Day 16, July 30, 2017 Pune
Day of rest
After 15 days, 1913 kilometres, 156 hours on the road, planting 187 saplings and inspiring a countless people, a well deserved day of rest at Pune for Sunita. A day to rest, renergise and recollect memories with friends. As usual the day started early for Sunita- she attended a function organized to felicitate her by the Rotary Club South Pune and also planted a symbolic sapling to spread awareness about her mission. “ Where there is a will there is a way. If you have a strong desire to achieve something you will find a way to do it”, said Sunita as she interacted with the Rotarians , telling them about her Mount Everest mission and the current Solo Cycling Expedition from Kanyakumari to Khardungla. The modest and humble person that Sunita is, she made it all look so simple.
Sunita spent a relaxing day with Harshad and his family recollecting the memories of the mountaineering course days at HMI Darjeeling. She tells the numerous stories of the 18 expeditions she has undertaken so far to the friends and family who have come to meet her. Harshad and she meticulously review the itinerary and make minor modifications based on the experiences collected so far. “It feels like the good old days when we spent hours planning an expedition”, says Sunita. Today after a long time she could afford the luxury of a heavy lunch and a short afternoon siesta.
In the evening she goes to look up another mountaineering friend of hers Arshi Khandelwal who now has stopped climbing the mountains but is doing something she is equally passionate about. There was a child like enthusiasm in Sunita’s voice when she called me up from Arshis place, “You just cannot imagine what I am doing right now- I am making a pot and doing a good job of it. Just loving it”.
“I was hoping you would get along some eco- friendly pots to plant the saplings”, Harshad jokingly says to Sunita as she prepares her cycle for the next days ride. “ Sunita is one of the finest female Indian mountaineer to watch out for and know. Now that she is cycling I wish her the very best in all the power packed adventures she is likely to face during this journey of hers” is Harshad Raos message for Sunita Singh Choken- A mountaineers message to a mountaineer- people who understand what setting high goals and achieving them is all about
