Reaching and Exploring Aaryan Valley:

Reaching and Exploring Aaryan Valley:

Now the real story begun. I am sure you will laugh thinking what were you doing so far if not reading the story. Well the one you read so far was just a rosy picture or story you generally read, very easy going journey kind of story. But no, remember one does not get heaven so easily and we weren't spared too. While deciding to stay in Aaryan Valley we just knew name Dha or Dha-hanu Valley. While researching stays in Aaryan valley or Dha, we found Payupa Guest house as only place to stay. For googlers I would say, book this stay with the help of a travel consultant who has personally been there and not just given to someone or heard about such thing. Payupa guest house is certainly in Aaryan Valley but not in Dha village or Dha-hanu Village. There are other Home stays and guest houses in Dha Village which is little further to Shargole.

We did not know this and we kept on driving and also we reached 2 wrong villages before we made it to the right one.

Finally we came to know there is a village called as Shargole where Payupa guest house is and we located it finally as we suddenly saw a rock where there was white chalk marker arrow directing to Payupa Guest house and yes...yes....yes...we stopped our car with hope to get a beautiful homestay waiting for us.

We got down to find the guest house but there was no road visible. Now story is almost towards an end but surprise gift is waiting for us.

Frankly, surprise came with little struggle but this struggle was worth a surprise we lived in....:-) Read further.

Stay by the side of gusty river and below the open sky:

As mentioned earlier we did spot the direction going towards Payupa Guest house but we could not see any road going towards the stay we were booked on. We had a strategy then. We asked one male member from our friends group and our driver to just go and check where is the guest house. Villager women were laughing at us that it's 20 mins only just that it's a hike. ("Bas yun upar upar jana hai madam). We Mumbaite call it a trek and frankly after driving for almost 6 to 7 hours we were not in mood to do trek and what about our bags? We had those trolley bags and not trekker's back packs.

Our 2 macho men went up the hill to see where the exactly is Payupa guest house and allas - they found it but we did not know that yet. The path to the guest house looked like below which we came to know later on:

I was waiting at the place we parked our car and looking for our boys who went uphill. We thought to find some alternative stay in the meanwhile or talk to some villagers passing by and do our bit in knowing where is this place and how is this place. The place where our car was parked, one side it was gusty river flowing and one side this mountain stays of villagers. Our heart beats were raising and suddenly we saw our boy gang coming from some other direction. The moment they came near car, they said with huffing puffing voice "You can't make it. Let's go to another village may be Lamayuru or let's travel to Leh" I was like what? It's 6ish in the evening already, we have driven for almost 6 hours or more and now we have to go further to some place which we don't know how far would it be and with the local hope at a distance of minimum 2.5 hours ahead.

Before we decide anything further we asked few more villagers passing by for an option to stay for the fact that we can not climb in high altitude areas that too late evening and with luggage or anything for which we were not prepared.

One villager just quickly asked to go little further and check one camp site across the river and which is at the plain level so no climbing atleast according to them.

For reaching that place we had to firstly cross one foot over bridge. Now this time we decided that nobody will go alone and we will decide there and there itself to stay and will not come back until next day morning. That foot over bridge looked like this,

Now we started crossing this bridge with the affirmation that we will surely get good comfortable stay and at reasonable price. For us comfort and money both were important as there were girls in the group too. Sanitation and bedding when these two are sorted, any girl traveler is good to do even back packing and not just luxury travel. 

We did find amazing stay for this night and that is what you need to know how in my next blog. Keep reading 😊😊😊