Day 11: Fagu - Solan - Kalka - Delhi

On our way to back home. Same scenes in reverse order. Nk wanted us to take a trip on the rope way with a lunch at the hotel on top but there were no takers.Came to solan. Solan stay about 1to 2 hours, lunch at HPTDC hotel at a beautiful location. Once again the reliable zeera aloo. Came to kalka.  No tip for the driver of  the traveller as he did not drop us at the station. Came to station in two separate vehicles. At the station all nostalgic about the trip and planning tor the next one. Srimals dropped them selves at chandigarh. Arrived new Delhi in time. All parties got busy with their coolies and departed their ways without realizing where the others were.    

Day 10: Reckong Peo - Rampur - Fagu

Started from itbp at 0730 after taking photographs with the standing itbp guards in there full ceremonial platform. Breakfast on the way which was carried packed. Good music and interesting talks on the way back. Coming back in the same rout but other way round. Same hill road hills in front hills  at the back ,all along river and greenery. Lunch at rampur HPTDC basher residency with a present for mr soni who met us at the hotel inspite of his personal problem. Reached HPTDC FAGU by 1600 name apple blossom

Lovely rooms got 40% concession because of wounded soldiers and war veterans. Saw  temple fagu. Tea and dinner at the hotel and a final game of flash. Hotel very well .located.

Day 9: Reckong Peo - Kalpa - Reckong Peo

Went to Kalpa and roamed around there. Saw hotel kinner kailash of ITDC made all of wood. Ate thukpa and momos. Drinks and lunch at itbp mess. Met there officers. Played cards. Played cards in mc s vvip room where he has shifted to eventually. Srimals very impressed by the confidence of fruit selling girl and bought enough dry fruits from her. Others also bought dry fruits from a local shop. Planning for tomorrows journey and place to stay.

Day 8 - Sangla - Chitkul - Reckong Peo

From sangla after breakfast went to chitkul. Expecting good weather on the way. Journey to chitkul was the best part of all the good experiences we were having  so far. As usual it started with chanting of mantras. The  experience of driving for around for two hours was like more than moving around in Switzerland. Hilly snow clad mountains snow topped trees on the way. Crystal clear water falls. River and town along side below.

Played around and yahood in the snow at chitkul. Tea with Devinder singh of ITBP at chitkul. Back to sangla for alooparatha lunch, picked up snow water in bottles. Moved on to RIKANGPIO. Arrived rikangpio by evening with a red carpet treatment and were served tea immediately in style. Once again looks to be a nice mess and on a little bigger lines than sarahan. Evening we moved around in bazaar and also bought some dryfruits.

This time mc got a good room but again there were some defects with the toilet seat. Watched India pak match in there plush mess. India won.

Day 7 - Sarhan to Sangla

Left ITBP sarahan and arrived pwd rest house sangla arranged by mr soni. Nice place sorounded by snow capped hills. Very cold cloudy and rainy. Small village town sorounded by snow covered chinar trees. Little stroll around in the evening. A game of flash in the cvening. Night it snowed. Met the sdo he took me to his house and advised to visit baba balak nath tample. Others said he is mad and not to get involved with him. The guest houe had opened after a long time so required a lot of cleaning. Well the real man who did all the cleaning was not tipped by us but the tipping left to the incharge. Lot of speculation whether we will be able to go to chitkul or not due to land slide.

Day 5 & 6 - Rampur to Sarhan

Breakfast at HPTDC then moved to sarhan. Confirmed our accommodation at ITBP Jeori. They wrang up  the sarhan mess and informed our arrival. Surrounding scenes were getting increasingly breath taking as we were climbing to sarhan. Arrived at the sarahan ITBP mess. It was beyond our expectation. Great style and great place. We all were thank ful to Vandana to have hit upon such a magnificent place in those picturesque surroundings. This had increased our enjoyment many fold. We settled to our allotted rooms mc stayed in a room on ground floor in another block. The room was not so good as the others. We had good view of snow clad mountains and kinner kailash from all the rooms. As soon as we came offered good tea by a very polite staff. The core group then sat down and discussed further program. We did not have reservations at sangla. This where sir nk walks in showed he controlled the mountains. He produced mr soni from his jhola. This happened next day when we were sipping our wine in the open space in front of the mess and in between the snow clad mountains. Well we were in the hands mr soni now . so visited bhima devi kinner kailash vb singh palace and his trained dog . finally view point the market. Dinner at hotel shri khand hosted by mr soni topped up with a fruit basket and a topi for all. Next laze around good breakfast and lunch by the mess good parathas and  of course . a nice vibrant card game in the night. Game of tt. Mr shukla pandit returned snehs mobile.       

Day 4 - Shimla to Rampur

left for rampur 0900 in the 10 seater traveler with the luggage kept inside and feeling roomy. My stick which was left in the room was returned back to me by the bearer who came running after me to the bus. Nk harkaoed the traveler operator for not bringing the pickup taxi to the hotel. The trailor was good and new .driver mr vipin son of a naval chief petty officer. The tarrif for the traver 3000- per day. The traveler left the bouncy road of shimla with chantin g of gayatri mantra by the group . we already had had the the taste of the beautiful and hilly scenes around us at shimla which had made every ones mood up beat but we were going to witness further was breath taking. We started passing through deep pine jungles on both sides of road ,distant hill and snow and of course the great satluj along side allthrough. Stopped at a dhaba for tea on the way . shrimals and nk got busy in exploring about buying property around the area for settling down. Arrived HPTDC hotel by evening . stayed in Room no 105, room rent 1100. nk did not want to stay down and went on top to a higher tariff room. It was a long beautiful but a tiresome journey. Some of us specially vandana had bad stomachs courtesy Indian coffee house. Dinner at HPTDC of course zeera aloo was there. Visited VB SINGH palace in the town walked around the place . bought my telephone charger there.