A chanced break, a road-trip crazy partner & the zeal to burn some money was enough motivation to escape the sweltering heat of Delhi NCR & find respite in the scented mountains of Kullu-manali, even if it lasted for couple of days. So, we picked our car, fuelled it & set out to cover 569 kms. from our place in Ghaziabad.
En route to Manali from Delhi NCR:
The must-stop for every journey to that side of Himachal becomes a trip when you take a stop over in Haweli, and fill yourself with yummy paranthas, with dollops of white butter. I top the paranthas with two glasses of Masala tea every time. It elevates my mood & doubles my happiness.
We planned the night stay in Chandigarh, and took rest before we begin the bext day to misty Manali.
Road to Manali:
The road to Manali was beautiful – plain, curvey, heightened, plain again & then scenic with Deodar, Pine & Poplar trees found all around. Just about Kullu, where they charge you a toll, the landscape changed in a moment, like Life does, and from then, the scene changed – Beas river begins to flow, making a musical sound, with boulders lying around.
The sky also joins in & changes colors with beautiful shades of Orange, Red & Blue. Together the road, the river & the sky – create a perfect piece that would fit into every puzzle of your heart while you breathe in the fresh air
In the old and new pockets of Manali:
We reached Manali in a few hours, somewhere around afternoon. It had already rained heavily; and was drizzling even then. We checked in the hotel & straight away went to sleep after lunching.
In the evening, we went for a stroll. The weather was balmy, air was fresh, and we had a constant company in Beas river – by the road, across the bridge, to the Mall road.
That day, we went a little far and found ourselves amidst the narrow lanes of Manali that were flanked by souvenir shops selling Pashmina, Kashmiri embroidery, leather bags and purses & gemstones. I am guilty of splurging on Pashmina stoles.
Bustling & Buzzing Mall Road:
Like every Mall Road, this one was full of activities and life. People were buzzing around like bees. The cafes were extra luminous & I could feel hunger pangs. We did some hopping from momos to Thupka to Chilli Potatoes.
The mere walk on to the mall road was enough of proof why Manali was a favorite holiday destination of Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru. A little further on the Mall road, you would also find the famous Chaat Bhandaar that’s frequented by celebrities. Enjoy the mosaic of celebrity photos over a plate of aloo tikki.
A walk down an unknown road leading to somewhere
My best memory of Manali is, of a walk down some roads that led somewhere. I didn’t know where; I didn’t know how; I, however, reached somewhere. And later I felt I probably needed to come here.
There are some wonderful cafes in Manali. I went to a few & tried their pizzas, pastas, coffee and some other fancy dishes that you can’t pronounce but they cost you a bomb. It all tasted good.
It all felt good. Because it was raining. And it was a weekend.
And on that weekend when it rained, I were dining in a cafe, with a beautiful setting of colors and books, that served good coffee, in the city of Manali where the river Beas flows.
The momos look pretty tempting, or maybe it’s Manali’s way of inviting me 😛 😛
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Do go then. Manali is calling you 🙂
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I will, hopefully pretty soon 🙂
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Would wait to hear about your trip
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Definitely! 🙂
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