It's easy to plan a vacation if you actually know what you want out of it.
Let's say, if you want to go scuba diving with your newly turned teenage son, or say you want to go white water rafting with your beloved wife or maybe just sit in the lap of luxury and enjoy the prim proper beyond perfect ambiance of the resort, you have visited always.
But say nothing is up in your mind and you seem to be wondering if you really wanna do all these things all over again and again... then go ahead read... about a place in the GREATER HIMALAYAS...where our visit was nothing less then a divine experience of sorts and i and my family are just waiting to go WAY BACK to this blissful paradise on earth.
I have met a number of humble human and i too am one of them...but humbleness of some, can sometimes surprise you.
I had watched a television episode of a travel channel wherein i got my first glimpse of the place. I caught up with it much later into the show and so i couldn't get through the contact details. I tried their website i tried the social networking sites but to no avail.
I finally decided to call up the Himachal tourism office and they gave me a telephone number of some person. I call this man up and he says that he isn't the Raju i was asking for but he would surely find out his number and let me know within two days time. I sat in my home town Mumbai thinking this guy must have just said it out of courtesy and why would he sitting there in Himachal, miles away from me, bother to do find the right Raju.
Two days later i thought of calling that man up, since by then i had exhausted all possible search tips on Google. To my amazement his wife picked up the telephone and told me that her husband has indeed left a number for me. Humbleness at it's best. I knew for sure HIMACHAL was the place to go.
I contacted Raju uncle and was happy to know that he was indeed Ranjiv Pardhan of Raju's Cottage.
The journey into this wooden dream house begins with, Raju Uncle waving out to you from the other side of the river TIRTHAN. From there on you know it's going to be a home away from home. Raju uncle and his nephew Vicky came to receive us on the metal basket which hung over the river, we didn't have to bother about the baggage since they took care of it and us there on.
Let's say, if you want to go scuba diving with your newly turned teenage son, or say you want to go white water rafting with your beloved wife or maybe just sit in the lap of luxury and enjoy the prim proper beyond perfect ambiance of the resort, you have visited always.
But say nothing is up in your mind and you seem to be wondering if you really wanna do all these things all over again and again... then go ahead read... about a place in the GREATER HIMALAYAS...where our visit was nothing less then a divine experience of sorts and i and my family are just waiting to go WAY BACK to this blissful paradise on earth.
I have met a number of humble human and i too am one of them...but humbleness of some, can sometimes surprise you.
I had watched a television episode of a travel channel wherein i got my first glimpse of the place. I caught up with it much later into the show and so i couldn't get through the contact details. I tried their website i tried the social networking sites but to no avail.
I finally decided to call up the Himachal tourism office and they gave me a telephone number of some person. I call this man up and he says that he isn't the Raju i was asking for but he would surely find out his number and let me know within two days time. I sat in my home town Mumbai thinking this guy must have just said it out of courtesy and why would he sitting there in Himachal, miles away from me, bother to do find the right Raju.
Two days later i thought of calling that man up, since by then i had exhausted all possible search tips on Google. To my amazement his wife picked up the telephone and told me that her husband has indeed left a number for me. Humbleness at it's best. I knew for sure HIMACHAL was the place to go.
I contacted Raju uncle and was happy to know that he was indeed Ranjiv Pardhan of Raju's Cottage.
The journey into this wooden dream house begins with, Raju Uncle waving out to you from the other side of the river TIRTHAN. From there on you know it's going to be a home away from home. Raju uncle and his nephew Vicky came to receive us on the metal basket which hung over the river, we didn't have to bother about the baggage since they took care of it and us there on.
It was 3.30 in the afternoon and the weather just made us want for a cup of tea... there we were without really even wording it we were served hot tea and concocted biscuits and Raju Uncle himself for company. He made sure we felt comfortable, shared tea with us. 
It was time to sit by the ivy wines and just peep out of the wooden window to glance at the swiftly flowing cold Tirthan river. We sat there lost in blissful lap of nature ...lost literally in the greater Himalayas.
it was just about 7.00 p.m. but pitch dark and as i rubbed my hands for some warmth i could see only dim lights of huts and homes cuddled in the mountains, the stars were clearly gazing back at us and i called my kids out to see the sight... the enthusiast they are they dared the chill and were amazed to see so many of them together. Pitfalls of a city life, they had never seen so many stars in the sky together. We kept gazing.
Now was the time to light up the fire place, which was again something for a mumbaite first of it's kind. Vicky came up and did the needful and also gave us some tips on how to handle it ourselves. As we sat there gasping into the warmth of the fire place... we were so happy to be away from bustling sound of the city. Vicky came knocking with a big bowl of pop corn and we felt that it was just the right thing to add to the mood. Vicky was like this alarm clock, we would tell him 9 for dinner he would come knocking, 'Dinner is Ready' at sharp 9. He would ask for the morning tea and we would say 7 he would be there at 7, 'TEA'.
Dinner was like a humble lavish spread and to know that all that was being served was being cooked by Raju uncle's wife was a revelation. Such humility is rather rare. After the delicious finger licking home made fare and lip smacking desert we were off for a good night sleep since the kids were tired after a long travelling from Shimla to Goshaini.
The heater in the room was so effective that within an hour into our sleep and we needed to remove our sweaters. I happened to find something unusually different, i told my wife, 'Can you hear that?' ... she replied 'Yes, I can!' it was the sound of silence and we had never heard it before. Yes it was the sound of silence. It was unusual for us to experience that sound since we had never heard it before. Cuddled in each others arms we dozed off with that beautiful divine feeling of having discovered this beautiful place.
Morning was for a trail into the woods by the Tirthan river and we had a guide to take us through. After a early morning tea, and breakfast at sharp 9 we set off with our guides... Bhalu and Yeti the mountain guides, would be an understatement to call them dogs. They guided us through the narrow winding path straight up to the village nearby and what was amazing was when they wouldn't see us following them as we sometimes walked slowly trudging through the unknown terrain... they would come back and check on us. They guided us straight up and down through the the thick forest and then into the end of the path which then joined into a bridge over the the Tirthan river. School kids were out there enjoying their break. Sitting by the river on rocks and sharing tiffin boxes.... it just made us wish if we could have studied that way.
We visited the temple in the village, browsed through the very minimal shops which barely even sold necessities and all this while our guides were by our side even protecting us from ferocious looking local dogs. As we walked through hand in hand and our kids walked ahead free... we saw a teacher taking up a class in an open space... it appeared that they chose to do so to enjoy the warmth of the sun. BLISS. The teacher in me wished if i could teach my kids the same way.... but in Mumbai it's far from possible. We walked pass the blissful heaven through a winding road parallel to the river Tirthan with fresh air the rustic foliage and our dog guides.
Then it was time for an experience my kids were waiting for... fishing. Fishing in the cold waters of Tirthan... We were told that it wasn't the season for fishing but then we weren't going to miss this opportunity... so we decided fishes or no fishes we are going to go fishing.
We were given a real fishing rod ... real in the sense we had never ever done fishing with a real one ....
we sat by hours waiting for fishes which we knew weren't going to come... hours just passed by... the sun was abut to hide behind the mountains and we knew now we had to go back to our room for our warm cup of tea in our favourite corner of the house... with ivy wines and lovely view of the Himalayas...
On our way back from the fishing expedition we came across a wonderful Maple Tree ... we were so delighted we couldn't just pass by without taking some picture under it... with it's lovely foliage some of which already had kissed the earth and some fell as we shook the branch... 
We had just three nights at this beautiful blissful destination ... and that itself was the sad part. There was so much to explore within the house... those apple juice bottles which were just stored under one of the tables... those books which were stacked in the small library.. those nick knacks which were placed in a curiosity generating treasure chest... those never ending winding pathways through the apple orchards.... and... and... much more.... just waiting to be a part of that mystical place again.
Way back into the lap of Himalayas i just travel sometimes in my thoughts,
But i wait for that day with bated breath to go
...way back and be amid those imposing Mountains and enticing river
...way back to those ivy wines hanging on from the roof of our cozy shelter
...way back to the hospitable open armed welcoming family....
Love you Raju Uncle...
My Book 'The Most Successful Formula 2 b Unsuccessful' has the cover page and the concluding poem dedicated to this place.
http://www.flipkart.com/most-successful-formula-2b-unsuccessful-8192481530/p/itmdehny3hyavhqb?pid=9788192481531&ref=53abf290-4f1f-4ec3-802a-6c2664f53007&srno=s_1&otracker=from-search
http://www.indiaplaza.com/the-most-successful-formula-2b-unsuccessful-nozzer-pardiwala/books/9788192481531.htm
http://www.infibeam.com/Books/most-successful-formula-2b-unsuccessful-walk-path-with-nozzer-pardiwala/9788192481531.html?utm_term=The+Most+Successful+Formula+2b+Unsuccessful_1_1
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