My journey to Himachal Pradesh

If there's one thing I'm addicted to, it's mountains.

I have been to Himachal before, but this time was different. This time I went with 2 of my best friends. So there's obviously things I can't write. However the sight of great mountains, diverse cultures and time spent with genuine friends is priceless.

Day 1 - The bonus of road trip

Getting to our stay at Palampur rest house was a 13 hour journey with stops in between. We talked, played music and had productive and fun conversation the entire way.

We reached our stay at 2:30 am. We were extremely tired. We couldn't see anything at night, we slept soon after.

Day 2 - Waking up to mountains

Next day - I woke up at 9 and came out of my room. The place looked beautiful. Soon I looked above and my head paused, and I whispered "Holy shit".

I saw snowy mountains right in front of me. Visible from our resort. A piece of magnificent power, time and beauty.

Picture don't do justice to the power and depth of mountains. The view when seen in real life is something I've failed to capture in any photo.

I also drew a sketch.

The exploration

Some time later my friends woke up. We went to nearby local shops to eat.

We decided to first visit the Tea Garden.

The garden wasn't very far. When we reached we realized it's off-season. However - that wasn't it. The whether was so good. The garden was huge there was wind blowing.

At that moment I realized going back wouldn't be easy. That was it - I was addicted to nature.

Soon after taking in nature, we went to see a lake. Apparently the lake was no more. There were rocks all over it. However it became cloudy, and wind started blowing.

We had snacks, talked and then went out to explore. We climbed a small hill.

Night party

At night we partied and enjoyed each other's company. Good times.

Day 3 - Going to McLeod Ganj

It rained last night. It seemed our plan for trekking at McLeod Ganj would change. Though the view of mountains became more beautiful.

We left for McLeod Ganj which was ~1.5 hours from our stay.

First we visited Dal Lake. That lake was a real disappointment. So we went to a forest near the lake and spent some time there.

We also had our lunch here. Though we decided we'll save some for Shiva Cafe.

The hunt for chicken momos

Since the very beginning of the trip, my friend and I have been looking for chicken momos. Everywhere we go we would only find veg momos. But no - we wanted chicken momos and the search must not stop.

On our way to Shiva Cafe my friend and I finally found a shop. That was it. Chicken momos were available.

We ordered a plate and ate as we complete this milestone.

Shiva Cafe

To reach Shiva Cafe we had to walk a lot trough roads and trek a mountain. But man, it was worth it. What lies above is pure beauty and salvation.

After climbing for an hour. We had finally reached Shiva Cafe. From there we could reach a waterfall. We decided to climb that waterfall.

Upon doing so we found 2 rocks with beautiful sculptures on it.

We also met a lone traveler whom we invited for tea with us.

We spent quality time there. Played chess, ate good food. When it started to get dark we set out to return.

Night party 2

Upon returning to our resort at Palampur, we partied all night. These are some good times.

Day/Night 4 - Silent mountains and road trip

Last night's party still had an affect. We all woke up late.

This was our last day of this wonderful trip. We spent the entire evening looking at mountains talking and eating chicken.

At 8PM we loaded our bags and set out back to Delhi. At first we thought it'll be hard to stay awake all night. But as soon as we started playing music all sleep was gone. We were pumped. We listened and sang along to music for 6+ hours.

We reached Delhi by 7AM and went to our homes. I took a flight back to Odisha.

Good times.