Chitkul, Himachal Pradesh, IndiaChitkul : 3450 mtrs ; 11300 ft
The village of Chitkul is the last civilian settlement on this sector.
The road ends here . You can walk another kilometre to the Indo Tibetan Border Police checkpost where they will politely shoo you off. The rest of the 90 kms to the Chinese border is their terrain. Actually, it is not even their terrain. Its just nature's domain. Impossibly tall mountains, metres of snow and a glacier to boot.
Chitkul is a quaint little village and is now a magnet for the serious traveller. There are a number of homestays and hotels, offering majestic views of the high mountains. The toursim infrastructure in Himachal is very well developed. The contrast with the North Eastern states where I went 3 years ago, is striking.
Surprisingly the main crop grown here is the potato and I was told some of the finest potatoes are grown here. Since I cannot differentiate one potato from another, I will accept this as fact ! Agriculture and tourism are the mainstay of the economy here, as it seems to be in every place in this state.
Look at how marketing savvy they are. One dhaba here has named itself Hindustan ki aakhiri dhaba (the last dhaba in India).
Never mind, that it is obviously not the last even in Chitkul. A few metres further on, there are a handful. But since it is named so, every traveller has to go there and at least have a cup of tea.
I actually had my lunch there. In the remote mountains, the meal of choice is "Maggi". In every desolate corner in the high mountians, if there is a shack, you'll get "Maggi". Maggi is the generic name for any type of instant noodles, but very often its the Maggi brand itself that is made. Kudos to Nestle for what a phenomenon they have created. So I had to have a "Maggi" sitting in the last Dhaba in India ! I can attest to the fact that a hot bowl of Maggi tastes heavenly in the cold at high altitude !
I am reaching serious altitudes. For comparison, Lhasa is 3490 mtrs and Leh is 3520 mtrs.. And I am going to climb still further. But I didn't spend a night here, so this does not count. I have to backtrack and then move on to Spiti. But first this rain has to stop. Its too treacherous to do serious driving at this time. I'm waiting........
Sandhya Sriram
2018-09-27
There is something truly fabulous about the Maggi... there have been so many travels I have survived thanks to Maggi, you can even make it in a kettle.. carry it any where, it tastes outstanding... what more you need (it’s not healthy.. so what.. even the Apple I eat to keep the doctor away is mostly coated with wax... even when people tried to kill Maggi, it bounced back stronger... what a brand... wish there was a healthy Maggi :)
Sandhya Sriram
2018-09-27
Btw it made me testify 5 times through visual tests before allowing me to post, I know i don’t match the literary and intellectual prowess of your blog and your followers but you have always been kind to me.. your blog doesn’t agree...
Gils
2018-09-28
Malai Mel Maggi would have been good title. Neenga pora edamelam mazhai.. Adutha trip chennai vaanga
Sandhya Sriram
2018-09-28
Gils....We have never met and I don’t know you personally, but I have always enjoyed your comments on Ramesh’s blogs... welcome back :)
Suja
2018-09-28
My vertigo gave me a little twist in my middle when I saw your pic of the dhaba seats! Gorgeous scenery! When I saw the pics, I thought a hot cup of chai with onion and chilli pakodas would be my go-to-meal, not Maggi.
indigoite
2018-09-28
@Sandhya - Didn't know you were such a Maggi fan !! Should work for Nestle :) Really ? Does this have CAPTCHA ? Sorry. I will tell them that my most select reader can't be harassed like this !
indigoite
2018-09-28
@Gilsu - Mokkai ! Malai mel Maggi ?? Grrrrr.
indigoite
2018-09-28
@Suja - Maggi is a very special dish in the Indian mountains. You can get it in Everest base camp ! Can't miss having that in the "Aakhri dhaba " !
Vinod
2018-10-03
Wonder how Mc Mahon managed to draw the lines in these terrains!
Vincy
2018-10-10
Such panoramic views through your lens and thanks for taking us on a pleasant journey to Chitkul. You are reaching unscaled heights that many of your blog readers aspire to reach. You should try College Maggi at some place. I missed out quite a bit of your travels, but i am determined to savor every post as much as I can relish, before i move on.
indigoite
2018-10-11
@ Vincy - What is College Maggi ?? Have never heard of that !! Thanks so much for reading every post and commenting on every photo. I am touched. Why don't you pass the blog link to the "Babes". Tempting the gang to think of this as one of your future outings :)
Vincy
2018-10-16
college Maggi is a Maggi preparation done like when you were in college - with limited resources. you get that in most trekking spots and dhabhas around that place. I did speak to Sudha about your blog, i am going to send the link right away to them.
indigoite
2018-10-16
@Vincy - Hey, you forget that when I was in college Maggi had not yet come :):):)
Vaingluory
2018-10-24
Finally a food post! Yey!