Travel resumes after a pregnant pause ( quite literally.. )

The birthplace of Ruskin Bond, holiday home of Khushwant Singh .. I knew I had to write a blog well enough that corroborated the literary legacy of this place- Kasauli!

There is something about the hills…

Is it the cobbled roadways?
Is it the fact that you can savour on yummy food at anytime during the day?
Is it the numerous nature trails?
Or is it the friendly mountain dogs wagging their tails?

There is something about the hills!!

Our first leg of travel from Gurgaon to Chandigarh was hardly smooth. Construction work along the highway, accompanied by several diversions owing to the protests by Farmers meant that we reached Chandigarh half dead, with just enough energy to eat and sleep. The next day we resumed our journey from Chandigarh to Kasauli. The drive was beautiful, with the gentle mountain breeze brushing past our faces, the view of the mountains, the smooth highway and the freshly squeezed juice ( sanitized well ) . This set the pace for our short getaway!

Our resort was perfectly set amidst the wilderness, we needed to trek a km downhill on a cobbled pathway to reach our cottage. New muscles introduced themselves each time we climbed uphill:-)

Without wasting much time we decided to go on a short trek into the jungle right behind the resort. We made our own trail and remembered landmarks as we walked through tall grass, rocks and streams to finally arrive at a little clearing. After living in a concrete jungle, this green patch was nothing short of heaven!

One of the few reasons we decided to visit Kasauli was the numerous Nature Trails. Touted to be one of the best – we decided to trek along the famous Gilbert Trail . It boasted of one of the best sunset points. Spirits high, hydrated well we trekked uphill from Mall Road for 1.5 kms till we reached the Gilbert Trail.

The trail is a narrow one with walking space enough for just one at a time. Rocks and trees on one side and a deep valley on the other side, it was scary but adventurous. The view from the trail is something that no camera can do justice too.Since it was getting late we had to return early from the trail with a resolve to revisit the trail the following day.

We returned back to our resort , it was a sight to watch the subtly lit up resort in the night.

The next morning we reached Gilbert Trail with lots of energy. The trail is a never ending one , a winding one, a narrow one. After trekking for about 2 hours one way we decided to return back.

From one point in the trail , one can see an ancient temple perched on a mountain peak. In hindu mythology, it is believed that Hanuman took a pit stop at this very point while on his way to get the Sanjeevani medicine for Lakshman.

The way back on the trek was challenging, the sun was at it’s peak, tummies were rumbling and it was uphill. The thought of bun samosa and the softest gulab jamun in the world at a modest shop – Narinder Sweets kept us going.

The special chutney, and the slight sweetness in the buns is the USP of this lip smacking delicacy. We dug into these buns and gulab jamuns , oblivious to the calories we may have piled – that is what vacations are for right?

No trip of ours especially the ones to the hills are complete without making furry friends This time too we made friends with the friendliest, furriest, cuddliest mountain dogs – Pinky and Basanthi. They followed us for a while before going their way, their company even though for a short while was memorable:-)

With a heavy heart we headed homewards, but now that we had experienced a safe trip during the COVID times, we are ready to go on more such trips keeping in mind the necessary precautions!