DocDivaTraveller

Ah the archaic windmills!

I have a thing for windmills. No I don't mean the ones at Jaisalmer or Orissa or Nevada for the matter. I mean the archaic ones. The ones which used to be the source of power long before dynamos were invented. Each country has its own style of windmill. I was head over heels with the Greek ones.

Last year when I was teaching my neighbour's kid, I came across a heart warming Dutch story in his English Book. Since the Netherlands are very windy, they used to have a lot of windmills. Each windmill had a name and the villages used to communicate with each other through these windmills during cyclones. The story was about a boy whose parents were out of town. The way how he saved his windmill was a very sweet story. Suddenly I became really fascinated with the Dutch windmills. they were entirely different from the Greek ones. Maybe God had heard my inner prayers and fulfilled my wish. Otherwise Netherlands was squeezed last minute in our trip!

However seeing windmills in the city was out of question. I mean you can't expect them in Amsterdam, do you? Since we were very short on time, it was seeming distant to fulfil this dream of mine. I started researching on where to find them. Luck was on my side. Zaanse Schans, a village is Zaandam district is easily accessible from Amsterdam and has eight working windmills at one place! Jackpot!

The Netherlands are famous for its tulips, cheese, chocolates and of course windmills. In fact they are so proud of their heritage that the tissues served at the KLM flight had windmills and tulips printed on them! Too bad we visited in summers and hence we could not see the hundreds of hectares of tulips. I had visited the two capitals of tulips...Netherlands and Turkey but both in summers :( I have to take care of that next time.

You must have read it here how easily we reached Zaanse Schans. the real adventure began when we started exploring it. It was so beautiful!

Zaanse Schans is an open air museum which does not charge anything to roam around. However if you want to see the working of the windmills, you can go inside them for around 7 euro I guess. Since we were on a race against time, that was out of question.

Skirt: Nest

Top: Forever 21

Neon Pink Purse: from Dubai

In my previous post you have read about the epic trek to Winch Camp. However what happened 8500 feet above the sea level was even more phenomenal than the trek itself. Its a tiny plateau like area with mainly three levels: the lowest one had our tents, the middle and the narrowest one had the washroom and the topmost level had the railway track running as well as the kitchen. It was our main area for hanging around.

The railway track started from the there. The very point where the track started dropping below was the most picturesque part of the place. It gave an infinity view. To our good fortune a herd of horses were grazing there. They provided the perfect prop for an excellent photo op. The rest of the area had old, tumble down railway houses. Those houses imparted an old world charm to the place. I have always been a big fan of houses with sloping roofs and chimneys. I just could not get enough pictures with them!

It was raining heavily when we reached. We quickly dumped our luggage in the ‘kitchen house’ area and started warming ourselves in front of the fire. We were wet and cold. Thankfully, within half an hour, we were served hot tea and biscuits. That felt heavenly! When it got dark, we built a bonfire near our tents and then the real fun started. We sang, danced and played guitar. Any nocturnal discussion is incomplete without some supernatural dose. So we eerily poured our hearts with paranormal stuff. Then we had a hearty dinner of piping hot Kadhi chawal and Urad Dal.

The moon was directly above us and it was three days to full moon. Hence the entire place was illuminated by its glow. The constellations were crystal clear and the stars were twinkling all over. I don't remember the last time when I had seen the night sky so much up, close and personal! It was heavenly!

Our morning started pretty early as everyone wanted to see the sunrise. I wish I could too but I was overtly drained from the week long Durga Puja celebration as well as the travelling. I needed to catch up on my sleep! I was up chatting with my fellow trekker friend till three in the morning so witnessing the rising sun was out of question. We were served hot tea immediately after waking up and then we strolled around to absorb all the beauty around us. Our breakfast consisted of hot Maggi and bread jam. We devoured them sitting on the railway tracks; listening to live music. We then sang and danced as if there was no tomorrow!

We did not want to leave that fantasy world. But finally at around half past eleven, we started our way down. It was goodbye to Winch Camp and hello to golden memories! We all were assigned one trekker each and we finally reached Jimjima village after 4 hours.

What struck me the most about this camping trip (apart from the beauty of Winch Camp) was the dedication of the Trek Tribe group. They are a group of expert trekkers, led by Gaurav and Abhinaye and they took every possible measure to make our trip comfortable. The best part of Trek Tribe is that they are a community and not a travel agency. So they are more like your friend/guardian who can understand you fully. Tired during the hike? They will stop to make you catch your breath. Thirsty? They would provide water from their bottle (they carried every possible thing required during the hike) Unable to carry the backpack? They would carry it for you. Feet slipping? They would hold your hands and help you complete the trek like a breeze! During our descent (which was tougher), we all were assigned one trekker each who held our hand throughout for four hours. Not only we completed the trail in a relatively shorter duration but none of us slipped. Also we were confident that we were in safe hands, continuously. I hope that they start treks to all other unexplored parts of Himachal Pradesh soon so that I can hike with them again!

Hiking Pants: Adidas

Shoes: Reebok

Sweatshirt: Levi's

Top: Globus

Sunnies: Forever 21

Long weekends are meant for an escape from the mundane. But a cardinal question arises where to go? We Delhiites love the Himalayas; a night long ride and we reach the foot of the hills. Its easy and convenient to go to hill stations like Shimla or Nainital but those places are bustling with metro crowds during long weekends and hence lack the ‘break’ that you were actually looking for in the first place.

The Himalayas are full of unexplored spots (of course; they are the longest mountain ranges in the world) waiting to be discovered. The explorer in me always tends to unravel the lesser known, non touristy yet beautiful places. During this Dusshera long weekend, I came to know about a tiny yet beautiful place in Himachal Pradesh called Winch Camp through Trek Tribe and decided to explore this little gem!

Trek Tribe is a trekking community from Himachal Pradesh which organises trekking trips from Delhi to beautiful, unexplored places in Himachal. They are a group of skilled trekkers who are experts in camping and hiking and of course leading a group of tourists. I was spell bound when I saw this video!

We (me, a group of 6 people and Gaurav, Trek Tribe leader) left for Joginder Nagar from Delhi at night and our bus took around 13 hours to reach there. Joginder Nagar is a small place in Mandi district. We explored Bir Billing that day and then rested. We wanted to be energised and fresh for the grueling hike to Winch Camp the next day.

We left for Jimjima village at ten next morning. From there , our hike was supposed to start. Winch Camp is 5.5 kms uphill from Jimjima village at an altitude of 8500 feet from the sea level. The special part about that place is the century old narrow gauge railway line which still operates today. The tracks were laid by the British and it runs from Joginder Nagar to all the way up to Winch Camp. At some places, the track is almost 90 degrees steep! Our group of 6 was joined by a few more hikers from Himachal itself. We all were accompanied by skilled trekkers from Trek Tribe who were there to guide and help us throughout the ride. After briefing (Do’s and Don’ts )from the leaders Gaurav and Abhinaye, our hike started.

The initial 250 mts were rather tough. Although the way was paved and not steep, we all were panting. Maybe because our bodies were not enough warmed up. After walking for 7 minutes, we took our first break at a temple. It felt that it would take forever to reach the top. But as we climbed further and further, it felt easy and smooth; although the trail became tougher and steeper. Maybe because the surroundings were too spectacular. We took small breaks on the way, each break as we reached a plateau like area.

Our second stop was a lush green meadow. It was followed by a steep pine forest. We often crossed the railway track during our climb. Sometimes we would follow the track, while most of the times, we would ascend by its side as the track is too steep. There are exactly two places where the railway line is absolutely 90 degrees steep. God knows how the British must have laid them. The train ride must be like a roller coaster!

Then there was a station called Number 18 where we caught our breath, refilled our water bottles and rested for a while. Our next stop was again a lush green meadow where we had a packed lunch of delicious veg pulao and curd. It was midway, at around 2.5 kms. Tummies full, we all were set for the next leg of our hike.

We all were constantly encouraged by the trek leaders. They were cheering us throughout; and whenever we felt like that we would give up, they would crack jokes, lighten us up and then boost our confidence. They also carried our backpacks; when anyone felt too drained. We felt that we were in absolutely safe, strong hands!

The next 3 kms were rather exhausting. Partly because we were tired and partly because the trail was steeper. However the picturesque surroundings compensated every drop of sweat of ours!

So after a lot of toiling, panting and climbing we made it to the top! It was around quarter to 5. So we took around 6 hours to make it to Winch Camp!

Our tents were pitched when we reached. We were dead exhausted but were elated to have made it to the top. The feeling of accomplishment when you reach the top is unparalleled. To top our excitement, the natural beauty there was too much to absorb. It felt like straight out of a postcard! We were served hot tea and biscuits and a fire was made. I was on top of the world, literally!

There would be a lot of pictures of Winch Camp in my next post!

Some points to be kept in mind for a hassle free hike:

Start doing streching exercises and warm ups 2- 3 days before the hike. So your body won’t be in a shock when you start climbing.

Wear good hiking shoes. You don’t want your feet to slip. Also wear full sleeve tees and full pants. You don’t want to get bruised by the rocks or any shrub.

A suncreen is must. Also wear a cap. The sun would be directly on your face. Wear tight sunglasses too.

It gets very chilly in the evening as well as early morning. So carry warm layers.

The weather in the hills is quite unpredictable. So don’t forget to carry an umbrella and a raincoat. Also keep your camera and clothes in a plastic bag so that they are safe.

There is no electricity in Winch Camp. Of course! Otherwise what would be the use of camping? So carry a torch and power bank and keep your electronic devices fully charged. There is no mobile network up there barring BSNL and Reliance. So you can absolutely relax without bothering about anything. That is what vacations are for; ain’t it?

Hiking Leggings: Adidas

Top: Forever 21

Shoes: Reebok

Sunnies: Forever 21

Watch: Casio G Shock

Aah! The Dutch countryside!

I could stare at this view forever!

From all what I had researched, I had really high expectations from the countryside of Netherlands. Since we were visiting in summers, there was no chance of tulips but the tall grass, the lakes, Dutch houses and the windmills had my heart racing. I was dying to visit them!

We were really on a whirlwind trip in Holland. I mean we had just fourteen hours and we had to extract the maximum out of it. We followed the cardinal rule..the farthest should be covered first. So after the immigration checks, we bought the I am Sterdam card which was an all day bus pass for 13.5 euros each. However buying that card took two hours. I mean even after all the research we had done beforehand as to which pass would be the best for us, we simply did not know what to do when we landed there!

Just outside the Schiphol Airport...fnally got to breathe Dutch air!

There were many reasons. Firstly we needed a pass that had access to the countryside and not only in Amsterdam city. Secondly we had intended to use the train to go to Zaanse Schans, the nearest district in the countryside. The train pass was of 15 euros. Unfortunately on that very day, trains were not operating from the airport. Now we never thought this way and did not have a Plan B!! Moreover the kisoks at the airport accepted credit cards only and hubs was sceptical in using his card at the very first go. We had a long vacation in Italy ahead. With so much confusion, we lost two precious hours. Also the girls at the kiosks knew about Amsterdam only and no one could guide us about Zaanse Schans. Finally we bought the bus pass for 24 hours outside the city and stomped out of the Schiphol airport.

getting into the Airport Express

Walking in the Leidseplin area towards the Amsterdam Centraal

The Airport Express bus took us to the centre of the Amsterdam city. From there we were supposed to take another bus to the Zaandam district. Our Airport Express bus dropped us at the Leidseplein stop from where we walked to the Amsterdam Centraal station. In between we got a glimpse of the canals and the wide IJ river. After that were a lot of escalators up and down, some running and hopping in my heels and gusts of chilly wind to reach the bus stop. There we waited for the 891 bus to take us to the countryside.

Our bus to Zaanse Schans...the IJ river in the backdrop. It was too foggy and misty for clear pictures!

It took around 25 minutes to reach Zaanse Schans. The entire bus was empty except for us and a couple who were hungrily making out! Once my partner remarked that they were so much into the act that the man had to repeatedly adjust his pants :D

The chilly wind at Zaanse Schans!

Once we reached, I was overjoyed by the greenery of the Zaandam district. It was a 10 minute walk from the bus stop to our destination.

Zaanse Schans is an open air museum that has eight working windmills at one place with a lake and beautiful Dutch neighborhood all around. We selected this place to get a feel of the countryside as this was where we could see so many windmills at a single place.

Following the trail..

Tall and itchy grass..

We took the trail and started walking on the grass. The grasses were tall and itchy and the surface wet. After we made almost to the end, we realised that we had gone quite far from the windmill area. We again walked all the way back.

Picnic by the lakeside..Recharging ourselves by gobbling some knick knacks.

All the running and walking had made us hungry. We sat by the lakeside and gobbled whatever knick knacks were there in our bag. Energised, we walked to the windmill area. I was overjoyed by the sight of typical Dutch houses and of course the windmills.