McLeod Ganj memoir - Day 3

Last night ended in the Sundowner café (which we have started to claim as our own sunset watching café now) discussing a lot of plans for the trip. But just as we woke up this morning, an impromptu version of the plan has taken over. We find ourselves climbing up to the Nag temple and the Gallu Flagview point. Just as we start on the trail, a bunch of big monkeys with black faces and long tails appear out of nowhere! I had no idea they had monkeys on this hill, they must have appeared to acknowledge the ape in us. I must mention, they are very behaved. They only chatter and jump around in the trees and never bother us.

Nag Temple

The Nag temple is very unique, a bunch of snake statues with their hoods flared up is established inside the temple - very mystic. What is even more mesmerising is the view of the Dhauladhaar range at the backdrop of this temple that you can see from up here. A perfect morning treat to the eyes! There are chains of flags tied from the trees and electric poles in one part of this hill. We visit this colourful part, thinking it must be the Flagview point. But you see, we are super clever people and easy things don't appeal to us. So instead of asking the only other person who is around, we decide by ourselves to climb a completely different path on the mountain. So, we set off on this path. We continue for quite a while. Ofcourse, this doesn't lead us anywhere. Flagview point is indeed the point with many flags!

Dhauladhaar range view from Flagview point

Now, we are back in time for some breakfast. I'm sitting in the front yard of our BnB and Pawan (our caretaker) is about to serve us his special ginger tea to which we are a bit addicted now! After a sumptuous meal of aloo paratha, we are about to hike our way to the Gallu waterfalls. People are saying, that's a tricky trail!

View from the trail.
Sadly, we were too focused and forgot to take a snap of the actual trail! :/

'Tricky trek teaches trekking techniques' - that's the tongue twister we have come up with on our way back from the waterfalls, summing up the experience in a way! The trail to the falls is indeed a tricky one but it is just so exciting - big boulders, narrow trail, slippery path, broken mountain rocks, loose gravels, tree roots shooting up - like a proppa engagement with Nature! And crossing all these tricky bits, when you reach the waterfall, the clear aqua green water simply takes your heart away!

Gallu Waterfalls!

It's amazing how Nature brings out the little child in you. We are absolutely thrilled. We have splashed water on our faces, tested our cold tolerance level in the water, dipped and dashed water in our feet, smiled and laughed to our hearts content! Gushing over the gargling waterfalls, we make our way back to our very own Sundowner café. It lies on the same trail that leads to the Gallu waterfalls and so inevitably, we have to end the hike with a sit-down at this café; this time, however, for lunch. Someone described Gallu waterfalls as a hidden gem - so very true!

A last dip in the water before the return

McLeod Ganj memoir - Day 2

And the leg day has arrived! Ah, how I hate the throb in my calf muscles and how I love the view that it brings! How I have missed this...the feeling of being one with Nature, the smell, the touch, the sweat, the nerve, the peace and the thud in my heart!

Valley view on the way to Triund

Triund Trek has to be one of the best day hikes. It has so much variety starting from the winding trails to rocky boulders to rolling green meadow and then the climax being the majestic snow-walled peaks right in front of you..so close that you might just leap into it.

Cloud cover even before I could capture the peaks!

My eyes shot open at about 5 in the morning. I still hear a slow rumble from the sky. I check on my cousin. He is still deep in sleep. Should I wake him up? Will it be right to go to the top today? I ask our caretaker, Pawan. He doesn't seem too enthused either. My heart sinks. So does my cousin's. It's his first ever trek. And he's childlike-excited. I come out on the porch, looking out into the valley, pondering. As I stand still there, suddenly, a big sparkling rainbow covers the entire width of the valley! I don't believe in signs generally but this, i will take! Next, a bounty of sunshine appears from nowhere. Without hesitating any further, we gather a pair of sticks and rain jackets and start our hike.

And when the tree trunks dance!

As we climb our way up, sometimes amidst a long queue of sheep, sometimes sharing a happy smile with the lamas and the monks (they are all from Vietnam but my cousin disagrees. I know I'm right!) and other visitors who we meet on our walk, sometimes stomping our feet over a spread of sheep poo - each turn of the mountain keeps offering us stunning valley views with the Dhauladhaar range playing a constant peekaboo. Towards the last 1Km or so, the trail gets all the more confusing and rocky. We continue searching the cue for way forward and keep walking. In due time, we reach the top, welcomed by a few ponies and a magnificent view of the range! The clouds still hang around the peaks making them appear a bit blunt and hazy. But even so, we are spellbound. In my mind, I can imagine how mesmerising it will be in a clear sky, possibly during sunrise or a sunset! A mental note to do a proppa camping here, whilst we enjoy the current view. And just as if to make us acknowledge our share of sunshine, the weather turns from sunny to cloudy and the view of the peaks change to offer a more mystic perspective. There's always a lot to take in and the atmospheric appearance is another level altogether. Within a short span of time, we lose the majestic peaks behind the cloud but they continue to tickle us with a quick glimpse every now and then. The Moon peak appears to be towering over us , easily stealing the highlight of the day! We walk around aimlessly for a while. My cousin not knowing how to contain his excitement, buys two bags of chips at an exuberant price from one of the shacks, to celebrate and refuel ourselves! Not the greatest fuel food but you got to give it to his vain attempt to contain his fast beating heart!

Approaching Triund

Just when we decide to start our descent, the weather turns a notch more and 'ole' starts. Oh! The delight at first to see the entire green valley getting covered with droplets of icy bubbles! The towering peaks change to a cloudy moving mass, as if watching us play with this sudden shower of hails! And boy! do they hit hard! We reach this one turn of the mountains where it opens up to a huge valley and path contours all around the valley forming a big 'U' shape. At this part, the ole feels like thousands of rocks being hurled! It happily pricks the skin and bone out of us for a good 30 to 40 minutes. The weather luckily turns again! And this time, it offers us a peaceful, dry climate. From ecstasy to mercy - it's a good journey throughout the day!

'ole' has taken over the green meadow!

P.S: Whilst on this hike to Triund top, we met several people on the way but there was this one particular person who stands out by high standards! He marched all the way up as if on a military mission. Me and my cousin had stopped to soak in the first view of the Moon peak on the trail, when this man appeared. He paid no heed to the peak view by which we were at awe! There were waterfalls on the way, little gurgling streams, tiny birds creating a flutter, lines of goat and sheep munching on juicy grass, peaks peeking from some turn or the other but none of that distracted this guy ! He simply marched on and on with a bird's eye focus! Curious case that my cousin had taken up the responsibility to explore!

The first view of the Moon peak from the trail

All's well that ends well. So, now that we are back to the bottom of the trail, every moment feels precious - from the peeking Moon Peak to the hurling hail storm, from the bite of the Snickers at the top to the soft moving cloud - every experience seems to be adding to our continuous wonder. You know that feeling...when you keep getting amazed even when the moment's gone?

Contemplation...

McLeod Ganj memoir - Day 1

A late night flight to Delhi, then a long sit down at the airport and then another flight to Dharamshala...my back has started to complain. As I lazily stare outside the window of my flight heading to Dharamshala, suddenly a big bold block of snow capped range pops up into the view! And then the entire Dhauladhaar range appears in its full glory. A perfect welcome! This is one of the prettiest airports I have seen so far - with the zesty green grass along the runway and the white snowy wall at the backdrop.

Kangra/Dharamshala Airport

As I step out of the airport, my little cousin who has become quite a grown up now and is out on his first trekking trip, gives me a loud cheer. Exhausted by the long journey, our tummies start grumbling. We venture out on an unknown stroll in search of food when we find this cutesy café playing 'Om Mani Padme Ohm'. Can't be better than this! We go in. The café serves us a specialty bao, phad thai noodles and a strawberry-orange concoction. Not sure if it is the lack of food or a lot of food after a long gap, but what follows hereafter is a lot of nonsensical laughter!

Refreshing

This then leads to a long amble through busy honking streets, narrow steep lanes, buzzing market area and finally, the Nemgyal monastery. The monastery doesn't seem as peaceful as the others you might experience in Sikkim yet it has its own unique vibe. My cousin spends the entire time establishing everyone in red robes as the Dalai Lama and calling out to them! Sometimes, I pretend not to know him in public! By the time we are completely out of juice, we get a taxi to our bnb and check in.

Nemgyal Monastery

An instant energy kicks in! After the busy McLeodGanj, this place tucked in a little corner in Upper Dharamkot, is a picture of serenity. After a quick freshening up, aided by some pedha and Kolkata nostalgia, we stroll down to Gallu temple which is just a stone throw away from our place. We walk a few trails leading to the Gallu waterfall and settle in a café called 'Sundowner café' with two cups of strong milky coffee. The evening starts to set in, the orange hue floods the sky , the strong heat of the Sun vanishes amidst a chilling cold breeze. With lots of beaming plans and a plate full of hot food straight out of the kitchen, we call it a day.

View from the room balcony

P.S. We got chased by a cow on our way back from the café! Now some might tell you that the calm and quiet cow was simply on her way back home. But you weren't there and it was just us and the cow was climbing up the path, right towards us. So very justifiably, indeed, we took an about turn and started to climb up the mountain wall on the side of the trail. I'm happy to report, we are safe!

Pretty path which leads to the cafe

Spook alert: When we were out exploring the trails around this cafe and leading towards the falls, amidst lots of trees with hanging branches and roots, we suddenly found a leg! Yep, you read it right. A human leg dangling itself comfortably from a branch! We could see just that one leg, no body, not the second leg either. We approached it with caution. It turned out to be a dummy prop. But the very next day when we ventured to visit the leg again, it was gone! What was it about?! Below is a picture of the leg for you to ponder...

The Leg!

Now, I'm standing outside on the balcony and looking at the night sky. There's a bit of rumble in the cloud. I hope the weather holds for tomorrow...

McLeod Ganj memoir - Day 0

As I wait for my flight, my lion dreams quiver and my chicken heart takes a long deep breath. It has been a rough few days. But that's okay, you got to have the balance, I suppose. You need the rain to have a rainbow!

There is such an urge to run to the mountains...It is almost unexplainable. Ah! the joy to lose yourself amidst Nature, to leave behind the silly practicalities, to tap into your inner ape - fodder for my sanity indeed! So, I set off again - in search of grassy rocky climbs,  pebbly trails and paths, fresh cool breeze in my cheeks and wonder for my eyes!  This time, to McLeod Ganj...

Couple of Days in Deoghar

Whenever we gather together i.e. my cousins and aunts and uncles, it invariably leads to a trip plan. The success rate of that plan turning to reality is albeit pretty low but there is never any lack of enthusiasm or a cringe of excitement during this planning phase. So, a couple of months back, when a bunch of us boarded the Jana Shatabdi train heading to Jasidih, it was indeed an unreal moment to cheer! The train was right on time, chair cars were pretty comfy, the big windows served nice views and the AC vents kept us necessarily cool. We started our journey about midday and when we stepped into the Jasidih station, the Sun had just set for the day and a cool breeze brushed our cheeks! It was pretty hot back in Kolkata that time, so we weren’t expecting anything different there either. Is it going to be cold here?! - everyone seemed to wonder. The question was justifiably answered when we all of us tucked ourselves under duvets at night! This was March and we were in Jharkhand, after all. We were anything but dreading the heat. So, the soothing cool breeze was a pleasant surprise.

Just me being me ;)

Our hotel was about a 30 minute drive from the railway station. It was a nice big house repurposed for tourism. The front of the house had a little garden, a fountain and a swing. After checking in, we spent the evening in the garden, sipping tea and munching pakoras.

Just by our hotel

The next morning I saw everyone was up and about pretty early. Nope, it wasn’t just the keenness to travel though. The restless, barking dogs outside the garden did the trick! We were at the ground floor and the dogs seemed to bark all night long, right by our ears! The house owner seemed to have three big cranky dogs who would be sleepy and lazy in their locked rooms all day and were left to bark and mess around at night! C’est la vie!

Trikut Parvat in the distance

Deoghar is a pretty well known name for us. Old story books and grandpas and grandmas always talk about visiting Deoghar for a change of scenery, for its good weather and water and so on. The very popular Jyotirlingam and Usri falls and lots of tiny scattered hills that have been identified with mythological stories of Ramayana - everything together paints an interesting picture.

Temple campus

After having our morning tea and nosing around a bit in the neighbourhood, we set off for Baidyanath Dhaam (one of the twelve Jyotirlingas where Lord Shiva is supposed to live.) What amused me was, how could the Lord, if there is, live amidst such chaos! We were literally pushed by certain guards and pandits into the inner sanctum. The chaotic scene, however, had a drastic change when it was getting broadcast in one of the big television screens outside the temple later in the day. Anyway, besides the apparent chaotic devotion, I must say, the lingam was very unique compared to the ones which I had seen so far (possibly not many, forgive my religious ignorance).

Lovely rock art..somewhere near Khandoli dam

After the super-contact mayhem, I definitely needed a boost which came in the form of the best pedha I have ever tasted! The sharp kheer, the smooth blends, the slight touch of cardamom - Ah! You must take a bow. It was indeed heavenly and I felt pretty pious whilst relishing an array of those pedhas! I possibly could visit again just for this.

Burrp! Okay, I am back.

After some pedha followed by fresh sugarcane juice, we arrived at Trikut Parvat - 3 small peaks which the locals refer to as Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwar. Powered by pedhas, we all got out of the car and just as my youngest aunt sneaked her head back in the car to grab god-knows-what, a monkey vaulted itself inside the car, grabbed a bag of pedhas and jumped out of the window! Everything happened so fast, that when we tried to spot the monkey, he had already devoured his snatch of the day (or maybe just one of the snatches!) A happening start indeed! A guide immediately recruited himself to escort us up to the top. Okay, the top was really a very short climb to a slab of flat rock looking out at the three hill tops. On the way, we saw quirky rocks - some shaped like boats, some like elephants and so on! These were all naturally formed and hence pretty interesting. The ‘falls’ as promised by our guide was however a disaster! It was water coming out of a small pipe. This water apparently had “gut healing” quality but I had a pretty gut wrenching episode in the toilet the very next morning, so pardon my scepticism!

Trikut Parvat, just before going up

After Trikut, we drove up to the Tapovan. Now, this was quite exciting! As you go to the top flat bit, you would feel a huge gust of wind and hence the nickname ‘buk dhorphori’ (fluttering heart - pardon my poor translation!). You would then cross over to visit the monkey hill or otherwise known as ‘hamaguri pahaar’! This is just uber cool in my mind! I just can’t find a translation that can do justice to these sentiments! ‘Hamaguri pahaar’ (crawling hill - again I beg your pardon!) was really fun! That my body could twist and turn into so many strange shapes and sizes was an enlightenment ! And the fact that I could slide through hill cracks and slip between rocks and sneak in narrow gaps like the way we did - was completely bizarre! To top it off, my not-so-thin mother (Nope, it’s not body shaming if it’s between me and my mom. :P ) with her still-healing fractured arm could do the whole walk (it was more a twisty drag than a walk!) as well, which was a bigger surprise! We were going about exploring this hill all by ourselves. There were multiple guides calling out to us. But nope, we were super confident and went ahead with constantly wavering agility!

Slicing through the rocks :D

We came across a big boulder where three or four locals perched themselves and called out to help. Nope! We shook our heads. We climbed on top of the boulder but then there was no way forward! We just couldn’t figure out which next boulder or rock to set out to! It all looked like a dead end or a dead edge. We caved. We agreed for a guide then and Voila! The way forward magically appeared right in front of us! Albeit through a small slide between the rocks! We were barefoot the whole time. People are asked to take their shoes off at the foothill because it’s considered holy. The other theory is - with shoes, there is a very big chance of losing grip and getting stuck in these rocks! Well, all’s well that ends well and this “hamaguri” (crawl) on the “hamaguri pahar” (crawling hill) rightly ended with some hot piping tea with big laughs and broad smiles!

From the top of Tapovan

After clashing our way out of the temple (!) and a good bout of “buk dhorphorani” and “hamaguri” with Mother Nature, we returned to the hotel for some rest.

Naulakha Temple

The next day’s highlight was Usri Falls. But before arriving at the Usri Falls, we made our pit stops at various places like - Naulakha temple (a lovely architecture indeed!), Nandan Pahar (I was expecting some exciting monkeys here, but nope! Just an array of gods and their tiny series of temples :D This was the first time I saw Yama, the Hindu god of death established in a temple), Khandoli Dam (a dam in its peaceful state at the time, a park by the side and a little climb up some stairs to get a good view of the town - all put together in a nice little area).

Khandoli Dam

After a touristy stroll in all these various places, under the scorching heat of the Sun (yup! The bright Sun was back again!) and some random tummy-fills with chats and ice creams and jhalmuri and what-not, we headed to Usri Falls - finally, a place away from the crowd, with the light soothing breeze, gushing water, nice big boulders to relax on and cool gargling water to dip our feet in.

Usri Falls

The short and sweet trip ended in due time. Deoghar felt special to me especially for the lovely pedha that I must have hoovered up like a maniac (not guilty!), the funny, ticklish hills that made us twist and turn our muscles in precarious angles and finally, the success of having a trip together that we always seemed to plan! We boarded our train back home, holding an usual promise for the next trip together…

With the promise for tomorrow...

Dubai, Habibi!

When I landed in Dubai, the city of sand and money and tall buildings (or so I thought), I really had no expectation or plan for the days to come. In my pre-consumed mind, Dubai was a jungle of posh concrete. My rigid heart and soul are ever so preoccupied with green grass and rolling hills, that it has little room for anything else. But oh my! I had to salute the architects who turned this barren desert into an architectural wonderland! The new Dubai area is full of tall buildings forming exquisite shapes that can give you a cranked neck if you are marvelling at them for far too long. All the buildings – hotels, offices, museums, apartments look to be competing against each other on shape & height!

And just after I checked in.. :)

So, as I was getting transferred from the airport to my hotel (JW Marriott Marquis- which happens to be my favourite shaped building in that lot! It has this crown-like contour which I loved), I was gaping at these twisty, curvy, pointy structures standing tall and proud and shiny (thanks to all their glass facades). The tallest (and hence, ridiculously famous) building, Burj Khalifa made its presence felt right away - looking like a giant syringe with a needle at the top, trying to burst the cloud up in the sky! Pardon my queer eye but it makes me chuckle to think of it that way! Another building that makes itself impossible to ignore is the Future Museum – looking like an egg-shaped donut (just in my odd eye. A proper way to say this would be – torus shape), it has a sleek metallic finish with Arabic calligraphy on its entire body, which enhances the beauty even further. I quite admired this one.

Future Museum - this click doesn't do justice to the artchitecture

I made the mandatory visit to Burj Khalifa in the evening and the whole area was all lit up. There was a vibrant vibe going all the way from Dubai Mall to the Burj. It’s all well connected by Metro – so much so, you don’t even have to step out on the road to walk from the Mall to the Burj!

Burj Khalifa

Everything is so interconnected, and this similar theme goes around in many parts of the city. We experienced the same in Nakheel as well (on our way to the famous Palm!) where you could get off the monorail and walk straight inside the mall and then straight to the hotel! It’s like the outside world doesn’t exist! :D In the mad hunt of checking out more hotel structures, we ubered around the city in search of Burj Al Arab, only to have lost our way and then we ended up in Jumeirah Beach. If nothing else, it indeed gifted us with a good-hearted laugh. But as a top tip, you can safely skip this beach and rather visit JBR.

Dubai Mall

Sadly, I lack the finesse to appreciate all the fine modern architecture. So, I quickly got used to the overwhelming and towering parts of the city and rather got drawn towards the Dubai Water Canal that meandered right by my hotel. The canal meets the Jumeirah beach at one end and takes a horseshoe bend all the way to join the Dubai creek which again meets the Persian Gulf water a bit further up along the coast. There is a nice path laid out for walking, running, cycling all along this canal. This part was my personal favourite. I couldn’t finish the whole walk, but I would do that if I were ever in Dubai again. (Alert: Itineraries do mention Dubai creek but not about this walk. So, this might not be the most touristy thing people do!)

Dubai Water Canal

My next favourite is the Al Seef area in old Dubai. It's full of old shops by the Creek, and has a vibe of a whole different era altogether. In the evening, the lanes half lit with dull yellow lamps, brick walled shops selling attar and other handicrafts, the Creek full of bright lights, the boats ready to give you a water tour – everything comes together to give you a glimpse into the old yet charming days of Dubai. And man, it was a relief not to crank your necks up to look at tall structures all around!

Al Seef

After being to Al Seef, I really had the craving to visit Gold Souk but didn’t get time after all. Perks of not planning things out! However, some of my ‘friends with purpose’ did visit the Souk and the famous Meena Bazaar and had a haul! Dubai is indeed a crazy place for shoppers! I was amazed by the extent of details people have planned out for their shopping loot from Dubai! Their bags and they themselves weighed a few good kilos extra when they returned. And what did I buy? Well, Dates! Big Arabian dates stuffed with dry fruits, lemons, apricots, chocolates and what not! I did get accused of having a tummy in place of a brain but c’est la vie. I do not regret it. I live for food – which reminds me, do try out their amazing Kebabs and Lebanese spread and some camel milk chocolates too! (I didn’t like them though but do try for yourself; many loved those!)

Falafal, Fatoush & Mixed Meat Grill, with to-die-for fluffly Bread!

So next time if I am in Dubai, I will surely go for the canal walk, visit the Gold Souk and maybe go for a Safari to meet some amazing belly dancers and try their Bedouin food! Unfortunately, this trip was more about work (as if!) and less about exploration, but I am now glad to have visited this unique city. Every new place offers a new perspective and this one is definitely very different from every other place I have visited so far.

Look at that pointy needle in the distance - Burj Khalifa! :)

FYI…Emirates flights give out a very detailed itinerary of all things you can do. So, rest assured, you won’t miss anything unless you play dumb like me.  But I must say, there is a certain charm in not knowing anything about a place and discovering it in your own naïve way! So maybe, do not plan and be lost in some old Arab lane! But hey, that’s just me and my quirk, Al Habibi! Masalamah till the next one!

Masalamah, Al Habibi!

A Bird's Eye View of Ratha Yatra (Ulto to be precise :D)

A sudden drum roll started. My flat is just beside the main street and there was a sudden commotion that made its way through - a celebratory noise of sorts. I rushed to the top of the building and looked down from the edge of the rooftop.

Lord Jagannath along with his siblings - Balaram and Subhadra were going back home from his aunt’s house after their week-long vacation - the occasion known as ‘Ulto Rath Yatra’, one of the well known celebrations among the long list of Hindu festivities. The ratha aka chariot was gleaming with vibrant flowers and confetti. It had a long rope that was used to draw the chariot along the road. A long parade escorted their ride back home. It was a jolly crowd. They had drums and trumpets and keyboards. People were dancing and making merry.

The bird’s view that I was getting from atop was unique. The tuk-tuks with their yellow tops were stranded at one side of the road, waiting and watching the Yatra; the little people were flaring their arms and legs, jiggling their bums to the beats of the music; the neat order in which the procession marched ahead, pausing and showing off their skills intermittently; the white uniformed traffic police constantly managing the usual overpour of vehicles; and in the middle of everything, the gorgeous chariot caught the most attention, inside it sat the siblings - the Lords; there was a method in the madness, a happy cheer amidst the chaos.

The sky reflected the colours on the road as yellow and orange painted the wide canvas. The Sun was almost done with his duty in the Eastern hemisphere, slowly crossing the horizon whilst the Ratha took the Lords back home. Two crested bulbuls with their red whiskers flew by, they had their nest in the corner of this rooftop. The parade faded in the distant road, the Sun set, I went back to my room.