Gloriousness

Now that she has written about it. I will too. The whole thing was too extraordinary to let it pass without mentioning it on my blog..

Both Mint and I love being outdoor. Being close to nature is always a thrilling experience for most people, I suppose. It is so much more enjoyable than going to a theatre to watch a movie, or being cooped up in a mall, or spending obscene amounts going to pricey restaurants. But the last few months, we were doing just that every weekend. Being indoor in a restaurant or a mall. Reason? The weather. The cold would not allow it to be an enjoyable experience for me. What is the point in being outdoor if I keep running back to the car every time the wind roars? I know I can bundle myself up in layers, but despite that, I am in constant discomfort if it is chilly.

A few weeks ago, the weather started improving. The sun was out during the day. Even if the temperature would dip, the presence of sun light would bestow a blanket of warmth. So we started being outdoors on weekends. Long drives on scenic high ways where we would pull up to admire the beauty of nature, driving to small little beach towns to spend the day, driving to places where we could capture the sun set, going downtown and hanging out at the popular spots, going to parks and lake sides, that kind of stuff. Good fun. Yosemite was one of the places we drove to a few weeks ago.

Accompanied by two friends, we started out at 6:30 am on a Sunday. The drive was a little over 4 hours. None of us are early morning people,  but the lure of the beautiful national park along with the fact that we had to return the same day gave us the required boost to have an early start. I was getting drowsy in the car until I caught a glimpse of the remaining snow from my window.

The landscapes bordering the winding roads were gorgeous. We started discussing the idea of camping there. At that point I remembered a conversation I had had with AHK. While chatting on gmail, she had told me they camp there often and that she would be there this weekend. I said that to Mint and he told me the next time we plan a trip, we should consult them and get all the tips and advice possible. AHK is one blogger I was dying to meet. Because I’ve always admired the honesty in her writing and also because she has the most adorable little girl. If I really like a post, I force Mint to read it and harass him until he does. As a result, he knows most of the bloggers I like. So he obviously knew AHK and had been made to read some posts written by her in the past. I actually considered calling her and letting her know that we were around. Perhaps we could possibly meet? But then I didn’t have her number saved in my phone. And also, the idea didn’t make much sense. We were with our friends and I assumed she would be with hers. Beside, the chances of meeting seemed very slim. The place is huge, covering an expanse of 7,61,268 acres! It is equivalent to an entire town. It would be hard to coordinate and meet at a point convenient to both of us. So I gave up the idea.

We reached and stopped at the base of some waterfall. The friends we were with walked towards the restrooms. Mint and I stepped out of the car and were stretching. He noticed the car parked opposite and asked me, ‘What if that is AHK in that car?’. I laughed it off. This boy does the same thing every time. He plays around like that. So I knew better than to take him seriously. He then told me that car even had a baby and a stroller. So it could be her. ‘Right’, I smirked. The next thing I see, there is this girl waving to us and excitedly walking over. She came up and said a cheerful, ‘Hiii! This is AHK’.

I think I was too dumbfounded in that instant to react like a sane person. It was as though Mint just waved his magic wand to prove his point and that girl appeared out of nowhere. I am pretty sure Mint was quite taken aback himself. Ha! I asked her how she was so sure it was me? She said it was my eyes that gave me away. Pretty cool? Once it hit me, I couldn’t stop grinning. This was too good to be true! We hugged, grinned,  chatted, and I finally had the chance to see the little doll I have been longing to see. Paapu is so tiny! I couldn’t take my eyes off her.

We walked to the breathtaking water fall together, thrilled and chatting like excited little girls. Bumping into her like that was the most unbelievable coincidence ever. I am still unable to get over it. How totally awesome! This was clearly the highlight of my trip. If you haven’t already, hop over to her place to read her version now.

The rest of the trip was beautiful too. The gushing waterfalls there leave you mesmerised and completely awestruck. We did not have enough time to do any full fledged hikes, but we did do a lot of trails. We walked all the way to Mirror Lake, we played around with twigs, watched clear streams of shining water merrily flowing past us, we sit in the midst of hills, followed green paths, breathed into the fresh, clean air and generally had a wonderful time.

Doesn’t it all seem gorgeous? Unfortunately, pictures can never do true justice to the beauty of a place. But without them, the post doesn’t seem complete. The last one is my favourite. I love the way Mint is pointing out the far away peak and the waterfall to me. It is kind of symbolic. I even saved the twig he used there. At this rate, I don’t know the amount of junk I’ll end up accumulating over the years.