Skyscanner and Rani’s dream!

The preparations were in full swing for Rani’s marriage. Everything was perfect – the clothes, the look, the gifts. Raja had even bought a new house and Rani was excited to decorate the house…their house.

They say, unlike poles attract each other. Raja the shy, practical guy. Rani, the dreamer whose wishlist would never end. While Rani was loving everything about the feeling of belonging, there was one thing that bothered her. Since she had seen the romantic Venice in movies, she had secretly desired of a honeymoon in Venice. She had mentioned it to Raja as well, but being the practical and responsible guy, he told her they would rather spend on the house than splurging on an expensive foreign holiday.

Few days later, Rani’s best friend Jiya asked her, “So, all set for the foreign honeymoon?”

“What foreign honeymoon. He says we have to save money right now. Why are these foreign tours so expensive?” Rani grumbled.

Jiya laughed, “Yes, foreign tours are expensive, but not for people who decide to travel smart.”

She opened her phone and showed Rani the Skyscanner App.

“Ah! Yet another app?” said Rani

Jiya said, “Not just another app. Skyscanner actually helps you travel smart. Do u know can find the cheapest way to reach a city and the cheapest accommodation at the click of a button!”

Rani’s eyes shone in hope…

The next 2 hours Jiya helped Rani use Skyscanner to make her dream trip come true. After taking their preferred travel dates, skyscanner got them the cheapest flight tickets. Rani was impressed to see that she could even create a best price alert on Skyscanner!

She couldn’t believe she could get a return ticket to Venice for Rs 45,407. “Sounds like my dream will come true”

Next it was time to book the hotels. The skyscanner app gave her a list of best hotel deals from various websites. “It’s a steal, for a place like Venice”, she said as she booked a hotel for Rs 15000 per night.

Rani’s excitement knew no bounds as she clicked the confirmation button! She called up Raja and said, “We will go to Venice, everything worked out!”

“But how did you manage?” Raja was puzzled.

“Oh, with Scyscanner, you get the best of the best deals. Hotel, travel all done! And within budget!

What is the fear, when skyscanner scans the cherry pick deals!”

Rani was all smiles, she had dared to chase her dream, thanks to Scyscanner.

This post is written for Travel smart with Skyscanner contest by Indiblogger and Skyscanner. Skyscanner has revolutionized budget travel! Choice of best deals from across websites, alert for best price and many other unique features, Skyscanner will help you become a smart traveller! 

Our Platinum Day of Love – at 3600 meters above sea level!

Ours was an arranged marriage. Having been married for quite some time now, I can say that surviving an arranged marriage is like preparing kheer – tastes best when cooked with patience on slow flame. Try rushing into things and you will get a kheer with burnt smell that just doesn’t go away. 

Love, has its own language. While some people go all mushy to express their feelings for their beloved, there are few like Mr. Hubby and I, who discover a new shade of love by sharing small joys and sorrows of our everyday life.

Shortly after our marriage, Mr. Hubby and I planned a trek to the valley of flowers in Uttarakhand. Mr. Hubby being a perfect fitness freak was oozing with enthusiasm that matched my fear for intense physical activities. For the lazy me who has grown up on aloo paranthas smeared with butter and never befriended a workout, any physical activity that makes me wake up early or get that sweat dripping is a complete no. So, workouts and I often prefer separate paths. But when Mr. Hubby proposed the trek, the excitement in his eyes prompted me to play the supportive wife in our newly started married life.

Everything was rosy till the time we reached the base camp. However, the moment we began the trek, the thorns began to surface from the rosy picture. Like a typical newly married lady, I was all style and vanity and preferred to carry a small sling bag rather than carrying a heavy rucksack with essential items. I was scared at the thought of trekking and thought it better to carry minimal weight; and in that effort, I even missed the bare essential – a bottle of water. We thought once we complete the trek, we would get some water. But few passersby told us there was no shop up there and we had been foolish enough to miss something as important as water!

For someone who had never even participated in a race in school, walking uphill on the high altitude (approx 3600 meters above the sea level) without food or water was becoming torturous. I would stop and start panting after every ten steps due to lack of Oxygen at high altitude. My knees and chest cried with pain and the heartbeat was like a high decibel drum thumping fast. For almost half the trek, Mr. Hubby was at his supportive best and even kept me busy in conversations to divert my mind. However, once he realised we were way behind our schedule, his patience began to give up. We could see many people on their way back after spotting some beautiful and exotic flowers the valley offers. To add fuel to the fire, they told we better hurry up as the park closes by 5.30pm and it was already noon.

My oh so patient hubby slowly began to lose patience. I tried my best to brace up, but the lungs wouldn’t just support. Finally I decided the trek was beyond me and I better give up. I asked Mr. Hubby to complete the trek and return while I would wait at the same place.

As if I had blown the whistle of a pressure cooker, Mr. Hubby became furious. “You have spoiled my holiday. If you didn’t have the stamina or the courage you should have told me!” I stood there stiff and silent with my eyes closed as he walked away.

Sometimes anger prompts us to do things that simple motivation cant. Mr. Hubby’s words pierced me and after sometime, I too decided I would complete the trek and would prove him wrong.

I had begun walking for five minutes when a man from the opposite side stopped me. “Are you Shaivi?” he asked. “Y..Yeah...” I said, surprised. “Your hubby met me on the way and has left a message for you. He has asked me to tell you the trek isn’t tough, you will be able to manage, just keep walking. He is waiting for you ahead. Come on”. He said with a smile and went away.

“Oh after all that drama, someone is pretending to be romantic and caring?” I said to myself.

As I walked, I was in for even more pleasant surprises. Apparently, Mr. Hubby had asked every person he met on the way to tell me not to give up; that he believed in me and was waiting for me ahead. So every person on his way back was smiling and passing on the message to me. Some girls even told me “how cute, he is so caring”.

My fatigue evaporated with every message I got and I continued to walk. With every person telling me I was just near completion and Mr. Hubby was waiting ahead, the trek no longer seemed like a tough task. The energy of Love kept me going. I was beginning to feel sorry for Mr. Hubby. I had disappointed him and here he was trying to motivate me by asking every single person he met to pass on the message to me.

After a kilometre, I found myself surrounded by a beautiful landscape filed with beautiful flowers. I could see Mr. Hubby waiting at a distance. As he saw me, his face brightened up with a smile and he stretched his arms true Bollywood style. My steps became faster and soon I was in his arms – a perfect scene from those Yash Chopra movies.

“I am sorry I got angry baby” he said. “No dear, I am sorry, you tried so much to motivate me, I should have stretched myself more.”, I said. “Hey, did you get my message? I asked few people” he said. “Few?” I interrupted him. “Every single person on his way back was like, are you Shaivi? Your hubby is waiting for you ahead. The trek isn’t tough and you are just there…” Mr. Hubby was now blushing. “Oh I wondered if they would pass on the message, so I told every person I met…I wanted to be together with you in this beauty. It would have been incomplete without me holding my wife’s hands” he said.

I was all melting now. I just blushed and hugged him tight as he whispered into my ears, “you make this all seem so perfect!”

Amidst the hesitation and the shyness of an arranged marriage, we had discovered our bond of love…for us, this day was our Platinum Day of Love!

With each sweet n sour moment we have shared in this togetherness called Love, I can say our Love is just like Platinum – precious, pure and everlasting!

This post has been written for the Platinum Day of Love contest by Indiblogger.

I wish she had smart suraksha

A home is a home, no matter what people say. This is how I have always felt about Delhi, the place I have lived all my life. Incidents keep on happening every now and then but I always believed it is one’s attitude towards an issue that matters the most; courage is the most important tool, and no matter how much adverse the situation, presence of mind can help sail through any adverse situation.

The unfortunate chilly night of December 12^th, 2012 proved me wrong.

Manju was the daughter of our domestic help. Having migrated to Delhi from Kolkata for a better lifestyle, she stayed in a one room accommodation with her parents and two younger sisters. Just like any 19 year old, she too had dreams of a better life and she worked hard every day to achieve them. She was a perfect housekeeper during the day, helping her mom with cleaning job in various houses in the colony; a doting daughter and sister by the evening as she cooked the evening meal and helped her younger sister with studies; a student by the night when she studied for the correspondence degree she was pursuing.

A beautiful girl with beautiful black eyes, and lot of dreams in them for a better tomorrow. “Didi, once I finish my studies, I won’t let ma work in houses. Then she too will sit and relax in our own house.” She used to say as I used to smile and say “Amen”.

Her parents were looking for a suitable match since she had reached the marriageable age as per their society. Mom and I often tried to convince Manju’s mom to mary her off only once she had completed her studies, to which Manju used to give an ear to ear smile and say “I will mary a company officer” (she meant an executive working for a decent firm)…

But destiny had different plans for her…

Of late, she appeared to be very tensed. She would be lost during the work, giving empty gazes with her lifeless eyes. Upon probing her one day, she told me a group of hooligans in her locality had somehow had their eyes set on her. They had even approached her father promising a better job for Manju. But, understanding their malicious intentions, she had asked them to leave. Since then, they had threatened to even it out with her. They would often follow her and she was scared. I advised her to file a complaint at the local police station, but Manju feared they would harm her family if they came to know about the complaint. I made her promise that no matter what, she would call me whenever in trouble and I would reach with help at any time of the day/night.

I still remember the evening of December 12. It was my niece’s birthday and we had planned a party for her. Manju loved birthday celebrations and so she spent the whole evening helping me with the decorations and food. It was getting dark by the time she was leaving. Call it my gut feel or just plain concern, I asked her to take an auto instead of walking down to her place, as it had become dark and unsafe. I even offered her money for the rickshaw. As she took the money, she smiled and said, I will manage, I am a bold girl. Thinking she would be fine, I got busy with the  party.

A week passed and there was no trace of Manju. We were all tensed as her phone had been switched off since that evening.

After a week, her mother came to our house and told us the unfortunate had happened that night. While going home, Manju had been followed by the same hooligans, cornered and raped. She had tried to call through the mobile phone but before she could, the rapists threw away her phone.

The hooligans took their revenge, but Manju’s dreams were shattered forever. Her family sent her back to her village in Kolkata, where she was married off in haste.

I wish I had asked her to stay that evening

I wish I had forced her to file a complaint.

I wish her dreams wouldn’t see such a sorry end

I wish she had smart suraksha, so that even with a press of a button, an emergency message could reach 5 of her contacts and even trace her location.

You can download the Smart Suraksha App here…

I am participating in the Seeking Smart Suraksha contest at BlogAdda.com in association with Smart Suraksha App.

* This is a work of fiction.

Ten Commandments of living it safely in Delhi

Dear Niece,

Happy 16^th birthday to you! May you get all the happiness and success and may all your dreams come true. I can see many pretty gifts on that table with the cake and 16 candles…each candle for every beautiful year of happiness you have given us by your presence. I sit in a corner and wonder what can I possibly give a 16 year old with a mind of her own? Well, just like most elders, wisdom is all I have…

You have grown up into a very pretty girl as evident by all those eyes looking at you in admiration. Being the protective mausi, I scrutinize each look and wonder if it is admiration or admiration adulterated with something else. I know I can’t be there with you all the time, you are an independent girl after all. But Delhi is no longer the city it was. I have been born and brought up in a city where I could easily catch that 9pm bus back home after an evening outing with friends. But so did Nirbhaya, the young girl who took that bus on the unfortunate night of 16^th December 2012 – a night that changed her destiny forever.

So on your 16^th birthday, I gift you, from my box of sweet n sour experiences in Delhi, Ten Commandments of living it safely in Delhi…

1.     Dress as per the time and place – I know you just frowned after reading this one! No, I am not asking you to cover yourself in a veil, but then, when in Rome, do what Romans do.  We live in a city where vultures hover around looking for an easy catch, so inappropriate or provocative attire at a lonely place or at the odd hours would get them  hovering.

2.    Stay connected – Just like updating status on FB is cool, it’s cool to keep your loved ones informed about your location. It’s not being a child, rather it signals the child has grown up enough to realize her responsibilities and  keeping someone informed to connect easily in case of an emergency.

3.    Emergency kit – Few cosmetics less in your bag won’t do make a significant change to your look, but a pepper spray, a pair of scissors can be your life savers in emergencies.

4.    The more the merrier – I know you love those late night outs, but moving in groups in odd hours are just so much more fun and safe. Especially when you are at a place that’s not frequented by many.

5.    Get the App – I hope we had this one in our times. That Android phone of yours can be a real life saver in emergencies. Just get the right app. Download the Smart Suraksha App on you phone and at the click of a button, your emergency message will reach 5 emergency contacts specified. What’s more, the app also locates your location and sends It to your emergency contacts even when the GPRS is switched off! Now this one you can’t afford to miss, being the tech savvy and smart young lady you are.

6.    Trust your instincts, not the person – That guy you met 15 minutes back at the party might look like the perfect prince charming. But behind the mask may be hiding the Dracula, waiting to pounce on the beauty. So, look, hear, analyse and observe.

7.    There are no free lunches in this world – We taught this one to you as a kid, and its revision time. Never accept that drink from that friendly stranger in the party.  It takes seconds for the drug laced drink to cast its dirty spell on you.

8.    Be bold – I remember this incident when a guy was staring at me in a bus. I kept on avoiding but when it became unbearable, I just gave him a stern, continuous stare, without even blinking my eyes. 2 minutes and the guy was off that seat. I am not asking you to pick fights, but sending across the right (no nonsense) message makes a lot of sense.

9.    Keep the antennas on – Whether in party or public transport catch that guy getting irritatingly close and shoo him away right there and then.

10. Last but most important – Presence of mind – Intelligence is of no use when it can’t be used at the right time for the right purpose. Acting tactful in an emergency till help arrives can save you a lot of mess ups.

While you too might be having your own to do’s and don’ts, these are some tips experience has taught me. You being the baton holder of the next generation, I pass them on to you and wish you continue to be the free spirited bird that you are, and take flights of freedom at any place, any time.

Love,

Mausi

I am sharing my Smart Suraksha Tips at BlogAdda.com in association with Smart Suraksha App.

My “Chak De” Moment!

Happy Independence Day to all my readers! Although Independence Day comes once a year, as an independent woman with a mind of my own, I feel one should celebrate one’s independence every day – by exercising the freedom to feel, think and express!

As a kid, Independence Day meant a lot to me – the choir performance, rehearsals for the functions, march past, tricolour flowing with pride amidst the salute of rose petals! Wow! I used to look up to the chief guests at our school function every year and wonder they are so lucky to hoist the flag!

As they say, life throws the unexpected when you expect the least. Two months into our marriage, Mr. Hubby & I decided to make full use of the long weekend Independence Day was offering. So, with our friends, we set forth to explore the beautiful locales of Almora & Ranikhet. I still remember having reached the KMVN guesthouse late in the evening before the I-Day & crashing in bed just after dinner. Our room faced the front lawn of the guesthouse.

On the morning of Independence Day, I woke up to spot the beautiful tricolour wrapped from my room window. Usually I give the Independence Day functions a miss. But somehow that day, the hills around, innocent faces of the locals gathered and the wrapped tricolour waiting to unfold fragrance of freedom with the rose petals filled me up with a child like excitement. And the patriotic me woke Mr. Hubby & friends. “Hey, they have organized a flag hoisting here! U will also get laddooos! Let’s rush!” I screamed as a sleepy and surprised Mr. Hubby took baby steps to the lawn, rubbing his eyes.

Everything was set, the tricolour, patriotic songs, laddoos. Just that there was one problem – there was no chief guest. The manager of the guest house along with another official were doing the never ending “pehle aap, pehle aap”. Probably they desired some third person to come and invite one of them to do the honours. Third person did intervene, only to make matters worse for them!

That third person was me - God knows what enthusiasm got me that moment – I walked up to them and said “Can I hoist our tricolour?” They first looked at me in shock, for, clad in a long skirt & jacket, I looked far from a chief guest. But I did wear the right smile and the right tone. They must have been annoyed, for I was about to snatch their chief guest moment. But still, they were really sweet enough to say “Sure, let’s change things by getting the flag hoisted by a lady this year!” I was all smiles & couldn’t believe this had happened to me!

A shocked Mr. Hubby rushed to grab the camera as he didn’t want to miss even a single moment of his wife’s VIP moment!

As I pulled the string and the tricolour unfolded its beauty, I promised the tricolour that no matter what happens around me, I will never lose faith in my nation. I may not express my patriotism formally but I will definitely keep the flame alive in my heart – by doing my bit to better things around me.

Dreams do come true. No matter how much we crib about the sorry state of things, if we dream of a better nation, someday it will come true, we just have to make the first move….Just like my dream of hoisting the flag came true! My Chak De Moment!

Jai Hind!

And to those of you who still doubt my story, here’s a proof of me giving a tom n jerry smile and hoisting the tricolour!

Kullu to Rohtang on a 100cc bike!

The best is yet to come, I say always. But so far this has been the most memorable & adventurous drive of my life.

We had been married for 4 months & were out on a family holiday to Kullu. While the family was busy chitchatting with our host’s family, we sneaked out on the pretext of seeing Manali & be back by evening.

They didn’t know, we had other plans…adventure buffs, we wanted to drive to Rohtang Pass, if not Ladakh!

But, there was just one challenge…

We were on an old 100cc bike!

Passion holds no bounds & both of us were burning with passion to reach Rohtang on that old bike itself. We asked a cabbie if the bike would manage the drive. He gave one look and said “Oh Yes”!

A few kilometres down the route, we seriously doubted the authenticity of the cabbie as our bike wouldn't just go. Falling down & getting up again, like brave soldiers, we too didn’t give up.

The hostile terrain was complemented by the fragrance of romance in the air. With no other vehicle around during most of the trip, I managed to keep Mr. Hubby alert by singing “Tere Mere Sapne” from the movie Guide. And he soon joined me. Everytime we fell down, it hurt, but the feeling of having someone to hold your hand and motivate you to get up overcame the pain of the scratches.

As we neared Rohtang, we spotted a bus going towards Ladakh. Seated next to a window was a woman in her traditional attire. She uttered something as she looked at us. Unable to comprehend her, I could just give her a helpless smile. In an unknown place, on an unfriendly terrain, here was an unknown lady giving me a warm smile & I reciprocated wholeheartedly.

A few kilometers before Rohtang, I saw some people paragliding. But despite my repeated pleas, Mr. Hubby kept his presence of mind intact & reminded me of the riskiness of the trip. Already on a super duper machine, we had to reach Rohtang & be back before sunset, as our family was in the notion we were in Manali.

Honestly, the vroom of the machine & rush of adrenaline made me feel like a teenager who was eloping with her boyfriend. Only difference, we were in our 20s & Mr. Hubby was the BF!

By 3, we reached Rohtang. Have been on many trips before, but this one felt like a great accomplishment. 30 minutes of some clicks in the snow cover, quick bite & we were on our way back.

Though we did reach after sunset & finally had to spill the beans to family, this trip is something Mr. Hubby & I can never forget. The mean machine & the rush of adrenaline!

This post is written for the Ultimate driving experience in association with Blogadda

A chance to win a trip to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MichelinIndia/app_478302922255960" title="Michelin Pilot Experience" 

target="_blank">Michelin Pilot Experience</a> at <strong>BlogAdda.com</strong>

To be or not to be – Ashamed

Though we aren’t typical fitness buffs, Mr. Hubby & I do have frequent bouts of fitness consciousness. That’s when we head to the various magnificent parks of saadi Dilli for a good walk. The one that’s my favorite is Lodi Garden. With a boasting variety of lush green trees, white ducks lazying around in a beautiful manmade lake, kids playing around, fitness freaks sweating it out, Lodi Garden surely is a prized possession of Delhi.

A recent visit to the Garden though, inspired me to reveal another quality of Lodi Garden – a regular hangout for youngsters who are unaware of their shame quotient. Sometimes shooting hormones overtake the shame quotient and the couples run on the highway of lust, hoping to be embraced by Cupid himself! Sounds funny? Well, last evening, as I went for the usual walk, the scenarios I witnessed gave me the perfect masala, and being the crazy greedy blogger, anything and everything the brown eyes see, the hands quickly blog it down.

Well, before telling you about what exactly happened, it’s important to give some more insights about these couples. Normally, a sultry summer day would keep us within the confines of our homes. But for these hormone driven souls, the wrong is right. Bad weather is the perfect weather; coz it ensures no one’s watching their coochy cooing. So you will spot more action behind the bushes on a bad weather day than on a pleasant one. Is it shame quotient or fear of being caught – only they can answer & I have honestly never bothered to ask.

So, last evening, 100m down the jogging track inside the garden, I spotted something in bright maroon behind the bushes. Having read recently in the tabloids about an eve teasing case in Lodi Garden, I decided to find out. To my surprise, the lady in maroon was comfortably seated on the lap of her beau, enjoying perhaps the smelly bushes and the boundary wall view. (Can’t really explain it all here, please feel free to estimate what I actually saw). Here I was thinking someone needed help whereas that someone herself was lending a helping hand. Seeing the angry me heading towards them, Mr. Hubby immediately took charge and told me not to interfere in someone’s private matter. “A private matter in a public property! Filthy!” was all I could utter in the loudest possible tone before Mr. Hubby took me away from them.

Seems the show had just begun. Few meters ahead, again in the bushes, I spotted a scene, more interesting than the previous one – one beauty serenaded by two guys. Usually, there is only one hero but hats off to this girl for smartly managing two of them. I wasn't ready to believe, so standing on the jogging track, my eyes searched for the 2^nd gal. But soon I realized standing there would have meant making a fool out of myself. People passed by and nobody bothered to look that side, then why do I waste my time? Let it be, I thought and ran to catch up with Mr. Hubby who had by now jogged way ahead of me.

The picture was far from over. For behind almost every thick tree, I could easily spot action, even from a distance. And we even got to witness the typical climax ala Bolly wood style. Just as we crossed the jogging track near Tomb of Sikandar Lodi, my eyes saw the impossible. A couple was rolling away in the park. The shame quotient had gone so low that they didn’t even bother to hide behind a tree. The scene reminded me of the Sridevi starring “Nagina” movie I had seen as a kid, where two snakes rolled away non-stop when fighting. This one of course was far from fighting. Two fat aunties walking in the park too stopped and began looking at them in horror. A couple playing nearby with their kid quickly took the child away. This time I decided neither to give up nor to wait for a guard to come and shoo them away. Moving a bit close to them, I gave them a continuous stern sixty year old auntie look, till the snakes quickly went out of sight.

As I walked, I wondered was it the sense of shame that makes such couples find cozy corners in public parks or the lack of it that makes them give in to their hormones in the first place!

Feeling a sense of pride in my silent moral policing, I quickly jogged to catch up with Mr. Hubby, and just as I was telling him my hero moment, my eyes went wide to see the girl in maroon still in action behind the bushes. Several thoughts came to mind –

     1.     Click their pic & threaten to tweet to police if they don’t move out

     2.    Throw pebbles at them and disturb them

     3.    Charge at them, claiming to be from a moral policing organization.

     4.    Just ask them to leave and go to a park where there weren't any kids.

Wondering what I eventually did? Well, nothing, for I saw a bunch of drivers enjoying the matinee show by peeping from the boundary wall. The couple of course was oblivious to the uninvited guests.

“Serves them right” I said with a smile and resumed my jog...

Maybe the authorities can consider something like this for the annoying lot

The kids from Guptakashi, Uttarakhand

I met these lovely kids at Guptakashi, 47km before Kedarnath in April this year. On our way to Guptakashi from Ukhimath, Mr. Hubby spotted these cute kids asking for a lift & asked them to come on board. The brother sister duo were on their way back home from school. While most days they had to cover the 5km distance by foot, during tourist season, they hoped to get lift from the tourist vehicles. The brother, a shy kid kept looking down and smiling every time Mr. Hubby asked his name. The sister was much matured & answered our questions & even guided us about the places to see in Guptakashi.

When they came on board, I was a little surprised since in Delhi, we are taught since childhood not to talk to strangers. And here these were, two little kids braving the hilly terrain, meeting everyone with an open mind. But such is the simplicity of the hills that you don’t get to see anywhere else.

The blog on my April trip is still lying low in the priority list of blogs and I hope to put it up by this weekend. However, as I saw TV channels covering the cruel game of mother nature in Uttarakhand, I was immediately reminded of these kids. We didn’t ask their names, didn’t know where they stayed . But, as I read the horrific account of the Uttarkhand flood, my heart says a silent prayer for these kids – hope wherever they are, they are fine and healthy with their families, with the same smile on their faces and hopes in their hearts – hopes of a better tomorrow.

God Bless

Wanderlust May 2013 – Lansdowne – Day 3 (Final)

With nothing left to explore in Lansdowne, we had planned to leave early to avoid the rush on the highway. We had also fed Mr. Hungry (a doggie who came to take his share whenever he caught us munching on something) one last time. With half an hour to go for the restaurant’s breakfast window, I thought why not collect some souvenirs for my nephew and niece back home. The beautiful pine trees around me almost immediately enticed me to collect some full grown pine cones – I used to have one as a showpiece in my room long time back.

View on the top

Sap collection from Pine trees for medicines

The hill in adjacent our resort seemed an easy climb & we didn’t even bother  to slip into our sports shoes. But a couple of steps and we were going all rolly polly thanks to the numerous brown slippery shrubs that had blanketed the hill. It wasn’t just us, I also saw a huge cow slip several times in her quest to look for green pastures uphill. Finally, I found a way – walking on the green grass wasn’t making me fall & we somehow managed to reach the top. A gush of air, the mist, the sound of wind amongst pine trees & clouds embracing us – the climb was worth the effort. Also spotted sap from Pine tree being collected for medicines. Like a greedy thief, I stuffed many cones under my pockets & carried several in my hands. Mr. Hubby was feeling kinda embarrassed on our way back as other guests on the resort were giving us curious looks – that was making him conscious.

Cones!

By now I had become sick of the usual menu so I suggested we have something good outside on our way back. We took the bad route to town one last time & crossed the Shatabdi dwaar, leaving Lansdowne behind.

The nearest big town near Lansdowne was Kotdwar & I was hopeful we would get something nice to gorge on there. But by the time we reached there, the shops were beginning to open, so we left Kotdwar disappointed. Bijnor came & went & I couldn’t spot a single good Dhaba on the highway. Finally on the lonely road in Najibabad, Mr. Hubby spotted a lonely dhaba – Agarwal DHaba. By now we had been driving 4 hours non stop & were so hungry that we could eat anything. They say good things often come when you least expect them. The Dhaba offered us one the best food I ever had on a roadside eatery. We went for the quickest option – aloo & onion paranthas. And the guy got lip smacking paranthas in minutes without compromising on the quality. Crispy paranthas stuffed with potatoes & onion stuffing, flavoured with generous quantity of cumin & green chillies. They served paranthas with chholey, something I had never seen anywhere else. If you ever take the Najibabad route for Lansdowne or even Haridwar, paranthas at Agarwal DHaba are a must. The cashier was so cute that when Mr. Hubby complimented him for the good food, his reply was just a blank look! Donno if he was surprised or too used to it!

Well, this trip was a lot about funny things, and adding to the list were these beautiful water tanks at a shop in Najibabad. I quickly satiated my camera lenses with some clicks. Mr. Hubby told this is a common fashion in Punjab & now Najibabad too was catching up!

Game for such water tanks?

I missed the old Cheetal grand which has been totally eclipsed due to the new road constructed. The owners have opened a new, smaller outlet on the highway, but even though it is flooded with passersby, I found it a total disappointment in terms of food quality, service time and pricing. So this time, we decided to give it a miss. Rather we drove non stop to Delhi – the flavour of the paranthas still afresh on our taste buds!

Whether I wanna go back to Lansdowne ever again, I don’t know. Perhaps if I manage to get a booking in the GMVN tree house, I won’t mind visiting again, for the misty weather, pine trees, flowers & the beautiful old houses call me to relax the old style!

Wanderlust May 2013 – Lansdowne – Day 2

I had laughed on seeing the rajai in the rooms however; it did get cold by night. The mornings in Lansdowne are a delight – very different from the other places we’ve been to. Having my morning chai below a Pine tree amidst many other trees, the silence (the kids in the nearby cottages had thankfully not woken up yet) interrupted by mating calls of the insects sounded so refreshing to our ears used to the usual traffic noise of Delhi.

The resort although beautiful had its own set of limitations however, I was still happy, for it was the only place we managed to get a reservation in the busy season. For all of you who are planning a trip to Lansdowne, I will be shortly posting a separate review for Jungle Resort here.

The resort kitchen reminded me of my college mess – they only served meals during the specified windows. So, at 6:45am, when Mr. Hubby asked the steward for tea, he flatly said no chance before 7am. Similarly, no breakfast before 8! By 8, the kids had already woken up & were straight into the pool. The troubled infant in the adjacent cottage had also woken up by their shrills & was trying his best to contribute to the noise pollution. We somehow managed the breakfast & rushed to the town.

The Pool

I had searched for top 9 destinations on my TripAdvisor App & Bhim Pakoda was one of them. On the torturous route back to town, I saw a small rock with 2 stones kept on each other. That was Bhim Pakoda! I couldn’t believe myself why someone would keep it as one of the places to visit in Lansdowne. Seems it’s a tourist spot created by the Jungle resort people as nobody would otherwise dare to tread on that horrible route.

Thats 'The' Bhim Pakoda

Just before entering the market, near the cantonment school, I spotted a very cute water tank. You might laugh at me for clicking such a small & stupid thing, but you see in Delhi, all overhead water tanks are boring white/cream in color and are too high. This was the shortest one I had ever seen. 

The market didnt have anything spectacular to offer. If you have been to Kasauli, you woudn't find anything super attractive here. Kasauli mall road atleast had some beautiful chai shops, but Lansdowne market was a normal market. A couple of old hotel buildings though did catch my attention, just like the flowers in shades of red, blue & white – a treat for the eyes. Also grabbed some fresh Litchis from Ramnagar.

Gandhi Chowk

Old shops - notice the red blooms

Next on our itenary was Bhulla Lake. A man made lake, managed by the Cantonment Board, Bhulla lake is a well maintained tourist spot - Clean water with a small bridge connecting the 2 shores, chilly breeze, beautiful blooms, rabbits, the quack quack of ducks & yes, not to miss the numerous coochy cooing Love Birds. 40 bucks per head for boating was rather cheap for Delhi standards so Mr. Hubby & I put on the mandatory life boats & grabbed the next boat. Unlike Delhi where you pay for just one round of boating, this place offered unlimited boating & like a kid, I challenged Mr. Hubby to boat till the time the boating guy summoned us. At last, we were tired. Mr. Hubby tried to take things in his control & jumped to the shore to tie the string. But, just as he jumped, the boat rebounded. With one foot on the shore & the other on the boat, this one was tough. Loud “chhapaakkk” & Mr. Hubby fell down in water near the shore (thankfully shallow). While onlookers & lifeguards panicked & came running, we both were laughing uncontrollably at our little stupid adventure. Thanks to Mr. Hubby’s daredevilry, we had become the center of attraction with his dripping clothes & me laughing non stop!

Bhulla Lake

Thats a cute boat!

A friend had recommended us to book the tree houses in the GMVN property however, being tourist season, we had missed the bus. Nevertheless, the idea of exploring the property sounded attractive & we headed for Tip Top Point. On the way, I spotted 2 beautiful churches – St. John’s Church & St. Mary’s Church. Unfortunately, they were closed then else I would’ve got some spectacular clicks.

St John's Church

St. Mary's Church

Every hillstation claims of spots that give you a view of some well known mountain ranges or peaks. Well, call it destiny or some ego issue with clouds, our luck with such spots isn’t that great. Tip Top point claimed to give a breath taking view of snow capped mountains & Tibet but frankly speaking, this is all I saw!

View from Tip Top Point

But our trip didn’t go waste. GMVN has one of its best properties in Lansdowne. Old building for those who adore vintage, wooden huts for the stylish, tree houses for the adventurous – the place is just perfect. But one has to book in advance as the place is the 1^st to be fully booked in season.

Beautiful Tree Huts

GMVN Huts

GMVN Main structure

Didi had praised the Garhwal Rifles mess. But, that was a no civilian zone, so we just roamed around the cantt area, which boasts of old houses with very English architecture, frequent signboards about the valour of Garhwal Rifles, & beautiful flowers on the way.

By now it had become really hot & we had no place in the town in our must visit list so after a quick meal in the market, we rushed to the comfort of our jungle resort, taking the same uncomfortable way.

Read about the final day of the trip here

Lovely Blue Flowers