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Tues. 15th March...Arrived in Amritsar around 0800hrs. and were fortunate enough to be allowed an early check in at the CJ International Hotel in the heart of town...The hotel is wonderful value for money with a great & almost uninterrupted view of the city landmark "The Golden Temple" from the terrace....No breakfast this morning, so the first thing on our minds was a good punjabi brunch after we had freshened up...We found Vishra's restaurant thru the markets & just around the corner from the hotel...Great punjabi food & excellent value for money...Not being tempted to wait till the next day we walked across to the Temple only to be surprised by the sheer size & beauty of the place...The sounds & songs being echoed throughout the complex are quite overwhelming...Songhi & I relaxed in the shadows of one of the many hallways listening to the "Geeths" being sung along with the prayer recitals and could have done so for a few hours if time had permitted....We're looking forward to spending a little more time at the temple tomorrow...It's certainly an experience not to be missed..!!.. .Amritsar was founded in 1577 by Guru Ram Das, the fourth guru of the Sikhs. It's the spiritual capital of the Sikh community and gained its name, meaning "Holy Pool of Nectar", from the body of water that surrounds the Golden Temple.The exquisite Temple is what makes this Punjabi city special. It attracts sikh pilgrims from all over the world who come there to pay their respects and do voluntary service.The main temple looks particularly amazing at night when it's beautifully lit up, with its imposing pure gold dome illuminated.It's well worth two visits -- during the day and night. Heads must be covered and shoes removed at all times when you enter the temple premises.
Wednesday 16th March...After a hearty breakfast of Aloo & Gobi Parathas with Raitha & Pickle, Songhi & I got a rickshaw to Chowk Bazaar & the Booklovers shop...Tutsie, our cousin in Gurgaon had recommended a good read for Song called "Same Soul,Many Bodies" by Dr.Brian Weiss...Fortunately, our mission was a success and Song was happy..!!..We headed back to the Golden Temple as this was where we had decided to spend most of our day today...We found a comfortable shady spot where Songhi could settle down to her new book and I was able to grab a few candid shots of everyday life and rituals around the temple....Amazingly, with the amount of people that visit everyday (approx.100,000 per day) it's very interesting to watch & observe how well & organised the daily routines are...Twice daily all the carpets around the temple are rolled up and the marble floors are washed......Guru-Ka-Langar is a free community dining room (though donations are appreciated) It's a significant feature with all Sikh temples as a mark of unity among people of all religions, and nationalities. The huge kitchens are manned by volunteers each day who prepare dhal, rice and chapatis (one kitchen even has a chapati making machine) for up to 40,000 pilgrims a day. All are welcome to be seated on the floor & join the masses for a meal at any time of the day or night... The sound of prayers that are actually telecast live throughout the world are heard all thru the day..People are even allowed to take a dip in the pool surrounding the temple though only in restricted areas...We paid a visit to the Sikh museum on the premises which gave us a more indepth knowledge & history of the Sikh religeon and beginnings...
I sparked up a conversation with one of the many uniformed guards who was so taken & surprised at my knowledge of hindi that the next thing Song & I knew was him giving us special permission to go to a higher viewpoint above the main temple so I could grab a few quick shots from a different angle...In his words they had to be "Futta Futt" (Quick) so he did not get into trouble with his seniors....After a bite to eat for dinner we returned to view this amazing temple when lit up at night before having an earliesh night seeing as we were to be up at 0530hrs. the next morning for our journey to Dharamsala......
Thurs. 17th. March....As we were leaving before breakfast we settled for boring old toast & jam with tea & grabbed an auto to the station for 0710hrs. Tata Jat Express to Pathankot....Another tip & lesson learnt..after being quoted Rs.100 to the station we were both stunned when he mentioned it was Rs.100 each when we got to the other end..This is where my hindi comes in handy so I let burst & after a few heated words he was happy to accept the 100Rs....Experiences like this do tend to put a sour taste in your mouth & lose faith in people sometimes,especially with a feeling of being ripped off and we certainly feel more for the unassuming westerner who would probably have no clue....It was not looking like a good day for us as our next hiccup was being told that our train to Pathankot was running three hours late which would cause us missing our connecting train to Kangra.. though, at the cost of Rs.130 we could travel 2nd. Class at 0915hrs and still hopefully make it to our homestay in reasonable time...Using our savings of Rs.100 from the auto episode we decided to take the plunge...Fortunately, it turned out an enjoyable though slightly overcrowded journey as long as we were seated & stayed put for the two & a half hour journey and thanks to a wonderful young indian couple with a two year old daughter who were travelling most of the way with us...We departed Pathankot for Kangra at 1300hrs. on the narrow guage toy train for our five hour journey to the hill station of Kangra..Originally built by the british in the colonial days the track winds it's way up to an incredible 14,000 ft. through some dramatic scenery & valleys in the Dhauladhar mountains of Himachal Pradesh..Adventurous and quite unique is how I would describe the journey and probably a train buff's delight...We arrived in Kangra at approx. 1800hrs. where our prearranged taxi driver was waiting for our one and a half hour drive to our homestay near Dharamsala....It seemed a never ending drive or were we just tired & over our travelling for the day, especially after being stopped halfway and our driver being fined Rs.100 for not wearing his seat belt..!!!!..Feeling a little worse for wear we had a much looked forward to dinner and bed....
Friday 18th. March...Ahh.!!..Home at last..!!!..That's exactly how I felt when we woke in the morning...Our homestay "Jagatram Niwas" in the village of Bhagsunag is perfectly situated high on the mountainside overlooking the township of McLeodganj...the village is named after a mythical King Bhagsu & Nag the snake god he did battle with..It's also popular for a temple which is administered by the Gurkha Regiment in the Indian Army....It's a steep 20 min. walk down to the village, with a further 20min. walk to the Mcleodganj, the home of the exiled Dalai Lama & Tibetan Government since relocation in 1968 from his original settlement in Dharamsala....Named after David Mcleod, the Lt. Governor of Punjab during the British Empire, the town is a haven for tourists and pilgrims from all parts of the world...We visited the Tibetan Namgyal Stupa (temple) on Temple Road where throughout the day buddhist monks & pilgrims spin the prayer wheels that surround the complex and recite their mantras..The Dalai Lama's palace "Thekchen Choling" is near Temple Road...Built of a simple & plain design it reflects the Dalai Lama's wish not to build in lavish tibetan style but rather to respect the refugee community's limited means...We have been told that his Holiness is actually in town for two days (19th & 20th) during his present heavy schedules, so Song & I are going to try & take advantage of the opportunity to catch a glimpse....It was wonderful to end up meeting Ashwini from MoonPeak Pictures, thanks to Angus McDonald, who requested we drop in & say hello..!!..Hope to stay in touch...Song's happy too, as she managed to fulfill her wish to speak to Dr.Satindar Kumar, an Ayurvedic specialist who has offered to teach her the main areas of the industry on a one to one basis...Happy with a successful day we treated ourselves to a "Singing Bowl"..In case you are wondering, it's used to purify & cleanse bad energy wherever it may be..!!..Our 40min. downhill walk turned out to be a steep uphill hour walk, though we think by the end of our five days here we should be almost jogging back up..haha.!!!!..
Saturday 19th. March.."Happy Holi" to all..!!..It's the celebration of spring all over India..Seeing as it was a public holiday Song & I did not have much planned for the day, so for a change of scenery we decided to walk a different track down into Mcleodganj and have lunch at the Moon Peak cafe while taking advantage of the free WiFi to catch up on emails....Around 1800hrs. after a bit of window shopping & me finding a much sought after "Kullu" cap, we had built up enough of an appetite to treat ourselves to Ashwini's recommendation of the Himachal Thali meal at his Moon Peak Thali restaurant near the Thekchen Choling temple....For anyone travelling thru this part of the world and looking for different taste in indian cuisine from the norm I would certainly back up Ashwini's suggestion, and no, I am not biased...!!!!..Whatever calories we had gained were soon gone by the time we got back up the hill to our homestay at "Jagatram Niwas" and fortunately just in time before we witnessed one of the biggest thunderstorms I have seen in a while....Being on the side of a mountain offered us the view of a spectacular lighting show though I just could not pluck up the courage to sit out on the verandah with my camera....So yes, Henry has no award winning shots of lightening bolts over the Kangra valley..Sorry..!!!!!!
Sunday 20th. March..."Happy Birthday with lots of Love Mum"...We're thinking of You..!!.XX..!!...Today Songhi & I planned a day excursion in the Kangra Valley...We booked ourselves a tourist taxi for the day @ Rs.2000. ($44.00) with our first stop at the Masrur Rock-cut temple... Maintained now by the Archaeological Survey of India this temple complex was said to be created in the 7th century and comprises of actually fifteen elaborately carved temples & one of only four in India...Unfortunately, what remains standing now are the remnants of a devastating earthquake in 1905 that caused major damage...Our next stop was the Hindu Jwalamukhi Flame temple in which there are nine natural gas flames burning constantly within it's walls...Leading up to the complex is a narrow road lined with shops selling everything from souvenirs, religeous flags and food offerings (Prasad) to the many pilgrims who visit the temple every year...As you can imagine, being the festival of Holi and a Sunday we obviously picked the wrong day for a visit...After a lunch of "Aloo & Moolee" parathas we headed on to the Kangra Fort,standing on a steep rock in Purana (old) Kangra ....Thought to be dated back to 1009AD and built by the Katoch Dynasty it is the largest fort in the Himalaya mountains....We were back at our homestay by around 1730hrs. Our ideas of a shower and preparing for dinner were very quickly diverted when Bhavinder & family invited us to celebrate Holi with them...After comforting our slight concern of the colours staining our clothes we gave in & joined in the fun and frivolity of the festivities...Looking & feeling as though we had been dipped in a variety of paint pots, a shower each was definitely on the cards now or maybe a spin in the washing machine with our clothes might even do the trick..!!.."The pics should tell a better story" Monday 21st.March..."Another Day in Paradise"...We had been invited to Ashok & Sunita's for breakfast this morning at 0830hrs...Sunita is our homestay owner Bhavinder's eldest sister & Ashok happens coincidentally to be the Dalai Lama's personal driver.."Life is full of surprises"..!!..and to top that we find Ashok is a good friend of Angus McDonald.."What a small World..!!!"..Shame we could not catch up while you were here too Angus though I'm sure we will when we are back in Australia...After a great breakfast of Tea & Parathas and another invite back for dinner in the evening we walked around to the little township of Naddi thru a quiet & remote forested track recommended by Ashok...We stopped halfway at a small tibetan temple & got into a deep & meaningful conversation with a young Tibetan refugee who to our amazement spoke perfect english & was graduating from the Tibetan College in two days....After an exchange of email addresses & promises to stay in touch via Facebook we headed on to Naddi from where you can witness probably the best view of the Dhauladar range of mountains..Being a perfect spring day too was certainly an added bonus.."True picture postcard material"...We walked down to the next village near picturesque Dal Lake which gives you a wonderful panorama view of Mcleodganj and decided to take the challenge to walk back up and return the way we had come...It was not until returning to Jagatram Niwas at 1630hrs. that we realized we had been walking since 0930hrs....While Song decided on an hour's meditation I took the opportunity to catch up on some entries in the diary for the blog....There is still a slight chill in the air after sunset so by 1930hrs. we put warm jackets on & grabbed a torch each before taking the thirty minute walk to Ashok & Sunita's house for dinner...It was a brisk walk back at night, not only to walk off the scrumptous goat curry, dhal & rice but a walk of nerves after the stories we have heard of leopards & the odd tiger being spotted in the area... Well, it's our last night in Bhagsunag and it has not only been a memorable stay with Bhavinder and his family, who have been the perfect hosts but also amazing value for money for accommodation that Songhi & I would compare to most 3 or 4* hotels at probably less than half the price...Our total expense for five nights including breakfast, three home cooked dinners, a day's excursion, taxi pick up from Kangra train station as well as drop off to Palampur on our last day @ just over $200.00 (Rs.9035.00)...They do offer day or overnight treks deeper into the mountains at quite reasonable rates too we noticed,though there is no pressure, as you can do as little or as much as you'd like..!!!..Added to this, with a home at the bottom of the snowcapped Dhauladar range and a spectacular view over the Kangra Valley it's on a par if not better than any holiday you would pay an arm & leg for in most parts of the world..!!..With daily flights to Kangra from Delhi, it's easily accessible now, unless like us you prefer to be a touch more adventurous & travel up by train or bus... Getting around in India is much easier now, as there are any number of websites to choose from to book your travel & accommadation...
Tuesday 22nd & Wednesday 23rd. March...Arriving in the Darang Tea Estate on the outskirts of Palampur must have touched a spiritual side of me that I was not aware I ever had, or was it just my emotions getting the better of me knowing that I had just returned to the place where I was born over fifty years ago....It was definitely an odd feeling yet extremely calming & serene..!!..Naveen & Neeru Bhandari are the wonderful couple who are the proud owners of this 70 acre property that has been in the family for over 150 years and uniquely the first to have been planted by an Indian.....Almost everything you consume is homegrown & homecooked, with naturally as much tea as you'd like to drink.The very Victorian style house and quaint cottages & gardens are surrounded by pine forest hills that are overlooked by the snowcapped Dhauladar mountains of the Himalayas. As it is so similar to our own taste & style there is no doubt in our feeling of this being a home from home... Having been aquainted with this area for such a long period Naveen & Neeru's knowledge has been of great help and they have been only too willing to assist in finding neccessary information and contacts with reference to my early childhood days in Palampur...A busy day is planned for us on Thursday 24th. as apart from some local sightseeing, I am looking forward to meeting a couple of local stalwarts from the area who might shed a little more light on dad's early years as a young Indian Army officer in the Kumaon Regiment (2nd. Battalion) including mum & dad's early years of married life here..."Sentimental, who me"..??
Thurs. 24th March..."An eventful and positively successful day today"... With a taxi booked for the day at Rs.2000.00, Songhi & I set off after breakfast for the first of our list of "To Do's"..the Sherabling temple sits at the top of a steep and long winding drive about six kilometres past the village of Baijnath....Uniquely, it is a buddhist & hindu temple built mainly to represent a bond & understanding between the two religeons, though resembling more like a monastry that you would see in the mountains of Tibet or China... We headed back into Baijnath village and visited the Shiv Mandir (Temple)..Built way back in 804 AD and carved in stone it is dedicated to Lord Shiva...During the Shivratri fair every year thousands of pilgrims & followers descend on Baijnath to celebrate & enjoy the colourful festivities...While in Baijnath we took the opportunity and purchased our bus tickets for Sunday the 27th. to our next destination Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. At Rs.450 each, we look forward to an interesting six hour journey that begins at 1745hrs. on Sunday evening....After paying visits to a couple of new found friends in Palampur we drove to the Mission Hospital where I was born...Unfortunately, it is now St. Pauls School (an English Medium School) though the hospital is still being used as part of the school block...Though I obviously do not remember much about my younger days in Palampur, it was still an interesting and exciting experience to be here after all these years...Situated at 1219 metres above sea level Palampur is surrounded by tea estates and forests of pine, fir & deodar...It's a haven for trekkers and walkers with plenty of interesting trails leading into the higher mountains of the Himalayas..Many of these trails are still being used by Gaddis who are the nomadic shepherds from this part of the world..Thanks to our good friends Naveen & Neeru Bhandari at Dharang Tea Estate we paid a visit to The Ayurvedic Hospital in Palampur where Songhi was introduced to Dr. Joshi the top surgeon who to our amazement has offered her a position at the hospital with an added opportunity to further her studies within the industry..."Much to think about and consider on a serious though very happy note"..!!!!!!!
Fri. 25th & Sat. 26th. March...After our busy day on Thursday we mainly took it easy on Friday with a couple of leisurely walks around the Dharang Tea Gardens with the two labradors Simba & Layla..I put what gardening skills I have into practice by helping to prune the variety of roses in Naveen & Neeru's Homestay garden before settling down to once again catch up on this blog after lunch while Songhi had an afternoon nap....On Saturday we joined Naveen & Neeru on a drive into McLeodganj, as they both had some business to attend to it gave Song & I the opportunity to see some more of the sights in the vicinity...The Tibetan Art & Culture display at the Norbulingka Institute is particularly interesting, though no thanks to a few international celebrities and outside financial aid it seems that most products are priced far too high for the average backpacker or traveller.It's still prabably amongst one of the most important places for preserving the Tibetan culture and heritage....We settled for lunch at the popular Tibetan Kitchen in Mcleodganj to most importantly quench our curiosity for a plate of "Momo's" (Tibetan Steamed Dumplings) and Chicken noodles....After lunch we walked down for a coffee to Moon Peak Espresso Bar & catch up with Ashwini...Naveen & Neeru also took the opportunity to leave him some of their first crop of home grown asparagus to try and perhaps use as part of his menu of continental snacks for his variety of European visitors to the area..."Good Luck"..!!..Before heading back to Palampur we had the privelidge of having tea at the Dharamsala Tea Estate...Sitting on the front lawn of the 200 year old family home is an experience on it's own, with a wonderful panoramic view of the snowcapped Dhauladar mountains....It gives you the sense & feelings of days gone by from the British Raj...
Sunday 27th. & Mon. 28th. March...Sadly our last day in Palampur, so seeing as we were to catch our bus to Chandigarh at 1800hrs. we decided on a relaxing day, before our six hour bus journey down to the Punjab plains..With a packed evening dinner by Neeru Bhandari of "Aloo Parathas" we boarded the Volvo AC bus just after 1800hrs...With Song not coping too well at times with bus journeys, she prepared herself with a travel pill which obviously relaxed her for the journey...We arrived at Chandigarh Bus Terminus in Sector 17 at 0130hrs. in the middle of the night and decided to check ourselves into a hotel on advice from the local constabulary. Unfortunately for us we had arrived three days prior to the World Cup Cricket Semi. Final between none other than India & Pakistan so finding a decent place at a decent price and at this time of the night was not going to be easy.. After a heated discussion & refusal to stay at the first place mainly due to cleanliness & the usual plumbing hiccups (brought memories of all the news during the Comm. Games in Delhi). We eventually checked into mediocre hotel around 0230hrs. and crashed for the night, waking at 0800hrs...We checked out and caught an autorickshaw to Brigadier Bhupinder Singh's house in Sector 68...Punjab's capital city Chandigarh is an incredibly unique city..a well planned, clean and modern city it's refreshingly different to any other city in India, who I strongly think should take lessons from the town planners here...The city is named after Shri Chandika the goddess of power & became the state capital after India's independence from british rule...Brigadier Bhupinder Singh & his wife are a wonderful couple we made friends with when Songhi & I were in India back in 2008..Retired from the Indian Army now, Bhupinder was then the Commandant at the Kumaon Regimental Centre in Ranikhet where we had stayed for ten days as guests...Coincidentally, he served with 2nd Kumaon Regiment,the same battalion Dad started his career in the Indian Army with. Namrata their daughter whom we had met in Ranikhet is at present studying in Leeds in England and their son Navtej who has trained as a pilot in the US is now back home & waiting for an opportunity to start his career in the aviation industry.."Good Luck, Navtej"..!!..Swaran (Mrs. Singh) and Song seemed to have clicked as friends from the time they first met with all the same interests & thoughts....On Monday we relaxed & caught up with past times while watching New Zealand lose an exciting quarter final game to Sri Lanka, who now meet the winner of probably the most publisized match of this series between India & Pakistan on Wednesday the 30th.....
Tues. 29th March..With the weather starting to warm in Chandigarh the best times of the day are early mornings & late afternoon before sunset...At 0615 hrs. & before breakfast we joined Bhupinder & Navtej for their daily 6km. brisk walk in the Mowali city park which is close to the cricket stadium which was starting to buzz with excitement for the biggest decisive game in this year's World Cup since India put the current holders Australia out of the series last week...."Let's hope India can do it this year"..!!!..In the afternoon we took a drive to the popular Rock Garden near Sukhana Lake...Not particularly a garden of plants and flowers it is very uniquely & creatively full of figures and objects made from household & industrial waste....Anything from colourful broken china, bangles,glass,plastic, bike & motor parts have been used to create works of art such as birds,dancing dolls,animals and armies of warriors etc...The creator was a local labourer by the name of Shri Nek Chand and his work is still being extended & added to today..Sukhana Lake close to the garden was created by the planner of the city of Chandigarh...The three & a half km. reservoir of water is a haven for the local city folk and popular with a variety of water sports & recreational activities...
Wed. 30th..."India vs Pakistan"..World Cup Semi Final...Today was the day India came to a near standstill...and how fortunate are Songhi & I to be staying only a couple of kms. away from where all the action took place at the Mowali Stadium..The city is a buzz with high profile personalities, Bollywood stars, including the prime ministers of both countries with their entourage, so as you can imagine security is at it's maximum...Unfortunately, Bhupinder had business in Delhi so he missed out on the telecast and with Navtej & home help (Sahayak) Janak Chand acquiring complimentary tickets to the big game, Songhi, Swaran and myself were left to watch the match the "Doosra" (other) way, on the big screen at home...It was great to share in the celebrations after India's win by 29 runs even though there were a few tense moments midway thru there batting..Fortunately, the total of 260 was enough to be out of reach for Pakistan to beat..We leave for Ranikhet tomorrow morning..Firstly catching the train to Delhi at 1120hrs. before the overnight Ranikhet Express that arrives into Kathgodam at around 0530hrs. on the 1st.of April.....It was wonderful to catch up with the Brigadier and his family again & to leave on a high note with witnessing India's memorable win to take them into the 2011 World Cup Final against Sri Lanka on Saturday.....
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