Manali Diary II

After walking through those roads, we finally reached Solang valley.

Click Here to read Introduction of the Tour

Click here to read Shimla's story
Click here to read Manali Diary - I

Solang Valley

We did escape few shops there trying to find new routes. Maybe we missed hotels too. But, once we were in Solang valley, we first rushed to this hotel. This was expensive. IRs 120 for a plate of Chowmin, and I felt like they had to combine 4 plates to make 1 full Chowmin in Nepalese manner. We were now semi hungry! Seeing the cable car going up, we wanted to go up. Had it been something of around IRs 200, we would have gone above, but it was IRs 500.

Solang Valley!

‘How much time does it take to reach up?’ we asked people nearby.

’15 Minutes!’ We were confused.

We asked other and he told ‘Half and hour’.

We were already tired!

Now, this raised courage in us, when we can reach above at 30 minutes, why to pay Rs 500. But after half an hour, we reached just somewhere slight up. There were no road ways above, and then we realized, they were not talking about Cable Car destination place. We had to reach top, we had enough time. So, we kept on walking. Walking across the footpath, walking across the horse path, walking across the buffaloes path, among grasses, among big grasses. And in next one and half hour, we were up. Up where the cable car would take us! We saved Rs 500! We were happy.

Panoramic view from the midway.

We had to pass time when on up.

But, again we were sad, because there was nothing so special there. Just few benches, and scenes. Since we had walked, we were aware of all those scenes, but those couples who came on cable car were sitting on those benches. We thought of escaping on cable car till down, but when Shiva asked, he told we were not allowed, we should have ticket with us. One way would cost IRs 300?

Fine, walking down would be easy than walking up!

Buffalo's Milk

So, on the way, there was tented house. Long tent, and Shiva, Susant, Kapil and Gaurav were already there. We were on our way, when Susant shouted, ‘Be careful, there is snake!’. Oh Snake? While we were walking on those grasses, there probably should be snakes too. Boy from the tent told us. His mom served us such a wonderful hot milk. Rusen is liable for me throughout hostel life for regularly providing me milk for that sip of milk I gave him here.
With the feeling, if we were only the one to walk up there, we asked,

‘How often do people walk till up?’ we asked,

‘Very few!’ They said.

My friends, eagerly waiting for milk.

Okay this was milk!

And as soon as we headed down, there was some rain. Oops!

Nepalese Story

So, we walked till we reached this hotel from its back. They were talking Nepali too. By staying more than one year in India, what I was aware of was, staying careful with Nepalese. Nepalese in India cheat Nepalese better than others. It would be unwise to get emotional. But they were different. They talked about our homes, reasons why we were there, our education. They stated, they had been in India for a long time. The man’s brothers, sisters everyone was in Nepal. He had built house in Deheradun.

It was tough capturing this photo, risking camera with rain!

‘Nepalese come here, and return back disappointingly. There is nothing new for Nepalese here!’ He said.

I felt same, but again, I imagined the place when there was snow. That would be so beautiful.

‘Will you return back to Nepal?’ We asked.

‘Nepal is expensive. If we take a quarter of liqor, and something for snacks, more than 500 would be spent! We now can’t afford living in Nepal, it is very expensive. We are habituated here’. He said.

His wife brought us tea, and that was greatest tea we had in the entire tour! There was rain outside, we were having greatest tea. Before leaving, when we asked the price of tea, he said,

‘For you it is Rs 10, if there would have been others, we would charge either 15 or 20’, we paid and left.

Soon nearby, we found bunch of Nepali speaking in a hotel. They were about to build tunnel, that would shorten distance of 80 kilometers by 10 kilometers. Hence, they were on their way to work, having food thereby. We do have potential manpower, but failing to attract them to bring back to Nepal. I felt.

Nepali speaking girl too got into the bus. We did not mind teasing her in our language, and she understood. Just smiled. Maybe no one had teased her in Nepalese before? Or maybe because she found Shiva and Susant cute?

Hidambadevi and Ghattakoch

‘Which way is Hidambadevi Temple?’

‘Go to right, and left, and right and left and bla bla’ someone told. We didn’t want entire direction. Only if he would have told next step, we would find someone to ask again. So we took next step. Shiva was too tired, and he worshiped Hidambadevi from room itself. All of us went walking there.

‘Which way is Hidambadevi?’ we asked someone again.

‘You want to go in auto? Or walk?’ he asked.

‘By walk’ we said. And he again gave long direction.

Okay, we kept on asking people and walking. It took around half an hour for us to find the board saying Hidambadevi Temple 200 m, and Ghattakoch 500 m. Hidambadevi reminded my of old days when I used to watch Mahabharat. Oh, I was lucky to see Ghattakoch too?

Hidambadevi!


You can't go here with your shoes! Devi's place?

Hidamba Devi was traditional temple, we few devotees around. Maybe because we were late. Someone told us on the way that it would close by 7, we reached there at 7.30 at yet it was open. On the way to Ghattakoch, we found open small space, where slippers were prohibited. I felt, maybe that was the one. And, on few steps see the point below what we found :

It’s Langar not Langoor!

Yes Langar! That was what we found! Seeing my previous story of Amritsar, where I had mentioned Langoor, sweet friend of mine told, that was Langar, not Langoor – like monkey. Oops! But that was what Mama told!

Okay, on few steps, we found people were lined up, and eating. We got excited! Gaurav and Me, we dared to enter first. So, once we were there, this guy asked, ‘Are you veg or non veg?’. Oh, so they have non veg too? Was this because it was temple of rakchas? I went towards veg, because I did not like the taste of mutton. Oops!

They served me with rajma, and some good rice. I did not mind asking additional rajma and rice. Good thing was, there was high class family member, with huge gold ornaments, holding car keys who were beside me, eating too.

So, while I completed, Rusen was still demanding some piece of mutton, and they gave him just gravy? Susant, Kapil and Gaurav were eating too. We laughed, and we returned back towards Mall Road. We were not sure if we visited Ghattakoch temple. Oh!

And while I was back, they were still with their mutton rice!

‘If you had told me, they were providing in free, I would catch auto and reach there!’ Poor Shiva! He had to spend Rs 120 for chicken thing. Ohhh!

Mall Road

Mall Road at Shimla was so perfect and huge. Manali had small Mall Road. It was wide enough, no vehicles in, but comparatively small. Maybe within 10 minutes we could walk over the Mall Road. We imagined how it would look when it was filled up with snow. We sat there itself, because there were plenty of place to sit. Evening there was good, there were families who were in shopping mood. Beautiful girls. Assuming that pani puri in these area would be great, we took. But it was not as good as we assumed. Any way, I do miss Pani Puri of Biratnagar! We walked around. We would still walk around, but again, we had to catch our vehicle scheduled for 3.30 in the morning! We had booked a jeep for Laddakh already! We probably stayed there till 10?