AND THERE BEFORE MY EYES ...... sights that I'll never forget
It was drizzling when we got off the train. By the time we reached the foothills, though the rain had stopped, a thick mist enveloped the mountain. We started the uphill walk amidst the gray and the gloom. As the gradient steepened, our pace got slower. After some time, the monotony of the road and the clouds made the walk, a mundane affair. But all of a sudden, as if by magic, the towers of Neuschwanstein peeped out from behind the clouds. An then for a very short period, most of the castle could be seen through the cloud. I stopped and stared at sheer amazement. The mist made it appear to be suspended in the sky. The weariness and the frustration vanished away instantly and I don't know how long I stood there. Even though the clouds rolled in pretty soon, I stood there spellbound for sometime, before renewing the walk with great vigour. Neuschwanstein from Schwangau, through the mist, is one of the most awesome sights I have ever seen but it is not the best.
I have been lucky to have had the opportunity to go to some awesome places and rewarded with sights so awesome, that they have changed my life. For example, my interest in astronomy can be attributed to a super view of Orion, that I had one sleepless night many years ago. It was on that night that I discovered the joy of discerning patterns. Orion's belt is too good to miss, as well as its sword. In course of time, I have been lucky enough to use a ten inch reflector to view the sky. It opened up unending wonders of the heaven - the cloud bands of Jupiter, the Cassini division in Saturn's ring, the Cat's Eye nebula, the Butterfly in Canis Major, M13 in Hercules and finally the awe-inspiring sight of M31 in Andromeda. But in spite of the sophisticated instrument that it was and all the wonderful sights that it offered, nothing matches the joy of spotting Jupiter's satellites (the big 4) through my crude home made 2 inch that I made even before I had formally started studying about optics and lenses!
While certain sights change your life, others bring you face to face with places and objects that you have longed to see for a very long time. The Sistine Chapel (actually the ceiling) is one such place. Stepping into it and looking up was an overwhelming experience that cannot be captured in words. So is the sight of St Peter's Square. I remember the day, I went there. Inspite of the bright scorching sun, it suddenly started raining and we ran for some shelter under the balustrade. After some time the rain stopped and people started moving back to the square. I stood by one of the pillars and watched as a shaft of sunlight filtered through the cloud and lit up the magnificent dome of the Basilica. The mammoth facade and the huge bronze canopy inside were equally overwhelming. Amongst other things that I enjoyed in Rome was the view of the Colosseum at night. Rome's most famous monument lies just outside the metro station bearing the same name and the first view of Colosseum from the stairs is unforgettable.
Paris - the city of lights abound in such wonderful sights but nothing even comes close to the very sight of the "City of Lights" from atop the Eiffel Tower at night, when the city comes alive. It is absolutely breathtaking and it takes a great deal of determination of get away from the viewing gallery and get into the elevator! Another beautiful sight is that of the Notre Dame from the Siene. It is only from the river that the full magnitude of the Gothic architecture can be truly appreciated. Also the river is a convenient way of reaching most of the "tourist spots" - no traffic jam nor the mundane and confusing metro stations.
But inspiring sights are not just confined to great places. It can be found in the most ordinary of places. I remember my first trip to Digha as a kid. I was sitting in the front of the car. Though the milestones showed that we were close, I still couldn't spot the sea. The approach route to Digha hides the sea till the very last moment. You take a right turn and all of a sudden the Bay of Bengal opens up in front of you. It took me quite some time to realize that I was actually staring at the sea!
Some sights are special because of what they represent. The best example is the Durga idol. Though it is a wonderful piece of art in itself but the real delight is in realizing the fact that festive season is here. As a kid it symbolized the onset of the puja vacation, the special issue of Anandamela(a new Kakababu story!), new clothes, no studies for a week and all the fun that comes with a major festival. Things have changed now - the euphoria is gone, the love for small things in life has been replaced by more "important" matters, the few days break is mostly used to complete a whirlwind trek and then just a day of "pandal hopping" out of formality. But inspite of all these, the very sight of Durga brings back memories of my childhood - are they good memories? .... No, they are grand!
Certain sights bear no special significance but still they enthrall you. A spider web reflecting the sunlight, dew drops in the morning sun, sunlight filtering through trees on a winter morning, a thunderbolt, a rainbow - they provide nice distractions from the rush of daily life.
Many a times, flights afford wonderful sights. On one occasion, I was traveling to Delhi from Kolkata and it was raining heavily at the time take off but things changed after we pierced the cloud cover. For almost an hour, the Himalayan supergiants in Nepal - Everest, Makalu, Lhotse,Kanchenjunga, Annapurna, Machhapuchare, were my companion, from almost 600 km away. Also just before we were about to land in Delhi, the sight of the Bahai temple from the sky was very beautiful indeed. Another particularly beautiful sight is a runway at night. It is best viewed when the plane turns and is just about to position itself for take off. The red and yellow lights stretching into the darkness is a visual treat indeed. Wish I could have seen it from the cockpit just when the plane is about to land (the closest I have been is on Flight Simulator!). But nothing matches the sunset over the Hindu Kush. On the west, sand dunes stretching to the horizon, coloured orange by the setting sun and right below was a lake cradled in the Hindu Kush. The mountain range casting a long shadow on eastern side. It was a perfect conclusion to 2 great months of internship and a wonderful journey home!
So far the sights are something most people will come across in their lives - during a visit to Europe, during a holiday by the sea, during a flight, or a starry night but certain sights demand a very heavy price. Not many people are lucky to have seen them, for they require considerable effort from viewer. Its my good fortune to have come across a few of them during my numerous forays into the Himalayas. Most of them take place within a 100 miles from each other. I'll describe them in order of preference, starting with the "least interesting".
Frozen waterfall near Baba Mandir - The Changu lake in Sikkim is a must see tourist spot. I didn't live up to my expectations and to the hype. But beyond Changu is a place called Baba Mandir and a small stream flows by the Mandir originating from the mountain behind the mandir. It took quite an effort for Tushar and me to scramble up the part frozen stream and reach a point where the waterfall had frozen and suspended mid-air. The icicles were dazzling in the sun and we could barely look at it. Though it was a dead end and halted our progress, the sight itself made the climb worthwhile.
Gurudongmar lake - A spectacular lake at 17100ft nestled in a mountain depression. The wind blowing from Tibet (lying just about 4km from the place) can throw you off the ridge and is so cold that your fingers loose sensation under a fierce mid day sun. But the wild beauty of the place is unparalleled. Looking back, you see the rain clouds down in the valley.
Bharal - The Himalayan blue sheep are very agile mountain climbers. I remember stalking a group in search of a photograph when suddenly a ram appeared on a rock just above me. It had massive curled horns and was a majestic sight indeed. Needless to say, I just kept staring at it and completely forgot to take the picture. By the time I realized my mistake it was long gone!
Donkiala - The road ends and beyond is a vast snow covered valley. A magnificent peak at the head of the valley and the last milestone reads "Donkiala 0km". I encountered this awesome sight on my first trip to Sikkim and it made me fall in love with mountains. The place is popularly called the Yumesedong Zero point and lies at the base of a treacherous pass called Donkiala.
Zemu Chu in diffused sunlight - Enroute Gurudongmar. The car was traveling though the top layer of cloud and the sunlight filtering through the cloud created magic in the snow filled valley. But the most striking view was the Zemu river - a shining torrent of emerald green piercing a landscape painted in a magical shade of warm white by the diffused sunlight.
Pandim from Chungthang - From a part collapsed hut in Chungthang, I had my first close up look at Pandim. It was huuuuuge - rising above the clouds to almost 7000m and looks much more ominous than the view from Samiti Lake, where it is foreshortened by proximity.
Tenzing Khang from Samiti Lake - The shape of the summit on the west face looks almost impossible. I have never seen a more beautiful and strange mountain.
Gorkey - Hidden amongst high ridges and thick forest, in the heart of the Singalila range is a wonderful village, straight out of a fairy tale story. The corn fields on the slopes, the river flowing through the village, the small bridge on it, the moonlight turning all of them silver, a handful of huts and the gorgeous women! It sounds too good to be true but such a place exists in reality. The very sight brings smile to your face and is symbolic of a peaceful and simple life. It is one place that I long to go back to.
And finally a sight so overwhelming that everything else in the world seems to stop for a moment. We know of the saying "No pain No gain" but I have never experienced in more literally than on my first trek. Spending a sleepless night shivering in a dilapidated trekker's hut while it rained torrentially - then as if by magic the clouds part at dawn and the most spectacular horzion that you'll ever see. As far as your eyes go, the horizon is lined with the highest peaks in the world. That day from the top of the Singalila ridge I could see from Central Nepal to Bhutan - with some of the highest peaks on earth. There are very few sights that you can see whenever you close your eyes - this is one of them. Though its been almost a year and a half since I stood on top of Singalila, I can still see the brilliant blue sky, the stunning mountains and feel the cold breeze on my face, whenever I close my eyes

DISCOVERY: Tastes that shaped me (Part 2)
Very few experience match the satisfaction of really good food (well, to some extent it depends on your taste and outlook) and its even better if it something you stumble upon. As I mentioned in part one that most of my good food experience had been in the most unlikely of places.
Lunia and I had gone to IT-BHU to present a paper, as a part of a national level competition. On our way back to Varanasi station, we grabbed a quick snack from a small eatery near the station. I resented the distinct lack of non-veg (I really feel sorry for vegetarians - half the world is shut out for them!) but the experience was really worthwhile. We had chhole bature and some sweet dish, which was remarkable. It was rich, creamy, studded with saffron and pista. It considerably improved our spirits and nearly made up for the lack of sleep and other hardships (the journey from Mughalsarai to BHU in a cramped 3 wheeler that was about to fall apart on the Grand Trunk road, yet capable of carrying about 20 people - thats UP for you!). As a matter of fact it gave us the energy to jostle with cows for space to stand on the platform, waiting for a train that came out 2 and a half hours late from the carshed!
I am fond of sweets and it is a habit that I developed quite early in my life. This is partly because we have always had a Marwari family as our neighbour - and I was really fond of their Gajar ka Halwa. I sampled the best version at a marriage reception. Different parts of Bengal have rich sweet tradition but these days very few places serve authentic local sweets. Also I am skeptical about trying the local shops because most of them are not hygienic at all. But I remember one incident from December 2006. During a return journey from Siliguri - I was stranded in the middle of nowhere due to an accident on NH 34. An overloaded truck had tumbled and an oil tanker had exploded on colliding with it. It was an excruciating 9 hour wait for the fire brigade to come to that place and clear up the mess (due to the clogged roads the only way for the fire fighters to approach the place was through the river). It was at around 7 in the morning that the bus reached Krishnanagar - famous for its Sharbhaja. I had devoured around half a kg of the stuff but not JUST because I was hungry.
But sweet is not the only thing I am fond of. I have a weakness for sour as well - especially achars or pickle. I remember the time that I had spent at our farmhouse (gram er bari) after JEE. It was total fun - bathing in the ponds, relishing the fresh mangoes and the catch from the pond, the brilliant pickles and the view of the night sky through the eye-piece of a ten-inch telescope. I can't recall the sheer variety of pickle that I tasted during that period but each an every one of them was distinct - the subtle combination of spices, oil and ingredients like mango, olives, amla, lemon, carrot, stem of lotus, bamboo shoots, cucumber, created a whole range of flavour and some very complex tastes. They indeed had a lasting influence on my taste buds!
Traveling is a great opportunity to experiment with food. I remember a certain variety of flavored(I think it was combination of elaichi and badam) sweetened lassi (buttermilk) that I had on my way from Mumbai to Goa. It was extremely warm and the drink greatly refreshed me. My experience of Goa is .... well, was while traveling with parents. So it doesn't take much intellect to guess the things that I missed out! Nevertheless, I had some very good food at Panjim and Margao. Of them fish feature very prominently - steamed, fried and grilled. One of the best dishes resembled Chingri Malakari, though it was more spicy and the tiger prawns were really good. I also liked a form of grilled fish where the fish was sliced and stuffed with spices before grilling it. After it is done, the spices are removed and the fish is served with a salad.
There is a particular bakery in Guwahati called Sheikh Brothers and I am a great fan of their cakes. Whenever, some of my relatives come down from that place, I make it a point to tell them to get me some nice stuff from that place. Talking of cakes - I am generally not very fond of pastry. But with Glenary's in Darjeeling, its a very different story. Not only are the pastries very good, the decor and the view complements the food perfectly.
One of the very few culinary discoveries made during IIT days were from dhabas. Firstly, the dal fry from Billoo's. This is as simple as food can get (dal fry and roti) but it is still a meal that I greatly relish. The other one is the Paneer Bharta from PD. What can taste better than panner bharta and aloo paratha, after a hard days work! It is at PD that I have had some of the most fulfilling meals of my life.
Before wrapping up, its worth mentioning about two street food that I am greatly fond of. One is phuchka (gol gappa or panipuri) - the best one I had was near Shyambazar in north Kolkata, near the Town School. And the other one is the egg roll - an ingenious snack, consisting of paratha with an inner lining of egg, wrapped into a cylindrical shape with onion, cucumber, carrot and ketchup. The end result is simply divine!
But whatever kind of food it may be, as far as my personal tastes go, nothing compares to a very simple stuff that most of us have daily - eggs! I love simple things and my love for eggs stems from this fact. Very few foodstuff has the qualities possessed by eggs - highly nutritious and highly palatable in almost any form. Though I relish eggs in all forms, I am particularly fond of poached eggs. They taste best when the yolk is still liquid (though people say its not a very healthy practice). I usually put the entire yolk in my mouth in one go and the warm, reassuring slightly salty feeling in my mouth, makes me close my eyes every time I have it. Very few feelings comparable to that!

DISCOVERY: Tastes that shaped me (Part 1)
It is said that, we are the sum total of the experiences we have. Many of the experiences can be bad, a few can be good. Some of them can be shortlived while others can have a lasting influence on you. But food- both good and bad doesn't really belong to any of them. They can be intense shortlived experience and at the same time you can carry them with you to your grave.
Most of my personal experience with food or rather the process of discovering good food has had unique and interesting stories associated with it. Few of these have come from good restaurants or places that are supposed to serve good food. Some of them had been when I was extremely hungry. I must admit that sometimes the circumstances had been a major contributing factor but later I realized that they had been just one of the many factors that came together at the same time and the same place to make the experience memorable.
Lets consider a situation - you are very hungry, I mean extremely and terribly hungry. You will pounce at the first edible thing that you come across. But many of chance discoveries of good food had been under these circumstances, when I had been patient enough to wait for 'fate' to take me to the right place! Last summer, during my internship, we went to see the Mercedes Benz Museum at Stuttgart. It had been a day long affair and after that (with some drama) had reached the Stuttgart city center (actually the Scholssplatz). We hadn't had anything after breakfast and that was like 8 hours ago. We had been in Germany for just a few days and were still getting accustomed to the place, so we were not very eager to experiment food, yet. We came to a place that had a Macdonald's and a Pizza hut next to each other. While rest of the people were arguing as to which one to get into, I noticed something very interesting. Right next to these shops was a small one having some sort of cylindrical slab of meat in a vertical rotating stand being slow heated by a vertical oven. It looked very appetizing, so we decided to give it a try. And man, ..... the feeling was .... well, quite frankly overwhelming. This was my first brush with the Doner Kebab (a Turkish dish that has become a German fast food legend). Actually we had a Doner Roll, instead of a normal Doner sandwich. The marinated, grilled meat shavings, the lettuce, onions and tomatoes along with the yogurt and paprika tasted something out of heaven. Though I have had many a Doner Kebab's elsewhere, (Tubingen, Munich, Ulm, Konstanz, Paris) the one from that shop in Stuttgart really has something unique in it. I had it 2 more times after that incident and every time it surprised me, pleasantly.
The internship opened me to many new kinds of food and allowed me to experience newer cuisines. While in Paris, I had promised myself not to have anything from Macdonald's or similar chain. So after a hard morning of sightseeing on our first day, feeling terribly hungry, we (3 of us, rest preffered the MacD and the gay parade!) went into one of the hundreds nondescript Bistro's that dotted Rue St Germane. It consisted of a 3 course meal with wine. I had grilled Salmon and Pasta along with a glass of Chardonnay but the real highlight of the meal was the warm bacon salad that was served as a starter. It was rather simple - bacon in some sort of white sauce with some lettuce and a very light sour dressing. The effect was out of this world!
But every time I'm terribly hungry and I'm on the move, I don't end up having a memorable culinary experience. Most of the time I end up eating something very bad and at times even revolting. But treks have hardened my palate and I have developed a good ability to consume anything that is even remotely edible and stay without food for surprisingly long period of time (once I had survived on just a bag of Lays and a packet of Good Day for 33 hours). Most of the bad food had been on flights and trains.
Getting back to the summer of 2007, Germany is synonymous with beer. Though I am not a great fan of beer, I made it a point to try and develop a taste for beer in Germany. But alas, after quite a few attempts (including a disastrous episode in the bathtub!) I had almost given up. There are a million varieties of beer available in Germany and finding the right one can be quite a challenge, as I realized. The Pils, Dunkel, Alts were not for me, so I had survived most of my stay in Germany on Coke and Reisling. Just about 2 weeks before my date of return, Dr Zhang (I shared the office with him and Daniel) took me to a barbecue held on the occasion of the inauguration of the MRZ. And there on Anurag's insistence, I found Hefe-Weizen! This was the beer I was searching for - very light and refreshing and not very bitter either. That day, I almost consumed a liter of it! I made it a point to have as much of it as possible before I came back.
Though it took me rather long to find the bitter of my choice, sweet was the easiest to find. Two of the most memorable sweet dishes during that period were - the Chocolate mousse at the Museum(an upmarket restaurant in Tubingen) on occasion of the MRZ Inauguration Symposium banquet and ice-cream (coffee flavoured on to be precise) from a nondescript Gelatto in Venice.
You might think that all my culinary experiences happened outside India but the fact is that were extremely mobile during this period (5 countries in less than 2 months) and experimented heavily with all kinds of food that we could lay our hands upon (and afford ... so the Foie Gras, the Caviers and the vintage wines were out of range), so statistically the chance of discovery was much larger. Since they occurred so fast, I find it easier to recall them.