My 1^st day of the trip was quite tiring thanks to my long journey. Next day was scheduled for things which I haven’t done before in life. My dream of holding snow balls in my hand was about to complete.Previous day was raining and chilly but today it was bright sunny day and i was happy to see the real Manali from my room.

Peaks which were not visible previous day now i could see them clearly and there had been fresh snow above the mountain’s. It was amazing.

 

But all was not going the way it should have.Started with bit of disappointed. It was planned to visit Rohtang pass but due to bad weather and heavy snow way to Rohtang pass was closed and we could only reach to Marhi the nearest point where I could see snow.

It was atleast a 3 hr journey. I started journey and as usual my wife fell asleep as she is not comfortable in car while moving in mountains so me and my camera were to themselves and i love it.

 

My camera was clicking while moving also and this is what i love best of my Nikon D5100, its too fast. But at these times i have to put it on auto mode. This is where i have to reach and scene was looking heavenly from far.

In some 2hrs i was very near to my dream place. Till this time wife was also awake and i was giving her some geography lessons. Suddenly my 7th class geography was coming in my mind that how root of a tree and height of a tree is related.

 

 

I had to stop for a while to take Snow Clothes which is mandatory if one is going to Rohtang pass. For me it costed around Rs 700 for a pair. But i could get in less also but i am not very good in bargaining.

we had reached there. everywhere it was Snow. White was never so beautiful like it was there.

I could see people doing ice biking there , a bit of skiing which was just rubbish the way they were doing , and many other sports.

for me it was just to enjoy the moment. Though one thing which was most trouble some was to walk on Ice. It was an adventure in itself to walk properly and maintain yourself not to fall.

 

It took me 3hrs to reach there and same was going to take for back. Though i spent only 1hr or so there but it was the best of 1hr of my trip to Manali.

There were things which i had nothing to say but still i clicked them as i knew there pictures are more than sufficient to describe them.

 

I can say only one thing about these pictures that “People were asking when it would open ”

My way back was more interesting. So i moved for my down journey as something else also was waiting for me.

Paragliding !!!!

 

A lady with a Rabbit

It was the first time i saw such big rabbits. Its not the condition that Rabbit here in Delhi are Malnourished but just the fact is according to the weather of Manali , rabbits hair are not shaved and they help him keeping himself warm.

Angora wool clothes is the main industry found in Manali region other than tourism.

We met this lady in Van Vihar. She had this rabbit in her arms , was stopping everyone to have a click with rabbit in their arms for a charge of Rs 20. Though i clicked her picture and payed her Rs10.

We talked a little bit also with her. Its her daily wage earning method. she lives on the hills and comes down to Van vihar every morning walking around 2 hrs on terrains of the hills. As she told if she would come by straight roads it would take her more than 3 hrs to come down so she takes her own route.

Had a family of five with 2 childrens in it and husband a farmer and mother. She said she had to do this because she  wants to support her husband, his earning is not that much so he could fulfill all the needs of a family. Government exempts school fee of her children but there are many other things which her childrens need. Summers are the best time to earn something extra by the help of his Rabbit and in off season she goes to apple plantations to pluck and do the final processing of apple’s.

I could talk very less to her as it was her working time and she was too shy to give any answers.

Had to say bye and moved forward….

 

It was almost lunch time I reached Manali. And without food it was impossible for me now to even think of anything else.

Went to Mall road of Manali. Once you are in Mall road it is full of restaurants offering food of any country you want. For me it was the time of fill myself and for me my best option was not to think much of and go for something which I love. Had my favourite Kadhai paneer (cottage cheese cooked in capsicum and tomato gravy ) and Naan (bread), it was relishing.

 

 

Just opposite to my restaurant was the entry gate of VAN VIHAR. Things have changed in metro’s , Malls have taken over the picnic spots but It was nice to see a traditional picnic spot in Manali.

Van vihar, a govt maintained park taking care of endangered and almost near to extinct species.

I was lucky to see Monal though for some seconds only , National bird of Himachal Pradesh moving freely there. It is considered lucky according to the local people to have a glimpse of Monal as it is not found much in the down areas and now is found mainly in Himalayas only.

According to authorities of Van vihar Monal has reached to extinction because of its crest , which remains the same for whole life and is sold in very high prices used on the turban.

Going down the stairs was River beas. Sitting on the bank enjoying Maggi and egg was in itself amazing thing.

Its is a nice place for kids as well. Lot of water sports and adventure acts were available there.

 

How could i miss these two unique trees to be clicked by my camera…..

truely a very relaxing place was for me specially when i was tired of my 15 hrs journey and wanted to feel some fresh air. what could be better than sitting on Bank of tree , little bit of drizzle and a cup of hot tea in hands.

wanted to sit some more but tour had just started and bucket list was yet to be unchecked…

so Moved on..

Here was the moment when I was feeling myself in manali…. Bus on the move, ripples of River Beas almost touching the wheels of bus… greenery all around.

 

 

 

Its seriously an amazing scene when I saw river Beas flowing along with our bus , constantly looking at only two things, speedo meter of the bus and the distance of river from the bus. It was scary, though enjoyable too.

 

Next  came the 1^st stopover “Patlipul” a place 20min before the Manali. Got the chance to step down from the bus and get rid of the air condition of my volvo bus and feel the fresh air. But things were different. Coming from a place where I was running my life, feeling the temp of atleast 38 to 40 celcius degrees and now it was just 13.4..

 

 

I could imagine how my next 4 days is going to be. Chilly weather and Rain. Wow it was amazing. But back of my mind one thing was crawling in my mind “have I brought enough winter clothes’’.

Trust me guys hilly weather can change any time , whether its summer monsoon autumn… one must carry enough winter clothes

Trip to Manali started……

 

I had booked my tickets for a Volvo bus to Manali from New delhi well in advance. A trip was about to get started but at same place it was getting delayed as well. Thanks to Bus service, we were already late. Bus had to leave the place by 5.30pm but I was standing there and it was 6.45pm already and it would be good to tell I reached the place at 5.00pm.

At last at 7.00pm our bus started to move. It was almost a journey of 15hrs crossing two states (Haryana & Punjab ) and reaching the third one Himachal Pradesh. In which half of time was to be spent swirling in mountains.

This was the 1^st time when I was going to mountains by a bus previously it always has been a car , but I was lucky enough to have a very nice driver of the bus.

Always loved the zigzag driving of cars but this time I was facing this in a 40 seater Volvo bus and I was loving it. Driving at the speed of 80-90km/hr in the plains and atleast he touched 40-45km/hr in mountains and it was the smoothest of bus rides of my life.

After spending whole night in bus and unable to sleep ( as it is very tough for me to sleep in bus ) we reached Sunder nagar  3hrs before Manali. Had some breakfast as bus was stopped for a while to freshen up. Manali was just 3hrs away now and it was the time to switch on my camera , sun was up though it was raining but now it was the time to enjoy the beauty of Manali.

Facebook status updated “ Manali Here I Am ‘’