Tickets
booked, bags packed.
Excitement
about the unknown and the known.
Celebrations
begin at the airport, convenience abounds!
A
heady start to a wonderful journey.
The
trip is long enough to catch up on some interesting reads, hot gossip and time
too flies along with us!
Reached
destination, not as cold as we feared.
Sleeveless
in Delhi in November!! Did not expect that!
The
wait at Delhi airport for our trip advisor to meet us was an introduction to
life on the fast lane….
Cars
whizzing by, cab drivers offering their service to us who had no destination in
mind did baffle them!
Our
ride arrives in style- an old Innova.
Quick
decision taken- where shall we go?
The
answer is quicker- fascination for the unknown beckons!! And so Dharamshala it
is.
More
decisions taken on who needs the sleep more and I am allowed to stay out of it
and I take the backseat!
Its
1.00 am by then and time to hit the road and our driver does just that!!!
Buddha
decides to sleep and snore the minute the vehicle moves.
Crossing
borders, overtaking fast moving trucks and speeding cars, neon lights whizzing
past and we stop somewhere for a much
needed break.
Haveli
it says at Karnal, looked good, spent an hour fuelling up for the next leg of
the journey, giving the driver some rest too.
We
did notice that our Buddha woke up as soon as the vehicle stopped and needs to
be fed pronto!!
On
we go, there is a shift in the night shift now and our Buddha decides to go
back to sleep.
Crossing
barren lands and vast emptiness gives a completely
different view of Punjab – not the scenes you see on the big screen. Was a let
down. Where have all the mustard fields gone?
A
quick stop at a roadside chai walla to wake up the senses and ask for
directions.
Next
stop my favorite breakfast ever.
Did
I mention being the only girl among 5 rocks!!
You
get what you want and you are a real
princess.
Hot
aloo parathas with curd and pickle!! Life is good!!
The
milky sweet tea brought back memories of sharing my neighbors tea on grey
winter mornings seated outside their house!! ( outside their house here
actually means outside- on the road, with their chairs occupying half the road)
On
we go, we are almost there.
The
air is cooler as we gain altitude and the scenery much more pleasant.
Foothills
and we stop again for the last cup before we reach destination.
The
nip in the air and jackets are out!
Our
driver has already shown signs of being a maniac on the ride, now comes the
ultimate test- is he or not?
The
sharp curves will prove it!
We
hold on to our seats as the drive of our life begins!
Hairpin
bends are something we all grew up with, but nothing prepared me for the quick
cuts and the narrow roads!!
I
was really glad it was noon already with clear visibility.
Which
also meant to die for views!
My
first view of the Himalayas was from the backseat of a beaten down car going at
120 kmph up the hill!!
Breathtaking!
Reaching
Dharamshala town was a relief.Where do we stay, quick calls to friends and we
decide to move on further to McLeod Ganj, the seat of the Dalai Lama.
Random
search and we narrow down on a nice place with a beautiful view.
Rooms
booked, bags dumped and we are ready to explore.
We
walk down town and go the traditional way and have Tibetan food!
Hot
momos! Soups and the town explodes with desserts!! Oh heaven!!
The
way to a man’s heart is really through his stomach. Now everyone is ready to
walk up to the temple to meet the Dalai
Lama.
Quaint
little town overflowing with people- Non Indians and Punjabis!
We
make our way to the temple and do the rounds!
Stop
and stare and wonder why we cannot live there!
Everyone
seems to smile, everyone seems to be calm, none raise their voices and a peace
prevails.
We
strain to catch a glimpse of the Dalai Lama and hear he is at the market square
we just left behind.
An
ardent fan, stops to write a passionate letter to the Dalai Lama requesting one
meeting before we leaveJ
We
move on towards a tea shop to spend more time soaking in the positive vibes
around us.
We
slowly make our way back towards the hotel to have a much needed hot shower and
we take our refreshments back with us.
Just
watching the dark skies and the glowing stars makes you forget worries and
brings a feeling of the supernatural.
In
a little while, we are ready to explore and experience the nightlife of McLeod
Ganj.
Pub
Hopping Begins………
Boy
were we disappointed. Bangalorians who complain abt life coming to a standstill
here should experience the empty streets and restaurants at 11.00 PM!!Where did
all the crowds disappear?
One
crazy night, meeting different people, seeing shooting stars, making mannnny
wishesJ a cozy bed, with an alarm set to wake me up
in the morning for my first ever Himalayan trek on a trail!
Bliss!!
Day
2
Have you ever had to get out of a warm bed on
a cold foggy morning after a night of binge drinking to go walking?
Its
difficult. U need to be motivated or crazy.
The
latter got me moving, armed with my trusted camera.
For
quite some time it was just the two of us with the mountains...
The
sun shone bright, the Himalayan range presented itself in all its glory for our
viewing pleasure, pleasant conversation, periods of comfortable silence and
bursts of laughter!
We
walked till I could no more and I would rate it as one of my best walks till
date!
Where
you savor the journey and the happiness
is your destination.
Breakfast
time and its time for tea! The mountain folks really enjoy their tea. It’s a
religion! A way of life!
We
become one of them and do the same!
After
a refreshing shower, we are actually ready for more food!
Cafes
serving food the way you dreamt it!
Apple pie at 12 noon! Is this what they call heaven?
Its
so easy to laze around, doing nothing but stare!
And
that seems to be the order of the day.
We
step down for some shopping and exploring.
Back
for more food! \
we
got lucky at a café or were we duped?
Refreshed,
we decide to experience the happening Saturday night discotheques of McLeod Ganj.,
Not
so happening, but fun nevertheless.
We
hit the road to start our back breaking, nerve racking almost dying journey
through foggy mountain roads at midnight.
Several
yelling sprees, chasing sleep and staying awake and fingers remained crossed
through the night.
Soon
visibility was less than 10 feet and we wondered if we would make it back to
Delhi safe!
Lucky
to be alive is not a phrase but a deeper feeling!
Day
break brought Food, tea, clear skies and
some relief.
Soon,
before we realized it we were in Delhi at the Metro Station, ready for yet
another journey of our life!
Some
memories will remain etched forever.
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