Solo Safar: Delhi to Himachal Pradesh

Stage 1

It was Friday 3 August 2012, a pre mature excitement had already begun because by tonight I will be going for a Solo trip via bus from Delhi to Himachal. And this was the reason I had taken half day from the office & already informed that I will leave from office by 9pm so that I could catch the bus by 10pm from ISBT Kashmeere Gate. This plan had taken a quite long time for an execution but I finally made it possible. It was pre decided that I won’t book any bus or train ticket in advance; I just go as I am & do everything immediately. Luckily the moment I reached there I got my tickets also although bus wasn’t a Volvo bus. It was government Himachal Pradesh tourism bus, number 7035. So after confirming departure arrival timing, I finally got my ticket for Rs.400/- to Kangra & sat down at my window seat which was from the left side # 36.

Well I had settled my butt & kept my bag aside (I never prefer the top deck to keep my bag), it was just besides me in the entire trip. And journey begins with a humm of ‘Jai Mata Di’. It was a dense polluted night in Delhi & passengers couldn’t see any landscapes from their seat so it was time for them to switch off the Bus lights so everyone could sleep. Few hours people slept like a cartoon, their head’s were hanging sometimes towards their left, right, back down & some of them had copyrighted their fellow passenger’s shoulder whether knowing them or not. I was also taking a god naps in between but in senses because I was travelling alone so I was suppose to take care of my backpack, mobile & wallet. We took our first break halt at Bawa Dhaba near around in Karnal. I ate very light snacks & a soft drink. I prefer not to eat during travelling in Bus. And 2^nd was at Radhika Dhaba which is at Una-Amb. So passenger spent the night with good peaceful sleep & I woke up at 5am. By that time encounter was begun with breathtaking distant landscapes of Himachal & many water flow streams from here & there. Our driver was damn amazing on hills, the way he was taking critical turns on hills in NH70 with jet speed; I became a fan of him. I found many diversions on that highway because of small construction or repairing work but still that doesn’t made any difference to our highly skilled driver. In bus journey, what actually happens that you remember the passenger faces very well if you interact with each other or not. By 8:45am next day on 4^th August, bus reached to Kangra bus station and the feeling was awesome as I am the first time visitor of this holy place. I could hear the Mata-di tracks from the station. Weather wasn’t looking pleasant because it was started raining. My ticket was up to Kangra only but I decided to sit in the bus & extended my ticket upto Baijnath by my conductor. So another ticket was in my hand till Baijanth at Rs.63/-. Before leaving from Kangra, I complimented driver with his awesome driving on NH70 hills & he too greeted back & felt good about it. I am sure no one did it like this. The more I was getting closer to my destination, the more adrenaline rush has been started. I crossed beautiful Palampur to reach Baijnath.

Stage 2
My bus journey was ended at Baijnath only aur fir bhole ka mandir dekhkar aur naam lekar, I started looking for another bus which could lead me to Bir. And after waiting for 10 min, I got the local bus from Baijanth to Bir (but not exactly to Bir). Bus was so pathetic it wasn’t even able to drive at the speed of full 25km/hr I guess. I reached at the nearby bus stand after 25 minutes. I could see the direction arrow for Bir & Billing. Billing was my final destination. But I still hadn’t reached to Bir yet as no vehicle goes till that area until n unless you hire a heavy paid taxi which I certainly didn’t do it. I trekked to the hill for around 2-3 Km & looked around for some kind of lift. After some of the ignorance from one or two vehicles, I got a lift from a humble Tibetan who was riding his scooty to his place. He gave me a lift to taxi stand from where one can take a taxi for Billing. I said thanks to the scooty man & bade him goodbye & started bargaining with taxi drivers. I didn’t even take any hotel to get the shelter and it was just only 11am that day. I got a taxi for Rs.400 up & down. Although I hired a taxi to travel from Bir to Billing but after a Kilometer i stopped them as i decided to trek ahead for about 14km. Taxi wasn't fun.. 

Stage 3
In evening I went back down from Billing to Bir to seek a cheap hotel to spend my night. Kapil helped me to sneak me in to a very good café cum hotel called Emaho Hotel which was running by a Tibetan lady named Roma. A very helpful & sweet in conversation, this lady was. She gave me one remaining room of the hotel which was Room#two-first floor & I was totally tired & given rest to my torso to regain the energy to see the night life. This hotel is basically a Tibetan colony you will find 90% Tibetans & rest of them are tourist & nearby villagers. I dumped my bag & went off to sleep for an hour then took a bath & ready with my camera again to go downstairs to sip the local tea of that town.
There was a very good café again just beside my hotel: Friend’s café; during evening one can found a group of Indian & foreigners enjoying their time. And view around is all monastery with colorful holyflags. Even I had a good chit chat time with an Italian girl who was here to learn Tibetan wisdom. I didn’t get time to visit around that place in night because it was remaining heavily. So I was clicking pictures from balcony. What really attracted me in this place were the roots of wisdom, good preaches by Tibetan Monk & my all time favorite the sweet & cute kids. No one can ignore adoring them so what about me? I just simply believe in pulling their cheeks & play with them. Even kids like my kind of Monster lol :-D
I couldn’t do much that night except enjoying the rain from my balcony & sipping my peg. I slept late at around 1am.

Stage 4: Day 2
I woke up early next morning, ready to click pictures & visit to nearby locations. Thankfully it wasn’t raining at all. Cloud was absolutely clear as if it didn’t rain at all last night. My morning started with their masala tea & I visited the entire Monastery around my hotel & met lot of monks of different age groups. I had also visited beautiful tea garden. During my hangout I met with two wonderful dynamic ladies Liesel & Rosefrom Yukon Canada who are here on a tourist visa till September. Their purpose of visiting India is right there in link mentioned: http://www.yukonforestcabins.com/activities/index.htm .

These two cheerful ladies were mother & a daughter & are here for some good purpose like setting up libraries in northern region. It was such a pleasure meeting with them & we chatted a lot in the short period of time. I would really wish to meet them again, if possible.
That afternoon, Rose & Liesel bade me goodbye & I bade goodbye to Roma & left from such a beautiful place reluctantly.  I wasn’t in a mood to go back to Delhi but leave was less & limited.

Pictures uploaded here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.292042644236799.66496.202037306570667&type=1