Prologue

This is the first installment of the mini travelogue on Uttarakhand.
So goes the story of three people who went on one of the most wonderful trips of their lives of which yours truly was also a part.....

Sitting in a taxi on the way to the newly built Banagalore International Airport(BIA), curiosity was plentiful as everything was to be unchartered territory from here on. You see, I had as yet to see this new Airport which the whole city seemed to be thanking - except for the distance that had to be travelled of course. For instance, my flght takes 55min from campus and I take more than an hour to reach home from the airport in the best of times!! Coming back to that afternoon, I eagerly looked out to see the sprawling new airport only to find that both the International and Domestic terminal put together was the 1B terminal of Mumbai's domestic airport. What a bummer!! It decidedly looked all international and cool on the outside but inacapable of handling all the human traffic that might descend on it at peak hours. How short-sighted of all those who planned for this....

We boarded our flight to Delhi and landed without incident. Then began the transformation of the passengers let alone the surroundings, etc. If you have ever noticed, people actually change according to the norms of the city they have just landed at/entered, especially those who call the place home or who visit it frequently. There started jostlings and shovings withtout a hint of apology from even the best dressed. Luckily my dad's friend had sent us a his car and driver so that we could reach the Old Delhi railway station in time for our train to Haridwar. The Red Fort in all its night time glory sped past us as did all those Phase I(or is it II) constructions of the Metro Rail. I dont remember much excpet for quite broad roads, some really pretty bungalows and a fast average traffic(if a bit rash).

We were in the station with plenty of time for the train. A 2-week foray into the effectively unknown with the monsoon for comapny had prompted us to carry heavy luggage and the porters were the lucky ones on that score. The station was awash with people - most of them the very unsettlingly curious type( Somehow, I dont think the first idea on their mind was to help selflessly). They were very interested in the coach and even seat numbers we were to occupy in the train!! My dad's Blackberry drew some attention too(It does that in most places we go to anyways).

Thankfully the train arrived and with more than the incidental push and shove we climbed aboard to find our seats. There was a slight hitch however(things were going too smoothly for everyone's comfort apparently). This was a new coach with 3 berths on the other side as well(as opposed to the 2 berths used before) and so everyone's seat allotment was different to the one given in the tickets. Luckily our beths still came in the same set of 6 berths and the other 3 berths were also occupied by a family of 3 so nothing much to disturb us. All around however, confusion ruled. The aforementioned friend had also kindly packed us some forst rate dinner and this was duly consumed on the train.

Soon it was time to hit the sack or the quite muddy(I still cant fathom why) berths I must say. The night I spent on that train was like sleepig in a furnace that has just been put out-not excruciatingly hot albeit very stuffy and wholesome only for fitful sleeping. Also I think the driver was accustomed to catching naps just about anywhere and whenever he pleased because everytime one took the trouble of finding where the train had reached, it would be stopped in the middle of nowhere, and for at least half an hour at each stretch. This resulted in a much delayed train reaching Haridwar more than an hour later than scheduled.

That had very efficiently offset our tour and since we are no superheroes needing time for things like food and bath, it just did not help things. We left for a place Jankichatti(about 250 km from Haridwar) in a not so young Ambassador car. Of course, the heavens decided to open up just then. The result being that the windshield on the car would get smoky as there was no A/C to clear it up again. The driver would be talking, wiping the windshield from within and precariously driving all at the same time and my grip on the door handle would automatically tighten. Very comforting isnt it? If you thought that was the worst you couldnt be more further from the truth!! More on that next time.