Badrinath Blues

Badrinath for all off it's 3000 metre high altitude,  quiet gentle fascination and it's soaring 6000 metre snowcapped peaks proved to be my lowest point. Arriving in pitch dark the bus was greeted by the quietest hotel touts I ever did see. They almost whispered 'room?'. I knew my preferred place was close but none of the surrounding places lit up their signs. Taking a few minutes to catch my breath, I asked the way was pointed in the direction then a young guy helpfully led me right to the door... of another hotel.

Hell with my head thumping and eyes burning from the road dust I took the place for the princely sum of 400 Rs it was basic but good enough.

I answered my desperate call of nature then went food hunting. Only dimly lit chai shacks were around, and a little further on I found a forlorn empty neon lit restaurant. Having ordered a thalidomide when it came I couldn't eat it. I had no appetite, besides the food was crap. So with just a nibble on chapati and some dahl, I raced back to my room for much needed sleep under a blanket that was as thick as a mattress.

I slept hard and long immersed in pitch silence and darkness to be roused at 4am with chanting drifting across the valley. When I eventually battled my way out from under the dead weight blanket and threw open the curtain, I gasped when I saw the sentinel peaks surrounding the valley. I told myself 'the road was hard but it was worth it'.

When I was ready I took a walk into the village with an eye for the surroundings and a breakfast place. Fifteen minutes later I was meandering through the village following the chalk circle Road side markings when I turned a corner and caught my first glimpse of the lovely Badri Narayan temple set like a glittering jewell amongst it's duller surroundings.

Just before the bridge was a restaurant which had a view of both bridge and temple, serving only Indian fare so paratha and dahl for breakfast. Ate it but with not much joy. The smell of the parafine fuel used for cooking soured the taste. In spite of the long sleep I still felt tired, aching and old. Was the altitude biting?

Whilst hobbling back to the hotel I noticed the placed I had intended to stay in right next to to the one I landed in. So I checked it out,  decided I was better where I was so need to repack. I wanted to explore and see instead I was listless and shattered, blaming the harshness of the bus run and maybe the altitude. My spirits were at their lowest ebb in spite of me being in one of India's most revered sites. And it was bloody cold!!!

Then came the cramps and some Bombay trots on top of everything else. Not a day for high energy pursuits, instead I tinkered, read and dozed till dark. By the time I should have been sleeping I wasn't and was worried about the effects the altitude was pressing on me. When sleep did come, it was restless and bothered - perhaps another day adapting was needed but then there were some scary stories about altitude sickness.

Following morning I did feel brighter, but decided to hedge my bets by preparing to leave after breakfast, should my stroll through the village be as tiring as before then I'd take the first wheels out of town.

I made straight for the temple, past the rows of sashes and beggars who lined the way. It was just 9am and already there were throngs of devotees streaming in and out. Where do they all come from and where do they go after because I never see so many through the village streets.

Lingering to let my lens capture some of the scenes surrounding the temple and the hot spring it is built over, I enjoyed the atmosphere of joy most of the pilgrims radiated but realised I still felt weak maybe breakfast at last night's place - just a plate of plain rice to ease my stomach. Jeez turns out they couldn't even make plain rice taste half decent or was it me?

That made up my mind, I'd be heading out of town on the first wheels available.
Shame for the area was fascinating and held much potential for sketching.

More about wheels on the next installment...