After the refreshing trek to the Valley of Flowers , our next destination was Hemkund . Situated at an altitude of 15,000ft, its going to be the toughest one of all our trekking routes. Even if the trail is only about 6km from Gangaria, the steeply inclining path will require that we climb a staggering 5,000ft !! Adding to the challenge: the higher that you go, the more terrible that the path gets and more unpredictable that the weather becomes.  Thats going to be tough even for a physically well-fit person. After the last 2 days of toiling, many in our group had decided to take a pony either for the climb or descend or both ways. 

Taking the same path uphill from Gangaria but instead of turning left, we head straight as if to plunge into the falling Lakshman Ganga. Fortunately the path curves just before the waterfalls and for the first time in these mountains we see a way that is clearly visible ascending by the side of a mountain range snaking all the way up to its higher reaches. At this high altitude, the mountains have virtually no trees, not even tall shrubs; thus giving a wholesome and astonishing view of the landscape.

It wasn’t only the stupid nature of this particular mule, infact riding a mule itself wasn’t an enjoyable affair. And a bumpy ride meant that i had to constantly keep my hands held on to the hold and couldn’t snap those breathtaking views….for it would have really taken my breath out if i was flung off-hill. And the mules that i was riding seems to be among the strongest, as they overtook as many groups and reached uphill in 1hr 30mins, superfast!

But despite all, one have to appreciate the great stamina and endurance of the pony-walla (the person commanding the ponies) who accompanies the whole ride on foot along with the galloping mules! He claimed that on a single day he would do 4 trips uphill, earning around 500-600 bucks per mule per trip.  Thats an extraordinary 24km/20,000ft uphill and the same amount downhill. Here we have to note that he didn’t mean that 4 trips was his capacity, its limited so, just because of the time restricting a day!!

Starting, the trail opens as a wide, well laid-out stone-paved mountain path and folds like a serpent clamped onto the side of a steep mountain. As we go higher, the path narrows a bit, only a bit, so still stays sufficiently wide enough but the paved stones become a random disorder and at some places, its nothing more than a clayey sludge. At one point, the path cuts right across the middle of a stunningly large glacier and we had to pass right under the hanging colossus. Finally when we reached Hemkund at around 9.30am, it was thankfully a very clear weather.

Hemkund means “the Bowl in Himalayas “. Infact the place looks so, with a large, almost circular, glacial lake surrounded by seven towering peaks. And just like the Valley of Flowers, Hemkund also has its share of legends, infact several times more….

For hundreds of years, the locals had known the lake as “Lokpal “. Hindu mythology claims the place to be of Gods and where great sages, kings and princes had meditated. Notably Lakshman, brother of Rama, had rested, meditated and recovered, by the banks of this lake after being fatally wounded in the Lankan battle. A temple to Lakshman is rare but one does exist here.

Sri Guru Gobind Singh , the tenth Sikh Guru had written that he had meditated in his previous existence in a place that he describes as “Hemkund Parbat Sapat Sring”, a lake of ice adorned with seven moutain peaks, before leaving his earthly form.  But nobody knew where it was. In 1934, after months of searching, a Sikh soldier, Sohan Singh came across Lokpal and identified it to be the place described by Guru Gobind Singh. Subsequently the Sikhs built on the banks of the lake, “Hemkund Sahib “, star-shaped, concrete and stone structure, designed like a inverted Lotus, the highest Gurudwara in the world !! The place became a popular Sikh pilgrimage destination.

After the ritual cleansing, i went into the Gurudwara. People irrespective of faith and gender can enter a Gurudwara, you can even snap as many photos. The only requirement is to leave your footwear outside and to cover your head with a bandana. The Gurudwara had 2 levels, the lower level where people and mules can take refuge during bad weather and the upper level which had the main prayer hall - Darbar sahib. When i entered, already a prayer meeting was in progress with a large congregation occupying the entire hall. I seated myself on the floor and enjoyed the pious atmosphere and the colorful ceiling for several minutes. We were served Kara parshad, a mixture of flour, butter and sugar as a blessing.

As the hall emptied, i took several snaps of the Holy throne and the Sikh emblem. To educate you a bit about them:

The throne contains the holy book - Sri Guru Granth Sahib which describes God, morals and ethics of Sikhism. The tenth Sikh Guru had declared that living Gurus are no longer necessary and had written the sacred literature to succeed as the 11th and eternal Guru of the faith. All Gurudwaras contain a copy of the Guru Granth Sahib and its worshipped not as an idol (Sikhs reject idol worship) but as the Supreme Authority of their faith.

In this snap, you can find in the grill of the throne and in the arrangement of the swords, the Sikh emblem - Khanda . It consists of 3 weapons: a double-edged sword in the centre(Khanda) which represents the knowledge of God, a circular weapon (Chakkar) which represents the eternal nature of God and oneness of humanity, two single-edged swords(kirpan) which represents the political and spiritual sovereignty.

Then along with few others, i walked further along the banks of the lake to visit the Lakshman temple.

On retracing back to the bathing side of the lake, i met with Rinkoo, one of the volunteers who protects the lake from being defiled by unsuspecting visitors. He said its ok for us to climb the rocky mountain adjoining the bathing ghats where we find plentiful of Brahmakamal shrubs. Only that we must not pluck the flower or damage its ground. This exotic flower is not found even in the Valley of Flowers, it thrives in much more high altitudes like Hemkund.

After few snaps, i turned around to come down and what a surprise? Everything had vanished in thin air! I mean the clouds and mist had suddenly descended upon the whole place as if someone had pulled a white sheet over them and all the beautiful views were gone. The lake and gurudwara were barely visible and the surrounding mountains have all disappeared into thick fog.

I have been hanging around the place for more than 2 hours and the weather had been so nice till now. Unfortunately for the people of our group who were climbing by foot, most of them had just arrived or still arriving. And all they got to see was a foggy, bleached, un-inspiring version of what it was a few minutes before. And their disappointment was doubled by the fact that the weather is not going to get any better, there is not much time and everyone must start descending from Hemkund as quickly before the weather gets any worse.

The Gurudwara runs a langar nearby which serves free food for all visitors. Piping hot dal porridge and tea! That was the lunch for our group and its the right kind of food for the climate and was a good nourishment.

Energized, i set upon the task of descending Hemkund. Just like yesterday, my shoes accelerated the descend and provided good cushioning. The weather was drizzling and didn’t permit any more photography.

After hours of frentic climbdown, sometime around 4PM, i reached down to Gangaria where it was quite sunny. And it had been totally a great day out with the Nature..!

Eritrichium conum - Alphine forget-me-nots lining the track leading to Valley of Flowers

Anaphalis triplinervis

Geranium wallichianum - Ratijari, the most common plant in the valley

Anemone rivularis - The pretty white Daipha

Potentilla Atrosanguinea

Ligularia amplexicaulis

Selinum tenuifolium

Aster stracheyi

Aster albescens

Impatiens glandulifera - The abundant pink Himalayan Balsam that we found everywhere

Codonopsis virdis - Bonnet Bellflower

Potentilla anserina - Silver weed (not very sure since it has more than 5 petals)

Saussurea Obvallata - Brahmakamal, Holy flower and the State Flower of Uttarakhand (its grows only in very high altitudes and this one was captured actually in Hemkund)

Bistorta affinis - Fleece flower

Solidago virga aurea - Golden rod

Morina longifolia

Campanula latifolia - Giant Bellflower

Gymnadenia orchidis - an orchid

Senecio Chrysanthemoides

Angelica archangelica - Choru

Lady bug over Selinum tenuifolium

Lady bug inside Potentilla Atrosanguinea

Honey bee over Angelica archangelica

I have made a reasonable effort to identify the flowers properly using the flowerbook bought on Valley of Flowers and also many of them using web or cross verified online. But i’m not a botanist, so If anyone finds an error, please let me know.

Still a few couldn’t be identified: the nameless flowers….

Not the least, here is the full list of main plant species in the Valley of Flowers as listed in the check post :

My only regret, i missed to capture the sky-blue colored Himalayan Blue Poppy and the Cobra Lily which many had captured in our group.

We are here in Gangaria for the next 2 days. Its our base from which we will trek each day to the Valley of Flowers and Hemkund.

Today, again we were early birds and after the usual dose of Aloo Parathas, all are set to move by 7AM. There was a lot of difference between yesterday and today’s trek. No rucksacks, they were laid to rest in the lodge. We were carrying only our daypack with essentials for trekking. The mood was upbeat as its not going to be any tough and everyone was looking forward to this mystic land: Valley of Flowers.

Uphill from Gangaria, the path diverges into two, the one leading to the left halts in a checkpost to the Valley of Flowers. The main valley is reached by a 3km ascending trek along a jungle path, which follows the course of Pushpawati river. At Gangaria, the Pushpawati river merges with Lakshman Ganga river which comes from Hemkund.

The Valley of Flowers is nestled in the high altitudes of West Himalayas and famous for its rich and diverse alphine flora. Sprawled with meadows of beautiful flowers, rare medicinal plants, endangered animals and birds, it was protected as a National Park of India since 1982 and inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1988. The pathway through the main valley stretches to about 5km but the park itself is spread around 87.5 sq km. Throughout most of the year, the valley is covered under deep snow and is inaccessible. Only from June to October its open when the snow had melted and the valley awakes with the monsoon rains to a wonderful mass flowering of the landscape.

Gathering at the checkpost leading to the National park, we get a briefing from Sunand on our responsibility to be sensitive to this protected zone and environment. We take a good look at the maps and take snaps of our leading team….

Trekking organizers of IQUEST India, (from left): Sunand, Deepak, Jagadish and Tarzan.

I was snapping a lot of photos with people that i was barely covering any distance. And timely, Deepak reminded me that we got still 3kms to climb and i got to keep moving. The atmosphere was cool, humid and our trail was shaded with a lush forest.

We crossed the bridge across the Pushpawati river which was flowing fiercely wild. Thankfully no mules were permitted into the park, so the paths were clean, uncontaminated and smells refreshingly good. If someone wants to be carried the only way was to use porters who carry people in a wooden basket strapped to their backs.

As we progress further, the path gets narrow and the slopes of Pushpawati gets deeper. With more steeper climbs, i ran out of breath quite quickly and sweat profusely. But unlike yesterday there was no pains, no strains, no cramps. The only unease was i’m mostly alone and my pace of walk doesn’t match with anyone. I was slow for the faster ones and fast for the slower ones. And also i take innumerable breaks which was not the case with many. However, i was too happy to be able to make this trekking and left all other botherings away.

At about 1.6km we get a distant glimpse of the valley. My goodness, what can i say:

who laid this green carpet between the folds of mountains

who puffed away these smoky clouds making them drift halfway

who dribbled the crystal streams from cracks of slopes

who light the whole canvas revealing Sun’s rays in transparent shades

who did it,…

Possibly to highlight us the perils that come with beauty, we came across a landslide. We had to literally crawl across this rocky mess to continue.

Shortly afterwards, i saw for the first time with my eyes, a glacier! But its too far down to be reached and almost in thinner form melting away with the river.

The trail turned with folds of mountains, at about 2.2 km, i came into view of my another first, the snow-capped peaks of Himalayas, possibly: Mt.Rataban (6126m). The highest point of the valley was Mt.Gauri Parbat (6590m).

Finally we reach a stream whose bridge is still being built and we crossed it using a make-shift bridge made of metal sheets and wooden planks.

Voila! Here we are at the entrance of the main valley at an altitude of 3660m..!

Well before this valley is known to the outside world, the locals know it as the Bhyundar Valley, the playground of fairies and nymphs. Several legends was associated with it, the popular one being from the historic epic - Ramayana, that Hanuman collected the Sanjeevani herb from this place. In 1931 Frank Smyth, a English man accidentally discovered the place when returning from a mountaineering expedition to Mt.Kamet. He wrote a book naming it as “The Valley of Flowers”, which exposed the place internationally and brought its popular fame.

A big rock sits near the entrance to the main valley. And that was Vijay and Subash on top of it. The path snakes across almost a flat terrain with cobbled stones and shrubs sometimes as high as a man were flanking on both sides with colorful flowers. Mind it, its not a plantation but see how well it seems to be landscaped across the vast plains.

The flowers were mostly tiny, paper thin and without much fragrance. Obviously many were disappointed, coming from Bangalore, the Flower shows of the city or even their rooftop gardens or balcony flowerpots would have had more voluminous and fragrant flowers.

I had known that it will be like this in nature and in the high alpine zone. So it wasn’t any disappointment, infact i was looking forward to it very much. I think most of the women, all photo enthusiasts and nature minded people liked it. But the hardy trekkers dismissed them and some of them didn’t even pause to look closely. They declared that all are same wild papers and fervently finished they trekking to the end and returned quickly to spread a disappointing news to all the slow trekkers who had just reached the valley.

Unmindful of the hanging rumour, i walked across cheerfully and what a paradise it is for macro photography. If one explores closely, they can find several unseen tiny flowers and insects. Its beauty is only for the eyes of someone who can appreciate it. I was told that the color of the valley would change frequently in a matter of few days depending on the bloom of certain species of plants. So some signs erected near the plants made no sense because their season had finished already.

Only a careful eye, could find a unique flower hidden somewhere distant. Mostly a closeup was difficult and i didn’t step out of the path for fear of damaging the plants.

At farther end of the plains, there was a memorial for Miss Joan Margaret Legge, a botanist who had visited the valley in 1939 after reading Frank’s book. She worked to collect specimens of plant species but unfortunately slipped and fell to her death. A memorial had been erected in her memory at the site of her burial by her sister who came to India later.

Eventhough i was not tired, due to mounting confusion of our group timings to return, i had to retreat without visiting the memorial and going any further. Its a pity that i spend only 3 hrs in the main valley but atleast it was in a very good clear weather. By the time that we returned to the big rock at the entrance and finished our packed lunch of pooris, the drizzling had started for the day. Wrapping in rain suits, i started the climb down. Bye bye Valley of Flowers!

This is the first time during our trekking, that we were climbing down and surprisingly i found that to be quite easy. So easy, that i couldn’t do anything except a rapid roll down along the trail. Except to slow and restrain during the turns and when crossing people, i couldn’t decrease the momentum at all. I had become a Rolling Stone!

Later i found that it wasn’t easy for many others who have did their climbs easily. And the credit goes entirely to my trekking shoes which had thick rubber soles cushioning the effect of landing hard on the stones and protecting my knees from strain. Well, that was atleast one preparation that i did for the trekking and the investment worked!

When the drizzles emptied, i took several macro photos of the flowers on the lower valley. Considering that there were several of them, i will make a separate post for the flowers.

Crossing the checkpost, i tumbled down to Gangaria, to the dormitory and there the dutiful massager was just waiting for me. After the foot massage and a bit of rest, we went around the little village and had some hot Gulabjamuns and Onion pakoras. The day couldn’t be any better than it was…

Half-way through the trek from Govindghat to Gangaria, i made one of my long breaks in a road-side dhaba(shop).

My knowledge of Hindi was pathetic but i had hardly any need to use it as i was travelling in a group. Now being alone, didn’t warrant any concern because one needs to just point and the prices were well known. At my previous break, i had seen a few people taking lemon juice and had learned that it was called as “Nimbu Panni”.

So here i’am in a dhaba ordering the Nimbu panni. Usually the shop-walla(shop keeper) should just start working on it. But this fellow, sales-minded as i presumed, enquired, “Bananaa?”. I looked at the fruits spread across the counter and the not-so-encouraging bananas. I framed my reply as short as possible, “Naani, naani, only nimbu panni”(No, no, only lemon juice).

The shop-walla repeated again which sounded like, “Banana heey?” I wasn’t impressed. Why the hell he wants to sell those bananas. I replied more or less in the same way, “Naani, no banana, only nimbu paani”.

The shop-walla appeared confused. He made gestures of squeeing the lemons and asked again, “Bananaa hey?” Looking carefully at his actions, i thought i had understood. He wants to know if i would like banana in the lemon juice. What? If eating banana along with lemon juice would be odd, then having it squeezed into my lemon juice would be unthinkably weird. My reply is more complicated because i wanted to remove the thought of adding banana into my lemon juice from his mind. So i got out of my chair, faced him straight and told him firmly with as many gestures, that i do not want banana and wanted Nimbu panni, only nimbu panni without the banana.

The guy was baffled and tongue-tied. Hesitatingly, he repeated again the only word or the only fruit that he had to offer, “Banana heey?” My patience went off. Infact i thought for a moment, was it somekind of local speciality that he insists to add the banana into the lemon juice and will it really taste good.

No, no, in whatever way, it doesn’t make any gastronomic sense for me!!

But this conversation was going nowhere, we were looping within the same, “banana?”, “No banana, only nimbu panni” exchange. I looked around for help and fortunately found Akash and his wife Lakshmi round the corner restarting after their break. I rushed to them and explained my situation. First, Laksmi felt the situation to be as strange as i had felt. After few exchanges with the shop-walla, she broke out in laughter.

The shop-walla wasn’t asking to sell either the banana or to put the banana in the lemon juice. He was just asking whether he can prepare it, which in Hindi could be properly asked as “banana?”

And that explains everything: why he was asking that again and again and why we were looping in our conversation. Every time that he wanted my confirmation to prepare(banana?), i was refusing but reaffirming again my order. Ah! I had tested the poor fellow a lot and made a mockery of the whole situation with my indifference to Hindi.

Finally, Akash couple reassured me that there will be no banana in the lemon juice and i gave my order, “”Nimbu panni bananaa heey”

It became a popular comedy with our group and with as many ones, it never failed to provoke copious outbursts of laughter. Prahalad, our young friend and room-mate found it to be extremely hilarious that he sort of became the official broadcaster of the comedy through the group.

After all that, for me, it was one more word learned in Hindi with extreme fun!

The much anticipated trekking started today…

In our dormitory, we were all ready by 5AM. Outside from the courtyard of Sankaracharya Math, the atmosphere was surreal. I didn’t understand what the Head Priest explained us yesterday night with such enthusiasm, pointing into the dark misty regions but now i can see them all. We were right in the middle facing a giant stage erected by Mother Nature, the curtains of clouds were tearing up and revealing in beautiful bits and pieces, the majestic Himalayan mountains posing in the centre and flanked on both sides of the sloping hills was the township of Joshimath.

We hauled our rucksacks and climbed the zigzag streets to our gathering point in GMVN hotel. It was a bit far and the few mins of steep walk felt like a trial run. I didn’t feel the weight of my rucksack eventhough i had sweated out one full cycle already. It was normal for me but i was still considering whether i should give away my rucksack to be carried by a mule. I had already enlisted for it. After the briefing, we set off in buses from Joshimath to Govind ghat from where we will begin our trek.

Govind ghat located at the confluence of the rivers, Alaknanda and Lakshman Ganga at about 6,000ft above sea level was the drop off point from NH 58. From here a 13km track which is not motorable and only passable by foot or by mule leads to Gangaria which is at 10,000ft. This route is fairly crowded due to incessant pilgrim traffic to the Gurudwara at Hemkund. And there are dhabas atleast at every 2 or 3km and even a little village in the middle of trail. By professional standards of trekking, we were said it was quite easy one.

Piles of our rucksacks were gathered to be carried on top of mules. And it appeared that most of us had decided to part with them. I was still considering and undecided. First, i was confident that i can manage to walk up the 13km trail and i was just trying to build some more confidence so that i can do that as well with my rucksack. Even for the walking, i had no previous record or preparation or had even attempted anything lesser of that sort. So without any tangible evidence, i was building castles and castles out of confidence, blind confidence! Atleast it would be considerate if these castles were beside the seashore but unfortunately they have to be perched precariously on the steep altitudes of Himalayas. Do i have a chance? and out of what stupid idea that i was trying to pull myself with a 10kg rucksack?? You know, i have a fundamental lethargy to evaluate tiny numbers, i mean the single and double digits. So what is this 10kg and 13km are going to bother me from a true trekking experience. (I had no idea of the 4 digit altitude at this moment) With that glowing thought, i went beaming and withdrew my rucksack from the list.

After a moderate breakfast of Aloo Parathas, we set on to cross the hanging bridge across Alaknanda river and started climbing the mountain path. I had no watch but it must be around 8.30 AM and the Sun rays were in full glory heating up the sides of mountains that we were traversing. I was sweating as much like the stream that gushes beside our trail in the deep gorges. With passing time, my rucksack seemed to swell and weigh more, exhaution swept across body, dehydration was too fast and drinking water didn’t seem to help. Despite being aware that i shouldn’t do it faster, i started to drag myself more rigourously and without break.

Barely 2 kms away, practicalities became clearer and limits of confidence were evident. My back was aching and the legs were getting cramps. Certainly mere confidence wasn’t going to make me cross the rest of the journey. I tried to carry on for some more time. But some rectification was needed immediately. So when i found that some of our group’s elderly women had taken to ride on mules, i finally decided to give up my rucksack with them. Relief was immediately felt. Infact my pace improved and i started even walking with batches of other trekkers here and there.

Unfortunately the status didn’t last longer. About another km and the distress came back but now its only muscle cramps which kept recurring in painful cycles across my thighs. And my stupid self had hurriedly thrown away everything with the rucksack that i didn’t have the first aid kit. Thankfully i was within the sight of some of our group. Someone spared their Relispray and Deepa advised some leg exercises. After some rest, i continued. The cramps occurred again but in a different muscle. It seems to be the high time when the body is reminding me that the leg is indeed composed of several muscles and that they do exist…..and that they did exist in idle for so long!

Now there was no one near by and i progressed slowly whenever the cramps subdued. At one moment, my legs froze and i couldn’t move even a step more. And then i saw at distance below Sunand, our expedition leader and few others. It was a mixture of relief and anxiety. Anxiety because as all of us know, Sunand was the one who was lingering behind and pursuing the whole group at their end. The Relispray was borrowed once again and Ratha gave some Homeopathic pills (forgot the name) for pain relief. We had a long break with a bit of chit chat. Sunand cast no doubts about my ability and only advised me to take water more frequently as i might be dehydrating a lot.

By now, the trail had trees and shrubs shading the path from the hot sun. Cool breeze lifted up the spirits and my sagging confidence was restored. Somehow i felt that till now, all the efforts of trekking had unconsciously deviated into a sort of manual labour, with eyes fixated on the cobbled paths. The nature around was hardly relished. So i unwrapped my camera again and decided to distract myself out of the monotonous walk. By now i had also learned the basics of trekking and had a better idea of how to progress further, how to walk steadly unhurried, when to stop for breaks to avoid cramps. Thankfully i had been carrying the snacks of dried fruit and nuts, rainwear and the torch. Sunand had also given me his wooden stick for supporting the climb. What great help it did. All these are going to help me for the next several hours with more unexpected turn of events.

I walked, walked, walked, walked, walked as slowly and steadily as i can. Don’t be tired of my writing, i would indeed repeat the word “walk”, even an umpteen times more because truly - believe me: it was the amount of effort that i made painstakingly. Several short breaks were taken, just pausing without resting. And every hour or less, i took a major break resting for several minutes chewing the dried fruits and nuts for quick energy and gulping electrol dissolved water or the spicy Nimbu pani (lime juice) from a dhaba rehydrating the body. I also took the homeopathic medicine from Ratha again twice during the breaks.

As i got better, the challenges also got better. The weather started to drizzle. No sooner that i had wrapped myself in full rain suit, the sun started shining again. Within the unbreathable rainwear, i was sweating profusely and had to strip them off. Nature turned tyrant. It started to rain then. Quickly i repackage myself into the rainwear. Atleast the game was over. And it rained cats and dogs. By now, i was crossing the village which was in the middle of the trail and about 7 kms from Gangaria. About halfway reached…

At this time, my pace had also steadily moved ahead of Sunand and few others tailing the group. And more or less i was strolling in sight of Chandrasekhar couple from chennai. I had skipped my Lunch and settled for more snacks and water. The rains continued to pourdown intermittently.

About 3kms away from Gangaria, the track went nasty and very steep. There was not a bit of order, stones of various sizes where strewn randomly, the rains have made a sludge of the soil and the rocks were slippery. Garnishing the precarious ground were the excreta of the mules and their unbearable stench. Without the metal tipped wooden stick, i could have certainly spoiled or atleast soiled myself a lot in this rough patch. After 2 kms of struggle, the path became flooded. A fresh stream was flowing across the path where i happily washed off my shoes.

Crossing across, in the next few metres, a group of man-made structures were visible. The lights were failing and i increased my pace. Only when i had come closer i see a sign, marking a further 1 km for Gangaria. And the structures were a camping site outside Gangaria. But it was too late and the stupid mistake had been already done. By moving faster in anticipation of reaching, i had exhausted myself completely. Now, i had to drag myself for the last leg of the journey. I’m in sight of no one, either in front or back. Its getting dark and worse cold. I wasn’t wearing any warm clothes. I continued in my rain coats. Fortunately its wasn’t raining anymore and the path was well-laid and solid.

Finally i reached Gangaria, collected my rucksack and checked-in our humble lodging.

What i needed desperately was a good soak of my foot or better a foot massage. Forget about searching for it, i dont have even a faint idea that its possible in this forsaken place.

Not a minute after i had entered the dormitory, a man poked in enquiring of something in Hindi for “Molish”. Now, why would somebody what to polish their shoes here. Possibly to exterminate the mule shit? But wait, he wasn’t carrying any wax, instead it was tiny vials of oil. Prahalad was busy shooing away the intruder and i hurriedly interrupted him asking to enquire for me in Hindi, “Is it a massage?”. After few exchanges, he confirmed my guess. Yes, it was. I gave out a big sign of relief, “Amen! Please take my legs!!”

Don’t know how to name this trip. But my friends have already named it as the “Himalayan” trip. No, no, i’m not climbing the Everest or K2. Its a simple organized trekking expedition, technically Grade 2. Walking in the mountains for about 5-6 days for few hours visiting beautiful places like the Valley of Flowers National Park. The pictures should give you an idea…

Well, to start with the critics came home (or at home). Unlike the surprise that my earlier trip evoked, this time its more of concern and jovial ridicule. How could you expect someone who takes his bike for walking to trek up the mountains.

My brother enquired rather sarcastically, “Do they provide any mountain bike or drop you from helicopter or something like that for this trekking?!”. I countered defensively, “You know, i had climbed this hill in Thailand and did Kayaking last time…”.

But the aftershocks kept coming…

Just a week before the expedition a mail from one of the organizer enquired how our exercises were progressing. What? You mean i had to exercise to prepare for this trip? I thought this trip IS the exercise!!

Now dreaming about doing something and actually doing it are entirely different subjects.

This hill that i climbed in Thailand was only for 1 hr which one should normally do in half the time. And its another story that i took Thai foot massage to relieve the effects of this outstanding physical act of mine.

Since the trip is a organized one, i didn’t even care where we go…oops. So now to check it up myself, i decided to plot the expedition in Google map.

Full Travel Map

Larger View of Trekking spots

And see what i got, its awesome!!! Snow clad peaks, rocky mountains, icy lakes and colorful holy places. Then it struck, ahaa, how am’i going to make it….actually, on foot. I developed cold feet despite the fact that i got a hot foot.

Looking at the same map, my sister said very worried, “You dont need to really do this. You haven’t walked up to this St.Thomas Mount or Little Mount in Chennai. You haven’t even climbed upstairs to my first floor room once in a week or even once in a month? Why are you climbing up these tough mountains for salvation??”

I snapped irritated, “Yes, you are right about my habits but its different from my abilities. And whats this nonsense about salvation stuff?”. She replied emphatically, “Then why are going to all these religious places like Haridwar, Rishikesh and even a Sikh gurudwara? I thought you have a prayer!?”. OMG, i’m not going to Himalayas to become a Saint or for redemption. Its just a adventure trek with a photo opp!

The last but not the least was the checklist of items provided by the organizer to be the strict only ones to be carried for the trip. It says 2+1 set of clothes. Was it for the climb? Unfortunately, it wasn’t any Bollywood song shooting. Its for the ENTIRE TRIP!! Eeks, 2 weeks and only 3 sets of clothes? This is a big psychological attack for me. I would easily splurge 2 sets per day. But the organizer is not without reason. You can’t roll your suitcases uphill and everyone have to labour their rucksack by themselves. So the less that you carry the better and faster. Atleast the only relief was that you wouldn’t sweat in Himalayas and its hygienically safe.

All these questions on physical ability and choices of comfort are making this trip appear a Herculean task of Himalayan propositions for me…! Wish me good luck?!

Well, with its subtle intentions, negotiation tactics and bodily gestures, its indeed an art!!

Presumably all Indians consider that anything and everything is bargainable. Its so widespread in our daily life. And i’m no exception to this social knowledge.

Frankly i detest all this haggling affair and prefer fixed prices, where one can make a quick definite choice of: yes - affordable, no - too expensive. All that i wanted was a fair price! But what can one do in a place where bargaining is a way of life and prices are quoted in double, triple or even several multiples!? You have no choice except to pull up your sleeves and join the adventure for a mad bargain!!

Tagged with a tourist label of “Backpacker” brand, it even grows more stronger within me as if it was a privilege bestowed upon us.

The first bargain of the trip began on the very first day near the Golden Mount temple, Bangkok. I had finished for the day and wanted a ride upto Hua Lamphong Metro station. Plenty of Tuk-tuk drivers were hawking for their rides outside the compound. As a thumbrule, its better to avoid taking the vehicle in such places as you would never get a good bargain. Instead i walked a few yards away and waved down a tuk-tuk riding empty from the middle of the road.

Conscious to make my first attempt into a success, i struck the negotiation with confident gesture, no words were spoken. I held my map to his face and pointed to the Metro station which was written in both English and Thai. The tuk-tuk driver observed and nodded saying, 80 baht. Faking the tone of someone who knows these places well, i quickly dismissed his claim and countered, “40 bahts” with an air of authority. The fellow looked down at me, reasoning how i dared to guess like that and then took the trap… Assuming that i’m no stranger to Bangkok, he climbed down to “50 bahts”. Reassured that my quote was good enough, i stood at my offer of 40 baht. The fellow waved me in and the deal was done in my favour. On reaching the destination, i was able to measure that for the distance, my notion of the price was indeed correct and my first bargain was done at a really reasonable price!

Its always not a cakewalk like this. Sometimes i would slip just by the fatigue of it.

Disappointments could happen: when the bargain fails - you fail to buy/get what you wanted OR when the bargain turns sour - you had paid more.

The strangest was when the seller negotiates to under-price himself….!

One such episode happened when a taxi driver UNDER-negotiated himself leaving me rather puzzled, worse guilty!! I was vacating Bangkok to the next city - Ayutthaya and my hotel had hired a cab to drop me in the railway station. The standard fare was 200 baht. During the ride, as any Bangkok cab driver would be, the chap started his sales tactics. I wanted nothing from him and showed no interest. Suddenly he shifted to offer me to drive directly to Ayutthaya. I felt, What a stupid idea to travel by cab from one city to another, anyway it would be very expensive. But why was he so desperate. He continued quoting and reducing the price, all by himself. My silence which was intended to discourage him rather encouraged his bargain. As i gaped at him, he had negotiated himself from 1000 baht to 700 baht. I considered my situation: quite late for the day and uncertain of the availability of trains. So why not take such a good bargain served without any effort to laze in the comforts of the air-conditioned taxi to be dropped at the footsteps of my next hotel in the next city. After making sure with him, i agreed.

In the next 1hr 30min, we escaped out of Bangkok and travelled the 70+ kilometers to Ayutthaya. No sooner that we had reached the destination, the taxi driver seems to have realised his folly. As i paid him, he gleefully asked for a “Tip”. In my hurry to check-in against the waiting walk-ins, i didn’t notice his disappointment and dismissed him in monotone: What? tip? why? no tip? Only when my luggage was dropped with a distinct “thud” and he closed the door, i observed his face. He wasn’t a happy man. And it was too late to correct.

Sometimes a well-agreed bargain, could nose-dive and land in soup…!

One early morning in the Thai border town of Nong Khai, i had to take a quick trip around a few Buddhist Wats before checking out of the guesthouse. And the only vehicle that i could find was a kind of Bike adapted into a sort of a mini-pickup truck. The driver, a well-built lady wrapped-up her road-side food stall and took on the reins of her unconventional vehicle. The deal was to drive me around to 2 main Buddhist Wats in the town. After a quite intense negotiation, it was agreed for 60 bahts.

As soon as i got down at the last Wat which was actually a Forest Wat at the outskirts of the town, she declared that it will be 100 bahts to return back. Surprised, i embarked on a bit of argument which made clear that somehow both of us didn’t clarify whether its a one-way trip or it includes the return journey. In my assumption, it included the whole trip and in her assumption it was only for the drop. However it is…, her demand for another 100 baht was unjustified. Even a kid would know that it would cost only another 60 baht. What makes the return journey more special to cost an extra 40 bahts. Clearly she was trying to take me for a ride. And from this lonely forest wat, she was sure that i wouldn’t find any other alternate means at this early hour. More than the money, i was just taken aback by the blunt threat of desertion laid before me. Nevertheless, i was in no mood to get victimised. I firmly asserted with her that it is completely unfair and i will not pay anything. Either she takes me back to the guesthouse and get paid of 120 bahts for the misunderstood bargain or go to hell with her weird-looking vehicle. My tough argument won and she opted for the latter.

The most relentless and marathon bargaining of the trip was reserved for the final shopping! Having missed the week-end Chatu Chak market, i was forced to do all the shopping in the expensive Suan Lum night market in Bangkok.

Odd of all, a lengthy bargain was narrowly concluded but the product wasn’t available for sale…!

In the maze of shops of Suan Lum market, i was struck with awe at a specific kind of lighting fixture which could be easily assembled into any shape by arranging several little pieces of plastic strips. Since i wanted a massive lighting fixture which meant purchase of several packages of such strips, both the shop owner and myself indulged in lengthly discourses of negotiation. At one moment, the negotiation broke down and i walked away. But lady luck didn’t give up, by some accident i took the same lane after some time and found myself enquiring at the same shop for the same stuff. When the owner turned back, we smiled and were happy to restart the negotiation afresh. Finally when we had agreed quite closely on a figure, the relieved owner ordered to pack them all.

A moment later, his assistant came and told in hesitant tones that the strips of white, my chosen color were not in sufficient stock. The owner regretfully offered the colored ones and at even a lesser price than the hard negotiated one. But it was all over for me! I was impressed only by the brilliance of the clear white streams of light. No yellow, no green, no red, no blue could replace that impression. Stupid luck!!

Bargaining was all consuming that one doesn’t realise that the deal had been struck already…!

Only after my extensive shopping did i realise that i didn’t have any suitable bag to carry the extra load back home. It was 1AM in the night market and most shops were closing down. I had no specifics, no time, no budget, any square piece of container will do.

In great hurry, i was asking the prices of every suitcase in a shop to find the right one. The young owner anxious to make a last sale, sametime in good mood to negotiate was blabbering away the features of each one and why its good, strong etc etc. I didn’t want any of those stories and persuasion. Finally finding the right one at right price, i declared to him that i’m taking it. Without applying thought, the boy continued affirming that its a good price. Why not? Ofcourse, i said yes. But he continued again saying he cannot give any lesser. Who wanted it for lesser? I’m ok to pay what you want. It continued like that and if had gone any longer, i would have concluded that his mind has gone astray. Thankfully he checked himself at a point, let his mind chew on what i had been saying and asked me if i meant ok. I nodded frantically my yeses! Then he let out a laugh signaling the end of the comedy. And the last sale of the last bargain was done…

Were they just an exaggeration of excited historians or blatant truth of outrageous opulence, who knows?

In India, there are plentiful of evidence to see from the massive scale of forts, palaces and temples. Yet there is NO glitter! where was the glow of its richness? the precious stones? gold and silver emblazoned walls?

Today, i happened to discover myself all the glitter and glow of this surreal past…

Stepping inside the compounds of the Grand Palace, one gets transported to an altogether different world, a different era! Forget the history, forget the imagination, just open your eyes!! Sprawled around as far as you can see were highly-decorated buildings, temples, stupas, statues, straight out of the Old world dazzling from top to bottom in their shiny overalls of metallic foils, golden lacquer, encrusted with innumerable pieces of glass, ceramic, stone.

What a fascinating sight !!

The Grand Palace grounds was the numero uno tourist attraction of Thailand, housing several structures which form the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew Temple complex. In tourist-friendly Thailand, its one of those rare places where visitors dresscode were scrutinised at point of entry: bermudas, short skirts, stringy wear and flipflops were prohibited. It also charges the highest entry fee: 250 baht

The Wat Phra Kaew is the most sacred Buddhist temple in Thailand. The temple complex consists of atleast Seven major structures. In the snap from the Palace grounds, you can see the entire roofline of the temple complex.

The three towering pagodas in the centre were (from the front):

• Phra Si Ratana Chedi - its the most sacred of all stupas and contains relics of Buddha
• Phra Mondop - its a repository containing the Royal Golden Edition of Buddhist Cannon, inscribed in Palm leaves and enclosed in a Mother of Pearl inlaid cabinet
• Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn - this Royal Pantheon houses the statues and emblems of ruling Chakri dynasty

All of them were located in a elevated platform named the “Upper Terrace”.

The large multi-layered roof building on the right was the main Ubosoth housing the Temple of Emerald Buddha. In the left, you can see the roofline and stupa of three buildings:

• Hor Phra Naga - Mausoleum of the Royal family containing the crematorial ashes
• Phra Viharn Yod - houses Buddha images
• Hor Phra Monthian Dharma - Scripture Library

On stepping inside the temple premises

The Statue of Hermit, Patron of Medicine who saved several lifes during Plague in Bangkok

Three Stupas of the Upper Terrace

Glittering, towering Phra Si Ratana Chedi covered fully in golden mosaic tiles

Video of Phra Si Ratana Chedi

Dazzling Phra Mondop

Not a inch spared, the Ornate walls of Phra Mondop

Prasat Phra Dhepbidorn, the Royal Pantheon accompanied with two Golden Chedis

Facade of Royal Pantheon

Statues of Demons holding the base of the Golden Chedi

Lets get down from the Upper Terrace and go the Temple……

Temple of Emerald Buddha

Surreal view of pillars of Temple of Emerald Buddha

Intricately and highly decorated walls of Temple of Emerald Buddha

Statues of Lions guarding the King’s entrance to Temple of Emerald Buddha

The Emerald Buddha is known the “Palladium of Thailand” (Palladium signifying the power and protection through its antiquity). The history of Emerald Buddha was interweaved with myths, legends and facts. The image is considered to be from a very ancient period, thus an object of Power!

Originating from India, it has traversed through ages across Srilanka, Burma, Cambodia(Angkor Wat), Laos and finally captured by King Rama I who installed it in its current place establishing the Chakri dynasty.

Contrary to its popular name, its made of jade and not emerald. Possibly to overcome this disappointment, the image is adorned with GOLD garments. There are three sets of gold garments one for each season: Hot, Rainy and Cool. And the King personally changes the cloths in a brief ceremony everytime!!

Seated on a high pedestal inside the main Ubosot, the Emerald Buddha in its modest size was practically out of sight even from close quarters inside the Chapel! Again, its one of the rare images whose photography is prohibited. But what effect will such restriction do in the face of curiosity and ingenuity of thousands of tourists thronging the Temple? Everyone were happily zooming in from outside the Chapel capturing the Almighty God!! NO ONE was disappointed!!!

My own expertise with the Handycam was pathetic, anyway for your darshan…

Emerald Buddha seated on a high pedestal in the Chapel

Emerald Buddha clothed in Gold garments

Zoomed-in view of Emerald Buddha

The Wat Phra Kaew also houses several minor structures such as belfry, miniature of Angkor Wat, Bodhi tree, small monuments for deceased Kings etc The whole temple complex is surrounded by a cloister separating from the other structures of the Palace grounds. The Cloister is just a plain white wall from outside but on the insides it contains an impressive gallery of paintings depicted scenes from Ramakien, the Thai version of Ramayana.

On the eastern side of the Wat Phra Kaew is bordered by Eight towering identical Prangs which are spires. Only two of them were enclosed inside the cloister walls and others stand outside.

Sacred Bodhi tree

Monument for a deceased King on the Upper Terrace

Mural paintings of Ramakein inside the compound of Wat Phra Kaew

One of the Eight Prangs

Walking around this astonishing temple has cost of a lot of energy and has left my eyes dilated handling the camera. Added to that was the rainy weather, it drizzles, pauses, then starts again and loops like this forever. And we still got the Grand Palace to see. But it appeared soon that entry is not into those gigantic buildings. Tourists are only permitted to see whatever they can from the front yard. With the King not living in there any more and everything shut up, the only soul that the tourists have to rejoice was the stiff royal guard.

Chakri Maha Prasad Hall where the Coronation ceremonies take place

Close view of the grandeur of the balcony in Chakri Maha Prasad Hall, what better place one need to wave a hand!

Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall for lying-in-state of Kings, Queens and royal family (lying-in-state || dead-in-coffin!)

Before i leave for the galleries and a bit of lunch, let me conclude my prelude….

Yes the sight got one to make believe certainly on the magical opulence narrated in historical tales.

But spoilers do exist, not one, indeed two! First, this whole Palace was not as old: it was just built in the 17th Century and thanks to the Kingdom of rule, its very well preserved. Second, its not as precious(in material sense): the structures were not emblazoned in gold but goldEN tile, goldEN sheet. The glittering intricately designed motifs covering the walls endlessly were not made of precious stones but colored glass, ceramic, semi-precious stones.

Now, get over it and enjoy the fasinating place!!

In olden times, rivers and canals being the primary means of transportation, the King possessed perhaps hundreds of barges for various uses. In present days, barely a few remain for ceremonical occasions like the Royal Barge Procession (Kathin ceremony) which are conducted sparingly.

Housed inside a high-roofed dry dock with little illumination other than natural lighting were a precise collection of four Royal Barges, four Escort Barges, few relics and displays of barge formation miniatures and photo gallery.

The Royal Barge Suphannahongse was impressive and indeed resembles a Golden Swan as its name stands for. Its the famous personal barge of the King who is seated in the central pavilion with the royal family and rowed by 50 paddlers and assortment of other crew. During processions, a crystal ball which is preserved separately is decorated to it to dangle from its mouth. Being the most majestic, its carved out of a single large teak tree and was awarded as a Maritime World Heritage.

The most visually striking of all was the Royal Barge Anantanagaraj graced with a seven-headed Nagaraj (Snake King) in its bow and green-coloured hull. It was the personal barge of King Rama IV.

The Majestic Royal Barge Anekcharphutchong with a pink-coloured(!!) hull was my favourite. Eventhough it has no distinct figure-head like the other royal barges, it has numerous intricate Naga (Snake) figures carved on its bow.

The Royal Barge Narai Song Suban H.M King Rama IX was the latest addition built during the reign of the present King to commemorate his 50th anniversary of accession to the throne.

King Narai riding on a Garuda, the mythical bird and royal emblem of thailand.

The Bows of all Royal barges were richly decorated with golden motifs of mythical creatures and patterns, coloured glass and layers of golden laquer; their hulls painted outside in bright red, green or pink for distinct identification and almost always painted in red in their insides. Finest examples of exquisite Thai craftsmanship!!

Get closer to any Royal barge, you can see the intricate work like this one on RB Anekcharphutchong…

The raised golden pavilion of RB Anantanagaraj

Thats all the Royal barges, lets see a few escort barges now…

Ekachai-class escort barge with a golden painting of a half-naga, half-dragon with its tall horn as the bow. It was used to tow the RB Suphannahongse when more power is needed or during strong currents. All escort barges except this one were equipped with cannons.

Krut Hern Het, an escort barge with Garuda figurehead

Asura Vayuphak, an escort barge with Asura (ogre) figurehead

After the visit, i had only one little grievance, obviously these fine decorated barges are meant to be thrown into the waters!! Anyway the relief was they were used rarely and for the moment, all are perched safely at berths raised above the water level.

First, for the sake of myself to see the economics for future trips and second, to provide detailed statistics to my friends and fellow travellers in order to give a fair idea of the costs involved.

Now, straight to the point, it cost me totally 109,460 in Indian Rupees. Just a few hundreds less than my budgeted 1.1 Lakh rupees. 

Yes, that much precisely!

Ah again Yes, it includes ALL costs A-Z of the travel including Shopping!!

If one takes an organised tour through the popular operators like Thomas Cook, Cox & Kings etc, such a trip to two countries in South East Asia could cost the same but for ONLY 2 weeks (or even less) and will not include expenses like visa, shopping, misc etc.

So i can conclude decisively that self travel saves upto 50% costs or gives 100% more time provided that one organise by himself and compromises his comforts to basics.

Sametime for the over-adventurists especially youngsters, i have a warning too.. With the free will and free spirit of self-travel comes the danger of your budget spiralling to out of control! A bit of self-disciple and sanity are essential.

Voila, here are volumes of statistics !

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1. Breakup of ALL expenses A to Z

• Nothing left out including insurance, local mobile, visa; even bank charges & restaurant tips!!!
• A plus was the shopping costs with which i was able to gift 7-8 friends with assorted souvenirs, t-shirts and add a small collection of art to our home.
• The SINGLE major cost was the international flight to and from Bangkok, the cheapest direct flight from Chennai that you can get by Yatra.com (still more cheaper option available if you are adventurous to see a few bombs dropped beside: take the flight via Colombo)
• Despite being an essential concern, getting your laundry done is dead cheap by the Kilo in guest houses. (Don’t try in hotels, your wallet will be cleaned out!)

2. Composition of travel expenses

3. Rentals of Hotel or Guesthouse room :

• The first 3 days are the only times that i stayed in the full luxury of a 3-star Hotel
• All other days were in a Tourist guesthouse or non-categorized hotel
• The days from 11-19 are the lowest thanks to Lao currency value

4. All food and drink expenses :

• A large buffet spread for breakfast was part of the room tariff on the first 3 days
• Almost never skipped the breakfast and dinner
• But i must admit that i had a chronic disregard for lunch during the whole trip
• The Dinners were the most elaborate, lunch-compensating, cuisine-testing, expensive routines

5. Transportation from one place to another (not necessarily cities)

• Both countries have a/c buses interlinking important cities
• VIP buses are tourist specific with more space and comforts
• Songthaew was like a covered pick-up truck
• For 2000 baht, Nok Air - the economy airline was a good bargain for a flight from Krabi to Bangkok. But onboard, even a gulp of water was charged!

6. Transportation within a place

• Motorcycle taxi was a pillion-ride in a bike or scooter; very enjoyable!
• SkyTrain and Subway Metro are in Bangkok only

7. Self Transportation by hiring bicycle, bike etc

8. Communication Expenses

• Getting a Thailand-based local SIM from Matrix does indeed help. But i got carried away and recklessly dialled in Laos, unaware that its international roaming from there. That explains my high mobile bills which i think are not so essential.

9. Volume of different currencies spend (in Indian Rupees)

• Expense in Indian and Foreign Currency

All above statistics were in Indian Rupees converted suitably from Thai and Lao currencies.

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10. Volume of different currencies spend (in their respective values)

• Almost 2 million Lao kips spend and its less than 10,000 rupees !?!
• Thai Baht was 130% of Indian Rupee ( 1 baht = Rs.1.30 )
• Lao Kip was 0.48% of Indian Rupee ( Rs.1 = 208 kip )

If you are impressed by such an extensive and intricate statistics, please thank my feeble memory! Because i dont really remember well the numbers. Added to that was my strange detachment to remember materialistic values soon after its purchase.

Contrary to such a deficiency, i never throw away a bill or chargeslip or ticket, altogether say: any piece of paper. All are tugged-in somewhere. And during the travel, i also made it as a hobby to organise all bits of paper and jot down the expense every few days. It was so helpful that once it even saved me at a border post where my credentials were severely questioned. As the immigration officer emptied my pocketbook and examined the meticulously recorded statement, he realised his folly. I’m indeed a tourist, maybe even an statistician !!

Finally the expense totals were verified with my travel card statement which was of good convenience to track the cash withdrawals in different currencies.

Last but not the least, those colorful graphs and charts are complied thanks to my brother who took it as a sort of summer assignment to generate the XML data files.

So early that i decided to snap this view from my hotel room as i was ready @ 5.20AM

Not a pretty sight from the laps of luxury. My room was facing a worn-down slum. But i’m not complaining, infact a perfect way to peep into the lifes of ordinary metro Thais: their roof-top garden, their assorted laundry in drying line, open-air baths(oops!) with the backdrop of towering modern Bangkok skyscrappers. What a contrast!!

But my precious morning hours were lost warding off from the traps of the hotel travel agent.

I catch a commuter boat in Chao Praya river from the Oriental pier to the northern Phra Pin Klao bridge pier to visit the Royal Barges museum.

From the pier, i took a motorcycle taxi! Yes, Thailand has such motorcycle-borne taxis everywhere around their cities and towns. Armed with reflector jackets and spare helmets, they are the most economic means of transport riding the bylanes of crowded markets; zipping through the highways at break-neck speeds.

The routine life of Thais were never complete without them, you can see people from all walks of life waving down a motorcycle taxi to run a household errand or go to nearby place. So here i’m catching one, lets go for a ride!

My ordeal for the day was far from over, the motorcycle taxi driver didn’t drop me in front of the Royal Barges Museum. Instead he dropped me before an obscure narrow street and said, here is the way! Standing there was an unimpressive but clear signage confirming that it goes to the Royal Barges Museum!?

With utter disbelief, i step inside: come join me in the walk…

For the next several minutes, i navigate through a maze of paved concrete streets, looped with sewage, river canals, heaps of garbage, tin roofed bare shell houses… Well, i’m deep inside what seems to be a quite large slum in Bangkok. Nothing was close to anything of ROYALTY!? The only indication that i was in the right direction, was the same signage “Royal…” pointing rather mockingly at the poverty all around !!

Finally i was at the Royal Barges Museum and it seems the most common way to reach it is via the river but only private boats dock in it. And since i took a commuter express boat, i had to take a land route from the nearest pier. The advantage was an insight into the lowest strata of Bangkok away from the glitter and glamour of the City.

After the visit of the museum, i pull back myself to the main road and on the way, i see Wat Dusidaram in its dilapidated condition.

Later i take another motorcycle taxi, this time a much longer ride to the main thoroughfares of Bangkok and visit the Grand Palace and Wat Phra Kaew. Here and there with a drizzling weather, several hours were spend inside the Grand Palace premises

Back to pier-side, this time its Tha Chang pier near to Grand Palace

Very late lunch by the pier-side food mall. Its a food mall because one gotto get coupons and buy using it from any of the several outlets. With no fanfare and glitter it goes on beside a crowded stretch of the pier. So here i’m waiting for my Thai delicacy with a orange drink!

Caught again a commuter boat to return to Central pier and onward via Skytrain to my hotel. Done for the day!

Places seen/visited :

• Oriental pier
• Royal Barges Museum
• Wat Dusidaram
• Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of Emerald Buddha)
• Grand Palace
• Tha Chang pier
• Central pier

Golden Mount was a man-made hill located in the temple complex of Wat Saket, a Buddhist shrine. A Nepali serving the temple introduced that the Buddha relic housed atop the hill came from India; overruling any necessity to refer my guidebook. The Golden Mount was a culmination of the efforts of three consecutive Thai Kings to erect a Chedi there. Because of the soft soil, the first one erected by Rama III collapsed. Rama IV strengthened the pile of mud and bricks with teak logs and built the second one. But it still continued to sink and Rama V finally had a modern material, the concrete to built the third Chedi which stands there presently.

Entrance to Golden Mount stairs from Wat Saket

The staircase spiralling round the hill was long but quite easy because of the soft climb and gentle curve. And with plentitude of bells to ring by one side and vast scenery of Bangkok on other side, its quite a enjoyable ascent.

Still gotta climb 3 concentric rings of stairs round the hill! Surprisingly the Chedi is not visible anymore!!

From atop the shrine, a panoramic view of the Bangkok city unfolds… We see here the Wat Rajanadda complex.

View of the government buildings and the Mega Bridge from atop the Golden Mount.

Several such large beautiful wooden (not sure but certain by a knock) containers brimming with water and water plants can be found beside the staircase.

A miniature of the Golden Mount.

The National Museum of Thailand was the best place to escape the overflowing streets of Bangkok on a Sunday. Its innumerable galleries, some of them quite modern and air-conditioned present the history, culture and arts of Thailand with its oriental elegance. Photography was strictly prohibited inside all galleries, so i would only snap the different buildings, pavilions and objects strewn around its premises.

Thai History gallery, one of the main galleries equipped with automated audio guides in different languages.

The ornate layered roof of the History gallery.

Standing in the centre of the Museum grounds, was the Buddhaisawan chapel.

Sala Longsang Pavilion, moved and restored from the Palace of King Rama VI.

Buddhaisawan Chapel

Statue of Phra Ram (Thai version of Lord Rama from Ramayana) ready with a bow and arrow.

Mythical giants guarding the entrance to Buddhaisawan Chapel.

The glittering golden doors of Buddhaisawan Chapel.

Close view of the intricate decorations in the door frame of Buddhaisawan chapel.

The Museum houses galleries for Thai history, Stone inscriptions, Ayutthaya art, Sukhothai art, Wooden carvings, Sculptures, Costume, Ceramics, Ivory, Precious objects, Mother of Pearl inlays, Musical instruments, Weapons, Transportation, Buddhist, Coins and Banknotes and many more…

Strikingly notable was a large glass enclosure containing quite well-preserved and gigantic royal chariots. Strangely all are funeral chariots used for the cremation of various Kings. In the gallery of Precious objects, one can have no doubts about the preciousness of its occupants. Encased in a large cage with thick iron grills which are so dense, that one got to peer into them like looking at inmates of a high-security jail. There are no more the sort of golden, gold-plated and gold lacquered; here its all real and solid GOLD!

Once, i got almost lost in a isolated corner of the museum and landed at the Chinese spirit house surrounded by weird-looking mythical statues.

And this one could be mistaken for a lost puppy ?!

Somebody dropped the anchor in the wrong place

A small chariot waiting for its right place in the corridors of Museum.

In my life, i had seen so many forms of the popular Hindu-god, Ganesha but nothing prepared me for this horrific statue decorated liberally with human skulls. It led me to threw all rules to wind and i pulled out my camera to record this awful depiction.

This Ganesha Statue was a gift from the King of Java to Thailand. But the description doesn’t explain its raison d’être.

Samran Mukhamat Pavilion, moved and restored from Dusit Palace.

Fortunately i didn’t fall for those neatly dressed fluent-speaking cons haunting the tourist places or to the illicit offers of tuk-tuk and taxi drivers or the stalking lady-boys. That would have been a big blow to my vanity. Unexpectedly the deceit happened from a recommended trustee and induced at a moment of ease.

It all started with a simple enquiry for directions to the nearest Metro. And the receptionist directed to the travel desk, yeah the necessary evil of any good hotel. So unconcerned could be these front desk people that even answering where you are standing would be irrelevant to their job description and all questions out of their premises would be the business of the travel desk.

And the travel desk guy was pitching with all his brochures while all i wanted was just to get out of the property. Somehow the escape was made for the day and imagine who gave the final proper answer, a security guard at the gate whose communication ability was the least of any!

Another day passed. And i was surfing the internet at the lobby when the travel guy caught me off-guard with his proposal of a boat tour of bangkok. And i responded him rather casually, saying we will see that tomorrow. On the next day morning, the man was waiting for me practically blocking the doors of the hotel exit. As he explained his plan, nothing seems to fit my need. The proposal was a 1hr30min boat ride to visit 3 landmark monuments of Bangkok at a cost of 1500 baht + 60 baht taxi ride to the pier. On my side, i would easily spend half-day at any spot aiming my lenses and 1hr30min was a miserable timing for three great monuments. And the hiring cost for half-day was outrageous! I try different arguments to make a deal but none fruitful, this travel guy was all out to rip me off. When it became clear that he is being unreasonable i diverted our negotiations to different options, just to confuse and exhaust him.

After minutes and minutes of spreading maps, brochures and price scribbles; my determination won ! The confused guy agreed to drive me to the pier and let me check myself the real costs. Not a minute into driving, his sly brain must have smelled his misfortune, for he quickly retreated back to the hotel and put me up into another taxi excusing that he must attend some other schedule. Now this new man instructed by the travel desk guy, drove me to Central Pier, the nearest and southern most starting point of intra-city boat service in Bangkok. Ofcourse, he starts his own sales pitch which is agonisingly, a repeat performance for me. I snap him to just drive.

Arriving at a spiritless and deserted pier, my instinct tells me immediately that this is not the grand “Central Pier“. I ask him again but he confirms. I do not argue but foresee the next free-fall of getting trapped with a bunch of boat operators aggravated by this new guy who would do the needful for his share of commission in a rip-off.

Annoyed at the precious time lost of the early morning and impending rip-off, i forcefully shoo away the agent of the travel guy. With great reluctance and angry, the guy drove away with just 60 baht. I make a quick check with the pier, who do not offer anything better than what the travel guy told me. And it was actually a private pier, called “Peninsula pier“, where i could assume that no normal boats dock.

So off i go in search of the Central pier. After walking around several parallel lanes, i discover a wide lane buzzing with hundreds of local thais navigating in and out. Voila, i have discovered the Oriental Pier !

Ofcourse, it wasn’t the Central pier because i was walking in the opposite direction but it was okay since it was the next stop from Central pier. A helpful old woman in a photolab assures me that boats are available at very low prices and infact thats how most of the local people commute routinely. In the next few minutes, i was crossing the entire of length of Bangkok for a throw away price of 15 baht in a commuter express boat. So much to save the hard-earned money !!

Well, wasn’t that a really narrow escape from the jaws of a rip-off !

At 9 AM, i’m standing within the walls of Grand Palace with several hundred tourists, waiting. The King doesn’t live in this Palace anymore but its used for various ceremonies and today was one of them to mourn for a deceased Princess. Few canopies which were temporarily erected in the Palace grounds gave shelter to a large gathering of Thais dressed in black and seated calmly. Volunteers were freely distributing mineral water bottles and fruit juices to everyone including the equally large flock of tourists.

The atmosphere was cloudy, humid yet interspersed by hot sun. All visitors are waiting for the ceremony to end and to let them get inside. Patience is running low and the Thai policemen were finding it difficult to maintain their discreet moral policing. No photographs, no hats over head, no noise…

Suddenly a voice crackles in the radio, the police remove the barricades and all the seated Thais arise at once to leave. The King has left the palace. Infact vanished into thin air ! Instead of relief, we were all disappointed because we expected to catch a peek of the King or atleast his motorcade. As a swarm of tourists invaded into the Palace, i decided to retreat and defer my palace visit for tomorrow.

Wandering away from the Palace, i come across the vast tracts of Sanam Luang, the Royal Grounds. This 30-acre open area is surrounded on all sides by roads and highways bordered with greenery and wide shaded walkways. Sanam Luang is the site for royal cremation ceremonies but also now for the annually celebrated Ploughing ceremony. On this rather busy Sunday, the central grounds looked more like a massive parking lot with several vehicles spread-in and temporary food courts serving the appetite of local Thais.

On one side of Sanam Luang lies the Wat Mahathat, Thammasat University, National Museum, National Theater etc.

Thammasat University was one of the oldest and prestigious universities of Thailand.

A Giant Thai flag fluttering above all from the Thammasat University. Like the Indian one, its also called as a Tricolour flag (Trairanga in Thai). The Thai tri-color, red-white-blue stand for nation-religion-king.

Recently Princess Galyani, sister of the King of Thailand passed away. This portrait was displayed near the Thammasat University for the public to pay respects. Such banners were seen all over thailand and in Bangkok, the main roads were lined in never-ending lengths of black & white drapery.

The National Museum stands in its own serenity and i make my choice instantly to visit it. The details of the museum trip will to be posted in a separate post. Surprisingly more than half-day was spend in its sprawling premises. Afterwards i catch a tuk-tuk whose driver talks nonchalantly proposing to drive me to his own destination. Sensing that my polite denials were making no effect, i strongly order him to drive me to where i wanted.

Lak Meuang, the City Pillar shrine was my next destination. Lak Meuang is the spiritual centre of Bangkok and houses the wooden City Pillar which represents the city’s guardian spirit, Phra Sayam Thewathirat. King Rama I erected this pillar founding the capital city of Bangkok around it. Many cities of thailand have a city pillar shrine for their respective guardian spirits.

Milky white stupa of Lak Meuang

Entrance to City Pillar shrine draped with Thai national flags. Eventhough no signs were displayed to prevent photography inside, i obliged myself to respect the sensitivity of streams of Thai people who were dutifully and piously offering their respects to their city spirits with lotus buds, incense sticks, candles etc.

View of the Royal palace across the road from City Pillar shrine.

Next, i hopped to Wat Saket, the Golden Mount (to be covered by a separate post) before calling it a day !

Places seen/visited :

• Thammasat University
• Sanam Laung - Royal Grounds
• National Museum
• Lak Meuang - City Pillar Shrine
• Wat Saket - Golden Mount

The prehistory and the early kingdoms of Thailand couldn’t be ascertained clearly due to lack of any written records. Mostly Thailand consisted of agricultural communities along the river valley called “Meuang“s which are independent city-states ruled by “Jao Meuang” (chieftains).

During Ashoka period in India, Theravada Buddhism entered and flourished among these agricultural communities of Thailand. The Indian missionaries are said to have been send to a land called “Suvannabhumi“, Land of Gold which mostly corresponds to the fertile area of Central Thailand and surroundings. The new modern airport of Bangkok has taken this name as Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Until sometime in the 19th century, the actual name of Thailand was Siam whose name origin is unknown. Thai is considered to mean “free” but also the Tai ethnic race of people.

Sukhothai Kingdom

In 13th and 14th centuries, several Thai city-states along the Mekong river valley united to form Sukhothai. Sukhothai which means Rising of Happiness is considered to be the first true Thai Kingdom. It formed the basis of a national identity for the country.

Under the third Sukhothai king, Ramkhamhaeng the Great, Sukhothai achieved it golden age of prosperity. He codified the Thai form of Theravada Buddhism which is borrowed from the Sinhalese. A famous passage from Sukhothai inscription reads: Fish in the water, rice in the fields…. It was a sentimental one liner for many thais to describe about the Sukhothai period.

The ruins of Sukhothai capital located in northern Thailand is now a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Ayutthaya Kingdom

In 14th and 15th centuries, a powerful Thai kingdom - Ayutthaya emerged absorbing Sukhothai and neighbouring Khmer kingdoms. Ayutthaya became one of the greatest and wealthiest kingdoms in Asia sustaining for a unbroken 400 years of monarchy through 34 reigns !

A significant aspect of difference from Sukhothai period was the ascension of Thai monarch to an absolute authority which continues to prevails until now. In Sukhothai period, the King assumed the title of “dhammaraja”; “thammaraat” in Thai (dharma-king) whereas in Ayutthaya period, the King assumed the title of “devaraja”; “thewaraat” in thai (god-king).

During this long peaceful period, Ayutthaya established contacts with Asian and European countries. It had a thriving port capital and the magnificence of Ayutthaya court was recorded by many visiting European missionaries.

As nature balances, the wealth of Ayutthaya attracted the attention of Burmese who invaded the country repeatedly. In 1767, Ayutthaya finally fell and the brutal invaders destroyed everything reducing the whole country to chaos. The massive scale of destruction and the grandeur of the Ayutthaya Kingdom can be seen in its impressive ruins of its capital. The historic city of Ayutthaya and its surroundings are named as Ayutthaya Historical park and is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

At the end of Ayutthaya dynasty, a general named Phraya Taksin made himself the King overcoming the Burmese and established a new capital in Thonburi. Unfortunately his good wisdom failed soon and he started believing himself as the next Buddha! His ministers unhappy with his religious fantasies, deposed and executed him !!

Chakri Dynasty

In 1782, Chao Phraya Chakri, one of Taksin’s generals came to power, moved the capital of Thonburi across the river, built the new capital of Bangkok and founded the Chakri dynasty. The Chakri dynasty has prevailed since then and has adapted as a Constitutional monarchy.

The first two Kings of the reign restored the culture which had been severely damaged by the Burmese invasions. The third Chakri King established a new royal title system, “Rama” taking the title himself as “Rama III” and his predecessors were posthumously honored as “Rama I” and “Rama II”.

Rama IV, the fourth King and commonly known as King Mongkut has an interesting history. He actually gave up his throne for his half-brother, Rama III and lived as a Buddhist monk for 27 years. He studied Western sciences and several languges. When King Rama III deceased of ill health, Mongkut took the throne in 1851. He instituted several reforms and cautiously opened diplomatic relations with Europe. His activities are of vital importance in keeping Thailand successfully out of European colonial rule. According to me, its a rare achievement and a much-missed historical significance when the whole of South and Southeast Asia was under some colonial power. King Mongkut was also the first monarch to show his face to Thai commoners in public.

King Rama V continued his father’s reform especially on education and further westernized the nation. Popularly he abolished slavery, prostration before the King; decreed compulsory Thai surnames in the style of European family names.

King Rama VII’s period saw troubled times, as absolute monarchy was overthrown by a coup d’etat leading to a system of constitutional monarchy. The coup of 1932 was mounted by a group of Thai students from Paris. Ofcourse, France - the mother of democratic revolution had sourced their democratic ideology. The group met regularly in cafes in Paris to discuss the ideas and thus interestingly called as Cafe-brewed COUP !!

One important act of King Rama VII was the abolition of Polygamy from Thai society but unfortunately in fine print they had exempted the royal family !?

King Rama VIII was only 9 years old when he was crowned and even before he attained his youth, he was murdered under mysterious circumstances.

King Bhumibol Adulyadej crowned in 1946 is the current King of Thailand. Titled King Rama IX, he is one of the longest serving monarch; most revered and commands the popular respect & authority of many Thais.

The Democratic side of Thailand was still a puzzle to me. The sequence of events could be worth a book but in brief for this post…

My rejoice that this country had attained democracy in 1932 much before many Asian nations were fully spoiled by the fact that about 17 constitutions have been charted since then!! The current one was promulgated in 2007. The government is held by either military rulers or influential persons. Frequent military coups have led to a high degree of political instability and seems to become a chance to abrogate the old constitution and promulgate a new one.

Just a day before my exit from Thailand, another political drama unfolded… The former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra who was overthrown by a military coup in 2006 and fled; returned to Thailand kissing the ground outside Airport in full media view. What a dramatic re-entry ?!

So life goes on and stacking up plies of history for the future….

After a spell of initial helpless state, i did manage to traverse a series of Underground and Elevated trains to reach the Victory monument. The whole place is swarming with people and vehicle of all sorts with several shopping centres around. Nobody is visiting this monument which stands in the middle of a intersection of roads and my guidebook makes no mention about it !? I never snapped it. A bit of initial reluctance? Rather i just walked around the whole circle to get a first-hand experience of Thai city life. A disturbing eye-sore of the place wasn’t the crowd but the elevated platform of the Skytrain which takes a distinctly large semi-circular path around the monument. Seeing the extreme crowds, i hope the Thai officials had no choice to preserve the visual appeal of this monument environs.

A quick check of the city map again and i decide to head from Victory to Democracy, a monument located in another traffic island.

My second round of interaction with Thai people resulted in boarding a public bus. It was only 11 bahts but the value of travelling by an air-conditioned bus escaping from the extreme pollution of Bangkok’s roads was fully worth. Whats more its not even travelling rather i was just cooling my heals practically in the bus for 45+ mins with the traffic, thats going nowhere !! Perfect for a traveller !!!

The Democracy monument was erected in 1932 to commemorate the establishment of the constitutional monarchy in Thailand. The monument consists of four wing-like structures representing the four branches of Thai armed forces.

The whole irony of the monument and its cause, was the democracy movement of 1932 was by a military coup and this monument was commissioned by a military ruler and again it is designed by the Italian artist Feroci who also designed monuments for the Italian dictator Mussolini ! For me, this monument summaries the dilemma of Thailand’s democracy which continues to be breached by as many military coups yet all being considered to be well under a democracy. To add up Feroci buried 75 canon balls in its base to signify the year 2475 BE(1932 AD) !

The centrepiece of the monument represents the Thai Constitution held atop two golden bowls.

As i walk away from the monument, i catch my first discovery: several tall spires of a temple. Approaching in its direction, i find Wat Ratchanadda. The temple was actually farther away from the road and a large open space lay in front. Named as “Lan Plabpla Maha Chessadabordin”, it has few striking architectural structures, a monument and gardens which is used to celebrate various events.

That was an impressively decorated building used during ceremonies.

The Roofline of any temple or royal building or ancient structure looks like this and many times much more grander. Now I want to show you for once and all, the intricate designs of Thai architecture. Here we go…

Wow,….but ofcourse its not gold. Possibly grab a sunglass before continuing…

The pillars, walls and ceilings are all painted with floral patterns in bright and gold lacquer and embedded with glass jewels.

The intricate designs made of fine square pieces of colored glass on the hand railing.

Typical wooden ceiling of Thai architecture coated with red and gold lacquer

This is a wooden column painted in black and gold lacquer.

The Tiles of roof are brightly coloured mostly in concentric rectangles (is it good grammer ?) and the wooden frames painted golden. Now lets stop with the architectural close-ups here.

In the large courtyard of Lan Plabpla Maha Chessadabordin, lies a royal memorial for King Rama III in whose regime the Wat Ratchanadda was built.

After all the talk around Wat Ratchanadda, let me reveal it. Here we go…

Getting into the temple wasn’t easy; its surrounded by a small but extremely dense market.

yes dear, the market doesn’t sell vegetables but magic charms and Buddhist amulets, literally in all shapes and sizes ! And this snap was done with the due approval of the merchant lady. Too early to take any chances !

Wat Ratchanadda is a Buddhist temple and popularly known as Loha Prasat. It’s the only one of its kind in Thailand with a unique pagoda influenced by Burmese style. The pagoda consists of 37 metal spires signifying the 37 virtues toward enlightenment.

Each metal spire is 36m tall.

The Wat building is coated in fresh white paint with red coloured window frames and black varnished rich and thick wooden rooflines.

Finished with the Wat, I loiter across an intersection of roads to find…

Mahakan fort

Such commemorative archs (again in glittering golden colour) can be found in many road intersections and in almost every city, town and village across Thailand. Always honouring the Royal family and mostly in respect of the King like this one with a multitude of royal emblems.

Bangkok is interlaced with several canals known as “khlong”. Here is a sample.

Then I walked a long way trying to find the Golden Mount with my map but its already 5 PM and its closed. So I wanted to break my first-day tour by getting back to Hotel. There were several tuk-tuks up for grabs or vice-versa outside the Golden Mount. The Tuk-tuk is just the Thailand version of autorickshaws plying in India. And they are no different from the Chennai autowallahs, infact as notorious in pricing and as trustworthy in most cases.

Here is the first tuk-tuk that I took. Surprisingly the driver was really a nice and trusty fellow. On arriving at subway station where he is dropping me, I found that I didn’t have any change to pay him. He didn’t bother or argue, he waited patiently as I dived underground to the subway station to exchange the notes.

Hua Lamphong railway station is the main station from which you can go in all directions of Thailand from Bangkok.

Now thats it for the first day, I’m already sliding down into the Hua Lamphong Metro station. Catch you later.

Places visited :

• Victory Monument
• Democracy Monument
• Lan Plabpla Maha Chessadabordin
• Wat Ratchanadda
• Mahakan fort
• Hua Lamphong railway station

The story is already in propaganda-mode with the close friends who i have met after the travel but its exhaustive with questions of what is this? and where and how? for each recorded snap. So hope this blog will help again and remain as a written reference of the trip.

Some of you are very appreciative of the photographs and that has kicked up the idea of opening it up for commercial sale ! Why not ?! And if it can earn the cost of my camera and the travel then i can be very certain of its real value and professionalism. Maybe eventually it can pave the way to buy more photographic peripherals or another travel trip !?! (…i know its more than a wild dream but i’m dreaming!)

Back in Chennai and back at Home, the Sweet Home !

Riding over the bumpy city roads in an Auto, the exhaustion was complete as i dozed off over a dozen times. Upon entering my house, i childishly wandered around all the rooms rediscovering them. Assured that i’m in my safe nest, i collapsed and slept for the next several hours…..

ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY SEVEN STEPS

WALKING STEPS IN A MOUNTAIN IS A MISNOMER

CLIMBING A MOUNTAIN WALL COULD BE APPROPRIATE

HEAT AND HUMIDITY GOT EVERY DROP OF LIQUID OUT OF YOUR BODY

ONE HOUR OF CLIMBING

AND ITS A VISUAL CONQUEST THAT EVERY SOUL DESERVES FOR ITS UNWAVERING SPIRIT

BREATHLESS 360 DEGREE VIEW

THE GOLDEN BUDDHA AND CHEDI ARE SPIRALLING IN A SPECTACULAR BACKDROP

MY GOD !!!

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