34. JIM CORBETT PARK (UTTARAKHAND), INDIA

This is the last of the five blogs covering this enjoyable trip

The thick Terai forest of Ram Nagar area

Driving down from Nainital, we reached Ram Nagar by noon. I had shared in my previous blog the pleasure of looking at the lush green forests on both sides of the winding hill road and the tall pine trees kissing the azure sky. What perhaps I did not share was the joy of taking off, one layer after the other of the woollens, that I was wearing when we started from Nainital in the morning. Finally, in a cotton T-shirt and Denims, I did feel like a human being as against the stuffed doll that I had become in the freezing cold of Nainital.

In front of the room where we stayed in the Country Inn

As soon as we reached the Country Inn Hotel, our first query was regarding visiting the Jim Corbett National Park, the famous Tiger Reserve named after Jim Corbett who killed a number of man-eaters in Almora, Kumaon and Pauri Garhwal hills and whose memoirs I first read when I was only 10 years old and which I still remember.

The Receptionist at the hotel informed that they could arrange for the Entry Permit required for entering the Park for the next day only. But who wanted to wait? Dumping our luggage at the hotel and having a quick grub, we headed off to the Govt. office where Entry Permits are issued. It did take some time, but we managed to get one, with the help of the owner of the Gypsy that we had hired. We could not take our car inside as only licensed olive green coloured Gypsies (a type of Jeep) are permitted to enter the park. Driving down a distance of about 15 km from the Govt. Office to the park at a high speed in an open vehicle forced us to put our coats back to use.

The thick  rugged forest in the Jim Corbett Park

At the Jim Corbett National Park, there were some more formalities to be completed at the gate, e.g., the name of the tourists, addresses, verification of identity cards etc.  Once the formalities were completed, we started off our journey in an open rickety Gypsy in a tiger reserve which is known to actually have tigers. 

Hum tum ek jungle se guzarein, aur sher aa jaye,
socho agar aisa ho to kya ho?

As we moved into the thick rugged forest, I was reminded of the song from yesteryear’s Rishi Kapoor & Dimple Khanna starrer “Bobby”, “Hum tum ek jungle se guzarein, aur sher aa jaye…socho agar aisa ho to kya ho…. socho agar aisa ho to kya ho?” I kept humming the song for some time but I could not keep quiet for too long and asked the Gypsy driver and the guide, who were nicely seated on the front seat as we were standing in the rear open part of the Gypsy, “What if a tiger actually appears and attacks us?”The guide responded, “No, no. The tiger will never do that.”
“But why will the tiger not do that if it gets an easy prey?” I asked.
“I know that, it will not attack human beings,” he emphasised.

“How can you be so sure?” I was persistent.

“Madam, after all, the tiger also knows that if it attacks a human being, it will be sent to the zoo.”

I wanted to burst out laughing but suppressed it with great difficulty and asked with a smug face, “Oh…really? But how would the tiger know that a place like zoo exists?”

“Tiger knows everything. They have been living here so long. They are intelligent animals and so they know that human beings will transfer them to a zoo if they attack them.”

A number of rivulets criss-cross the Jim Corbett Park

Listening to such great defence of the tiger’s intelligence, I decided to honourably concede the point. Nodding understandingly, I decided to admire the beauty of the thick forest and different sounds of the innumerable birds audible despite the engine’s loud irritating sound. 

Watching these colourful pebbles under water was a treat to the eye.
Can you see the water here?

There are no pucca roads here. They are all natural kutcha roads with round river stones strewn all around on a bumpy road. Many rivers including Ramganga quietly flow through the forest in their full glory during the rainy season but in their puny avatars in the month of December. The water in the rivulets was crystal clear and seeing the colourful pebbles through the flowing water was a treat to the eye.  

The tiger was elusive, but cheetals were plenty.

We drove through the forest entering the side roads and taking unexpected turns trying fervently to spot a tiger. We did see cheetals (a type of deer) at many places and I started wondering how they could survive with so many tigers around.  We also heard chirping of various birds as this area is known to shelter many migratory birds.

Everything was there, but the bright burning stripes of the tiger, which we wanted to see so desperately, were elusive. Tiger ... Tiger ...where are you? Saying this, I suddenly remembered this poem of William Blake:

“Tiger, Tiger burning bright
In the forests of the night,

What immortal hand or eye
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?”

                      (William Blake 1757-1827)

We were scanning the area with a fine toothcomb repeating the same routes again and again and failing. It looked like that ours was the only Gypsy in that area. Driving through the forest amidst tall and thick elephant grass, the Guide suddenly asked the Driver to stop the vehicle in the middle of nowhere. 
Getting down from the jeep, he turned to us, “Now both of you just stand here quietly and don’t move….” 

I was shocked. What was this guy up to? What does he mean by telling us not to move and stand still? I quickly slipped my hand into my right pocket and grabbed tightly the Zapper that I usually carry with me as a weapon of defence in suspicious circumstances.

“….Now you listen to the sound of the jungle,” he said.

Trying to listen to the sounds of the jungle when the Gypsy stopped 

I loosened my grip on the Zapper and tried to appreciate the rustling sound of tree leaves in the quiet forest. But being an overcautious Delhi bred person, where anything is possible, my eyes were at the Guide and the Driver. When I noticed them moving towards a side with arms on each other’s shoulder, I again became uncomfortable and called out to them, “Listen, we have heard the jungle sounds. Not interested anymore. Let’s go back from here now.”

As they turned, hubby got irritated, “What’s happened? Why do you want to leave? Let’s hear and enjoy the jungle sounds.”

“No. Let’s leave,” I sounded curt but did not know how to tell the unsuspecting hubby that the behaviour of these two guys aroused strong suspicion in my mind. So long as they were sitting in the vehicle and driving, I felt safe but not this way. I realised at that time the value of coming to such places in a group of friends and missed my Buddies. I don’t know whether I am over-suspicious or just practical ….. whatever! Mercifully, they both returned though hesitatingly and we resumed our drive much to my relief. 

As we moved, we reached a place where a number of Gypsy vans had already reached and were waiting. Tourists in at least one vehicle had seen the tiger and one of them was showing to everyone, a video clip of the tiger he had recorded. So many vehicles were moving in the forest and we had not come across any one of them. Such is the size of this Forest. I understand it is spread over an area of 521 sq km in Nainital and Pauri Districts of Uttarakhand.

Fresh pug marks of the tiger put us on its trail again

A fresh effort to locate the tiger began and all the Gypsies again started moving on the tiger trail. Suddenly, we saw the tiger’s fresh pug marks on the road-side and we started going up and down and back and forth but the tiger had become invisible. “It must be hiding in some bush,” our Guide said.

An unfulfilled dream

He also told us that the best time to see the tiger is in April because most trees are denuded by then and bushes become dry. With the forest being less dense, the tiger is more easily visible. Moreover, by April, the weather is a little warm and most rain-fed rivulets dry up. When a tiger comes out in search of water, it is easier to locate it.

As the sun was about to set and our permitted time was getting over, we had to drive out of the jungle.

The jeep dropped us at the Govt. Office from where we had taken it. After paying the amount, as soon as we got into our car, hubby asked for my explanation and I had to sheepishly share with him why I had asked those guys to get back to their seats and keep driving. It’s a different story that he did not agree with me. But then I still feel, better be safe than sorry.

Dining Cottage made of locally procured natural material

The relaxed evening was spent in admiring the hotel premises, its beautiful lawns, stone building, a circular Dining Cottage made exclusively of locally procured natural material, its beautiful trees, beds of colourful flowers, marigolds and chrysanthemums and quiet peaceful environs. There were many exclusive cottages too apart from the rooms.

Such colourful flowers were feast to our eyes

Students travelling standing on the bumper of a bus on a cold foggy morning

Next day was the time to drive back to Saddi Dilli. But what I saw on the road made my heart overflow with compassion and sympathy for our youth and anger at the apathy of the Govt. Young boys travelling from one town to another for attending college, hanging on the bumper of a bus on a foggy morning in the peak of winter made a painful sight. The fact that the Govt. has neither been able to open sufficient number of colleges in towns nor has provided enough buses to make inter-city commuting easy, made me feel very sad. How I wish I could do something for these boys who were precariously hanging on the bumper of the bus which we were following for a long time! If their number were small, I could have given them a lift in my car, I thought. However, despite this ordeal, they appeared to be enjoying the ride. Finally, when we overtook the bus, they all merrily waved out at us. 
Youth is after all youth!

“When the stars threw down their spears,

And watered heaven with their tears,

Did He smile His work to see?

Did He who made the lamb make thee?”

                                      (William Blake 1757-1827)

*****

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.

*****