Finally it was sunrise and by 7:30 or 8 o’clock, the world became more bearable. We inched out of our rooms and started to brush our teeth.
Of course there was no hot water! And my teeth fell off. Well, the mirror said they were still attached to my gums, but the nerve endings at my gum region could not load these attachments!
Meanwhile, our hotel guy made some hot tea for us and I gulped down the tea along with residual toothpaste in my mouth. It tasted funny.
But I could atleast feel my teeth.
Post a few more cups of tea and alu parathas, we were ready to go. We checked out, loaded the luggage back into the car and started for the nullah region.
We thought of checking the nullah and if it didn’t show immediate promise, we would go and visit Yungthang and Leo. These were some 10/15 Kilometers from Nako. But I had only about 25 litres diesel balance and this plan would need fresh diesel supply.
We enquired near the helipad where all the stranded trucks are parked. Nobody had extra diesel. Forget diesel, they didn’t have food. The only truckers Dhaba there had run out of supplies and all those drivers, must be a hundred of them, had to survive those vicious cold nights without food.
Dejected, we gave up Yungthang and Leo plans and proceeded towards the Nullah. We were there around 10:30 AM.
Situation is same as yesterday.
The rickety JCB is picking up about 5 out of a million stones at every attempt and taking 10 minutes to shove them down the hill. The centre piece is sitting with full glory.
We came across one important looking uniform clad gentleman. We asked him and got to know that he had ordered a bulldozer from Pooh, which would arrive any minute. Meanwhile, they are rigging the stone for blast. So, they would blast it into pieces and then bulldozer will clear the way. Simple enough.
Road should open up by 4 o’clock max. We hung around a little here and there.
Slowly it was around 12:30 PM, no sign of blast or Bulldozer. Our important guy is also not present in the scene. The JCB keeps at it. And we are hungry.
Option 1 – Go to Nako and have food, come back by 4 o’clock. I am averse to the plan due to diesel situation. Although it’s barely 2/2.5 kilometers but the nako to Nullah journey is purely first gear 3500 rpm drive.
Option 2 – Go to helipad and check if the truckers dhaba could serve anything. Given the morning scene we have observed, a slim chance.
Option 3 – Maggi.
We concluded on option 3 and started prepping ourselves up. Suddenly there were a lot of hustle bustle. We looked up and saw the JCB trying to hide behind something and all bystanders and workers are coming back. We soon found out that blast was going to happen in five minutes and hence we need to shift out of our great vantage point.
Well, we got no choice, and actually happy that something was to happen. We moved the car from the blast radius and come back to our view point.
They ask us to hide behind something as blast projectiles can hurt us. We do so and... BOOOOOM!
The resulting dust storm was seen to be believed. Pity that I left the camera in the car.
The dust cleared out in 5 minutes. Everybody was keen to know the result on that huge piece of rock. Well, it’s sturdier than the loksabha, sitting just as pretty. The blast has only caused small scale fresh land slide, and all the debris cleared by the JCB yet, double dosage comes down from above. We are back to square zero point five.
Our important guy comes back into the scene, observes it carefully for a while and announces – looks better. Well I didn’t quite agree but well, he should know. Upon interrogation from the ladies, he said the bulldozer is almost there and now they would dig a road from below the rock. If such a blast hasn’t moved it, it was not gonna come down on its own, at least not very soon. The 4 o’clock might get to 5 o’clock, but it’s gonna open.
We’re decidedly happy. Who wouldn’t be?
Gleefully we return back to our maggi procedure. We open our grocery (we carried more than enough to supply nako for a whole winter), and find we got all arrangements for more. And also we have good 4 hours to kill.
So plan shifts to Khichri plus potato French fries (In Bengali – Khichuri alubhaja). And hence starts our first high altitude cooking ceremony.
The ladies quickly erect up a kitchenette by rearranging some stones.
While cooking is in progress, I walk around a little. The chill is hanging in the air.
The truckers have a hard time starting their engines.
One guy, tries to push start his truck. The truck doesn't start but it rolls to the middle of the road. A Malling Nullah (actually Kaza) - Shimla bus comes from the other side, but can't pass. Quite a traffic Jam.
I check back on the cooking freqeuntly. The little stove is struggling hard against the cold wind.
The river originating from Malling Nullah is semi - frozen down below.
It is cold, wind is hard and the stove is really weak. But we keep our patience and finally the rice and dal to gets cooked. We keep it aside half cooked and fry the potatoes. Once that’s done, the khichri needs a final boil and meal’s ready.
As such I am quite averse to this particular dish. But at 12047 feet, 4 or 5 Celsius ambient temperature and prospect of reaching Kaza tonight makes the Khichri taste like honey.
We finish off the meal, washing utensils (in a small stream – runaway offspring of the great Nullah itself) and packing up by around 3:30 PM.
The bulldozer had arrived by then on a blue truck and was being assembled. The JCB was also back to work. Our guy surfaced from somewhere and told – “looks difficult today. Tomorrow noon is final”. And he bhrooms off.
We are beyond getting depressed. We've wasted a day we don't have.
I pointlessly click some photos around. Somewhere back in mind I feel this might be my last photo opportunity for the trip.
We pack up in a short while and go back to Nako. Meanwhile a lot of fresh input has arrived at the scene and have booked up the two hotels at the bus stand. And anyways I was not one part inclined to go back to the stinky dungeon.
Someone in the bus stand, probably staff of one of the hotels advised me to climb the narrow road towards irrigation bunglow. Inside there were some good places he said. The road was quite steep, very narrow and had a drain on one side. But no choice!
We climb up that road and reach the Kinnnaur Camps.
They looked very nice from outside. Luxurios tents, clean surroundings. Ladies like it at the first look, but they demand Rs 4000/- per tent!
Ok, Fine! We negotiate it down to Rs. 1100/- per tent. That’s steep too, considering we were simply held up there and this expense was pure extra. But, I too liked the place.
We settle down quickly. The garden and the seat out is beautiful. Although the wind is cold, but we are somewhat acclamatized. The gorgeous view and nice surroundings eases the midns a little bit.
Mom takes special initiative in bringing us back to a smile.
We enjoy some tea and I engage into a very very old traditional game called “Baghbondi” with mom. I have last played it at our Maternal place, some 25 years back.
A little while after, we get a little upbeat. Tomorrow we are reaching Kaza, and have a nice place to stay tonight.
After sundown even the hilly donkeys try to get cover, we are simple habitants of comfortable plains. However, the tent feels much better insulated than the room we stayed the earlier night. We spend the evening chatting about childhood stories and stuff.
Problem surfaces in the form of dinner. They don’t serve food in the tents, we have to go to the dining tent for that. And it’s open air.
I could barely eat and by the time we’re back at the tents, I have a grinding headache. It’s just about 12000 feet so I guess it’s not AMS, and I don’t have any trouble breathing. Just the head.
The tent guys supply us with some hot water bags and that helped.
The sleep was quite peaceful, didn’t wake up much.