Along the way, the dull vast flat expanse of farmland, punctuated with the occasional pockets of dilapidated farmhouses and haystacks just could not arouse my interest and fascination. I thought a nap would do justice to my very much deprived sleep.
After about 5 hours of rather uneventful journey, we reached our destination. One interesting thing to note about travelling by train in India is - not only is food served on board, but plenty of it. Throughout the journey, the railway staff were seen busy walking up and down the aisle distributing food to the passengers.
It was extremely hot too in Amritsar. We visited the Golden Temple (which is the most sacred temple for the Sikhs) in the afternoon before heading for Attari, at the India-Pakistan border, to witness the border closing (flag lowering) ceremony. This ceremony takes place every evening and it has been taking place since the countries’ Independence. This is the place and time where people from both countries really demonstrate their patriotism to their respective countries. The crowd (both sides), the cheers and the shouting were just incredible.The next day, off we went, heading for Dharamsala, about 220km north-east of Amritsar. Dharamsala is synonymous with the Dalai Lama of Tibet.
A little bit of digression: During the uprising of Tibet in 1959, the Dalai Lama was requested by China to flee the country in order to carry on the Tibetan struggle from ‘the outside’. On the night of 17 March 1959, he fled Lhasa (capital of Tibet) in disguise, arriving safely in India on 31 March of the same year. He was warmly received and granted asylum by the government of India. He has since then been staying in Dharamsala. Many Tibetans, following in his footsteps, escaped too and became refugees in different parts of the world, one of which is Dharamsala.
We left the hotel at about 9.05am. The weather was still very hot but with the air condition, it was not too bad. Unfortunately after some time, the heat was getting unbearable and we realised that the air condition had broken down! It was around noon and while Tek and the driver sent the car for repair, we had lunch at one of the restaurants off the highway near Pathankot.
After crossing the bridge at the state border, Punjab was behind us and we were then in the Himachal Pradesh state, the state where we would be spending most of our time for the next two weeks.
As we progressed, the scenery started to change. Slowly, the dull flat land gave way to the more interesting greens and mountain ranges, though the air still remained dry and the sky, hazy.
Gradually, we started to ascend. The air also started to get cooler, the sky, clearer; and soon the snow-capped mountain appeared in the distance. I learnt that that is Dhauladhar range, where Manali Pass, our ultimate destination, is located.
We wound down the window to enjoy the cool, crisp air. It was refreshing. And with the beautiful snow-capped mountain in the backdrop, I felt that my adventure had just started.
We arrived in Dharamsala at about 3.45pm. After checking in the hotel, Pema Thang Guesthouse, we took a short rest before venturing out into the town.
Basically Dharamsala is divided into Lower Dharamsala (or Dharamsala proper) and Upper Dharamsala or Mcleodganj, which is more commonly known. Our hotel is located in Mcleodganj.
While Lower Dharamsala is predominantly Indians, Mcleodganj – known as little Lhasa after capital of Tibet – is dominated by Tibetans. The official residence of the Dalai Lama and the headquarters of the Tibetan Government in Exile are located here. Tibetan’s curios, arts, food, characteristics, culture and tradition pervade this quaint little town. And according to some locals, Dharamsala is a favourite haunt among the hippies, even today.
After walking around for about 2-1/2 hours popping in and out of almost every shop, buying almost nothing, it was time to give our hungry stomachs a treat. We had dinner at Mcllo Restaurant, before returning to the hotel at about 8.15. It started to drizzle on our way back.
As night grew, the rain became heavier. I lay in bed listening to the rhythm of the falling rain...
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