Fun continues

A bright sun greeted us in the morning. Though it was rising and ascending out of our sight, the slopes visible from the window announced the arrival of the brightest object of our solar system with pomp and show. We had got up late after a long  previous day. 

The other window opened towards Manali though it lay hidden from the view. In the middle of the night, we had taken the only room available and in the basement of the hotel but morning threw open the beauty of the vistas around. Actually, the hotel rooms have been built on a slope with top storey just about touching the road and with a cafe to begin with. A total of six rooms make this property and our room, if that was a sample, was spacious, beautifully done up and pretty aesthetic.

Breakfast of stuffed paranthas and usual accompaniment was served in the room. Taste might not have been the best in the world but service was full of courtesies and stuff pipping hot. Yes, this was where we stayed at Kothi...

Traffic was heavy and roads were getting loaded by the time we hit the road, about 1000h. At Solang Valley turn off, we went right to visit one point that we had missed out the last time around. There is a beautiful Shivalingam under a waterfall ahead of the project area next to the parking. ATBs and horses are the two options but we took the third option - own legs! Takes less than half an hour at a leisurely pace.

Typical Solang Valley terrain

Showers from a falling water stream during summers; frozen during winters

Just before Monsoons, shower is not very strong and most of waterlets tend to fly off in the perpetual breeze but then suddenly water catches you unaware and makes you wet

We had been lucky to find a place to park in the newly opened unmetalled parking area right at the roadhead at Solang. Getting out, however, was a nightmare. By the time we hit the NH, it was choked and traffic had been crawling. We left the NH at Palchan and crossed the bridge towards Upper Manali area. We had spent some great time in one of the home-stays during one of our earlier visits that side and we drove by the property with minimal traffic. However, short of Manali Club House, traffic was simply awful. Took an hour to cover last 500m before finding a place to park on Hadimba Road. While ma n beti did some shopping, I sat on the footsteps of the shop, freshening my eyes! 

We have one Evergreen Cafe in Kasol (probably one of the best food joints there) and seeing this one on the edge of Manal River, we sat down for a quick grub. Good food, it turned out to be!

By the time we finished our meal, it was about three in the afternoon. Passing through Manali was aweful and so slow that I gave up on any plans. There had been no room available in the town and as we crossed over towards Naggar side, we could see tourists stranded and hunting for rooms/accommodation. All of India seemed to have descended on the town on that weekend. Closure of Kashmir had been the actual culprit and we suffered the consequences.

It was about sunset time when we crossed Bhuntar. It has taken us more than three hours to reach there. We were now within striking distance of Prashar Lake (our own cottage at Kasol lay closer though but we were headed towards Jammu) and we decided to take our chances. Prashar lake has two resthouses (PWD and Forest) and even temple has enough rooms. A camp, we had heard, had also come up in vicinity. In a less frequented area, so many options gave us great hopes. We left Kullu-Mandi HW at Bajaura and turned right towards Mandi (alternate route). 

It was dark by the time we reached Prashar turn off. Kataula, slightly ahead, has a couple of guesthouses and Prashar was still 25 odd Kms away. That stretch had been bad in the past and a thought of taking easier option of driving a few Kms to the nearest guesthouse did cross our minds for a while but just for a while! Having taken left towards Prashar, we came across many cars coming back from the opposite direction. Most of the cars had PB and JK plates and our antennae began to rise in anticipation of another rough night.

We waved one car and checked on accommodation and road status. Report about the road was good but accommodation uncertain. Road was pretty good though narrow and winding till a point about five Kms short of the lake. Road work is going on there and hopefully, it would be completed by this year end or before that. It was very dark and probably past nine when we hit a small parking lot where a few cars stood parked but with no one around. Two boards pointed towards two resthouses on either side of the road. Suddenly, we saw a bike coming from the opposite direction. Waved him down and two guys on the bike confirmed our apprehensions. Both the RHs as well as temple rooms were booked for next three days. When I asked them about the new camp, the pillion rider smiled and said that he was the owner of the camp but against a capacity of 25-30, he already had about a 100 guests in the camp. Obviously, there was no room available. 

Being at a safer altitude, we discussed the option of roughing it out in his camp. Seeing the lady and the child, he advised me to go to the camp and look for David and then convey his message to him. Because of poor network, David was out of reach since mobiles worked at only one point at the camp. He wanted me to tell David to go to that point and speak to him. He assured me that something would be arranged even if it amounted to sleeping in the hut where the staff slept. Beggars can't be choosers and we thanked him before moving on. His last words were about the bad road ahead.

Road was OK though and about fifteen minutes later, we drove into the camp. It was overflowing and as we stood talking to David, one Fortuner, full of passengers, also drove in. David, however, assured us of a tent if we could wait even though we were now mentally prepared to sleep in the car. Some kids from APS, Udhampur and staff and a few groups from Haryana had been sitting around the camp fire and having a good time. We also joined in. 

David signalled me to follow me and once beyond the line  of tents, he told me that he had been able to manage two tents for us. With a family still waiting in the wings, I told him we would be OK in one tent and he could give the other tent to others. Rajmash and rice were cooked twice as David left to bring in some more tents. Hats off to that guy! He is an efficient manager. We had some rice and rajmash (not too well cooked though but understandably so!) while he was away. We had just curled up in our sleeping bags when he came knocking, offering us the food. I thanked him and drifted into the sleep.

Having slept in open and on numerous occasions, it was a luxury for me. Even for my better half, it was OK since she has had many such outings. For Czia, it was the first time in a pup tent without lights and in a forest and she loved it.

With only one makeshift hole as a loo, it would have been tough the next morning. Habit of rising early came to my rescue as I finished my chores as others snored around us. But as the dawn broke, beauty of the place came to the fore. The camp is set (no fixed lines or areas; just tents here and there) in a small bowl that is surrounded by tall trees and raised grounds on three sides. Deepika decided to walk up the nearest hill as I waited for Czia to get moving.

This is the kitchen and the long blue shelter beyond it is the living area of the staff; we were to share that as per the initial plan

From Deepika's vantage point

A lady opted to sleep in the Endeavor rather than the tent....comfort zones handicap us

David had been a messiah for many the previous night. He was half asleep when I asked him for the bill. Rs 500 per head......some appreciation and that was it for a good night's sleep under hopeless circumstances. We drove back towards the lake and realised how fortunate we had been the previous night. Many guys were sleeping next to their cars and on the road itself. Prashar had been raided for a change! A few guys had pitched tents below the road and one could see how irresponsible they had been.....all such points looked littered and dirty in an otherwise serene setting.

Parked our car and walked up and then down to the lake.....beautiful!

The island in the middle is not fixed and keeps moving though not really discernibly so

Orthodox Kath construction

Lake is out of bounds. A bucketful of water is kept next to this gate to enable devotees and visitors to sprinkle lake water on themselves or take it as a holy gulp

Base is stone construction....a variant of Kath-Kuni construction

A walk around the perimeter is worth it

Morning sky was a bit overcast and whole setting looked great

Contact address of Temple Committee Pradhan for those who want to book in advance

By nine, we were on the road again. What had been missed during the night, was now seen and absorbed! Our next stop would be at Jhatingri before we descend into Mandi-Pathankot HW at Ghatasani. Jhatingri is a small settlement from where another road descends into Barot. Aim was to drive up to a small village called Dev Dhar that is three KMs above Jhatingri. The track is unmetalled and just fit for one way traffic but there is hardly any traffic on that stretch. We are exploring an option to set up a small joint in the area around and between Dev Dhar and Fulari Dhar ahead. I have been to this area on three occasions over past nine odd months and have fallen in love with it!

Potatoes and Pea grow in plenty; snow clad mountains watch from distance

Nature has so much to give us....wild berries!

This is how potatoes grow in a fertile soil....Pahari Aloo!

We spent some time on top before returning to have a cup of tea at Green Himalayas Cafe at Jhatingri. It was time for lunch but we decided to move on but were still not sure about the destination for the night! A call to a known hotelier at Mclodganj told us about 4Kms long jam ahead of Dharamshala. We had a day to spare and wanted to take a break somewhere along the way home. Another call to a retired Colonel at Bir (Colonel's Resort) and we were offered the only available room for the day. We were some distance away but now more relaxed with roof over the head assured for the night as the rain started to pour!