September 2021

Paradise On Earth – Winter Kuari Pass Trek

Himalayas, India, Travel, Uttarakhand / By / October 26, 2021

Heaven on earth. This is the only term to describe the Himalayas and its impeccable beauty. To be up close to these gorgeous mountains, in the very lap of pure, unadulterated nature is a blessing. To be able to witness those views from the top is an award which you get for your hard work to reach there. Such were my feelings on my first ever mountain trek – the Kuari Pass Trek.

Auspicious Beginnings

The pre-trek part of the trip saw us – my husband and myself – traveling from Mumbai to the holy city of Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. Our hotel was right beside the river – the Holy Ganges – and just 2 doors away from the Laxmanjhula. Breakfast was hot kachoris and sabji, with tea on the balcony with a view of the Ganga and the Laxmanjhula bridge. Could there have been a better start to a trip?

After breakfast, we went for a walk by the river, over the bridge and onto the other side towards the Ramjhula. A pleasant walk with some window shopping or actually, 1 piece of shopping – I bought a woollen hat. That hat turned out to be my savior on the trek.

The walk left us famished and we had lunch at this cute café. Evening saw us meeting up with our con-conspirators i.e. our co-trekkers. We reacquainted ourselves – food, adda and laughter – and discussed the final minutiae of our trek.

Raring To Go

Early next morning – 5:45AM!! – we 4 trekkers started from Rishikesh by car for Joshimath which would be our main starting point of trek as well as the place for collection of supplies. With stops for tea and lunch, we reached Joshimath at about 6PM to icy cold weather. Temperatures were down to 9°C!

Joshimath is a bustling town in Uttarakhand which serves as the starting point for many a trek or trip to the upper Himalayas, including pilgrimages. In itself, it is a pretty town with its mountainous backdrop and religious afflictions as several temples of fame are located here.

We took a walk about town, imbibing the cold and compensating by having hot tea and biscuits! We met our guide for the trek who gave us instructions, timings and some tips. After organizing our trekking bags for the next day, we turned in early that night.

Incredible India!

Trek starts - The Initial Ascent

Next morning, though the 3rd day of our trip, was our 1st day of trek. Excited, we were ready and raring to go at 9.30AM. We were to travel a short distance by car to Dhak, point zero of our trek. Before that, we made a stop to collect all supplies which were to last all of us for the next 3 days. Ration, fuel, water, utensils, stoves, sleeping bags, tents.

Our trek was organized by Himalaya Trekkers, a small but experienced group who took care of all our trekking needs from point to point (Joshimath to Joshimath).

Day 1

At 10:30AM, we officially started our trek from Dhak (~ 6100ft).

We dismounted the car and strapped on our bags while our equipment – that we had picked up earlier – was loaded on to 2 mules who would carry it to the day’s campsite. The four of us plus our two guides – second one joined us at Dhak – took off walking on a small trail through the village of Dhak.

As we climbed, the mountain vista slowly opened up below us and enjoyed the lovely sights. After about an hour, we stopped for a rest and to refill our water bottles in tiny village of Tugasi (~7000ft). This would be our last encounter with villages or residents – after this it would be the mountains and us, nature embracing us.

Lunch was a packed one – roti, sabji, a fruit, a chocolate bar and juice – sitting on a rocky outcrop on a trail to higher altitude. A drink of water and we set off again. We were able to gradually see and recognize peaks in the distance. The feeling that we were closer to them was something never felt before. The final leg of that day’s trekking ended at our campsite – Gulling, at an altitude of 9000ft. We had walked for 3 hours that day and covered a distance of about 7kms.

We were greeted by an astoundingly beautiful campsite on the edge of the mountain with a view to die for. Dronagiri, Nanda Devi, and Hathi Ghoda peaks were right in front of us – an unimpeded view against a sparklingly clear sky!

The trekkers

Camping

Our campsite was already set-up by our camping crew helpers; 2 tents for the 4 of us, one loo tent, one kitchen tent. The kitchen tent was our saviour for these 3 days, only place warm enough to thaw us down a little in the freezing cold weather. It also served us king’s feasts for every meal. That evening it was piping hot coffee and pakodas!

We then had a small trekking lesson just before that – our guide showed us how to put on shoe protectors and spikes for snow trekking. Then, we were given instructions on camping rules –

  • Do not waste water (no brushing, just a quick mouth wash)
  • How to use the loo tent (hole’s been dug, do your thing and the use the shovel to cover it with dirt)
  • How to use your sleeping bags (pack them up the next day)
  • Collect your trash so they can be disposed off properly.
Me!! Enjoying sunshine @ Camp Gulling

I am doing my bit towards conservation of nature by raising awareness through this post via Blogchatter’s Cause A Chatter campaign.

Before sunset, we did a bit of exploring around the mountainside, taking in the clean, fresh air and the wonderful ambience that surrounded us and then watched the sun go down in between those gorgeous peaks.

Dinner was hot food – rotis, daal, sabji, sweets – in the warm tent. We chitchatted and walked about the small campsite in the moonlight but in the end the cold got us – it was impossible to just stand in that cold. We retired early as we had a very very early start the next day. Our final ascent to the peak.

Coming up in Part 2 , our final ascent and in Part 3, our last day of returning to base.

Day 1 Summary:

From/To: Dhak to Gulling

Distance: 6-7 kms.

Altitude: 6100ft. to 9000ft.

Walking Time: 3 hours

Peaks: Dronagiri, Nanda Devi, Hathi Ghoda

Us! @ Camp Gulling

One Day in Cork, Ireland

Cork, Travel / By / September 13, 2021

Cork was a flying visit 2 years ago when I accompanied my husband on his then-annual work trip to London. From there, he had a 1-day site visit to Cork and I happily tagged along because of course I wanted to see a bit of Ireland. While I did not get to see the famous cliffs which Northern Ireland is famous for, I got to see archetypal Irish township filled with history and culture.

Literally Jumping Into A Plane

Despite us reaching Stansted airport in advance, security check took aeons and by the time we were done they were calling for final boarding. We literally ran to the boarding gate and saw that there was no one to guide us. At a loss on where to go, we pushed open the door next to the boarding gate number and found ourselves on the tarmac!! We ran over the tarmac towards the correct airlines plane a few meters ahead of us and saw that again there wasn’t a single soul! On spotting a lone air hostess just inside the plane door, we shouted up from the tarmac, “Is this going to Cork?” and she nodded. We climbed up the stairs into the plane and she shut the door behind us. It felt so surreal! It was like getting on a bus, I have never had such an experience.

Tip: Arrive with lots of time in hand if you’re travelling via Stansted.  

Cork at Night

We arrived in Cork late evening and after checking in to the hotel, we ventured out to the city centre. Wrapped up in our coats in the pleasantly chilly weather, we enjoyed a stroll along the river – River Lee. With the lit-up streets lining the dark river, it was a pretty sight indeed.

Cork city centre is an island positioned between two channels of the River Lee which meet downstream at the eastern end of the city centre, where the quays and docks along the river lead outwards towards Lough Mahon and Cork Harbour, one of the largest natural harbours in the world. (Source: Wikipedia)

At night, all the shops were closed but the eateries were open, so we entered one for our dinner. Alas! it turns out that in majority of the restaurants, the kitchen closes by 6.30PM and only the bar remains open till about 2AM! Famished, we walked around for a while before we chanced upon a small pizza place to have one of the last remaining ones available – on the brink of time as the place was about to close.

Tip: Remember to get your dinner done in the early evening; we learnt this to our cost.

The Famous English Market

Next day, I started nice and early to start my 1-day tour of Cork City. I had planned my day quite well but as they say, the best laid plans…

I took a bus into town to my first stop of the day – the famous English Market. The English Market covers a huge area and is filled with all kinds of produce you can imagine, especially Irish specialties like Tripe and Drisheen, Spiced Beef, Kidneys and Skirts. There is also a huge fish and seafood section which boggled my mind; half of them I didn’t even know the name of. What attracted me most though, was the local cheeses available – innumerable delicious looking cheeses on display made me salivate.

The English Market has been trading since 1788 and has survived the Famine, wars, fire, revolutions and economic decline. The origins of the building date back to 1610 but the current building is from 1786. One of the reasons why the market came into focus in recent times was the visit of HM Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 2011, where Pat O’ Connell, a fishmonger, cracked a joke about an ugly monkfish which he had nicknamed as “the mother-in-law fish”, causing the Queen to erupt in laughter. The incident and that photo became famous very quickly and to this day that photo is up on the wall at the seafood section.

Walking Tour

One of the best ways to know Cork City is to take a walking tour. I took a public walking tour organized by Cork City Walk Tours (http://corkcitywalks.eu/). Bart was a lovely and knowledgeable guide who took us through the 2-hour walking tour.

Starting at the Fr. Matthew statue, Bart explained how the downtown district road was constructed to imitate the hull of a ship – an ode to its seafaring history. On the leisurely walk, I got to experience the compact 800 year old city, stroll the lanes of the 18th century Huguenot Quarter and gaze with wonder at Burges’s magnificent French Neo-Gothic cathedral. We also popped in to the Crawford Art Gallery, where we enjoyed the current exhibition and some permanent pieces.

It was an informative and thoroughly enjoyable tour, at the end of which Bart suggested a few choices of where to have lunch. I took his advised and had lunch at this quirky pharmacy turned restaurant – Arthur Mayne’s Pharmacy. Keeping the old décor of a pharmacy, it had a rustic feel and delicious food.

Elizabeth Fort

Post lunch, I set out exploring on my own, again walking. My first stop was Elizabeth Fort located on Barrack Street.

It’s a 17th century star-shaped fort which was built in the aftermath of the Battle of Kinsale held in 1601. It is situated on elevated ground and its main purpose was to protect the walled Cork City below. During its lifetime, it has been used as a military barrack, a convict depot for transportation of women prisoners, food depot during the Great Famine, an RIC station and until 2013 as a Garda station.

Throughout the fort there are evidences and displays which pay tribute to all the various functions which it has served as. Its location atop the hill leads to some supremely pretty panoramic view of Cork city.

Tip: Admission is free but guided tours are payable at €3 pax., starting at 1pm each day.

St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral

After my lovely time at Elizabeth Fort, I walked to my next destination – St. Fin Barre’s Cathedral. The cathedral was designed by William Burges and consecrated in 1870. It lies on a site where Christian worship has been offered since the 7th century.

Unfortunately, this is where my plan started to unravel. Upon reaching the cathedral, I saw that it was closed so I thought I would wait for a while for it to open back up. Meanwhile I spotted the Serenity Circle Labyrinth which is to be walked upon in prayer and meditation. I did the full circle and found it calming and rejuvenating.

Since my final destination was approaching its closing hours, I could not wait anymore to enter the cathedral, so I admired it from outside, took photos and left for Shandon Quarters. When I rounded the street, I realized to my dismay that I had actually been at the back of the cathedral and it, in fact, had been open all this time!! I chose not to enter and carried on to my next stop of the day.

Fitzgerald Park and Shaky Bridge

To reach Shandon Tower, I took the route via Fitzgerald’s Park. It is Cork’s premiere public park and contains a wide range of flora – mature trees, rose garden, floral bedding and a pond dating back to the Industrial Exhibition.

I simply passed through in a casual stroll and admired the fall colours of the trees lining the paths and the gardens. From the park, I walked on to the Shaky Bridge to reach the north side of the city.

Inaugurated in 1927, it is the only suspension bridge in Cork City. The term “Shaky Bridge” is derived from the movement of the platform when running or jumping on the bridge. Ofcourse I had to walk over it fast to check the authenticity! It did shake, even if lightly.

Missing Shandon Bells, but Butter Museum!

The walk to the Shandon Bells was long and cold and I was exhausted by the time I reached. But to my utter dismay, I saw that the final entry to the church and bells had closed just 2-3 minutes ago!! I felt like crying because this was something I had dearly wanted to see. If only I had walked faster, if only I hadn’t loitered so much in the park, etc. etc. If onlys wouldn’t bring back time so I checked my tourist map to see what else I could do. I landed upon a very interesting place – A Butter Museum!

Situated in the Shandon Quarter itself, the Butter Museum offers a glimpse into the past when the area was the world’s largest butter market. Butter is the signature food of Ireland and the museum offers an insight into Ireland’s most successful food export.

On entering, there is an informative video about how butter was buried in a bog to the 19th century Cork Butter Exchange to the global success of the modern Irish dairy industry. The Museum is small but that means I got to explore it all – the various tools and machineries used for butter churning used throughout the ages, the techniques used, the storage mediums and a lot more about the history of butter.

Tip: Entry is €4 but arrive well in time to be able to view one of their butter churning demonstrations; I missed it due to the late hour of the day. For more information, visit their website.

A Final Cheers!

Despite there being few upsets in my plan, I was happy with my day spent in Cork and I headed back to the hotel in a good state of mind. We had to leave that evening to get back to London but before that, we had one last mug of chilled beer which the Irish love – Guinness.

What to do if you have more time in hand

If you had more than one day in hand in Cork, below is a list of must-visit attractions in Cork.

  • Cork City Gaol – It is said original prisoner writing can be seen on the cell walls!
  • Shandon Bells – It houses the Four Faced Liar – the 4 faces show different times! – and a gold fish at the top. You can ring the bells – in a tune of your choice – and climb the tower.
  • University College Cork – Includes Ogam Stones collection – largest in Ireland, the Honan Chapel with beautiful mosaic floor and stained-glass windows.
  • Blarney Castle and Grounds – Situated 8kms. From Cork, this would have to be day trip. Its stone is said to have the power of awarding eloquence to those who kiss it!

Things to know about Cork before you visit

  1. Currency used is Euros (€) so be prepared especially if you’re traveling from London it may be a tiny shock.
  2. Kitchens close by 6.30PM so be sure to have your dinner by then (or atleast order it). Bar will be open till well afterwards.
  3. Buses generally do not ply in late evening – atleast I did not see any.
  4. Be on time as per brochures/websites to all your attractions.