Falling In Love

I do not easily come to terms with dry places. The bushes, the stones all around, miles of tree less county ... however wealthy it is, gives  me a feeling that I am living in "The day  after" movie scenario after nuclear blast. So I did not  like sparsely green Reno in the first place. It is true that  we do not appreciate the value   of good things we enjoy in life till we miss them.  I started realizing the beauty of Reno gradually  in my  second  visit, the only difference being still I am enjoying it.  When  I arrived much before the spring break, Reno  bore a very similar look  of a hill station in India. The evergreen  long pines along side, surrounding  snowy mountains,  knee hard ups and downs of  the streets, the cool .. quite often apt to be labeled,  bizarre winds.  Quite a summer resort air prevails  here, barring unclad oaks waiting to clothe the moment spring beaks in. 

Often snow was falling,  quite  like white  Jasmin  petals,  flowing  back and forth with the  wind, and it melts into  water after kissing  the ground. The tree branches, streets, houses, cars,  deceptively appear to take quite sometime to regain their original form while covered with snow,  surprisingly  turn clean and shiny  following  morning after sunrise.  Where all the snow has gone? It is too late a time,  to solidify. As  the sun rays hug the earth, the bare  trees too look joyful to bask in it's glory.


"Why not we make it to Tahoe ?" It is a wonderful idea. In a way Tahoe  an identification mark for Reno.  Tahoe.. the jewel of the lakes..brimming with brilliant crystal clear waters, an artist's  canvas wronged by him with blue inks  spilled over profusely.  While  some crazy knot  inside the brain  craves  to mirror your image once again  through those waters  I said " Yes, but  it could be too windy". Yet we were prepared to dress like astronauts to delve into it. While we glide over the smooth roads the distant looking snowy mountains are getting closer. I just wanna  leave the car and climAll of us least wanted to hide the wild desire to climb. so. But it is not India, we can not abandon the car in the middle of the road to enjoy our personal time.


The mountain ranges got closer.  For a second we forgot that  we left  a desert behind us. I had not been to Kashmir. Perhaps I am watching it here. The snow on the mountains started to look  thicker and thicker. We didn't loose our zest to watch those perpetual  mountain ranges with  each peak looking  different from each  other. While  pines on the peaks  swing  humbly shedding  loads of snow from  their shoots. We are getting closer to the destination. The houses on the way  looked like igloos. The  melting snow dripping  from the roof tops  quickly solidifies  into frozen water stilts, still a wonder when I try to guess  the temperature of the cold winds that blow.It is a picture  I never saw before.  Walt Disney fairy tales with frozen castles and cone shaped towers strike to me in relevance.  Where have we come? Did I ever see this place ? Is it  the same Tahoe  where I watched Shakespearean play in  a summer night ?


The streets looked still  smaller with frozen ice walls on both the sides.  The fanciful  million dollar houses bought with penchant , struggle to open their doors. Their cars buried wheel deep refuse to move.  Surging ahead we  located  a place to stop our car. I very well remember, it is exactly the  place where we parked in the past,  to have our memorable experience  of the lake. We got down to catch a glimpse of the lake .


I saw heaps  of snow all around. Where is the lake? Am I walking on the frozen lake ?  Possible.. looking at the situation. But, no I am able to  hear the sloshing waves not from too far. I gazed straight into the stretch right  in front of my eyes. Now  I am able to see swaying waves from a close range. . But it is not the same Tahoe which I have seen before. It looks like  heavily slated water sheet, slowly moving back and  forth,  trying to dissolve it's cadence into it's  own depths. Yes,   It did  loose  it's lustrous hue. It is entirely different ...  profoundly  intensive, mystic and sublime . We wanted to walk it's shore but  few steps a head were enough to check  me. I was knee deep into the layers of snow. My shoes were  tucked  into the slushy  snow. The socks are wet. I could even go neck deep into the snow, causing unforeseen problems to others. I can't move further. I am turning back.  "I am not going" I shouted looking  at the water helplessly. Bottom line,  the journey was more beautiful than the destination. No worries,  I am again coming to you dear !


 "Donner lake is on low altitude,  so it should be better" We did not stop our quest.I am sure they will like it, it reminds "Dal Lake" a familiar sight to Indian tourist.  We moved forward towards Donner Lake as if we made up our mind  to sit on a lake shore at least  once on this day. As we approached,  it proved to be  worse. It's narrower lanes further  looked crumpled . We were traveling miles passing houses completely enclosed by loads of  snow. Few house  entrance doors are completely covered with snow.God alone knows how inmates get out. Some people  are shoveling snow in front of their houses with their primitive spatulas.


As we went forward we  found it difficult to move ahead as the snow crushers are on their way clearing roads.  We had  to turn back. Seems the way to lake is closed.  We turned back, stopping on the way to have a glimpse of the little shown lake over a barricade. It looked terribly humid  and foggy. Now  I understand why these people await their summers, and crave for a  sunny day for their day outs. We cannot comprehend  the luxury of sun as it abundantly available in our native country. We could not spend time in  lake fronts and yet it remained  a memorable trip. Approaching  frontiers of Reno  looked like gates to the  heaven. We can move around with a simple sweater and open our doors with out much hassle ! It is difficult to guess  that few hours away  from your dwelling, you can explore  a different world. 


Few days later we were on road again on the way to Vegas. It is complete eight hours ride from Reno. We know it is  not promising. We went with a knowledge that we don't even come across handful of vehicles on the road. Gas refilling could be problem unless we fill our tank to the brim. We were moving  totally on a different track. No more  snow covered cliffs  and pines. I can sing a song  like Sharukh Khan " Yeh Dil, Deewana..." in "Parades". As we proceeded further  we were passing through vast expanses of  seemingly infinite  world.  The shrubs don't hamper your view. You can see as far  as your eye can gaze. Sun was drooping  to the  west to warm up  the other side of the globe (He stoops to conquer)  Huge mountains veneered with yellow sun rays shine like gold. What is world without these profound shapes? Perhaps  they are the oldest  witnesses to the  humongous changes that occur to the world for millions of years. We blow, break, dig, chisel them. Yet they don't deplete. They don't fall apart.  They  don't speak a word. They have seen thousands, may be millions of sunrises and sunsets. Each day they seem to rejoice  the experience. They seem to enjoy breasting harsh cold gales and sizzling winds. The wrinkled earth ... the crushed continents ... the cursed demons ... whatever we call them,  they are infallible  beauty spots to the earth's corporeality. For  hours we watched them. But we did not get tired. Who says, deserts are not beautiful? They are equally enthralling like any other ravishing constituents of this nature. I mistook them to be drab, lifeless and  lackluster. Living is hard here. May be it is how in few places  nature has imposed self inflicted penance  against  human transgression.


We took umpteen number of photos and  most looked pale in correspondence with  what we saw. Vegas is  a stark contrast to Reno. It is bigger, brighter and warmer. Here at  midnight one should be comfortable  to roam around with a skimpy dress. Girls dress their best when they come to Vegas as though  for their  Prom or dating.  In contrast to my belief that " Second visit always sucks" I enjoyed my second visit more, may be because I am surrounded by my kin. I was eager to show them what I knew. I made up what I missed in my first visit.  "Cris Angels BELIEVE"  holds  nothing new. He talked more than the other magicians.  The magics are fading , with  many ready to unravel the secrets. I hate to watch him on screen, but strangely I loved him on the stage. He is one true showman . I cannot help for "Le Reve".  Why the hell  they  take break only during my visit ?


Vegas! A paradise for a performer . A touch stone for the talent. A place to amass   millions. A place to buy  any damn thing on earth.  A place where a  Casino looks more fanciful  than Chateau.  A place where you don't earn a cent in a Casino.


Nevada ! Am I falling in love with you ?