Lansdowne: Walk This Way!

It was bound to be Deja Vu! Mr S(The Aspiring Singer) and Saurav back together for another trip. The last trip we had together was the "Triund" trip and it was bloody darn good one. The trip started on a bad note(as usual)as it took me 200 bucks to go from Kalkaji to Old Delhi Railway station. A railway station always brings the Metrosexual Indian to ground Zero...the crowd,the collective sweat,the cacophony all combine together to form that unique orchestra that Luciano Pavarotti would have been proud of. <br><br> On 25th Oct'08 morning we reached the Kotdwara Station. A small cute station, Kotdwara is also the tipping point for all things ahead that are called "Garhwali". We boarded a shared jeep to Landowne and after a journey that lasted one hour, we finally reached our destination -"Blue Pine Resort". <br><br> The Hotel deal that I got from an online company was a good one. Three Nights/Four Days package for two at 3800 INR...well,that's no bad,eh? The view from the Balcony was amazing! <br><br> The hotel room was also really cute with colourful drapes and a real cozy feel to it. Sitting idle has never been a habit of mine nor Mr S'. So we set off...to Lansdowne. Actually our hotel was located in Deriyakhal, which is about 5 Kms from Lansdowne Cantonment. The walk that one takes through the twisted roads has to be one of my favourites till now. <br><br> Lansdowne is all about the Garwal Rifles. Garhwal Rifles is a well known infantry rifle regiment of the Indian Army. During the World Wars and the wars fought after Independence, the regiment not only showed exemplary courage but also maintained its unique identity. Mainly made up of Garhwali soldiers, this regiment fought with great valour during the Kargil conflict. More than 25,000 soldiers of this regiment are at present engaged in the task of safeguarding the motherland. <br><br> The cleanliness that this cantonment town maintains is mind blowing. Not only is it clean, but the discipline is exemplary. About 4000 soldiers, at least 40,000 civilians...yet there was so much harmony between SILENCE and CHAOS! <br><br> Mr S, a born shopper, was thrilled to be in the Lansdowne market. Right from Diwali crackers to Himesh Reshamiya CDs to an imported DVD player, this market which is a km from the cantonment is chaotic, crowded and THRIVING! We decided to have our own fun anyway...After shaving ourselves clean,we even wanted to take a studio photo with me in a Toy Car and Mr S with a 70's Sunglass doing a John Travolta :-), but we never found an appropriate studio:-( <br><br> The road back to the hotel was as exhilarating as the ascent. The evenings were amazing. It was as if the sun came down the hill and took away our sweat...our tears...our worries...our paradoxical problems!