IT’S 3.45 AM, AND I’M DOING a pre-travel house check. Appliances unplugged, chargers packed, windows locked—we’re going straight from four months of house-arrest to a road trip, and mixed in with the excitement is anxiety and guilt. Sharing our plans with friends and family has garnered mixed reactions, from envy to worry to outright disapproval. As far as travel is concerned, the world is divided into two camps. One views travel for its own sake as foolish and frivolous. The other concedes that life should go on, albeit with caution.
The resort we are headed to, Atali Ganga, is among the first to reopen in this relatively untouched valley of the Upper Ganga, about 30 kilometres north of Rishikesh. For now, I’m focussed on the first step. I want to avoid pit stops by minimising time on the road. Hence the departure at this ungodly hour, which I am assured will get us there in about four hours. We leave on time. Whether this excursion is brave or foolish, I’m about to find out.
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