The World's Highest Post Office and My Emotional Outburst

In today's world of Facebook and What's App there is a place exist some 15000ft above sea level , where there is no cell phone signal or internet and people live as original as it can get and communicate with the post cards and letters.

Does writing a letter or sending a post card sounds like an antiquated thing to do in present times? Well not to me!!! .
In my recent trip to Spiti Valley, I visited the village HIKKIM, where there is the WORLD'S HIGHEST POST OFFICE managing by a 52 years old man named Rinchin Chhering ( will tell his story in my next post) alone . The world's highest post office has been there for 35 yrs since it's inception on Nov 5, 1983. The journey, the job & everything related to this post office that makes it a must visit in India . .

When I reached this place I saw travellers writing post cards to their families & friends. I was not in a mood to write a post card coz of two reasons , firstly none of my friend knows about this trip and secondly my family somewhere was angry with me when I informed them about this solo trip at Kalpa . After a long fight between my heart and brain, I hold a pen with a little courage and started writing to my Dad on a post card lying on the table while writing the post card, the spiti valley witnessed the tearful eyes of ordinary traveller for the first time and this is how the letter started.

A/S & Hi Dad ,
This, a parcel of love having been token from the world's highest post office is all but to pour out the waves of emotions i have been feeling lately & not to bother mom to the wake of realisation that I am at 15000ft  above sea level otherwise i would be deprived of Biryani till the existence of eternity. Well I am fine and happy dad & this place is really wonderful.

Flowing with my eagerness to explore answers to all the possible riddles & queries, I just want to ask you one thing Dad, what pushed you to be so strong? And the reason why I am asking this is coz it's been more than 5 years that i have been living away from you, in the beginning for studies and then later for my job and whenever I came home in between you always came to drop me, either at the railway station or the bus stand, waited right there till the bus or train left the platform.
Last time when you came to drop me & just like always the bus was leaving the stand and you said "good bye " I knew those good byes resonated hard specially at those grim moment of leaving each other's company. I wish I could  leave that bus or train right away & run back to you & hold you tight & whisper in your ears that I am not going anywhere & wanna live with you forever just the way i did when I was a kid.

But unfortunately time has changed now and at your age when a man needs his son around him for the support you are struggling alone & once again you have given up a big sacrifice for the betterment of your son's future. Hats off !! My strongest dad  but i know everytime that bus or train left that platform you cried, without tears. Well this is how we men express our emotions, without tears in our eyes otherwise our tearful eyes can make others weak isn't it?

One more thing I now understood is how difficult it is to earn money. The difficulty of earning it the right way? You always tried to give me a comfortable life and you succeeded. Not only you spent on our education but even saved for our future. I am proud of you & May Allah bless you always with good health. .


Yours ever
Your son.

Written by: Ordinary Traveller (@ordinarytraveller_)

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