Ok this one time, when keeda kata toh hum chal diye joshimath. Translation : my trip to joshimath.
Friday night, Bercos gardens, RahulV, fosters and a map. Where and how is being decided at the beer table. Some homework has been done, but we still have to choose a place, based on pros and cons or some quirk of whoever can sway the group. Himachal was ruled out because Rohtang pass was still under snow.Dodital, hemkund sahib, yamunotri, kuari pass…all in uttrachal. Election time in UP, we don’t want to get held up by police patrols in the night who would be making sure the goons’ movement before the election day is minimal or only favorites are given a pass. Packing AFTER the eleventh hour(theka band), and collecting everybody from their places makes sure we leave around 1am. This has been our standard-operating-procedure for last 34500(approx) trips. Now you should be getting the feeling of reading a very veteran traveller’s blog. Good. Stay in the feeling. Don’t let it go even when I tell you the number might be feet above sea level counted over cumulative trips.
So the plan was to go to hemkund and valley of flowers. Somehow we forgot Dodital and while we were coming back from joshimat, (more…)
Amritsar, more correctly called, Ambarsar is located close to 500 Km from Delhi, capital of India and the biggest reason to visit Amritsar is to get blessing at ‘The Golden Temple‘, the most revered Sikh shrine in the whole world. Me, my wife (Smita) and Pihu (our little daughter) along with Smita’s parent visited this city on a sleepy weekend in October, 2005. We knew that the road, NH1, is fantastic and we should be able to get a average of 60 Km an hour and if we start early morning, we should reach a little beyond lunch.
Day 1 - Oct 15 2005
Pihu was a little over four months and the dad has crossed 65, I guess. I was struggling to be young and with more then 500 KM to drive without any big break, I was all set. I knew very well that Scorpio would obey and respect my desires and was pretty excited to go as much close to Indian border. We started early around 6 and were zipping (more…)
General Info : Located in Uttrakhand , 7 tal is a group of seven lakes which is close toNainital, the mother of all tals (lakes). Its usually a picnic spot where folks come to have kadi-chawal and a round of boating. Beyond the lake is the jungle and once you cross the lake over boat, you move towards this lovely camp called ‘Getaway Jungle Camp’. You climb a few notches and as you stroll down towards the valley, the camp gradually unfolds, a step at a time.
Getaway Jungle Camp is in a small valley which is not accessible via motorable road, infact any road. The only way to get in is by trekking. Set amid poplar trees, this bunch of tents overlooks hills and a large flat playground. There is a dining area, a bon-fire place, lots of forest warmth and clean fresh air. What else you will ever need. There is no electricity, no cell signals (except BSNL which sort of reaches almost every where), no DJ-powered music systems and no disco lights, so if you are looking for a vacation which you only want to share with your family and friends, getaway jungle camp is the place to be in. Infact you will hardly notice any locals there since it’s a little away from the populace.
I have been three many times, at least more then 10 and every time has been equally memorable. And probably that’s the motivation behind dedicating a blog to 7tal.
Kolkata Connection : Train No – 3019. Daily. Takes a long time to reach. Via Asansol, Barauni, Chhapra, Gonda, Lucknow.
Delhi Connection: Train No – 5013. Ranikhet Express. Daily. Overnight. Via Moradabad.
Delhi Connection: Train No – 5035. Sampark Kranti. Daily. Starts at 1605 and reaches at 2235 hrs. Fastest.
They can arrange for pick-up service, it’s a 45-60 minute hilly drive from Kathgodam.
Air
Pantnagar which is about 70 KMs away is nearest airport. Jagson airlines flies and I think Air Deccan is coming soon.
Road
More common way to reach.
From Delhi – Get on to NH24 – Ghaziabad, Hapur, Moradabad, Udhamsingh Nagar, Saat Taal.
From anywhere else, the trick is to reach Rampur or Moradabad and then get on to road which goes towards Nainital. I have driven numerous times from Delhi so I will add a special section in the end specifically on ‘Delhi to 7tal on wheels’, later.
Activities at camp
You can various activities at the camp like
Rappelling – Put a harness in the waist-loop, get a rope going through the harness to a hook/anchor on top of hill and you climb down by controlling the release of rope. This link has a fairly explained text on this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rappelling
River crossing – There is a small stream which is usually dry but has water during rainy season. This small stream is flanked by rocks so you put up two anchors on the both sides, stretch a rope and then using a harness you can slide down. Its not very difficult to pull yourself as long as you master the art of remaining flat, which means at 180 degress.
Obstacle Course – Run, slide through a drench, jump over hurdles, tarzan swing etc etc.
Trekking – There is a good trek which goes up to a village and then to a hilly terrace. Its not very rough or a long one and any one can do that. Once you reach top you get to have a aerial view of the camp.
Games – Volleyball, Badminton, Cricket, Football and then anything.
Swimming – 7tal with life jackets. Those who really want to do it well should go to Garur tal.
Cycling – Camp can organize a cycle tour. You go up in jeeps and then peddle down the slope.
Facilities
Tents – It’s a large area and its not too much of work toput up a new tent. But typically the camp can accommodate 60-80 people on twin sharing basis. If it’s a school group then it can be 100+ easily.
Food - Wholesome, well cooked, homely food - mostly north Indian with some Kumaoni dishes as well. Barbeques etc on request.
Close-by places for a day trip can be Naukuchiyatal, Nainital
If you are planning a visit then Things to Bring list will look like this
·Good walking shoes – sneakers (one pair) or flat soled shoes with a good grip. Flat sandals for ladies. Slippers/floaters.
·Clothing – casual cotton clothes andwoolens are required.
·Raincoats, umbrellas or any sort of rain gear with appropriate footwear.(for rainy season)
·Cap/head gear.
·TORCHES are mandatory (the camp does not have electricity) with spare batteries.
·Personal medication – please carry prescribed medicines. People suffering from any cardiac/breathing problems should inform the camp incharge on arrival/ Delhi office at the time of booking.
·Shoulder bags or easy to carry bags are to be used to carry the stuff. NO SUITCASES.
·Sun screen lotion if one is allergic to sun.( for summers)
Ludhiana, the land of my in-laws, has become the most frequently visited place for me since I got married in February 2006. The statement does not reflect much enthusiasm but let me tell you that if you have relatives (read in-laws) you would love to go there repeatedly. So if you want to taste Punjab, marry a punjabi or simply go there!
Let us get back to Ludhiana now.
The best way to do that is to catch the Shatabdi Express. One leaves at 7:20 AM and the other at 4:30 PM from the New Delhi railway station. Takes only four air-conditioned and well-served hours. If you like to be your own boss and steering is your middle name the Delhi Ludhiana highway is well maintained.Other advantage of taking the road is that one can try the roadside Punjabi dhaba cuisine. Don’t miss the sweet malai loaded, Lassi in summers and hot milk in winters, baingan bharta or the eternal saag & makki roti
Ludhiana does not have buses as public transport and not many taxis. The city runs on shared autos. Next time someone tells you of big autos in sada ludhianadon’t make fun, pay attention.
I have simply pasted these links as I have not been able to do any sight seeing yet except for a visit to Punjab Agricultural University (my dad-in-law works for PAU and I wanted to meet a scientist-acquaintance over there). I particularly liked a large physical map of Punjab made in cement on the ground depicting river & canal distribution of the state and what all districts they quench. For the first time I saw mushroom “farms”, bater, turkey…but I wonder whether as a tourist one is allowed to enter these “farms” etc. If one has the inclination, one can enroll for the weeklong course on various small-scale entrepreneurial ventures.
We also visited the Chaura bazaar. It is like unurban (not rural) version of Chandni Chowk of Delhi. From household articles to clothes at throwaway prices, you will also get to see the past in these streets. Right above the shops are old havelis with many of the original facades and elaborate window frames. I was there on a hot summer noon and the place was kind of deserted and quiet. My thoughts immediately went to-“this is how old Pakistan would also look like”…purposefully narrow and winding streets, a few of them still brick paved. It was like being on the sets of Buniyaad. Of course, to see them you will have to leave the market aside and get into the non-commercial area of this region.
If that does not interest you…how about Shoppers Stop, KFC, Pizza Hut or the IMAX (in the making still)? Ludhiana is soon going to boast of the most modern community center too, The City Center and the upcoming Festival City Mall with a lot of traditional stuff served on a jet age platter, or the dazzle of a metro at the Mall Road.
So the plan was to go to hemkund and valley of flowers. Somehow we forgot Dodital and while we were coming back from joshimat, (more…)
