The One with the Hitchhike!

Hitchhiking our way to the Trek!

SUNSET!

HITCHHIKE!

How many times has it happened that you were traveling somewhere and you hitchhiked to reach your destination. Well, this was my first experience, and it was purely unintentional. It was the occasion of "Holi" - The Festival of Colors and we planned on doing a trek since it was a long weekend. We didn't do much research about our way and surprises were waiting to welcome us.
 
DEHRADUN
 
I started my journey from Lucknow and rest of the gang from Delhi and our meet up point was Dehradun. After catching up at Dehradun we got to know that no buses were running because of the Festival. Thankfully, shared taxi were and we reached Mussoorie. Now our next Destination was Pantwari - the starting point of the Trek. Total Distance - 56 km, Easy peezy right? Well, Read on!
 
MUSSOORIE BUS STAND!
 
After reaching Mussoorie, we got to know that no buses or shared taxis were running that day. Those who agreed were asking for a fortune, hence we skipped it. Then we decided to walk it off the mighty 56 km distance. So we started walking towards our Destination, and after covering 2 km in 30 minutes, we decided to give Hitchhiking a try.
 
MISSION HITCHHIKE!
 
After 10 minutes of waving at random vehicles, a bus stopped. A ray of hope dawned upon us and we got into the bus. It was a school trip going to Kempty fall. Within a minute we were welcomed with colors all over our faces. The DJ driver was busy playing hip desi songs and the kids were dancing like there was no tomorrow. Soon, we reached Kempty falls, clicked some selfies with the kids and that's how we covered the initial 12 km. That was the first Hitchhike of the day and I realized that this was the only way we could reach our Destination the same day.
 
THE HAPPY WALI SELFIE!
 
So, we started walking again and while crossing a village, we were surrounded by nearby village people who wanted to color us and kids who wanted to throw water balloons at us. We surrendered immediately to escape the water balloons and requested them not to throw balloons and just color us instead. Thankfully, they agreed. The smile on their faces when they were coloring us was precious. That's when I learnt that they really enjoyed celebrating the festival in the hills.
 
WALKING IT OFF!
 
Now it was time for Hitchhike No. 2. We were waving and a Sumo stopped. We stuffed ourselves in the rear end of the car. Damn, it was uncomfortable but the trek was more important. So we managed somehow talking to each other to forget about the pain. They dropped us after a stretch of 8 km. And that's how we started walking again. That's when I realized that Hitchhiking wasn't that easy as it seemed.
 
SHADOWS!
 
The next Hitchhike was rather interesting and we enjoyed ourselves very much. Hitchhike no. 3 was a Couple in their forties riding an Innova going for another trek via road trip. The guy was a Travel blogger as well. I was inspired by the fact that they were trekking in their forties. It got me into thinking that all you need is willpower and fitness and then Age is just another number. We discussed how many treks we have done so far and how many more we have to do. This was the best Hitchhike experience of the day for me. Soon, we had to part our ways and started walking again.
 
EN-ROUTE!
WALK AGAIN?

Now, we reached the last leg - Nainbagh. We got a shared taxi who agreed to take us to Pantwari. After 3 hitchhikes for the day, we agreed to spend some money because no other option was there and it was getting dark. So, after bargaining and spending Rs 100, we reached our Destination - Pantwari.
 
END WITH A SUNSET!

 
That's when we decided to sit down and eat like there was no tomorrow - We had Omlette, Paranthas, Bun, Chai - basically all they had to offer. After a gracious meal we looked for a hotel and call it a day. We were not tired, we were exhausted. But the hitchhiking experience made it eventful. The next day was the Trek day and we had to wake up early.
 
Can you guess the Trek which we did the next day? Keep guessing!
 
Next Travel Blog will be on the Trekking experience! Till then, Keep traveling and have FUN!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Local Noida

Image
Lo-kal chale ya parso? Summers are here, and we are all set to review yet another cool outlet in Noida. If you have been to GIP, DLF Mall, WOW, then this may not be a new place for you to explore. After you have entered Garden Galleria Mall parking then you can easily spot Local in front of you. One big advantage is the big parking, and the placement of the outlet. We have a lot of good food options to try here, but this one sets apart in its own unique way.   The property is huge in space and covers all kind of gatherings you can plan with friends, family, colleagues, or even a Date. The bar is in the center of the space and the seating is spread across ground and first floor. The ambience is very picturesque and lighting is visually appealing. I went in the day but you can expect a visually lit view in the evening. The service is good and the waiting time is not that high. Also, the staff is very cordial and helpful in picking the right dishes.  Now that you have got a ...
Read more

The Phi Phi Way!

Image
 Straight from the Mountains to Phi Phi.  Phi Phi! Planning a trip takes a lot of time, right? Hotels. Flights. Leaves from office. (Most Important one) Itinerary. Too much to Do! So, in the spirit of the moment, we just booked the Flight tickets randomly. And that’s how the First International Trip was planned! Arrival at the Airport! After 4 hours of flying and 2 hours in the Visa-on arrival line, we entered the Bangkok City. It was like a breath of fresh air! And the scene outside the airport was similar to a Fast and Furious scene. The taxi stand filled with Pink, Orange, Green and Yellow taxis, all waiting to block the road and start drifting. Pingu was more tired than us! But we wanted to get a feel of the public transport, so we opted for the Airport metro followed by bus to reach our Hotel. There we were, enjoying the beauty around us, the cloud formations, the big Build...
Read more

TIME MACHINE!

Image
Time to Travel Back with this Time Machine! I was invited for a tasting session before the launch of this beauty - Time Machine, The Time Traveller's Pub in Noida. This has officially been launched on 15th November.  Before we get to the food, let me adore the beauty of the ambience. AMBIENCE It feels like you have entered a movie scene the minute you step in to the place. A royal look spread all over the place. With the bar right next to the entrance, it is one of the biggest pubs that exist in Noida till date. If you start walking on your right then you'll notice a separate area that can be used for private parties. In the front, they also offer an outdoor seating that is too pretty to ignore. The seating arrangement is so beautifully arranged giving you all the space you need. Ambience! Seating! Talking about the Décor now, a big heads up for the creativity. I was in awe when I first look...
Read more