Amidst the Deodars
To retain one’s sanity and mental equilibrium, one needs to
get away once in a while from the hustle and bustle of the concrete jungle into
the lap of nature.
That is exactly where you feel you are, once you reach Dhanolti. It is a small tourist
hill station on Mussorie-Chamba Highway in District Tehri Garhwal of
Uttarakhand. At an altitude of 2200mtrs, 30 Kms, ahead of Mussorie, this sleepy
paradise has lots to offer in terms of serenity. Time stops still when you are
in the midst of lush towering deodar trees. It seems God created Dhanolti to
give humans an overview of what heaven has in offing for us.
After lot of deliberation and misgivings, we (a motley group
of seven) headed towards Dhanolti leaving Mussorie hills behind us. Upon inquiring
we came to know that places worth visiting in Dhanolti were mere two ecological
parks. Therefore it was unanimously decided to spend no more than one hour there
and then head for Mussorie well before sunset.
Upon parking our car and entering the first Eco park, the
firm intent of departing early from that place started dwindling. From, sitting
on a swing to trekking uphill, mistaking the sound made by leaves, when they
came in contact with gentle breeze, as
the sound of a nearby located waterfall, artificial river crossing to drinking
special local tea with lip smacking pakoras, it was indeed an unforgettable
experience. Our next halt was the second eco park. This park was specially
designed for adventure sports. Flying fox, Burma Bridge and Trampoling were,
among many, the main highlights of this park.
After so much of exercise, it was time to satisfy the
grumbling sounds coming from the stomachs of not one but of the entire lot. The
hunt for a restaurant turned out to be a daunting task since nobody was keen on
feeding hungry tourists at 3.30 in late
afternoon. One gentleman categorically refused to entertain us as he was busy
entertaining himself through the medium of television. Another Dhaba was
without its owner who was in no hurry to come back from wherever he had
wandered off to. Finally we managed to find a place where we could eat a simple
vegetarian lunch. The owner was very much present and willing to feed us. It
was a rundown place and we had our reservations as to the quality and taste of
the food being served, but did we have a choice?
On the contrary the food was filling and tasty. Hence with
heavy stomachs, light hearts and a silent resolve to come back again, we bundled into the
vehicle and headed back to our hotel in Mussorie.
No comments:
Post a Comment