Idealism of Youth

Guest post by Aditi Krishnan

Aditi is my dearest friend and partner in crime. She is an experienced traveller and writer. Aditi holds Masters degree in Women's Studies, English Literature and War Journalism (Yes, 3 of them).......... Enjoy, Sowmya

In the pic from left: Guru, me and Aditi

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I set out in this post to write something of a mini travelogue but instead I will focus more on the benefits of being a traveler or in this case a pair.

As many young people do when they are young, Sowmya and I, about 12 years back solemnly pledged to travel together every year with each other. For a few years we did keep it up. We thoroughly enjoyed planning and executing long adventurous getaways in different parts of the country. Youth gave us optimism, vigor, vitality and a feeling of invincibility.

From carving our names on stone on top of the Chandrakhani pass with the hope of returning to it someday and seeing it still there (ah the idealism of youth) to midnight escapades to celebrate new year at the rim of the Dudh Sagar falls in Goa, we reveled in it all. Seeking experience and a huge variety at that, gave us a heady sense of life. As students barely out of school, we were constantly short of money. From what we earned of part time jobs and of what we scraped out of (I must be honest here) relatively modest allowances, we were constantly on the lookout; to travel/trek in the most economically viable but safe ways. One of our favorite organizations was the YHAI which continues to organize interesting but affordable adventure alternatives for young people.

And now I shall digress briefly to dwell for a few moments on one particular experience that left a deep impression on me, on one of my many travels with Sowmya. On the above mentioned YHAI trek to Chandrakani, on our way back down to the Kulu valley, we had to pass the completely cut off and isolated village of Malana. What was particularly striking about it was their strong belief of being the direct descendants of Alexander the Great’s army. Many of them had shocking red hair and light eyes to match. Their Gods and goddesses however resembled the local deities and clearly cultural demarcations had merged over time.

Yet these people believed in their own superiority of sharing kinship with so exalted a historical figure (how they knew this we did not investigate at the time). This we were told by our local guide. As we reached the village we saw the special path made for ‘outsiders’ that ran bang through the middle of the tiny hamlet. We were told that we were to only walk on that path. Even if we dropped a handkerchief we were warned, we would be fined a 1000 Rs which at that time seemed like a gigantic amount.

With our hearts thudding in our ears, careful not to step outside the narrow path we gingerly made our way through the village. It was the only way down, we had to cross it to get to the other side of the valley as it lay directly in our path. Surprisingly we saw a lot of ‘white’ backpackers outside the path in the houses of the locals. It was very obvious that they had received a warm welcome. Immediately we grew indignant, we questioned the guide. He patiently explained to us that the village survived more than anything on opium trade. Foreigners were their source of income and therefore given a leeway. The guide a little given to hyperbole talked of the locals having stashes of money amounting to lakhs hidden under their mattresses. Another interesting tidbit he revealed was that the only other exception to the path rule was if a traveler having lost his way stumbled into the village in darkness. Only on that pretext would they exercise a show of magnanimity. The traveler was then given a sumptuous meal and shelter for the night.

All this seemed to us most impressive and even thrilling to our teenager eyes and ears. I could almost imagine myself as an anthropologist studying the 'natives' (at the risk of sounding orientalist which perhaps in my younger days I unconsciously did .This approach of mine has now been rapidly remedied).Notions of purity, in group-out groups, clans we observed first hand. Though we were too young to academically in any way soundly analyze sub-altern significances then, the very introduction to life through these myriad exotic alleys taught us better than any class room text could. Though we thrilled then in witnessing these strange cultures, it also taught us to be not only curious but to question normative behavior and believe evermore strongly in notions of freedom.

It has allowed us to grow and mature into responsible human beings. I’m sure we’ve learned a lot from each other. Being Sowmya’s friend for me is an honor, as time and again I learnt through her brutally honest but generous and selfless behavior, the importance of being earnest (no pun intended). Freedom in every way physical, mental, spiritual, emotional is what I and am sure Sowmya too have strived for instinctively (which was perhaps why we became such good friends) all our lives, in all walks of life. Freedom therefore I am positive is an apt concept for Sowmya and Guru to explore on the The Great Driving Challenge.

Photo credits: Malana map famous-treksblogspot.com, Malana women flickr.comphotos35008161@N002454099008