Appreciation - Tenzin Jambey

Monsoon, the season of rain, brings heavy rainfall in some parts of India, which is very much beneficial for groundwater recharging but, on the other hand, it has caused a lot of trouble in the northeastern part of India, Delhi and also in many states of our country, due to which many people are suffering with various issues and to overcome these situations is not that easy.

My eyes opened as my alarm rang at 3:00 am, I went to the washroom to get fresh l, and I looked at myself in the mirror and said, "Yes, my vacations are over". I didn't even realise how many holidays ended. That day I had to cover a distance of 386 km from my hometown Tawang ( Arunachal) till
Guwahati (Assam), that journey is always the most tiring as it takes almost half a day because of the curvy roads of the mountain. The weather was quite oppressive that morning, and it was drizzling. I prayed to God that "Please don't let any problem arise during my journey", as it was rainy season and the landslide, mudslides and rocks falling from the hilltop were very often during this season. 

My prayer to god didn't reach that day. As the road got blocked at the place where the road blockage always occurs, there was a massive landslide, and the rocks were rolling down, and the more the workers tried to clean it, the more the mud was sliding down. That scene of more than a hundred cars waiting at the hilltop and the GREF workers and other labourers working under hefty rainfall by putting their lives in danger was terrifying. We all were in a vulnerable condition as it was rainy like someone was pouring a bucket of water upon us. I was feeling scared, and I prayed that hope rock wouldn't fall upon us over there. We were all fatigued after waiting for so long, and finally, after three hours of waiting, the rain stopped, and the road clearance was also thankfully done. After every car darted from that point, I felt relief, and I was sure that everyone there was feeling relief. That was a nightmare being stuck at the hill stop where there wasn't any mobile signal, neither any hostel nor any shop and that too in heavy rainfall.

As this month is the month of appreciation, I want to thank the workers who did an excellent job by risking their lives to make our journey successful till our destiny. I know that my appreciation and heartful thanks would not reach them, but still, I appreciate them for what they did, and I hope they will all live a happy, healthy and long life.

Tenzin Jambey
Pestalozzi Children's Village India

Always on Card Trips - Yashraj Sharma

My 15-day road trip to Leh-Ladakh was terrific. It felt like the best time of my life. I loved the whole trip so much.

We all had the time of our lives, and when I grow up, I want to take my family there again to revisit the fantastic experience and see them smile. 

      

Now let me share my experience; till that day, I had only heard that Ladakh was a beautiful and mesmerizing place, but now I got to experience it in person.

Ladakh is most famous for breathtaking landscapes, crystal clear skies, the highest mountain passes, the highest motorable pass, and Buddhist monasteries.

We saw local monasteries and apricot fields in Ladakh and took two days to acclimatize to the weather.

Our next destination was Nubra valley, followed by Pangong lake.

This was my favourite experience on our trip to Ladakh. 

The drive to Nubra Valley via Khardungla, the highest motorable road in the world, was all about the beautiful landscapes of Ladakh and adventure. With the zig-zag trail continuing till Hundar village... this drive was an unforgettable experience.

The descent from mighty Khardung La towards Hunder leaves us spellbound as the snowy surroundings drastically transform into the desert. Before we sense it, the double-humped camels at Hunder village offered us an exciting ride through the desert.

From Nubra valley, we visited the majestic Pangong lake...which is as big as the sea. We share its boundaries with the neighbouring country. Its crystal clear water is salty and changes its colour seven times a day due to the sun's position throughout the day. It is the world's highest saltwater lake in the world.

Our next destination was Kargil. We visited the war memorial. The sight of Tiger Hill and Tololing hill gave us a sense of pride and patriotism as the air was filled with selflessness and honour of the sacrifices of our Jawans who laid their lives in war.

From Kargil, we set off to Srinagar via Drass and Sonmarg. Drass, which is the second coldest inhabited place in the world.

In Sonmarg, we were mesmerized by the tall pine trees and beautiful 'Sind' river playing hide and seek with us.

The next day we reach the summer capital city of Jammu and Kashmir... Srinagar. 

As we reached there, mesmerizing view of Dal lake welcomed us with open arms. A Shikara was ready to give us a ride to our royal houseboat. It was my first experience of staying on a houseboat.

This stay proved that the beauty of an old-world setup is unparallel. The sight of moving shops of basic amenities in Shikaras is a memorable and unforgettable experience. We bought seeds and flower bulbs from there, and I also tried my hand at the Shikara ride.

We saw the Nishat garden there. It was a myriad of flowers, fountains and lush green grass.

The next day we explored Pahalgam...where we saw Aru valley, Betaab valley and Chandanbari. All were so majestic that they couldn't be summarised in words.

From Pahalgam, we came back to our home.

However, it's not my first time to the mountains for a vacation. But, this trip was so different in the way that we came across snow-capped mountains, clear skies full of stars, colourful rocky mountains (red, green and brown), majestic lakes, deserts, sand dunes and what not?! It was only possible as we took a road trip to Ladakh.

We came across 9 passes during our trip, making it a memorable trip.

On completing 3200 km of the magnificent journey by car, I realized the true meaning of Incredible India!!

Yashraj Sharma

Grade: VIII

Gyanshree school