Happy to Be Missing
When high altitude comes calling, few things get shadowed by its towering presence. The shadowed things, pop up, the moment the initial romance with the soaring majesty fades away. For our trip to Leh-Ladakh, these shadowed ones were none other than bracing low atmospheric pressure and artillery of medicines to make sure that oxygen doesn’t remain luxury for the every tiny cell!
“Dos and Don’t’s” supplied by tour operator raised a doubt in my mind. Was I embarking on ‘Medical tourism’ instead of ‘pleasure trip? Sunscreen, moisturizer are simple staples of any journey, which I would count as cosmetics. But thought of popping a pill before bed and after breakfast every day for acclimatization, made me feel sick without falling ill.
Another pill was advised for putting the barricade from stomach to mouth. Idea was to stop the wandering undigested food from enjoying the beauty outside and to retain the peace within! The u-pin bends, serpentine roads that often get washed away, courtesy landslides were going to be the culprits. Dizzying heights mean winding, meandering roads that have charming effect on soul but churning effects on digesting system!
Most of my thought process thus got shrouded by the heaviness of the first aid box that I had to carry. It started raining havoc in my dream land of enjoying the tour. Before the nasty thoughts drenched me, I heard a faint voice inside as I dabbed my forehead with kerchief to clear up the sweat!
Gone was the dark shade and in was the colourful palate! A pompous list of “Happy to be missing” things rolled out like the red carpet in my head.
I was going to be missing, most ecstatically, the dripping sweat lines. Was it not the first and foremost thought of seeking the cooler place, I reminded myself? So what, if it was going to be only a seven days affair!
“Often washed away roads” meant lesser frequented place. Traffic snarls do not find a worthy place in the life among mountains and ‘jams’ are served as a part of breakfast. It was going to be “honking” free week! There was so much to be heard in presence of the mystic mountains. The gushing of the wind that swoops down, escaping the green wall; trickling and burbling of the glacier water as it negotiates its way down the valley were going to be the constant companions. Quite a detour from mindless prattle on most of the FM channels, all day long, I contemplated. Listening to birds’ calls and chirps would be soothing on ears than twitter notification on mobile, I reflected.
As I was warming up to these thoughts, few more positives showed up with bright faces! I was going to be face to face with new people. Was it not like reading a new book, a fresh untold story, I questioned myself. Added advantage of these books is that they speak their own story in most of the cases.
I was going to ditch “routine”! Oh, I so inversely like it. Each day was going to start on a fresh note and end on a note of memory to cherish for life time! “No cooking” and “No early morning snoozing of alarm”, my favourite twin pet peeves, joined “Happy to be missing” brigade without waiting for my consent. I deeply love their unabashed attitude!
Oxygen was going to be a rare commodity and so was pollution! “Fresh air” was the ace in the pack for me. My lungs puffed up at the thought of particles free treat.
Armed with these state of art topical thoughts, I headed straight to the pharmacist to buy my supplies for “Happy to be Missing” trip!
Picture courtesy Shreyas Joshi
You can read Echoes From High Altitude #LehLadakhDiary – Part1, “Jinxed” here.
This post is published for #OpenNTalk Blogger’s League hosted by @Gleefulblogger & @Wigglingpen in association with SummerBarn, Vedantika Herbals, Nyassa, Explore Kids World.
This June, I will be sharing four posts(one in each week) chronicling my experiences from my recent tour of Leh-Ladakh. I am glad to be part of #CrossBorderSisters, Team6 of the #OpenNTalk. You can read fab posts from my buddies Bahwana Shah of Kickupstairs, Adit Kapoor of Panoramic Ripples, Dr Priyanka Naik of Nostalgic Moments and Manisha Garg of Zara Hatake Blog!
38 Comments
aditi · June 11, 2018 at 9:43 pm
Everything comes at a price. The medicine part was short and the pleasure you got is everlasting:)
Anagha Yatin · June 11, 2018 at 9:47 pm
You said it Aditi. Thanks for visiting.
mammaspeaks · June 12, 2018 at 8:14 am
Informative article anagha. Knew about the oxygen supply but didn’t know about the medical kit. But still you had a great time.. Glad about it
Anagha Yatin · June 12, 2018 at 10:36 am
Popping pills every day as a concept itself was a bitter pill…but had to! A pill a day kept the troubles away!
Thanks dear for visiting.
mammaspeaks · June 12, 2018 at 11:11 am
Ha ha, funny as always! <3
Anagha Yatin · June 12, 2018 at 12:47 pm
🙂
sukrisblog · June 12, 2018 at 12:28 pm
A pill a day kept your troubles away Anagha. Atleast you enjoyed the trip thoroughly. Sometimes a little pain is needed for small gains such as these happiness on trips. It is good you can also look back to cherish these memories in later years via your post. #NISSATalks
Anagha Yatin · June 12, 2018 at 12:47 pm
True that Sudha. Thanks for visiting
BellyBytes · June 12, 2018 at 1:43 pm
You are quite an adventurer I must say. I am looking forward to seeing how you and your stomach bear up to the sharp turns and high altitudes….I personally can’t take high altitudes and actually had to make a quick descent to a lower height as I was actually turning blue by the minute. And this was when I was all of 12 and supposedly young enough to adjust to climactic changes at that age.
Anagha Yatin · June 12, 2018 at 2:27 pm
Oh was it? Initially, we did take the pills religiously. But soon grew really sick of it. So unanimously, we ditched it. Thankfully did not face any difficulty.
BellyBytes · June 12, 2018 at 2:29 pm
That was risky! Lucky you mad it down in one piece
Priyanka · June 12, 2018 at 2:04 pm
High altitude sickness can be really scare and is often difficult to handle. But I admire your positive attitude and spirit of adventure.
You are among those rare people who take their own sunshine wherever they go…even to Leh! 😉
#OpenNTalk #CrossBorderSisters
Anagha Yatin · June 12, 2018 at 2:28 pm
Made my day Priyanka! Thanks a lot buddy.
mahekg · June 12, 2018 at 2:54 pm
Its not easy for people to travel to Leh Ladakh because of the altitude issues but from whatever I have read its a beautiful place to go so if small things can help us its always a boon in disguise. #CrossBorderSisters #OpenNTalk
Anagha Yatin · June 12, 2018 at 2:56 pm
Absolutely Manisha. Its such an untouched beauty, clean, serene and simply mesmerizing!
Thanks Manisha.
Silja Nair · June 12, 2018 at 5:23 pm
Dear you always play with words & i love to read that. And it make your travel writeup more interesting for me. #NISSATalks
Anagha Yatin · June 12, 2018 at 5:58 pm
Thank you so much Silja for appreciation! Thanks for visiting.
Aditya · June 12, 2018 at 9:36 pm
Nice.
Anagha Yatin · June 12, 2018 at 9:49 pm
Thank you Aditya for visiting and appreciating.
pushpendra پُشپیندر (@pushpendra4acti) · June 13, 2018 at 4:46 am
interesting story telling
Anagha Yatin · June 13, 2018 at 8:07 pm
Thank you Pushpendra ji for visiting and appreciating.
Kishor Kr · June 13, 2018 at 8:49 am
I envy you. This summer I cannot go out of station. And, this time around the summer happens to be so warm, so scorching. Anyhow, I am yet to have my Leh-Ladakh trip. I am sure your posts are going to come handy when I do.
Anagha Yatin · June 13, 2018 at 8:06 pm
If not Summer, you can always make it during Diwali, Xmas vacations Kishor ji.
Thanks for visiting.
An@m! · June 13, 2018 at 3:09 pm
That reminds me of our college treaking. High altitude do creates a problem sometime. Better safe than sorry. I am in love with your art of writing Anagha, and you know that. 😀
– Anami from #InvincibleGang for #OpenNTalk #Week2
शिप्रा त्रिवेदी · June 13, 2018 at 9:26 pm
The end paras made me ignore what all medicine and first aid needs were on your way. Some things can be done to achieve other beautiful things in life. Right? #BlogAMile #OpenNTalk
Varsh · June 13, 2018 at 11:22 pm
Oh, how I wish to be happily missing all these things for a while too. Carrying the weight of a first-aid box is a small sacrifice for the freedom and freshness Leh-Ladakh offered otherwise!
#OpenNTalk #BloggerBabes
Balaka · June 14, 2018 at 1:17 pm
I loved this happy to be missing post. I have always been apprehensive of Leh Ladakh only for this part. I hate heights even though I grew up in the hills.
KalKalp · June 14, 2018 at 8:35 pm
Mala tuza writing khup aawdla Anagha . Ashich Lihit raha.
Deepa · June 15, 2018 at 9:05 am
I love mountains but my motion sickness makes me worried. I always carry pills too before a journey up hill. But agree with you that most of the times its just psychological. Its more important to keep negative thought at bay and enjoy the trip.
#BloggingDivas
#OpenNtalk
Arvind Passey (@arvindpassey) · June 15, 2018 at 3:14 pm
Lessons connected to travel writing are invariably full of wonderful insights. Thanks for sharing this one…
Arvind Passey
http://www.passey.info
Parul Thakur · June 15, 2018 at 9:04 pm
That sounds a lot to me. Yes, I too popped a pill a day but nothing more than that. I wonder why you were advised so many.
Looking forward to read more about your travel.
Mayuri Nidigallu · June 16, 2018 at 6:43 am
I have heard a lot about pre preps for Ladak. Guess it’s all worth it, when you see nature in all it’s glory there. Waiting for more, Anagha.
sayeridiary · June 18, 2018 at 1:43 pm
I also have high altitude problem and I took pills also. When a small adjustment can give you heavenly peace then its fine right!! #OpeNTalk #BloggerBabes
DiaryOfAnInsaneWriter · June 18, 2018 at 4:01 pm
Wonderful post. Waiting for your next post on your Ladakh adventure. Keep sharing with us. #RoarWillRock
easy home remedies · June 19, 2018 at 1:10 am
Thats amazing post. I always feel like going Leh ladakh is just not my cup of tea…Its tough mainly the high altitude.
Happy to be missing is the portion i loved. Keep posting!!
Bhawna Shah · July 1, 2018 at 5:42 pm
Through the series of #LehLadakhDiaries we had a wonderful virtual tour to the most beautiful place of Incredible India. #CrossBorderSisters #OpenNtalk
abhibishnu · July 28, 2018 at 12:46 pm
Would love to visit this place someday.
Nice article. Loved the humour 🙂
Anagha Yatin · July 28, 2018 at 1:46 pm
Incredible India and Incredible Leh Ladakh! Do visit the place Abhibishnu.