I went on my first solo trip
Dear You #13
Yes, I'm alive! I had planned to skip writing Dear You on one weekend but I ended up missing 4 weeks. Two back to back breaks were planned which turned into three in the blink of an eye. And then I fell ill after returning home. I was planning to send this issue last week but couldn't complete it. Ok, lots of explanation. You must have guessed from the title that this one is special!
I was more excited and less tired when I realised that my destination was just one day away.
The last 10 days had been a rollercoaster ride. Working on morning shifts for some days, doing dance practice, cousin's wedding rituals, playing UNO and antakshari with family, gossiping till late in the night was total fun.
And now, Rishikesh was just two hours away.
I didn't understand how much I needed rest until I hit the bed after reaching my Mausi's place. I had stayed up all night for my cousin's wedding. I am glad I was convinced (read forced) to take a day's rest before heading for my first-ever solo trip.
It was not my idea. A friend had suggested in January that I need to go for it after they sensed how much stressed I had been. I liked the idea but wasn't sure if I was ready for it. Solo trips had always fascinated me but the thought of being on one was something that I never let my mind enter.
A couple of days later, I casually told my mother that I wanted to go on a solo trip. And the drama that unfolded in the typical Indian household was a sight.
I had just wanted to check my mother's reaction. I brought it up more frequently in the coming days, secretly trying to convince myself for it first.
Whenever I spoke about the trip at home, I made sure that they should know I'm pretty serious about it. Display of even a pinch of doubt would have given them an opportunity to convince me against it.
It was suggested that we could plan a family trip, a mother-daughter trip, a friends trip. And if I wanted to go just solo, I could just go to a relative's place.
Deep inside, everyone knew why it was important for me to go. The two months gave us all time to mentally prepare ourselves for it.
When the countdown to bidding farewell finally started, I was scared. I felt I would be forced to cancel the trip with emotional drama But there was something in me that made me stand up for myself, all through my tears.
Yes, I cried on multiple occasions and my tears made me stronger every time.
The cousins who learned about my solo trip were surprised and curious. While some didn't understand what would I do on a solo trip, others wanted to know how I convinced my family. One thing that was common between them was that they were all excited.
After reaching my Mausi's place, I took an 8-hour sleep to cover up for the previous night’s rest. And then another 9-hour sleep.
The moment I left home, tears started pouring down my cheeks yet again. I don't know why.
While waiting for other passengers to board the bus, I turned on the Internet. A message from a friend popped up. They were asking if I had reached. I told them about the change in plan to get a day's rest and how I was crying for reasons I couldn't really understand.
I probably couldn't digest the fact that my solo trip was finally going to turn into a reality. There were no more obstacles on my way. I was sitting on the bus that would take me to Rishikesh.
The adult in me woke up the moment I reached the Rishikesh bus stop. I knew I had to put my stuff at the hotel asap so that I could begin planning the trip.
Yes, it was an unplanned trip. Completely unplanned. I had just Googled up places to visit in the city and thought that I'll visit them as per my mood and the time I had (not forgetting that it was not just a solo trip but a workation too).
The first thing I decided to do was rafting. It was the most time-consuming activity and I had enough time that day. I got details about it and decided to do it from Shivpuri.
A friend had told me that they couldn't do rafting on their trip to Rishikesh as their parents thought that it wasn't safe. When I entered the raft, it didn't seem like that until the first rapid (section of water with increased water velocity and turbulence) came. But it was just a trailer.
After a few rapids, the instructor asked if anyone wanted to take a dip in the holy water of Ganga. A guy on the raft agreed. And before I could make my mind to say yes, the guy was back on the raft.
Rapids of higher intensity came and there were moments my fear of height took over as the raft went up.
A while later, the instructor asked if anyone wanted to take a dip in the rapid. And without giving a second thought this time, I instantly and excitedly raised my hand. I looked around to see who was joining me.
NO ONE.
I felt betrayed.
Even before I could refuse or ask if it was life-threatening, the instructor ordered me to get up and instructed me how to go about it. And there I was, holding the ropes tied on to the raft, with all the water gushing into my eyes, ears and mouth. You really forget what to do in times of crisis. I immediately indicated that I wanted to come back while the instructor tried his best to make me experience it for about half a minute (it felt like a lifetime!). The camera failed to capture that level of thrill I experienced in those moments. There's no doubt that it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
My next destination was Triveni Ghat. After finishing work on the second day, I decided to walk, simply because I hadn't cycled for 10 days and thought it would be a good physical activity. The shoe bites in both my feet from the footwear I wore at my cousin's wedding tempted me to take a break at Ram Jhula. I sat on the ghat, dipped my feet in the water and poured my heart out in my diary.
After another hour’s walk, I reached Triveni Ghat. It was simply beautiful. I dipped my feet in the cold water yet again. Slowly, the chatter of the crowd faded and I was lost in my thoughts. Soon, it was time for Ganga aarti. It was truly a sight to behold.
The walk on the second day was fun and so, I decided to continue it on my way to Patna waterfall the next day too. However, it turned out to be a bad idea. The ignorant me didn't realise that the route to the waterfall wasn't meant for walking. I was exhausted much before I started the actual trek to the waterfall. But when I look back now, I guess it was all meant to be. No doubt that reaching the waterfall became the achievement of the day! What followed next was overwhelming. After gazing at the waterfall for a few minutes, I started to cry. I have no idea why.
On my last day in the city, I did the second most exciting thing of the trip. I rode a scooty on the hilly terrain. I have always loved riding my scooty on the plains, but riding in the mountains was an altogether different experience. It literally felt like I was flying. I visited the Vashishtha Cave which turned out to be completely the opposite of my expectations - it was too tiny. But again, water came to my rescue.
After spending some time at the riverside, I checked the time. I had the scooty and could visit Neer waterfall before dark. When I reached there, I asked the security there how much time would it take to climb up and come back. "It depends on your speed," the guy told me. I stared at him blankly. "There are several points. You don't have to reach the top to watch the waterfall. It would be visible at all the points."
After the first two points, I asked a guy on his way back how far I was from the top. The girl walking behind him asked with concern, "You're alone?" I replied, "Yes!" with a wide smile. "It's the third point from here. Not everybody is going to the top," the guy answered after I repeated my question.
Of course, I made it to the top. But the journey back was more interesting than the upwards one as I met a group of students who were surprised to know that I was on a solo trip. They were keen to engage in a conversation. Until now, everybody gave me weird looks after noticing that I was alone.
Just like every evening, I returned to the riverside near my hotel. (By now, you must be knowing how much I love sitting by the riverside :P) This time, I bid a farewell to it.
Not to forget, the city gave me a friend I didn't expect. But I guess that would be a story for another time.
Have you ever been on a solo trip? Would you like to go on one?
OMG! This was such an interesting read!! I loved it
Also, I so wanna travel solo once too. Need tips from you now :)
Sounds like a lot of fun. I didn't realize solo trips were so unusual.