The excitement is palpable!
I could feel it in every bone and muscle as the time for departure drew nearer and nearer. The hustle and bustle in ISBT Kashmere Gate, Delhi with scores of people coming and going felt chaotic, and there I stood with a bagful of upcoming adventure and high spirits. Who would have foreseen our adventure would start with the bus journey itself? Trips never go as planned...they don't usually. Lurking in corners are those twists and turns raising its invisible head to try and test our patience.
The HRTC bus rolled out of the bus terminus, and though my new fellow mate Madhu and I were seated in the last row, were brimming with excitement. Our other two friends were following in another HRTC bus...a time difference of 40 minutes between the two buses. Travelling in a Volvo bus is not bad...it is super cozy and comfortable. We had no option, but to book this bus because the other less priced HRTC bus were all full since it was a very busy holiday weekend. Negotiating the night traffic of Delhi and that too, on the eve of Independence Day is a nightmare. The bus moved inched by inched through the traffic that was moving at a snail's pace and in some areas it was hardly moving. After a long struggle, the bus finally managed to leave the chaotic traffic of Delhi far behind and was speeding along the highway. It faced no major hiccups traversing the highway through Haryana, Punjab, and Chandigarh. This short-lived honeymoon of the smooth bus journey halted next morning when the bus entered the hilly terrain of Himachal Pradesh on NH21 after leaving Chandigarh.
Madhu and I were fast asleep throughout the smooth bus ride in the state highways. We didn't realize when it was daybreak. When I opened my sleepy eyes, I realised the bus has stopped moving. It was stationary, though I could hear the sound of the bus engine roaring. I was clueless regarding the location of the bus. I popped my tiny head outside the bus window and saw vehicles ahead of our bus and vehicles behind our bus, too. Initially it didn't bother me at all. I assumed the logjam will be cleared soon. It was raining intermittently. The rain and the green hills diverted my attention from the logjam in the meantime. The lush green foliage and the pristine scenary is so soothing to the tired city eyes. I took in all the delights that nature had to offer me at that particular point of time. I missed them and they knew it, too, I suppose.
As time passed, the bus hardly moved. Even when it moved, it was moving at a snail's pace. I didn't realise when I dozed off again. The bus reached Bilaspur by 10 in the morning. The mighty Beas River was fast flowing on one side and the lofty hills were on the other side. One wrong turn and one wrong move would send any vehicle hurtling and tumbling down the gorge and into the river. The water of the Beas was a muddy brown. The river kept us company till we reach Mandi by 2 in the afternoon. As the bus made its way through the zigzag way surrounded with hills on one side and deep gorge on the other side, I was instantly reminded of the numerous bus ride I had taken to my hometown Haflong from Guwahati city. The only difference between the two rides was the absence of a big river like Beas in Haflong.
Around noon, the bus stopped at a non-descript place for lunch break. As if all the stoppage along the way was not break enough. It was sometime around 4:30 p.m. we reached Aut, a small town after Mandi. There is a long road tunnel ahead of the town. The bus had to wait for a long time to enter the tunnel. As the bus and other dozen of vehicles kept waiting, we got down from the bus and so did the others from other vehicles, and enjoyed the riverside view. After a long wait, vehicles tripped into the tunnel one by one, slowly and slowly. We were stuck inside the road tunnel for an hour or so. Between 4:30 p.m. to 5:40 p.m. Gosh!!! Just imagine getting stuck inside a road tunnel with dozens of vehicles on both sides.
Madhu and I had to deboard at Bhuntar and then take a shared cab to Kasol which is another an hours journey. As the events of the day unfolded, we just attempted to forget that we would see the light of our final destination. All we wanted was for the bus to move...even if it was at a snail's pace.
After a long wait which seemed like a century, the stuck up vehicles finally exited the road tunnel. There were no hiccups or bottlenecks after exiting the tunnel thereafter. The bus finally reached Bhuntar around 6:30 p.m. The journey which normally takes 12 hours from Delhi to Bhuntar, took nearly 21 hours. Now, what do you think of that?
We were overjoyed and relieved that the bus finally managed to reach Bhuntar with all the rain, condition of the road, landslides, ongoing construction work at the tunnel, narrow road, and so on on NH21. There were stretches in the road where it was too narrow for two vehicles to pass. I kept my SANITY during the entire bus journey ordeal by enjoying the rain and the natural view from the rain-drenched bus window, and whenever I ventured to get down from the bus during its many stoppages.
By the way, we had absolutely no idea the whereabouts of the other bus where our other two friends were travelling. On reaching Bhuntar, Madhu called up one of them after repeated attempts. It's then that we realised that the other bus is still FOUR HOURS behind. 😔
This put Madhu and me in a dilemma. If we waited for the other bus to arrive, it would be already late by the time they arrived in Bhuntar, and then there might be no availability of cab/local bus for Kasol which is another 31 kms away. While enquiring for cabs at Bhuntar bus station, we got to know that every available cab and every private vehicle were heading to Kasol. There was a reason why every vehicle (whether it was a two-wheeler or a three-wheeler or a four-wheeler or whatever wheeler) was rushing towards Kasol that particular day. I am in no way telling it here. That is another story. There was a mad rush for the cabs. To make matters worse we haven't booked our accommodation. If we had reached Kasol in the morning i.e. at normal travelling time, it would have given us ample time to go searching for a 'roof over our head' at daylight. But with the unexpected turn of events, we were left in the lurch. After much deliberation and discussion through phone calls and text messages, Madhu and I decided to leave for Kasol immediately and look for accommodation. Madhu's friend's friend's friend who is a cabbie came to pick us up. We freshened up and boarded the cab around 7:30 p.m. at Bhuntar. The cabbie, Probin was a friendly chap. As it was already twinkling twinkling little stars, I missed out seeing all the sights as the cab made its way to Kasol. I rolled down the cab's window to feel the cool mountain breeze. My tired face on being caressed by the cool mountain breeze instantly lifted up my tiresome spirit. I could see the tiny lights flickering in the mountain slopes that were obviously coming from people's house. Madhu was engrossed in chatting with the cabbie throughout the cab ride to Kasol. I was too occupied with the night view to even bother what Madhu and the cabbie were talking about. I could only catch a word here and a word there. O yes, every vehicle that zoomed passed our cab was packed with young adults.
Finally and finally we reached our final destination, Kasol around 9:00 p.m. The adventure wasn't over yet. Accommodation search karna baki hai na...woh bhi raat k 9 baje! Screw us, but we needed to.
The small hill town of Kasol was literally alive, even at 9:00 p.m. There was that particular kind of aura and atmosphere that you could feel. Ab chalo accomodatation doondhte hai...! We went to two hotels, alas they were all full. We next to another hotel and at the car parking, we saw a few cab drivers standing and chatting animatedly among themselves. They informed us that every goddamn hotel/guesthouse/tents/camps were all occupied. In addition they also informed us that there were 5,000 visitors at Kasol for that particular Independence Day weekend. Holy gracious! We were done!
With no option left, we had to book in one of the priciest hotel where the price for one night cost a BOMB!😐 Since we were FOUR BRAVE GIRLS who came looking for adventure, the cost could be splitted amongst us. Getting to that hotel was not a piece of cake either. Believe me! First we had to drive up a steep little road, then climb some equally steep steps to reach the compound of the hotel, and finally climb three floors to reach our room. I am out of breath just by writing about the stairs and the climb. Who on earth told them to build the hotel on such a steep place? Okay okay, I shouldn't be ranting!
Though I admit I like the view from the balcony of the hotel next morning, but in my heart of hearts I didn't feel the urge to stay at such a pricey hotel.
Sometime around 11:00 p.m. our other two friends finally arrived. I don't have to write what transpired when the four of us met. A bit of bitter-sweet drama followed. Haar Indian gathering mein thoda sa drama hona jaruri hai. Otherwise, where is the spice? With messy moods and equally messy four heads as messy as it could get, we headed to Little Italy restaurant to have our first proper meal after more than 26 hours of eating just bits and pieces during the never-ending bus journey. It was 11:30 p.m. when we took our bite.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson aptly remarked, "It's not about the destination, it's all about the journey."
Thank you for stopping by!
Happy Travelling feet!
Travelled on: 14-15 August 2014
©All content and images are copyright of Hema Hazarika (thehaflonggirl).
I could feel it in every bone and muscle as the time for departure drew nearer and nearer. The hustle and bustle in ISBT Kashmere Gate, Delhi with scores of people coming and going felt chaotic, and there I stood with a bagful of upcoming adventure and high spirits. Who would have foreseen our adventure would start with the bus journey itself? Trips never go as planned...they don't usually. Lurking in corners are those twists and turns raising its invisible head to try and test our patience.
The HRTC bus rolled out of the bus terminus, and though my new fellow mate Madhu and I were seated in the last row, were brimming with excitement. Our other two friends were following in another HRTC bus...a time difference of 40 minutes between the two buses. Travelling in a Volvo bus is not bad...it is super cozy and comfortable. We had no option, but to book this bus because the other less priced HRTC bus were all full since it was a very busy holiday weekend. Negotiating the night traffic of Delhi and that too, on the eve of Independence Day is a nightmare. The bus moved inched by inched through the traffic that was moving at a snail's pace and in some areas it was hardly moving. After a long struggle, the bus finally managed to leave the chaotic traffic of Delhi far behind and was speeding along the highway. It faced no major hiccups traversing the highway through Haryana, Punjab, and Chandigarh. This short-lived honeymoon of the smooth bus journey halted next morning when the bus entered the hilly terrain of Himachal Pradesh on NH21 after leaving Chandigarh.
Madhu and I were fast asleep throughout the smooth bus ride in the state highways. We didn't realize when it was daybreak. When I opened my sleepy eyes, I realised the bus has stopped moving. It was stationary, though I could hear the sound of the bus engine roaring. I was clueless regarding the location of the bus. I popped my tiny head outside the bus window and saw vehicles ahead of our bus and vehicles behind our bus, too. Initially it didn't bother me at all. I assumed the logjam will be cleared soon. It was raining intermittently. The rain and the green hills diverted my attention from the logjam in the meantime. The lush green foliage and the pristine scenary is so soothing to the tired city eyes. I took in all the delights that nature had to offer me at that particular point of time. I missed them and they knew it, too, I suppose.
As time passed, the bus hardly moved. Even when it moved, it was moving at a snail's pace. I didn't realise when I dozed off again. The bus reached Bilaspur by 10 in the morning. The mighty Beas River was fast flowing on one side and the lofty hills were on the other side. One wrong turn and one wrong move would send any vehicle hurtling and tumbling down the gorge and into the river. The water of the Beas was a muddy brown. The river kept us company till we reach Mandi by 2 in the afternoon. As the bus made its way through the zigzag way surrounded with hills on one side and deep gorge on the other side, I was instantly reminded of the numerous bus ride I had taken to my hometown Haflong from Guwahati city. The only difference between the two rides was the absence of a big river like Beas in Haflong.
 |
| the muddy brown water of River Beas |
 |
| one of the many bridges we crossed during the bus journey |
Around noon, the bus stopped at a non-descript place for lunch break. As if all the stoppage along the way was not break enough. It was sometime around 4:30 p.m. we reached Aut, a small town after Mandi. There is a long road tunnel ahead of the town. The bus had to wait for a long time to enter the tunnel. As the bus and other dozen of vehicles kept waiting, we got down from the bus and so did the others from other vehicles, and enjoyed the riverside view. After a long wait, vehicles tripped into the tunnel one by one, slowly and slowly. We were stuck inside the road tunnel for an hour or so. Between 4:30 p.m. to 5:40 p.m. Gosh!!! Just imagine getting stuck inside a road tunnel with dozens of vehicles on both sides.
 |
| a blurry photo of inside of the road tunnel at Aut |
Madhu and I had to deboard at Bhuntar and then take a shared cab to Kasol which is another an hours journey. As the events of the day unfolded, we just attempted to forget that we would see the light of our final destination. All we wanted was for the bus to move...even if it was at a snail's pace.
After a long wait which seemed like a century, the stuck up vehicles finally exited the road tunnel. There were no hiccups or bottlenecks after exiting the tunnel thereafter. The bus finally reached Bhuntar around 6:30 p.m. The journey which normally takes 12 hours from Delhi to Bhuntar, took nearly 21 hours. Now, what do you think of that?
We were overjoyed and relieved that the bus finally managed to reach Bhuntar with all the rain, condition of the road, landslides, ongoing construction work at the tunnel, narrow road, and so on on NH21. There were stretches in the road where it was too narrow for two vehicles to pass. I kept my SANITY during the entire bus journey ordeal by enjoying the rain and the natural view from the rain-drenched bus window, and whenever I ventured to get down from the bus during its many stoppages.
 |
| enjoying the natural scenary during the many stoppages on the way |
 |
| clouds caressing the green mountains |
 |
| houses clinging on to the hilly slopes, scary na |
By the way, we had absolutely no idea the whereabouts of the other bus where our other two friends were travelling. On reaching Bhuntar, Madhu called up one of them after repeated attempts. It's then that we realised that the other bus is still FOUR HOURS behind. 😔
This put Madhu and me in a dilemma. If we waited for the other bus to arrive, it would be already late by the time they arrived in Bhuntar, and then there might be no availability of cab/local bus for Kasol which is another 31 kms away. While enquiring for cabs at Bhuntar bus station, we got to know that every available cab and every private vehicle were heading to Kasol. There was a reason why every vehicle (whether it was a two-wheeler or a three-wheeler or a four-wheeler or whatever wheeler) was rushing towards Kasol that particular day. I am in no way telling it here. That is another story. There was a mad rush for the cabs. To make matters worse we haven't booked our accommodation. If we had reached Kasol in the morning i.e. at normal travelling time, it would have given us ample time to go searching for a 'roof over our head' at daylight. But with the unexpected turn of events, we were left in the lurch. After much deliberation and discussion through phone calls and text messages, Madhu and I decided to leave for Kasol immediately and look for accommodation. Madhu's friend's friend's friend who is a cabbie came to pick us up. We freshened up and boarded the cab around 7:30 p.m. at Bhuntar. The cabbie, Probin was a friendly chap. As it was already twinkling twinkling little stars, I missed out seeing all the sights as the cab made its way to Kasol. I rolled down the cab's window to feel the cool mountain breeze. My tired face on being caressed by the cool mountain breeze instantly lifted up my tiresome spirit. I could see the tiny lights flickering in the mountain slopes that were obviously coming from people's house. Madhu was engrossed in chatting with the cabbie throughout the cab ride to Kasol. I was too occupied with the night view to even bother what Madhu and the cabbie were talking about. I could only catch a word here and a word there. O yes, every vehicle that zoomed passed our cab was packed with young adults.
Finally and finally we reached our final destination, Kasol around 9:00 p.m. The adventure wasn't over yet. Accommodation search karna baki hai na...woh bhi raat k 9 baje! Screw us, but we needed to.
The small hill town of Kasol was literally alive, even at 9:00 p.m. There was that particular kind of aura and atmosphere that you could feel. Ab chalo accomodatation doondhte hai...! We went to two hotels, alas they were all full. We next to another hotel and at the car parking, we saw a few cab drivers standing and chatting animatedly among themselves. They informed us that every goddamn hotel/guesthouse/tents/camps were all occupied. In addition they also informed us that there were 5,000 visitors at Kasol for that particular Independence Day weekend. Holy gracious! We were done!
With no option left, we had to book in one of the priciest hotel where the price for one night cost a BOMB!😐 Since we were FOUR BRAVE GIRLS who came looking for adventure, the cost could be splitted amongst us. Getting to that hotel was not a piece of cake either. Believe me! First we had to drive up a steep little road, then climb some equally steep steps to reach the compound of the hotel, and finally climb three floors to reach our room. I am out of breath just by writing about the stairs and the climb. Who on earth told them to build the hotel on such a steep place? Okay okay, I shouldn't be ranting!
Though I admit I like the view from the balcony of the hotel next morning, but in my heart of hearts I didn't feel the urge to stay at such a pricey hotel.
 |
| view from the balcony of the hotel |
 |
| first proper bite after more than 26 hours |
As Ralph Waldo Emerson aptly remarked, "It's not about the destination, it's all about the journey."
Thank you for stopping by!
Happy Travelling feet!
Travelled on: 14-15 August 2014
©All content and images are copyright of Hema Hazarika (thehaflonggirl).
