The day was getting darker as we approached the midpoint of the mountain. I could see flowing snow-capped peaks and valleys right ahead. There was one peak that was looming higher than the rest, disappearing into the misty clouds. It was Mount Titanhuaca – the highest point in the Mandaka range.
We were cold, hungry and exhausted. The last bottle of water is nearly finished. Our legs were aching badly. We have hiked for nearly 7 hours with only a 30-minute stop a few hours ago.
In the middle of the valley, stood a majestic wooden ranch house. It had a small minaret in the middle with a bell and pinnacles all around. The house looked like a wooden castle – elegant and captivating.
We were delighted to see the wooden sanctuary ahead of us. There was a sparkle in all our eyes. It was just half a kilometer away, and we felt a special kind of courage and determination building up inside of us. Our mind hallucinated of a buffet of mouth-watering dishes, wholesome meals, desserts, fruits and drinks.
There was no one to be seen anywhere near the house. There was a rope hanging above the front door. As I pulled it, the huge bell above the minaret rang – sending echoes of the chime across the open valley. Thunder reverberated as if in reply to the bell. The clouds got thicker and thicker.
Suddenly, the front door clicked open. We pushed the heavy door and it creaked badly as it opened up. As we stepped in, the door slammed shut as heavy winds gushed out of the house. Now, there was silence – and darkness. I fumbled through my backpack looking for the flashlight. I found it but before I could switch it on, the room lit up. The light was blinding. As we got adjusted to the sudden change, we saw a beautiful ranch house interior with carvings and classic decorations. In the middle of the room hung a stunning chandelier and far ahead a fireplace that was smoldering slightly.
We were awed and frightened at the same time. We did not know whether it was a good sign or a bad one. We had a slight doubt about the whole string of events, until we saw what we saw. It was a buffet of glorious food, fruits and drinks arranged in a row of neat cabinets and tables. We could not believe our luck.
Outside, there was torrential downpour. We could see shrubs and trees moving violently outside in the strong wind. There were continuous flashes of lightning but we couldn’t hear any thunder or even the sound of rain. But there was a more important agenda waiting for us at the dinner area.
I don’t know whether anyone anywhere near sanity would enter a lonely wooden ranch with ghostly lighting systems and eat a buffet of food laid out for no physical person at all… But the situation forced us mentally to accept it as a gift from above I guess. We savoured every bit of the delicacies, looking out the window at the terrible weather conditions. It was surprisingly quiet and calm amidst the storm outside. For a wooden house it was quite unusual.
The desserts were superb – honey coated banana splits, fruit salads and ice creams of three flavours. There was satisfaction in all our faces. We glanced at the huge sofa bed near the fireplace surrounded by a home theatre system. What more could we ask after hours of tiresome hike… But there was more. The sofa facing a huge glass window panel was an automatic massage chair!
We couldn’t digest the whole situation, even as much as the food was being digested. We sat and gave an extremely long sigh in unison as we flicked the sound system. There was a soothing melody in 3D surround. We looked outside of the huge glass panel window. It was a breathtaking view of Titanhuaca. It was dark but we could see the outline. We could see soft snow being blown violently across at sharp angles in the storm.
Suddenly we saw the base of the mountain shudder - and right across, in front of us, the snow layers at the sides gave way. The huge mass of snow was hurtling towards the valley we were at. We rushed to the main door, panicking. The door was locked shut. All the windows were sealed. From the ground floor window, we could see the gush of snow coming at speeds I have never seen before.
Then, in a flash, the view outside the window changed back to normal. Not only did the huge avalanche vanish, the rain and storm stopped too. We went back to the lounge and we saw perfect weather outside. We sat back again on the massage sofa. Closing our eyes, enjoying the soothing music and the wonderful massage.
It dawned on me at that moment that it was a well-deserved reward for an excruciating journey we had trying to get there. Nothing seemed logical, but the fact was that the tiring hurdles we passed brought us to a sanctuary where it felt like heaven.
Nothing that happened outside mattered to us. We were undeterred by storms or avalanches. We lived like kings, ate like kings and were in the safest paradise we could ever ask for. We never expected it. But it came to us.
Now we started wondering, with all these comforts to pamper us, there was no reason to continue to the peak of Titanhuaca. But, the journey had to continue and more rewards await us at the end of a successful journey. We had to journey on…
Don’t think too much, there’s nothing hidden
