Review of Inner Trek
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Bradley Twesten
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Review of Inner Trek
[Following is a volunteer review of "Inner Trek" by Mohan Ranga Rao.]
While Mohan Ranga Rao was taking his physical and spiritual journey in Inner Trek: A Reluctant Pilgram in the Himalayas, he was taking me through a trip down memory lane.
While trying to resolve some personal issues and a threat on his life, Mohan’s wife prays for resolution and gets a commitment from Mohan to complete a pilgrimage to the holy sites of Kailash and Lake Manasa Sarovar. The situation quickly resolves itself, either through good business networking, or possibly through the divine intervention of Lord Shiva. Either way, Mohan is on the hook for the pilgrimage.
The book reads a bit like a diary or a travel blog, as Mohan documents the difficulties of getting through multiple layovers of planes and helicopters at rustic airports, to finally cross from India into Tibet through the Chinese military outposts. While a bit of a religious skeptic, Mohan has several spiritual awakenings as he visits some of the most sacred sites of 4 religions and over a billion people. He discusses the grueling physical ordeals of adapting to high altitude hikes and how even the most physically fit may not be up to the challenge.
As Mohan details the swim in the lake and grueling hike around Kailash’s circumference, I was taken to another place through his vivid descriptions and details. It reminded me of both Banner in the Sky by James Ramsey Ullman and My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George that were award winning required readings in grade school.
I was shocked by the contrast in the Himalayan villages. For several days, Mohan, his wife, and the expedition company would be on distant trails only accessible by foot and horseback, sharing sleeping rooms in freezing huts, only to have the landscape broken up by basic tea shops along the trail or an occasional restaurant serving beer.
Mohan breaks up the format of the book with beautiful pictures from the journey. Given his vivid descriptions of places and events, I was surprised there were not more picture included. Then at the end of the book, I learned that his camera mysteriously was lost during the trek. Which he believes to be penance for not leaving a token or offering to the gods, as many other travelers had done before him.
Inner Trek is an easy 5 out of 5 rating. Joining Mohan on his trek took my imagination along with him and made me want to learn more about the region, the religions, and the politics. Some readers might be challenged by some of the local names, but I felt they helped make me feel that I was in India and the Himalayas rather than this just being a story about the Appalachians or Rockies. A great read.
******
Inner Trek
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
While Mohan Ranga Rao was taking his physical and spiritual journey in Inner Trek: A Reluctant Pilgram in the Himalayas, he was taking me through a trip down memory lane.
While trying to resolve some personal issues and a threat on his life, Mohan’s wife prays for resolution and gets a commitment from Mohan to complete a pilgrimage to the holy sites of Kailash and Lake Manasa Sarovar. The situation quickly resolves itself, either through good business networking, or possibly through the divine intervention of Lord Shiva. Either way, Mohan is on the hook for the pilgrimage.
The book reads a bit like a diary or a travel blog, as Mohan documents the difficulties of getting through multiple layovers of planes and helicopters at rustic airports, to finally cross from India into Tibet through the Chinese military outposts. While a bit of a religious skeptic, Mohan has several spiritual awakenings as he visits some of the most sacred sites of 4 religions and over a billion people. He discusses the grueling physical ordeals of adapting to high altitude hikes and how even the most physically fit may not be up to the challenge.
As Mohan details the swim in the lake and grueling hike around Kailash’s circumference, I was taken to another place through his vivid descriptions and details. It reminded me of both Banner in the Sky by James Ramsey Ullman and My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George that were award winning required readings in grade school.
I was shocked by the contrast in the Himalayan villages. For several days, Mohan, his wife, and the expedition company would be on distant trails only accessible by foot and horseback, sharing sleeping rooms in freezing huts, only to have the landscape broken up by basic tea shops along the trail or an occasional restaurant serving beer.
Mohan breaks up the format of the book with beautiful pictures from the journey. Given his vivid descriptions of places and events, I was surprised there were not more picture included. Then at the end of the book, I learned that his camera mysteriously was lost during the trek. Which he believes to be penance for not leaving a token or offering to the gods, as many other travelers had done before him.
Inner Trek is an easy 5 out of 5 rating. Joining Mohan on his trek took my imagination along with him and made me want to learn more about the region, the religions, and the politics. Some readers might be challenged by some of the local names, but I felt they helped make me feel that I was in India and the Himalayas rather than this just being a story about the Appalachians or Rockies. A great read.
******
Inner Trek
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: The Advent of Time by Indignus Servus
