Mcleodganj and Triund

Sometimes life gives you amazing memories. So good, that you want them to lock them inside you heart, mind and soul.

Well if you are thinking of visiting McLeod Ganj and Triund, you are on point. However, if you are planning to find insights about this place then I'd suggest that you stop reading here.

I am expressive. This blog is long and more about how I explore places and people rather than a guide for you to figure out how you should be exploring the place.

You know what? Read this blog as a story rather than a blog (free advice :D). So, 4 friends ditch their bosses at work (acting/lies/drama, we used all methods) to reach Pratap Nagar metro station. At 7:30pm we start our journey with 60-80 other travelers/tourists. I was again travelling with Travel Triangle but with a different set of friends.

I won't compare about what was different from my previous trip for two reasons. A. I really don't think I should compare. B. I have other interesting things to share than compare.

The 2+2 seats were okay if not great and we found ourselves immediately participating in Dumb Charades in the bus. The coordinators were funny and cute. We came to a halt at a dhaba (70 Milestone) in Murthal. Some fried rice and manchurian was consumed and we resumed our journey. I would not like to disclose who my friends are but since they are present in every instance and adventure I witnessed on this trip, I would like to address them as Mysterio, Naysayer and Superwoman.

So, I had real interesting conversations with Mysterio. While Superwoman and Naysayer dozed off (trying to) we were engrossed in conversations and it felt nice that 'Mysterio' was finally letting go of his reticent traits. At 4am we had another halt (middle of somewhere). I smoked a cigarette and it hit me hard (almost empty stomach). We got back into the buses and Mysterio and I had long conversations thereafter. I was travelling with them for the first time and little did I know that we all will be so awesome together.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself amidst green meadows. I also realized that I have an urgent need to pee. I asked Superwoman to accompany me to find a washroom. Turns out the whole meadow was our washroom. It was a long time since I had peed in the bushes. Initially I was quite skeptical about it, but I had to go for it, because the next halt was 2.5hrs later. The funny part was, once I was done, I had a feeling that my bum is on fire or I felt scratchy (all inside the head) :P .

I decided to sit with Naysayer and had interesting conversations with him too. But I was distracted when a good looking coordinator boarded our bus (did I mention there were three buses of travel triangle) along with an interesting hairdo guitarist.

Me and Superwoman decided to soothe our eyes and we took the last seats. Both the guys were in full mood to entertain us. The guitarist played beautiful songs, and we sang along even though we jumbled up the lyrics or were terrible singers.

Soon we reached a parking point and the buses discarded us. We collected our luggage, stuffed them inside a van and boarded a Sumo Cab. The hotel was a little far and also not accessible via bus. We reached Deodar Villa Hotel panting because we had to walk some part of it and the way was quite steep. Sometime later we were given keys to our room. The four of us stayed together and the room was pretty (I forgot to click pictures of the room, you can always google them up).

It took us exactly 1min to remove our shoes, fluff the pillows and sleep. We all took a nice nap. Room was quite luxurious and we refreshed ourselves. We ordered room service food and had another nap. There was a double bed and a single bed, but we all cuddled up in a single white blanket and slept.

Around 4pm we left for Bhagsu Naag Temple and Fall. Through the markets and paved roads of McLeod Ganj we reached Bhagsu Naag Temple. Mysterio and Naysayer decided to say their prayers inside. Superwoman and I waited outside. We decided to reach the apex of the fall rather than the nadir. It wasn't really a trek. Paved stone staircases were quite easy to climb. Mysterio and I were a little irritated by the crowd (we are not the ones who like people so much). I fired up my portable speaker and we moved on. Soon we were at the waterfall and there was a lot of rush. People were clicking pictures/selfies (we had to wait 15-20mins for our turn) while photo bombing other's frames. Even though it was quite crowded, the cold water felt nice. Naysayer was high on life and decided to get drenched and get a dip in the water. We let him be him. Superwoman, Mysterio and I decided to dip our feet and enjoy the moment and indeed we did.

We decided to strike off an item from my 'Bucket list of Cafe' list. So we headed towards Shiva Cafe. It's a few staircases and won't take much time for you to reach there. Lord Shiva - a bad ass human turned divine by his people who believed in peace more than anyone else. He did not vouch for world peace or peace in your community. But, he preached to have peace in your mind and soul. Peace for yourself means peace for everyone. Shiva Cafe made me crave for a J. Mysterio, Naysayer and Superwoman do not smoke up. I had already decided I wouldn't make them uncomfortable at any point of time because of my smoking habits (at least I always tried to). Thus I took their permission instead and rolled one up. Superwoman was introduced to Green World jargon. I smoked up in peace.

We ordered mouthwatering pizza, cheese and tomato sandwiches, masala chai, hot chocolate and ginger lemon honey tea. Orders took a lot of time to come up (since it was crowded). We spent some time there and relaxed. Mysterio was in his thoughts. Naysayer was shivering and being stubborn about wearing a jacket. Superwoman was enjoying her masala tea.

I'm really not the person who gets affected by people's stare. In fact I feel that if I am giving them a show, I better do it nicely. A man (in his 30's or 40's) was observing me smoke up. He wanted some hash too. He asked me to sell him some, but I refused. However, seeing his craving for a good session of a J I gave him some hash anyway. He had a smile on his face. It felt good. He wanted to pay for that as well, but being a stoner you do have some responsibilities. I hope he had a great session.

We entered our rooms and changed. Ate dinner and decided that we would have drinks in the room. There was no happening bonfire this time.

Naysayer was our bartender. Superwoman is not really a drinking person, but she was very sporty to try a drink I made for her. I think she liked it (Breezer-Vodka-Sprite Cocktail). We started talking and cracking jokes and then decided to play Heads Up (an app game). Initially we took some time to understand and operate the app, but we were finally there.

Sometime later, tiredness kicked inside all of us. We decided to get some sleep. I took the single bed and the rest were on the double one.

I did not wanted to sleep, but solitude kicked in and I had no other option but to shut off my eyes.

Fortunately, my mornings throughout my trip have been interesting and generously satisfying. I thank the Lords.

I woke up at 6am, finding my squad fast asleep. I watched the sun kiss my body and felt the sound of the wind on my skin. I closed my eyes and listened to the birds chirping, singing - melodiously. I felt the slightest sounds that were around me. My body felt alive. My soul felt alive. Nature was doing its magic on me, and I had surrendered myself completely.

August isn't really the season to visit Triund, but due to the long weekend that this month had, there was a lot of rush. So we already had a lot of crowd to tackle with. Additionally, we also had the weather gods. Now weather gods are very moody. They will tan you up two shades darker in one moment and keep you drenched for four hours in the other.

The weather gods brought a thunderstorm with them. So camping at Triund was chucked off and moved to another location in McLeod Ganj. Thus we all had to pack our luggage and check out of Deodar. Mysterio woke up at 7am finding me pack my bags. He decided to help me by getting under the sheets and sleeping while I pack -_- (some lazy prick he is), eventually I took a small nap too :P . Naysayer was up, and Superwoman was brutally woken up (by me of course).

We were all in a chirpy mood when suddenly Superwoman screamed. I was facing towards them and I knew something fishy is going behind my back. Superwoman could not mouth the words, but when I turned my head - there he was. A big fat monkey, at the door of the balcony and moving towards us. I moved aside and he walked right past me. My friends were sitting on the bed, terrified. I was trying to figure out what to do next. We all were in hope that Naysayer would be the courageous soul, but well it was me! (had to be me) I walked towards him while he was trying to pick up Aloo Bhujia/Salted Peanut packets. He was defensive at first but then I increased my radius to go around him. He was busy choosing his favorite snack and in the mean time I opened the door on the other side of the room (to shoo him away). He decided to sit on the opening between the two walls, we watched him in amazement and terror. I did manage to record a small shot of him (my squad thought I was insane). The monkey preferred Naysayer's digestive biscuits, and then decided to leave. He then sat in the balcony and enjoyed those biscuits while we laughed at the incident for sometime. Lesson learnt: Keep your doors and windows closed while in McLeod Ganj!

We had to return back from Triund the same day, thus we were provided with cabs that would take us to some extent of the trek. We got an Alto so the four of us were comfortably accommodated. We reached the trek point at 11am. A few clicks later (basically after Naysayer's portfolio) we started our trek. The trek seemed quite okay initially. Rocks paved the roads. Huge ones and small ones. We bought a bottle of water after a few meters later and headed towards the destination. With every halt, you'll have to pay 10bucks extra for water/snacks/ etc. We started trekking and soon reached a checkpoint where you'd have to submit your identity cards and make entries. We did not have to do so because we were with a travel group. We had to wait there for almost 30-40mins since everyone had not arrived. Soon we passed the checkpoint and headed with awed admiration for nature.

Now the trek kept getting tougher and tougher because it was too long. We were a little impatient to reach the destination and then stay there for a while. We tried to take minimal breaks. We ate Snickers (thanks to Mysterio) when energy went down, took small sips of water to keep our body hydrated and clicked Naysayer's portfolio because he just wouldn't stop -_- . On our journey we saw beautiful clouds dancing and singing to us, meadows wrapping us and waterfalls quenching our thirst in every possible way.

It took us 5hrs approximately to reach Triund. When we reached, it started raining heavily and we immediately found shelter inside tea/Maggie stalls. The rain stopped after a few minutes and the Sun spread it's shiniest rays through the clouds. Superwoman went in to get some tea. Mysterio and I swerved and headed towards the wide open meadows. We both were quiet. We both were overwhelmed I guess. He found a stone, I adjusted myself too on the medium sized rock. When we looked up, I know we both had tears in our eyes (it could be rain too, but I think it was tears of joy). A beautiful rainbow in front of us, between the huge mountains. A full arch. All 7 colors (we did a count check). I did not look at Mysterio but I knew he felt as content as I did. It wasn't just the scenic beauty around us. It was the feeling of accomplishment. I did not mind sharing this moment with him. I told him that I feel selfish right now and I don't want to click pictures, and he seconded my thoughts.

We wanted Superwoman and Naysayer to see what we were seeing. But we couldn't get up from there. I was hoping Superwoman will find us and she did. We asked her to sit with us and not go back. But someone had to call Naysayer. I volunteered. We brought Maggie and tea with us. That spot where we were sitting, we felt like we owned it. 4 friends and wonderment all around us.

We didn't get up from there the whole time. It kept getting chilly, and we kept getting closer to each other. Soon it was time for us to go back. With a heavy heart cute coordinators kept coming and telling us that it's time to leave, else things might get out of hand. We dusted ourselves up, collected our belongings and bid our goodbyes to this place (hoping to come back soon). Mysterio and I do have the potential to be badass travel partners I guess. We again took a detour and checked out the edge of the cliff. Mountains kissed the skies and shone with utmost pride - standing tall and strong. We envied those who were staying, and chilling out. We couldn't decide whether we should also stay or leave. NOC's were being recorded for those who wanted to stay, so we decided - let's come back another time and then stay.

We clicked one group photo and started trekking down to the base camp. Getting down took less energy but we had to be careful because not all rocks were secure in the ground. We kept moving forward and did not stop. We were waiting for the waterfall again and after a few impatient moments we discovered the waterfall. We had some peanuts and Sprite (actually Vodka + Sprite). It started raining so we paused our leisure time and started trekking down again. Little did we know it would pour cats and dogs. The rain never stopped. The gods we crying out of joy or pain or anger we didn't know. But, we were drenched in rain. We only had one raincoat. Superwoman needed that. We had two umbrellas, my charming men took it (they needed it). I had no retreat. A lone wolf always makes the sacrifices I guess. I do not regret anything but the fact that I forgot to take care of my baby (my DSLR). My mind did not work that spontaneously that Superwoman and I should have exchanged our backpacks. We did not have torches and mobile phones had battery that wouldn't have lasted for too long.

Soon we reached a place in McLeod Ganj where our camps were set up. We had to walk a little more. I had to limp now because I had shoe bites. Mysterio and I shared an umbrella (no point of doing that now I guess :P ). We reached finally. Stood in front of the gates of a hall. On our left side were many tents. It was still pouring. We removed our shoes and entered inside.

Ironically my friends and I were the only ones who were soaked in rainwater. Funny story - Mysterio 'knew' his backpack is waterproof. When we unloaded all our stuff, turns out his backpack wasn't waterproof. Thus all our clothes, nightwear, portables, extra mobile phones, toilet roll etc. was soaked too. No clothes to change, nothing to dry ourselves, we picked up a corner, removed our jackets and checked our belongings. My DSLR was damp, it was later I realized that water was not pouring in from the top, but seeping in from the sides. Portables etc. were okay, however, my two lenses and the camera were gone. I tried not to cry in front of my friends. I tried to keep it all inside. This trip was getting way too costly for me. Nevertheless, I saw the faces of Mysterio, Naysayer and Superwoman and decided not to kill their mood and rather put a pin on it.

We had loads of tea, rajma, paneer, rice and roti. All cooked by the helpers there. Food felt nice. Brought in some energy. Superwoman and Naysayer weren't that soaked, and they were slowly and steadily getting dry and warmer. Mysterio and I however weren't in a good position. I tried to get hold of a blower or a dryer, but failed miserably. We discussed and realized its a matter of 7hrs now, we will leave for Deodar first thing in the morning. We wrapped an open sleeping bag around us and drank more tea. Superwoman and Naysayer were fast asleep. I asked Mysterio to help me out find the washroom. We gathered the courage to face the cold outside and stole two pairs of slippers, and headed for the washroom. The cold breeze struck my face hard. I was shivering for the past 2hrs and the breeze wasn't helping either. By the time I reached the washroom my body was getting used to the chill. I did what I had to do (pee for almost 10 mins). I found Mysterio standing besides a railing and staring the dark mountains. I joined him. We stayed there for a while, despite the chilling breeze. Sometime later we went back, and when we reached the warm hall again, we found a few coordinators, and the helpers with glasses of whiskey (Imperial Blue and water) sitting in a circle with guitars, ukulele and bongo drums.

The jamming session had already begun. The lanterns in the hall had set a perfect ambiance. The music was making people sway with amusement. Requests on demand were being played, with one condition - sing along!

We forgot about our miseries or pain. Did not feel any distress now. The other two woke up to the beautiful songs everyone was singing. We joined their harmony. It was a fun night now. We were smiling. The guitarist was pleasing to our eyes (for me and Superwoman of course). The place where we all sat was warm now. Cuddled up all well, time passed by. It was already 1am. Many had retreated themselves to the tents while many others decided to sleep in the cozy hall.

We reached Deodar at around 3:30pm. We had to wait until our rooms were prepared. In the mean time Mysterio cried like a baby because he was stung by a bee. None of us acknowledged the super hilarious moment at that instance, however we did some serious leg pulling of Mysterio later that night.

We checked in and everybody took a nap. I took a stroll in market and bought a few bandages and creams for my wounds. I decided to get Momos packed for everyone. When I came back, I decided to sunbathe a little and sat on the terrace. Endless skies and mountains everywhere.

After a peaceful nap everyone decided to get dressed and hit the streets.

However, all plans were procrastinated because: 1. Naysayer ordered tea. Funny part, he didn't order tea and rather asked for three cups and a kettle. So they gave us three cups and a kettle :D . 2. Naysayer decided to comb my hair. Funny part, he also decided to make curls for me and ended up getting the comb stuck in my hair. Lesson learnt: Never allow a guy to play with your hair :D !

After the drama and salon adventure, we decided to leave. It was going to be 10pm, shops were closed and roads were empty. I doubted for a second that we might not get dinner today and will have to order room service. My thoughts however, were frustrated when we came across Khana Nirvana.

A cafe that claims to have live music (you can hear it when you stroll on the streets). We climbed up the stairs and it was beautiful.

Twinkling lights everywhere. People enjoying good food and drinks. We met the owner and he told us we'd have to wait. Soon tables were ready. The portico was lit. The ambiance was serene. A beautiful lady with a mesmerizing voice was on the mike with her Ukulele. The music she played was splendid. Even the cold stone-hearted people would have fallen in love in that moment. Her performance was interactive with the audience, she played amazing jazz music. In fact she played the famous 'Washing Powder Nirma' jingle and even that was bewitching.

It took us time to decide what we should order (they had an impressive menu). The dinner was ravishing and foodgasmic. We had some wine and LIT (super tasty) and I do not know whether it was the ambince, the food, the drinks or the amazing company I had besides me that gave me a buzz. I was in a transfix.

Great time with great people. We enjoyed a lot. Even after we were done with dinner, we sat besides the portico and stared the sky full of stars. No matter how many times we rotated our heads, we just couldn't get enough of this place.

It was past 12am and India was celebrating its Independence day. We did not want to leave, but they were shutting the lights off so we moved our butts out of courtesy.

We went downstairs to clear the bill, and figured out that they have a book cafe here. Superwoman and I were immediately enchanted by the aura the room had. We decided to sit for a while. Superwoman was on fire (a little LIT hit her I guess). It seemed she felt free. She felt she could be stupid and careless today. I don't know whether my interpretation was correct but she felt lighter. In fact this Independence Day we all felt free. The four of us were enjoying every moment with glee.

We sat on the terrace and drank some more. This time it was only whiskey. Naysayer being the bartender made drinks for Mysterio and me.

It started getting chilly so we returned to the hotel room. We hadn't booked buses for the next day so started discussing that. Once decisions were made, we drank some more.

We sat in the balcony, and enjoyed the last night in McLeod Ganj. We pulled each other's legs and cracked endless jokes.

I danced a little in the balcony when no one was watching. Played a song on loop and did my own kinda waltz. I danced with the moon. We have a special bond and we cherished it that night.

It was time to go to bed. Around 3:30am sleep fairies helped us go to sleep.

Morning was a little chaotic. Packing and bookings had to be done. Superwoman and Naysayer got ready early and left to book cabs and buses for today.

Mysterio and I started packing. We also watched some GOT and once everything was done the four of us rested until 11:30am.

Around 12:30 we checked out of the hotel, paid our dues and headed to grab a bite.

We ate at Vave 22. The food was okay. The bread pizza was yum though! We kept our luggage at the travel agency and started shopping. Superwoman and I were now possessed.

I was able to enter the temple without any hindrances as presumed (was wearing shorts). The temple was very decorative. It felt nice not to be discriminated in a holy place because of one's attire. We had a few picture sessions and then we left for Kangra fort.

The ride to the fort was interesting. The cab driver wanted to make sure we reach before 5pm (entries close then). He drove really fast and the turns he took were very sharp. Naysayer was sitting in the front (he was safe) but the three of us swayed in every direction. Superwoman felt a little nauseated. I did too. Soon I started enjoying the ride. I do not know what went wrong but I was freaking hilarious the whole ride.

We managed to reach the Fort at 4:45pm. When we got down of the car, it took us time to walk straight. It was quite humid and sunny. We entered the fort. Had the weather been a little better we might have stayed there longer. Ants started biting me. The fort wasn't crowded so we could click good pictures without people photo bombing.

We spent some time there and headed for Dharamshala tea gardens.

Around 7pm we reached the tea gardens of Dharamshala. The roads were smooth and the sun had set in. Acres of tea gardens surrounded us. The driver stopped the car at a point and we walked in the bushes. Our tiredness overpowered the zeal to explore any further. We stay put where we were and observed a fun Punjabi gang dance on the road in sync.

Our bus was arriving at Kangra point at 9:00pm. We left Dharamshala in the hope to explore it sometime later.

We waited for the bus and refreshed ourselves in some restaurant's washroom. Soon the bus arrived and we loaded our luggage.

It was time for closure. Naysayer got really sick and had fever. We made him pop some pills. Superwoman and Mysterio were engrossed in conversations and I had solitude for myself.

One stop later morning happened.

We all woke up with a heavy heart since Delhi was around the corner and so was our dull and boring lives.

"The impulse to travel is one of the hopeful symptoms of life."

McLeod Ganj and Triund can be visited umpteenth times. Every time you'll visit it, you'll encounter something unusual, fun and memorable.

With loads of memories in my Happy Jar, it's time for me to sign off.

Happy Travelling Peeps!

All pictures are clicked by me and in no manner should be used anywhere else.

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