Holiday (Part 2) - Manali

From Delhi we took a bus to Manali, where I enjoyed a lovely, memorable, long-awaited, but (unfortunately) short holiday. To say that Manali is beautiful would be a gross understatement. The hills, the valleys, and the rivers left me enchanted. I wished we could extend our holiday by a few days, a few weeks. But, we’d already overrun our budget and staying on would also mean disrupting other plans.
We took an overnight bus from Delhi to Manali. And IMHO, that has to be the best way to get there. As the bus starts its way up the mountain early in the morning, waking you up from your sleep, you open your eyes to a gushing river flowing right outside your window. As the bus winds its way up, you can see a column of mist hanging right above the river, following it like a shadow. You forget all the aches and pain from the long ride and marvel at the wonder called Nature.
The weather in Manali was perfect. The temperatures were just right, with a little bit of rain, which made it more enjoyable. We did most of the regular “touristy” things there. We took the day tours to Manikaran and Rohtang Pass. Roamed around Mall Road. Went to Hadimba temple, the clubhouse, and a monastery around the town. We tried to cram a lot of things into our four days. But were left with many more things we wanted to do but couldn’t.
The long drive to Manikaran was breathtaking. A river flowed right by the road and there were lofty mountains all around. The mist would sometimes drop by to say hello on its way to meet them. I couldn’t stop clicking pictures but no photograph could ever do justice to the beauty that captured not just my eyes, but my heart as well.
Rohtang Pass was a long arduous journey. The day was filled with uncertainty about the Pass being accessible by road. But, we took a bus anyways. And in spite (or maybe because) of all the traffic, long wait, bad roads, missed lunch, missed dinner, walking up a lonely path at 1.30 in the night events, Rohtang will remain an incredible memory. As you climb and cross mountains the view changes. Small streams change to raging waterfalls only to change to blocks of water frozen mid-flow. The valleys get deeper, greener, and prettier. The mountains become loftier, rockier, and icier. One minute, everything is crystal clear, and the next minute, mists heavy enough to be called clouds descend on you and you can’t see 2 inches in front of you. Just when you start getting your bearings, the clouds have lifted and it’s almost sunny again.
I could just go on an on about the beauty of the place but I don’t think my words would do enough justice to it.
It was not just the beauty of the place. I also enjoyed the food, the ice tubing (I don’t what else it’s called!), the river crossing, the shopping, the walk down the mountain from our hotel to the market, and the tourist buzz in the market.
I’ve made up my mind to go there again. But, the next time I go, it will be for longer. I have so many things on my list to do – trekking, mountaineering, river-rafting, camping on the river, crossing Rohtang Pass to Lahaul and Spiti, and then going farther on to Leh. I know it’s a long list, and it’s not even complete. I have to start plotting and planning a break of a month or two. I’ve added it to my list of “want to do once in life” dreams. It doesn’t seem that unattainable, does it?

Holiday (Part 1) - Delhi

It was a long-awaited break. We’d been waiting for a holiday for a pretty long time and it didn’t help that the few weeks running up to it were particularly stressful at work. Finally, the day dawned, 14th June.

But, it wasn’t the perfect start to our holiday. We were supposed to take the train to Delhi (wanted to save a few thousand and also wanted the “Rajdhani” experience) in the evening. Two hours before the train was supposed to leave, we came to know that it has been cancelled! So, we ended up taking a flight to Delhi the next day (money and experience- lost!). To be frank, I had started wondering if this will set the tone for the rest of our week. But, thankfully, it didn’t...well not completely at least.
We landed in a rainy Delhi and the rains lasted through the day. Thankfully, we’d booked a cab for the day in advance. We’d planned to tour Delhi through the day and take a bus in the evening to Manali, our actual holiday destination. Our driver for the day was waiting at the airport when we arrived and though he wasn’t very knowledgeable about the sights (he was a Himachali, recently moved to Delhi), we had a pretty good time. We saw most of the sights there while getting thoroughly soaked in the rains. I believe the rains added a nice aura and beauty to the historic monuments. I felt transported to a different, but familiar world.
The roads in Delhi are very wide, clean, and well maintained. Almost all streets are lined with trees on both sides. And being a rainy Sunday morning, there wasn’t much traffic on the roads either. We reached India Gate first. It was still early morning for a Sunday. The grounds and gardens around had been transformed into playing fields. The game? Cricket of course, with a stray football match thrown in. The place was abuzz with activity. Cold-drink stalls, chana and chat sellers, Polaroid photographers, and tourist guide sellers, all added to the mélange. And then there were groups of armed forces, in different uniforms holding various instruments waiting near the Amar Jawan Jyoti under India Gate, presumably waiting for the rains to subside before beginning a rehearsal of some sort (I assume for Independence Day).
From there we took the drive up to Rashtrapati Bhavan. Next, we went to the majestic Red Fort, where the Diwan-e-Aam and Diwan-e-Khaas buildings transport you to a different era. As you cross the vast immaculately maintained grounds, you can almost see emperors and queens walking along the same paths, pondering over the fate of an entire nation. The bazaar street at the entrance gives a nice lively atmosphere to the place.

While we debated where to go next, our driver suggested that we should visit the new Akshardham temple. Akshardham is a huge complex. The security is Z-plus. The temple complex is beautiful and the atmosphere could’ve been serene if not for the teeming, babbling crowds. The main temple is almost an architectural marvel. The detailed carvings, the beautiful idols – it’s difficult to believe that this is actually a modern temple building. We spent quiet some time marveling at the craftsmanship inside and outside the temple. They have a lights and sound show, complete with a boat ride and stuff but, unfortunately, we were running out of time.
On our way back to bus station, we decided to make one last stop at the Bahai temple or Lotus temple as it is more popularly known. The prayer hall was very peaceful, calm, and quiet (they make it compulsory for everyone to keep quiet inside). It managed to mellow down my excitement levels and took away some of the tiredness from the long day’s travel.
All in all it was a long and tiring but enjoyable day. I saw most of the places I’d wanted to see. The only ones we missed were the Kutub Minar, Humayun’s tomb, etc. But those were a bit too far and we had a bus to catch. And well, I didn’t get a chance to visit the shopping havens of Delhi. We did drive by Janpath a number of times, but most shops were closed. :(
Oh, did I mention the other great thing about Delhi? The food! Armed with the Lonely Planet guide to India, we made our way to Parathewali Galli in the afternoon right before we saw Red Fort. The galli is small and hard to miss especially in the rains. But, after asking around a little, we found it. We decided to stop at the first shop (dhaba?). They made the oiliest, crispiest, hottest parathas I’ve ever had. And to say that they were delicious would probably be an understatement! Then, since we were in Delhi, we couldn’t miss Nirula’s. So, we stopped there for a quick bite before ending our whirlwind tour of Delhi and boarding the bus to Manali.
How was Manali? Heavenly! And that’s coming up next!