Day -1
Punjab De Paraathe on the Highway (near Pathankot) Subah Subah garmaa garam Makhan aur dahi de saath.. Wish every morning I wake up in an AC Innova on the Punjab Himachal highway (no matter how rickety n assaulting it is to the neck n back) watching the Makke aur Sarso de Khet Glowing Gold as the morning Sun kisses them; and then stop at some random Charpai wala Dhaba n feast on their Ajwaini Parathas and dahi with huge blobs of Makhan, while savouring a view of sunflower fields saluting the morning Sun--- Now I wud call this "Desi Dildar Khatirdari of the senses n tastebuds".
So, around a 150 kms of snaking and bumping up the Himachal after those Makhandaar Paronte near Pathankot, I was all set to explore Dalhousie- The Switzerland of India; or rather better known as the city named after Lord Dalhousie -the Governor General of India during the mid 1800s. Our Hotel -Mount view "Hotel" tuned out to be the oldest hotel in town dating back to the British Raj with rooms openning right into the Pir Panjal range. A 20 minute uphill, sweaty, huffy puffy n gaspy walk from our hotel led us to the mall road; flocking with "Non Tibetian Momo Vendors claiming to be Tibetians" and numerous Maggie stalls. Tried the "Tibetian Momos from a Pahadi vendor" n somehow still enjoyed the Leathery chewy thick texture of the Momos sprinkled with "believe it or not"- Chunky Chaat Masala (I guess its the mysticism of the hills that just keeps u elated n Santusht with anything).
Roaming up n down the 500 meters slant Mall Road n the strong Mountaun air made us more energetic with a more voracious appetite. So we sampled some Chhole Kulche from An interesting looking flat n tilted copper pot right outside the Saint John's Church....
With a quenched appetite as we turned back to walk to our hotel I spotted a quaint little food stall selling Maggie, Chicken Curry n Boiles eggs.. This stall was on a Scooter n the menu of the stall was hand painted / written on the scooter.. It looked too interesting to skip a photo.
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