When I Don't Even Think of Travel!

Bharmour (Himachal Pradesh, India)- December 2005

How I hate those days when I can't manage to even think of travel. This is one such spell. Should not last too much longer.

PS. I got that UK visa. So, a trip is on cards now, tough it won't be vacation as such.

No One in Sight!

A Small Bus Stop Near Bharmour

We went to Bharmour in December 2005. I remember it was damn cold. I was going through the old photographs and found this one. We were walking from Bharmour to Hadsar and on the way we crossed this luggage waiting for a bus with no one else in sight. I mean, in bigger cities we can't even dream of leaving anything unattended.

The Five Hilarious Travel Photo Contest

When I stumbled upon 'The Five Hilarious Travel Photo Contest' I said "why not!" So here I go.

The photo below was taken when we were doing a little bit of shopping in Leh (Ladakh, India). Till date we are clueless what does the sign Useless Wali (Useless One) means. Googling doesn't help much either.

The second photo was taken again in the main market of Leh (Ladakh, India). I was asking these mild looking ladies (in Hindi) if I could take a photograph of them. My husband has a practice of standing 10 feet away from me on such occasions. To my surprise, the third lady from the left almost shouted her "NO" at me. There were two other gentlemen on the scene and they too looked a bit taken aback, though being foreigners to India they could only have guessed what was going on. Crestfallen, I started walking away. Then she called me back again and asked if I wanted to photograph her alone or the entire group? When I said the entire group, she smiled and said I could take one.

The two gentlemen sensing a change in the mood asked me if they too could take a photograph. I acted the interpreter and the ladies said yes to them too. One of them ran and sat next to the ladies. And here is the picture I got after a little bit of scolding. But the best part is after putting it at my blog (earlier) I got a comment form a person saying he knows the second person from the left in the picture. It is a small world.

The third photo was taken on our journey to Bharmour (Himachal Pradesh, India). We had these two goats as our fellow passengers in the bus. I will have to add, they were very well behaved even if a little bit smelly.

In this fourth picture my husband strikes a pose with a buffalo (I guess so) skull that he found on the Kuari Pass trek (Uttranchal, India). What wonders does spending time with nature does to people!

And here we are in Sikkim (India) when our jeep skidded a bit on the snow. There were only two women passengers including myself and the menfolk decided that they could push the jeep out on their own. I was happy to get the opportunity to take the picture.

Things We Say

Clicked this one as we were walking from Bharmour to Dhanchow, which is almost half way to Mani Mahesh in December 2005. Even though both of us are not religious in particular, the quote in itself always brings a smile to my face. There was no one for miles around, no sensible person would venture here in freezing December and suddenly we came across this. Kind of difficult to say what I am trying to say, so I will leave you just with the picture.

For those who don't understand Hindi here goes my poor translation: God may be slow to deliver justice but it is quite just. See it all gets lost in translation!

Steve left the exact saying in the comment section: The wheels of justice grind slowly, But they grind exceeding fine. Steve you must have guessed it from my poor translation, or is it that you can read Hindi?

Traveling by the State Transport Buses in India

Remember Mr. & Mrs Iyer? If you have seen the movie (and it is a decent movie IMHO) the bus journey and the characters feel so authentic. Well, that kind of guitar playing and song singing happens when you travel by, what we call in India, 2X2 luxury buses. I will give you an account of what happens when you travel by a state transport bus to a hill station in the Himalayas.

This is an account of our return journey Chamba to Pathankot (we actually went all the way to Bharmour).

To begin with, on our return journey too we had a few goats in the bus as our companions. While we were going to Bharmour, there was enough space in the bus to turn around and click a photograph of the goats on the return journey the bus was pretty crowded.

The view most of the time was fabulous but H and I, both have motion sickness and take medicine for it. Avomine leaves us completely zonked, H more than me. It hardly leaves us in any mood to appreciate the scenery (once again, H is more oblivious) but at least we do not vomit all through the journey. The same cannot be said about our fellow passengers.



On this bus, people occupying the two rows in front of us were vomiting away throughout the journey. It was December and it was cold. We all liked to keep the windows shut. When the window two rows ahead would go up, it would mean that the lady was getting ill. She had a young child, a husband and a mother-in-law traveling with her and I sort of felt sorry for her. To make the matters worse, the lady sitting ahead of us decided she was feeling better when the window was rolled up. I did not like the nasty wind that came in but what could I do if an old nauseas lady wanted to open the window? Those who are familiar with the Indian state transport buses will know that many a time’s people sitting in the front row share more than half of the window with you. Well, such was our fate that day. The lady in front kept the window open and the cold wind would make my nose red.



But much more was in store for me that day than just a red nose. Suddenly the lady two rows ahead too open her window (that meant she was getting ill and on a moving bus whatever goes out of the window comes back) and by the time we could get the window next to me (the same one we shared with the lady who wanted to keep it open) closed in came a shower of vomit and sprayed me. I clenched my teeth (by this time I felt I would join the gang and start throwing up myself but Avomine is not prone to sentiments and it held firm) and cleaned myself as well as I could with the water we had on a moving bus. To say that I was in a foul mood is an understatement. Inwardly, I was cursing my husband (he is a software engineer and we can afford to travel in much more luxury) but he has to drag me to god forsaken places (but that is how I get such good photo opportunities) with such inconvenient journeys (remember we had goats too in the aisle sitting quite close).

Anyway, we reached Pathankot after 5 uncomfortable and long hours. I took out the long coat I was wearing (that still had the traces of the cleaned up vomit) and cleaned myself more thoroughly.

Then at 9.30 in the night we boarded a train to Delhi. We were traveling sleeper class (when H is around such things happen) and to my surprise our co-passengers were the same lady with the kid and the husband and the mother-in-law. I said I was so sorry (in Hindi) that she got so ill on the bus and actually one can buy a medicine and that stops the vomiting due to the motion sickness. And pat she replied, yes she is aware of it but could not buy it because they were in a hurry to board the bus. The next minute I opened my sleeping bag, hopped to the top berth and started reading a novel and did not speak a word to anyone till we reached Delhi in the morning.

Rajdhani Hotel, Bharmour, Himanchal Pradesh, India

It has been such a long time since I traveled anywhere. My last trip was to Bharatpur this January and before that to Bharmour in December 2005. Nothing seems possible before June now. Before I travel next, what I want to tell is the tale of a hotel from Bharmour.

When we arrived in Bharmour one cold December afternoon, we had no idea where to stay. We were depending on the friendly tout (who turn out to not so friendly at occasions) to direct us to a hotel. When we stepped down the bus, we were the only tourist around (the joys of traveling in the off-season to otherwise crowded places in India) and nobody could have cared less. There were just two roads leading into the sleepy town and we randomly selected one. It took us to this beautiful Chaurasi Temple complex.

The Chaurasi Temple Complex

A group of men were having tea near the entrance and H asked them to suggest a hotel room. They pointed out to a building across the road and sent someone in search of the owner. After 15 minutes a young lad came with the keys and my husband went to have a look. We do not look for luxury when it comes to hotel rooms in 'off the beaten track' places but H knows what bare minimum I expect (and that is just one thing, the room should not stink) and this one did not pass the test.

We were told that the Rajdhani Hotel is the best in town and with one person guiding us through shortcuts we headed towards it. However, when we reached the place it was locked and there was not a soul around. After waiting for quite sometime we became impatient and decided to try another place. Our guide took us to a tea house (Dhaba) that rented out a few rooms too. I was not too happy with it (for one, it has no attached baths) but for the time being we decided to dump our luggage there and stuff a few parathas at a dhaba across the road. The owner of that place started chatting with us and we were lamenting the lack of a proper room when suddenly another member having tea there identified himself as the owner of the Rajdhani Hotel! We told him we wanted a room at his place. He was reluctant; he didn’t want to be seen as stealing business from his fellow folks. We assured him we would pay the lady one days rent (it was a pittance by city standards) and then move.

The Rajdhani Hotel

We later moved to the Rajdhani Hotel and we were the only guests. The place had hot water and a basic clean room. But it also gave us something free. We did not feel its presence the first day. Then we left for Hadsar. When we came back to Rajdhani hotel again, H got up that night and put our bag inside the cupboard, telling me there was something in the room. I was too sleepy to pay him much attention. When I woke up in the morning, I asked him where our bag has vanished. He reminded me to look in the cupboard and as soon as I opened it, a mouse leaped out of it. H had packed the bag along with the mouse inside the cupboard. I am scared stiff of anything that moves on four or more legs (or without legs, sometimes even of what moves on two legs or a few wheels too) and it jolted me wide awake. The idea that the creature had a free time inside our clothes and stuff did not leave me amused but there was not much I could do. Given the penchant for the kind of the places we visit, I think I will meet one of its folks somewhere again.

Travelling to Bhamour, Hadsar and Half Way to Mani Mahesh in Himanchal Pradesh, India

We took a train from old Delhi railway station to Pathankot Decebmer 23, 2005. We reached Pathankot the next day 4 hours after the scheduled time. We stuffed Aloo-Parathas (Indian Stuffed Bread) in a hotel next to the bus stand and then took a bus to Chamba. We stayed in Chamba at the night. Next day we started for Bharmour. From Chamba, Bharmour is a 3-3.5 hour ride and for part of the way, we had these goats as co-passengers in the bus.

Goats in the Bus

Bharmour is a sleepy village and quite cold in winter. When we got down from the bus, no one approached us and this lack of touts bewildered us completely. We took a road in search of a hotel and we arrived at a temple complex called Chaurasi Complex. A group of people guided us to a hotel (Rajdhani Hotel) that was locked. We dumped our luggage in a small room adjacent to a Dhaba (small food shop) and went to have tea. There at the tea shop we met the owner of Rajdhani Hotel by accident and he took us back and we were the only guests in the entire hotel.

Chaurasi Temple Complex

Next day, we decided to walk for 12 kilometers and visit the next village Hadsar. Jeeps are available on this route but we still decided to walk as it provides better photo opportunities. The owner of the Rajdhani Hotel asked us to leave the excess baggage in the room and the keys to the room on a ledge! And he recommended another guesthouse in Hadsar. One of the first photographs I took was of this road side temple and prayer flags.

Prayer Flags

The way was a proper jeep road but with very little traffic. I had ample opportunity to use my camera. This tree on the edge also caught my attention.

On the Edge?

Being December, it was freezing cold and I have proof below. But walking kept the cold at bay and the smell of pine all around kept the mood pleasent.

Ice and Grass

Next to catch my attention was this trick of sunlight. If you travel by a jeep or a bus, it is very difficult to catch such moments.

Trick of Light

After walking for 10 kilometers I started feeling tired and was dragging by feet for the last two kilometers. The sight of Shanti Gueshouse at Hadsar was a welcome one. After having tea and a late lunch we started exploring the village and soon enough we landed near this stream.

Looking through the Water

Next day, we planned to climb up for 6 kilometers on the way to the pilgrimage route of Mani Mahesh. . People at the Shanti Guest House told us that after 6 kilometers, we would reach a village Dhanchow and beyond that the route would be lost in the snow. The weather was bad the next day and it looked as if it would snow. Still, we decided to go ahead. The trail is well marked so we were on our own. As we gradually gained height, more snow-capped peaks were visible.

His Majesty: The Mountain

After five kilomerets, we reached a waterfall and parts of it had frozen solid. I had half a mind to return from here but there were many rocks free of snow and ice and we could push further. We finally went all the way to Dhanchow. The weather turned bad there and it started snowing lightly. We decided to run back quickly. The snow stopped falling after a while and the day cleared somewhat. We reached back safely and in good time.

Frozen Waterfall

I debated with H if we should walk back or take a jeep to Bharmour the next day. We finally decided to walk back 12 kilometers again.

On our way back to Pathankot, our bus made an unscheduled stop and this was the view outside. And some other photographs of this trip are here.