Weekend getaway

I'm completing two years of marriage this Sunday (still can't believe it!) and so have planned on a little weekend getaway with hubby. Really really itching to get out of Delhi and escape the drab, humid weather...ugh! We're going to Camp Potters' Hill in Himachal, just a few miles before Shimla. Looks interesting with its Swiss tents, tree houses, nature walks and bonfires, all in the lap of nature. Two nights and three days of pure bliss!

Will update when I'm back!

What a week!

Took an unexpected break last week, went to Manali and Shimla. Had to suffer a number of glitches, but had a great time despite all that.

I visited Manali when I was around four years old, so I hardly remembered any of it this time. My companions were my mum and my two massis. We got off to a bad start at the airport itself. The thing is, we’d booked our tickets to Kulu on the Kingfisher website, and by default landed on the terminal for Kingfisher. We were queued up to get our boarding passes at about 8:10 am when the kind lady at the counter told us we have Deccan tickets. That’s coz of the merger between the two airlines, yada yada but nothing was mentioned on the damned website. And now the big problem was that Deccan was on a different terminal and we had about 25 mins to get our boarding passes, get the security check done and board the flight. We were like three damsels in distress. Thankfully the Kingfisher ground staff coordinated with the Deccan guys and rushed us to the other terminal and we caught our flight 5 mins before takeoff. Whew!

We reached Kulu in a little over an hour’s time. We had practically the whole day to ourselves so we took a taxi and went to Manikaran, about 2 hours from Kulu. The weather was warm and comfortable and the long drive felt refreshing. Manikaran is really an awesome place. It’s amazing to see this naturally hot cave, where we just sat and sort of took a sauna. Then we saw a natural hot spring. The water was boiling hot and these guys were actually cooking rice in it. I was amazed. We visited the temple and Gurudwara and had yummy langar there.

After that we took off to Manali, and the drive was beautiful, with the roads lined with a mix of orange and green trees, and snow clad mountains at the horizon. We stopped for a lil while by River Parvati and soaked our feet in it’s ice cold waters. Felt soooo good!

We reached Manali in the evening, sometime around six. Our lodge was closer to the Mall, at a place called Aleo. It was next to the Mountaineering Institute and right in the middle of a forest. Absolutely gorgeous. It’s a place called Chandertal run by a couple who take care of you like grandparents fuss over their kids. The lady was so warm and always used to send us these extraordinary jams and jellies and pickles and absolutely yummy food. It was almost like a home away from home.

We stayed in Manali for three days. During this stay we visited all the possible temples- Vashisht, Manu, Hadimba and the Buddhist monastery. Hadimba was superb. It was in the middle of a beautiful forest and so calm and peaceful. Never felt like leaving that place.

We also went to Rohtang Pass and Solang Valley. It was super fun to play in the snow at Rohtang, though we had to wade through tons of slush to get to the top. The view from there…I can’t even begin to explain how it was. You have to be there to believe it. Oh and I also got a chance to do paragliding at Solang. What a thrill!!! I felt like an eagle in the sky, just floating about aimlessly. Felt absolutely at peace.

The underside was that my massi and I got separated from my mum and my other massi at Rohtang and wasted time frantically trying to locate each other. Apparently my mum had made announcements for me, as there was no network on the cellphones. And at Solang while I was floating in the air, my mum almost got run over by a mad horse. Thankfully, no one got hurt.

On our last day in Manali we visited Naggar. The Roerich Art Gallery and the Naggar Castle. Roerich was a Russian artist settled in India. His son, Svetoslav, was also a painter and had married actress Devika Rani. Her portrait was unimaginably mesmerizing and we couldn’t help collect some of his works as souvenirs. The Naggar castle had history of it’s own. It once belonged to the King of Kulu, who sold it to the Brits for-hold your breath- a gun. Bloody psycho. It was handed down to many other kings and finally it was given to the government and converted to a hotel. Too bad. The wooden carvings on the doors and verandas were exquisite. There was also a little museum in the basement with some interesting sculptures recrafted for our benefit.

During our stay, we also discovered that Manali has some pretty amazing eating joints. These are basically set up by foreigners who have married the locals and settled there for obvious reasons. (For the ignorant ones, read: hash). We ate at a place called Pizza Olive that had a-ma-zing Italian food. Then there was a restaurant at the Mall called Chopsticks where we had delicious Chinese food along with some plum wine (Himachal has excellent fruit wines). There was also a Johnson’s Café which was slightly on the higher side, but claimed to have the best trout in town. And we also picked up goodies from a couple of German bakeries.

We spent the remainder of the week in the Shimla, celebrating my grandfather’s birthday and just generally chilling. On our way back yesterday, since crises was the game of the season, we were blessed with yet another one. Mum had booked tickets for the two of us in the 5:30 pm Shatabdi from Kalka. We boarded the train well in time. At 5:15 this staff guy checks our tickets and casually informs us that our tickets are in fact for the next day. Ten minutes before the train was to start, my dear mom gets a panic attack. Somehow we talk to the TT and he tells us we have to buy tickets on board and pay double the fare. So lots of monetary loss, but we made it home safe and sound and in good time.

So like I said in the beginning, barring a few technical glitches, we managed to have a wonderful time. The scenic beauty of Manali was really admirable. I’m glad that I got to make it to this breathtaking land again- and this time I won’t forget any of it.

Starry night weekend

We had been planning a weekend break since a long time, but nothing seemed to materialize. Finally one friend suggested we go to Rishikesh for river rafting. It was more than two years since I'd gone, and I couldn't resist going for a second time.

So last weekend I, with five other friends, packed our bags to leave Delhi and forget everything for a while. I was the last one to be picked up, and when we were all together, we just hugged each other, thankful that it's finally happening!

We didn't even realise where the 7 hour drive went. Continuously chatting, listening to music, cracking jokes, eating, sleeping....we didn't discuss anything about our daily lives, probably because we all wanted a break from our stressful routines.

We reached Shivpuri around 2.30 pm, and immidiately changed to hit the water. The ambience of the place was just breathtaking. Mountains, white sand and the Ganges, and around it, a whole cluster of camps. We were far from civilization, and that's all we needed.

We were all strapped up in the raft in the next 30 mins, ready to get some action. The instructor told us what we were supposed to do, and then finally we started off. As we approached the first rapid, we held our breath and wrapped our fingers tighter around the oar. Then as the instructor screamed 'Forward' we all put our entire power and paddled forward. Harder with each stroke. The water was ice cold as it hit our faces, and the raft bobbed threateningly. But it was over soon. And gosh, what a high! We cheered ourselves for our efforts and geared up for the next one.

With each powerful stroke, I could feel myself releasing all my pain, all the stress, all the misery that I'd been holding on to. And overcoming every rapid, felt like an accomplishment. We'd covered close to 20 kms, and boy that's something to be proud of! By the end of it, every lil part of my body ached, but I felt completely at peace.

We drove back to the camp and changed out of our soggy clothes. It was getting really chilly, and I was glad I'd carried my woolens. And when we stepped out of the tent, the sight that greeted us took our breath away. We looked up and saw zillions of stars, twinkling away in the sky. It was so beautiful, it didn't seem real. It was as if some one had sprinkled all the world's diamonds on the black velvety sky. We were speechless for a while and just kept gazing up, in awe. At that moment, I realized my own troubles meant nothing. Nothing at all. Why was I sad, when there's so much beauty and joy around me. I found myself wishing I could stay here forever. Just laying on the white sand and gazing at the stars that were there only for me. I felt one with the universe and nothing could break me down.

Needless to say, I was heartbroken the day we left. I knew it was going to be back to the same old, stressful rat race of life. But I also knew that life can be better; life is good, and that I'm taking all of God's creation with me, forming memories that would last for a lifetime.

Holiday's over :(

Hi everyone! I’m back and as ecstatic as ever! My holiday was better than I thought it would be. It was just…perfect! The last 10 days have been a breeze.

I didn’t expect Finland to be what it really is. Blame it part on my lack of reading up on places, and part on my very weird imagination! I thought it’s this one tiny country that’s tucked up in the north somewhere with freezing temperatures and people who look like Eskimos. Boy was I in for a surprise!

Finland’s major, probably the only natural resource is it’s forests. And as we stepped out of the airport in Helsinki, we could see how green it was. There were trees everywhere! And very well manicured too… exact same height, and growing absolutely straight. I was dumbfounded by how clean the place was! Not a soul in sight, except our big yellow VW taxi. Imagine, no stray dogs or cows on the road! :P While we drove to our hotel, I noticed how people didn’t jump red-lights, how pedestrians were given first preference and how people stuck to the rules and regulations laid out for them. I mean, it’s a small instance, but you could make out there’s actually a system out there, and that the taxpayer’s money isn’t going to the dogs.

Anyway, our hotel was right next to the harbour, like 100 steps maybe. So the sea breeze felt nice and cool on my face. The temperature, by the way, was not at all freezing, It didn’t go above 18 degrees, so it was pleasantly cool. A light jacket was all you needed. And no, the people were not Eskimos, but very normal looking individuals, and some actually made me drool! ;) But overall, it was a friendly environment. Helsinki’s a simple, down-to-earth kinda place with similar people. They don’t see a lot of tourists, not a lot of Indians anyway, so they acknowledged our presence with a smile.

It was different never to see the sun set. The sun was up till midnight! At 10 pm there it felt like 6 pm in Delhi. I kinda felt sorry for them, coz they’re missing out on the nights. It was a wee bit uncomfortable to see day all day! But I guess it’s OK.

It was summer season for them, so people were quite skimpily dressed! We were probably the only ones wearing woolens. We explored the city mostly on foot, or took a ride in the trams. It’s not a very large place, so it wasn’t so bad. Food though, was a major problem initially, coz everything was made of bread, and in departmental stores, everything was written in Finnish.

After the first 2 n a half days in Helsinki, we took a cruise to Stockholm (Sweden). The cruise was an experience in itself. 10 decks in all, M/S Mariella was a beauty. It had a casino, a discotheque, about 5 restaurants, 2 cafes, saunas and a huge duty-free shop. My folks and I went up to the top deck to admire the view of the Baltic Sea. We thought we’d stay up till the ship starts moving. Bad idea. As soon as it moved, the cool sea breeze turned to an extremely chilly gale. It was so strong, we had to hold each other and make a human chain to prevent us from being blown away! But it was some experience! And the view, of course was fabulous!

Stockholm and Helsinki are somewhat like Mumbai and Delhi. Somewhat. There are more people in Stockholm, we even saw quite a lot of Indians. Stockholm is the economic capital of Sweden. People were different here… they all looked as if they’re models off the ramp! Everyone was dressed so stylishly! But they were as warm as the Finnish, if not more. And Stockholm was definitely more expensive.

There was not a lot to explore there. We saw the Change of Guards ceremony at the King's Castle, which was carried out with a lot of pomp. Then we visited the Skansen Open Museum, which was an amazing walk. It was a sort of a zoo, but not exactly. It’s like a huge park, with li’l lakes inside, and further ahead, you could go see some Scandinavian animals. We saw the elk, reindeer, seal, and of course the brown bear. They were all out in the open, with thick glass screens separating us. So it was quite a sight.

We spent 2 days in Stockholm, and then took the cruise back to Helsinki. This time we stayed in a hostel, Academia I think it was called. And here we had a kitchenette, so that was a relief coz now we could cook. It was in a way, better than staying at the hotel, coz we were on our own. So cooking, cleaning, doing the beds- everything was our responsibility. Felt more like home.

During our 3 days in Helsinki, we visited the Nuuksio National Park which was breathtakingly beautiful and an amusement park, which was nothing like Disney Land I’m sure, but was a zillion times better than Appu Ghar! In between, we also took a train to a small town around Helsinki called Turku. Here we bought a litre of really really fat strawberries and ohhhh my Gooood they were just out of this world. We ate like we were starved for strawberries and later discovered our lips and fingertips had turned a deep red. Gosh I could kill to taste strawberries like those again!

The Nuuksio National Park was 45 mins away from the city, by bus. It was a one and half hour walk in the woods after that. It was just superb. The natural beauty of the place left me gawking, and I found myself wishing I could stay back forever. The lakes around the woods were sooooo beautiful. You have to be there to know what I’m talking about. After the climb, we came to a small inn, where they served us with tea, coffee and some yum freshly baked bread with butter. We could even take a dip in the lake, but the water was a lil too cold for my comfort!

Next day we were to take our flight back to India, and I really didn’t feel like going back! I was too much in love with the place. But I have to admit, I went at the best time. In winters the temperatures can drop to as low as minus 25 in the south of Finland, and minus 50 in the north. Sighhh! I guess no place is perfect, but this sooo was!! I guess I still haven’t gotten over my holiday, don’t think I ever will.

Chhutti Time!!

The heat in Delhi is killing…47 degrees, ugh! But finally my much needed break is here. I’m off for a vacation guys! You’ve no idea how much I was lookin forward to this- and it’s finally here!

It was tough getting leave from office since I’m still on “probation”. The GM was clearly not happy with it and gave me a piece of her mind. But my immediate manager’s a darling! So I’m going to get extra chocolates for her! ;)

I’ll be going to Helsinki and Stockholm for about 10 days. This is my first trip abroad and I’m super excited! Finally my poor empty passport has a visa on it! :P

Almost my entire family’s going with me, including my nieces- so I’m gonna have a ball for sure. My packing’s almost done…just a few things here and there. Eeeeee this is gonna be so much fun!!

I leave tonight so I guess I’ll say a quick goodbye! Just hope the monsoons hit Delhi by the time I’m back. See ya guys, and pray that everything goes according to plan!!

Love ya!! :)

I'm back!! :)

I'm home! My back is aching like hell, my legs feel as if a truck ran over them, and I think i've sprained my foot, so i'm limping around the house like a handicap...but I'm sooo happy! Vaishnodevi was great! It was simply great! Right from the time I sat on the train till the time I got back, I've loved every bit of this trip! Though every year our college organises this trip, this was my first time with friends.

We were staying at a hotel in Katra- 5 girls in a tiny room. We started at around 4 in the afternoon. Took an auto till Banganga, and from there, with a loud 'Jai Mata Di!', we commenced our journey. There were some other friends, not from our college, who had decided to join us too. So we were about 15 people. But along the way some of us got separated- the speedy ones took the lead and we slow coaches dragged on after them. Three of my friends had gone barefoot- hats off to them! Taking small steps and stopping at almost every 'vishram sthal' we somehow reached Ardhkwari at around 9- that's about halfway. Then after a quick bite, we gained a li'l energy and sped on, chanting 'jai mata di' the whole time. When we finally reached the Bhawan around 11.30, we felt drained. But seeing the cheerul atmosphere around us we could feel our exhaustion being replaced by excitement and anticipation. It was really chilly up there...didnt feel it while walking but realised it later. After sumbitting our bags and shoes in a locker we joined the long queue to the temple. By the time we made it, our feet were absolutely numb coz of the cold. We went through the tunnel and then the cave...and at that point i felt it was all worth it...the long hard climb felt like child's play for 30 seconds of Mata's darshan. I could feel my tensions dissipating, and the long list of wishes I'd imagined I'd ask for, seemed so frivolous. All I could mumble was a thankyou.

After the darshan, at around 1, we ate from a dhaba nearby. And then again started the long walk back to the hotel. On our way back the lights went out and we walked in pitch dark. The sky above was studded with millions of stars, and for a moment we stood, awestruck, and admired God's handiwork. It was so...beautiful seems like such a small word! It was the most amazing sight I've ever seen. We felt so special...as if walking under a bejeweled cloak. We continued reluctantly and by the time we reached we were literally dragging ourselves to take a step. Our legs hurt so much, and resting made it almost impossible to move. We reached our hotel at 5 in the morning and I dont remember what followed after that. I only remember waking up at 12 in the afternoon the next day. And of course the pain hadnt ceased at all. We just rushed through the day, and at 5 we were on our way back. And now I'm home, feeling warm and cosy again...the pain will go, but the wonderful times we shared would always remain in my heart. And I dont think I'll ever forget that star studded night...sigh! Thanks God! :)

Jai Mata di!

Wondering whts with the title of this post? well, i'm just gettin in the mood...coz i'm going to Vaishnodevi today!! Its gonna be freezing cold and its a steep 15 km (maybe more) climb to the shrine...but that's the fun! I know i'll come back with legs hurting real bad, and also probably with the severest cold ever...but who cares! What's fun without adventure and risks, right?! Sigh! There's a lotta stuff i need to get sorted out with Mata Rani... I hope She's not too busy! Anyway, I'll see you after 4 days- that is, if I get back alive!

Take care people! And wish me luck! :)
See ya

What a week!

hello all u beautiful people!! I'm back...n this time, for good! Thank u all so much for all those wonderful msgs...at least i knw there are people who miss me! No wonder i kept sneezing the whole time there!! hehe! ;)

well goa was fab...as expected! Apart from bruising my knee, dropping my cellphone in water, breaking my brand new sunglasses, my camera and mp3 acting strange, not to mention, the pathetic train journey, I managed to have a pretty good time!

We were 10 girls and since we didnt want separate rooms we got ourselves a big suite. Besides a li'l trouble with the washrooms, we adjusted pretty well! One night all of us smuggled some breezers and beer bottles into our room! Were up most of the night...!! Our teachers had strictly forbidden any sort of mischief! If only they knew...!!

I visited the famous Mangeshi temple, and St. Francis Church (plus another one who's name I cant recall). And of course the beaches! Miramar beach sucked...but I fell in love with Vagador (if thts how its spelt) beach, Baga and Calangute. Gosh, the walk from Baga to Calangute is mindblowing! I didnt want to go back! My friends n I saw crabs on the shore, and those tiny things coming out of the seashells. They were so beautiful. There were also these really small snails that the waves brought...we saw them bury themselves in sand, as if the pain of departing from their beloved sea was too much to take for them. Sigh...it was really awesome. Then my friends and I got busy collecting stones on the beach. I was amazed to see how beautiful they looked. Each was a different colour and size...truly unique. We all clicked loads of pictures. Will try and post some as soon as I can get them scanned. N guess what, I even got a li'l tattoo done on my shoulder. Not the real thing of course, but the ones that are painted and last for about 15 days or so. Looked rather sexy...! ;)

Then we were taken for a river cruise one evening. Not much to do, except enjoy the cool breeze. Then the same night, we were surprised by our tour coordinator and were taken to Tito's. Its supposed to be the most happening disco in Goa. We had fun, but only a fraction of what we could have. Because one, our teachers accompanied us. And two, it was an all girls party, which means no outsiders. :( n that would be fun only if ur a guy!

Neway, it was a memorable trip. On our way back, our juniours kinda made us senti and we all shed a few tears...but then they had their ways of cheering us up! Like smothering toothpaste over our faces while we were asleep. Or covering us from head to toe in talcum powder! Gave us a hard time, the brats! Man I'm gonna miss them so much! They are the best fachhas one could have! Goa is great...n it'll always be a special place for me.

I'm Off...

I'm going away this weekend...will be back Monday night. Thought I needed a break from my family...turns out I'm accompanying them. Feeling like shit right now...
Adios everyone.
Mirage

P.S. I'm sorry Milo...really really sorry. Some things are just not meant to be.

At Last!!!

Finally!! After 1 month and 13 days of screaming, cribbing and wailing my eyes out in front of my family, i have finally succeeded in convincing them to send me away...um for a few days. I have tried every known trick in the book to try and make them see sense!
I've tried studying (even if it was fake), or being 'responsible' at times (like cleaning up my room, or making tea for everyone), wearing sensible clothes (my dad prefers seeing me in suits rather than shorts so thts a good way to 'patao' him!!), and god knows wht other stuff!
I had reached the end of the line when yesterday i got the good news. "You're going to shimla..." I could hardly believe my ears! At last I'm goin out of &*%$ delhi! So what if its shimla and so wht if i've been there almost all my life and almost every year, and so what if i'll b under nani's constant supervision...at least its not delhi, and its gonna b cool n nice. A break i really need coz i've had it up to here with dilli ki garmi n dilli ke log!
I was still sceptical about the whole thing n was hoping dad won't go back on his words. But now there's nothin to worry! Coz now i have the tickets! Yay! I'll be off tuesday morning :)) and back on sat :( Short, but beggars cant be choosers!
I'm outta here!