North India Trekking Trip 北印度行山之旅 (23 Aug - 11 Sep 2002)

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Kay resting on small hill overlooking Chhatru.

(28 Aug 2002, 85mm, F1.4 A-mode.)

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On 28 we arrived at a road at Chhatru, and camped at the back of a roadside dhaba (teahouse.) A pre-arranged truck brought us supplies for the next few days, and a shower tent for use on that day only.

That same night, we met Maria, from Germany but lived in New Zealand for the last 10 years. We invited her to dine with us, had campfire afterward while listen to her travel stories.

And what a story that is, about her own life.

A wanderer of the World since the age of 22, she's on a 1-year biking trip in India since Dec 2001. A traveler by choice AS MUCH AS by circumstance, she's planning this to be her last Asian trip. The reason? Because Asia is changing and she does not like it. She liked the days when things are free or cheap. When Tibet or India was not developed.

I asked her, why then, not go back to Germany earlier if she is not really enjoying. The answer was that she has no apartment there. Minor annoyance to her is that she does not like the united German.

In other words, she has no home to go to.

Why go back to Germany at all then, I asked. Because when you grow old, you want to live in a western country, she said.

The next day, we said farewell and took pictures with her and her bike named Emerald. However, fate had it that our paths crossed again in 5 days in Baralacha.

(29 Aug 2002, 85mm, F1.4 A-mode)

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According to the India Today magazine, one of the "55 Things That Make India Proud" is the Mark II Water Pump, similar to the one pictured here.

Pumps like this is a fixture in all the Indian cities we visited. The closest thing to running water from tap, and solution to a hard problem. Not easy to provide relatively clean water to a billion people.

This water pump is located at the Chandra Dhaba in the remote Batal.

(29 Aug 2002, 85mm, F1.4 A-mode)

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The only domestic engineer in our group, and mother of two children.

The original plan was to ride the bus from Chhatru along the Chandra River, pass Batal to a point about 3km from Chandra Taal. However halfway through after Batal, the road was partially collapsed that the bus cannot get through. On the long and winding uphill road built on loose gravels, we saw wreckage of trucks and other vehicles fell from the road to the river bed. So we knew the potential consequence of a mistake.

Time to stop, take pictures, then turn back to find alternative route.

(29 Aug 2002, 70mm, F2.8 A-mode)

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Door bell at the entrance to the Hindu temple at Kumzun Top. Any one entering the temple would ring the bell once. This particular temple has no walls. Only brick markers on the ground to mark the boundary to the temple.

(29 Aug 2002, 70mm?, F2.8 A-mode)

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Iris, a policewoman from Hong Kong, under colorful prayer flags at the Hindu temple at Kumzun Top.

After bidding farewell to Maria, we took a bus ride from the roadside dhaba at Chhatru to Batal, then detoured to Kumzun Top to start trekking down to Chandra Taal lake.

Along the way we had a brief look at the famous mighty Bara Shigri glacier.

(29 Aug 2002, 200mm, F2.8 A-mode)

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Beautiful morning at Chandra Taal lake.

The walk to the lake on the 29th was one of the toughest and scariest. A good part of our path was loose gravels a foot wide, and valley hundreds of feet deep on the side. At one place the trek ended on top of a big rock that we need to jump about 4 or 5 feet to yet-another-loose-gravel-on-the-edge.

When we arrived the lake in the evening, it was cold and windy. However, it was calm and nice in the morning.

(30 Aug 2002, 28mm, F2.8 A-mode, Polarized)

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Snow cap peaks around Chandra Taal.

At the suggestion of our guide Acharya, we got up at 5am hoping to take good pictures of the lake and its environ.

The effort was paid off handsomely.

(30 Aug 2002, 28mm, F8 A-mode)

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Morning mist on mountains near Chandratal.

(30 Aug 2002, 200mm, F2.8 A-mode)

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Derek and Cammy, both scout leaders, enjoying the quiet morning lights at Chandra Taal.

Some Hindus, such as our instructors Negi and Harsh, believe the lake is sacred. We were told not to throw stones or to make too much noises.

In morning lights like these, you don't need to be an Hindu to feel the peace and blessing.

(30 Aug 2002, 200mm, F2.8 A-mode)