Delhi heat was killing me….I decided to run away…I had 3 nights in hand…Trying to squeeze in a short trip, up in the Himalayas, would surely be a relief from my hectic daily schedule.
I kept looking for places…A friend suggested Mcleodganj.I had heard of it before…I made up my mind on Mcleodganj.
Mcleodganj is the home to His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama.
528 kms from Delhi..It is easy to reach.
I got my tickets booked from Himachal Tourism office at Chandralok Building,Janpath.The ticket costs Rs500/- per person ….one side…a pretty cheap deal…
I packed up my stuff in a ‘not so steady’ back pack.
Packed a few sandwiches…which I later realized was a sensible decision…The bus stopped at 11pm for dinner. The place looked close to a ‘flashy’ mall…A so not on the list while travelling out of the city life…
The food was served as a buffet…Rs200/- per person…No sharing….I felt pity on people who were forced to eat the oily food prior to a hill journey.
I however, was happy with a FANTA …..Eating my leftover sandwiches.
The first 2 hours in the ‘semi deluxe’ non a/c coach were a little torturous. However the weather got better close to crossing the Delhi border…
I soon fell in the rhythm of the bus…was fast asleep. I always have a ‘Stamatil’ and sleep soundly….specially on a hill journey.
Close to 4 am, I woke up to a mosquito buzzing in my ear…I opened my eyes to find the bus stop in the middle of nowhere.
The bus had halted for a tyre fixing….Which took nearly an hour..
Unable to sit, I stepped down. All I could see around was dense jungle. Looking for a loo, I went here and there…The man at the tea shop told me…’it’s out there’…he pointed towards the jungle….
Accompanied by a Dutch lady…who was scared to go alone…I went in the jungle….’Open Toilets’…..a drawback of Indian travel…
The bus reached Mcleodganj at 7am in the morning…The city seemed dead at the moment, with hardly anyone on the streets.
Finding my way out of the huddle of potters…I took my bag pack and walked off in the direction of Jogibara road…As per the instructions of Lonely Planet.
Looking out for Hotel Mount View wasn’t difficult at all…Located just down the Jogibara road, 5 minutes walk from the main market chowk.
After a long negotiation, I decided on a decent room…which costs me Rs300/- per day…The room had big windows on 3 sides…spacious and clean…I could see the snow peaks from my room…
A quick nap was a must…Hot water bath refreshed me from the overnight journey…
I left the hotel…Looking out for a place which served good continental breakfast….
‘CARPE DIEM’….the name caught my attention …..’German Bakery’…..
I enthusiastically climbed up the stairs…The seating was cozy and trendy…floor arrangement with soft cushions and artistic lamps…
I removed my shoes and sat down….I was soon joined by two Australian girls…I ate banana porridge …The best I had ever eaten….Baked Beans on toast was a great combination…
Having paid a scanty bill….as compared to the Delhi prices….I walked towards Bhagsu Nag falls….
It took me nearly 30 minutes to walk up till the religious falls…Only to find a small stream of water flowing from the mountains…It left me a bit disappointed…
Dry Bhagsunag Falls
…The statue of ‘Lord Hanuman’ was standing neglected in a corner…..in orange…
I walked passed various shops on the upper Bhagsu road…shops selling hippies…
I stopped over at Om Café…The ambiance made me over Pizza and Hash Brown Potatoes….than just Tea…..
I was surrounded by all westerners…who lived in Mcleodganj on an average of 2-3 months…
The owners of the café…’Babu’…friendly and famous amoung the customers…helped me familiarize the place further…
Time went by fast…sitting at the Om Café…
At OM Cafe
It was nearly dark when I left…
On my way back….i crossed small tea shops …owned by Tibetan locals…selling tea and the local specialty….Momos….Difficult to resist ,I tried to fit in a few in my full stomach.
It was nearly dinner time when I left the hotel after resting for a while.
My Lonely Planet suggested a good restaurant to dine. Mclleo…at the main chowk.
Climbing up , I asked for a rooftop..Always my favorite …
The rooftop at Mclleo was packed…I found a table in the centre…People buzzing with enthusiasm around me.
The artistic lampshades on each table was quite a fancy…It lit the place in shades of different lights.
Dining at Mclleo
I ordered a beer…Which to my great surprise costs just Rs 100/-….Chilly Chicken dry was a great company to a cold beer.
For dinner I was happy with a ‘Punjabi’ version of American Chopsey.
The streets at Mcleodganj get deserted after 10pm….but surely safer than Delhi…
I woke up next morning to sun rays gushing through my windows.
I ordered tea…which tasted very bad…a so not advised to have in the hotel.
After getting ready…I walked down to the Namgyal Temple….The place where His Holiness stays when in Mcleodganj…10 minutes walk from the main chowk…The road which leads to the temple is decorated with small shops owned by Tibetans locals..Selling export goods…
A Tibetan Shopkeeper
Namgyal Temple, also known as a Monastery…was a peaceful place…I was lucky to witness an annual ceremony, seeing the monks wear colorful headgears.
Annual ceremony at Namgyal Temple
I skipped lunch that day….My stomach growled after over eating the day before…Instead I walked up to Hotel Bhagsu ,an HPTDC hotel…It had huge lawns in the midst of deodar trees…I had milk tea…good enough to match my taste buds..I sat there till the sun went down completely…
Dinner was with my new found friends at CARPE DIEM….having cold beer and chicken steak sizzler.
Day three started with Breakfast at Village Café, an association of Tibetan Children’s Village, a charitable organization….A rooftop overlooking a primary Tibetan school…Apple porridge and Grilled Cheese Tomato sandwiches were a delight to start the day….
I walked up to Dharamkot Village…an half hour walk…crossing thick deodar forest….I was surrounded by thick clouds…when I was only half way through…I was loving it….I took longer than expected to reach the top….A small tea shop waiting for me…I ordered milk tea….Which was served in a big blue mug….It tasted absolutely out of the world…with a strong flavor of cardamom….my favorite…
Dharamkot Village
I spent nearly 3 hours …sipping 3 cups of tea at the small tea shop…
I walked back through the Village, which is famous for cheap guest houses, meditation, ayurvedic massage and tattoo making.
My last dinner was Nike’s Kitchen…best Italian food in town….followed by mouth watering desserts…
I walked back to my hotel….sadly….it was my last night in Mcleodganj.
The next morning was spent packing…and checking out of the hotel…
I however managed to take a quick walk till the St John’s Church in the Wilderness…3 kms from the market…
The walk was great …baring the vehicles buzzing past me…
St John's Church
My bus was scheduled to leave at 5 pm…It started on time…surprisingly.
The journey back was spent sleeping , as it soon became dark.
I woke up close to reaching Delhi…My trip had come to an end…However my spirit of travelling had not…
