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.

*****