Batal being a transit point between Manali and Chandra Taal or any other famous destinations like Kaza/Spiti has a very famous dhaba called Chacha Chachi’s Dhaba. An elderly couple runs this dhaba 4 months in a year. They are currently in their 60’s, and I have always found them very caring and helpful (this was my second time there). Chacha has always had a witty sense of humor and sometimes even Chachi plays along.

On every trip, I try my best to do something that I have never done before. This time I had another factor pushing me towards my adventurous side- A budgeted trip.

As we reached Batal at around 13:00 Hrs (it was 21st of July) we could feel the wind blowing fiercely. The temperature wasn’t that low but the winds surely got the best of us. We were running on a deadline. The deadline being our bus to Delhi on 22nd of July from MANALI. So yea, we had only that half day in hand!

As the option of trekking to Chandra Taal was out, because of time crunch only one option remained- hitchhiking.  Stationed right out of the dhaba we called out to every passerby if they could give us a lift to Chandra Taal, but to no vain.Most of them were going to Kaza. And after a while, all vehicles stopped coming. We were crestfallen but that didn’t stop us from exploring the hills nearby.

P.s-Hitchhiking is a tested and proven form of travel to Chandra Taal.

Climbing up the hills we saw prayer flags fluttering in the wind against the rocky exterior of the hills. At that moment came a herd of sheep flocking us from all the sides blocking our view of dhaba from up there. At first, our saddened hearts ceased to notice all this. But then inch by inch, we became aware of it and one by one we all started smiling widely. Looking at each other we realized that we were living by this famous quote -“It’s the journey that counts and not the destination”- word by word! And decided to make the most of it without any regrets. In seconds, music started playing and we were dancing our hearts out on the wide hill, chasing after the sheep with the spirit of a child. And just like that our heart was mended and we were alive again.

We took our time and explored Batal. Noticing things which we probably wouldn’t have if we were just passing by. Sitting on the banks of Chandra river, talking to strangers and making new friends and experiencing a whole new way of living life as we helped Chacha Chachi in some of their chores. And then they even gave us rooms for 100 Rs. per bed.

And as I got some space to think, my last trip to Chandra Taal flooded right back in. “It was 2 years back when I was pursuing the Basic Mountaineering course. On the last day of our course we were given a choice to stay back at camp or trek to Chandra Taal. And we 90 to 100 odd people had trekked from Batal for 4 to 5 hours one way to Chandra Taal and it was the best and the most enduring trek of our course. But after reaching we were enthralled by the lake’s serene beauty and all our exhaustion dissipated. The crystal blue water so pure and untouched.” And dwelling upon it brought a faint smile back on my face and I was pulled back to the present.

As it neared to dusk we went inside the dhaba to have dinner. Chachi was already serving rajma rice to all the travelers who had stopped for a quick dinner. Chacha was so generous as to cook aloo parantha on our request (even if it wasn’t on the menu that day). In that moment, inside that small dhaba, miles away from any other human soul we found family in all those strangers. A small home away from home. Funny! How a day like this could still make us feel content. But it did.

And when we thought that Batal couldn’t surprise us any longer we were rewarded with a night sky, full of tiny sparkling stars forming thousands of unknown constellations.We had to use Google Sky maps to challenge our inept mind. And to witness a faint Milky way, was like heaven on earth. For moments together we were lost in this labyrinth of dots in the sky, but the wind reminded us our place and we went inside our rooms to protect ourselves from the cold and retire for the night.

After waking up the next day, we kept an eye out for vehicles going back to Manali with an intention of getting a lift. And then came a group of riders with 4 Bullets and a Sumo. They, upon hearing our situation were ready to help us- on one condition. And it was that we had to travel on the bullets as the sumo was already full. We were more than happy with the prospect of reaching Manali in time. Ditching our haversacks inside the sumo, we each sat behind one biker and we were off!

The scenery was more beautiful on a bike than as seen from inside a car. All the pure colors of the mountain, the river, and the roads were being etched on the lens of my eyes with an impression of staying forever.

The rider I was seated behind was one talkative guy. And in that short span of 7-8 hours, I discovered his entire life story, all from his relationship to his love marriage to his kids and so on and so forth. Incidentally, I even got to know that he was a restaurant owner – The best in Mcleodganj, making me realize how small this world is!

As soon as we crossed the rough terrain of Spiti valley we entered into Rohtang Pass. Where the weather started playing a very different game. Hours away from Chhatru village it started raining heavily reducing our visibility and making us ride blind. We were completely drenched in water and the cold winds weren’t helping the situation either. Much later it cleared and then all we could see was fog drifting from one tree to another making it look like cotton candy in the air.

Kudos to such people who eventually dropped us to Manali on time making us believe that good still exists. And the more I have travelled the more I have realised that fear makes strangers of people who should be friends. And we were going back with so many of them.