Again Gunji
25th June 2018: As usual we woke up approx 5.30 am. Today our destination was Gunji. we started for Gunji at about 7:00pm after taking breakfast. This time we followed the plain motorable road. As the road was plain, it took hardly one & half hour to reach Gunji.
We were advised to gather at ITBP medical hall for the medical test along with our DHLI medical report. But before that, ITBP doctors shown us some power point presentation regarding dos & don’ts & some previous batches photo and gave us some briefing.
During the medical checkup, they measure mainly BP & oxygen level. Again I was facing the same question regarding my age. I was passed & at about 10:30 am it was done. Some yatris were called for 2nd checkup in the evening due to improper blood pressure. Today lunch was not so good They provided curry which I did not like. But no option 😣
Soma brought a jacket from Gunji mall. Yes, you are right… I am talking about ‘mall’ in such a place 😘 As per English dictornery, “Shopping mall” means “specially built covered area containing shops and restaurants which people can walk between, and where cars are not allowed.“. In Gunj, near ITBP camp there are 4-5 shops where you can find everything from pin to an elephant. So we called those shops as ‘Gunji Mall’.
As ITBP doctors suggested to wear 4-5 layers of woolen clothes & I had only 3-4 so I was quite afraid. So I had decided to buy a woolen jacket from Gunji mall which was cost Rs 900/- which is quite okay for me. When I reached Gunji mall along with Soma & Netra, we met Mohit, also a yatri, who suggested me this type of jacket is not suitable for high altitude cold. ‘Instead of using this jacket you must wear your all normal clothes. You just need layering It will be enough to wear your normal cloth one after one.’ As this person has an army background who spent more than 1 years in high altitude place, so I gave value to his words which proved valuable in future. I came back to our camp without buying a jacket.
After the medical test, our LO already told us that due to the lesser route, the Pony & Potter charges were reduced. Previously it was Rs.30000/- but now it was Rs.14000/- (Pony charges Rs.8000/- & porter Charges Rs.6000/-) He insisted us to opt the both as these were their main source of yearly income. But I had decided not to opt both. Our LO also told us that the pony would not carry any luggage. It would carry the person along with the only handbag. So if anyone opted the pony, s/he had no other option to opt also a porter. The limit of baggage for porter was 5-6Kg. We had to pay the 50% of the money when we would reach Lipulekh & rest of the money on the return to Gunji which would assure that the pony/porter would come back to us without fail.
We came to know from the KMVN person Vinod & some local person, that May ends to June middle is the peak season to collect ‘Keeda Jadi‘ which had a big market price. You will be surprised to know that the price of ‘Keeda Jadi’ It is worth Rs 18 lakh for a kilogram which is around 3500 and 4500 pieces of these fungi. In India, it is found in Chamoli, Uttarakhand and hilly areas of Himachal Pradesh. I was thinking why I am wasting my time to writing the buggy code (😝) which gave me not 10% of it in a month after spending my day & night. such a pitty life 😭
They told, for this reason, first 2-3 batches, it was difficult to get the pony/porter. So we needed to confirm the name & in middle of the journey, the option of pony/porter would not be available. Our LO also informed us that, we could opt the pony/porter outside of the KMVN provided options which might be cheap but previously there was some report of missing things from the luggage. If we opted the pony/porter from outside neither KMVN nor LO would be taken care of such incidents.
When I called my mom in the afternoon, she insisted me to opt the porter as less luggage would help me to trek easily. So when our LO came to note down the name who would like to opt pony/porter/both, I registered my name only for the pony.
We had asked to submit our main luggage before 6 pm. & put only those things which were required for a day as the main luggage would be returned to us next to next day. We took our dinner & went to bed.
We were advised to gather at ITBP medical hall for the medical test along with our DHLI medical report. But before that, ITBP doctors shown us some power point presentation regarding dos & don’ts & some previous batches photo and gave us some briefing.
During the medical checkup, they measure mainly BP & oxygen level. Again I was facing the same question regarding my age. I was passed & at about 10:30 am it was done. Some yatris were called for 2nd checkup in the evening due to improper blood pressure. Today lunch was not so good They provided curry which I did not like. But no option 😣
Soma brought a jacket from Gunji mall. Yes, you are right… I am talking about ‘mall’ in such a place 😘 As per English dictornery, “Shopping mall” means “specially built covered area containing shops and restaurants which people can walk between, and where cars are not allowed.“. In Gunj, near ITBP camp there are 4-5 shops where you can find everything from pin to an elephant. So we called those shops as ‘Gunji Mall’.
As ITBP doctors suggested to wear 4-5 layers of woolen clothes & I had only 3-4 so I was quite afraid. So I had decided to buy a woolen jacket from Gunji mall which was cost Rs 900/- which is quite okay for me. When I reached Gunji mall along with Soma & Netra, we met Mohit, also a yatri, who suggested me this type of jacket is not suitable for high altitude cold. ‘Instead of using this jacket you must wear your all normal clothes. You just need layering It will be enough to wear your normal cloth one after one.’ As this person has an army background who spent more than 1 years in high altitude place, so I gave value to his words which proved valuable in future. I came back to our camp without buying a jacket.
After the medical test, our LO already told us that due to the lesser route, the Pony & Potter charges were reduced. Previously it was Rs.30000/- but now it was Rs.14000/- (Pony charges Rs.8000/- & porter Charges Rs.6000/-) He insisted us to opt the both as these were their main source of yearly income. But I had decided not to opt both. Our LO also told us that the pony would not carry any luggage. It would carry the person along with the only handbag. So if anyone opted the pony, s/he had no other option to opt also a porter. The limit of baggage for porter was 5-6Kg. We had to pay the 50% of the money when we would reach Lipulekh & rest of the money on the return to Gunji which would assure that the pony/porter would come back to us without fail.
We came to know from the KMVN person Vinod & some local person, that May ends to June middle is the peak season to collect ‘Keeda Jadi‘ which had a big market price. You will be surprised to know that the price of ‘Keeda Jadi’ It is worth Rs 18 lakh for a kilogram which is around 3500 and 4500 pieces of these fungi. In India, it is found in Chamoli, Uttarakhand and hilly areas of Himachal Pradesh. I was thinking why I am wasting my time to writing the buggy code (😝) which gave me not 10% of it in a month after spending my day & night. such a pitty life 😭
They told, for this reason, first 2-3 batches, it was difficult to get the pony/porter. So we needed to confirm the name & in middle of the journey, the option of pony/porter would not be available. Our LO also informed us that, we could opt the pony/porter outside of the KMVN provided options which might be cheap but previously there was some report of missing things from the luggage. If we opted the pony/porter from outside neither KMVN nor LO would be taken care of such incidents.
When I called my mom in the afternoon, she insisted me to opt the porter as less luggage would help me to trek easily. So when our LO came to note down the name who would like to opt pony/porter/both, I registered my name only for the pony.
We had asked to submit our main luggage before 6 pm. & put only those things which were required for a day as the main luggage would be returned to us next to next day. We took our dinner & went to bed.
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