McLeodganj: The Tibetan Way of Life

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Dharamsala, Himachal, himalayas, McLeodganj, monastery, nature, photography, road drives, stone piles, Thukpa, Tibetan, wanderlust

A very recent personal celebration of ours sent me and A into the hills, to seek out some quiet, the rolling vistas, the easy conversations of the pahadi people, the musty book stores, an unhindered palette of food options, and huge helpings of the outdoors. McLeodganj was where we landed.

A monk bargains for some fresh market produce

Through the winding roads along the Beas, I lay awake, probably in a trance, as the bus

Landour #1: Love beyond the Queen of the Hills

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budget travel, Char Dukan, cinnamon pancake, Clock Tower Cafe, Ilbert Manor, Landour, photography, road drives, save money, St. Pauls, wanderlust

I had always contemplated taking whomsoever he would be – to that serenity. To let him know me better. And to let that place temper me down enough to let me try and understand the person in return. So I led him by the hand – to Landour, a little hill town from the colonial past – a walk beyond Mussoorie.

Alighting from the overnight train, I soaked in the encompassing familiarity. The Dehradun railway station hadn’t changed a bit since the first time I’d ever visited it – a distant first visit I don’t recall now. That little station whose first platform wasn’t across the entrance like most, but started a little ahead of where the station offices ended. That station where the 1st and 2nd platforms sufficed almost always.

An evening date with the Taj

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Agra, love, photography, road drive, road drives, sunset, taj mahal, travel, wanderlust, Yamuna

Isn’t everyday that raw passion for a human beckons you to the road! Well that’s what happened that day. On another sunny summer morning, me and the man I call life were headed to another day apart, towards our respective workplaces. The unmistakable undercurrents between the driver and the passenger needed no words, as our vehicle gobbled up the kilometers even as we strained against our reluctance!

The Himalayan Expressway – piece d’art

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barog, chandigarh, Ghagghar, Himachal, Kalka Shimla toy train, monsoons, NH22, photography, road drives, shimla, The Himalayan Expressway, travel, tunnels, wanderlust

Saturday morning and we were out of Delhi, soaking in the morning light. The Okhla Subzi Mandi abuzz in all its glory, a train chugging and crossing over the Red Fort’s ramparts. Freedom!

Conversations spanned feminism (an obvious topic where I am there), impending general elections, the experience of being a lady driver on an Indian highway (well, this one’s a whole different topic now!), PILs and RTIs, the upcoming trip to ‘Heaven on earth’ a.k.a Kashmir, and of course our stop for breakfast. Early morning drives almost always make one ravenous, don’t they? Guilt-laden aloo pooris and relatively guilt-free idlis, and of course tea at a roadside stop!