Category : Stories

Sub Category : Adventure

The entire week was full of excited chatter and endless plans ,Our long awaited ,dream vacation was about to begin.As the head of this noisy gang, I just wanted to relax . After long years of working hard, and skimping and saving we had managed to plan our dream vacation .Yes, our dream vacation _____visiting the beautiful Himalayas! The crown of India! We decided to travel light.Sturdy boots, warm socks, flannel shirts,bright mufflers, cosy caps and thermals.These would be carried in ruck_sacks to enable easy movement.The thought of the snow _capped beauty with her pristine waterfalls, glorious stately,pine trees filled us with longing to reach there as soon as we could. We piled into the car,said a small prayer and waved good_bye to our friends and at last we were on our way to our dream destination! We filled the car with lots of noisy laughter, jolly songs and good natured teasing of each other. By early evening we reached Dehra doon at the foot of the majestic Himalayas! Just another one and a half hours and we would be able to reach Mussorie, The Queen Of Hill Stations.The air had turned chilly and we could feel the sudden chill and mist in the air. We got down from the car to gaze in wonder at the scenic beauty, that was all around us.After a few minutes ,we got back into the car and to our horrow it just would not start! I tried and tried but in vain.No amount of coaxing or pushing the car, it did not budge an inch.We tried even praying but the car seemed to have a mind of its own .What seemed like a dream vacation was turning into a nightmare. Very soon frustration set in ,and the blame game began.I put an end to all of that, got my gang together ,fed them some energy bars and a pep talk.Very soon ruffled feathers settled and we all were smiling again .Yes,we decided to dump the car and trek all the way to Mussoorie! We all were thankful that we had travelled light, swung our ruck sacks on our backs , and started the long but beautiful climb up .As we climbed higher , the air became purer and the variety of flora and fauna left us amazed.We had read about the beauty of the hills in books now it was all spread out in front of our eyes.Everywhere the eye could see ,stretched different shades of soft green grass, dotted with whiteand yellow daises.Red, white, yellow and pink creeper roses waved colourful heads everywhere. Clusters of lithe, dazzling 
gorgeous butterflies , rose from the tall Holliocks that stood like
soldiers along the trail. The path was alive with bees and chirpy birds , who seemed to be serenading a welcome as we climbed higher and higher.In the distance the mighty Himalayas stood still extending a warm welcome to us .The beauty of the place pleased our senses,and we did not feel tired at all.The past frustrations all seemed to vanish. The mist that was surrounding the Himalayas seemed to beckon us .Soon, we were out of the mesmerizing forest trail and on to the last bend of the trail and there stood the inviting road to the Queen Of The Hills Mussorie! Nestled at the foot of the Himalayas, land of mountains and snow.Home of a few world renowned boarding schools, home of the famous writer Ruskin Bond, the famous Mall road,the breath taking Kempty Falls which attracted thousands of visitors just like us .All of us rejoiced at our choice of vacation point . We checked into the nearest hotel, had hot piping tea and samosa and got ready to spend a night,watching the night creep in , with her sleeping powder, which she dusted lightly all over the town, sending tired people to rest. We spent the night under the stars ,that looked withen touching distance.The night was filled with the heady fragrance of theMagnolia flowers that looked like big, white flaxen Lotus flowers on the trees. Fruit bats swooped around in gay abandon from tree to tree . Below us Dehra Doon was lit up and glowing , above us the snow _capped Himalayas kept watch over us ,just like a mother ever loving and protective.The picture of the Himalayas and us still lies on my mantle shelf, in fond remembrance of that lovely Dream vacation.