Monschau or More Like Manchow: The Story Ends

As much as every one of us loved Monschau, all good things must come to an end. This blog gives it a fitting farewell, a farewell it truly deserves (trying hard to contain the tears). After such a magical winter adventure with some extravagant writing to justify the essence of such a place, we return to be able to visualize the same town in a new light. Here comes the summer edition with more excitement, better writing and possibly better photography. Alright, I will stop! It sounds like one of these multimillion company advertisements which try to portray how much they care about peoples’ well being (such blatant lies), when all they care about is to make more money (another marketing ploy). Talking about marketing ploy, I was not paid to write this blog for Monschau, I am writing it out of my own self interest. I know very well that nobody would pay for such lazy and unenthusiastic writing. My summer visit was accompanied by my roommates and their friends who happened to be fellow countrymen too. You can very well ask me why I never went out of my comfort zone, and mingled with other nationalities. Well I did, but that is a story for later (but this story would not be exciting nor unnerving as this, ah an oxymoron).

The journey was reiterated with the same bus journey with three or four strangers as fellow travellers. I don’t remember too well how many were there, mainly because they remained that way after the trek. I can very well say that, this cannot be called a trek, it was more of a walk with some well dressed models. Oh no, I was not the one who was well dressed, I was accompanied by people who were. But the only thing I did right this time is, I was dressed suitable for this occasion. I do not recollect too well, but I don’t remember it to be physically laborious, since it was hardly a trek. But why was it a mentally draining trek though? Hang in there, you will know.

After we had reached Monschau, we visited the usual touristy spots, under the cosy weather. There was a bright welcoming sun, upside being that it would lead to really beautiful photos. That also proved to be a downside since I became a photographer for these models. I must tell you this, I do enjoy photography, but let us just say, I am only well acquainted with nature photography. Due to my inexperience in portrait photography and in taking several shots of a single person, it was mentally draining. Usually, when I do go on treks, after taking a shot or two, I cover my lens, and appreciate the magnanimity and expanse that our nature has in offer for us. But we humans are not satisfied with photos of ourselves as much as nature is with its own. When you are taking a picture in a plain, if the earth is not happy about its picture, it does not cause an earthquake (or maybe it does, I am now pointing at all the bad photographers out there). I cannot recall causing any natural calamity due to my photography skills, or else I would not be there to recount my experience per se.

After such a tiring photography session, we climbed to reach the panoramic point. Having learned my lesson about the abandoned fortress, I told the others that I would be waiting for them down here, while they could explore this “exquisite” fortress. I know what you would be thinking, that was really wrong of you do not warn them, but wait, there was no snow, and it was just a 10 minute walk. Little instance of a smile covered my face while they were climbing to get to this fortress. While they were at it, I discovered another path which lead further into the forest. After they came back a bit disappointed, I suggested that we continue through this trail, so that our walk could at least turn into a trek. Back in my mind, I just wanted to get away from clicking pictures of people for a while. The trek through the forest was not challenging, but it took most of time for which we had planned to stay in Monschau, for which I was glad. To add cherry to the top, as we descended down, it had started to rain, which meant that we must proceed to take the bus back to Aachen. I did not want to say goodbye to this beautiful town, but honestly I didn’t want to stay any longer there with such a chaotic state of mind.

In the following semester, I visited Monschau on my own. This time I did not travel with my camera, but just an ebook in my phone. I truly felt that I was part of this town, knowing each one of its alleys, and greeting invisible neighbours that I never could see. Maybe I was just daydreaming, but it felt like I was walking around Madras, without a wallet containing my identity card, nor around people who spoke a foreign language, it felt like I was in my home. After spending a good four hours there, leisurely eating my home-made lunch and strolling through the town, with a heavy heart I left for Aachen. And unlike in Madras, the bus driver asked for my identity card along with my ticket. And then it struck to me that I was not in Madras but in a foreign land with foreign people around me. Winters are usually lonely and one must enjoy their own solitude. I did it in the best way I could, and there started my various solo treks. Despite the less attention for this blog series, I would continue to write them because these were some of the moments that I felt the happiest in Germany. Stay tuned for more of my trekking experiences.