Rappling- A Few of the 'Adventure' Stuff I Have Done

Rappling Down a Rock, Sankari, Har-Ki-Doon Base Camp 2004

I had clicked this picture for our camp leader (and who turned out to be a good friend too, he visited us more than once when he has been in Delhi) on the Har-Ki-Doon trip. I too tried this activity and came down the rock without too much of a sweat. Then my younger nephew tried it and he slipped, got up and then came down. Unfortunately there are no pictures of ours.

That reminds me, during this trek, I had a very nasty Yashika film camera that used to jam the film at will. And you guessed it right, when we started walking from Seema to Har-Ki-Doon, the most most beautiful day of the walk, that damn camera jammed. That is when our camp leader handed us his digital camera for the rest of the trek. I mean that was really large hearted of him and whenever I remember this trek, I do think of his gesture with a lot of fondness.

Bhulla Tal, Lansdowne Uttrakhand

Bhulla Tal, Lansdowne, Uttrakhand

This summer is the most unpromising in terms of travel (though it looks quite promising work wise, I am really trying hard not to complain, no really I am trying). So, on many days, I end up looking at the old pictures and drool.

When we actually visited the Bhulla Tal in Lansdowne we were not really impressed. The lake is small, and all those toy boats looked, umm, not my kind of a place (though let me add that this lake has actually been dug by army personnel and has not formed due to nature). My kind of a place is Prashar Lake or Pangong Lake.

But ask me now, any kind of lake will do as long as it has hills in the backdrop. And if it is at the high altitude all the more better! I know I have been cribbing a lot these days about the lack of travel but then in the last five years it has never happened. So, just one or two posts more and I will settle down but the question is to writing down what?

Hotel Hunting in Lansdowne

Mayur Lodge, Lansdowne (The Building with the Flags)

It feels like ages since we visited Lansdowne and not just the last month. The best part was that we had as usual showed up without a hotel booking in town. The good folks at Indiamike had warned me that there are just three to four hotels in Lansdowne and at times one can't find even a single room vacant.

From our research at Indiamike we knew that the Fairydale was supposed to be the best place in Lansdowne. We asked for directions and started walking that way. On the way we also saw the GMVN accommodations. On reaching the Fairydale property we found that it was completely booked. We decided to try our luck at the next best place, the GMVN. The caretaker at the GMVN told us that the same group that was staying at Fairydale had taken the rooms at GMVN too and it was booked solid. So we were left with no options but try our luck at the Mayur Lodge that was suggested as the last option at Indiamike. Of course, we got a room there and they too charged us Rs. 500 for the room, knowing that everything else was booked. Apart from these two, a new one has come up by the name of Blue Pine but it is 3-4 kilometers away from the main city and we did not want to walk that much with the Avomine still taking its toll on us. At Indiamike people also say another resort is coming up 3-4 kilometers away in the other direction, but we came to know about this only after coming back.

Did we learn our lesson from this and pre-book our next trip? You bet not! But the problem is that I really can't see a next trip (I know this happens so rarely). And how I need it!

The Lover's Lane Saga- Lansdowne

Fast Asleep- Lover's Lane Lansdowne

Sesha and I reached Lansdowne on Saturday morning and after dumping our luggage in Mayur Lodge (shabby place, hotel hunting is another tale to share about this trip) we as usual started walking around the town. We reached a small shade where a young girl (college going) was standing alone admiring the view. She started chatting with us, asking where were we from etc. After a while we decided to walk ahead, saw the sign the lover's lane and decided to explore it. After walking for about five minutes Sesha decided that he was still quite zonked on Avomine, found a sunny patch and decided to catch up on sleep (the picture above is the proof). I too was zonked but not as bad as him and I told him I am walking in the lane. He asked me to come back in around half an hour.

I walked ahead and found the view quite soothing. Walking on narrow twisting kaccha rasta (mud path) with just my thoughts for company is always a refreshing change from trying to cram 100 things in a day in my city life. OK, it may not be 100 things in a day actually but at times it feels just like that.

Soon enough I found the young girl whom I met near the shade with a young guy walking from the opposite side. She refused to catch my eye this time and I must say they made a cute pair. I continued on my walk and returned after an hour or so to find Sesha still peacefully sleeping at the same spot.

Looked Like A Doll's House- Lansdowne

This small house was quite near the city center (which is pretty run down) in Lansdowne. Nearby was a tea shop (you got it right, we had our evening tea there) and next to it some benches from where one could see the sun set. I liked the bright color of the roof and the way this house resembled a doll's house! I wonder if anyone lived there?

That Morning Cup of Tea!

Welcome to Lansdowne, Bus Stop .5 Km away, that is what the board in Hindi

We visited Lansdowne, a small hill station in Uttrakhand around February 10. The nearest railway station to Lansdowne is Kotdwar. Mussoorie Express is the train we took from Old Delhi Railway Station. And this time for a change instead of hiring a taxi to the Old Delhi Railway Station we hired one just up to Dwarka Metro Station. From there we took the metro to the Old Delhi Railway Station. This was our first metro ride in Delhi and I must say 'please mind the gap' was a constant here too. I liked the metro ride for the simple reason that it goes in a straight line, rather than a taxi that has to break, honk and swerve through the traffic.

For a change, we were traveling in AC III (Sesha loves the sleeper class) and the train deposited us at Kotdwar right in the morning, when it was not even daybreak. In fact, the Kotdwar station is so small that for a few minutes we did not know the train has actually stopped at the platform.

And then we got down, zonked and sleepy because we took the Avomine before, thinking it may wear off soon if we took it the night before instead of taking it just before the jeep ride from Kotdwar to Lansdowne. And I anyway wakeup like a fish out of water in the morning.

And that is when that morning cup of tea is all that you can think of. We headed out of the station looking for the tea and were immediately surrounded by shared taxi drivers heading to Lansdowne. We promised one of them that we were coming back after a cup of tea. Ten meters outside the station, there was the chaiwala and we headed straight to his thela. Then the ritual started. There were three other people waiting for their morning cup of tea. The chaiwala poured already hot water in the pan. Then came his own masala (and I believe it is this that makes every corner tea shop different from the other) that would go into the tea. A little milk and tea leaves and the magic drink was ready. As I started sipping it, the day also started breaking over. As I finished the tea, I had started feeling almost human once again. And soon enough we were inside the taxi, heading to Lansdowne.

Pictures from Lansdowne

St. Mary's Church, Lansdowne

Well, this one is going to be a delayed travelogue. I have not been able to put even captions on the pictures. But have a look at the Lansdowne pictures anyway. I was not lucky enough to see the snow capped peaks. Still, a break is a break but it is difficult to believe that I was away from this hectic pace.

Back from Lansdowne

Lover's Lane- Lansdowne (No I have no clue why it is called Lover's Lane)

We took a short, Avomine filled break to Lansdowne. Ideally we would have liked to spend a few days more, but when given a choice between a hectic short break and not taking a break at all we would choose a short hectic one every time. I will have to say I have been to more scenic places but then a break is a break and it was wonderful.

How Does Jim Corbett Sound as a Destination?

We are thinking of heading to the Jim Corbett national Park later in Feb. The major factor is the amount of leave available to me (another new semester has started) and we do not want to go too far. If you have been there do let me know how did you find the place.