It was my first trek with no groups and no guide. Despite being told otherwise, this time I chose my own action.
Extroverts might not get the point, I mean, to miss meeting crazy new people, hearing about each other’s lives, dancing under the stars, and singing until midnight isn’t this what a trek is about! I thought that too and tried to fit in for the longest time, but honestly, I have never truly enjoyed being a people person. I think it’s time we normalize the fact that some people are just like that, I am like that.
Of course, I wasn’t stupid to do this solo for the first time, that is still resting on my bucket list for later. I had a friend along I trusted the most.
So, we were on the base camp of Hampta Pass trek when I spotted two well-fit black dogs lounging by the riverside. With their furs waving in the wind, they were taking a nap in nature’s lap. Even though I always have a soft spot for animals, I must admit that I was afraid to walk past them due to their size, strength, and look that said, “We own this place!”.
We crossed the river stream at a safe distance, and after walking a few meters, I noticed that the dogs were following us. Seeing that one of them came near me with the same puppy face we all tend to fall for, I could not help but pet him. I petted his head, scratched his ears, and continued with the trek. It wasn’t long before I saw them chasing us again, and this time they led the way, showing us the trail and scouting the area.
On our way, several other trekkers asked us if we owned the dogs. To tell the truth, I wanted to claim these handsome dogs as my own! They tried to play with them and offered food, but for some reason, they did not leave our side. After few hours, we reached our first campsite where we set up the tent and the dogs were there, protecting our house for good.
Eventually, I found a small shop, selling biscuits in the mountains and bought some for the boys! They seemed to be eating biscuits for the first time since they took some time to realize it was safe to eat and then ate everything like a baby.
The next morning when we woke up, the dogs weren’t there. As we packed up before going to the next campsite, my eyes caught sight of the dogs running. It was amazing to see how happy and full of life they looked as they ran at full speed at hills. They did everything in their power to express how happy they were to see us; they even stood on their paws! Could anyone has known we knew them for just one day?
This went on for three days. They had been with us until we got back to the base camp, and now it was time to say goodbye. Being a sensitive being, I knew this was going to break my heart. Their puppy-faced lack of knowledge made it harder for me to leave. The cab driver took an hour to reach us, so all I did for an hour was sit with them and soak up all those feelings.
After I handed away the biscuits and sat in the cab, I peeked out to see they were now searching and trying to figure out how to join us. Once our cab left, they ran behind it for as long as they could. It was overwhelming.
Despite my desire to take them home, it wasn’t possible, and regardless, they lived a much better life in nature. But, the memories of how much love they have to offer stuck with me as the days went by. It only takes a few pettings to give them their whole life, all they asked for was love.
As humans, we tend to look at everything through the lens of our own benefit and consider ourselves superior. But how little we are actually capable of doing and giving.
I would end my little story here as I cannot fully express what I have experienced and learned. Yet I do have something to say that I wouldn’t have said six days ago — Please do whatever you’ve always wanted to and do it in your own way.
Those were the most wholesome three days of my life. I’ve named the doggos ‘The Buddies’ and will forever be grateful to have crossed paths with such pure souls.
I have one small request for anyone who has read this far. If you ever get the chance to visit the place and meet the dogs, please feed them biscuits and share a picture with me.
Even if I get just one picture through this post, it will be my happiest day.
