09th November 2013
Sun was resting and mother earth was still waiting to be enlightened by gold’ish sun- rays. Fresh morning cold breeze, on top of mountains, resting mighty Himalaya and doon valley disappearing somewhere, I was in Mussorie, Uttarakhand.
I wanted to experience morning run on hills so I was out before sunrise. Fully geared, walk on mall road was pleasant. Singing birds, lonely roads, gold’ish hills and doon valley lightening was so awesome that I didn’t realized I was at the end of mall road, at Gandhi chowk! Then I decided to have a walk till Mt. Everest House which was, as per google maps, 6 km away from here.
So took a right turn towards from Gandhi chowk, towards Kempty falls road. Crossed the LBSNAA (IAS training institute), early morning peoples were inside their beds, I could see the mountains top getting a color change, ringing bell at far temple. On the way near Company Bagh I found one shop open and purchased a water bottle and continued.
It was 0830 hrs when I crossed a cyclist coming on opposite direction at Everest point restaurant cum hotel. Till this point proper road is there. I continued to my right into the jungle area on a concrete path. At some distance I saw CRPF camp doing their morning routine, I kept my pace into the lonely peaceful jungle path.
At some point I lost the google maps pointer/arrow, it was pointing my location off route but I didn’t encounter any diversion on the way though, so continued ignoring google maps. Then I saw old stone marking my destination, Everest house and some local names, I continued happily.
Then there was a well and some workers were there, I asked for the route to Everest house.
I thought it will be a massive or something fort like place but what I saw there was a collapsed building, marked walls, some graffiti, declaration of love (as usual). In front of the house was a big lawn, a ground full of cow dung, some water. This was supposed to be a man’s house, who surveyed our entire cost-line and upon him; the highest Himalayan peak of the world was named Mount Everest. A little disappointed on that front but then thought this is India, this is who we are.
The view from there is awesome; I sat there for almost an hour to admire the doon valley one side, snowy Himalayan on the other and bushes around. Pleasant weather, it was like top of the world, flying!
I came back from other side of the road, which meets at Everest point restaurant, had tea-parantha lunch there. One mini-can ignition started, I asked the driver whether he would be going to Gandhi chowk, affirmative, I sat on the van. At drop he said whatever fare you wanna give, confused me saw 20 bucks note on my pocket and handed it over.
Later, I went to Woodstock School to collect my bib for next day’s race and saw the same cyclist distributing the bibs. Steve, a nice energetic man, organizer of the race handed me over the bibs, described the route and I found that it was the same route I walked today morning!
Evening was at the mall road, sitting on the road side bench, reading ‘Life of Pie’, enjoying sunset, happy people walking here n there, vendor’s selling local food items, and photographer’s approaching to every couple “sir, one pics. See, just like this. Will give you print in 2 minutes”.
