It was a long weekend of early October when we decided to visit Dharamshala. However, time was very generous upon us and we couldn't get the tickets instead we booked ourselves in Manali. Let me tell you one thing, I wanted to go to Manali since I was a small little girl wrapped up in red-white frocks and brown bellies and socks. I was never 'In' for Shimla for my Honeymoon as much as I was for Manali. And then when I grew up, I saw YJHD. Lolz. That made things more clearer to me. :D
Sorry for the last part, but I had to confess, I love the romantic bollywood cliches.
I had always visited the lower lands of Himachal with my family all throughout my childhood and a few years ahead of it. But then, I was too young to interpret the beauty of the hills, too young to realize the calmness in the rushing waters of the river, too young to experience risks of life from the cliffs,too young to wake up to the peaks of Himalayas! I was too young to believe I will ever visit someplace else other than Una, Chalet. This doesn't even count on Google Maps, does it?
But, I did. That too with the man I love. I loved Manali like anything. And I've even planned my next trip. Shhhh... This time I guess I will concentrate more on the photography because Manali is so damn beautiful you just can't leave the place without at leat 2000 photographs. That's the ideal place for photographers. It is actually a Heaven.
We reached with a lot of hassles but the journey was worth it. I couldn't sleep waiting for the mountains. And when I saw them, I couldn't sleep at all. I cannot forget the first look of the mountains with a little light of the sunrise. They looked like... your first love. They looked like your first kiss. They looked like your newborn baby!
They made me alive. I couldn't stop gaping and uttering WoW..Oh My God...Wowww....
The long, never ending, carved roads moving narrowly up and down the hills were a dream come true for riders.The offroad route was way too dangerous but was the best part of reaching Manali. We saw all angles of Himachal mountains. All the steeps and cuts. God's a marvellous architect I tell you. The Beas looked like a huge closet of accessories. A box of liquid diamonds. A sparkling neclace of jewels. It was prettier than that.
We even entered and took an exit from the Mandi Tunnel (or called the Aut Tunnel) of about 2.8-3.0 kms. Mind you it was an experience! We even got a few splashes of water by the mountain sides. Small arteries of Beas keep flowing out of the mountains all over Himachal. Don't worry, you won't miss it.
In no time we were in Kullu. And our journey slowed down since we were now a part of the city. It took a while to reach but we were finally there at around 5pm. Oh by the way, we boarded bus at 7pm the previous day. Almost a day long journey it was. It surely doesn't take that long but our drivers were first-timers. (Wasted hell of our time). Anyways, Aleo Left Bank was our destination. Though we were tired, yet I pulled his hands to walk till the hotel.
My good, that was a hell of a walk. The huge Deodars covering upo with a beautiful weather welcomed us. Yes, I will talk about the trekking we did on these roads. Uff. By the time we reached our Hotel, it was 5:30 and we surely would have been desperate to jump in our beds and get some sleep. But the magic of the Beas right across our "beautiful hotel room" took our tiredness away. We hot-showered and laid for a while absorbing the amazing journey we had and got ready to hit the (Mall) Road of Manali.
It was getting chilly so we had to take our winterwears out. Mall road was another trek. The same as any other Mall Roads of India but a bit more vibrant and hustled. It was Dussehra time and due to the extended weekend, it seemed like everybody in the world was inside Manali.Fun, it was! To me one minor drawback was the lack of ATMs in Manali. Around our place only two were there. Out of which one was always out-of-order while the other worked. So brace up to get into that line. But it wasn't that much of a problem.
We sat in our balconies at night talking about our journey, the hills, the place, the hotel and slept after a few drinks.
Day 2 was the most adventurous.
I opened my window and wiped the water droplets from the glass and saw the great Himalayan Peaks guarded by the clouds slowly. Oh what a sight! I fell in love with it. We ordered Bed-Coffee and were skeptical about if the manager will extend our stay for a day more. Finally after a bit of thoughtful drama the ball was in our court. He extended our stay and we headed to Solang Valley. Another marvel of nature.
The sight of the world from there was one of the brightest memories of that place with me.
I am sure you'd love it. Oh, I forgot to quote the 'paragliding' and 'paragliders' we saw right infront of our eyes. Scary but took us into the air! Ooohh!
That night we drank till we dropped and kept talking by the balcony about everything in life. I don't need to tell you how time stopped. Do I? I love him so much for everything.
On Day 3 we watched Haider in Piccadly Theatre before boarding the bus. The AC of the bus was super speedy mayn! I almost freezed. But the best thing on our journey back was the driver. A very aged and punctual man whose words were more funnier than any slapstick comedy! He was a Khadoos uncle but with a soft heart. Nariyal Head! :D He drove like it was a racing car and drank tea everytime we halted at any stop. Thankfully he didn't throw us and all passengers out for asking him to switch the AC on and Off all the time. Some of the college boys in the bus stole apples from another vehicle in a traffic jam. Dude that was hilarious.
I am very sorry to announce that we reached Delhi around 11 and Manali was again 600 kms far away. :( Anyhow, I thought of compiling everything somewhere to remind myself how splendid my trip was.
"Thank You sooooo Much Love for this trip. You don't know how much I loved it. I will always be thankful to you to book those tickets and coming up all the way only for me. My pre-honeymoon was out-of-this-world. ;) I love You, Thank You" Muah!
Back home, these singing sessions are hilarious when he deliberately takes out female voices and acts like a new hottie in town or the hero in love-dripping movies :D I love him. He makes me laugh my lungs out!! And somewhere in between it's like a real movie of a real life. I believe all of it and it gives me a chance to become an actress myself ;)
