Blogchatter Half Marathon : Back To The Base
We got ready by 7 a.m. and had breakfast. We started at 7:30 a.m. We had a chat on the way. More than anything, everyone was eager to taste fresh peach one last time. The target was to hunt the shop where we had peaches when we came to Ghangaria. After walking for a certain distance, Shreya felt uneasy. She felt soreness in her legs making it difficult for her to walk. Reluctantly, she had to continue her journey on the back basket carrier as it was a long distance to cover.
Shreya left, and we decided to catch up with her at the bridge that was 4 km away from that spot. We had an evening plan for Badrinath Temple, so we kept a steady pace to reach Govindghat on time to depart for Badrinath. Within 1.5 hours, we covered 4 km and spent some time at the shop near the bridge. Shreya was there too, but she left as we reached because the back basket owner awaited her. We could not match his speed, so Shreya spent time with herself on her way to Pulna.
After grabbing a bite, we started walking again. Our target was to rest when we reached the shop with a peach tree. We kept walking. There was no story on the trail except Sejal's. Sejal held a butterfly in her hand for the first time, her Eureka moment. She sourced some hemp leaves for her mother with the help of Alok (our trip guide). Also, she blew a dandelion. We clicked a few more pictures on the way and reached that shop. We requested them to get us peaches, and that fierce woman again climbed the peach tree and got us the best peaches. We ate peaches, and Neha and Amish enjoyed their time chasing the clouds of tranquility.
After eating peaches and clicking pictures, our target was to reach Pulna by noon, but our pace turned to 12:30 p.m. When we reached Pulna, we met with Shreya again, and Nikita was also there as she descended before us. From Pulna to our stay, we traveled via taxi. After reaching, we freshened up and went for lunch. We did not have much time to rest. After lunch, we got ready for another ride.
The unplanned visit to Badrinath Temple and Mana village (the first village in India) was majestic. The ride was beautiful throughout, and the way was a bit treacherous. From narrow pathways to broad roads, we passed with the hope of staying safe under the rocky mountains, and most of us fell asleep out of fatigue. When we were about to reach Badrinath, the traveler guide Sachin Bhaiya told us to see Mana before Badrinath as it would take some time to sightsee the village. It might get delayed, and we could miss it if we visited the temple first.
Agreeing to his concern, we reached Mana village and realized it was again more like a trek, and our tired body and soul felt reluctant to walk until we witnessed the rich art and culture of Mana village.
It was time to travel to Badrinath temple. We sat in the vehicle, but only after taking the picture with the welcome board of Mana village.
We started for Badrinath Temple and reached within a few minutes as it was near. Everybody bought Prasad and Basil garlands to offer, as Lord Vishnu loved those. There was a hot spring, Tapt Kund, on Badrinath Temple Premises. We dipped our legs to feel the warmth before praying to Lord Vishnu. It was too hot but relieved our fatigue.
We moved to the temple and stood in the queue for our turn. While I waited before the idol of Lord Vishnu, I video-called my mother and showed her the temple. I did not know they did not allow photography on temple premises. And sheer luck, nobody was available at that point to stop me. It was later that I came to know about restrictions on photography. I could not stop laughing at myself. If somebody caught me, they would give me a mouthful for breaking the rules, but somehow I got saved.
We waited for the gates to open so that we could offer prayers and take Prasad from inside the temple. There was less crowd than expected, so we spent adequate time at the temple taking pictures, praying, and sitting quietly on the premises.
The challenging part before we left was taking a picture-perfect. Though there were fewer people than expected, still getting an ideal shot turned complicated. We spent some time on the stairs to find a suitable spot for a photo. Once we did the photo session, we headed back to our traveler. Amish, Neha, and Nikita went ahead with the traveler owner, and the rest of us walked slowly as we did some shopping. Tanvi (trip leader) asked people about the exit and followed the route. Shreya and I stopped for the washroom. It was then we realized we had taken the wrong way, and we got lost. The traveler owner, Sachin bhaiya, kept calling Tanvi to hurry as it already darkened. We tried to locate the traveler, but in the end, Tanvi informed him that we could find the way.
Navigating and locating the landmarks, the traveler came to our rescue with Sachin bhaiya scolding Tanvi for delaying, even when we got lost while searching for the vehicle. We laughed out for a while, and the journey to our stay in Govindghat started.
As we reached, we rushed for dinner. It was Paneer curry on the menu. After having dinner, we returned the rental items and sat on the terrace for some time to chitchat. It was late till we got down. So, the shopkeepers were closing their shops by that time. We were walking on the road to find a place to sit. We noticed Moon Halo.
We called off the night because the next day again was a travel day.
The trip did not end there. There's another piece coming for you.
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