MUSSORIE: MORE THAN A WEEKEND GETAWAY

Mussorie-The Queen of Hills, generally considered as a weekend getaway, is a story that has more pages than people know. It has been my first travel after the lockdown crisis and it has been so great to feel the cold breeze while riding the bike with valleys, slopy and serene roads up the hill closing the mountains.

 

Sometimes it's better to enjoy one's own company, one's own thoughts, one's own mood, one's own choice of food, one's own feelings with thousand other meanings flying above this vast blue sky, across this huge mountains reaching to someone somewhere unknown of happenings...!!  This was the exact thought going in my mind when I set for this trip. Moreover, I was dicey about travelling due to quarantine rules but it was a rough patch of not travelling more than for 8 months now. So I booked my bunk bed in Zostel and set to Mussoorie, and something fantastic happened there that has strengthened my belief in the concept of ‘serendipity’.

 The ‘Queen of hill stations’ is counted among the Uttarakhand’s favourite holiday destinations for mountain-lovers. You start to enjoy the beautiful views of the Doon valley as soon as on the “Road to Mussorie” and the magnificent distant Himalayan peaks as you climb the uphill. If you want to surround yourself with the fresh mountain air and cooler temperature, then you should spend a stay-vacation here. You can witness the diversity from architecture of the British era in its libraries, hotels and churches to pretty water falls to curvy roads to the blissful sunsets.

And as my right hand thumb rule of my solo travels, I love to walk the length breadth of famous places to get the feel of it and explore the place to as per my requirements because as a human nature we ll have different likings. So we should search that happiness for ourselves at each place. I was staying at Zostel which itself is site to behold and met some amazing co-travellers and it followed the saying- travel solo, make friends and travel with them :P

 

One of the major tourist attractions is George Everest House, but what is noteworthy is a small trek to the peak which is secluded and peaceful. It offers spectacular views of the snow-clad Himalayan peaks and panoramic views of the Doon Valley. Another place where you can find yourself amidst Bright, beautiful and peaceful prayer flags is the Dalai Hills is a picturesque location just uphill from the Buddhist temple in the Happy Valley of Mussoorie. No visit to Mussoorie is complete without a trip to Kempty Falls. The waterfalls are absolutely spectacular, flowing down the rock-face from twelve meters above. Of course, you can just stand and admire mother nature at work.

 

One of the most magical moment of my life .!

The start of year has been already awesome with snowy Kashmir and on top of that I received the personal autographed book from my childhood writer hero Mr. Ruskin Bond. Although I was upset that was not able to meet him due to covid reasons but @cambridgebookdepot made sure that I get closer to that dream of having a autograph from our Rusty. Thank You 😊

 

 

Cafes and more:

My heart beats a little bit faster whenever I see a beautiful cafe. I still remember how anxious I was eating alone in for the first time, that too in an unknown place. But as I solo travelled more, I am over with this anxiousness. Even after how the travelling is developing in India people tend to judge a person eating alone in any restaurant or cafe.
Eating or travelling alone is not a sign of loneliness or a unsocial people or that you have no friends specially at a tourist location.

And further it is the solitude that everyone enjoys and it gives me a freedom to stay at that place till I want or hop to another beautiful cafe as per my will. Solo travelling gives us an opportunity to connect to the local people and the culture more than normal. Above everything it’s the satisfaction you get because its the purest form of travelling. These travels have always been kind to me, helped me to know myself better (fingers crossed 🤞) and inspired to travel more either solo or even in groups.

Mussoorie is a food-lover's paradise, is a fact that has been established time and again. But the true treasure of this hill town lies in its cafes. If you love the mountains, you know that the experience of enjoying the view while sitting in a cozy cafe can be matched by little else. Whether you're sipping on some coffee or reading your favourite book, these quaint little nooks help you experience the place in the most intimate way. My favourites are:

• 1.      The Tea Totaller
• 2.      Ivy Café
• 3.      Landour Bakehouse
• 4.      Liitle Lamas Cafe

 

 

Magical Winter Line:

Every year in Winters, something magical happens in Mussoorie. It's a special natural phenomenon which takes place only in a few places across the world, and Mussoorie is one such place.Such unique conditions do not exist at many places.

Well it’s a sharp line in the sky which is more like a faux horizon line. So before the sun actually sets across the real horizon, in this part of the world, it actually disappears across a faux horizon. So how does it happen? "Dehradun Valley is warm so the hot air rises up, while the air in the sky around Mussoorie is very cold during winter. As air with different temperatures meet, it gives rise to a sharp line - the lower part is dark, and the cooler air is lighter blue. This line is always there, but just before sunset, due to refraction of light, the line lits up beautifully as a golden sharp line as the sun disappears behind the lower portion of the sky which is dark in color. This is how the line is formed." One of the best ways to see this line completely is from a mountain top with a clearing. I saw and captured it from a small clearing in the way to mountain top at Lal Tibba which is the highest point of Mussorie range.

Landour: A Welsh Town Frozen in Time
4 दुकान और 24 मकान ही तो है  Landour, so walking around the town is bliss itself.

When it comes to famous North Indian hill stations, I guess Landour wouldn't make the cut. Precisely which is why one must leave everything right now and head straight to this out of the world destination!

The birthplace of Ruskin Bond, Landour is a small, quaint cantonment town 35 kms from Mussoorie. Despite situated close to the hustle bustle, it is surprising peaceful and untouched. There are hardly any commercial shops or hotels. Just a handful of guesthouses, all of which were built in the British era. Infact the name Landour itself is based on Llanddowror, a village in southwest Wales.

Whenever I travel, the feeling which I had while leaving the place is a new and a different one. I still remember that moment when I smiled rolling my eyes when I saw the sign board saying " Thank you . Visit us once again ". It happens every time but we had to keep on moving and exploring something new in this world and that’s how life also works!!

  

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