My Travel Memoirs

My College Trip to Chail - Part 14

2009-02-20T05:21:00.000-08:00

Finally, we moved on our way back to Delhi. We had lunch in between in a roadside dhabha. Then we called at our homes from there informing our parents when can they expect us back home. Then we were about to reach Punjab and Itika, my friend told me to inform her if I see any Panchranga Pickle shop, that sells the best of pickles and she wants to get some for herself. Seeing her praising the pickle so much, I too planned that I too will buy some of it, then we watched every shop coming on our way to see if it’s Panchranga Pickle Shop or not, that was fun again! At last we saw some shops, all selling the famous pickle and we shouted like anything so that the driver stops the bus.

Finally, the bus halted and it was decided earlier that only Itika and me will be buying the pickle but seeing us half of the bus got down and made the shopkeeper earn a lot by buying the famous Panchranga Pickle. Having bought the pickle, we all were behaving as if we did some great work but the fact was that we just bought a pickle! The bus moved again and alas we reached our hometown Delhi.

Here ended my college trip to Chail…

My College Trip to Chail - Part 13

2009-02-20T05:13:00.000-08:00

Then having relaxed a bit, we started clicking snaps again, that will be the sole proof of our unique journey to Chail Palace to others who missed it. We made different funny poses with the palace artifacts, fountains and gardens and whatever we could take hold of.

Then Rohit instructed us to return else we would be late. We then returned to the bus, where all were eagerly waiting for us, knowing not where the hell we went, we then surprised them by telling we went to explore the magnificent Chail Palace. Some of them asked how was it, some got jealous as they missed visiting it, but we second year girls really had a blast.

Next you will see the last part of my college trip to Chail…

My College Trip to Chail - Part 12

2008-08-27T03:20:00.000-07:00

We all then got ready to leave for Delhi. Having packed our bags, we gathered at the main hall of Hotel Monaal and had our breakfast. Then again started the shooting session with all of us excited again to capture as much as we could of our trip to Chail in our cameras. We all sat in a cue on the stairs going upwards and yes you guessed it right, I was heading them all, sitting in the front position. Our teachers then told us that we will be leaving in an hour and this was the time that our tour operator, Rohit told us that it would have been wonderful if we could have also visited the Chail Palace. So what was expected next after hearing this? We all, again the second year girls, took on this as a mission and told our teachers that we will be reaching the bus within an hour.

Full of excitement we all started on our way to Chail Palace that was located at a distance of about 3 kms from Hotel Monaal. It was just like a walking journey from Katra to Vaishno Devi, we all got tired and started loosing breath but the excitement to see what others will be missing kept us going. Finally, we reached our destination, Chail Palace and we just had 30 minutes left. The first thing we did after reaching the palace was that we laid flat on the sofas in the main hall, as we were exhausted like anything.

What I did next will be shared in part 13...

My College Trip to Chail - Part 11

2008-08-21T23:23:00.000-07:00

The last day of my college trip started with monkey shrills coming right from the window. Me and my friends got up listening to monkey noises right outside our windows. Waking up and seeing the naughty creatures right in front with just a window in between, we were excited. Seeing them hungry, we searched for some eatables to offer them. Fortunately I had some breakfast for them that was packed by my mother for my breakfast on day one of the trip, I took that and tried opening the window a bit to offer them. As soon as I was about to open the window, one of my friends shouted, “ be careful else, they will enter our room and will do blunder!”

I took her warning seriously only after seeing that the naughty monkeys were just eager to come inside if given a single opportunity, so I too played the trick. I stood up on a stool and threw the eatable from the ventilator, giving the monkeys no chance to intrude in our sweet honeymoon suite. Then started there fight to grab the food, they all jumped and grabbed as much as they could in their mouth and climbed on different branches of the trees outside. I then stood and watched them carefully and got the satisfaction of giving them something to eat at last.

Here ends part 11, I will share part 12 soon…

Amazing Gadgets

My College Trip to Chail - Part 10

2008-08-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

Reaching the hotel, we all were welcomed by the hotel staff again. We all got fresh and gathered at the main hall of the hotel, the place where the staff arranged the DJ party for us. It was really cold that time but we really enjoyed dancing the night away. All the winter chills were past as we danced to peppy dance numbers.

After having dinner we were returning to our rooms. You know what happened next!!! We were unlocking the door of our room and whom did we see in the room opposite to ours! That lady who climbed our bus to get lift along with the other passengers. It was the time that we realized that she was no hijacker and was really in trouble. Seeing her we quickly got in to our room and laughed like anything on the way we thought and treated her as if she was a hijacker.

Here ended day 2 of my college trip to Chail. Get to know what happened on the last day of the trip in part 11….

My College Trip to Chail - Part 9

2008-08-06T06:52:00.000-07:00

Here came the most exciting part of our trip to Chail. On our way, it was around 7 in evening, when suddenly our bus halted as it could not move because a car was parked in the middle of the road. We all could make up that there is some problem in the car. Our driver and conductor moved out and asked what the matter was, leaving all us ladies alone in the bus.

We all got scared seeing the darkness surrounding us and no men around. Then, suddenly a woman from the car came in the bus and asked for lift. We all got all the more scared, as we all thought that she is not a genuine lady and want to hijack our bus and we are in trouble now. We all screamed and told our teachers not to offer them lift. I still remember, that incident made me remember all the Gods in a flash of seconds.

Having convinced our teachers not to offer them lift, we made the lady move out of the bus and called the hotel staff to come and help us. Seeing our unwillingness to help them, the passengers of the car said they wouldn’t let the bus go then and this scared us more. Luckily few men from the hotel arrived in 10 minutes as the hotel was nearby from that spot. They pushed the car aside and made way for our bus to move forward. We all thanked God for saving us.

What happened next will be told to you in part 10…

My College Trip to Chail - Part 8

2008-08-05T04:10:00.000-07:00

Finally, we spent two hours and gathered at the meeting point and then to our surprise, we came to know that, as it was a centenary year of the steam engine that passed through Shimla. As a result, there was heavy traffic and roads were jammed and it took 3 hours for our bus to reach the meeting point in Shimla itself. We all thought it would have been better if we could have enjoyed those three hours in Shimla instead of waiting but waiting was inevitable as any time our bus could arrive and main Shimla Mall was at a walking distance of about half an hour.

On our way to add on to our disappointment, our teachers told that since most of our time was lost in waiting so we won’t be going to Kufri now. To end our disappointment, she finally told us that we will be going straight to Chail in our Hotel Monaal where the hotel staff has arranged a DJ party. Hearing about the DJ party, we were again filled with excitement.

Get ready to read further in part 9….

My College Trip to Chail - Part 7

2008-08-04T03:53:00.000-07:00

The next day we woke up at 7 in the morning as our teachers told us that we would be leaving for an excursion to Shimla at 9am. Five out of us woke up easily but my friend Itika was not ready to wake up and when we told her to wake up else she will be late, she gave a funny reason. She said I came so far just to sleep without any disturbance, so please let me sleep friends! We all laughed like anything hearing her stupid reason to come on the college trip to Chail. We all got ready and at last our sleeping beauty woke up that too when she finally realized that she would be left out if she doesn’t get up and get ready.

After having breakfast, we all took our seats in the bus, I again grabbed the last seat and took out my camera to capture the natural beauty of the surroundings. After 2 to 3 hours we finally reached Shimla. Before dispersal we were told that we just have 2 hours to spend in Shimla after which we will be moving to Kufri. We all then went in different groups and strolled the famous Shimla Mall. Bought some wooden articles and clicked snaps in front of the town hall and other beautiful spots. Before this it was in 7th class when I visited Shimla and seeing some places like the hut in the center, I could remember the first time I visited this place with my family.

Hey, now I need a break… will share with you what happened next during my Chail College Trip in part 8…

My College Trip to Chail - Part 6

2008-08-03T05:46:00.000-07:00

Designed for the newly wed couples, our honeymoon suite soon became a recently conquered object of our pride and matter of bit jealousy in our seniors. Everything in the room was of red color signifying love, as one would like to have during a honeymoon trip, but for your amusement let me tell you we were not on a honeymoon trip but a college trip which was far away from romance. Having occupied the best room, we went outside to invite others to see our pretty red room. Our seniors saw that nothing can be done now since the second years have already occupied it, they brought in their cameras to click snaps in our enchanting honeymoon suite. We really had fun clicking snaps in our room in every pose as if posing for a Miss India contest. These pictures are till date some of the most treasured memories of my college days.

After settling in our rooms, we all gathered in the veranda of the hotel, where the hotel staff arranged bonfire for us, as it was very cold there. We took our chairs and sat around it. Then came the best part of all, a round of antakshri with our teachers singing and my favorite teacher doing some shero shayari, reciting some Urdu poems. We had dinner in between and then again came out and sat around the bon fire till 1’o clock at night. Then we went to our rooms and bid good night to all. In our room there was only one bed and only three out of us six can sleep on it. Apart from the bed we were given cozy mattresses to lay on. Half of us slept on the bed and half on the mattresses on the floor, promising that the next day the turn will be rotated.

Here ended day one of my college trip to Chail, what happened next will be told in part 7…

My College Trip to Chail - Part 5

2008-08-02T01:48:00.000-07:00

Finally we were at our destination, Chail. Filled with excitement and joy, we all got down from the bus and picked our luggage. Then we started climbing down the staircase leading to our Hotel Monaal in Chail. The first thing after reaching the reception of the hotel that striked every mind was to call at home and inform about the safe arrival in Chail. I too joined the cue and waited for my turn and finally I got my turn and called at home to tell my mother about my safe arrival in Chail and relieved my mother, who was worried whether I reached safely or not. Her worry was natural as this was the first time I went on a trip alone with no family member along to take care of me.

Now came the teacher’s instruction that all the three batches including ours, first years and the seniors have been allotted one room each that are located somewhere upstairs. The moment she stopped her instruction, we all ran to grab the best room for ourselves. Luckily at that time all our seniors and juniors were busy calling at home and we second year girls were the first ones to run to the rooms, scrutinizing all the three rooms, we chose the best one. Why best, this you will get to know by the name itself “Honeymoon suite”. Sounds interesting isn’t?

Read Part 6 to know what happened next during my Chail College Trip…

My College Trip to Chail - Part 4

2008-08-01T06:14:00.000-07:00

Having scared Shilpi, now I sat alone at the last seat and enjoyed the scenic views, which many of us were not enjoying out of fear of height. While they were trying to sleep, I made full use of the opportunity and trapped some of the beautiful scenes in my camera while on my way to Chail. I too was feeling sleepy but the beauty around was so enchanting that didn’t let me sleep and finally the bus halted and guess what we reached our Hotel in Chail. Here ended my bus ride to Chail and we reached Hotel Monaal in Chail….

To get to know what other pranks I played after checking in Hotel Monaal Chail…. read part five………

My College Trip to Chail - Part 3

2008-07-31T07:24:00.000-07:00

Lunch was over and the bus again resumed its speed. After a while began the hilly area and all those friends who were afraid of heights went on to the front seats with windows and took medicines to avoid vomits and haziness. But me the bold one got up from my second last seat and moved to the last one, sitting alone and peeping outside the window. Then I thought of doing some prank and called one of my juniors and made her sit along me. Shilpi was her name and to be very frank she too was one of the ones having height phobia and was afraid to sit at the last seat but I somehow convinced her to sit there. Then, I started my pranks!

I told her to see out of the window, which she was very reluctant to do out of fear of height. I told her see as if the tyre of our bus is moving on the road or is it going in the deep valley. Then I shifted her more towards the window and told her to see just below her nose and see the hollow valley. “My God!!!”- She said and my pranks were not over there, I continued horrifying her telling her to see that lowest tree in the valley and so on. I still can’t forget the way she got horrified and ran away and seeing her scared and running to the teachers I rolled out of laughter…

I will be back, as this laughter of my college trip has again rolled me with uncontrollable laughter…So, do check out for part 4…

My College Trip to Chail - Part 2

2008-07-30T22:34:00.000-07:00

As the bus started early morning around 7am, Amrita, one of my classmates thought it to be the best time to sleep. Lying on the last seat of the bus with herself been covered by a shawl from toe to head, she gave us a laughing start, we all tried to wake her up but our sleeping beauty had her way and slept for full 2 hours. I grabbed a window seat of the second last seat from the back and enjoyed the early morning views of Delhi, my hometown. It made me feel that to see the real beauty of Delhi, one should watch the early morning here with calm trees and sun rising slowly from its sleep.

We crossed the Delhi border and all those who were sleeping woke up and then we did breakfast in the bus itself. Having gained energy we were now ready to do some fun. Yes you are right, bus ride with friends is incomplete without a round of antakshri, so we played it and sang, danced and clicked snaps and really had a gala time. It was noon now and our bus stopped at a roadside dhaba. Having a meal at the dhaba while on trip is a great experience. Having sat for hours it was now that we all got down from the bus and strolled a bit. The sight was amazing as someone was walking like a cat, some like a tired hunchback and some still active and smelling the soil of the countryside.

Hey, guys its again interval time…Have your meals or go out for your important works, I will continue next time in part 3!

My College Trip to Chail – Part 1

2008-07-30T07:02:00.000-07:00

Whenever I think of my college life, one thing that I always cherish is my college trip to Chail. I was in second year and the month was of November, when my lecturers arranged a college trip to Chail, one of the beautiful hill stations in Himachal Pradesh. Being in second year I and my classmates were lucky as we had seniors to rule us and on the other hand we had freshers to rule on. We were just 6 girls from second year the minority, yet the most fun loving group of girls.

The meeting point was our college itself and we were supposed to gather there by 6am in the morning. But the way standard Indian timings are considered 1 hour late than the actual time fixed, all reached up around 7am. My father took the trouble of waking up early and dropping me to the college and he bid me bye as our bus rolled on. All were excited because it was a trip that we organized after long trials by convincing at least 50 people so that the bus doesn’t go empty. Finally, it was the day and we all realized yes, we are on our trip to Chail now!

Guys, I will be back with what happened next during my exciting trip to Chail in part 2…