Uttarakhand - Day 3

We had a 10 to 6 scheduled site seeing tour number 8 today which included Kempty Falls, Dhanaulti, Santoora Mandir, Nag Devta Mandir and Mussorie Lake.

Got up around 8, had mast hot shower, designed Adobe around myself and was the first proud breaker of the fast! My supreme breakfast was repeated… eggs, toast, corn flakes and juice with a bite or two from the southie breakfaster – my dad! I repeat – yum!! And I repeat – stupid me!! The ghats upset my stomach and I shouldn’t have eaten as much!

We got on the bus near the tourism office where a total of 8 tour lines were conducted! And Uttarakhand Tourism is not as developed yet as I mentioned! Utter confusion all around…2 people from tour number 2 got on the bus… the operator (haah! A 75 who had no teeth) informed them that this bus was not for tour number 2.

‘Then which bus is it?’

Asks the driver and comes back, ‘There is no bus for tour number two now’

‘Then when is it?’

‘There is no bus today for tour number two’

‘Oh! Then, how come they gave us today’s ticket?’

‘I don’t know, the tour number two only operates in winters’

‘So, should we come back in winter for the wretched tour??’

‘That is a good idea! The climate in winter is a bit too cold… but the crowd is comparatively less… You will have no problems with hotel bookings and…’

‘Are you mad? What are we going to do today?’

‘You can come in tour number eight’

‘OK…’ and they settle down.

‘But not today’

‘Then when, in winters?’

‘The booking is full today’

The couple stare at 6 pair of eyes in the 24 seater bus staring back… the guy checks his watch (I check mine that displayed 10:24, the tour was supposed to leave at 10) they look at each other and then at the operator… Frustration clearly shown, they get off the bus and silently get on some random tour bus…

The driver starts the bus and the horror ride began… Such narrow roads and such windings… and then suddenly, the screeching of brakes that lasted for long seconds… And 6 hearts used to sigh when they found themselves still up and alive!

Erm, Right opposite to our seat… sat two guys… 20 somethings… cute enough… one of them resembled this guy I used to work with and had a huge crush on… Hmmm… I should mind my snoring!!

The bus picked up another 8 people from some destination and the actual tour was about to begin… What fun without a controversy or two! Yeah three happened! With a bunch threatening to get off and on and off! Southies versus Northies! And finally this kid cried ‘Papa’ a thousand times in a breath for the guy who had got off to buy coffee thinking the fight would hold long! The operator almost threw out the family – the wife and 3 kids… just when the ‘Papa’ climbed up the bus triumphutantly and gave the savior look to his wife who snarled at him and the rest is history…

Manali said the fall wouldn’t be as interesting as Khopoli, Bhivpuri, Tappalwadi or Palasdhari… But I found it highly delightful… And as my family roamed around point to point, I settled on a rock in the middle of the waterfall and pretty much enjoyed my existence in between the gushing water…

I hate tours… they take you to wonderful places, the operators shout deadlines at you… you hurriedly go through how much ever you can see from all the angels, take photographs as proof to show others that you’ve really been here… And rush to another such experience…

And in between all of this, you completely forget the purpose of it all… You’ve come to relax, darlings!! Feel the place… Look around… Observe… And that doesn’t mean ‘click click click’! Pick a spot and settle down… Breathe the place and go down with pictures not on your 2 GBs and 4GBs, importantly on your more permanent memory cards! And you’ll be able to re-experience it for a much much longer time. Rushing through the shops doesn’t give me much peace… neither does buying souvenirs… Watch the little girls selling the stuff… from a distance… If you can think of how their lives must be pacing, you’ve got the worth of the tour!

Got some nice clicks before boarding the bus… The 3 kid family was late again and this time the other passengers supported the operator helping him dampen the triumph the guy had on his face! The guy sobered down after that…

The temples were okayish… and the giddiness was a bit superlative till we reached Dhanaulti… the whether went cold and foggy… Enter the feeling of the Northern India… Tall coniferous trees… Hues of Green splashed over the Browns… spick and span… no dust… no mud… no litter… no garbage… untouched pristine Uttarakhand stretched itself across the canvas… Guys here are pretty serious about nature… No non sense about that…

Well, all in all, Uttarakhand is a no non sense state… at least with whatever I have noticed… People are pretty genuine… Not too ignorant and indifferent and not over polite or fake… They have taken an effort to maintain the sanctity of the place… No unnecessary over charging, be it food or transport or entries to parks and aquariums or boating rides or ropeways or whatever it is… and they pretty much maintain quality…

The Mussouri lake is pretty small and we noticed, artificially created… But the boat ride was fun… Me and mom steered and P and dad pedaled… And you should have been there to see the coordination… You would’ve given up all hopes on us as a family… Hilarious…

The tour dropped us at Mall Road, we shopped vegetables and all before landing at the resort… Happy realization that our rooms shifted 15 stairs higher! But that took us around 300 to search for the rooms… and the new rooms suck!!

Finally his wait was over and he got out the Fosters! Ordered dinner… and settled for the day… We are planning to cook in the room tomorrow! No, no bonfires or anything, they have hotplates! See yaa tomorrow!

Uttarakhand - Day 2

The Dehradoon Express dropped us an hour late… which was a good thing because – one, 6:15 is a tad too early for us to roam around the city… the check in was only at 12… and two, an hour more of sleep ; )

My hair had gone dry and I was irritated with it for some time, but the dry climate quite suited the wind and the whole package made me feel away from hot and sweaty Mumbai!

Nice fresh greens surrounded us… The dry leaves constructed a carpet for us and swayed and flew on the imaginary rhythms from ‘mohabattein’… colorful cousins of Dombivli sparrows flew across the taxi… very confident of crossing before the screen hit them… the bright yellow started getting brighter and only enhanced the whole scene. Welcome Vitamin D!

Now it was my mother’s turn to gimme her shoulder… ZZZzzzzz… And up again at the resort…Sterling resorts have a pretty poorly developed property and very pleasing food! (there she goes again!!) Hey, it’s not only me saying it… Lot of people I talked about this agree… so do online reviewers! Though they have complimentary breakfasts, I was pissed to find out it was not buffet! I love ordering eggs and getting breads toasted and smearing butter on it that melts away just as my heart does with the whole experience… And the fruit juices score another point… So, with a heavy heart and swollen face, I went through the Menu. Decided on:

Sterling Breakfast 110/-

(Canned Fruit Juice, Cereal and milk, 2 Eggs made to order with Toasts, Tea or Coffee)

Hmm, fair enough alternative to my dream breakfast… They ordered some other combo breakfasts and we waited patiently… It was chilling cold and we warmed ourselves up reminiscing of Mumbai heat… Glad the trick worked… We swore after the first bite from the breakfasts that we’d remain faithful to them as long as we’re here… I secretly additionally swore I will kidnap the cook and take him away to Area!

Our room was situated a nice hundred steps below the reception with no lifts… Me and my dad grievingly rejoiced our oath to not put on weight on this trip… only to happily mourn later that they will shift us to an upper room the next morning…

Rooms were OK… not too plush interioristically… but great view and personal kitchenettes… Mom started on the list of things we can cook to save eating outside… The string of words got blocked by the latch of the bathroom door… Turned on the tap… freaking too cold… Look for the geyser… Got a switch saying – Geyser will take 45 minutes to heat water… I gave it a smug look little realizing it’s not gonna understand…

When I was 12, I’d read somewhere – If you fear doing something, do it right away to make it past… so that you don’t have to do it anymore… I turned on the shower and jumped in front of it… just like the old bollywood heroes throw themselves at the gunfires of the villans…

My fourth nap from the beginning of the journey was the coziest…I was in a real bed!! Had an absurdly funny dream… Vikram was on call and was briefing me about the sequence of rituals for his marriage (to Raksha of course) that was happening the next day… I was being instructed on which set of clothes he’ll need for which ritual and I was responsible for getting it to him on time wherever he is… Absurd because why of all the people I’m supposed to do that!! And funny because it gave me ideas : D

We decided to walk down to Mall Road which was 6 km downhill… Yay… we catched up with today’s quota of walking… And before we knew it, we were surrounded by food stalls that sold everything from Ice Creams, Brownies and French Fries to Parathas, Chole Kulchas and Momos… The shops were not as cozy and dingy as I’d seen on Mall Road, Shimla. I’d loved them that way! But Mussorie hasn’t for Jesus’ sake been commercialized! People are not pushy! Le lo le lo is not the motto... everyone's relaxed and living... We ate nice parathas for as cheap as 15 Rs. that too in a restaurant… Just when I started vouching on the food quality of overall Mussorie… I tasted the yuckiest pani puri of my life… I don’t understand, how can they mess up with such silly recipes??

Manali called up… Had a long chat after so many days… Every nice thing in this world has a price… This one was Re. 1 per minute. Dear Docomo, I cannot find IND 046 in my networks, so stop blabbering nonsensical plans to me! Anyway, as if so much food was not enough, she suggested I must try hot chocolate and maggi from Mussorie!! Erm, OK, after a while, when my stomach has digested the toxins from the weird pani puri!

55 bucks for that Ropeway ride was not at all worth. The view from up there was pretty foggy, it kept drizzling on and off… No idea why P fell into the trap of the lousy telescope wala! ‘Madam, Maggi banau’… I eyed dad and he was busy romancing my mom… ‘Haan bana do’… We did pretty much nothing except eating and telescoping and time it was to go down already…

Sandip called when I was watching the toothy piranhas in the Jawahar aquarium set up by the TOI group. Amazed at the diversity of their services! I’m thinking of getting together my aquarium once and for all… Pending for a year! So, I have been worrying about his papers for a while! 2 down and good… Managerial Economics, though, is going to kill him… More harm tax is going to do! Save him, Mr. Christ!

Not too interesting stuff for shopping here! Saw a Che Guerra ka wall hanging… may get that for Sandip! Poor Dad wanted some beer after like 4 years and they throw a veggie restaurant at him!! Dinner consisted of the much awaited Sarson da Saag and Makke di Roti… Yum… So, beer’ll have to happen tomorrow! Drove back to the resort… Down the hundred steps, and they watched CID! Oh my god!

Don’t know why you’re still reading the remains of such a boring day!! Go get a life!

Uttarakhand - Day 1

Touched Delhi Airport… Temparature – 39 degree Celsius… ouch… after a long turbulent flight… after an upset stomach and an only bar of snickers since morning to set it right… It’s high time someone came up with a break through that involved a combination of drugs and chocolate… Prescriptions would sound like heaven…

Ferraro Rocher 1 – 1 – 1 for 5 days

Gallaxy 250 1 – 1 for 3 days if pain subsists

Uh, I’m delving into another array of blogging… I should stick to travel…

Anyways, whatever little sleep I got through the last 30 hours was on flight… Take off to Landing, I snored into my dad’s shoulders… Last night’s turbulence in my brain was much more stronger than what the plane went through… So, this power nap set things right for 3 parts of my body – stomach, head and eyes… yeah, they seem quite refreshed by the twinkles of Delhi airport…

Delhi-casies of the Delhi babus disappointed me greatly… Such lousy samosas and pattice… Die of shame, suckers! Defaming Delhi!! Any paisawala buys space in hot locations, gets mediocrist cooks and serve lame food… at least get your local things right??!! Well, Mumbai fares no better score in this regard…So eating Chinese in Delhi was the last thing on my mind… but nothing can beat Indian Chinese food ever… Not even the Chinese…

Tried Comesum, Pune, then Hyderabad, and now Delhi… And should I say I’m happy… Now before you start thinking, all this girl thinks about is food, I liked the live music… It pushed me onto a different mood…Old Hindi melodies coupled with nice ambience and inoffensive food… should’ve been so perfectish … hmf!! Why do I miss him so much!! Yeah, another blogging array!

So, after the ride from the Airport to the Hazrat Nizamuddin railhead, now we head to Dehradoon… Climb the bridge, down the bridge… B1… B2 must be on the left… yes… Seat 19, 20, 23, 24… Middle and Upper births… Got on and fell asleep in the littlest time I had ever taken to fall asleep!