Friday, October 11, 2013

An excursion to the watershed of Asia- Nepal

Whenever I come to know that I will be travelling to some place (getting an opportunity to come out of my pigeon hole), all I am reminded is of Hans Christian Andersen quote- To travel is to live.  
I love travelling, being a dreamer I keep imagining myself at different places exploring them and living them to the fullest. Till 29th September 2013 I was just a domestic traveler, that too by road or rail and also had not yet explored the hills (apart from a Vaishno Devi trip during my childhood). Thus there are a lot of FIRSTS indeed..

The best thing about visiting Nepal from India is that there are no visa requirements (which worked in our favor, as we have not yet made our passports :P) On 30th September 2013 we six of us arrived at Indira Gandhi International Airport (first foreign trip). All of us were excited that we couldn’t stop smiling…excitement level knew no boundaries. Once getting over with the formalities at the airport, we thought of discovering the place...it gives you such an international experience that you forget you are in India.   

Our flight timing was 11:05 AM (Indigo airlines). We boarded the plane on time and sat on our respective seats. I took the window seat because I wanted to enjoy the beautiful view outside throughout my journey…air trips are boring unless you are carrying your gadgets but thankfully it was just 1 hour 30 minutes flight (easy to survive).   

As soon as the airplane took off, I was on a date with the clouds for the rest of the flight. I was in their land, I visualized the homes of these big gaseous balls, and I felt like hopping on these balls and also eating them up (NOM NOM)     

 By 12: 30 pm we had landed at Tribhuvan International Airport, Kathmandu. I have an admiration for uniform people and the pilots of the flight were too smart looking( I was lost for a few seconds) but the queue at the immigration counter wakened me up, it took much time than the flight duration :P My uncle and his family  had come to receive us at the airport, as soon as I stepped out of the airport, the weather gave me a sigh of relief(Delhi’s scorching heat is torturous). Their home was 20 minutes away from the airport, we had our lunch and spent rest of the day at home.
When you think of Nepalese food the first thing that comes in mind is momos, my aunt’s homemade fried momos were so amazing..and the chutney she made along with them (mouth watering). All the delicacies were homemade. 
Mind you, Kathmandu is full of monkeys hopping here and there. From the balcony I could see a family of monkeys strolling in the evening.   (Monkeys also deserve a picture in this post :p)
Pyaare Bandar

For the first two days we headed for a local visit in Kathmandu. It is one of the worst polluted cities of the world, endless constructions being done in the city, worsening the state of the capital. The black smoke emitting from the vehicles could easily give a person some chest infection (this was not expected from a city which has God gifted natural beauty). The traffic conditions are also haywire, the funny part is that there are no red lights…everyone is running here and there, there is manual control of traffic (but then I thought it’s better for them as there is no electricity for 15-16 hours in a day).

We went to local street market in Kathmandu which was full of a variety of items (but the item outshining the rest was the jewellery). They even accept Indian currency..so whatever we used to buy I used to ask Dad to do the  conversion( as his calculations are much faster than the calculator :p). Maruti 800 might have lost all its sales in India but Nepal would be a favorite destination for them. Yes, this is so because Maruti 800 works as taxi over there..even for a 10 minute ride it would take hoards of money, by any chance you thought of going by the meter, you might have to drain your wealth :P Oh Yes, we just experienced that…if they are stuck in a jam, the meter will keep running, and when you get down and start arguing the meter will still keep on running…(Petrol is costlier :/). The best part I admired was that there is no gender bias and it’s a very liberal society, women are running shops, they drive autos and even if they wear a mini skirt or so nobody will ogle at them. We also visited some religious places in there, one of them is Pashupatinath temple- the oldest Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and the river flowing is Bagmati. Another temple we went was Budhanilkantha which has the largest granite figure of Lord Vishnu reclining on a bed of Nagas. 
The common thing I noticed in every temple of theirs was it had these roofs and a small sized gateway which had a common entry and exit point. More than 5 people can’t stand inside the inner temple. Temples are flooded with monkeys, pigeons and goats. More than people flocking by, I could see the wildlife.
On 2nd October we had celebrated my brother’s birthday at home. The next day we had to leave for Pokhara- cleanest city of Nepal…pure and beautiful. As it’s a bit cold in Pokhara we took our jackets/stole as a blanket. Our road trip to Pokhara was extremely adventurous, as it was my first hill trip I had no  experience of how traffic moved on these narrow roads, I was nervous yet enjoying it to the fullest. The journey presented beautiful view of the hilly ranges and the river Trishuli flowing from Kathmandu to Pokhara. Throughout my way, all I could say was -Look at the beauty of the river/ranges. We stopped midway to have milk tea (you have to specify milk, otherwise black tea is served) 

Then we headed to Gorkha, Manakamana temple. The temple was at a height and to reach there one had to use a cable car. When we were standing downstairs I thought it was just one stretch we had to cross but there were three big stretches, we crossed the river, the hills …I was awestruck as the scene which we could visualize is beyond words, what a perfect blend of water and mountain ranges…it was purely a gateway to heaven (As Big Boss is running on Colors nowadays, we cracked a joke that this place is Jannat ka WOW but in case the cable car stops and one falls down, it would be Jahannum ka AAO :P) .It is a beautiful temple dedicated to Goddess Manakamana. We got family photographs clicked there. While returning in the cable car I was back in routine with my photography session, as the sun was setting down beautiful sceneries emerged on our way. And then there was a sudden halt..The three of us were totally shaken, our cable car had stopped moving and was stuck in the middle of the route.
Immediately I saw fumes of smoke coming out from the station, we thought that the station is on fire and we are gone. By that time I had thought of a rescue plan in case something happens (I am quite fast at making plans :p) Big boss tagline was coming in my mind L Below was the river Trishuli flowing at such a speed that we could have swept off easily..but thankfully the car started moving..We landed and asked why the car had stopped, and they replied with a smile that electricity had gone..and it happens daily (I felt like punching the lady as she didn’t realize we could have a heart attack :P) We aren’t daily travelers !!
 Look at this beautiful view-


After landing my trembling feet on the ground, relaxing a bit…we headed to Pokhara and reached there around 8 pm (Nepal Time). Oh, I forgot to tell you, Nepal is 15 minutes ahead of Indian timings. We relaxed and the next day our local Pokhara visit started. First we went to Davis Falls, the water is 100 feet deep and the fall has been named after Mrs. Davis who was swept away by the currents in 1961(you can thank me for giving you factual information :p)

We visited Mahadev cave dedicate to Lord Shiva and then went to Phewa Lake for boating. For the first time I had seen a raised platform on a boat, probably for a safe ride and they also gave us life jackets. Everyone was photographing each other in the lake :P The water of the lake is so clean, one hour spent in the lake was totally divine as the beautiful view of the ranges and the river was a blessing. (When one hails from Delhi and doesn’t get to see a clean river, mountains or even clouds, for that person it’s JANNAT J


We also went to Japanese World Peace Pagoda (It was the toughest destination to reach)…after we had taken the car to a certain point on that narrow road, we had to climb hundreds of steps to reach there..I thought that those stairs are a gateway to heaven..From the Pagoda one could see the entire city of Pokhara and beautiful ice laden mountain ranges wrapped with clouds.(All of us were tired after this trip and returned to our hotel) The internet access facilities are without restrictions- I completely enjoyed wifi till the time I stayed at the hotel. The next day we headed to Saharankot for the best sunrise seen in the early hours. That was a marvelous view I got to see- the sunlight reflecting on the ranges amazed me..HEAVEN (Sorry for repeating heaven/jannat in every other line, I don’t have any other word to describe it :p)

We bid goodbye to Pokhara and returned to Kathmandu, did the remaining shopping…(for all our shopping the credit would go to my aunt, because of her we could do smart shopping in a few hours).On 7th October 2013 we returned to Delhi. 
As we couldn’t see the ranges from the aeroplane while coming here, we couldn’t afford to miss this opportunity while returning which our uncle had given us..let me show you how the Himalayan ranges looked like from the plane












I want to thank my uncle’s family for their lovely hospitality and a memorable experience in Nepal. 
I know it 's a very long post. Thanks for cooperation



Thursday, June 20, 2013

A summery treat to zoo

Keeping the cool weather in mind we the threesome decided to meet
Unplanned trip, discussions in Metro (It gives you ample time to decide a place to go to) and finally embarked on a journey to the zoo with our happy feet

Our excitement knew no limits, smallest of things at the wild place thrilled and we flip
We could throw ourselves into the intoxicating air of the jungle and reminiscences of our childhood trip

There were lions, roaming tigers, reptiles, elephants, deer and monkeys of a variety, water birds which were beautiful
(I may sound like a three year old excited kid, but no issues)Seeing them live and from such a small distance made us jump, take a photograph and be gleeful

We were discovering places in the stranger’s home, inspiring the crowd behind us to follow
Cracking jokes, walking for 2.5 hours (never walked this much before in one straight go, all thanks to these animals) swaying like an elephant, shooing away some wild flies and needed some food to swallow(hungry beasts)

We ordered stuff that was too much against our normal appetite (every food item had butter in it ex butter noodles, butter pao bhaji)
Wildlife was there at the canteen with bees flying all around our table to have a coca cola bite

We gulped our food, drinks and hurried to the metro station, our delicate body’s energy levels constrained

Hoping to create such memorable visits with my two buddies to some unexplored places again. 

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Few miles away


Your dream becomes your goal, and you stop looking back
It becomes a struggle, and you fight the battle with the only weapon you have

You take few steps forward and then you are pushed behind
You cry, crib, blame destiny, your luck and lose peace of mind

A motivating wave sweeps across your mind, tells you to forget the mistakes of the past
Take a new step with more strength, re patching the broken puzzle at last

Reach for your destination, you are few miles away
Conquer what you have aimed for, keeping obstacles at bay!! 

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

For My Lovely Bhabhi

You  are friendly, kind and caring
Fun, understanding and amazing
Your daily activities leave you to be the busiest
But you live your life to the fullest
I always get inspired when I see you
Your heart of gold touches our lives like a magnetic glue
I wish I should have found you earlier
As you have made my days beautiful and much prettier
You are a gem of a person, one of a kind
Sweety, Tumsa Nahi Dekha 

Monday, June 25, 2012

The Train to Bookland


On Sunday, we the threesome took a train to Chawri Bazaar
The much older part of Delhi greeted us with a namaskar.

The rickety ride to the Daryaganj Book Market was fun, seeing the historical Jama Masjid along our way
The world around us was singing to the tunes of laughter, smile and child’s play.

As we landed our dusty feet on this eternal land The blaze of the sun pierced our body, everything appearing out of sight. (FAINTS…)
The tattered body of ours was able to find an auto to drop us at Haldiram’s and we rushed inside to find the best place which could provide us with the much needed respite
We went to the Sees Ganj Gurudwara and offered our prayers to the God
We decided to board the metro which could offer us a seat (no wait, 3 seats)
The journey was tiring, book shopping is left incomplete

We could swim in the sea of books to grab the best ones firsthand

We bore an excitement as we could purchase them at a very low price 

Different foods tantalizing our taste buds, we ordered stuff that was too much against our normal appetite

And towards the Chandni Chowk metro station, we threesome trod

And we went to Mandi House, (yes, we went opposite because we wanted SEAT) the second metro gave us this treat (YAY)

Waiting for the scorching heat to beat a retreat 


Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Hello Mr. White !!


Sitting on the bed wrapped in a blanket sipping hot cup of chai (cha-i-yeee)
Oh winters!! So you have finally arrived…
The foggy mornings, the chilly air spreads in the zones
I turn to the jolly fireplace to warm my frozen bones…
Injecting heaps of laziness in this poor soul
Making one mile equal to two miles, the baby feet are not ready for the stroll…
On the couch with my food bags, I enjoy the hot snacks
Food cravings multiply for me when this cold season is back…
The flakes of snow in the air land as a kiss upon my cheek
Sharing a secret message sent for my heart to read but not to speak…
I paint the window panes in fairy lines with frozen steam
Creeping softly towards the door and see not even a single face beam…
And back I am in my warm enclosure sipping hot cup of chaii
Slowly as time flies, I lie like a frosty sleepy head bidding goodbye….

Sunday, September 11, 2011

The White and Black Envelope

Each one of us has a white and black envelope within us, the black enveloped mind is of fear, disappointment and denials and the white enveloped mind gives us a chance to rediscover ourselves.

When we struggle with our failures day and night
When the roar of power and dominance makes us run to the hide
At the brink of the sword I hang looking for a change

When seconds of quake can make us run for our lives
When the heart stops beating and the tears keep dripping like a cut from an edged knife
At the brink of the sword i hang looking for a change

When the world cannot hear our words and becomes deaf
When our eyes look for the helping face, but only sees everybody's back
At the brink of the sword I hang, looking for a change

When the world bitches about you thinking you are deaf
When eyes stalk you coz you bear the "I am a girl" tag
At the brink of the sword I hang, looking for a change

When we roam with several masks glued to our face
When we are in the midst of a distorted phase
At the brink of the sword I hang,looking for a change....