Manali Trip : DAY 2 [contd..]

As we reached our hotel quite late in the evening that too after almost 24 hours while the journey shouldn't have taken more than 14 hours!!! I wonder what was more irritating the long and torturing journey or the way the teachers were behaving.. We were given just half an hour to bathe and relax before making us go out to have a look at the Mall Road in Manali..

A single room was shared by 4 girls.. I was lucky to have great roommates, but still, getting ready in just half an hour was out of question!! So, as we hurried through the process to get the time to explore the place, we were also trying to know each other and adjust!!

As we somehow got dressed a bit appropriately for the windy weather outside, I was surprised to know the restrictions that were imposed on us!! Girls can't go out on their own.. Must be accompanied by guys and teachers... I know it was for our own safety as the people were quite different from the people here in Delhi, but the real put off were the teachers.. The lady teachers wanted to go out together as a group and we didn't want the male teachers around.. After much persuasion and pleading when nothing seemed to move in our favour, we ganged up with the guys and went out to have some fun.. To explore the place and for dinner..


Ahhh.. The chilly winds and the darkness were great and awe inspiring but the local guys passing comments was a bit irritating.. I wonder why can't the guys just leave a gang of girls having fun alone.. Ours is quite a indifferent group.. Why I said so?? Beacuse despite the fact that the number of girls is far lesser to the number of guys in college we have just 2 guys in a group of 10.. Two guys and 8 gals.. It becomes difficult in such places at such hours.. We jokingly asked every single gal to find a boyfriend to accompany us!! [:D]

Anyways, it was fun dining there.. The food was awesome and the services were just fine.. We later ate ice creams as sweet dish.. We didn't get much time to explore the local market though.. I was tired by the end of it all.. So as I went in the room, we quickly talked and decided about the side of the bed I liked and just went to bed immediately..

Btw, I like the right side of the bed [For all those curious people].. [:D]

Manali Trip: Day 2

In the morning we started towards Manali all over again, this time in the right direction though[:)].. It was a beautiful morning, the cool fresh air pumping into our lungs, we felt a bit energised.. Within a few hours, we were in the hilly region.. It was a great sight.. The rising sun in the mountains!! It felt like the start of a good trip now..

(As we opened our eyes and pulled the curtains, that's the scene we saw!!)

(The beautiful river looked so green and beautiful)

(The road, that covered the mountains like snakes, looked so fine)

(River Beas, that travelled alongside us..)

As the beautiful locations were taking our breath away, a few of us were thinking about the other bus.. Well, I was also thinking about my luggage, but after the first stop and that mouthwash without a proper brush later, I wasn't bothered about the wherabouts of the other bus which has already covered this beautiful place while its passengers were all sleeping.. We secretly were loving being lost and thanking our stars for letting us see the beauty as the sun was rising..

(The early morning brush on the road)

After seeing the beautiful landscape from my window and bored of playing all the games, I went on inside the crew cabin of the bus to see the most amazing and splendorous scenes.. As each and every turn in the mountains opened new avenues, I enjoyed looking ahead to what beauty would unfold before my eyes after each turn..

There was this double lane tunnel on the Ambala-Manali National Highway Number 21.. It was 2.8 to 3 km long (as told by my friends).. I later googled it to find this bit of information - On August 5 2006, Mr Virbhadra Singh, the then Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, inaugurated the 2,809 metre-long double lane tunnel near Aut on the Ambala-Manali National Highway 21..

(The Allain Duhangan Hydroelectric Project (ADHP) built on Allain and Duhangan tributaries of Beas river near Kullu and Manali )

(The Bridge where our bus was fined for lack of some papers and we stepped down to touch the river.. It was chilling cold water and a few did slip from the rock we were standing into the freezing cold water..)

(We getting in the river to touch the water as it was getting late for a dip in it..[:)])

By the time we made our way up, we were already getting late and were still quite away from our hotel.. As we set again, we were all tired and irritated.. All of us just wanted to just keep ourselves warm in our rooms and take a hot water shower!!

Manali Trip: Day 1

Well,

I think I can talk about the trip now.. It wasn't something I expected!! I know I shouldn't expect things to be good in the first place, but its human nature, so couldn't help expecting amazing things as it was my first outing with friends..

One thing is for sure, for a lazy being like me, a tightly scheduled trip requiring you to get up at 6, to get ready to leave by 7 in the morning and being up till 10 in the night without a little nap in the noon, is more of a torture than a break!!! Its not something we are used to!!![:D]

Reached the college by 3 but nothing much to do till 5:30 or so.. We sat there laughing, chatting and clicking photos before we leave our beloved college [Don't take the word beloved too seriously].. It was a long wait before the bus finally showed up.. It was almost 7 by then.. We were alloted a very rickety bus!! It was newly painted and the paint wasn't dry.. The AC wasn't working and the door couldn't be closed, forget locked!!

(Waiting for the bus with friends)

(At the Toll Plaza - Panipat)

(At the Toll Plaza)

(The Toll Plaza - Panipat)

So it wasn't a good bus nor the seats were comfortable.. But the last nail in the coffin was the fact that our luggage was kept in the other bus as the trunk lid was jammed!! So as we struggled without even a sheet to cover ourselves with in the chilling night, I was more worried about my specs and most important, my toothbrush and paste.. How would I live without brushing?

(Eating at a roadside Dhabba)

As I was shouting at top of my voice to be given my luggage to get my blanket but my major concern was my brush!! We were assured that we would get our luggage in the morning but the morning had something else in store for us!!

We could hardly sleep in these harsh conditions, but somehow I was able to doze for a few hours.. As I woke up amidst a feud.. The girls wanted the bus to halt for a freshen up break but the driver wasn't pushing the brakes.. Finally he succumbed!! As I was returning from the washroom, I heard people discussing that we were on the wrong route!! 40 kms in the wrong direction!! I was shocked to hear it.. What was more disheartening was the fact that the other bus didn't keep track of our bus and didn't wait for us even after they were informed that we were on the wrong route and were almost lost!!

(The road at night from the bus window)

This is how the day one ended!! In great discomfort and nothing to feel good about!!