Pines & Snow

I have been writing about my trips on this blog regularly under the label footprints. So much so that part of the excitement of going on a trip now seems to be the recounting of it once back on the blog for friends.

The trip this time was no different, since right from the beginning I kept filing away details in my mind and clicking pictures all with the view that it would get space on the blog. However since my travel mate Mampi is already writing about the exact activities of the trip in great detail I am not going to repeat it. You can visit her blog for details. Let me therefore share with you some snippets and photographs.
It was Dalhousie that we went to this time. Famously nicknamed "dull & lousy" by the boisterous crowds, the place is a military cantonment and a quaint little town that was set up just 150 years ago.

We arrived there in high spirits, the thrill of having escaped the mundane hectic lives we normally lead giving all of us extra broad smiles. A slightly frantic hunt later we were able to locate our hotel Geetanjali, which sadly didn’t live up to the reputation of the other HP Tourism hotels I have been to.

We were welcomed by the Monkeys…..the many, many monkeys of Dalhousie were an alternate world in themselves and I spend quite a few uneasy moments initially since their jumping onto the tin roof of the hotel caused quite a din. I was afraid one of them would jump a little too hard, crash through the roof and land on me.

Thankfully that didn’t happen.

The reason for choosing Dalhousie was the hope to catch some snow….as in a snowfall. I had never seen one and really thought that at 31 not experiencing a snowfall is a very embarrassing fact which needed to be rectified before the next birthday.

However though Dalhousie seemed nicely cold, snow was no where in sight. I prayed hard to all the Gods to arrange for some so that I woulnt have to go back disappointed, there was the added pressure of family and friends mockery which would ensue since my SNOW plans had been circulated far and wide.

On the second day of our stay there we woke up to find a rainbow right outside, it was so close that I felt if I jumped I could catch it and perhaps swing on it. I tried to capture it in my camera but sadly it was so close that catching both ends was impossible.

We finally found snow on our way to Khajjiar. It started as little mounds of dirty white by the road side and in crevices on the mountain side. It slowly grew better and we eventually found places where there was enough snow for people to be able to make snow balls and have matches. We saw the crowds descending on the snow oohed and aahed and moved on for destination Khajjiar.

Khajjiar was a beautiful place though slightly sullied by the descending hordes who thought nothing of leaving plastic bottles and empty chips packets all over the place. We walked away from the crowds and did a parikrama. With sudden bursts of rain, the wind whistling amongst the tall pine trees and the lone horse roaming on the greens…it was as idyllic as it could get.
One look at the distant mountains and you could see that it was snowing there…and I prayed fervently for a little to fall on me as well.

The drizzle of rain threatened to become a downpour hastening our departure from Khajjiar…mentally we all made plans to be back again…such was the magic of that simple glade amongst the mountains.

We were talking, eating and generally looking around while Mahesh drove when the urge to play in the snow overtook us and we stopped on the wayside. By now I had reconciled myself to the fact that I will have to be happy with snow on the ground and snow from the sky will have to just wait.

Mahesh and Mampi walked ahead and started climbing up the snow….me and Parry were still on the roadside throwing snow balls at each other…when Mahesh suddenly said Pinku look up, I did and there it was…..my snow fall.

It lasted all of two minutes but God fulfilled my desire….this is why I keep saying My God Strongest.

Post the snow the road and trip was all downhill….since my high point had been achieved so let me not bore you with the sad hearts that descended the slopes the next day.

Instead let me tell you about the Dunch (what I call a lunch that suffices for dinner) we had at Haveli in Jullundhar. It’s a nice place that showcases the real Punjab and the food is finger licking….I am still grieving for the pindi chole we had to leave behind since Mahesh wouldn’t allow us to have it packed for later.

Mampi enlightened that hosts who treat at Haveli are known as good ones in Punjab. I agree with her view but would just like to add that she was anyways way up there in my list of favorite hosts/hostesses.
I know this will add to the numbers who wish to visit her but then she being the gracious and gregarious hostess she is will surely happily accommodate.