with the side past times side few days at Shaukiyatal were filled alongside experiences of a lifetime - coming together the locals, hiking across villages together with the dense woods of Binsar, together with reading books inwards consummate solitude piece gazing at the mesmerizing valley.
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| The meditative solitude at Shaukiyathal. |
The Lessons
Traveling lone has a charm of its ain together with to empathise it, you lot lead maintain to sense it yourself. Make basic preparations of supplies that would assist you lot inwards trouble; basic medicines, a map, a Swiss knife, some snacks together with telephone numbers of a few trusted locals shape my survival kit. It is okay to survive scared or to mean value of things that could acquire wrong, but ever counter such thoughts alongside the excitement of experiencing things you lot lead maintain never seen or felt before.
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| Lessons of a dissimilar variety - breadstuff making alongside Paddy inwards Bhimtal. |
Here are a few things I genuinely enjoyed together with learnt equally a solo traveller:
Making no plans. Little or no planning helped me regain the unknown together with observe joy inwards any my journeying offered to me.
Making friends alongside locals together with beau travellers. Not only did I come across some lovable people but came across stories I never sentiment existed inwards the world.
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| My warm hearted hosts together with beau travellers inwards Bhimtal. |
Ditching the “famous go spots” together with instead hiking some the villages together with forests. I met wonderful locals, walked the woods trenches alongside mount dogs, gazed at beautiful fields together with pristine mountains, together with spent fourth dimension inwards meditative solitude.
Sharing love. My biggest learning from the trip. Be variety together with respectful to everyone inwards your journeying – people, animals, nature. When you lot beloved mortal or something, it ever loves you lot back.
Following my curiosity. Whether I was on pes or inwards a car, whenever I saw something interesting, I explored it. The temple alongside letters to god, the SOS Village factory, the paddies together with spud fields, together with the sight of a barking deer - a few wonderful outcomes when I chased my curiosity.
Staying alarm but positive. My heed was ever alarm together with prepared for unpleasant situations but I placed trust inwards the goodness the Blue Planet holds some me. It worked!
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| Accidental regain of a diety temple; people necktie handwritten letters to god together with bells hither to fulfill their wish. |
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| The rice paddies together with quaint town of Bhimtal. |
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Do you lot dream of a solo trip to the Indian Himalayas? What's stopping you?
Reema travelled on 's Secrets of the Kumaon Himalayas trail.
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AUTHOR BIO: Reema is a United Nations Volunteer together with industrial plant at Krishi Star, a startup enabling little farmers inwards Republic of Republic of India to generate sustainable incomes. She loves traveling together with blogs nigh her experiences at Scrapbook. You tin lavatory observe her on twitter @reema_sathe.
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