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Published: December 17th 2010
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the drive from Delhi was arduous and it took longer because of the traffic snarl at midnight on the highway. it was eerie caught in between series of trucks in the middle of the night. we drove past Corbett and on u'r way up to Nainital one can look over the forests of Corbett. the hair pin bends are steep and nauseous for those who are prone to such things.
we reached Nainital at about 9 am having driven the entire night from Delhi in a Scorpio. we rushed to Sherwood, all of it as pretty as a picture, the beautiful lake and its whirlwinds and the mountains cradling it. we could see the mist come in in the evening from our hill top hotel overlooking the lake. indeed most of the hotels overlook the lake. we then drove to the Tibetan market and the heart of the town. every hill station usually has a Tibetan market and its mall which is usually in the centre looks the same as any other. one can buy all the Chinese goods here to ones hearts content. we did buy some which were made in Korea and some Chinese locks. there's a spattering of restaurants in and around the mall centre which is where lunch was.
the view from our hotel room of the lake and mountains was breathtaking, one could see people rowing and its all so idyllic and perfect in its beauty. we spent the evening gazing at the mountains and the next morning we left for Ramgarh. Neemrana has a property there and Ramgarh is famous for its plums and peaches, to be had in moderation if you want to avoid hill diarrhea. we left the rolling hills and meadows laced with homes built with innovative names, one was called the nineteenth hole. many had chosen this location to build their nests and retirement homes. once back in Nainital we went up to Sherwood again and then drove back all the way to Delhi. the first pines were out and you could see them like bottle-brushes on the trees.
Uttarakhand has much to offer and i do want to visit Bhimtal and Auli not to mention Mussoorie once again.
Much before in the year 2005 following a personal mishap of quite epic proportions I had visited the state of Uttarakhand with my folks and brothers. Our last holiday together as a family or so it seems now discounting the time we were all in Delhi in 2008. we landed in Delhi by Jet Airways and drove down to Hardwar stopping at a Dhaba for lunch. I do remember my youngest brother then studying at Delhi meeting us at the Delhi Airport in a red t-shirt. We reached Hardwar and proceeded to an ashram to make certain donations and then we left for Rishikesh. We did stop by the riverside and float an aarati. Some of the houses in Hardwar seemed so ancient and carried the promise of so much history trapped between their walls. The water gushing down from the Himalayas was so springy and cool, it was the upper course of the mighty river Ganges that we Hindus consider so holy and kneel in deference before. At this point of her journey she is full of vitality and energy, rushing down from Gangotri on her way to her middle course throughout the length of northern India. Our next stop was Rishikesh and we just about stopped at Lakshman Jhula, a bridge over the river, shopped for some trinkets and then left for Mussoorie, our final destination. On the way somewhere we passed Dehradun before starting the steep climb up to Mussoorie. I do recall some travel sickness and fatigue by the time we completed the final leg of the journey. Our hotel was perched on the hilltop just like many other and was right on the main mall road. We retired for the night after a quick dinner and welcomed sleep for the time being.
It was in effect my dad's first attempt at a hotel booking on the internet and we were kind of disappointed but we made do. Mum had some trouble sleeping but for the rest of us it was quite uneventful. I was a bit dismayed to find some water had gotten into my suitcase and almost ruined an Australian bag! The next morning we drove around Mussoorie to see the snow capped Himalayan range and a waterfall. We walked around the mall and shopped for curios at the wonderful shops lining both sides of the road on the mall highway. There are lovely benches on the corners and turns of this main road from where one can take in the panoramic view. Our hotel room also allowed a similar view and at night we could see the twinkling lights of Dehradun city on the horizon almost as if someone had laid out a carpet of lights in the dark Himalayan night. We were probably there for two or three nights and our meals were at the hotel. I had put on a certain amount of weight and I do recall shrinking at the sight of that in the photographs. We left for Delhi after having seen Mussoorie and visiting Uttarakhand formerly Uttaranchal state for the first time. the state had been newly formed and carved out of Uttar Pradesh in northern india. My buys from Uttaranchal, a shiv linga I still pray to from Hardwar, a ring from Rishikesh and this beautiful brass bell from Mussoorie. We left Mussoorie after remembering it's famous resident author Ruskin Bond who still lived here in his bungalow up in the hills. Good bye Himalayas and Goodbye Mr. Bond.
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