33. NAINITAL (UTTARAKHAND), INDIA .

This is the fourth of the five blogs covering this enjoyable trip.

Naini Lake, Nainital (Uttarakhand)

Driving down from Naukuchiatal, we reached Nainital by evening. Locating the Guest House took some time but once we reached there, we realised what a beautiful location it was, overlooking the Naini Lake. Wow!

Having missed our lunch, we were famished and asked the caretaker if he could provide us with some tea and snacks. He came back with adrak wali (ginger) tea, stuffed omelette and toasts which at that time tasted like manna from heaven.

The view of the Lake from the Guest House

It was getting dark and cold, but we still decided in favour of a walk along the lake. While walking down, we knew how tough it was going to be while climbing back the steep gradient. After a stroll on the mall and in the market, we climbed back actually at a snail’s pace!

The place was cold and had been renovated recently. The old heaters had been removed and the new ones had not been supplied. Brrrr…it was freezing cold. 

I was surprised when hubby asked the caretaker, “Would it be ok if we use our own heater?” 

“Are we going down again to buy a heater now?” I asked uncomfortably.

“No, only up to the car. I had kept a heater in the boot while leaving, for a just-in-case emergency,” his eyes were shining with glee at his foresight.

Boats in the Lake

The suite that was allotted to us, comprised a bedroom, a box room, a dressing room, and a washroom. The room had high ceiling and had to be closed from all sides but still the heater did not appear to be effective.

This was not our first visit to Nainital and we had already seen most of the nearby tourist attractions earlier. The purpose of this trip was just to soak in the natural beauty of the area in a relaxed manner instead of hopping over from one tourist attraction to  another.

Sun rays + Water = Diamonds

Next day morning, after breakfast, we started off for a long walk as per our plan. The sun was bright and the sky a lovely hue of blue. The lake looked really wonderful with the sun rays twinkling directly on the blue water forming bright and twinkling stars. Walking around leisurely, stopping and buying knick knacks at the mall, sitting on the benches on lakeside, recuperating and again starting, we had an enjoyable walk admiring the beauty of the lake as we had never done before. If I use our children’s language, we really chilled out that day.

Come evening and we were actually chilled. Shivering in very low temperature, hubby decided to be friends with Mr. Johnny Walker who was staring at him perched on the side-table in the room. But I was finding the cold extremely unbearable. So ignoring the fact that it was only my great idea to visit Nainital in winters, I bundled off my ego and said, “What’s the idea of sitting in this igloo and keep shivering? Let’s change our programme and go to Jim Corbett Park instead.”  My Doubting Thomas expressed his doubts, “But it is peak tourist season. We may not get a room in any hotel.”

Incidentally, I had picked up the visiting card of the Country Inn while leaving the hotel at Bhimtal. It came handy and I quickly called them up. Voila! A room was available and soon I received an SMS on my mobile phone confirming reservation of the room for us in the Country Inn close to the Jim Corbett.

Next day morning, while we continued to shiver, we were ensconced in the warm hope that we will soon be comfortable in better climes. And hope has a lot of power. No?

After enjoying the delicious breakfast of Aloo Parathas and Curd and gulping down hot ginger tea, it was time to drive down to the plains where the temperature was more congenial for these old bones. We resolved to come back to Nainital again but in summers.

Azure blue sky and lush green trees

The drive from Nainital to Kaladungi, a distance of about 35 km was simply heavenly ….a serpentine hilly road, high mountains on one side and deep valley on the other side, both having a thick forest cover, azure blue sky above and water rivulets of all sizes and shapes … I did not know which side to look and admire. So I decided to capture as many images as possible  in my camera. 

The road from Nainital to Kaladungi

One thing, I specifically noticed on this route which made me feel very good, was a number of children including a large number of girls going to school. A good sign for the future of the state.

Soon we reached Kaladungi marking an end to the hilly track. After driving a couple of hours more, we were at Ram Nagar, the town nearest  to Jim Corbett National Park. 

Going on the tiger trail in the Jim Corbett National Park in the next blog!   

For viewing the video, pl click on the red triangle in the centre

*****

32. NAUKUCHIATAL (UTTARAKHAND), INDIA

(This is the third of the five blogs covering this enjoyable trip.)

Naukuchiatal (Uttarakhand), India

I wanted to continue sitting at Bhimtal admiring the beauty of the lake but as per the plan, we had to leave for Naukuchiatal. Hubby insisted that we leave as we still had to cover quite a lot for the day.

“For all you know, Naukuchiatal may be even more beautiful,” he cajoled and I got up reluctantly.

Naukuchiatal is at a distance of only about 5 km from Bhimtal and following a narrow road, we were there in no time.  Naukuchiatal is said to be the deepest lake in this area, with a depth of about 40 mtrs and is spread over 1 km. Located at a height of 1220 meters above the sea level, it is perennially fed by natural underground spring waters. The water in the lake was absolutely clean and the thick forest on the surrounding mountains gave it a deep emerald hue.

As we walked down the kutcha path, we observed that there were some boats on the lakeside but the area bore an almost deserted look with not a single person to be seen except one boatman. He urged us to go for boating and told us, “Naukuchiatal has nine corners, but no human being has ever been able to count all the nine corners in one go. It is believed that if one can do that, s/he will attain nirvana. If you come with me, I’ll show you all the nine corners.”

“Huh!” was my spontaneous reaction.

The place was so quiet, so serene and so deserted that it was almost frightening. I was missing the sprawling open look of Bhimtal. Suddenly becoming uncomfortable at the solitude of the place, I insisted that we leave.

Jai Bajarang Bali

Almost crestfallen and driving back towards Bhimtal on way to Nainital, I saw on the left side of the road a temple with a huge statue of Lord Hanuman. Believe me, I am a non-believer, but my reaction was,“Chalo, let’s see this at least.”   And we stopped there, took off our shoes, went to the temple, enjoyed the clean hill air, looked down upon the valleys below, the lush green mountain peaks trying to kiss the azure sky and tried to ignore the muck under our feet. 

Once out of the temple, hubby gave himself a pat down and sounded alarmed, “Where are the car keys? Are they with you?”

“No, you only had it,” was my nonchalant response.

Jai jai Shiv Shankar

Taking off our shoes again in a state of panic, we went back into the temple retracing our steps all over and looking around for our lost car keys but no trace of it. We then rushed towards the car. Hubby was verbalising his concerns, “I must have left the keys in the car. How will we open it now? For this type of car keys, we can’t even get a duplicate made. And who will make it for us in this village?”

“You search your purse. It must be in there in some pocket,” anxiety was obvious in his voice and lines of worry getting darker on his face. Had we already spoilt our trip?

Trees trying to kiss the azure blue sky made the landscape very picturesque

Reaching the car, our only hope was lost when we realised that the keys were not in the car either. I quickly emptied my bag on the car bonnet to rule out the possibility of the keys lying in some pocket. 

“We should always carry a set of duplicate keys when we travel by car,” he had started strategizing for future trips, much to my chagrin.

And suddenly, a brain wave flashed, “Hey! Have you checked in your overcoat pocket?”  He took the coat off his shoulder and we heard the clinking sound of the keys inside which was plain music to our ears!

“Aaaahhhh…!” a sigh of relief came out of our tense throats and we burst out laughing. As we took off, I loudly announced, “Jai Bajrang Bali!”

The rest of the journey up to Nainital was a happy one although we missed our lunch that day for want of a decent place to eat en route.

En route Naukuchiatal to Nainital 

*****

31. BHIMTAL LAKE (UTTARAKHAND), INDIA

(This is the  second of the five blogs covering this delightful trip.)

12th December, 2011: Today was the second day of our  Delhi-Bhimtal-Naukuchiatal-Nainital-Jim Corbett Park tour. 

We checked out of Country Inn Hotel at Bhimtal after a lavish and leisurely breakfast of spicy chhole, hot pooris and moong dal halwa and drove downwards for about 6 km to reach Bhimtal, one of the biggest lakes in the hill state of Uttarakhand which is dotted with an unusually large number of lakes, viz., Bhimtal, Naukuchia Tal, Saat Tal, Talli Tal, Malli Tal, Nainital etc the last being the most well-known. It is surprising that there are so many natural water bodies at this height, Bhimtal being at a height of 1370 metres above the sea level. 

Lake Bhimtal (Uttarakhand)

Well, it was time to recall my geography lessons of class VII. Himalayan hills were created due to pushing of Indian Peninsula northwards. The scientists have also found fossils of marine life in this area. Could it be possible that these lakes got created at that time?  I shared this brilliant idea with hubby only to be snubbed, “Stop applying your mind to mundane things and enjoy the natural beauty of this place.” He was right. The lake was absolutely awesome with a huge crystal clear mass of water surrounded by high Himalayan mountains with dense green trees all around. Wow! What a scene!

He parked the car on the lake-side and I stood there totally mesmerised admiring the beauty and bliss of the place. Hubby went to find out about the facilities and purchased tickets for boating. When we approached the boat,  we realised that the boat was very small. There was a young teenager boy, maybe 14-15 years old, who was going to row the boat for us. My heart missed a beat as I don’t know swimming. Moreover, a long time back, a friend who was a self-styled astrologer, had predicted that I will die of drowning in water at the age of 45 years. Since then I actually feel a bit scared of water bodies. Now who knows? He might have miscalculated the age. Could there be a plus minus 10 to 15 years. No, no. I’m not going to get into this small dingy boat. I sure will drown, I thought.

By this time, hubby had stepped on to the boat and was waving at me to hurry up. Suppressing my unexpressed fears, I pre-decided to embrace a watery grave in the next one hour and stepped in. The boat shook and I gave out a shriek but somehow managed to balance myself. 

The Boat-Boy showed us the life jackets, which could be used in case of an emergency which he was sure, will not come.  I promptly suggested that I’ll prefer to wear it right now and would not like to wait for the boat to overturn. He laughed and said, “In the last  twenty years at least, nothing of this sort has happened.”

“Never mind, I can’t take any chances. I love my life,” saying this, I put on the jacket and insisted that hubby also wear it.  And then breathing a sigh of relief, I looked around. The lake once again looked awesome. We have been to Nainital so many times but why did we not think of coming here earlier. It was so serene and so peaceful. There were migratory birds in the sky and the sun rays were merrily dancing on the lake.

The Boat-Boy was not only rowing the boat, he was our lifeguard as well as guide. He told us that the lake was created by Bhima, one of the five Pandava brothers from Mahabharat when they had come to this part of the land during their exile from Indraprastha, now known as  Delhi. He showed us Bhima's temple and also told us very excitedly about the house on the hilltop where a famous Bollywood movie was shot.

The Boat-Boy cum Lifeguard cum Guide who is studying to become an
Engineer one day

On being asked by hubby, our young Boat-Boy shared that he was studying in the school and wanted to become an engineer one day. On Sundays and holidays, he comes for rowing the boat to earn some money to help his poor parents who were financing his studies.  Listening to his personal struggles, my heart started melting and I looked at my husband. Seeing his expressions, I knew that the boy is going to get much more than he had bargained for.

The dilapidated building of Bhimtal Aquarium put us off.

By this time, we had reached the centre of the lake where there was an island with a small dilapidated building. A board displayed there indicated that it was an aquarium. Our Boat-Boy cum Guide asked whether we wanted to go in there. As the external condition of the so-called aquarium was not very inviting, we preferred to enjoy the scenic beauty surrounding the lake in that limited time available to us.

Soon an hour was over and we returned to the shore. It was then only that I realised how I had forgotten all my fears when entrenched in the pristine beauty of Bhimtal lake. 

In my next blog, I plan to cover the next leg of the journey and take you to Nainital via Naukuchiatal.

*****

30. DELHI TO BHIMTAL (UTTARAKHAND) BY CAR

(This is first of the five blogs covering this enjoyable trip.)

As I opened the invitation card from a relative, it dawned on me that the wedding ceremony was scheduled to take place in Bhimtal (Uttarakhand). Bhimtal is at a distance of about 300 km from Delhi and could be navigated in barely 6 hours on NH 8, Grand Trunk Road. The route via Ghaziabad - Hapur - Garhmukteshwar – Moradabad – Rampur - Rudrapur – Haldwani was familiar. There was no second thought and our plan was spontaneously chalked out; attend the wedding and visit Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal, Tallital, Mallital, Nainital and whichever taal (Lake) came on way. The two of us and our car; we packed our bags and were on the move for an undefined itinerary.

On day 01, we planned to travel from Delhi to Bhimtal and attend the wedding in the evening. So we left Delhi at a leisurely 9 am our usual time for departure by car journeys. Who wants to wake up early and compromise on sleep time even after retirement? The morning was cold and the sun still quite weak. But by the time we crossed Yamuna river, the sun disappeared altogether and my chauffer…. oops chauher, I mean shauher (hubby) demanded “Chashma (Spectacles)!” As I handed him over his specs, he removed his shades and handed them over to me for safe-keeping in the glove cabin. By the way, it is one of my undefined jobs as the Navigator.

The fog had suddenly become very thick and visibility extremely poor. The car was moving at a snail’s pace.  This unexpected weather continued up to noon. The road was very good, but we were miles away from any decent eatery. And then suddenly there was a traffic jam which we realised was due to a level-crossing. A train came but before the jam could clear, the level crossing closed again for another train.

We decided to switch off the car engine, took out our cheese sandwiches and poured steaming hot coffee in two mugs. Nibbling cheese sandwiches with hot coffee on a cold morning was amazingly refreshing and we were saved from the boredom of waiting and got recharged for the next leg of the journey.

Temptation of pakodas was strong.

After travelling for another hour, we reached Gajraula and saw a restaurant "Moga Punjabi Tadka"  and felt like having a cup of tea there. Once inside, the temptation of having pakodas was quite overpowering and we decided to succumb to it. 

Mouth freshener served in style

After the tea and the pakodas, the waiter brought saunf along with the bill. The container  was unusual and I was quite fascinated by it. I am placing its  photograph here for sharing it with my readers. The road continued to be excellent up to Moradabad. 

As we were approaching Rampur, we had to stop at another level crossing. A guava seller passed by with really great looking guavas. We bought a kg of them only to finish them even before the train passed by. I wanted more guavas, but the hawker was not to be seen anywhere. 

A monkey perched on the roadside

Suddenly, I noticed a number of big sized monkeys hanging out on the nearby railings. I thought of giving them a treat and threw the left-over cheese sandwiches towards them. They lapped them up and came rushing to me. Alarmed at their speed, I quickly raised the glass and managed to close the window in the nick of time. 

This could very well be an Amul cheese advertisement

Oh my God! I got goose-pimples seeing their excitement and persistent demand for more cheese sandwiches. If Amul people ever happen to read this story, they surely will use it in their next cartoon. The level crossing continued to be closed although almost one hour had passed. So we decided to utilise this time for having our lunch too. Aloo mattar ki sookhi sabzi with mango pickle and parathas, which I had packed in the morning for a just in case eventuality, tasted so good. I had packed this stuff as I am never sure of availability of good eateries on the UP roads. 

The residence of Distt Magistrate, Rampur where my father lived in 1977-79

The gate opened soon thereafter and we reached Rampur, the city of Nawabs where my younger son was born. Seeing the bungalow where my father lived as the District Magistrate of Rampur for two years, from 1977 to 1979, more than 30 years ago, brought back the nostalgia of the  yesteryears and I had a strong urge to go in and have a look at the house. But hubby vetoed the idea, “We are much behind the schedule. I don’t want to drive on the hilly track after it becomes dark.”  Yes, he was right and we continued driving through the city. 

We now needed only a good cup of tea and a washroom to prepare us for the remaining leg of the journey. These needs were taken care of at a brief stopover at the next good restaurant "Maharani" in Rudrapur.

Having lost enough time, we now decided to drive non-stop as the sun appeared to be moving downhill at a fast pace. The hilly track had started and the ascent was obvious. The road was becoming serpentine and the speed had to be kept low. The scenic beauty was captivating. Lush green surroundings, tall trees,  blue sky and mountain peaks all around...we were moving upwards into the Himalayan hills.

I had been taught that while driving in hilly tracks, one must observe these rules:

1.  Always keep to left on the road leaving enough space for a vehicle coming from the opposite side as it may become visible suddenly not giving you enough time to react,

2.  Always honk on the blind turns,

3. Always give way to uphill traffic to let it continue its momentum, and

4.  While going downhill, use the same gear in which you would have gone up for better control of the vehicle.

It was already 4 pm and soon it was going to become dark but we were not far away from our destination now. The Hotel Country Inn is farther away from the main Bhimtal and we had to drive for another 5-6 km to reach there.

Hotel Country Inn at Bhimtal

At last, we were there. What a beautiful place it was!...And so well decorated with fairy lights to receive the baraat (wedding party)! Our gracious host was delighted to see us and ushered us to our room where I had to quickly change from a tourist attire of jeans and pullover to a rich South Indian silk saree.

Flowers in the hotel premises

The rest of the evening was spent in meeting the relatives, attending to various ceremonies and enjoying the lavish dinner around the bonfire. And the next day morning, I saw this fascinating bed of calendula flowers in the hotel, so bright, so lively and so full of cheer..... just as I want my life to be.

The details of the remaining journey to  Bhimtal Lake, Naukuchia Tal and Nainital and also how we landed up at Jim Corbett Park will be covered in my subsequent blogs.

*****

29. LAKE MACBRIDE STATE PARK (IOWA), USA

Lake Macbride

Recently, while visiting USA, we had a great family reunion. Three generations of our family were present. We wanted to go somewhere where there was something for everyone…for the toddlers as well as for us, the oldies. The choice fell on Lake Macbride which is a State Park in IOWA State, about 40-50 miles away from Cedar Rapids. Our son said, “Oh, it is a huge park spread over some 2000 acres. It has a lake where there are facilities for fishing, boating, swimming and camping. There are facilities for day picnickers also with grills, seating area and slides etc. for children. And it is very very green. Mom, you’ll love it.”

Hubby, always having eternal curiosity about anything new, shot a volley of questions, “Why is it called Macbride Lake? Who is Macbride? Is it a natural lake or man-made? Is this natural forest?”

"Too many questions! I don't have all the answers! Why don't you 'Google'  it?" How I wished Google was there when he used to ask me the hundreds of questions as a kid and I used to endlessly struggle with various Encyclopedias.

We did ‘Google’ for it and collected the information about the history and origin of Lake Macbride. We learnt that an effort to conserve the creek and the woods of this area was started off as early as in the early 1930s by IOWA City Chamber of Commerce and the Park was opened to public in the year 1937. The area was named after Thomas Macbride who was a Professor of Botany in the University of IOWA and was known as the “Father of Conservation” in IOWA State. He had focussed on the need for developing such parks in the countryside of IOWA state way back in 1895. As a result, IOWA State today has a number of such parks. I have already written earlier about two such parks called Kepler State Park and Lake Palo area. What a visionary Thomas Macbride must have been, we discussed. The park also touches Coralville Lake which is one of the largest artificial lakes of IOWA State.

With our initial curiosity satisfied, we were eagerly awaiting our visit to Lake Macbride the next day. Armed with ready to cook stuff, a crate of juices, coal, lighter etc, we were on a nice long drive which took us to our destination in about an hour.

As we neared the Lake, we noticed some people were carrying their own boats on the trailer of their car so that they could do boating in the lake. Some other less adventurous ones had two bikes hanging on the rear of their cars so that they could bike along after they reach the venue. I must acknowledge, the people here know how to live and enjoy life.

The tall trees formed a very dense forest all around.

Once at the Park, it was a wow moment. What a place! It was a huge dense forest. Sun hiding behind tall trees, undulated slopes, blue water in the lake….total bliss..we were at our wit’s end. Soon we identified a place where we could picnic for the whole day. Once our cars were parked there, it became our area and no one else would come there. I couldn’t help thinking of our picnics back home where the number of picnickers is so high that we invariably had to struggle to find a place for our durries.

Sibling bonhomie

Grandkids were elated too and kept running up and down. Playing soccer was difficult but they were happy to find a playground with slides and cushioned floor. My younger grandson, who is all of 2.5 years, saw a long thin root of a tree and pulled me to that place pointing to it and saying, “See, Dadi…snake!”

Green was the colour of the Day

Children lighted fire in the grill fixed there with the coal they had brought with them and put some fish and veggies for grilling. Soon, the grilled delicacies were ready and it was lunch-time....Finger-licking and yummilicious!

One could spent hours on the lakeside.

Going around the area and soaking in the beauty of nature was an extremely satisfying experience and we did not want to leave the place. But all good things have to come to an end and so did this wonderful day. We left the place promising ourselves to return soon.

The  grass was in competition with the tree leaves to get some sunshine.

As we were leaving, I was silently trying to remember William Wordsworth’s words, "I gazed -- and gazed - but little thought... What wealth the show to me had brought."  

My state of mind was also similar. Only, I had replaced the Daffodils with trees.

 I wander'd lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretch'd in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

                                             

                                                                                      ( William Wordsworth - 1770-1850)

*****

28. GANDHI PARK, PORT BLAIR, ANDAMAN & NICOBAR (INDIA)

This is the last of the ten blogs covering this fabulous trip.

A beautiful statue of Mahatma Gandhi

Walking around in Port Blair one evening, we  came across a beautiful park called Gandhi Park. It has been developed by the Port Blair Municipal Corporation in the memory of the Father of Nation, Mohan Das Karam Chand Gandhi. 
It had a lovely statue of Mahatma Gandhi in it.

We were particularly impressed with the way the Park has been maintained. It was very clean and very well lit. The undulated pathways added to its natural beauty. There were a number of benches where people were relaxing.

Extremely tall trees, typical of this part of the country due to its Equatorial climate made the Park look absolutely beatific under the full moon in a blue sky. 
The entire atmosphere was absolutely serene and unusually peaceful. 

Really loved walking in this beautiful park!

*****

27. SAMUDRIKA, THE NAVAL MARINE MUSEUM, PORT BLAIR, ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS (INDIA)

This is the ninth of the ten blog series covering this fabulous trip. 

"Samudrika"

If you are in Port Blair, a visit to “Samudrika”, the Naval Marine Museum is absolutely essential and strongly recommended. This museum is a storehouse of information on the Andaman & Nicobar group of islands. 
It covers every aspect of life in this unique area.  

The entry tickets are available at the gate.

Very well maintained by the Indian Navy, the entry to “Samudrika” is paid. The entry tickets are available at the entrance itself. It was a meagre Rs 20 per person when I visited it in March 2012. Charges for camera are additional.  The museum has limited visiting timings and is closed on Mondays and Govt. holidays.

The skeleton of a blue whale

The entrance area has been tastefully landscaped. At the entry, one is greeted by a rare skeleton of a huge blue whale. There are also life-like tribals dotting the place, making it very inviting.

A tribal woman

The museum is divided into five major sections, (i) Geography of the Islands, (ii) History of the area, (iii) the details of the aborigines and their characteristics, (iv) the rich marine life of the islands including types of fish and sea-life alongwith display of shells & corals found here and (v) the archaeological background of this area.

Prototype of a tribal hut

As one moves from one section of the museum to the other, the ocean of knowledge and information keeps opening up. Even if you are an ordinary tourist and not interested in the in-depth knowledge usually provided by museums, you will not be able to walk away without reading all the interesting details of this beautiful group of islands.

One must factor in at least half a day for a meaningful visit to this amazing place. In my opinion, it should be the first port of call for any tourist as it will help one understand the relevance and importance of the area and will lay the foundation of basic knowledge of these islands. Armed with this knowledge and understanding, one can build up the rest of the trip on this and enjoy it much better.

A wall photo of local aborigines

*****