Circumstantial Awesomeness

Edit: I was browsing through my Picasa albums, when I found those photos of Nathula pass. Posting them. As I said in the post, the photos are not that glamorous, but you should have been there to feel the awesomeness of that place!

You got that right. It’s awesomeness in the right set of circumstances.

Certain business and product have such a high recall and such a narrow niche that they stand out in the memory of the consumer.

Take for example the only store at Nathula Pass, its perennially cold there, so cold that you could freeze your toes off. In that frigid weather, near the Toll booth, there is one structure that stands out. Its completely made of wood, with a chimney and all the paraphernalia. A place you would not think twice about, much less enter had it been in your city.

In that cold weather, the wispy smoke billowing out from the chimney are a welcome sight. An indication of the warmth of the fire available inside the cottage. You enter the place, and sure enough the place is a couple of degrees warmer. A group is already huddled around a drum-like stove. You are glad to join that huddle. The shopkeeper looks at you and takes down your order … a maggi and a fruitcake. There is no menu, those two things are the only things available there.

The maggi is watery, and you gladly gulp down the soup and noodles. You warm the cake in front of the fire and gladly share it with the people around you. More maggi follows. WIth the stomach full and the cockles warmed, you are ready for the journey ahead.

Yes the maggi was watery, yes the fruitcake was stale. But boy in those circumstances it was the best maggi I ever had. I guess the cottage does not see much traffic and the volume of people going through that pass is highly seasonal, but I rate the experience right there on top of my culinary experiences.