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.
Friday, 16 September 2011
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.
Day 3 - Jakhoo and Lower Bazaar
Program to go to jacko temple. Took a senior citizen car. Rs 10 each. Very winding route. The driver was driving very fast. Complaining that he was getting only rs 5000 for this tiring job. As soon as we reached the temple a monkey came and took away cdr mc gupta,s specs.Returned walking lower bazaar. Midu and vandana bought shoes and nk bought kesar 1gm for rs 300. fixed the transport traveler. Dinner at Indian coffee house. People did not like the dinner much. Today one monkey entered my room. Moving to morrow to rampur.
Day 2 - Around Shimla
24th March 2011.
We all met at the reception at about 0830 and moved for breakfast. Found our taxi people asking us to come down to the taxi. The taxi was not at appointed space near to the hotel. N K abused the taxi people for cheating us. We finally came down by the lift and then boarded the traveler.
First went to institute of advanced studies. It is an outstanding place beautiful artistic and historic. We all liked it and got our photos sitting at various places. Drank juices there. From there went to khufri no riding but had lunch in holiday resort. Mc got his photo taken on a yatch. Few other places to see and back. Near the lift met the union people for taxi. Taxi not yet decided as not good enough, search is on. Dinner at the sharma dhaba. Too much chillies.
Thursday, 30 June 2011
Day 1 – Delhi – Kalka – Shimla
Well so on 23 march all teams arrived at the nd railway station . some as usual early and some as usual just in time . we thought that we would miss the train but as the journey was done in only 30 minutes still had time to spare .all thanks to the coolie who did not ask for a fortune at such a crucial hour also as the train was on the pform no 1. I did tip him rs 10 extra . nice guy . well we were greeted by the srimals in front of our bogie. After settling down others also came and greeted us. Train started in time at 7-40 am and we were soon on our way to kalka. During the journey lot of shifting took place it soon became a men men and ladies ladies group. Got the break fast in the train but no lunch was served there.
Kalka to shimla is by toy train or by taxies . we decided to go by a large size taxi so that all can be in a single taxi . the choice fell to a traveler taxi which was a eight seater.
The luggage was kept on top . cost was fixed to 2300rs by their union operators. The distance between kalka and shimla is about 95 kilometers . as soon as you leave kalka the hills start .
we were getting the taste of hill roads. And feeling it in our stomachs. Had lunch in a dhaba on the way after about an hour of drive at a place recommended by the driver of the bus. So the menu was zera aloo mix veg capsicum paneer roti rice dahi personally monitered by nk.
Next stopped at juice counter all had himanchali juices and also bought a bottle of himanchali wine for future usage. After lunch I shifted to the back enclosure off the vehicle . the driver found a better patch of road and started driving very fast . this was not approved by my stomach and just before entering shimla I vomited out the entire lunch , ofcourse after stopping the vehicle. Entry into shimla was quite dramatic as sir nk gupta would not get down from the the vehicle . he called the dig so that the vehicle could be driven right up to the hotel. Well he was success ful to get it at least up to a road below. Porters lifted the luggage to the grand hotel.
After reaching the hotel we went to reception to check for our accommodations. nikku was not satisfied with his room as it was on a higher floor and he was a wounded war veteran and a senior citizen . eventually after threatening to report to their top brasses for bad upkeep of the rooms he shifted himself to a room besides us. Mc gupta went to his allotted room but was not very satisfied. Pc srimal shifted into the old nikkus room which he found reasonably good. All settled we all went to sagar ratna for dinner. Also met some transport middle men who promised to bring the eight seater traveler close to the grand hotel so that there is no walking involved. Next day was planned for a visit to kufri and institute of advanced studies and other places as considered fit.
The Himalayan Plan
We had a good trip to shimla last year. Stayed at grand hotel for rs 140. this information was absorbed by srimals to be used for future trips. And one day received a call from mc gupta to give information on the sight address of grand hotel. I was not sure whether I could accompany them . they booked them self for shimla also had plans to visit chandi garh.finally leaving lor shimla from kalka on 23 april.as mc wanted to be at delhi
My booking for the grand hotel was done on the net .a bank draft was also sent and the information realayed to them on the net.my room no was confirmed by them to be 136. we were told that nk got the best deal as he booked from Mumbai and at Mumbai all rooms were free. The price quoted for the rooms was rs 105 being off season. Every one was excited to have struck such a fantastic deal.
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