This was a long-awaited trip, which finally happened in December, 2016. I picked up my friend from Pantnagar airport. We started our journey from there in the evening. Our first stop was Bhimtal. It was already dusk as we drove through Haldwani and reached Kathgodam. In December, darkness falls quite early in the hills and it becomes a bit tricky to drive. But it was not much of a problem for me, as I have been driving in these hills for over a year. Though, on the plus side, the traffic is comparatively well behaved at night. We reached Bhimtal around 7:30 pm. The colourful lights of the houses, reflecting on the still waters of the lake, looked quite enchanting.
Bhimtal: We stayed at Hotel Van Vilas. It is a decent property with comfortable, lake facing rooms. The view from the balcony is noteworthy. The moon came up in some time, further adding to the beauty of the scene.
The peace of the moment was disturbed only by some occasional vehicles, going down the road. It was a good place and time to just sit, relax and forget the usual worries of life. As the night progressed, it started to become chilly.
The next morning, the lake was already shimmering with sunlight, when we woke up. One can enjoy paragliding in Bhimtal (depends on weather) and also visit the aquarium in the middle of the lake. We did not do the first one because of my aversion to remain completely dependent on someone else (especially mid-air) and second one because I had visited it on an earlier trip. So, we left for Almora.
Almora: We reached my place in Almora, around noon. The journey to Almora has its moments. But I guess, once you cover a road multiple times, you get used to it. Kainchi Dham, made famous in India by Jobs and Zuckerberg, also lies mid-way.
Now, Almora is one place which is usually not on the radar, for tourists. However, since I have been living here for over a year, I can seriously vouch for 2 things here – the sunsets and the mornings. Both are breathtaking. Every evening, the sky is the canvas and the sun-rays paint a different picture. I had tried many times to capture the beauty, but no picture has ever come close to what it feels and looks in real life.
The mornings in Almora are equally beautiful. Because of the dam on Kosi river nearby, the entire valley is filled with fog/mist in early morning, especially in winters. It feels like walking among the clouds.
We spent the evening at my place, enjoying the view from the balcony, relaxing and contemplating our lives. The valley below us was brown with hints of green. The crop had been harvested recently from the stepped farms, exposing the soil. The only green were the trees that stood on the edges of the farms. Time went by quite fast. The sun went down, painting the sky red. Soon it was dark and the lights came on in the houses, all around. The houses here look like colourful, twinkling stars at night.
Chaukori: Chaukori is around 4 hour drive from Almora. The drive takes you through countryside hills. Hills covered with pine and a number of villages lie along the way. One can glimpse the Himalayas after crossing Dhaulchinna. The road is mostly fine, with a few bad patches in between.
Chaukri itself is a quaint hill-station, which lies in Pitthoragarh district. We stayed at KMVN, which is a government property.
It offers a charming view of Trishul, Nanda Devi, Nanda Kot and Panchachuli peaks of the Great Himalayan Range.
It is a place to have a quiet time and relax, away from the crowd. Sadly, there was no fresh snow, even in the end of December. We stayed here for a night and left for Munsiyari the next day.
Munsiyari: It is another 4 hours drive from Chaukori. As we head further into the interior, we witness majestic views of farmlands, river valleys, waterfalls and mountains. Just a little ahead of Chaukori, the road meets the Ramganga river. It has crystal clear waters and a hue of aqua which I have rarely seen.
It is a perfect place for camping, but there is a danger of wild animals during the night. Moving further, we encounter villages with terraced hills for farming.
We also encountered a seasonal waterfall along the way.
Though, the Birth Falls also lies on the way, I found it a tad boring. As we continue our journey to the mountain-top, the road gets narrower and needs full focus and attention.
From here, we are greeted with beautiful views of the hills and villages.
The road ahead is seriously banged up at places and needs careful driving. The mountain top/pass is about 2800 m above sea level. Khuliya top can be trekked from around here and offers panoramic views of the Himalayas. The Panchachuli range looks down at us, once we cross this mountain pass.
Munsiyari is only half an hour drive from there. We reached around 3 in the afternoon. We stayed at Milam Inn. The hotel has breathtaking views of Panchachuli range.
The locals told us that snowing usually starts from second week of December, but there was no sign of it this year, even in December end. It a again a quiet, charming place. The temperature dropped to negative at night. We stayed there for the night and then continued our journey back the next day.
Patal Bhuvneshwar: On our way back, we decided to visit Patal Bhuvneshwar, which is a bit off-route. We reached there around 4 pm. You are not allowed to take cameras, mobiles or anything else inside the cave temple and a priest/guide accompanies you. The entrance is very narrow and a bit scary, but once inside, there is plenty of space. It is a series of connected caves. We were awed by this natural formation, which dates way back in history. The priest was telling us his version of the legend connected to Hindu mythology. There is a stone structure resembling 'Sheshnaag', right at the entrance. It is believed to be carrying both the earth and the heavens on its hood. After that, there is the place for 'havan'. The cave is believed to house all 33 crore Gods and Goddesses of Hindu mythology, including Lord Shiva. The cave is believed to be connected to Mt. Kailash and the 'char-dhams' via underground tunnels.
Only a small portion of the cave is open for access to general public. It is now a protected monument under Archaeological Survey of India. Our tour was over in 40 minutes. We cannot our back to Almora, after visiting this natural wonder.
Sun Temple, Katarmal: We had one more day at hand and we decided to visit the Sun Temple at Katarmal, around 18 km from Almora.
It is an very old temple, devoted to Sun God. At sunrise, the first rays of the sun enter the main chamber and touch the feet of the deity. The main temple is surrounded by 45 smaller shrines, that are placed in patterns around the main temple. The main temple is said to be build around 9th century A.D. and the smaller shrines were added later. It is a protected monument under Archaeological Survey of India. It had intricately carved wooden doors and panels, which were shifted to Delhi museum, after a 10th century idol was stolen from the temple.
The temple is located in a small village. We visited quite early and the entire place was surrounded by fog. We were the only people there. There was a priest who did not bother us at all. I must say, it is a very peaceful place, with beautiful views of the valley, the villages and the hills beyond.
We stopped our little adventure, there. Though the journey has not ended, but there is this construct of time which needs to be taken into consideration.
Till next,
