KedarKanth Trek : Part 2 : The First Step is Always the Hardest

And we got going.
Pic courtesy : Shameek

After an introductory first day and a long drive to Sankri, we started our trek the next morning sharp at 9o clock.  We helped ourselves to a rich breakfast spread of cornflakes, poha, boiled eggs, tea, coffee, bournvita and fruits. We were introduced to the use of trekking poles and had our morning warm up. Warm up was a routine before the start every day. My most favorite warm up was the one shown to us by Prahlad Bhaiyya, called ‘Jicuzza’. Check it out here - 

The start of the climb was steep and rocky. I was out of breath almost instantly. Man! What happened to all those fitness trainings! I dragged myself up to the first rest stop and had a sip of water. Making it to the summit was no longer in my mind. I shoved away the negative thoughts. Come on super SJ. Keep it together!

View of the valley at the beginning of the trail.
Pic courtesy : Shameek 

I emptied my mind and decided to enjoy the moment. I diverted my focus to the pretty rhododendrons alongside. The next steps gradually became easier. I could slowly find a rhythm to this entire dance – one step ahead, breathe in, breathe out, soak in the nature and move on to the next step.

Wolfy dog was our constant companion.
Pic courtesy : Aditya

Lo behold, the next rest stop arrived. We stopped by a stream, sipped more water, filled our water bottles and continued marching forward. On our way, we picked up litters and filled our eco bags. This was in line with the ‘Green Trail’ pursuit by Indiahikes where they volunteer to keep the mountains clean. (https://indiahikes.com/why-green-trails/) It was fun when two of us would pick up the same piece of plastic and had to decide who gets to keep that piece of garbage. Litters never saw this possessive nature in us before.

Pic courtesy : Chandan

In no time, we got to a Dhaba stop and could see the snow trails in the distance. With the first sight of snow, there was a sudden surge of excitement. Camera shutters went crazy. I sat by and enjoyed my hot cup of ‘kadha’ and the scenery before me. The next couple of hours saw us walking on slippery white snow. We slipped, stepped into the wrong bits, had our feet dig deep inside the snow, got our shoes and socks wet. But we kept laughing and marched on. Vijeet and Guddu Bhaiyya’s jokes and stories kept us going.

Campsite at Juda ka Talaab.
Pic courtesy : Shameek

We arrived at our first campsite – Juda ka Talaab. It was picture perfect. White snowy rolling hilly fields, little yellow tents, the frozen talaab (lake) surrounded by pine trees and the view of the snow-covered peaks in the distance – this is what dreams are made of! 

The frozen lake at Juda ka Talaab.
Pic courtesy : Shameek

We were welcomed with a tangy drink at the campsite. We were hungry and huddled inside the dinner tent for a quick lunch. Hats off to the Indiahikes Kitchen team. They did an amazing job throughout the trek. The food was simple, tasty and different every day.  We had Alu Paratha, Poori Chhole, Rajma Chawal, Samosas, Jalebi, Gulab Jamun and so many other dishes through out the trek.

Yummy meals being served by IH team.
Pic courtesy : Aditya

After satisfying our hunger, the next curiosity was finding the toilets. With good intentions to keep away bad smell, the toilets were always a bit far from the sleeping tents. We formed ‘pee buddies’ and trekked down the slope for answering nature’s call. I remember I had to go to the toilet early one morning and everyone seemed to have gone into a deep slumber. I gathered courage and came out of my tent alone, cursing my biological system. But when I stepped out, it felt magical.

Sleeping tents at night.
Pic courtesy : Shameek

The early dawn had a soft blue light on the snow and the gentle breeze never felt so fresh. I could see the moon slice glowing bright in the sky. It was almost a dream walk to the toilet tent.

Pic courtesy : Shameek

Equally magical was the star studded sky in the night. The pitch darkness made the starts look bigger and brighter. There were so many and so close as if you could almost touch them. I spotted Orion and Betelgeuse and probably Jupiter too. I regretted not having Sky Map on me. There were hundreds of constellations to be seen. Starry starry nights….

Star studded sky at Juda ka Talaab.
Pic courtesy : Shiladitya

The trek from Juda ka Talaab to Taal Khetra or the KK (Kedarkantha) base camp was a short 2 hours climb but it was tricky. In few places, there was no proper trail as such and we had to use the toes to make our way forward. We were wearing microspikes under our shoes to get a firmer grip on the icy snow. This definitely made it easier to cling on to the slopes with the help of these spikes. Trekking poles, microspikes – Ooh I’m a proper trekker now. Wait till I wear the gaiters next. – Laughed me and my tent mate, Pallu.

Gearing up for the morning trek.
Pic courtesy : Shameek

After a while, the trail opened up to this amazing snowy valley lined up with spruce trees in the distance. Started the snow fights. We threw snow balls and kicked them at every other person in front. Prahlad Bhaiyya and Guddu Bhaiyya then took out a mat and climbed up a slope. They then came sliding down the slope lying on the mat, bit like a combination of Aladdin and Batman. This got us into a frenzy. Everyone started going up the slope and did their own funny slides, often collapsing half way down. Me, Pallu and Prahlad Bhaiyya did the first trio slide. Prahlad sat in front with us behind him, all legs locked above his, careful that the legs didn't touch the snow and then we whooshed down. It was so much fun!

Pic courtesy : Shameek

After a lot of snow fights, camera clicks, hot cuppas, we continued again amidst snowy trails and spruce trees aided by encouraging shouts from our trek guides. ‘Shabaash Jawano..chalte raho…’  (Bravo soldiers..Keep marching on!)

Soon, we arrived at Taal  Khetra or the Kedarkantha basecamp where we were to camp for the night before we start for the summit on the following morning. 

KedarKanth Trek : Part 1: Seek Out

Pic courtesy : Shameek

When Shila texted me the Indiahikes link (https://indiahikes.com/kedarkantha/) to Kedarkanth Trek, my heart leaped. I glanced at my new pair of trekking shoes which had been sitting unused in the corner of my room for the past month. I decided it’s about time I came out of my shell and use them for my first Himalayan Trek. Having recently spent the best few years of my life in the ‘wild’ free west, I was now experiencing withdrawal symptoms, mostly psychological more than physical, I suppose. I was going through a lot of rough transitions in terms of my personal life and career and I needed to challenge myself, to find my ‘reboot button’ as my friend calls it.

My fitness level wasn’t the worst to start with. I have done a lot of hikes and also have had a teeny weeny experience at camping. But, my challenge were my knees which I had damaged along with the sciatica nerve about a year ago whilst running down a rocky climb. Also, high altitude trekking is a different beast altogether. Thus started my morning runs and strengthening exercises. To be honest, I was obsessing about my fitness, diet, getting all the trekking gear ready and watching all sorts of trekking related videos. It was a good distraction, anyway.

Pic courtesy : Shameek

On the morning of my flight to Dehradun, I felt shite. I had a weird headache, bloated tummy, funny knees, bad cold, low BP – altogether I was in a poor state just before the trek. My confidence level dropped to negative.

Pic courtesy : Shameek

I met my friend and one of the girls in the trekking group at the airport. After a brief chat, we went to our respective hotels and met the following day at Library Chowk, Mussourie for our ride to Sankri village. We gelled very quickly and I started feeling less worried. We got in the bus and met half of the group there while the rest were in the other bus. The ride to Sankri was beautiful with winding roads through dense pine forests occasionally lit with bright red rhododendrons. We stopped at Kempty falls for breakfast after which my friend threw up. A few others took Avomine to avoid puking and they then went to sleep. Once at Sankri, we were taken to this lodge where we met the whole gang along with Vijeet – our enthusiastic trek leader, Prahlad Bhaiya – very sensible and caring trek guide and Guddu Bhaiyya – who had an uncanny resemblance to Mr. Dhoni, one of the nation’s favorite cricket captains.

Pic courtesy : Aditya

Sankri is a small village in the mountains at about 6000ft. Our lodge looked out over several mountain peaks and valleys. A tiny waterfall stared at us from the distance (A friend in the group teased us to make us believe that it was the Jogni falls and in the process earned himself the title of 'fake news bearer'). The lodge was constructed in the typical style that you find in the mountains. It had to be accessed in a top to bottom manner where you first got on the rooftop from the road and then climb down the stairs to get into the rooms.

Pic courtesy : Shameek

We sat in the long corridor where Vijeet briefed us on what to expect for the next few days. He told us about the weather the next day and how to layer our clothes to cope with the changing climate, how timing and punctuality was crucial and above all, to respect nature and have fun. The evening in Sankri saw a lot of packing and re-packing. We were given additional liners for our sleeping bags at night but my backpack didn’t have any space left for it. I offloaded my bag to be carried by the mules, borrowed a day pack from Guddu Bhaiyya and somehow managed to pack my stuff. The following five days saw a lot of such re-packing and use of organizational skills. This was one of the very essential things that I learnt – how to efficiently pack and manage your backpack. I did watch Swati’s video (HowToPackABackpack) and still ended up being messy!

Pic courtesy : Shameek

Having packed our bags, we went to the rooftop for dinner and did a bit of socializing. There were people of different interests, from different places, involved in different career paths. There was one guy who had a very good build, didn’t speak much, carried a military bag and I thought he was from the army but he turned out to be a graphic designer; there was one girl who introduced herself in a funny way as someone who builds phones; there were friends fresh out of college, people coming from the beautiful place of Dharamsala; there was this young man setting up his own independent business accompanied by the youngest in our group who surprised everyone by her ability to do a dead lift of 80Kilo; there were couples enjoying their first treks together; people who gave themselves a fitness challenge; people going solo on the adventure and there were people like me and my friend as well seeking motivation from the mountains. The common thread among all these different people was their love for trekking.

With a light heart and fading worries, I hit the bed. Wake up call at 5:45am the next day followed by a check on blood pressure and oxygen capacity. Till then, I had to sleep well.

Me & Fish Markets

So I happened to go to the fish market this Sunday morning to get our weekly stock and my hyperactive mind (or lazy, depends how you see it) started wondering…

I love fish markets, especially the ones in Kolkata. It’s a bit gory with all the blood and guts lying around but the life in the market amazes me. Each and every person is super keen and the variety of fish you get to see in a Bengali fish market will fill you with awe. So, when I went to the market the other day, a Katla fish of about 2 Kilo jumped on me from the water filled tray in which it was swimming in panic. A few Koi fish were kicking around in another tub in a rather playful manner. The Magur fish had such a never dying attitude that they had to be beaten on their head by the fishmonger before she could put them in a bag, tie a strong knot and sell them. Some big fish like Rohu were not very jumpy but you could see them still letting out small bubbles in the water. You could have slithery Lotke, pinkish Pabda, silvery Ilish and Roopchand, tiny Mourola and Puti, the all-time favorites Parshe – Topshe, Chital, Bhetki and the list just goes on and on. Irrespective of whether you are buying or selling, everyone had this high pitched voice full of urgency and excitement. Also, you could hear passionate debates on things like -  which fish head is better for Murighonto – Katla or Rohu? Which type of prawn is better for Chingri Malai – Golda or Bagda? Is Bowal really good for your blood; Which one would be more effective if you have an upset tummy – Shingi or Magur? Every fish got its own value and culinary differences and every Bengali in the fish market had an opinion about them. It’s like a strange but adorable community built around fish. Quite interesting, if you ask me.

Markets provide an unique cultural appeal to me. You get to interact with local people and also experience their day to day quirks which are very normal when you belong to the same cultural group yet quite extraordinary when observed from an outsider's perspective. 

I had been to the local fish market in Toulose and Loire in France and also the one in Split, Croatia. I found these French and Croatian fish markets very similar to each other but quite different from an Indian or specifically Kolkatan fish market. These European fish markets (I'm using European in a broader sense here, my experience is specifically from French, Greek and Croatian fish market) had the same character to that of a Kolkatan fish market in terms of the big open layouts selling fresh fish (mainly seafood as opposed to more river fish in Kolkata), sneaky cats pottering around the pillars awaiting their chance, a bit of blood and gut here and there but you would not find the mind numbing chaos of a Bong market there. The common types of fish you could find in Europe are Tuna, Salmon, White fish, Basa, Tiger prawns etc. The interesting feature of these markets were the small counters doing easy fish preps for you to try out. Even without the extreme level of enthusiasm and the variety, they were still very much in character and always soothed my love for fish.

The English fish markets were however very different. They were always very pristine, no gory scenes or fish smell. Generally, if I come back from a fish market in Kolkata, I right away go and take a shower but you could nip into an English fish market on your way to a party and it would be absolutely fine. But what I love about the English fish markets is the backdrop or the setting. They setup markets on the beach or just by the sea or a green park adding a pure aesthetic value to the entire business.

So, to think about it, in my ideal world, I would prefer a fish market which has the pretty English setting of the beach with the level of hygiene and efficiency of an European market and the life and blood of a diversified Bong fish market. Now, that would make a perfect Sunday market visit!

(The picture at the end taken from Google)

Ayodhya Hills Trek, Purulia.

After my regular hikes every weekend for the last 4 years, I was starting to develop itchy feet. I needed an adrenaline rush and was browsing the Indiahikes site (https://indiahikes.com/documented-trek/ayodhya-hills-trek/)  when it caught my eye. Ayodhya Hills Trek in Puruliya - a weekend trek close to home. That was perfect!

I set out with two of my friends on a long drive to the district of Puruliya. Long drives generally start with chitchats, excitement, snacking, tea stops and then moves on to loud music ultimately toning down with everybody feeling hungry and tired. This was no exception. We took the highway via Arambagh but unfortunately couldn’t find a single place to have lunch. So, with a starving tummy, we reached Baghmundi at around 4o clock in the evening.

We were staying in the Sonar Tari Hotel. The hotel room was decent, nothing fancy but suited our purpose. We could see the entire Ayodhya Hill range from the terrace in the hotel. I was dying for my cup of tea after the long journey. The friendly cook asked us to wait for 10mins for the tea but our afternoon cuppas finally arrived at 8 in the evening after a wait of 2 long hours and on top of that there was no milk. This felt like a norm here. Food or drinks never arrived on time but I must say, when they did arrive, they were hot, fresh and extremely tasty. So, after the much needed drink and a large homely meal that evening, we went to bed early because a good night’s sleep is good idea before a big hike.

And I couldn’t sleep. Not for a second that night. Partly because of my friends’ persistent snoring and partly because of my sleepless stupidly busy mind.

We had our local guide, Mr. Sudarshan waiting for us at 7o clock in the morning and we were ready to go on time. The path started from right behind the hotel we were in. We tweaked our trail a bit from the one in Indiahikes as we wanted to do a single day hike instead of 2 days. Sudarshan lead the way. We started with a very rocky path that climbed up along the Turga falls. This path was full of boulders and the most challenging part of the entire trail. I loved it. There was one particular part where one would have to pull their entire body up by hanging on to a side of the rock with your hands. That was fun with all of us pulling our weight up in the most unconventional ways. My panda-loving friend climbed/rolled herself up here just like a panda would. Next, we continued to climb our way  through Sal forest. This part of the forest didn’t have any path to follow. We just had to follow the direction we were heading in which ran alongside a stream. We arrived at the top of Bamni falls. From here, you had to take about 100 rocky steps down to the base of the falls and get a full view of the cascading waterfall. This was nice. We sat at the bottom of the falls and had a few snacks from our backpacks. After spending some time here, we climbed up to the top of the falls again and had some eggs and ice cream before continuing our walk. The hills here were approximately 600m high and had interesting features. It was rocky and foresty, at places it was a little difficult but more or less an easy hike route. 

We then entered into another forest full of Sal trees. The forest didn’t seem as dense as we had expected and our guide mentioned that this was due to the local people cutting down trees as a means for their survival. People use the leaves of these trees to make plates and fuel for their cooking and also to get some warmth during the winter days. The forest opened up to an empty undulating area. This would have been a nice view but the amount of garbage that had been thrown out in the open was shocking. These were the two things that bothered us the most on this hike – 1. what seemed like random cutting down of trees and 2. unbelievable amounts of garbage left on the hill top. We hoped, the government would do something about this. People here were extremely poor, the place had an arid and dry climate but at the same time, it had got its own beauty. So, with a little more effort on educating the locals and providing them with necessary means for disposal of waste as well as cleaning up the environment, this place could be so much more appealing. As we progressed, we went through some villages and farmlands. The lush green and yellow mustard fields were an instant delight. We also saw 'mohua' trees and surprisingly, a big area of pine trees – quite odd in this sort of climate. We reached the Ayodhya hill top where we found nothing but a few lodges and hotels and places to eat. We had some hot rice, daal, veggies and fish and rested our legs for a while. Next we walked up to the Upper dam where there is a big lake and the dam  generates electricity for the district. A few kilometers down from the Upper Dam is the Lower dam. By this time, our legs were pretty tired and we called our driver to pick us up.

In the evening we went to a local fair near Khoirabera falls. When I say, we went there, I mean, we tried to go to the fair but didn't succeed. It was quite late and my friend’s knees were hurting. We still kept our enthusiasm up and started marching down the narrow path by the fields that lead to the fair ground. Possibly we timed it badly but there was a huge rush of people coming out of the fair from the opposite direction. We were literally lost in what felt like a sea of people coming at us. In that crowd and chaos, one of our friends got separated and we couldn’t find her. We waited on a side lane. By this time, the other friend of mine had her knees all swollen up. We didn't have our phones or torch with us. Scared and worried, we decided to go back to the car where we also met with our other friend whom we lost earlier. 

With the plan of having a bonfire that night, we came back to the hotel. After hiking for almost 20KM on a variety of terrain and with very few stops, we felt completely drained. The moment we slouched on the bed, the plan of having a bonfire seemed like a distant fantasy. We got some local drink called ‘mohua’, the smell of which was so overpowering, we couldn’t bring ourselves to drink it. So, we just stayed in bed chatting, drinking tea and Biskfarm chatpata masala biscuits! It was around 11o clock at night that we had our meal of tasty chicken and roti and rice and instantly felt our bodies slipping into a deep slumber.

The next day we woke up to the noise made by the over-excited boarders in the other room. We checked out of the hotel and stopped to have tea in a nearby stall. The person who was selling tea here was possibly the kindest person we met on this short trip. He was very soft spoken and smiley and didn't charge us for an extra cup of tea that we had. We exchanged a few words, bid him goodbye and set off on our long drive back home. This time, we took the highway via Durgapur and ensured our paunches were happy by topping them up with bread-omlette for breakfast and tarka-roti for lunch. The short hiking trip came to an end but definitely marked the beginning for many future hikes!    

On the Silk route, East Sikkim

The trip begins - 

The journey started from Kolkata station which is the newest of all five railway stations in Kolkata. It was opened in 2006 but the maintenance of the station is shocking. I'm in the train now with my mum and dad. A few co-passengers are sat opposite to us and have started chit chatting. It feels nice the moment the train starts moving. Good old train sound reminds me of childhood holidays. Looking forward to NJP.

New Jalpaiguri to Rolep -

After a frustrating 2hours delay by the Haldibari express and a quick stroll in New Jalpaiguri yesterday, we are on our way to the famous Silk route of Sikkim today. On the way, we first stopped for breakfast and had one hot Alu paratha each. People in the mountains in North India make the best Alu paratha ever. There's absolutely no competition. With a happy tummy, we continued our journey. Leaving the busy hustle and bustle of NJP, we crossed some military base camps and training sites located just outside the township and then on to the winding up and down hilly roads alongside the meandering Teesta river. On the roadside, there are many monkeys, very keen and alert, looking out for food. I also saw few little pigs straying around. The street dogs here are much wolfy but calmer with longer hair and bushy tails compared to the ones back home in Kolkata. We crossed the Kalijhora barrage, a big mountain waterfall, stopped at a dhaba, pottered inside a random wood full of Sal trees, soaking in the beauty of the Himalayas and the Teesta river. Destination - Rolep, a little village in East Sikkim.

Rolep -

Village might be a big word. it's basically few little homes scattered in a valley by the river - Rangpo. This place is just amazing. It is literally like what we say living amidst nature - the river flowing by makes a restless noise, the big boulders and rocks on the riversides make it perfect for trying out some monkey-style rock climbing, the few homes perge on the slope of the mountain and little hilly paths take you to the woods. The house we are staying in is very basic - clean rooms, no heater, limited electricity ,no phone connectivity. It is owned by a local woman and her husband. They live there with their younger daughter and son and also two dogs and a cat. Friendly local host took me out for a wander. We went to a hanging bridge nearby through the hills this evening. She has been telling me many stories of her life in her broken Nepalese Hindi and also been cooking homely tasty meals for us. Right now, the smell of oniony chicken has filled the dark valley. The white fluffy dog is very sweet too and he followed us all along the way. I climbed all the rocks and boulders by the river and trekked a bit with the local woman and her son until sunset. 

There is a waterfall here called Buddha falls that's about 4hours trek from where we are staying and some 30minutes drive. You climb down some rocky steps and cross some boulders to go to the falls and get sprayed on. It's like a cozy canopy everywhere. Once the sun goes down, it's pitch black dark. I'm in love with Rolep. The restless noise from the river, the chirpy birds (a beautiful red and black bird particularly caught my attention), the colorful butterflies, the dim lights in a distant house, the occasional dog woofs and no digital metropolitan disturbance - serene solitude. Love it!

Padamchen -

After the cold shivery nights in Rolep, we drove up higher to even colder area of Padamchen. It's a hilly village perched on one of the slopes of a mountain at about 9500ft. We had to make a permit for going up the mountains in Rongli, a small town full of shops selling anything ranging from clothes to food.

Before getting into Padamchen, we spent some time in Quekhali Falls - some more rock climbing and boulder hopping followed by accidentally getting my shoes wet when I misjudged one jump. Once in the village, we went out surveying the neighborhood surrounded by high mountain peaks and different types of plants and bushes. The family with whom we are staying has a big garden with various flowers in it. Lots of birds I don't know the names of are chirping around. Just beside our cottage, there is a nursery growing Chinese apples, tomatoes and salad leaves. From the balcony of our cottage, we get a view of the beautiful peaks turning blue in colour as the night creeps in. And its very cold. With no heater in the room, all the evenings are now being spent chitchatting inside the duvet.

Upper Zuluk -

We started early in our Bolero from Padamchen which is in lower Zuluk to go higher into the snow clad peaks of Upper Zuluk. The Zigzag road is a delight and our local driver cum guide, Nava Tseng had his full focus on.  You follow the road up and reach a turn which is very subtly named guess what? - the Zigzag view point! You keep going higher to the Thambi view point from where you get a full view of this swirly road that's cut through the slope of the mountains and also can walk down to the Thambi valley. Added bonus - you can get hot momo and soup here. A piping hot soup with some momos at the top of a cold mountain is a precious opportunity never to let go of! 

From Thambi view point, we kept driving higher up and it started getting snowy all around. We stopped at kolepakhari lake where the water in the lake was frozen to solid ice and visited Gnathang valley next. The valley full of snow is amazing. It just automatically brings out a different kind of energy and excitement in everyone. Pure white snow and clear blue sky effortlessly put a smile on your face. Our next stop was for a hot coffee at Laxman chowk which is a memorial to an army officer. What a heavenly place to have a memorial - on top of a mountain with nothing around but white snow and the Kanchenjunga peeping behind! I went to one of the most luxurious toilets up here. It's a makeshift box made of four tin walls, a bucket full of freaking cold water and a floor made of snow. This is definitely going into my list of unforgettable experiences! 

We drove up to 13900ft to a place called old Baba Mandir - a memorial for Harbhajan Baba. The road further up was apparently not accessible due to heavy snow which means we couldn't go to Kulup and my most awaited Elephant lake. Well, ce's le vie. We spent some time walking around in the snow and then turned back downhill. On our way back, we stopped at the sunrise point where you get a top-notch view of the Kanchenjunga range. We did think of coming up here to watch the sunrise next day but that didn't happen. I have seen sunrise on Kanchenjunga before though and it's definitely the best sunrise I have ever seen in my life. Undoubtedly it is so popular.

As we started driving down the mountains,fog and cloud took over. Cloud in the mountain valleys is a stunning sight. As the fog started setting on the peaks, we came down to 9k ft back to where we were staying. I went around walking up and down all over the hilly village, getting barked at by hairy street dogs, making conversation with local strangers, discovering old burnt houses and unused cemeteries, taking some good snaps in the golden dusky light and finally ending the day with the beautiful sight of the yellow sun setting behind the dark blue mountains.

From the foresty hilly Rolep with rivers and woods to the hilly village of Padamchen in front of a valley to the snowy peaks in Zuluk, the trip was one with extreme variety and nature at its best. To top it, I loved the homestays where the living was basic yet with an atmospheric touch to it. I got to interact with the local people and a little opportunity to dive into the lives of these real men and women of Sikkim momentarily. I have always felt that the people in the mountains are very humble and down to  earth. And this trip was a reconfirmation of the same. The people here are grateful for whatever they have and they respect nature truly. Plus with no heater or hot water and no digital noise, the experience was very elementary. I loved it.