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Shifting base (8.10.26)

Getting up (6.00 am)
Yesterday had been an absolute rest day. We had not budged an inch, but for our usual evening walk. The day had been sunny, cocking a snook at the weather merchants, and we had made the most of it.
Today morning, however, was cloudy, and a chilly 7°C. Our usual tea ceremony on the verandah was reluctantly shifted indoor, as my hands were shaking slightly - brr-hrr-hrr. Not a good thing with a full teacup is hand. 

Our breakfast was Amarbhai's excellent alu paratha, with walnut chutney, apple chutney and lingi (pahari okra) pickle.
Amarbhai's farm in his village, he said, had produced a good apple crop this year, more than 500 crates. Each crate has a net apple weight of 18 kg, and the Adani cold storage in town pays Rs 115 per kg, yielding a total income of Rs 10 lakhs. Given that they grow plums and japani as well, togather with vegetables, they seem to be a pretty well-to-do farming family. Plus the homestay, of course. They are planning to buy a car, probably a Bolero, next year. Their parents, the two brothers, two wives and three children form their joint family. His elder sister is married and they have a wholesale shop in Jibhi, and their younger sister lives in a village near Shoja, where no roads go right now. 
Sunny side up (10.00 am)
Panna spent an awesome time beside the river, calling up people on video and showing then the waterworks. Luckily, it was sunny again and sitting outside was a pleasure. Osho was on a different track today, saying that although Realisation can be momentary, a practice of meditation prepares one to be alone with oneself. Otherwise the realisation that one is alone in the universe can be more scary than liberating. So meditate, not as a path to liberation, but as a prop to it. Cheers!
Shifting camp (2.00 pm)
After eight nights at Walnut House, we were slated to shift to an AirBnB on the Tirthan river - around half an hour travel back towards Thalaut - where we would spend three nights. It was a pricier place than here, so we were hoping in some way it should be better than Walnut House, though we could not imagine how. We had packed already, enjoying the freedom of shoving anything anywhere, knowing they will be unpacked anyway in a few hours. Lunch was served promptly at 1.30 pm, the taxi that Amarbhai had arranged arrived at 1.45 pm, we settled our bill at 1.55 pm, and then we were off, after an emotional farewell. Our driver Tullu, known to the Walnut family, had just bought a second hand Alto, and we might be his first customer. In fact, we had partaken of the celebratory halwa yesterday.
We travelled back for around 6 kms to Gushaini, where we met Tirthan river again, then turned left and travelled along its banks for 4 more kms and parked at the beginning of Chhoi waterfall, quite a well-known trek around here. Here we waited for Abhishek, the caretaker, to come and take us to the Nirvana AirBnB.

Abhishek reported promptly and we followed him downhill. And downhill. And through a property. And further downhill. In the reviews of this place, customers had reassured us that there were lots of cafes on the main road, in case someone wanted to pop up and get funky meals there. With a steep climb of half a kilometer involved, we had no inclination to pop. Luckily, the AirBnb was supposed to have decent inhouse food. 

We forgave everything when we reached the two rooms that formed the AirBnb. Bang on the Tirthan river, with the mountain rising in front, our room additionally had a private verandah, where we could spend our whole day if we wanted to. Or lounge in bed looking out directly at the feisty Tirthan river. 
Tirthan had much more volume than the Palachen river next to Walnut House. Panna promptly clambered down for a recce. River seemed deeper here, she said, and faster. Tomorrow she will check out how much is safely negotiable - ankle deep, knee deep or waist deep 
We had a quick snooze and caught the evening scene again from our verandah. Our next room neighbours were three youngish people, who went out and sat on the rocks till sunset, while Panna toasted the vista with the bottle of Lichi wine she had bought in Jibhi. The gods had been kind to us. 
There was a bit of a breeze and we expect this place to be a little colder than Walnut House. We have ordered a simple dinner of soup and noodles. Should be a lovely accompaniment to the weather.

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