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Travel Tales From India
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Himalayan Bulbul at Barog
A Himalayan Bulbul at Barog, Himachal Pradesh
The bread that you see in the picture was a deliberate attempt to attract birds. It was part of our breakfast but turned out to be quite stale. I threw it out and waited a little far away to see if a bird would come looking for it as food. Sure enough this Bulbul came and posed for me. Later a cat took the bread piece away.
I was showing my Barog story to Brat 1 and Brat 2 and I wanted them to pay particular attention to the last photograph where Steve has written the following caption-
MridulaDwivedi with Dilip and Sunil, also known as Brat One and Brat Two
The brats reacted, we will give Bua (aunt in Hindi) a name on our Face Book!
Then on this Barog trip we were taking a train back from Solan to Barog where we barely had standing space. Brat 2 had put his hands against the wall over me in aisle and he could so easily place it over my head. Brat 1 was standing next to Brat 2 quite close to the door.
I mean it feels only yesterday when they were knee high and just by standing in front of them I could block them effectively from taking a basket ball shot.
Then I remember the younger one standing in front of a guy who was six three with his hands raised to prevent him from taking a shot at the ring and his hands would not even reach the other player's shoulders.
And today they are polite to me and me take my shots at the ring or else they just have to stand in front of me!
PS. There is a coach on the toy trains that takes water to Shimla from other stations because there is a shortage of water at Shimla. When the train gets full people travel in the water compartment too!
The Barog Tunnel is the longest tunnel (1144 meters/3752 feet) on the Kalka-Shimla route. The name of the English engineer in charge of its construction was, unsurprisingly, Barog.
However, the original tunnel built by him is at a distance of 1 km and the two ends of that tunnel didn’t meet. He was fined Rupee 1 (.02 cents or so) for this mistake and due to shame he committed suicide.
When we were returning from Barog, we had this entire railcar to us! It was going back empty and the Barog station master arranged for three tickets for us. When we were at Barog and saw the railcar for the first time and Brat 2 said, "How would it be if we had the entire thing for us!" So when it happened by chance on our way back I told him so. He immediately had another wish, "Now if we could only have the entire Shatabdi Express Coach to us."
Arch Gallery Bridge Between Sonwara and Dharampur on Kalka Shimla Rail Line
I know the picture is not quite striking but the Arch Bridge is actually quite striking. We were coming back from Barog to Kalka in the Railcar and I was looking in the opposite direction. The driver of the Railcar reduced the speed and looked in the direction of the bridge without saying a word. The three of us were immediately hooked. I tried clicking pictures but the railcar had gathered speed again. I immediately told my nephews, "I wish I would walk along the entire Kalka Shimla route and click pictures to my hearts content. And how wonderful it would be if we could camp at the stations at the night!"
I have a feeling that this plan would always remain in thoughts but what a lovely thought it is!
(Difficult to translate but would sound like, if it has to be a cold drink then it has to be Coca Cola)
Though not for me, I do not like any fizzy cold drinks. I took this picture at Barog Station in Himachal Pradesh when the oty train to Shmila made a scheduled stop.
I have to say I almost take all my pictures breathlessly! And when they turn out to be even marginally good, I thank my lucky stars! I know this is not much of a discussion as far as photography techniques go, but it is actually quite close to truth!
We were taking lunch at a Dhaba near the railway station at Barog. And this tractor that invited everyone to honk was parked nearby! And yet I get annoyed when people honk at me. I mean half of us (OK maybe much less than half) somehow believe that honking is bad manners but the other half (OK maybe much more than half) believes in the message on the tractor!
The Crimson Sunbird is a regular at the Barog Station and I could always spot it among these flowers. Makes for a very pretty picture and it is such a pleasure to watch. However, it won't sit still at all and hence very difficult to photograph.
Well, you can make out immediately, I have improvised that name! If you know the name, please let me know. There was a jungle full of them behind the station. I went down the stepped terrace fields towards the tress filled with the birds and they would find the most obscure corners of the trees with every branch and leave obscuring the view.
I spent a lot of time at the Barog Station and watched the toy trains come and go to my hearts content. Barog is also home to the longest tunnel on the Kalka Shimla route (part of which you see in the video) which is a little more than a kilometer long.
Around 10.00 am (on 11/09/2009) we were chatting with a railway official. He said there were no trains coming to the station till 11.00 am that day. Brat 1 and I (Brat 2 was still asleep) decided to walk inside the tunnel and cross it. It was dark after a while inside the tunnel. I switched on the light of my mobile phone and placed it close to the tracks. I could see their faint outline of the tracks and walk along. Thus we walked for what seemed like the mid way of the tunnel.
Suddenly Brat 1 called out, "Bua (aunt) there is a train coming this way, I can hear it." I moved the light from my mobile around and saw a shelter (an arch within the tunnel inside which you can stand and the train can safely pass) right next to where we were standing. We happily went into it and the Railcar passed by us. Brat 1 refused to go any further and insisted that we head back and that is what we did.
We headed for the tea stall and asked for the tea from the proprietor. Three tourists staying at the Barog Station came along and asked me, "Ma'am what happened inside the tunnel when the train came?" I told them that the shelter was right at our hand, we went in and the Railcar passed. They replied, "The station master was quite worried about an accident and was scolding everyone around that why did they let us go inside!"
Then they asked the tea shop proprietor what would happen if we had not found a shelter? The proprietor thought that chances of an accident were very high. Another person who was at the tea shop was of the view that there is sufficient space for the train to pass if we just stood flat against the wall. We of course wish to believe the second version but we are in no hurry to check out which one is correct. The group of three gentlemen told us, "You should party tonight, it was a narow escape."
We actually did not party nor did it feel like a narrow escape. I did not tell this on phone to my dad who is an ex railwayman. But when I did today he was not pleased at all.
I can only say I do not wish to repeat this experience. But then the smallest of the kids around Barog have crossed that tunnel ...
View from our Room at the Shivalik Cottage, Railway Station, Barog, Himachal Pradesh
I have managed to upload the pictures from Barog and the nearby places now. I wish I could identify all those birds. I think I am developing a fondness for clicking birds but what a difficult subject they are! They always hide behind a lot of leafs and can't sit still even for a moment! The detailed writing of the trip would be over the weekend but there are so many stories to tell in between! Have to catch up with the comments too.
I started 'Travel Tales from India' my India Travel Blog quite reluctantly. But it has become an anchor for my writing now. I use this blog to write 'off topic' stuff too.
I have two passions, to travel in India (mostly) and then talk about it. My second passion is reading.
My India travel blog was once linked at BBC and The Guardian. All my stories published at Gonomad can be viewed from this writer profile page. Interested in more India Travel Blogs?
