Long time!

Alright, I am still alive and so is this blog. Long time since I posted here. I have been away most summer, trekking around Himachal. You can see the results of all that at www.trekhimachal.com and read the stuff at www.trekhimachal.com/newsite/blog.

As a result, of course, I have not seen too many sunsets in the valley. The high mountains, while they are unsurpassed in beauty have what I call a sunhide rather than a sunset. A few days ago, just back from the Bada Bhangal trek, which was an epic in itself, I saw a sunset right from my yard.

Near Bir

Dont remember exactly where, somewhere near Bir in Kangra valley.

Living upto its Billing

Billing is a high ridge right above the Bir valley in Himachal. Standing there and watching the valley below is like standing on a high table and seeing the floor. I have been to Billing almost once every month in the last 6 months. Each time, it made me feel like camping overnight and watching the sunset. Last trek, I got to do exactly that.

Oh! and did I tell you they paraglide from there?

Imambara Lucknow

This is from the terrace of the Bara Imambara in Lucknow. The west part of the terrace looks out on the old city of Lucknow.

From my mobile

Last trek, I was sitting at Triund. Some people never learn. I had given up on the sunset and put off my SLR and was sipping a cup of tea with my back facing West. Then, I accidentally dropped my cell and picking it up, looked back. The sunset was gorgeous but it was about to end. I did not have enough time to rush to my SLR (which was more than 250 metres away), bring out the tripod, rush to the ridge where I would see it best. So, I decided to just rush and have a look. Then used the cell to capture the sunset. Its from a mobile plus I am a pathetic photographer. The sunset was still fantastic.

Finally!! at Muktinath

The last few days, as I trekked the Annapurna circuit in Nepal, sunsets in Kangra Valley took a backseat. I was desperate to see a sunset on the circuit. So much so, that one of the days, I actually walked out to the balcony of the lodge I was staying in and shouted "O Nepal, cant thee show me one good sunset?". Ok, I dint exactly do that but I almost wanted to. For all its beauty, the trek was in deep gorges, so the sun never exactly rose and set. As the Thorong La pass was crossed, we entered the wide Kali Gandaki valley. The sun set behind the Dhaulagiri range, leaving streaks of light in all directions.

Subscription Fee

The other day, I was talking to a friend who told me his colleague's brother is a surfer and has a website. He posts the sunset at Bondi Beach, Australia on his website (I dont know at what frequency) and he has 30,000 subscribers, each of whom pay a subscription fee of AUS $1 per month. Now, thats huge!! I am posting below a sunset taken at Gurgaon a few months ago for souls like you. If you are flabbergasted, dont be, it is the same Gurgaon where 3 of the 4 followers of this blog either live or work. Sunsets happen at all places and if you can see the sun while it is setting, it will likely be very nice to look at. The only challenge is finding the time to do that. Can you? And if you can't, will you pay me the subscription fee? :)