Heard of a saying ‘Earth laughs in flowers’? So true and so should the people. Let us not get into the harsh truth and reality rather just talk about the beauty that is still there, the beauty that is unexplored, the beauty which is longing for attention, Valley of Flowers is that beauty. Trust me when I say that I have been on various trips and treks but how the trek in the Himalayas has revived me, no other place could do that. Travel is very very personal to oneself. It is our taste on where we want to go, how we want to go and what we want to come back with. There is so much out there to be seen and my agenda was to touch the untouched and feel the unfelt. This time Uttarakhand’s heaven escapade was my destination.
The Journey Begins...
Honestly, I did not sit down to select this exclusive location for my trek, all I did was pack my bag and head towards Uttarakhand which is the best way to travel I guess. Exploring, struggling and then gratifying is the most enjoyable process of travelling. So, I took a train from Delhi to Haridwar directly because I love to travel by train or bus. It is filled with much more experiences and situations then taking a flight. Though one can go by air to Govind Ghat which is the nearest spot to the Valley of Flowers, I preferred the former. My train journey was usual, I observed people, women around, ate with strangers, heard their stories and lost count of how many hours the train took to Haridwar. I reached late in the evening and hence decided to breathe the air of Ganga Ghat for the night.
Next morning, I left the place in a taxi to Govind Ghat which would take around 11 hours for me to reach there since it is 290 km from Haridwar. I left early in the morning around 5.30 a.m. which seemed like an accurate time for the departure. My plan was simple, I had the idea of having many stoppages in between the journey so that I can explore as much of Uttarakhand as possible and so I did. I stopped at Devprayag which is an incredible location in itself, took my cup of tea, inhaled the gorgeous lush greenery and moved on. Finally, after around 11 hours of journey in the curves of the mountains that too dangerously cut, my heartfelt satisfied stepping out on Govind Ghat. My next destination was the lap of the Himalayas!
I had heard a lot about the riot of colorful flowers, the stairs to heaven, the myths and the tales, but I hardly researched about them. I wanted to go for it and see what it is exactly like. I paved my way alone without any assistance or even advice which is my favorite thing to do, take risks and conquer them. I reassured about the timing of the trek to the Village of Flowers which is approximately 16 km from there. The entry timings were from 7 am in the morning to 2 pm and hence I started my trek the next day at 6 am. The first stoppage was at Ghangria which is a 9 km trek and took me 5-6 hours. The trek is not very tiring, just make sure you carry a good amount of water and keep refilling it at dhabas on the way. The trek is going to be really smooth for you as it is cleaned by volunteers every day.
Soon, you will reach across the river near Ghangria where you will find space for camping and then a small village with restaurants and hotels, but I preferred to stay at the Gurudwara. Yes, there is a Gurudwara which provides free stay and food and trust me it is very heartening to stay under the roof of God. The journey is still left onto for another day from Ghangria to Valley to Flowers. The entry starts at 7 in the morning, so I reached the valley at 6.45 as the trek till there was pretty plain. I had the entire day to myself before I had to return back to Ghangria.
The charm of Valley of Flowers
A wise man once said, “Over every mountain, there is a path, although it may not be seen from the valley.” I abide by these words and I was dumbstruck by the structure and beauty of the natural valley. As soon as you move a little ahead near a scenic bridge, you will see the stream below, patches of snow and an open wide dreamy space. No matter where you turn, it is all picture-perfect forcing you to stop then and there and keep mesmerizing. After a few kilometers, you will be reaching to the world’s most colorful carpet you have ever seen. All the hues of red, pink, purple, yellow, it will make you crazy. It is purely a dreamland! You will be perplexed where to look at, the snow-covered mountains, the soils in the bottom or the colors flowing in the middle. The natural botanical garden is beyond imagination. You got to step into the garland and smell the scent coming from the flowers, I wish I could capture it, but it can only be described and needless to say, words are just not enough. The spirit of the valley was just like a mystical female, it won’t die ever. The stretch of the valley was up to 5-7 km after which a glacier can be seen. The stream will not leave you way for the entire journey and so sitting there, dipping your feet in the water and gulping the experience down your throat is the best option.
Bringing myself back to the grounds, I ate my lunch which I got packed from Ghangria since there is no food in the valley of flowers. I had to start my journey back by the early afternoon so as to reach at Ghangria by evening. I surely did leave the exotic and unbelievably splendid valley of flowers that day, but it did not leave me till date. I still feel as if it was a beautiful dream which ended but stayed with me. I am so heartfelt at my experience and will recommend each one of you reading this to certainly sense the aura and sensation once in your lifetime.
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