After umpteen lunch table discussions, plans and formal mails, we decided (ofcourse by majority rule and not unanimously) to go to Shimla for weekend outing. We, aka, "FinLeg Team" ( it's a self -proclaimed abbreviation which sounds cool to me, since that gives me a title space in the Finance Team) is a group of eleven people at Groupon India. Two of the team mates couldn't make it, and so I was the only female with a gang of 8 guys. And that is one of the reasons that this trip turned out to be so much fun!
Journey with Indian Railways is amusing and Shatabdi Express is one of their finest luxury. The serving staff, who is never short of exuberant smile on their face, have all the patience to obey your incessant requests of tea bags, extra sugar, extra butter or coffee replacements. But towards end, they will serve a neat tissue napkin in anticipation of "bakshish" for the tireless patience and services rendered. I am sure for those of you quite familiar with railway journeys, must have come across those unyielding fellow passengers who are too passionate about their allocated seat and would be unrelenting to exchange the seat even given for Kuber's treasure!! Nonetheless, every time I travel, I enjoy my time spent on rails on board.
We hired a tempo traveller from Kalka railway station to reach Shimla, and the driver became our fellow for the rest of the days of or trip. Passing through Dharampur, we halted at "Giani Da Dhaba" to satiate our ravenous hunger. But the food was overrated and not worth to be experienced again. After a 3 hour ride, which was infused with gossips and chats, meandering our way through sharp turns in the backdrop of Himachal ranges, with bollywood music in the background score, Shimla had arrived. And it welcomed us with an amazing weather treat, concomitant with rain and hail bouncing on the road in front of our hotel. Shimla was the Summer Capital during British Raj and truly manifests the heritage till date (rest can be better read on Wikipedia, so I spare myself with further details !!). A stroll on the famous Mall Road in the late evening where the cold breeze made us shiver and freeze, was combined with continuous sessions of pampering ourselves with local spicy Chat, salted strawberries, ice creams and honey chocolates.
Narkanda, a tourist destination appx 60 kms from Shimla, was all covered with fresh snow. When you are a part of "Guys gang" it can become challenging to live upto their energy and excitement. For someone who had seen snow for the first time (except in their refrigerators or as a ice cube in their drinks) it was a sight to behold. For someone who had nourished the "dream" to visit Narkanda, it culminated into over-excitement!! Playing with snow, sliding up and down, hurling snowballs at each other, posing against the picturesque background, gulping down freshly cooked omelettes and maggi, served with hot tea, was what made it a perfect enjoying get -together holiday. The drive to and fro from Narkanda & Kufri to Shimla was interspersed with the melodies from all era... ranging from classics of Mohd. Rafi, Kishore Kumar to wretched heart aches (esp mention: Oye raju....pyaar mat kariyo... ;) ) to shaking our legs on Baby Doll to travel feats of yuhi chala chal rahi.....
Most of us Indians are bitten by the bug of being "adventurous" or "explorer". So if you tell your friends (esp the ones based in North India) that you are going to Shimla for a weekend holiday, they appear to shrugg off your vacation idea, devouring uninvited suggestion that it's too commercialised. But we were too lazy to account for any of such suggestion and went ahead with our pre decided destination.
Journey with Indian Railways is amusing and Shatabdi Express is one of their finest luxury. The serving staff, who is never short of exuberant smile on their face, have all the patience to obey your incessant requests of tea bags, extra sugar, extra butter or coffee replacements. But towards end, they will serve a neat tissue napkin in anticipation of "bakshish" for the tireless patience and services rendered. I am sure for those of you quite familiar with railway journeys, must have come across those unyielding fellow passengers who are too passionate about their allocated seat and would be unrelenting to exchange the seat even given for Kuber's treasure!! Nonetheless, every time I travel, I enjoy my time spent on rails on board.We hired a tempo traveller from Kalka railway station to reach Shimla, and the driver became our fellow for the rest of the days of or trip. Passing through Dharampur, we halted at "Giani Da Dhaba" to satiate our ravenous hunger. But the food was overrated and not worth to be experienced again. After a 3 hour ride, which was infused with gossips and chats, meandering our way through sharp turns in the backdrop of Himachal ranges, with bollywood music in the background score, Shimla had arrived. And it welcomed us with an amazing weather treat, concomitant with rain and hail bouncing on the road in front of our hotel. Shimla was the Summer Capital during British Raj and truly manifests the heritage till date (rest can be better read on Wikipedia, so I spare myself with further details !!). A stroll on the famous Mall Road in the late evening where the cold breeze made us shiver and freeze, was combined with continuous sessions of pampering ourselves with local spicy Chat, salted strawberries, ice creams and honey chocolates. Narkanda, a tourist destination appx 60 kms from Shimla, was all covered with fresh snow. When you are a part of "Guys gang" it can become challenging to live upto their energy and excitement. For someone who had seen snow for the first time (except in their refrigerators or as a ice cube in their drinks) it was a sight to behold. For someone who had nourished the "dream" to visit Narkanda, it culminated into over-excitement!! Playing with snow, sliding up and down, hurling snowballs at each other, posing against the picturesque background, gulping down freshly cooked omelettes and maggi, served with hot tea, was what made it a perfect enjoying get -together holiday. The drive to and fro from Narkanda & Kufri to Shimla was interspersed with the melodies from all era... ranging from classics of Mohd. Rafi, Kishore Kumar to wretched heart aches (esp mention: Oye raju....pyaar mat kariyo... ;) ) to shaking our legs on Baby Doll to travel feats of yuhi chala chal rahi.....
Late evening and night session was filled with dancing and singing our hearts out. Few showed the rare talent to imitate the evergreen expressions of filmstars of 60's & 70's era flashed on a TV channel in the hotel room, in their skilful duet performances. The photography and recording was strictly prohibited during this session ( a session which literally left us rolling on the floor). A long round of Dumb Charades played post midnight made me realize how aloof I am from the reel world and how my colleagues follow Indian movies ritualistically!!And bet me, it is not so easy to convince 8 guys not to play cards (as I personally find it boring) and to play Truth & Dare, esp after a drinking session and a sumptuous dinner served in the hotel room! But persistence can help you achieve, if not everything, then for sure many things!!
Slang, slurs, leg pulling, jokes, fun and frolic with colleagues on vacations/outings are perfect stress busters from the drudgery of corporate world. So this visit to Shimla, after my first visit which was 11 years ago, is crafted in my heart as a trip to remember........(always)!!
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