BREAKing Free!

When you feel lifeless, the moment you're dead of all the dull things happening around, don't you just want to end it up once and for all? And then, the phone rings...

Saturdays are usually when I sleep the whole day, but this Saturday wasn't something I'd have waited for to sleep, because I already had been sleeping a lot on the non - Saturdays as well, for, it's the Commonwealth Games break! I don't think I know of any living being who was waiting for the "games" so eagerly, it was the government's announcement of shutting down all the colleges and schools and workplaces during this interval, that had rejoiced the many people. I, being no exception.

How desperately I had waited for this break, not because I had any plans, but, I wanted to make one. This Saturday night was special in terms of my mood, I was unusually happy for some reason unknown to even myself, and then a friend called up. 

They had been making this plan for some time now, and I had no idea whatsoever! This kinda turned me off, but then, who cared, I was getting the much awaited break. The caller had told me our plans of hitting the mountains this vacation, and much more cheerful was the spontaneity of this plan, for, it executed the next day!

I had suddenly started feeling excited, this surely had made up my mood which was otherwise quite dull and dead. I had it all in my mind, of what the break was going to be like, and all I needed was to get home fast and start packing, but somehow the night was getting longer and at 1, I was still not home! 

The adrenaline rush, the excitement and of course the joy of getting what you so much wanted; a break! It all accounted for the 90 kph that my bike's speedometer had touched, which otherwise never crossed beyond 60-70 when I feel normal. But, normal I was not today, for, this break was something I badly needed and somewhere I had given up the hopes of materializing the same. 

When you realize tomorrow is going to be a better day, you are ready to wait forever! I packed up my bag and slept in peace, for, I knew what my dreams were going to be.

The Beginning 

Sunday, Oct 3, 2010 

The four of us had boarded the train just in time. Having been taken our seats, our mood all set, we waited eagerly for the train to buzz up to life and take us where we were headed.

Moonis was all excited about this unplanned trip, because like me, he also had not expected things to be executed in real.

Salman felt proud, for, he knew it was because of him being permitted to go, that this plan was actually being materialized.

Arshad, what on Earth could probably affect him? I thought.  

And, as for me, when do I not laugh? 

The fact that this trip was really unplanned, spontaneous and desired, made it all the more fun. Plans never succeed. I had always believed. So now that we had successfully boarded a train to Chandigarh, one thing I knew for sure, the trip had started.

There was not much of a memory attached to Chandigarh, considering that I had been to this place before and surprisingly had enjoyed being there. But, when the train finally halted at the neat and clean station, it brought a feeling of nostalgia to me, it felt like a good start.

People had always told me wise things about this place, how clean it was and how organized it was, while I had always this image of it being a boring and a dull city. They were no preconceived notions, the bus journey from the railway station to the bus  station had proved me right. How could people live in a place where all the buildings looked exactly the same, and still not get bored? I thought to myself, but, there's no place like home, my brain had answered its own query. Smart brains I have!

The bus station looked very much like the ones we have in Delhi, but way more cleaner. One point scored. The reason of coming to this bus station was that a part of our unplanned trip was planned and that being, traveling to Dharamshala in a bus from Chandigarh, and we had just reached in time as the next bus had to leave in less than half hour. Yet, feeding the hungry tummy is more important, we could take the next bus that was due for more than two hours, for all we cared. So, instead of resting our bums inside the bus, we instead went up to the cafeteria to be fed in some fuel before the 8 hours bus journey ahead of us.

A cafeteria at a bus station, my expectations weren't high for I had seen the cafeterias at the bus stations of Delhi and other places. But, this one was an exception. Clean, organized and yet affordable. Scores the second point.

It was not the first time that the four of us were eating out, but the fact that we were miles away from our homes, and the not so strange fact that my family knew nothing of it, made it all a bit extra special. 

Dharamshala as I had heard only, was a nice hill station and held one of the quite famous cricket stadiums in India. All of this, and more, was just 8 hours away. Surprisingly, we had taken less than half an hour to finish up the amazing food and had made up in time to take the 9 p.m. bus to the hill station.

I was excited and amazed on being out on a road trip with friends for a very rare second time. I couldn't wait to see what Dharamshala was about. And as I suppose, the Haryana Roadways bus driver was more eager than me.

The bus journey which was supposedly 8 hours long, had been wrapped up in just 6 hours, thanks to the amazing driver we had, who didn't let any of us sleep for more than a minute and had brought us all the way from Chandigarh to Dharamshala in mere 6 hours even when the road was bumpy and hilly and quite risky.

The Start

Monday Oct 4, 2010 

3.30 A.M.

The bus driver had brought us before time, which I'd have thanked him for, had it been a better time. But, early morning at 3 isn't a nice time to search for a hotel to stay in, as the time that we spent roaming around on the streets had just proved.

The sleep that was killing my excitement of having being reached, and the uphill slope that made it hard to walk any further, were factors enough that we had settled in for that pathetic room in the basement of a hotel that read "Swagath" 

The room was horrible, the washroom was pathetic; the only thing that helped us sleep in the same room were the heavy eyes that we all shared.

Turning off the lights, and the bad thoughts, we slept away the early morning. 

It's a part of this unique experience. We all knew.

And The Rest Of It

Oct 4 - Oct 7, 2010 

The First View!

The day had begun only when half the day had passed. We all woke up late, tired after the bumpy journey and the lazy walks. 

A part of our trip was randomness. So, knowing that we knew nothing of what was to come, we all set out to check out what was in store for us. Through some sources, we came to know of some Kangra Art Museum, Espresso Bar, and of course the stadium. But, through the same source we had known the hotels would be cheaper! Wrong information.

Knowing no directions, having no plan, holding no aim, we stepped out in a soft sunny day. And thankfully, unlike the places I had been to earlier, this place understood our language! So, getting the directions was not much of a task.

I didn't know what the Kangra Art Museum held inside, and visiting it didn't much help me in knowing, for, it had chosen a Monday to be a weekly off day. Damn! 

What stops an aimless being, when he knows nothing's gonna alter his ways, for, he has no predefined course. The closed museum didn't much affect us, and gave us a point to sit down and get clicked. 

 ___

Cricket is not something I'm really fond of, but the hype that was created around the newly built stadium in Dharamshala had made me agree to visit it when we were here. The road to the stadium was really comforting, because it was downhill (obviously I wasn't thinking of coming back) and plus, it had our favorite Maggi along with our not so favorite frappe on the road. 

People in Himachal Pradesh are quite welcoming and warm, so finding out the directions wasn't tough as we had reached very close to the stadium based on the directions that the people gave us. The road to the stadium was interesting and it became more as we walked more; it was a university campus lined up with a police colony and an amazing police stadium. The stadium was holding down some inter school competition and so we could see colors racing in the field with a backdrop of the soaring mountains. Amazing! 

Now that we had almost reached the cricket stadium, the excitement was building up. The red pyramid like structures were coming in the view gradually and here we were, with a soccer game going on us just next to what we were looking for, the stadium!

Walking along the boundary wall of the stadium took us to the main gate via an interesting route with wire mesh and bulky rocks hindering us slow. But, the efforts weren't made in vain!

When the stadium came in its full view ahead of us, what must be inside then!, we all thought. The structure from outside looked magnanimous, built in complete traditional style with another modern structure next to it, but quite obviously, the focus was this!

Living in Delhi had surely taught me one thing about security, that ever damned thing on Earth built in the capital city needed to be secured badly. So, when I stood facing this enormous structure in front of me, one thing I was sure of, we won't be allowed inside. And, for the first time in my life, I was relieved to be proven wrong! 

Though, I have always abhorred the game, but looking at the cricket stadium of such grandeur surely took off all that was disliked. The view inside the stadium was amazing, with mountains peeping into the vast green ground from all the sides. I felt like jumping in and playing, feeling amazed by my own reaction!

The stadium in Heaven!

I have been to stadiums before and to some famous ones, for that matter like the Edens, Kotla or Chinnaswamy, but nothing matches with what the Dharamshala cricket stadium held inside. Once you're in it, it's hard to not admire the beauty of the place. 

Time changes everything, and now that the passage of time had turned the evening to an almost night, it was time to move ahead, leaving behind the astonishing beauty of the stadium. 

Espresso Bar is a place known for two things; the swimming pool and the coffee! The weather that was unusually cold for the visitors from a hot place like Delhi, plus the time 8 pm was not an ideal time to jump in the pool and have fun, that too for people who knew too less about swimming.

The water being not too deep, and the once in a lifetime opportunity of jumping in a pool in Dharamshala at night, pushed our already made up minds to think not, and jump ahead!

I have always needed an incentive to push me towards learning how to swim, and I had successfully kicked off the many that I got. This was one more time when I realized high time, I should know how to swim! Nonetheless, the fact that none of us knew swimming and Salman being the hero for knowing the little bit of swimming, helped me not being embarrassed. 

You should have a taste of everything, and jumping in a pool with chilling water is yummier than I had imagined. The trip was turning more adventurous than I had thought, and I was definitely loving every bit of it. 

Post the chilling dip in the pool, a hot cup of coffee is all you need!

Certainly, I had not known what was coming the next day!
 ___

The next day had started earlier than I had thought, but still we couldn't make it before 12 in checking out from the horrible hotel we stayed in. Horrible!, it comes with the adventure, again I thought. 

McLeod Ganj is one place I had always wanted to visit, because of all that I had heard about it. And smiles, here we were, standing on the concrete slab on top of the under construction bus shelter of McLeod Ganj. 

There's always a better!

The place was not what I had imagined, only a bit better!
  
Bhagsunag is sparely a kilometer away from McLeod Ganj, and undoubtedly had cheaper hotels. Perfect choice for us! After doing the regular hotel hunting, we chose the first hotel that we had visited. What a waste of time, I had smiled.

Post the unusually little time that we all took in refreshing (we had already taken hours in dressing up back in Dharamshala), we set out to check out only the better.

Bhagsu is a place that is a home to just hotels of every kind, not surprisingly frequented the most by the tourists from all the corners of the world. Bhagsu Falls, making the top of the places to be visited, is amazing and just the view of its access route makes it even more exciting.

The road to the top towards the waterfall is a long one, going uphill with a very gentle slope. Mere a distant view of the falls from the foot of the turning road amuses the visitors. Dharamshala is long forgotten. Yes, the beauty of being in the lap of nature makes you forget everything else, even the amazing of the amaziest stadiums of Dharamshala. 

The sheer excitement of touching the mountains and the hope of the best still unseen, helps you never go tired up on the road. And no doubt, the efforts are totally paid off once you reach the top!

Waterfalls have always amazed me, the idea of being this close to one is entirely an experience altogether. Bhagsu Falls are one of the best waterfalls I've ever come across in my life (Yes, I have seen many back in my village!). Getting too close to the falling chilled water that sends cool breeze all the time is an experience that can't be matched to any other. 

After touching the chilling waters of the pool back in Espresso Bar in Dharamshala, I had thought nothing could've been more chillier. But, yet again, I was proven wrong. The water beneath the strong falls was almost freezing, zero degrees if not negative! ;)

Click, click, click! After taking a million shots under the waterfalls, it was time to finally have some real fun! Jumping in the water so cold must be completely an insane idea to many, but life won't give you a next! 

The route to the spot where we had decided to jump in the water and do some bathing in the chilling waters, was equally adventurous, with us getting bitten by what the local called bichhu booti! The weird looking plant bites you real bad, and leaves the skin with a burning sensation for almost few hours. 

The cold water bath was adventure enough, and yet there was more to come. The rain Gods had decided to shower us with some more adventure, as the clouds started showering us with their blessings! Adventure, it is, I rejoiced.

Let's define Heaven!

Everything about this trip had been real fun, a unique experience in its own. And now that we were sitting in a pure desi German Bakery cafe, having our dinners chosen from a variety of cuisines that the place offered, looking at the clouds that were enveloping the mountains, giving us the most amazing view; Heaven lies on Earth! 

The Bhagsu Falls experience had been amazing, and had set the mood for the trip. And, the night was going to be more eventful! 

High is not just a word!

Marijuana in my soul
Marijuana in my heart

Experience the new!

Looking back at each and every moment of this trip, filled me with joy, as now we prepared for the return to our dens.

The bus journey to Pathankot had ended in a lesser time than was expected and luckily, the excitement had not died up. A good sign!

The decision of going back home in a train was unanimous, and undoubtedly the best way to put an end to this wonderful trip. And, before the delayed train and the waiting hours at the railway station could drift our minds towards the bad, the train had arrived, delayed by just an hour and thirty minutes.

The journey back home had put up a lot many question marks, because sadly, we all had our berths in different compartments separated by many coaches in between. But, it now mattered less, for, the journey was going to be in peace and calm, as the sleep was making our eyes heavier now. And so we slept away the night, in peace and comfort.

The next day had begun in a new State altogether, for me, as now we had reached where we belonged. Perfectly, the last night had been full of dreams too serene and a glimpse of what was probably the best experience of my life!

I smiled, when do I not!, as we stepped down on the platform of the very own New Delhi railway station, waiting eagerly to get hold of my computer so as to be able to lock down this experience in words, that would last forever!

And, to remind me of these times, spontaneity is the key!

A fresh morning awaits... let the night pass!