Magical land of fireflies – Rajmachi

With the crushing responsibility of oncoming adulthood closing in, I realized I desperately needed a vacation, a break and peace of mind. I wanted to do something to mark the transition to new phase of life. As a last minute getaway, I decided to go on a weekend trek to Rajmachi with 13 something group of strangers organized by Backpackers and City Freaks.

PART 1 / THE ASCEND /

It took us 4 hours to trek 5 kms uphill while taking breaks to sip water or just take in the scenic views. The constant motivation from the organizers and a JBL speaker resounding the air with great music ensured the group stayed in high spirits.

We reached the village of Rajmachi at dusk and it was brimming with people. It was pretty cold with light showers, so we sat in a circle, talking while sipping some amazing hot Chai. We kept laughing and refilling our cups.

These people I met were seasoned travelers who were in pursuit of the adrenaline rush and adventure. One person told me, “The high you experience on reaching the peak will be worth all the pain and effort.”, and I could see his eyes shining bright as he said that.

Everyone whose stories I leafed through were in it for their own reasons. As I stood there, the rush I felt spelled like peace and the shades of green calmed my nerves. I found my reason.

PART 2 / THE STAY AND THE PEAK/

It started getting darker and it was finally the time to see what we travelled all the way for- Jugni or Fireflies. After a hot plate of Maggi, we set out in the muddy trail holding torches to find them. We were told that was the last week to view Fireflies there, explaining the huge crowd. We reached a huge grove of trees.

The moment our torches were switched off, there rose hundreds of Fireflies mesmerizing and leaving us bewildered at the same time. With childlike joy, I clapped in delight as the fireflies adorned the trees like Christmas lights flicking on and off.

We decided to sit down, huddled together to watch the absolute magic that was unraveling in front of us. We sat in absolute silence, in the classroom of nature, just learning everything the Jugnis had to teach us. In that moment, I swear, we were the students of the Universe.

Those moments of pure contemplation, complete awareness of yourself and the surroundings and peace that felt like Zen were the best part of my trip and was so enriching and fulfilling.

The Jugni watching was followed by a simple, tasty dinner and a Jam session singing some of the greatest songs and forgotten melodies, loud enough to attract more participants. We then built a campfire and talked about ghosts before retiring for the day. Surprisingly, I wasn’t scared. Now that’s new!

The next day we woke up super early to go visit the Rajmachi Fort, carrying our flashlights, with our raincoats doing little to protect from the super chilly weather and a continuous drizzle. As we made our way up the rugged remnants of stone steps to the foggy terrains, we reached the top and saw the National flag swaying in all its glory.

After a quick photo session we moved to explore the other parts taking in the lush green view surrounding it with occasional white of the fog engulfing it completely. It was truly a sight lifted from a magical wonderland.

PART 3 / THE DESCEND /

We made our way down to the base, had a quick breakfast and my legs were giving up on me already. I wasn’t ready physically nor mentally to begin the arduous journey down and insisted on getting down via a shared cab. To my dismay then (now luck) the vehicles were booked and I had to begrudgingly begin the descend. With the trail being slippery due to the rain and and gravity pulling us down, we had to climb down strategically through it was less exhausting physically than the ascend. During the 5kms down, it rained sometimes and was hot and sunny the other times. By the time we reached the starting point of the trek, that feeling was amazing, that adrenaline was at an all time high and I was just so proud of myself for doing this Trek myself, with help of amazing encouragement from the rest of the team.We ascended as strangers and descended as a team.

By then the sweat, the rain, the dirt caked on the body had to go and we jumped into the little stream to say hi to the little fishes and splash our faces with the cool water which was such a relief. We then proceeded to go back, have a great lunch and got into our train back home. Maybe it was the thrill of having done something new, or maybe the tiredness of the trek, or maybe both that made me sleep like a baby only to wake up the next morning.

I didn’t know that what started as a simple journey would become a great memory etched in my mind which had many of my firsts.

Clicks from the trip:

Lessons I learnt –

1) Invest in your shoes. Make sure your shoes have good grip. They make all the difference in a good trek and a bad trek.
2) Carry a really light bag. My bag of denim only weighed me down and is a lesson I payed heavy price for. Use smaller capacity bags made of light fabric.
3) Carry only the essentials. I realized I wouldn’t need the extra pairs of clothes or Diary and had to deposit them with a trustworthy shopkeeper at the base.
4) Wear comfortable, light clothes that aids your movement.

Notes from BCF:
We organize this trip very often through out the year. You can follow us on Instagram for regular updates. Insta ID –bcf.official. For more info on BCF upcoming events visit us here. About logo you can read here.

Article by Koustubha. Thanks a lot, Kousthuba for penning down your experiences from the event. Link for her Insta ID – Midnight_Songstress