Shangri-La, a mystical land adorned with adjectives galore – magical, ethereal, enchanting, elusive – the list goes on and on, such is the appeal of this land that has also been referred by the name Lost Paradise. In his novel ‘The Lost Horizon’, British author James Hilton described Shangri-La as ‘a mystical, harmonious valley, gently guided from a lamasery, enclosed in the western end of Kunlun Mountains’.
Intriguing description, isn’t it? It was this description that got me hooked to the idea of setting off in search of Shangri-La. Curiosity was further piqued by the following lines from the same novel – ‘the people who live at Shangri-La are almost immortal, living years beyond the normal lifespan and only very slowly aging in appearance.’
What? Did the people at Shangri-La drink from the fountain of youth? Was everything picture-perfect in Shangri-La? Was it the ‘real’ paradise on earth? Was this land the Utopia that the philosophers and thinkers talked about? So many questions that were in want of answers, and I had to find them all out for myself! So to find the answers, I set out to discover, unearth and explore this beyul, hidden away from us mere mortals.
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| Setting off to find Shangri-La |
Another research said Shangri-La was for real. It was not in Bhutan, Nepal or Myanmar, but in Yunnan province of the Tibetan region of the eastern-most ranges of the Himalayas – a mysterious land that was incredibly charming. But where exactly was this land? Inside the Himalayas? Beyond the Himalayas? Within seconds, God Google was ready with the answer – ‘Shangri-La is located in the Himalayas, in the remotest part of Tibet, on a high plateau, surrounded by a ring of mountain peaks.’ So there it was, hidden somewhere inside the mighty Himalayas, and all I had to do was to reach out and explore every nook and corner of this seemingly impregnable mountain range.
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| Is Shangri-La beyond these mighty peaks? |
I was ready to do that – ready to explore every nook and corner of the mighty Himalayas. And my choice of vehicle for this epic adventure was the massive Tata Safari Storme Explorer Edition. Sturdy and powerful, it was the perfect companion for the roads and terrain I would be taking to. Besides it majestic body, it was the utilitarian aspect of this Safari model that found favour with the traveller in me – a customized cycle carrier, a cargo basket for added storage space and a roof mounted canopy for turning the vehicle into a make-shift home in the wilderness, lest I be stuck in a place with no shelter on my head.
So the exploration adventure was on. With my Storme packed to hilt with dry ration and camping gear, I set off to find Shangri-La – the elusive, paradisaical land hidden inside the freezing Himalayas. I had got my cycle along too, tucked carefully in Storme’s customized cycle carrier, for I looked forward to exploring the the pit stops on the way, on my cycle.
Driving my Storme, I set off from Darjeeling, stopping for regular small breaks in between to take in the beauty of the mist wrapped mountains. It was only when I had crossed over to Nepal that the enormity of my adventure ride stuck me – I was out to explore a land that had only half a chance to be real! But then, a positive thought silence the sudden doubt – I was out on a one-(wo)man adventure expedition, following my heart, travelling into the unknown, doing what many only day-dream about- let me rise to the challenge! Let me go all out and see for myself if Shangri-La exists or not! And with this thought, the little doubt that had nagged me awhile ago, disappeared into the thin mountain air.
From Nepal, I drove around the treacherous mountains routes along the southern Himalayas to cross into China, driving all the way into the town of Dali, a backpacker heaven which was just 6 hours from the modern day Shangri-La. And then was the time to park the sturdy Storme, and take to Dali’s road on bicycle. For two days, I went cycling around the city, exploring its historical sites and admiring its lakeside tourist hot-spots.
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| Wuhua Tower, a landmark in Dali |
Driving down to Dali through the dangerous mountain passes and landslide washed tracks had given me ample time to contemplate more deeply about Shangri-La. Did a fantastical place like Shangri-La really exist? Or was it just a quest for the fulfillment of our Utopian fantasies? Was it something we wished there was? The answers to these questions appeared as elusive as the mythical land itself. By the time I finally packed my canopy tent fixed to the Storme and bid good-bye to Dali, I had made up my mind to experience this new Shangri-La with as much indulgence and enthusiasm that I had reserved for the ethereal Shangri-La.
A 6-hour drive along winding mountain tracks from Dali got me to Shangri-La – the modern day make-believe Shangri-La. Resting high up on the Tibetan plateau in Yunnan Province, this Shangri-La was living up to the image of its name. Happiness engulfed me as I spotted the world’s largest prayer wheel perched up on hill, Buddhist prayer flags fluttering all around, and lamas – young and old – out and about, chanting prayers. There was a feel-good air about this Shangri-La and it was exhilarating. A big part of my adventurous journey was complete, all thanks to my Storme, that comfortably carried me across the thrilling Himalayan landscape…and now another, more daunting, more adventurous journey was in the offing – an onward journey to discover more mystical lands. And why not, when you had Safari Storme to take you across all terrains, be it night or day, adventurous journeys could not be far away.
This is a fiction post written for the ‘I am Explorer’ blogging drive organised by Tata Safari in association with IndiBlogger.
Photo Courtesy: Google Images.
