The traveller in Me...
So ladies & gentlemen….,
It’s been some time since the trip to North India has been laid to rest. But sometimes it’s nice to look back and go thru what u went thru… Here goes…
August 1st 2006
It was long since everything was kept ready… including the places to visit, the tickets, accommodation etc and for some places just for the heck of adventurism everything was left to the almighty… So as the Sun rose so did I… Not the usual self but shivering with fever and to add to that throat infection!!! Good thing to happen right on the day. Anyways my parents now have had enuff of it & they r wise enuff not to advice me on anything… let alone traveling plans… So alas I board the Rajadhani Exp from Thiruvananthapuram Central… Yeah 5 of us where starting from Tvm & Sandeep to join us enroute from Thrissur… The train which has official stops only at Ekm, Tcr, Shornur, Calicut & Kannur in kerala stopped at most stations inbetween Tvm to Ekm… And inbetween v where served soup & dinner… The journey went thru the city called Kerala & other than that the lush green wilderness of the western coast…
August 2nd & 3rd 2006
The main agenda of the day was to teach Mr. PK (One amongst my engg. College classmates) the art of playing cards (28)… he learnt many things & well taught the rest of us many more intricate things of the game… anyways in between it was time for the usual dumb-charades, in which aswell PK stole the show with each and every move of his… “Bhadra Chitta” & “Peruvanapurathe Visheshangall” were the lime lights & PK started to have a fan following in the entire boggie… And as usual PK was a “HIT” with the Children arnd… He learnt a few words in Hindi… “Machli Killa doongaa” “chooha bana dhoonga” from a 3 year old…
The train which had non-stop stops in kerala just sped thru the journey from Vadodara to Delhi & reached us with enuff time to have dinner & board the next train to Kalka… And well the greenery & scenary enroute was quite wonderful to say the least… But with the 2 tonsils glowing in the light like 2 headlight beams I had very little to do… Even the ice-creams served along with the lunch/dinner found its way into others mouth & tummy…
Delhi-Kalka
The next train was from a different station & v had to fled from H Nizamudin to Delhi ( Old Delhi) railway station in a taxi & v just had glimpses of the Capital in our onward journey. The station had enuff security just to scare us… Anyways boarded to find that v had a newly married couple amongst us in the coupe. Anyways v thought of leaving emm arnd… but my god the lady was a bit too much, maybe public display of love just turns her ON!!!... No idea but her hubby was a bit nervous with all these fellows looking on… And to stretch things a lill’ more she wanted a “GOOD NIGHT Ummaa”… Now she was laying on the MB & her hus on the LB… & Hari who was on the MB on the otherside asked me if he should interfere!!! Afterall she just wanted an Ummaaa naa… Maybe she thought that v would never understand anything in Hindi/English… V just kept on talking in Malayalam… Anyways it was too much for the hubby to handle when she told... "If u love me" and with soo much of ooggling... dont know how he controlled his romantic upsurges till then... Anyways v didn't have to interfere, they did what they wanted to... But well at the Changigarh station arnd 3.30 am when she again started of… as to which station that was… I had to let her know that it was Chandigarh!!! Well she was asking her hubby in Hindi & I answered her in English… Enuff for both of emm to alight… Arnd 5 am we reached Kalka…
4th August 2006 -The 1st unplanned move
At Kalka station after freshening up v came to understand that the only bus to Mandi and from there to Kullu just left at 5.30 am and v had to either catch a taxi or go back to Chandigarh!!!... So anyways made up the mind and caught a tempo trax towards Chandigarh… Chandigarh was what to tell… Well structured in every sense, be it be abt the ladies or the layout of city itself… & v reached just in time when ppl move arnd for office/college. And Panjaabi kudis where too hot for just our eyes to handle… So from sector 5 v caught the next bus to Kullu… A very very long and winding drive… v started arnd 10am and reached arnd 7 in the eve.
V came to understand one of the fascinating things about the Punjabi drivers & conductors… They never see if everybody has boarded back after any sort of a break… be it tea/lunch/natures call… Once their need is satiated… the bus just moves on and the unlucky fellows chase in taxis!!!
V had to fight our nerves back to get into the holiday home that v had booked, just cause the caretaker was on leave…
5th August 2006
We all visited the Manikaran hot springs… the route enroute kasolle, where many foreigners still hangout was full lush gree valleys, pine forests & the Parvathy river was just flowing with all its might… The rainy season was just on… V visited the Gurudwara & the temple a nd saw the hot springs… Ppl just put the pots filled with rice into the water and after some time take it out and they get “boiled rice”… life seems pretty economical there!!! Anyways can’t tell the same abt us… V just went into a store for buying a shawl for Hari & the bill read something more than 10K… The qualis was full by the time our shopping was over. And v gave PK enuff of a chance to take us to his frnds place and he welcomed the idea with both hands & took us on a round-trip of Kullu… He is a class act anywhere on this globe… Give him one chance and he will certainly take u on the wrong turn.
After all this came the dialogue of the tour… “Gaadi mein Chatri hone ki sambavana hein”… This was Mr. Hari talking with the Taxi Union agent, trying to make him understand that v had forgotten an umbrella in the quails that we had went to Manikaran. It took some while for the rest of us to stop laughing.
6th August 2006
The day was actually reserved for a visit to Rothang Pass, but v where advised better to go to Manalli alone and v did the same & left aside the dreams of playing in the ice… well there was no ice afterall… It was rainy season and everything was green rather than white… The trip was unhappening other than a big chunk of rock falling down on a tavera just before us… Nothing happened though… The driver became pretty unimpressed by the six of us… He was expecting 3 couples instead of 6 bachelors… Anyways he spoiled our mood aswell… The scenary was pretty familiar now with waterfalls, a river bursting from its own banks & greenery…Anyways with PK almost perfecting 28 we had lot of resources for playing cards…
7th August 2006
Kullu-Dharmasala… The trip was made in rickety small bus and with the sort of luggage that we were carrying the bus was almost full with it… The bus winded in and out thru small villages and mostly it was full… and one thing which remained the same was the green sceneries, the climb up & down, and people chasing down the bus after stoppages.
Evening arnd 5 pm the bus reached its destination & v had to find some place to rest & with Anoop taking on the batton from me with a soar throat and the temperatures dipping v had to do it fast… And after a long trekk and a few phone calls v arrange for one of the most interesting stays v enjoyed during the course of our journey. This was at the IQ at the telephone exchange & during the night I understood that PK was a terror even to sleep with. For dinner v had Momos both mutton & veg… It is like our dear oll’ kozhikottaa… but instead of the coconut filling they use mutton/veg.
8th August 2006
For breakfast the caretaker served us hot pooris & aloo and v had to stop him from making more…The day was slotted for visiting Mcleodganj, a beautiful Tibetan monastery and its nearby places… The trip to a big waterfall was halted duw to heavy down pour and the rest of the day was spend idling our time playing cards. During the night aswell the caretaker took care of food by making us roti and all of us were eating too much… During the entire course of the journey thankfully no one complained abt an upset stomach… But surely our pockets got upset with the way v ppl where gobbling down food.
9th August 2006
Got up very early in the morning and caught a bus to Amritsar… It was time for throwing away the warm dressings that we were carrying… Amritsar was searing with heat and well the rain followed us there aswell & it was a mixed atmosphere… V bundled out luggage in an exchange very near to the railway station & had a brunch in a Punjabi dhaba where I tried my luck drinking lassi… too much to handle, I just hate the taste of curd… Visited the Golden-Temple, the Jaliamwalla bagh & Sita mandir aswell.
Wagah border
It was arnd 4 pm that v reached the border village called wagah… The Lahore bound bus was aswell getting ready with passport/customs checking/clearance. The parade conducted everyday eve just reminds the ppl attending that there is something called to be an Indian… there is an India and so is there a Pakistan. It was a different feeling that went through me walking just about what u call the international border & it was for the first time that I have been just seeing a foreign nation… Some land which is not at all Indian in this century by any means & with the Pakistani military being just whisper away, its just a crazy feeling. Amidst the calls of Hindustan zindabad, Bharath Mathaa ki jai and the bugles flags of both the nation were lowered and respectfully put away and the gates closed for the day. Beyond that gate u are an INDIAN first everything else is secondary!!!
10th August 2006
Reached early in the morning at the New-Delhi railway station… U can tell that it was my second visit to the capital city, but this time I was there to stay!!! I hadn’t seen much of Delhi till then but all the major railway-stations were covered. Gave the taxi driver & then PK to take us in rounds around Ramesh Nagar, where v had arranged our stay. Just gave us enuff time just to freshen up and go hundting or in other words shopping during the day, the temperatures were too tough to handle but anyhow we went from shop to shop in the carol bagh market are, earlier v had a first time experience in the Delhi Metro, heard it is the coolest mode of public transport in India. Kolkotta metro is also good. V shopped & shopped & shopped and later visited canaught place and bid farewell to major shopping sprees & in effect Delhi aswell… The rest of the days where earmarked for tours originating from Delhi…
11th August 2006
The tour was getting more hectic as each day went by. The day was marked for Delhi local tour, thanx to the heat that everybody was dead tired by the time v reached the last location. Nothing much to write about history of the Qutub, nor abt the Lotus temple, the Teen Murthi Bhavan, Indiragandhi’s & Rajigandhi’s residence… Too much history my dear friends, and well history itself is too boring for me. Thankfully becz of the Independence day security arrangements the Red fort & the Raj gatt were out of bounds… So we wished ourselves a better luck next time arnd, there must be enuff reason to be back to some place naa… But if u want me to comment about Delhi… “Too much history has been laid to rest there!!! And I hate history”… And well the remark for Red fort went this way “Yeham se Prime Minister pandreh August ko New padthe hein”.
With enuff time to take a bath and freshen up before the long drive to Mussourie v rushed of from the nearest Metro station to Ramesh nagar, inbetween v had to switch trains at Rajiv Chowk & well PK again did it!!! Hari found a token laying astray at the Rajiv chowk platform and told the rest of us except PK & when v try to come out at the Ramesh Nagar station Pk was dancing trying to figure out which pocket he had deposited the token… well he was very quick to identify the hole thru which the token went missing. Anyways the security personal after seeing all this performance and the way in which he got ready to pay the fine even before he was actually asked to pay, let him thru!!!
Delhi-Mussoorie
The trip was made in a very small bus by any standards and the commuters all were complaining abt the lack of leg space and stuffs… If normal citizens have problem u can imagine abt me right… V already had a very long day in the same bus… but somehow during the night sleep caught me.
12th August 2006
Mussoorie was different concept, a city with all that u need; it even has barista & coffeeday outlets which I have not yet seen at Thiruvananthapuram. Enjoyed the trip arnd, went to some water falls, walked thru the city and well enjoyed the favourite pastime ‘cards’… During the time v were roaming arnd PK donned the roll of gabbar singh & Anoop of Tipu sultan, v had shooting practse and blasted balloons to our hearts fill; Brijesh & Anoop brought home some cards to play triks with aswell…
13rh August 2006
The return from Mussoorie was thru Rishikesh & Haridwar, few of us had a dip in the holy ganges, went to a hill top Chamundidevi temple as I remember in a ropeway and as usual had a very long & tiresome journey back… Nothing much to write abt other than the flow of the river… But for the barricades ppl entering the river would be found in the bay of Bengal. During the night found a very friendly aurorikshaw driver in Mr Bhola Singh who made the arrangements to bring us back early the next morning for our trip to Agra… Well the payment was a bit on the heavy side, but u can’t take liberties in Delhi that too during such high alert phases. During the night the electricity failed and well v spent a sleepless night owing to a very hot & humid atmosphere… even trying to sleep on the terrace was foiled…
14th August 2006
Anyways getting up early and leaving arnd 5.15 am seemed a hard task, but the power failure made it sure that everyone was ready and raring to go before time… The trip to Agra was to be made in a Volvo bus and most of the onward journey was spent sleeping of… By the time v reached Agra fort everyone was once again fresh… The guide shoed us around was telling too many nonsenses… later took us to some place & most of us came back with miniature models of the TAJ… Later had a look inside the TAJ itself. Anyways had a small exchange of words with the CISF personals manning the security of the TAJ, u can take the camera inside, u can take the pouch aswell but not the camera cable which comes along… don’t know which rascal made such idiotic rules… Agreed that I cant be doing anything with the cable inside, but surely can anyone give me what wrong I can do with a USB cable!!! In the night Mr Bhola Singh was again waiting for us… Don’t know y people gets tired after each day’s tour!!! But this time arnd v were running short of time… packed up everything in the night before v slept, again the power failure loomed large but thankfully it was not as serious as the previous day…
15th August 2006
The return train from H. Nizamudin was at arnd 11 am and v decided with the luggage that v were carrying and with the possible security checking at the railway station v thought of making our trip to the station early in the day… But anyways the 7 am planning got deferred to arnd 8 am as all of us got ready and set to move… 2 autodrivers where convinced to take us to the station… and with each of the “TOURIST” now carrying minimum of 3 baggage it was a tight call… we started from Tvm with abt single baggage per head…
The big scare
August 15th morning in Delhi, the traffic was very lean and well the route leading to the railway station went through the VVIP area, and with all of the bureaucrats, MPs, Ministers, and their escorts ll moving arnd an entire area was cordoned of… and v started moving from one road to the other and in roundabouts searching for an exit… And one of the police officials told that all barricades would be removed by arnd 11 am… & we had our train starting at the same time… so much for getting to the station early… Anyways it was just a comment & the truth was that the barricades were removed arnd 9 am itself and we reached the station well in time… The police personals manning the security & verifications understood that v were just tourists… but anyways duty is duty and they checked the baggaes without causing much issues…
The journey back
The journey back in the Rajadhaani was a bit more happening from my side. I was more active and well now most of the food found its way into my stomach… after giving sufficient tips to the pantry people we where fed with enuff chicken & rotti… And for the information of those who have reached this much, please prefer a vegetarian break-fast to a non-veggie. Cause u will get bread & omlete for non-veggie, but for the vegetarians they give bread, butter, jam and another pack of uppuma&vada/kesar or cutlets!!! V made note of this on the first day morning itself when the lone veggie amongst us Mr Brijesh was the only one smiling… the rest had a very very hungry stomach to deal with till afternoon…
The return journey was as well spent mainly with playing cards & dumb-charades, and the delicacies of the happening of another tour together!!! With a few amongst the tourists already having… “FOR SALE” boards hanging arnd the neck… I am still planning for the next tours…
Heard Munnar Neelakurrunji’s have blossomed and it’s quit a sight to see…
As someone told… “Life is a journey”… I am just implementing it…!!!
posted by Binush @ 6:03 AM
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