Lhalung – Kalpa

At 2:30 AM, the room was filled with moonlight from the full moon. I enjoyed the sight but couldn’t stay up long due to the cold. By 5:30 AM, I was up again. The first rays of the sun on the mountains were spectacular. I set my phone for a timelapse video and enjoyed the peaceful morning sounds of birds.

Our hostess was already up, milking cows while her husband prepared tea with fresh milk. Breakfast included thick, fluffy local rotis with ghee, curd, and pickle, which even Little N enjoyed. Before leaving, he munched on the popped barley with milk. This stay was a highlight for the kids.

With a heavy but contented heart, we bid farewell, promising to visit again.

We resumed our journey back along the Sutlej River, passing through the Deodar forest. We passed, Dhankar Monastery-Tabo and reached Reckong Peo, the commercial and administrative center of the Kinnaur district. Further ahead, our destination – Kalpa.

Kalpa

The driver took us to Raldang View Point, where we saw the Kinnaur Kailash and Raldang peaks, which are associated with various myths and legends, particularly those involving Lord Shiva and Parvati.

Kinnaur Kailash is one of the five Kailash peaks on Earth, along with Kailash Mansarovar (Tibet), Adi/Chotta Kailash (Uttarakhand), Mani Mahesh Kailash (Himachal Pradesh), and Shrikhand Mahadev/Shikhar Kailash (Himachal Pradesh).

We rested for the day, preparing for the long and tiring journey back home. This trip, filled with unexpected and serendipitous moments, left us with cherished memories and a deep appreciation for the beauty and culture of Spiti.

A.