Category: India

  • Day 15: Getting used to the ‘rarefied’ air of Ladakh

    Day 15: Getting used to the ‘rarefied’ air of Ladakh

    It was 9:00am when I got up. After five back to back nights of incomplete rest, I finally got to sleep the whole night. I felt a lot better. The tourism department here, has a travel advisory which asks for Ladakh tourists to take atleast 24hr rest if arrived by road or 48hr rest if […]

  • Day 14: Taking the high road to Leh, Ladakh

    Day 14: Taking the high road to Leh, Ladakh

    “It doesn’t matter for how long we are stuck in a sense of our limitations.
The moment you decide to break free, nothing will stop you.” It was early morning at 1:30 when I woke up. The Diamox tablets that I bought yesterday was on my table. If it has to give me any effect, it […]

  • Day 13: Amidst the snow capped mountains in Manali

    Day 13: Amidst the snow capped mountains in Manali

    It was my fourth back to back nights without proper sleep. This time, I was in the bus from Simla to Manali. It was an overnight journey which took just 257rs in the HRTC bus. The journey was quite comfortable with reasonably good roads. As the day broke, I was in Kullu and I could […]

  • Day 12: A true beauty in the himalayas, Simla

    Day 12: A true beauty in the himalayas, Simla

    “Life is like a book; and those who don’t travel, read just a page of it” It was yet another night of getting into a connecting train and so, another night of interrupted rest. I got down at Ambala Cant station at 2am to get into my train to Kalka. This time, I got the […]

  • Day 11: In the summer town of Mussourie

    Day 11: In the summer town of Mussourie

    “The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see.” – G.K. Chesterton It was again a pre-dawn arrival at the station as I got down in Dehradun at 4am. The destination for the day was Mussourie, a famous summer destination in these parts of the country.
Since I did not […]

  • Day 10: A lake above the clouds, Nainital

    Day 10: A lake above the clouds, Nainital

    I woke up in the wee hours today as I had to get down at Moradabad station (For your information, Moradabad is the constituency of the former Indian cricket captian, Mohd. Azharuddin) from where I had to take a train to Kathgodam which is the nearest station to Nainital. I had planned for a waiting […]

  • Day 9: On a 36hr “travelling break”

    Day 9: On a 36hr “travelling break”

    After about a week’s travel, today, I woke up at my own time. No need for any hurry. No need to plan my day’s travel destinations. Just sit back, listen to my ipod, look at the world outside through the window, occasionally check or send mails. What more could I ask for. This was my […]

  • Day 8: Out of the clouds to Guwahati

    Day 8: Out of the clouds to Guwahati

    “To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world.” – Freya Stark I experienced what Freya Stark said. It is indeed true. I woke up today morning far far away from my home, alone in this strange place called Shillong. It was a pleasant morning here. I […]

  • Day 7: In the rainiest place on earth, Cherrapunji

    Day 7: In the rainiest place on earth, Cherrapunji

    I woke in the morning as the train thundered through what seemed like a never ending bridge. That must have been the mighty river Bramhaputra. Though I had a confirmed birth, I was sleeping on 3/4th of the side upper berth. As I had expected my berth was occupied by others. This time, it was […]

  • Day 6: Deep into the Himalayas in Gangtok

    Day 6: Deep into the Himalayas in Gangtok

    I was woken up early in the morning at 5:30 by the morning alarm and I never wanted to get out of the blanket. It was quite cold outside but manageable. My underestimation of the summer temperatures in Darjeeling turned out to be pardonable. My destination for the day was Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim […]