Monday, December 29, 2014

Little Lhasa

Dharamshala has carved out a space for itself in any traveler’s diary. Its unique history beckons one and all. It was this call that made us plan a trip. First of all there many ways to get there – with the airport at Gaggal near Kangra and railway station at Pathankot, it is very well connected. We chose to enjoy Bholu. So after going through the various options, Dauladhar Express seemed a convenient overnight journey. Next was booking a place to stay and with good experience of staying in a Government accommodation, preference was to get hold of one. The Himachal Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation gives you a convenient one stop shop experience on its website http://hptdc.gov.in/custsw/viewuser8.asp, where you can view availability of all its properties across the State. We were booking in advance, yet to our dismay most of the properties were full, so it helps to plan early.
 
 
Dauladhar Express departs from Old Delhi Railway station at 22.45 hours. It is a herculean task to reach the place by road through traffic and congested areas in the evening, so it helped that we had begun early (our Ranthambore experience fresh in mind). This time we reached with enough time to spare. The train departs from platform number 15, hence you need to climb the overbridge. We helped ourselves to goodies from the McDonald’s outlet in the station premises (old Delhi station also has Comesum, for the foodies) before the train departed on schedule. With no further adventure, we reached Pathankot Junction next morning at the scheduled time of 8.20 am. Our pre-booked cab was waiting outside. This was result of another valuable advice – advance cab booking not only saves you the hassle of haggling with cabbies in the station but is also very cost effective.
 
 
Soon we were ahoy! After an hour of travelling, we took a break at a vegetarian dhaba (Indian roadside eatery typically seen on highways). The food seemed fresh and quite tasty. The journey slowly moved from straight roads to winding curves and after another hour or so, the cabbie took a diversion from the main road. The climb to the mountains started soon after. The roads all throughout were surprising well maintained. The curves got sharper, the roads narrower and the climb steeper. The cab glided through with breathtaking views of the valley, forests, narrow streams and the serenity of a mountain drive could be felt. After a drive of almost 3 hours in bright sunshine we reached Dharamshala. Our stay was at McLeod Ganj or Upper Dharamshala and took us another hour to reach it. Closer to the destination, we experienced a bit of a traffic jam – too many vehicles on holiday!
 
The Dhaba
 
Hotel Bhagsu was right in the heart of the town. Once we located the place and alighted/embarked from the cab, mist enveloped the surroundings – tall cedar trees were suddenly barely visible, and a chill in the air welcomed us with open arms. The room was a decent one a comfortable double bed, sofa, table, almirah, television and a large washroom. The washroom had a geyser and the room was equipped with a heater.
 
 
The Entrance
 
The Restaurant at Hotel Bhagsu
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



We refreshed and after a quick lunch, embarked on sightseeing. The first spot was the Dal Lake, a man-made lake about 15 kms from the main town. As we reached the lake, mist from the hills swooped in, giving it a magical backdrop. The lake was full of variety of fishes, which were coming to the surface in droves whenever any bread crumb was thrown by the numerous tourists. We partook of tea and samosas at a small tea stall opposite the lake. After enjoying the place, we headed towards Bhagsu Nag temple located at one end of the central road in McLeod Ganj.
 
Dal Lake
  
The Magical Backdrop
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Cars are allowed till a certain point, beyond which once needs to take a short walk through a narrow stretch. The temple is located on one side of the complex and one needs to climb a few stairs to reach it. On the other side is a tank, whose water is considered to be holy with healing properties. Although we were told by locals that the water emanates from a hot spring, the water was not hot, rather it was quite cold. We could hear water gushing close by and on enquiry, were informed that the famed Bhagsu waterfalls was located about 2 kms ahead. In the fading darkness, we made an attempt to reach it but had no option but to withdraw due to unknown territory and warnings from visitors returning not to proceed further. Since it was quite cold, nothing could be better than settling for some tea. While checking out options we spotted a quaint place called German Bakery located at the end of the narrow stretch near the point where the cars were parked.

Bhagsu Nag Temple
The Holy Tank
On the Temple Complex's Entrance Gate

Darkness Descending
 
German Bakery
We returned to the hotel and decided to take a walk to the main road, which was about 10 minutes away. The road was lined with shops selling local fare as well as other regular items. After exploring various shops for more than an hour, our stomach was growling with hunger. We had come across very good reviews of Jimmy’s Italian Kitchen, so we headed there straightaway. The place, located on the first floor, was teeming with customers. We were fortunate to secure a table which had just been vacated. The walls were lined with posters of famous Hollywood movies. Some of the items on the menu were already over, informed the owner Tserin very apologetically. She also recommended some other items, from which we made our choice. The service was super slow but when the food arrived, we really forgot about the delay. The pizzas, be it chickonara, peri peri or roasted chicken, tasted awesome. It was such a refreshing change from the staple pizza that we are so used to. The pasta with piri piri sauce was equally enterprising! Overall an excellent place for satisfying one’s taste buds. A short walk from the restaurant brought us back to our hotel where we retired for the night.

The View From The Road
The View Inside


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