Masti in Mashobra

Prelude

Perhaps the most difficult part of organizing a team outing is deciding on the destination and the dates. And just how much so, we learnt this summer when our team was raring to go - somewhere, anywhere, away from the scorching heat, away from the grilling schedules. It took a number of "healthy discussions" after which we decided to go to Mashobra, which is about 10 km from Shimla, for an extended weekend in June. We wanted to go to the cooler climates, but avoid the regular hill stations which are usually very crowded. Mashobra was an ideal choice because of its beauty, as well as its proximity to Shimla. Next came the question of the mode of transport. Here too, there were almost as many opinions as the number of the people in the group. The suggestions ranged from hiring a bus to chartering a plane! It was finalized that we will travel to Kalka by train, and hire a bus or taxi for the rest of the journey. A detailed analysis of availability in trains ensued - quite a few iterations of reservations and cancellations, and a lot of frantic chaos later, our group was all set for a "cool" excursion.

Thu, 8th June

Most of us would probably never have woken up so early on a weekday, without a grumble. But Thursday morning saw us at New Delhi railway station, at what could otherwise be an unimaginably early hour, bubbling with excitement, as we waited for the Kalka Shatabdi. Once aboard, there was a lot of confusion regarding the seating arrangement, and the exchange of a single seat that was in another compartment. It was a good half an hour before we settled down. I have always maintained that half the fun of a group outing lies in traveling together, and I am not immodest when I claim to be proven right in this trip. We had a great time during the journey, and leg-pulling was the order of the day. While older kids were busy with their own games, the two babies kept us adults entertained. The hours flew by, and it was noon when we reached Kalka.

In the train

As we got down from the train, we were in for a rude shock - it was unbearably hot. We had hoped to take a chartered bus or a tempo traveler to Shimla; but our search for a vehicle which could seat all of us, failed miserably. So we hired three separate cabs to take us to our destination. A few kilometers from Kalka we stopped for lunch. From there, as we started climbing, the journey became tedious. When we reached Mashobra in late afternoon, all of us were exhausted. We scrambled up to our rooms and relaxed for a while. Then we came to the dining hall for snacks. A short passage led from the hall into the garden. The garden was quite good, but was soon taken over by monkeys. I never understand why there are so many monkeys in almost all the hill towns, and this place was no exception - during our short stay there, we had quite a few (interesting? No , I think not!) encounters with the monkeys.

The hotel staff had offered to organize a bonfire for us during our stay, but many of us were too tired, and so it was postponed for the next day. All we waited for was the dinner, so we could catch up on beauty sleep. :-)

Fri, 9th June

Naldhera

The next morning we were bright and cheery, the weather was very pleasant and the garden looked inviting. Some people enjoyed playing badminton, while others just sat back and enjoyed the weather. After a fulfilling breakfast, we were ready to explore in and around Mashobra. The first stop was Naldhera, of the golf course fame. We visited the hill adjoining the golf course which has been "developed" as a park so that people can explore and enjoy the scenic beauty of the hills and the valley. The development takes the form of few refreshment stalls, pony rides, and the omnipresent photographer who clicks your photo in the local finery. We spent quite some time there, taking in the beauty.

Watch, watch, watch ...

And then took place those "encounters". Rajneesh went to get some eatables, and on his way back, he was robbed of a pack of chips by a swift monkey. A little while later, another one (well, it could have been the same one, I guess) came over to the comfortable place we had found to sit down in the shade of trees. The chips and biscuits were quickly hidden, and twenty pairs of anxious eyes watched a single monkey. While we were almost scared, a group of local children out on a picnic calmly kept enjoying the lunch distributed by their teachers !!

Then we returned to the hotel for lunch. After the lunch, some of the people decided to go to the mall road in Shimla, but me and Nitin, along with some of the others, chose to stay back and relax. We found an almost dilipated table-tennis table in a room at the top floor, in a neglected looking recreation area, but we enjoyed many a game of TT there during our stay.

Bonfire

In the evening all of us gathered for the bonfire. The air had become pleasantly cold, and the fire was nice and warm. Snacks and cold drinks were served. Beer was also available, but it did not find too many takers (fools, eh?). By the light of the fire, we played a couple of games of Tambola. Delhi (and of course, office :-D ) was far away.

Sat, 10th June

There was a divided vote on what to do on Sat. The options were to visit Chail or Shimla. Some people had been to Shimla the day before, while some were not interested to go to the mall road; so, this group opted to go to Chail. Others had been to Chail earlier, or were not keen to go there, and chose to go to Shimla. GD was not interested in either, having been to both places several times, and decided to hold the fort at the hotel. (aadhe idhar jaao, aadhe udhar jaao, baki mere peeche aao !) ;-)

Chail Palace

We have been to many typical hill stations, and their mall roads, although pleasant to walk along, are almost the same. So we decided to be a part of the group goiing to Chail. Chail is about 30 km from Shimla, and known for its scenic beauty. The drive to Chail was treacherous, as the roads were bad,winding and narrow, with sudden changes of slope that occur in the hills. But the beautiful scenery en-route made the effort worthwhile. Air was fresh and cool, and the hills were so very green. The road leading to Chail palace (the holiday resort of erstwhile maharaja of Kapurthala) was shaded by the canopies of tall trees (Deodar? Cedar? I can never remember!). The park had many beautiful flowers blossoming. But again, the place was lorded over by monkeys! The palace is now converted to a hotel, and we had lunch at its restaurant, and shopped for wooden handicrafts at the souvenir shoppe before heading back to the hotel.

Colorful flowers in the Chail Palace gardens

By late afternoon, everyone was back. When Ranjeeta and Nirajana entered their room, they were shocked to find things ransacked. After a quick assessment, they did not find any valuables missing, but a few cosmetics were gone. On the window sill lied a badly chewed cap of a deo. They realized that they had forgot to latch the window inspite of a warning note, and it did not require Sherlock Holmes to deduce who the thief was. Perhaps the monkeys had a party that evening ;-)

Where's the party tonight ?

An army of monkeys invaded the garden in the evening, and chased us inside. Later we found GD's twins in the garden, with no one else around, holding out a couple of biscuits to the monkeys, who were merrily playing and riding the slides. They were promptly sent inside, but I was part amazed and part shocked at their act of bravado.

A wild flower we saw while taking a walk

We spent of the rest of time in leisure, lazing about, sitting in the garden, taking short walks. Another peaceful day passed, a little too soon.

Sun, 11th Jun

The hotel : Goodbye

The day started with a relaxed manner, but soon we got busy to arrange for taxis to ferry us back to Kalka, from where we could catch the train back to Delhi. The arrangement and packing done, we found time to trek down the hill. Soon after we sadly waved goodbye to the quaint little town of Mashobra. Even before we covered half the distance, we were stuck in a huge traffic jam for almost an hour, making us anxious that we will miss our train. After what seemed like a long time, the traffic started moving again. We reached Kalka just in time for the train, and heaved a sigh of relief. On the return journey everyone was much subdued. It was rather late when we reached New Delhi (given that the next day we had to go to office). As we waved our good-byes, we promised ourselves another outing soon.