Summer 2022, Part I - MUSSOORIE

 This has been a journey longer than those I usually undertake. It’s been heavy bags, different modes of transport, varying temperatures and vistas, but what an experience it has been!

 

Mumbai à Mussoorie à Rishikesh à Jim Corbett à Nainital à Amritsar

Close to midnight, on May 02, my friends and I checked in our bags at the airport and stood chatting at Gate 24, waiting to board our flight to New Delhi. Although there was a slight delay, the flight was uneventful and by 2.15am, we alighted at IG International Airport, New Delhi.
We had hoped to take the Delhi metro to ND Railway Station, but we learned that the first metro sets out only at 4.50am.

Very few eateries were open at the airport save for KFC and a kiosk selling coffee. Having nowhere else to go for another hour or so, we had ourselves a quick meal and then lugged our bags towards the metro. The entry to the Metro terminal does not open for travellers until 4.30am. Bags have to be sent through security check. Now this was fairly smooth for us women, since not many of our sex were traipsing around at that wee hour of the morning. For our bags, however, it was a different story.

We had placed the bags carefully on the conveyor belt, ensuring safety of cameras & phones. By the time they went through the scanner and came out the other end, our bags & their precious contents had to be dug out from under a heap of other baggage that people had carelessly tossed onto the belt. I'm pretty sure it was a giant jackfruit that lay heavily over my poor Nikon.

Having saved the camera from the clutches of near death, we purchased our tickets (Rs.60/ per head) and boarded the Delhi metro to ND Railway Station where we spent close to an hour waiting for the DDN Shatabdi that arrived on schedule.

By now, we were already a little exhausted from lack of sleep & we could swear our backpacks kept getting heavier each time we kept them down & tried strapping them back on. The prospect of 6+ hours sitting in a train was, at that moment, not something we were looking forward to, but a journey aboard the DDN Shatabdi turned out to be quite pleasant & one of the better train journeys I have undertaken in India. For one, the seats are comfortable and provide ample leg room. Large windows provided pretty views of the passing towns & countryside. Service is very courteous and the complementary meals, simple, yet satisfying.

The Staff   is prompt to assist and quite alert to their duties. Some kid had carelessly spilled an entire bottle of water in the aisle. Within a few minutes a Staff member turned up and mopped it up before things got worse.

All this made the journey really enjoyable. We grabbed our forty winks and then sat chit-chatting, taking turns aiming stern looks at some noisy kids that seemed to have mysteriously multiplied in number a few seats ahead of us.

The journey from NDRS to DDN takes you through beautiful little towns, rustic looking hamlets and wide stretches of fields divided by neat rows of eucalyptus trees with their leprous hide. You also pass through stations with cute names like Tapri, Motichur and Doiwala. And, of course, there are the more familiar names like Ghaziabad, Meerut & Haridwar, the latter being where most of the passengers alighted.

To get from Dehradun to Mussoorie, one can choose between a bus or a private cab. Even though bus travel is cheaper (Rs.80 per seat), we chose the latter. A few meters outside the station, right across the bus-stand, is the booth for cab booking. You really can't miss it. It's surrounded on the outside by travellers trying to get a cab, and on the inside by the booking officials & cab drivers. Once you pay the fare (Rs.1410), a cabbie is assigned to you. The one assigned to us led us to a cab that was in quite a sorry state. Not wanting to sit in that rickety looking cab, we insisted on another and we're soon on our way to Mussoorie. 

What little we saw of Dehradun along the way made us glad we hadn’t decided to stay there. It’s pretty warm and also noisy and crowded. Once the cab moves out of city limits however, the approximately 1.50 min ride is quite a pleasant one along good roads, offering some great views. The cabbie dropped us off at Library Bus Stand, just below Gandhi Chowk. From here, we had to hire a cycle rickshaw to take us to Walnut Grove, along the ever popular Mall Rd.

Hotel Walnut Grove was a BIG disappointment. Management was quite apathetic and most terribly trained (or not trained at all, more likely). How they managed to get a permit to host guests is a mystery. The rooms were musty, reeked of cigarettes, had super soiled linen and mould growing on its walls.

Pointing out the flaws and asking for all the necessary cleaning and sanitizing to be done, we left our bags at the hotel and decided to walk along Mall Road, to see what we could see. Needless to say, when we returned, absolutely nothing was done. 

Having no other option, we began to look for another place and moved our bags across the street, into Hotel Rock Stone.  Not a 5 star establishment, but clean, comfortable and courteous. The Manager, a Mr. Rohit Jha, was most helpful and quick to provide us with a lovely room at an affordable rate & without pushing us to first complete formalities. He, and his Staff, were very helpful and quick to assist with local information, as well as a cab on the day we had to check-out. For their sensitivity & response to our situation, and their gracious hospitality, Hotel Rock Stone comes highly recommended by us. 

On the first evening, bring tired from our long journey, we did not much else other than eat some yummy egg chowmein and kulhad wali chai at one if the many local eateries that line Mall Road. Not sure if it was our hunger or the mountain air, but the chowmein was simply delicious and we just had to order seconds.

We also sat awhile at the Martyrs’ Monument that stands a little downhill, right beside the very popular cable car. This section of the street is lined with many carts selling corn-chaat, cotton-candy and other such treats. The Tourism Office is also a few steps away, but sadly, had not many options to offer. 

The more popular, touristy section of Mall Road is the one a few meters away from the hotel, leading away from the Post Office, towards Picture Palace. It's packed with many restaurants, cafes, and stores, and is quite a happening place, it appears. Later that evening, we walked down this section, enjoyed some yummy fried momos at a street stall, and visited Café by the Way for some delicious pizza and smoothies.  This café is truly a hidden gem and a must visit for anyone who enjoys cosy ambience and great eats. Embellished with paintings, rock band posters, cute bobble heads and origami cranes hanging bright against the walls, this is truly a hidden gem. 

The next morning, being an early riser, I decided to walk down towards the Library Bus Stand. Save for the chirping of a few birds, Mussoorie is quite silent in the early hours of the day. Cycle rickshaws stood idling at the side of the narrow street and the only company around were the many dogs that lay around, trying to catch the morning sun.

I found one little tea stall that served piping hot chai and bun-butter (Sweet bun filled with a generous layer of butter and lightly toasted on a pan). Great start to the day!

We also stopped by a little later for aaloo-paratha, freshly made by the owner and his young son, Sumeet, a handsome lad of 14 years, who seemed to be quite an expert at rolling out the parathas without spilling any of the filling. (He does go to school, but assists his dad on his days off.)

Having had our fill, we made our way down to the Library Bus Stand.
From local busses, to private cabs, there are quite a few options here for anyone wanting to book a day trip around Mussoorie. The most popular destination for tourists appears to be Kempty Falls. We didn’t go there as it was bound to be full of noisy tourists splashing about in the water. Instead, we haggled a bit & chose to customize our tour, deciding to visit the Happy Valley Buddhist Monastery, The Company Gardens and the George Everest House.

The Happy Valley Buddhist Monastery:

Situated approx’ 2.5km form Library Bus Stand, Happy Valley is a large Tibetan settlement, home to over 5000 Tibetan refugees, who are now an integral part of Mussoorie. The Shedup Choephelling Temple is situated on the highest point of the valley, atop a cliff. In addition to a quiet serenity, it offers some breath-taking views of the Benog Hills circuit.

The Company Gardens:

This is a small, but well maintained botanical garden that is a favourite with locals and tourists alike. It is not only home to many colourful flowers, but also boasts of some pretty fountains, a waterfall, a food court and an amusement park, for kids. The guards, standing at regular intervals around the gardens, are quite alert to miscreants littering or attempting to pluck flowers.

 

The George Everest House:

6 kms away from Gandhi Chowk, Mussoorie, is the George Everest House. Built in 1832, it offers, on a clear day, spectacular views of the snow-clad Himalayan peaks and the Doon Valley. This was formerly the residence of Sir George Everest, the Surveyor-General of India from 1830 -1843. Today, it lies under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India.

The 1.5km walk up to Everest House is an enjoyable one, especially since the path is well laid out and not many tourists were around at that hour. Ever so often, we stopped to catch our breath, enjoying the stillness and the beauty of the forest around us.

While tourists are not permitted to enter the house itself, one can enjoy the panoramic views or, if you choose, you can trek 500mtrs uphill to the George Everest Peak. It’s an easy route and one of the best locations to take in the sunrise or sunset.

On our way back down, we stopped a while at The Base Camp Café, for ice-cream & a much needed trip to the little ladies’ room.

Back at the Library Chowk, near Mall Road, lunch was at The Criterion Café that offered surprisingly delicious Italian meals. I think we ordered a chicken bruschetta, followed by a creamy homemade spinach and goat cheese ravioli with mushroom ragout. Finger lickin’ good!

The rest of the evening was spent shopping for shawls (Temperature had dropped and we’d begun to feel a bit chilly), and clicking pics’ at the Martyrs’ Monument. Some time was also spared for packing as it was our last night in Mussoorie.

To celebrate this we decided on dining at what appeared to be a very popular restaurant, judging by the line outside its entrance. Kalsang, also known as Kalsang Friends’ Corner, is an eatery that serves Chinese-Tibetan fare. Although not very spacious, it offers great views of the busy Mall Road. Since we’d decided to dine early, we got a table pretty quickly and placed our order. This took a little while as the servers seemed not to be all that attentive. The Honey Pork Chilly Dry, when it arrived, was a let-down, with the meat being quite tough and chewy. The noodles (recommended by the Staff), too, while great in quantity, were insipid and lacked flavour.

My final morning was spent enjoying the solitude of the early hours. Walking downhill, away from the Martyr’s Monument, I came across an elderly gentleman who, like me, seemed to enjoy the peace and quiet of a solitary morning walk. Taking a leaf from his page, I ordered chai and vegetable Maggi (an all-time favourite) from Sunida, who, while waiting for the tea to boil, was getting her little girls all ready for school. 

 

Sitting there, nursing my hot chai, I reflected on my Mussoorie experience. I found Mussoorie to be rather like a pretty old woman, proudly smiling through the wrinkles of time. Yes, Mussoorie is charming and has much to offer, but there seemed to be quite a few structures that could do with a spot of mending. Wild flowers bloom a-plenty. Street-side snacks (like mixed-fritters) are yummy. Streets are fairly clean, roads are in excellent condition and, as always, the people are wonderful!

Crispy, hot mixed pakodas (fritters)

A little later, after some more chai and bun-butter with our friend, Sumeet, we checked-out of Hotel Rock Stone and bid good bye to beautiful Mussoorie.

While I travel on, let me leave you, dear readers, with a few glimpses of Mussoorie as experienced on my solitary morning walks. 

 

 

Pics by Misha.