UTTARAKHAND

Starting off from Mumbai, this trip planned by yours truly already faced a lot of ups and downs and trust me, alot! I was on the verge of cancelling this one,but doing things which don't allow you to complete them, is the thrill that travelling has always taught me.
So this extensive 9 days trip to UTTARAKHAND started off from the bandra terminus at 16:35 as we boarded the Hajrat Nizamuddin express. We, meant, me and 50 others.
The journey went on smoothly and although this was my first journey to the North, I will term it as the best one.
Adjustments were inevitable and alot of it happened, but the journey was memorable, paving way for some new friendships altogether.

The train journey was expected to be delayed and I was expecting alot colder climate, but everything seemed pretty normal. We reached there somewhere around 10 am. We were joined by our tour guide at the junction, from where we left into two buses to haridwar.
The problems had started with people complaining about the crunch seating area in the bus and everything, but, Uttarakhand had their way of buses and this was the best we got.
Amidst lot of drama over lunch and a good wastage of time by our operators, the Haridwar tour was delayed. A beginning to all the delays henceforth.

We reached Haridwar in the evening. The time wasn't apt to even visit the temple and also the long journey had already took toll on some peoples bodies. So it was decided to just rest and have dinner. The hotel that we stayed (Hotel Great Ananda) was one cool property with a polite staff and good dinner and breakfast the following day.
Places missed: Haridwar Temple.

The next morning, waking up to the cold winter winds was one best feeling and later we were supposed to have the best memory of our life- River rafting.
River rafting in GANGES. The beginning point of the trail to rafting.
Before stepping into this holy river, you feel timid.
Timid in front of the mighty mountains that surround you.
Timid in front of the sunlight that shines upon you.
Timid in front of the mighty GANGES roaring in front of you like a tigress.
Timid in front of the spiritual bliss that RISHIKESH carries within.
Timid in front of life, waiting for taking you on an adventure.
This was undoubtedly the best thing that I experienced, ticking off yet another thing off the bucketlist.
If only I could explain, how much it felt when the adventure ended.
The few hour long trail amidst the roaring water finally ended with serene peace.
With mountains on one side and temples on other, and the river flow in between, that imagery of "GANGA KE KINAARE" was partly completed.
RISHIKESH gave me something that I would cherish.
It gave me the Freshest air,
Cleanest water,
Clearest skies,
Purest people,
It gave back...ME.
With the adventure ending, we had lunch in the hotel ananda and continued our journey to mussoorie via bus.

The hotel here at mussoorie was one great property. Hotel Shiv Continental! I would want to visit this place and hotel again and again.
We were supposed to experience snowfall at Dhanaulti.
This place came with a mixed bag of everything. Temperatures dropping to the lowest that I've experienced till date. Expectation of snowfall and not receiving it in the beginning. Things not happening on time and what not.
But....
The fucking cold breeze mildly swooshing all around sending chills down the spine.
The purity that accompanied.
The smell of maggi and bhuttas all around in that chilly weather.
And my favourite part, these trees.
This had been the fascination for a looongg time. And finally it came true.
Trees🌲. More trees entwined into one another standing strong together as if friends stood together holding hands🌲🌲. And then the mountains peeping through them⛰️😍. What more happiness could you ask for?
Everything felt complete.
With the hope of a snowfall, or for that matter a little bit of snow anywhere around, Dhanaulti dissapointed at first. But then....
Remember the LAGAAN sequence where the clouds suddenly start gathering and that happiness everyone has..
It felt exactly that way😂😂😂
Even though shortlived but that serene weather, chilly winds and little snowflakes were enough to atleast uplift the mood.
DHANAULTI is for sure on the list for some later date.
Returning to the hotel we had a gala time, the lunch at this property too was the best. We had a stroll through the mall road of mussoorie (P.S.: the prices here are high).
In the name of light dinne we were served pizzas, and we continued for the overnight journey to Jim Corbett.
Places missed: Kempty falls (due to bad weather)

The place with the most drama enroute😂😂
We reached in the morning at Ramnagar, where we had our breakfast at one place and were shown the Kosi river.
The KOSI river had something which brushed off, which took off the strain. It had that vibe which was needed to calm things down, to uplift me after that controversial overnight journey🌚. The Ruddy Shelduck's gathered there making some kind of weird noises added to the upliftment.
KOSI made me believe that nature has that healing ability💓.
We reached at the hotel in the afternoon and after checking in, had this great property to chill and relax. With pool and everything inside the hotel, this property is one must go destination if you are to wait here.
We had a DJ night scheduled in the evening here and a camp fire as well. The night ended with ghost stories and we almost running  to our hotel rooms with some animal voices around.
It was before this that I met the most happening and cherished person of this trip. Our bus driver- Bhola. There's about him at the end🙂.

Waking up at 5 on a trip is not what you usually do, but yes, had to do it just for the TIGERS😂😂(and people).
Although we didn't see any, except for hearing the ROAR of one of them(and watching monkeys, peacock, a deer and dogs)the experience was worth everything❤️.
A true jungle safari, amidst the woods in the fucking chilly weather and that too in a jeep whose driver had no chill 😂.
I've had this tendency of imagining things before going or setting out to do anything and the universe has been great enough to let me experience them. Yet again, another imagery was completed, that of..
Sunlight seeping in through the dense woods and kissing you alongwith the cold breeze freezing you from within❤️❤️ and all this happening amidst the morning MELODY of the jungle.
The jeeps pick you up from the hotel itself and the journey spans for 2-3 hours or so.
We returned at the hotel where we had our lunch and set off for the Garjiya devi temple.
Later we proceeded to bhimtal.

The most happening place of the whole journey.
We were picked by taxis to cover 7 points together in the morning. Starting off with The HIMALAYA VIEW POINT.
Chilly mornings
40 rs. wali Maggi
Friends
Himalayas
What more do you want?
This point was beginning of a great day. This point had the majesty of the mountains.
This point had the calmness of the wind.
This point felt as if I was in a cradle of these ranges.
Those few minutes spent there were enough to let every little bit of air seep in and soothe me.
After that himalayan view, the picturesque imagery of the NAINI LAKE made up for everything.
Mountains on all your sides, trees standing tall on them, and then you see this lake.
Imagine that happiness when the breeze soothes your soul and such imageries soothe your eyes.
Continuing to the LOVER'S AND SUICIDE POINT! However ironical the name is, this place took my heart away with that one thing. The houses amidst the mountains. Probably the life, I'd settle for, forever🙂😭💓.

Being able to experience a refreshing day alongside a lake, with boats moving out, people coming in, sun peeping in through the mountains, and mountains and mountains standing tall as far as you eyes could go, SERENITY is the only word that could explain this.
This being the last day of the whole 8 days of the time that we're out there in the North, felt as if why? Why was all this ending? Why couldn't we wait for a bit more extended time here?
Why do we have to resume the boring life in the concrete cities? Why only 8 days? Why back to Delhi? Why?
Every why came down with the sun setting behind those mountains and the chills setting  into our spines.
After this we returned to our buses for another overnight and final journey to the station.

After that final overnight journey, a beautiful journey to the north ended here.
We boarded our morning train from sarai rohilla spinning and sharing the final few moments in this train, to return to our homeland.

The trip ended with memories- both good and bad.
Uttarakhand gave me personally alot of things.
I went there with nothing and came back with everything.

And now the special mention...
BHOLA
I met this legend. No I did not know him. He was just a driver assigned to us. Destiny played its part and I was told to be with him for the next 7 days. Nothing seemed much different, a bus driver, a trip. That's it. From there to this pic that you see. This was how the whole trip was for me whenever I alongwith @gireesh_pillai was with him in the cabin. If UTTARAKHAND was my best trip, his share is 60% for making it the best. With his pahadi dialect, and the purest form of human being that I've met ever, BHOLA BHAI, won my heart.
The trip would've seriously not been the best, had I not had him to make the time a gala.
Thankful to have a BHOLA BHAI that maybe someday I'll go again and meet and have Chai-Chui at his home in Rishikesh❤️
Maybe...Probably...
BOLO BHOLA BHAI KIIIII JAYYYY❤️❤️❤️.