Kumaon -Part 1
The Road to Bhimtal
Monday, 12 June 2006
Going to hills for a holiday in summers still excites me as much as it did when we were children. It is no different when we start for our Kumaon trip. The mad and chaotic traffic of Delhi and Ghaziabad is forgotten on the expressway till Hapur. But like all good things it does not last for ever, the expressway gives way to a potholed road with many toll plazas but no expressways! Yet the car flies towards its mark leaving Moradabad, Rampur of chakku fame and Kashipur behind. Just outside Kashipur we stop at Amritsarian da Dhaba, which also serves Thandi Beer and delicious fare. The chicken is exceptional and the dhabawala tells me in very conspiratorial whisper that it is not ‘farmy murga’ but ‘desi chicken’ (eh koi farmi murga nahin, eh te desi chicken wa!). After tucking into a few rotis and his desi chicken we zip through Rudrapur, Pantnagar, Kathgodam, Haldwani and a few villages to reach Bhimtal. The roads in Uttaranchal are absolute beauties and they snake through endless forests of verdant green. It is paradise!
Kathgodam is a typical fan-head settlement which rests on the alluvial fan and seems suspended between the hills and the piedmont. The actual hill road starts from here and winds up to the mountains. It passes through some spectacular sal forests, so tempting as to make us stop and look at them.
“Oh, please stop and take pictures here” wife dear and children chorus. We stop and shoot some great pictures.
Last turn towards right and through the narrow gorge we hit Bhimtal. The boomerang shaped lake and the tiny village along its banks lies before us – a sight to behold! We are staying in ‘Neelesh Inn’ on the banks of the lake. The owner Mr. Vinod is a very tasteful man as his small hotel is very well kept and clean. The rooms are very aesthetically done up with beautiful watercolours adorning the walls. He has a huge aviary where he breeds the rare Himalayan pheasants and many types of parrots from across the globe including macaws and lorikeets. His garden is resplendent with fuchsias and orchids. The balcony of the room overlooks the Bhimtal Lake. It is a magical sight and I intend spending a lot of time here!
After tea we go to the main market which has a lovely Shiva temple where Aarti is being performed. Then we take a round of the ghats and came back to a hot bath and lovely food. A whole day’s driving fatigue is gone in a moment.
13 June 2006
I sit in the balcony and write the journal early morning. The view is breathtaking.
Children and Minna wake up at 8 or may be later. Yet by 10 we are all out and walking to the “City Centre”. On the way we see a very funny insect which is teeming on only one vine trunk in millions and looks like feathers/fungus being white in colour.
Another beautiful plant that is ubiquitous around this lake is the orchids which grow in great profusion on the native trees. We do not find any growing on silver oaks or poplars etc. They grow and flower with gay abandon.
The lake is crystal clear and teeming with mahaseer, the great fresh water fish of Himalayas which can grow to about 5 feet and 50 kgs. Large shoals of fish swim around as we boat in the lake.
Children swim in the shallows and lots of tourists are boating and taking pictures. A young boy points out all the places where the movie Jaadu was shot (an Indian version of ET). The area of the lake is shrinking because of silting, falling water level and dumping of rubble. Yet it is so serene and beautiful. We spend the whole afternoon walking along the lake, boating or just sitting looking at the waters change colour and soaking in the mountain cool after scorching heat of the plains.
Then we go back to town for dinner. The owner of Rituraj has promised us a local food fiesta and that is exactly what it is!
All of us first have the legendary moonlight boat ride then we troop in for dinner. Raj Kamal Panth, the owner of this restaurant, has got the food prepared at home and brought in casseroles. It is a simple fare consisting of a local lentil soup called ‘ras’, arbi- leaf wadis in gravy and arhar dal served with pickle, raw onions, green chillies, rice and chapattis. The flavours were so distinct that even children are of the opinion that it is not only different but also very tasty. Tomorrow we shall go to Almora.
Monday, 12 June 2006
Going to hills for a holiday in summers still excites me as much as it did when we were children. It is no different when we start for our Kumaon trip. The mad and chaotic traffic of Delhi and Ghaziabad is forgotten on the expressway till Hapur. But like all good things it does not last for ever, the expressway gives way to a potholed road with many toll plazas but no expressways! Yet the car flies towards its mark leaving Moradabad, Rampur of chakku fame and Kashipur behind. Just outside Kashipur we stop at Amritsarian da Dhaba, which also serves Thandi Beer and delicious fare. The chicken is exceptional and the dhabawala tells me in very conspiratorial whisper that it is not ‘farmy murga’ but ‘desi chicken’ (eh koi farmi murga nahin, eh te desi chicken wa!). After tucking into a few rotis and his desi chicken we zip through Rudrapur, Pantnagar, Kathgodam, Haldwani and a few villages to reach Bhimtal. The roads in Uttaranchal are absolute beauties and they snake through endless forests of verdant green. It is paradise!
Kathgodam is a typical fan-head settlement which rests on the alluvial fan and seems suspended between the hills and the piedmont. The actual hill road starts from here and winds up to the mountains. It passes through some spectacular sal forests, so tempting as to make us stop and look at them.
“Oh, please stop and take pictures here” wife dear and children chorus. We stop and shoot some great pictures.
Last turn towards right and through the narrow gorge we hit Bhimtal. The boomerang shaped lake and the tiny village along its banks lies before us – a sight to behold! We are staying in ‘Neelesh Inn’ on the banks of the lake. The owner Mr. Vinod is a very tasteful man as his small hotel is very well kept and clean. The rooms are very aesthetically done up with beautiful watercolours adorning the walls. He has a huge aviary where he breeds the rare Himalayan pheasants and many types of parrots from across the globe including macaws and lorikeets. His garden is resplendent with fuchsias and orchids. The balcony of the room overlooks the Bhimtal Lake. It is a magical sight and I intend spending a lot of time here!After tea we go to the main market which has a lovely Shiva temple where Aarti is being performed. Then we take a round of the ghats and came back to a hot bath and lovely food. A whole day’s driving fatigue is gone in a moment.
13 June 2006
I sit in the balcony and write the journal early morning. The view is breathtaking.
Children and Minna wake up at 8 or may be later. Yet by 10 we are all out and walking to the “City Centre”. On the way we see a very funny insect which is teeming on only one vine trunk in millions and looks like feathers/fungus being white in colour.Another beautiful plant that is ubiquitous around this lake is the orchids which grow in great profusion on the native trees. We do not find any growing on silver oaks or poplars etc. They grow and flower with gay abandon.
The lake is crystal clear and teeming with mahaseer, the great fresh water fish of Himalayas which can grow to about 5 feet and 50 kgs. Large shoals of fish swim around as we boat in the lake. Children swim in the shallows and lots of tourists are boating and taking pictures. A young boy points out all the places where the movie Jaadu was shot (an Indian version of ET). The area of the lake is shrinking because of silting, falling water level and dumping of rubble. Yet it is so serene and beautiful. We spend the whole afternoon walking along the lake, boating or just sitting looking at the waters change colour and soaking in the mountain cool after scorching heat of the plains. Then we go back to town for dinner. The owner of Rituraj has promised us a local food fiesta and that is exactly what it is! All of us first have the legendary moonlight boat ride then we troop in for dinner. Raj Kamal Panth, the owner of this restaurant, has got the food prepared at home and brought in casseroles. It is a simple fare consisting of a local lentil soup called ‘ras’, arbi- leaf wadis in gravy and arhar dal served with pickle, raw onions, green chillies, rice and chapattis. The flavours were so distinct that even children are of the opinion that it is not only different but also very tasty. Tomorrow we shall go to Almora.
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