Getting from Kasol to Shimla
One reason why I wanted to get down to Shimla was because it is easier to get to Delhi rather than from Kullu or even Mandi. I would be catching a bus tomorrow.
When I left Kasol at 8:00 am, it was freezing cold. Not to mention, the Sun had not shown its face in Kasol yet.
[1]One last view of Annapurna in the darkness of ‘early’ morning.
It took me full two hours to reach Bhuntar via the 35 km long road. The bus stopped every five minutes to pick up the passengers. I know that I wouldn’t be getting any option for food anytime sooner. I had two aloo parthas so that I did not have to go hungry. It was a good decision. That’s because after two hours and two buses later, when I was in Mandi, I found an express Volvo that was departing for Shimla.
[2]Bhuntar terminus is off the main road and just beside the Bhuntar airport.
[3]This is entrance to the 3 km long Aut tunnel that cuts through an entire mountain. It is amazing what human brains and engineering can accomplish. I changed buses here.
[4]There was a landslide on Mandi tunnel road between Aut and Pandoh on Dec 7th [5]. The debris are still being cleared.
At Shimla
The Volvo took over five hours from Mandi to Shimla through NH 88 via Sunderpur. I also found a companion whose name is Krishnavatar Gupta. He is on a solo trip, too.
The Volvo dropped us at new bus stand or ISBT Shimla [6].
[7]Shimla’s new bus stand. At 6:00 pm, there wasn’t a shade of light left.
We took another local bus till old bus stand. As soon as we got down, we were flaked by brokers who promised us cheap and great rooms near Mall road. No matter how much we tried to shoo them off, more and more came flocking like leeches. We were not spared until we had walked a good kilometre. We found a decent hotel near the Ram Mandir just below the Mall road. The hotel couldn’t have chosen a more generic name – Tourist Hotel!
[8]The hotel had average rooms for the 650 rupees we paid per night. It was definitely cleaner than the hotel I had stayed in Mandi.
Krishna and I walked up to Mall road. I kind of dragged him into a place called Himachali Rasoi. They promised authentic Himachali thali. While I loved the food, Krishna did not enjoy some of the items.
[9]I took this photo of Krishna at Himachali Rasoi. They had traditional sitting upstairs.
[10]Anticlockwise on the thali, Ma ki dal, Chane ki dal, Black chane ki mani, White chane ka manthra and Badana sweet. I had also ordered Kangra Tea. They gave powdered jaggery along with it.
Krishna would be leaving tomorrow morning for sightseeing. Sadly, I will not have enough time to do so. I might walk around and explore the vicinity.