I wish.. Part 8

Gigabyte T1005M

Specs

Gigabyte G-Style T1005M Tablet PC with Multi Touch Panel (Capacitive)
CPU: Intel® Atom Dual Core Processor N550(1.5GHz)
Operation System: Microsoft® Windows® 7 Home Premium
Chipset: Intel® NM10 Express chipset
System Memory: 2GB DDR3 SO-DIMM (Max 2GB)
Video Chip: Intel® GMA3150
LCD: 10.1″ HD Ready, WXGA 1366×768, with LED back-light , TFT-LCD Multi Touch Panel (Capacitive)
HDD: 320GB 2.5″ SATA HDD
I/O Port: USB(3.0)*1, USB(2.0)*2, eSATA/USB Combo, Mic-in, Earphone-out, D-Sub, RJ45, 4-in-1 card reader(SD/MMC/MS/MS Pro), Express card, DC-in
Audio: 1.5 Watt Speakers*2, Internal Mic-in
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
3.5G Module: HSDPA Antenna build-in, HSDPA Module supported (Optional)
Webcam: 1.3 Mega Pixel Webcam
LAN Ethernet: 10/100/1000 Base-T
Wireless LAN: 802.11b/g/n Wireless
Security: Kensington Lock
Battery: Li-ion 6 cell, 41Wh, 7650mAh
Dimension: 265(W) x 214(D) x 41.4(H) mm (including 6 cell battery)
Weight: ~1.48kg (with 6 cell battery)

Swoon!!

Song I'm feeling.. acht

Come as you are, as you were, as I want you to be.

As a friend, as a friend, as an old Enemy.

Take your time, hurry up, choice is yours, don't be late.

Take a rest, as a friend, as an old memory.

Memory ah, Memory ah, Memory ah.

Come doused in Mud, soaked in Bleach, as I want you to be.

As a trend, as a friend, as an old Memory ahhh.

Memory ahh, Memory ahh, Memory ahh.

And I swear that I don't have a gun

No, I don't have a gun

No, I don't have a gun

Memory ahh, Memory ahh, Memory ahh, Memory ahh. (Don't have a Gun.)

And I swear that I don't have a gun

No, I don't have a gun

No, I don't have a gun

No, I don't have a gun

No, I don't have a gun

(Memory ahh, Memory ahh)

                                                                                      - Nirvana

Dedicated to my frenemy, tj..

Image from here.

Rest of the story..

So, the day after that last entry of mine, we set out for Kedarnath. A drive of about 10- 15 minutes brought us to the base camp from which one had to proceed by walk or pony. We chose the pony since we had to cover about 14 kilometers each way. As we climbed higher, it got chillier and foggier. The light but stingingly cold drizzle that had begun didn't help matters. We were freezing by the time we reached the top. The kids had begun to cry since the oxygen level had also dropped. Thankfully, we had had the foresight to carry a tiny oxygen cylinder with us. The kids began to feel better after a few puffs of pure oxygen. We stripped off our wet clothes for the fear of catching a cold and got into bed. Although having gotten under two really thick blankets hadn't stopped my teeth from chattering, I managed to fall asleep.

We woke up in the evening in order to go to the temple for a darshan of Lord Shiva. Since the people who lead the ponies had told us not to get too much luggage, I had taken only an extra t- shirt planning to wear it with the same jeans. But the jeans hadn't dried during my nap and putting on those wet, ice cold jeans again was the hardest thing I've done in my life ever. But my trials for the day were not over yet. It is forbidden to enter a Hindu temple with footwear on. So, we had to walk into the temple barefoot in the freezing night. Dinner however was served hot right to our beds and we fell asleep completely swaddled in sheets and blankets.

The next morning, having washed our faces with ice cold water, we began the descent. The saddle on my pony was rather hard and the guy leading it refused to get me an extra blanket. It was agony to stay in that saddle and finally with just two kilometers to go, I could take it no more. I asked the guy leading the pony to let me get off. As I was getting off that stupid pony, it moved so that I no longer had a foothold. I was now half off the pony and half on it. I tightened my grip on the hoop that is provided for the rider to hold on to, so that I may not fall. The guy leading the pony behind mine came running to help me which I guess frightened the horse. The horse took off at top speed. I felt myself slipping off the horse and was dragged along for a good ten meters before the horse was stopped. The next thing I knew was sitting on the ground looking at my right thumb which had a gash halfway around it with the broken bone showing.

I was made to sit on a different pony and taken to the First Aid station which was 15- 20 minutes ride away. The gash was stitched up and I was told to go to the nearest hospital which was 76 kilometers away. On those winding mountain roads, that would take nearly three hours to cover. If this had happened in my home town, I would have received the best medical care in the country within 20 minutes. 76 kilometers to receive basic medical attention? It was ridiculous but we had no other option. Three hours of agony, anxiety and 'what ifs' somehow passed and we arrived at the clinic of an Orthopedician who set the bone and put the thumb in a cast but warned me to get home within 48 hours as the thumb would have to be operated upon.

We reached our hotel three hours later and had to stay there for the night as the fog made it impossible to travel that day. We set out early next day bound for Delhi, which we reached at two in the night. The next available flight was at nine in the morning. We took it and reached within 48 hours to have the bone set once again (The orthopedician hadn't done it right and no operation was necessary- the guy must've been an idiot) in my home town. And that is the story of how my wish to sleep in my own bed was granted within 48 hours..  

Wishes..

I was reminded of the saying, 'Be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it.' as I was typing the previous post, the last entry in my journal. All the way to Kedarnath, there are signs that say, 'Pray to Lord Shiva. He will grant your every wish.' Maybe it's true.. Which of my wishes was granted and what was it that happened to make it come true? The whole story.. This space.. Tomorrow..

9 Impressions

17/8/2010

Leaving that quaint, little town of Uttarkashi, we took to the road once again, this time bound for Kedarnath. Although we've been travelling on and amidst mountains for nearly a week now, the sight of those majestic mountains of the Tehri- Gadhwal region never fails to thrill. Those sinister looking mountains made only slightly friendly by a clothing of the evergreen forests and terrace cultivations make me think of Heathcliff as Mr. Lockwood first found him- A brute made civil looking by a gentleman's clothes and possessions. Adding to this fierce beauty are the numerous beautiful yet powerful waterfalls and the puffs of clouds held captive by branches of trees. 

Towards afternoon, we approached the Tehri dam. Initially, we could see only the reservoir side of the dam. I confess I was rather disappointed. The dam I had heard so many stories about (the Chipko movement) as a kid was this tiny structure? But the true story was revealed only on the other side. It is a huge dam (8th highest in the world, as I found out later) with a very picturesque road running on top of it and coming down one of its faces towards the base in a zig- zag manner. It only looked tiny from the other side since there was so much water in the reservoir.

Today's journey seemed really long and tedious but finally, we reached Sitapur, where we were to halt, around eight in the night. Our driver seemed unusually glad to have gotten here and the reason was made clear when he told us that this is his hometown. I could clearly see a glimpse of the joy and excitement within his heart on his face on being able to come home. Having missed home a lot today, I could truly empathize with him and wish I could fly home too, maybe just for tonight to sleep peacefully on my very own bed..

8 Impressions

16/8/2010

I was woken up at the crack of dawn since we had nearly a hundred kilometers to travel in order to reach our next destination- Gangotri, the source of river Ganga. Barely has we covered thirty kilometers when another obstacle barred our paths. A huge section of the road had collapsed but unlike the day before yesterday, the way around it was a one mile trek through the surrounding forests and then a transfer to another vehicle for the rest of the seventy kilometers. There was no way to know how comfortable that other vehicle would be or how many people would be crammed into it. So, we dropped the plan for the day and turned back.

After a while, my bro decided to take his kids for a walk.. all the way down to the Bhagirathi river, which was now noisily flowing parallel to the road. The walk was fun but we couldn't approach the river because the path we took had huge boulders barring it that the kids wouldn't be able to cross. They had fun using a hand pump for the first time on the way back though.

It being Monday, the day of Lord Shiva, we decided to pay another visit to Lord Vishwanath in the evening and go see the Kedareshwar Ghat, a ghat near the Kedarnath temple. The Bhagirathi is a fearsome and awe inspiring sight there at this time of the year. The turbulent waves and mighty splashes of the river against the ghat had an almost hypnotic quality. We stood mesmerized by the sight of the mighty river till it was time to return.

7 Impressions

15/8/2010

I was so thankful to leave that tiny, cramped village hotel room that we were staying in. Our next stop was at the temple town of Uttarkashi. The guest house here is slightly better than the previous one. After freshening up, we went to have Kashi Vishwanath's darshan. The temple was a quaint and ancient structure and unlike most temples, you could go right into the sanctum sanctorum and touch the Lingam- the form in which Lord Shiva is worshiped. After strolling around the market, we returned to rest our poor muscles which were still stiff and sore from the pony ride.