Munsyari: The Little Kashmir

The backpackers dream:

It was in December 2014, when we thought of visiting Munsyari., a small hilstation
nested in Pithoragarh district of Uttarakhand. It was supposed to be a bike trip but in
that season riding Milkha (Our Bike) would not have been a good decision. So we
turned towards the roadways. The plan was to catch the bus that comes from Delhi
to Munsyari at Bhowali at 1 A.M. We got to Bhowali at nine in the night. The
policemen positioned in Bhowali bus station were happy to share the burning embers
& some lively stories about the crazy things they encounter. Here we also met a 75
year old man who accompanied us to Munsyari, Trivediji. Trivediji had heard about
Panchachuli since childhood and always wanted to go to Munsayri. Following your
travel dreams at that age was initially a big surprise and later an inspiration to us.

Roller coaster ride:

It was 3 A.M and our bus was still not there. We couldnt help but twist our necks on
the slightest sound of a whirring engine. But we were adamant that we will take the
bus as planned. It was 3.30 AM when the bus to Munsyari finally showed up. The
bus seats were the most comfortable thing we had to sit on that night. The Bus was
moving at its usual slow pace until the driver changed in Almora. Came in, Rajeev.
He is the reason why drivers in hills are referred as Pilots. He was practically flying
the bus. We were later told that he was an expert and well acquainted with every
twist & turn in the road. We started interacting with fellow travellers on the way which
provided us good information about the place. When you get to travel with so many
people living in such remote areas, something in you changes, you realise how small
are your life problems and how much resilience can people develop living in this part
of the world.

Love at first sight:

The minute we crossed Thall, the view changed, the floating river, the huge
mountains were there accompanying us. We knew we were in for a treat. The Birti
Fall is a landmark. It truly is. Our Pilot continued to defy the laws of gravity which
added new thrill to our journey. We reached Munsyari at 5:30 PM. We were then
greeted by Panchachuli and it was love at first sight all over again.The sun was
about to set, it is one of the great wonders of mother nature to see sunset through
the point of view of Panchachuli. The perpetual color change in peaks lead to the
wonder that was the moon, a full moon. It was so breathtaking, that lost in that
moment, we forgot to capture it with our cameras. We were just mesmerised with
what we had witnessed. Later I met a lady who proclaimed that she comes here
every full moon all the way from Delhi to see the moon rise.

The bird-watching:

Next day I was up early for my jog and for the sunrise. We had plans for some bird
watching along with another group who was there for the same purpose. We looked
for the state bird (Monal) for quite a time but as it often happens with the royalty we
were not able to get a glimpse of it. Himalayan Vultures did bestow us with their
presence. The rest of the day were spent Bird-watching with the group, wandering
and checking out local delicacies.

Uphill Task:
The day after, we decided to trek. The thumb rule is no visit to any hill station is
complete without a hike. We trekked to the renowned Khaliya Top. It was an 8 km
trek. Initially it went through dense woods. The vibrant flora and fauna of the woods
was breathtaking. Every time I took a glance at the Panchachuli I couldn't help but
exclaim, Is this for real?. After 6kms of uphill trek, we finally reached the
Bugyal( Meadows). This was a new world, This was Narnia. We had our lunch at
about 2 P.M. Caught up in a trance, we kicked ourselves for not bringing the tents
along and slowly dragged our heels back. I was all for taking a shortcut in the way
down, but my wise friend resisted. We went down leisurely. No one comes back sad
from a trek, try it. We went to sleep seconds after we fell into the bed.

The after thoughts:

The next day, we had to leave. We said goodbye to all the warm hill folks. The bus
back home was spent in deep thought on figuring out What is happiness? The
questions that lie dormant in normal life suddenly stare back at you in the hills and
often you find yourself wondering.