When I first got the glimpse , I thought I would loose the moment of spectacle in the process of believing of what I was seeing until my co-passenger on bus , stirred by heavy honking of a passing truck , woke up to the very sight of it and instantly yelled a cry of euphoria shaking the fellow passengers off their slumber."There it is ... the peak of a snow-capped mountain" , she cried. I was finally assured. It was rather anticlimactic for me - might be a climactic culmination for the reader- who had been weaving strings of hopes to his debut tour in the mountains to witness the bewitching snow-capped Himalayan peaks but had to eventually stop his delusional deluge owing to the weather serving as a perfect antagonist.
"The Hindu Kingdom" in the lap of Himalayas , Nepal , was the chosen spot three months prior to journey. Excitement sprang to its zenith when I found a ton of adventure activities from trekking to para-gliding could be availed. But I knew in the back of my mind that those fantasies had to be buried due to budget issues. Nevertheless , a view of the rugged white intimidating beauty ranging in its wishful path creating valleys, gorges, springs and meandering roads cutting through the hills , would more than make up for it. Those picturesque images from geography books and captivating videos from television would be confronting reality soon. The tour plan looked satisfying - kick-starting with jungle safari then slowly progressing towards hills and culminating with the much-awaited view of Mt. Everest - cherry on the top.
The first night of our trip was a an exotic one , inside a serene resort at the edge of forest . Literally our first night in a foreign land! But little we knew then that misfortune had already announced its ringing endorsement from the next break of light in the east. Apparently , we were unable to witness the breaking of dawn as the cursed veil of nimbus-clouds denied to cast away. On some other time I might have been kept busy flaunting with my camera at those rain-impregnated-elements but that day I could not but curse them. Though the safari was thrilling , I carried a gloomy mind all throughout - the met-forecast showed no signs of hope for the weak ahead.
As destined , Pokhara was a complete washout. The place that promised the breathtaking view of the Annapurna mountain range over the horizon along with its lovely reflection on the crystal-clear waters of beautiful Fewa Lake surrounded by green hills on three sides , turned out to be major disappointment. The heavens chose that day to weep over the earth in abundance. While the farmers welcomed it whole-heartedly , the tourists put the day in the list of forgettable ones.
The first day at Kathmandu rekindled my hopes. The grey clouds seemed to make way for their immature whiter counterparts. The sun was out , yet not blazing , after a couple of off days to its Himalayan worshippers. The whole day had been dedicated to temple-viewing , the famous Pashupati Temple being first on the list followed by other significant ones. The sky remained blue till the end of day and the stars kept twinkling till I went to bed. Finally a smile on my face before sleeping.
The following morning brought even broader smile when I woke up to the glaring rays refracted through the window-glass. I quickly got ready and was up for the day before everybody. The Everest-view from the sunset point at Nagarkot was scheduled at afternoon. Our first sight-seeing spot was the historical Durbar Square. The temples and mansions mesmerised us with their unique architecture and art. It was one of the best views of the tour so far. But , naturally , I was more excited for the upcoming uphill drive to Nagarkot. As we were ascending the hill , my wall of excitement met its tragic end. From no where a large mass of ominous black cloud accumulated within minutes and shoved away the sun to take the limelight."Did any black cat crossed our path today?" - such superstitious thoughts occurred in my mind that moment. It seemed the gods would conjure up any elements at his disposal to thwart us from getting a sight of the real Himalayas. Though the interruption was in the form of drizzle that cleared itself soon, the view had been dwindled. The puffs of grey and white clouds blocked the supposedly distant view of the Everest.It was not the day to see the mightiest!
My hyped tour had already turned to a saddening outing. It was like a something-is-missing-type dinner party. The starters were promising but the main course fell short in the major areas. Hence , the expectation of dessert , if any , was fading away fast. Resting my head against the window of our returning bus, I was gingerly gazing over the backward-trailing hills and clouds. And then the unbelievable moment happened. The peeping peak across the farthest horizon did not escape my lazy eyes. Everybody got down and did not waste moment to capture the moment lest some unwelcomed clouds should hinder the "marvel".So, eventually a unexpectedly satisfying dessert was offered. All's well that ends well.
"The Hindu Kingdom" in the lap of Himalayas , Nepal , was the chosen spot three months prior to journey. Excitement sprang to its zenith when I found a ton of adventure activities from trekking to para-gliding could be availed. But I knew in the back of my mind that those fantasies had to be buried due to budget issues. Nevertheless , a view of the rugged white intimidating beauty ranging in its wishful path creating valleys, gorges, springs and meandering roads cutting through the hills , would more than make up for it. Those picturesque images from geography books and captivating videos from television would be confronting reality soon. The tour plan looked satisfying - kick-starting with jungle safari then slowly progressing towards hills and culminating with the much-awaited view of Mt. Everest - cherry on the top.
The first night of our trip was a an exotic one , inside a serene resort at the edge of forest . Literally our first night in a foreign land! But little we knew then that misfortune had already announced its ringing endorsement from the next break of light in the east. Apparently , we were unable to witness the breaking of dawn as the cursed veil of nimbus-clouds denied to cast away. On some other time I might have been kept busy flaunting with my camera at those rain-impregnated-elements but that day I could not but curse them. Though the safari was thrilling , I carried a gloomy mind all throughout - the met-forecast showed no signs of hope for the weak ahead.
As destined , Pokhara was a complete washout. The place that promised the breathtaking view of the Annapurna mountain range over the horizon along with its lovely reflection on the crystal-clear waters of beautiful Fewa Lake surrounded by green hills on three sides , turned out to be major disappointment. The heavens chose that day to weep over the earth in abundance. While the farmers welcomed it whole-heartedly , the tourists put the day in the list of forgettable ones.
The first day at Kathmandu rekindled my hopes. The grey clouds seemed to make way for their immature whiter counterparts. The sun was out , yet not blazing , after a couple of off days to its Himalayan worshippers. The whole day had been dedicated to temple-viewing , the famous Pashupati Temple being first on the list followed by other significant ones. The sky remained blue till the end of day and the stars kept twinkling till I went to bed. Finally a smile on my face before sleeping.
The following morning brought even broader smile when I woke up to the glaring rays refracted through the window-glass. I quickly got ready and was up for the day before everybody. The Everest-view from the sunset point at Nagarkot was scheduled at afternoon. Our first sight-seeing spot was the historical Durbar Square. The temples and mansions mesmerised us with their unique architecture and art. It was one of the best views of the tour so far. But , naturally , I was more excited for the upcoming uphill drive to Nagarkot. As we were ascending the hill , my wall of excitement met its tragic end. From no where a large mass of ominous black cloud accumulated within minutes and shoved away the sun to take the limelight."Did any black cat crossed our path today?" - such superstitious thoughts occurred in my mind that moment. It seemed the gods would conjure up any elements at his disposal to thwart us from getting a sight of the real Himalayas. Though the interruption was in the form of drizzle that cleared itself soon, the view had been dwindled. The puffs of grey and white clouds blocked the supposedly distant view of the Everest.It was not the day to see the mightiest!
My hyped tour had already turned to a saddening outing. It was like a something-is-missing-type dinner party. The starters were promising but the main course fell short in the major areas. Hence , the expectation of dessert , if any , was fading away fast. Resting my head against the window of our returning bus, I was gingerly gazing over the backward-trailing hills and clouds. And then the unbelievable moment happened. The peeping peak across the farthest horizon did not escape my lazy eyes. Everybody got down and did not waste moment to capture the moment lest some unwelcomed clouds should hinder the "marvel".So, eventually a unexpectedly satisfying dessert was offered. All's well that ends well.
