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

Wanderlust May 2013 – Lansdowne – Day 1

I was still trying to grab time to blog about our last trip when Mr. hubby announced he wanted another one. A recent family wedding & some other pending issues had me totally exhausted so when he proposed Lansdowne, it seemed like a welcome relief!

Didi had gone to Lansdowne a couple of years ago & had been in awe of the old British architecture, especially the Garhwal rifles mess. Lansdowne therefore, had been pending for quite some time.

With our bags packed in a jiffy, we left the hot and humid Delhi in the morning. I was excited to catch up on the McDonald’s breakfast menu on the Drive in near Khatauli. Mr. hubby had asked me to look for the route to Bijnor from Khatauli however,  a miss and we ended up taking the bylane adjacent to new Cheetal Grand restaurant. It was finally the server at the Mc Donald’s drive in who guided us about the right route (I had been looking for Bijnor on the signboards whereas we were to reach Jansad first & then take the highway to Bijnor).

I was expecting Bijnor to be just another small town but the pleasant drive there was a treat for my greenery hungry eyes. A well irrigated place, with a huge “Madhya Ganga canal” strategically routed through the fields, Bijnor is a place with quite roads and lots of greenery around. The sight near the canal barrage was simply awesome & if the place had the option of camping, we wouldn’t have mind a detour. Few minutes after we crossed Najibabad, I was delighted to see a huge (and I mean pretty huge) sugar mill. I could see the huge conveyor belt & some machines & was told the place was Mawana (from where my daily chai gets the Mawana sugar!).

Whenever we visit the hills (which is almost all our trips), I behave like an elated child on spotting the first set of hills after the plains. My reaction on seeing the mountains on the horizon en route Kotdwar was no different. Lansdowne was a few kilometers now!

My excitement soon turned into concern as the actual route after we took the route to Lansdowne. Britishers are known for their superior architecture & planning however, this time around, they had missed on the basic infrastructure. The roads are very narrow & Mr. Hubby, who had been driving non stop from Delhi now seemed tired. We have been on the worst of hilly routes but this route was one of its  kind. Narrow roads, steep, blind turns at every few metres (I would recommend taking a driver unless of course you don’t mind the frequent clutch & break like my Mr. Hubby).

I was waiting to get away from the heat. A signboard read “the first view of Lansdowne”. “But it is still hot!” I cribbed. “we have to go atleast 300-350 km away from Delhi in the hills to beat the heat, so chill baby”, Mr. Hubby at his consoling best again!

Lansdowne welcomed us with a Cant board toll, lot of old time fauji buildings & the best of all – numerous pine trees. We reached the main market – Gandhi Chowk. All the resorts we had tried to book came on our way, except the one we had actually booked – Jungle resort. I was getting cranky now with my empty stomach, heat & a strong nature’s call. The locals in sadar bazaar showed us a blue overhead tank & asked us to take the “bad route” from there. The bad road had already irritated us & when I saw the “real” secluded bad route, I prayed God for both of us & our Skoda Rapid.

Till about a few metres enroute Dhuri, we could see one or two jawans however after that the civilization just disappeared. Two tired & hungry souls on a bad route that was taking them nowhere! The route got worse with every turn but we had no option – there was no space on the narrow road to even take a U – turn. Finally after 3 km of that torturous terrain, he sign board read “Jungle Resort retreat Anand”. I wished for decent accommodation & clean loos as there was no way back now.

Seems God heard me. The resort was full of Pine trees (just like they used to show in the 90s movie songs) & had numerous cottages & a swimming pool. It was still hot so when I asked the staff why aren’t there any AC’s in the cottages, he smiled & said “spend few hours here & you won’t miss the AC. We decided to head to the pool to beat the heat. However, the pool had been occupied by numerous noisy kids & their parents. Belly dance of the pot bellied father to the shrieks of the bachha party – I hadn’t expected this after a tiring journey! But that’s hospitality – guest expectations exceeded, though on the wrong side!

Jungle Resort, Dhuri, Lansdowne

With kids occupying pool, there was nothing much to do. So I just lazed around the remaining day on the Hammock, while Mr. Hubby was glued to his Trip Advisor app to plan for the next day.
Read about day II of the trip here

Hills covered with Pine trees

Lovely Blooms

Sadar Bazaar

Ideas ideas everywhere, no time to blog

I had often read bloggers cribbing about blogger’s block – after the initial shower of posts and page views, the rigour suddenly takes a backseat. And not because of any specific reason but just like that. Just like the decline phase in the product life cycle, the blogger stops having those amazing ideas or the enthusiasm to check page views or post something frequently. The usual remedy is to give it some time. Bloggers usually take a well deserved break from the pressure of posting and saving their blogging ranks & once back, they usually start with introspective/philosophical posts.

But it isn't blogger’s block that is eating away my blogging frequency. It is the good old excuse (and in my case, truly genuine one) – lack of time.

Having jumped into the blogging arena only a couple of months ago, blogging still runs around in my system and gives me a high. Lectures, exams, submissions, mood swings, so far nothing has been able to hold me away from posting my ideas on my blog. The mind still brims with loads of ideas, and the evidence can be found on the umpteen “to do’s” on my smart phone and laptop.  Yet, since I have returned to Delhi, Miss blogging often complains to Mr. mind – “you don’t have time for me.”

One option was to comfort Miss blogging by posting some pictures or quotes, but that wouldn’t have justified the purpose of me getting into blogging.

So, I decided to think aloud about what’s affecting my blogging frequency –

1. The blogging seat – Believe it or not, but its true. In college, my desk next to the window with a scenic view of the Aravallis got out the best of my creativity. Back to the concrete jungles of Delhi, my dedicated writing space has gone.

2. Cooking – The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. Very true, but the same way also takes you away from the “me time”.  No, I am not being a lazy wife & Mr. Hubby knows this. But when at home, I find myself more in kitchen than anywhere else.

3.  Being the social butterfly – I once read on author Preeti Shenoy’s blog that one has to sacrifice social life to make it up for the love of writing. I still don’t completely agree but the recent family weddings, outings, chit chats, gossip sessions and get togethers have got me to somewhat think about it.

4.  Spending the quality time – Now this one’s the most important. Recently Mr. Hubby got bitten by the Watsapp bug (and I have a full post dedicated to this in pipeline). Though I am not that fussy a wife, whenever I find him glued to his Watsapp or Discovery Turbo, I make the most innocent face & crib that he has no time for me. And poor thing gives in to my draamebaazee! But he is no innocent thing anymore, coz he has now found a way to get back at me. Whenever he sees me glued to my laptop (which often is the moment I have just began work on a new post), he too, makes that same innocent face (though with a dash of sarcastic naughtiness!) and says “U have no time for me, I meees u”. My own weapon used against me!

No matter how much I crib, I can’t live without blogging. While wrapping up at work yesterday, the optimistic me planned the rest of the evening my way & resolved to write a post every alternate day.  Even though an unexpected guest & the elaborate menu played spoilsport, the moral refuses to go down. And here I am, back to my blog!

Thats my computer calling me to blog!

So I get to walk the ramp!

Picture perfect, chiseled bodies, perfect poise, looks that kill - models are what every gal idolizes when it comes to looks. Not to miss their shining, smooth tresses which embrace any hairstyle. I have lost count of the times I have tried to copy their hairdos as a teenager, mostly ending in messy disasters. How do they do it? I used to wonder. Stress, pollution, chemicals – poor hair bear the brunt of them all. As career kept eating away into the “me time”, getting that hair a’la models became a distant dream.

But not anymore.

While browsing recently through Indiblogger, I came across the TRESemme Ramp Ready hair contest. I had seen a few promos of TRESemme on TV & my neighbor in hostel had recently got herself the shampoo. The page mentioned “get your hair ramp ready”. With all those years of dull, messy hair behind me, the claim was too good to be true. However, I decided to give it a try.

Indiblogger was as usual prompt with the shipping & within few days, I received my free bottle of TRESemme hair fall control conditioner. Having straight hair yet falling prey to hair fall & dull hair had been frustrating. The product, with its enriched formula, claimed to work on the deadly tangles that every girl fears. The catch was simple, getting salon ready hair in few washes. Although I didn’t get breakage free hair overnight, my hair were surprisingly a lot less tangled than their usual self.

Next, it was time to get the perfect salon look. And I didn’t have to step out of my home for that. The TRESemme India youtube link   brought salon perfect hairdos right to my home. Diana Penty welcoming me to the fashion show amidst the flashing lights, I was feeling like a Diva already!

Beginning with the basics of a good hair wash, the interactive, user friendly module allowed me to pick my favorite hairdo as per my hair type. I chose the Butterfly ponytail. Never before had someone made salon styling so simple. The TRESemme hairstylist explained step by step how to get the hairdo. Unlike the various beauty shows on TV, I got a detailed view with explanation & could repeat the video. I simultaneously tried the butterfly ponytail on my hair. Wow, I actually did it on my own, in the comfort of my home!

But the pampering was far from over. It was time to actually feel the excitement of the ramp. One click & I was right there at the ramp! My favorite hairstyle, music, photographers - the feeling of being a model was sinking in. And with Diana Penty among the viewers, anybody would love to flaunt their salon ready look!

Thanks TRESemme for giving making me believe that every girl next door can get her hair ramp ready!

This post is a part of the TRESemme Ramp Ready Hair contest in association with Indiblogger.

College na milega dobara

Phew! Exams are over!  Like a farmer waiting for rains, I had been desperately waiting for this day ever since I stepped in the hostel. It meant so much to me – freedom from books, classes   & lots of good time with family, friends, TV & shopping!

The last exam was also the toughest one – not just for me but also for Mr. Hubby. Poor thing tolerated my tantrums for 2 days – sometimes counseling, motivating me, and otherwise helping me with my doubts over the phone. I remember during school & college, whenever the last exam used to end, there used to be a loud “Hurray”, even though we knew exams awaited us the next session. But this time, when exams actually finished for me, I just stood up, looked at the paper & said “No more exams to take now. I am through.”

Since most of our batch mates were leaving the same day for their hometowns, & the remaining few had their last exam the next day, it was also a sad day. Me and a couple of my friends in the girls hostel decided to leave the next day as we wanted to relive & relish some of the most memorable moments spent in the hostel.  Looking back, it appears funny that the same place we awaited desperately to get rid of had become such an indispensable part of our existence that we felt like taking off few moments to remember the good times.

So, in a pure “college na milega dobara” mode, we planned our little girlie party. Abhilasha, who’s always proactive with the clicks suggested we capture each & every important place in college, beginning with our hostel rooms. But there was a problem, the rooms weren’t exactly in the same shape as we were all packing. So, I quickly prepared my room for some good frames & we began the photo session. Soon, more frendz joined over & we had an amazing giggling session. Nidhi was in a dancing mode since morning & she ensured each one of us, gave her company for “Radha on the dance floor” while Abhilasha got the perfect clicks. 

Next, it was time for outdoor shoot – the canteen, the lovely green ground, classrooms, the sunset point, the road where we had taken umpteen leisurely walks. Every evening, while taking a walk, I used to count the days left in the college. And on the last day, my eyes were moist as we took the Oh so longish last walk – as if I wanted to fill the beauty in my eyes before the bid the final goodbye. Had it not been for Nidhi’s reminders, Abhilasha & I would have to make do with hostel food as we were so totally out of control with our photo sessions, roping in everyone we spotted.

The lovey sunset view

The classroom

As we enjoyed our large pizzas, we recalled all the amazing pizza parties we had before, the midnight chai sessions, morning wake up calls, masti amidst some boring some enlightening lectures, burning the midnight oil before assignment deadlines, weekend masti, evening walks, impromptu jam sessions, midnight maggi & chitchat sessions  - moments that had now become golden memories. To make the last day even more special, we decided to stay awake the entire night & do full on masti & dhamaal. But there was a problem, Pooja had an exam the next day & was in the adjacent room. We didn’t want to distract her, but the fun was incomplete without her. I was already feeling guilty as she was dropping in time and again for quick 5 minute chitchat sessions before resuming her studies.

Umpteen presentations given here...

We moved to Abhilasha’s room & that’s where the real girlie fun began. What started off as a simple movie plan eventually turned out to be a super spicy gossip session. By 2 in the morning, studies could no longer hold Pooja in her room & she too joined us. Midnight tidbits, amazing pals, memories, facts, opinions & college life revisited – I take with me memories to cherish forever. I had dreaded hostel since childhood but when I finally lived the hostel life, I realized why hostel bondings remain precious throughout life. Thanks to my amazing pals Pooja, Abhilasha & Nidhi who made our last evening in hostel so special! 

Finally...the road to freedom

4 gone 2 to go!

The ratio now reads 4:2! Exactly opposite of the last time I updated my blog on the deadly exams. So, before I refill my arsenal for tomorrow’s fight, lemme quickly update you on what I went through last 2 days.

A week end break between exams sounds like party time, but when it does come in, one realizes things were better without it. Especially if one has more than 2 exams after the 2 day weekend, half of the energy is spent juggling between various subjects. On Sunday afternoon, I learnt the difference between distance and displacement that my Physics teacher had emphasized so much on in school. Even though I had spent Friday and Saturday studying for the later exams, I couldn’t even remember the names of topics! Back to square one! Nothing retained in mind and I had not even started preparing for the lengthy Monday paper.

The whole batch had been taking law very lightly, considering it to be a “cram and vomit” subject. But a night before the exam, we had our moment of realization. Watsapp, FB and the college mail was bubbling with notes and tips, powerpoint presentations that promised to get the entire Contract Act into your mind in less than 15 slides. But there was limited grey matter and unlimited laws haunting us with their numerous clauses. I looked at the Ganeshji in my room and said, “Sheer breach of code of conduct, why do people get into so many wrongdoings? Each act becomes an act and then we have to get our act together.” Hehe…

These days, immediately after waking up, I feel like a patient of short term memory loss and that’s why the morning revision holds immense importance. As if the ordeal I went through the previous night wasn’t enough, I had another prickly sense of realization the moment I began to write the paper. To know a law and to write answers are two things poles apart. Things had to be written in “a” sequence only using “the” specific words, else the meaning changed! To write or not to write became the question and one couldn’t write in the good old layman language.

In the middle of the paper, I also discovered that my “chanchal” mind had smartly distracted and was throwing me the idea of this post. I quickly hushed it up, though smiling at my shameless creativity. Since no contract is valid without a lawful consideration, I too did my bit to avoid the breach and somehow managed the jargons in the paper.

The next day and night was like an akhand paath (non stop prayer session) as today’s paper had anything and everything as part of the curriculum. Some friends, who couldn’t ignore their devotion towards IPL and Sir Ravinder Jadeja, took the chance of just brushing up the numericals. But galz are the scared lot. I went on and on and on but the course wouldn’t just finish!

I reached Just in time (which incidentally was also a topic in today’s paper). My friends smiled and pointed towards the front bench desk adjacent to the invigilator desk – the only vacant space left for latecomers. As the teacher distributed today’s paper, my mind instantly played a famous bhajan by Hari Om Sharan “tera raamji karengey beda paar, udaasi mann kahey ko darey” (why worry oh my dear sad heart, Lord will take care of everything!). And he did, the teacher had played a good Santa by giving so many choices that each one had something for himself!

As soon as I came to my room, I played the elimination round (yes, sounds funny but when I am through with an exam, I stack all those notes and books separately and just feel good when the stack increases with every exam, relative to the stack for pending subjects….something a friend taught me in school).

I know a lot of people might find this very stupid and melodramatic, but for all those people, I just have one thing to say “You have to step in my shoes to understand what it is like.”