Lansdown-Ups and Downs

For a very long time I had been hearing about this hill station Lansdowne.  Not very far away from Delhi and as per some a must visit place to relax and escape from the city crowd.

This place is located almost 280KM from Gurgaon and seems an easy way to travel by car. So me and my wife decided to spend our long weekend in Lansdowne, this time I had not done enough research before fixing up for a tourist destination and that was a miss from my end for which we regret later.

Let me brief few things about this place. Lansdown is the home of the great Garwhal regiment and this goes back from the British era. The whole city is controlled by the army and they are doing a fantastic job by keeping the city clean and disciplined as plastic bags is banned and no one can booze openly. The whole city is not more than 3KM from one end to another but don’t keep any wrong expectations because most of the roads are steep vertically up or down. Lansdown is not a commercial hill station like Manali and Shimla, a handful of hotels and restaurants keep this place less crowded. I don’t think that there are more than 7-8 hotels and surprisingly most of the hotels have no kitchen and the guest have to be dependent on outside restaurant which is again in very less quantity. Almost all the times we have seen people waiting outside for their turn.  The city has a small market which has all the hotels and restaurant. The market is located in the heart of the city and known as “Gandhi Chawk”.

We started our journey 5:00 AM early in the day when whole India celebrate the festival of Holi. As I expected the roads were deserted because of the festival and in the early hours there was no traffic at all. We have to cross Gaziabad, Merrut, Modinager, Muradnagar, Khatauli. I have done an intensive research on the route and thankfully the roads were all good.

The road from khatuali is covered with small villages, farmlands and dense tree lines on both sides of the road. In some places the trees on both sides covering the roads like an umbrella which seems very beautiful. Early morning sun rays are just awesome when filtered from dense trees, but the roads also had potholes on some areas so one must be very careful because it was mostly deserted and no one wants to stick there because of some car problem. After Kothdwar the real challenge begins, as I have to drive on hill roads and was tmy first time, yes I have some tips from internet that to drive slow and use the horn on every turn. I have estimated that the total distance was of 30KM upwards. On our way we have encountered some villagers who were blocking the way and charging money and most of them are women and children, I was lucky to dodge them.  There is also a small toll 5km before the city which looks like locals collecting money in the name of toll tax, honestly it seems like that and I cross them without paying. Later I have realized that it was actually a Government toll LOL.

Finally we reached our destination before the expected time and the city is celebrating Holi. Here come the bad part our hotel is in the market and the road is downwards and too narrow, still I manage to take my car and called the owner. He told me that he is not in town and will send someone to take us to the hotel, but nobody came to this I had some heated argument but he had a good excuse for the festival. So we turn our car to Gandhi Chawk and waited there for an hour so that people will go home and we can walk towards our hotel. Under any circumstances I don’t want that the locals should pour colors or water on us. Around 12:30 things are slowing down and we decided to park our car and walk towards our hotel. Please remember that almost all the hotels have no parking facility and parking is available on Gandhi Chawk only that’s the whole reason after a day the whole place looks like a huge parking lot. We have one more surprise waiting in the hotel as the manager is missing from the front desk and we could not spot our name in the list. The staff was friendly and give us a vacant room till the time the manager is free with his own Holi celebrations, the room was small with the length of the bed not even 6Ft with one closet and a TV. Finally, after 1 hour the manager arrives with all sorts of color on his body we had booked a semi deluxe room, but the room was already occupied due to their mismanagement, but they have provided us the same room where we are resting and to my surprise it was a deluxe room, it could imagine that what will be a semi deluxe. The room was offered to us on the same price. We have not eaten much for 6 hours and here comes another setback the hotel has no kitchen and the market is closed so we have to wait for another 2 hours for one restaurant to open and as soon as they open their gates people just pour in. We had ordered for a veg thali. 

We went back to our hotel and decided to cover Bhulla Tall and Tip in Top, well it was a wrong decision as Bhulla Tall was closed due to the festival but Tip-in Top was open. Please be advised that the Tip-in-top is located on a hilltop and the road was vertically steep, but many people do not want to track and take their car. Honestly I believe if young people can’t even walk to tat distance they must stay in their city. We are already dealing with a lot of pollution and I don’t know why most of the Delhi tourist with their fat belly can’t walk. We reach the top after half hour covering the beautiful road breathing fresh oxygen and clicking pictures the sound of birds is like music to the ears. The tie we reached it’s already evening and due to very low light I could not capture the desired images, we spent some time and the best part is my dog lover wife got a chance to meet with a friendly lab. Now it’s time to go down and we lost our way a bit, but an army man shows us the right way. I got to know that tip-in top is the best place to see sunrise so I decided to come back later around 5:30 to capture some good pictures.

We were damn tired, so the only thing we did after reaching the market is filled out stomach and fall into deep sleep as soon as we reached our hotel.

The next day we planned to cover Bhulla Tall and War Museum. We decided to reach bhulla tall early to avoid huge crowds as it was expected due to the long weekend.  The place is not big and the time we reached there is only a handful of tourist so I got plenty of time clicking pictures. The pace got a small man-made lake with lots of ducks and boating is only allowed with life jackets, we skip the boating because the lake is very small instead I spent most of the time clicking. They also have a small area for Rabbits, hamsters and Pigeons. We spent almost 2 hours and it was getting crowded and there was not left to experience. They also have a small restaurant with basic food items alike chaat, idli dosa etc. From that place we again started walking towards Gandhi Chowk to have our lunch. The war museum is 1 K: M from Gandhi Chowk. Photography is probated inside the building but again some Delhi tourist has no respect and did take pictures from their phone. The museum will give us the entire history of Garhwal regiment and their bravery starting from 1st world war and every wall speak for their gallantry. I saw the famous German machine gun MG42 for the first time. The museum also contains the initial maps of Lansdown , pictures of our fallen heroes , generals and their medals. To my surprise, I learned that the regiment plays a vital role in the all wars and conflict. Among the fallen Heroes I spotted a name “Jaswant Singh Rawat” I remember my dad narrating me the story of this Hero who alone killed 300 Chinese  dogs in the indo china war source (http://www.indiatimes.com/news/india/the-heroic-story-of-jaswant-singh-the-man-who-saved-arunachal-pradesh-from-the-chinese-army-247929.html) . 

I think it was an honor to visit there and experienced the brave history of Grahwal Regiment. The war memorial was opposite to the museum, but before taking pictures I took permission from an office and he told me that I can take pictures from a distance but the main gate is closed for visitors and I think it’s a good decision for that sacred place as most of the tourists will be interested in clicking stupid selfies instead of giving respect to our Heroes, I will not be surprised if they also drop empty cups and food packets. I did manage to click some pictures from my 300 MM Nikkor from a distance. 

For the last day we planned that I alone will go to Tip-in top early morning and later will visit tarkeshwar temple. We decide to hire a cab instead of me driving as the distance is almost 40Km and roads are narrower.

Fauna at Bhulla Tall

As planned next day I woke up at 5:00 am and started my walk towards Tip-in top, this  time it was not easy as I have to reach as early as possible and my heart rate was maximum due to tracking upwards. Fortunately, I bought a mineral water from the market and it helps me to keep hydrated. I am glad that I was the first one to reach. As expected the sun was about to rise and I started setting up my Nikon with the best mood with my new Nikkor 300MM lens. I don’t remember when was the last time I saw a sunrise so red and nothing in this world can be so good watching a sunrise from a hill top. The red sun was hiding behind clouds and it seems like she is a new bride not ready to show her beautiful face. As there was no one there I managed to click some good images. After spending almost 1 hour I turned down to the hotel and somehow discovered a very small route down but at the same time it was very steep so have to be very careful. On reaching hotel we decided that I will take some rest and then will move out from breakfast and Tarkeshwar. We again went to the cab owner to confirm our booking he not only confirm our cabs but also told us that there were two more girls who want to hire a cab and we can split the fare. In breakfast we had stuff paratha and paneer paratha and I realize later that it was not a very good decision while someone is planning for a trip in hilly area.

The cab was on time and also our two companions. It was an indica with a very friendly driver as he is pro in his Job, the narrow turns seems like a piece of cake for him. But he was driving fast which scare the shit out of me also after some time I realize the problems in my stomach and feels like vomiting. Somehow I was responsible because I had a very heavy breakfast and I was very uncomfortable. We covered the whole 40Km in an hour’s time. Tarkeshwar temple is situated in middle of the forest and everyone has to walk the final 1 KM. That last 1Km distance was not easy and it is not advisable not to take old people as I have seen many people struggling. The whole 1Km was either upwards or downwards. After a walk of 15 minutes we finally reached to the temple complex which is worth all the travel. The temple is surrounded with a thick forest with a small ground filled with lush green grass. There are three bells on the mail entry gate and I was surprised to see a long column of bells surrounding the left side, than I came to know that as per the tradition many visitors devote bells. We did our prayers and again we encountered some tourists who are taking selfies inside the temple premises. There is also a very old tree inside which symbolize the “Trishul” of lord Shiva legend says that anyone who prays below that tree and if a single leaf or a small branch fell then the person is blessed by the GOD. The open area besides the temple is a huge and good place to relax for some time. We also spot our two Co passengers who have no interest in the temple may be because they are Christens, it was really very awkward as they were just there to visit the place, well anyways it was their decision.  After spending an hour and clicking some images we started our way up.

The parking space for cars is very less so it is another reason to travel by a cab. On our way back the driver asked that whether I have kept the toll receipt but I never had any. He told us that they will again stop you on our way back and the best way to avoid huge toll charges is to tell them you have missed the receipt and came only a day back, they will only charge 50. I came to know from our driver in Lansdown even after paying the toll one has to pay charges for everyday at the time of return. In that way I would have ended up paying almost Rs.250, so the best way to tell them that you have missed the receipt and came only yesterday.  After returning to our hotel I decide to get as much sleep possible because somewhere I knew in the back of my mind that our return drive will not be easy.

It took almost 7 hours to come back, 2 hours more than expected. We were stuck in two places Modinagar and Muradnagar . It was a very tiring drive back home as I was completely exhausted.

My advice to people going to Lansdowne that start at 5:00 AM no matter you are going or coming back. If you want to chill in the weekend then this is the best place near Delhi NCR but 1 and a half day is more than enough.One last important advise that please fill up your car petrol/ diesel tank, there are no petrol pumps in Lansdown.

Mughal Garden- Rashtrapati Bhawan

It’s been more than 17 years of my stay in Delhi and I never got a chance to visit the famous Mughal Garden. Sometimes we ignore the sites in our own city thinking we can visit the place any time.

 My wife had insisted to visit this place and honestly its worth going because it’s situated inside the Rashtrapati Bhawan. It is a lifetime opportunity to see the royal building so closely. We decided Sunday will be the best time as we don’t have to deal with much Delhi traffic. The garden is open for public only in the month of Feb and March. As a photographer, the sad part is no professional camera is allowed inside. We can resort to phone camera only. But I respect this restriction because it is the home of the President.

The garden is situated at the back of Rashtrapati Bhawan, incorporating both Mughal and English landscaping styles and feature a great variety of flowers. Source- Link. Three sections divide the garden rectangular, long and circular gardens also known as Pearl garden, Butterfly garden and Circular garden. The garden has all sorts of flowers but Roses and Tulips are the main attractions. Apart from that lotus, bonsai and herbs also add up to the beauty. The garden is fringed by many fountains, the most beautiful and spectacular one being the Musical Fountain. The water sprinkles up to the tune of patriotic songs which makes a great show for visitors! 

Security is very tight inside the garden premises guarded by armed police personnel and Indian Army. Visitors are not supposed to walk on the grass and are restricted to cross certain points in the garden. However, as Indians this is our birth right to “walk on the grass” and touch flowers. Some people will do anything for a nice selfie, ready to break the rules and sabotage plants! There is also a library of President Pranab Mukherjee close to the entrance of the garden.

We stayed there for nearly two hours. It was a great experience for us. I’m sharing few pictures taken from phone camera.

India Ecommerce

Most of the consumers still think Flipkart is the first e-commerce company in India. But the truth is Rediff, ebay and some other companies have been in the market much before these new companies. So why these early birds were not able to make an impact?

This may be due to various reasons.

1.   Easy internet access to consumers was missing in those days

2.   Less variety of products.

3.    Packaging Hygiene.

4.   Late Delivery.

5.    No Refund in case of bad products

6.    And last and the most important is “Marketing”.

The good tactic Flipkart used was to target the middle class consumers as they are aware that India is a price centric market and many people eye for discounts on FMCG and electronics products, instead of a branded “Swiss Knife”. After 2007, the ecommerce magma was hot and ready to erupt. Soon it did with companies like Snapdeal, Amazon and other small players, funded heavily by investors and gave a kick to the business.

We started buying most of our products from these sites at very attractive price. Of course who doesn't want to save money and time? To add to the convenience is doorstep delivery. So why did the local, small general store business failed and how come ecommerce companies are selling products with huge discounts? Its' simply because they buy in bulk quantities. This is the same story with other two giants Snapdeal and Amazon.

For example a local shop will purchase 50 toothpaste pieces as per consumption in his shop. A toothpaste MRP is Rs 50. On buying 50 pieces, let's say the wholesale price is Rs.48 or may be Rs.46. Since the shopkeeper also wants to make some profit; he would give a discount of one rupee to his few regular customers. But the case is different in case of supermarket and ecommerce companies. They buy 10k toothpaste tubes not from the wholesaler but directly from the company. For 10K tubes, the company will charge not more than Rs.35. In this case, they can easily slash the rate to Rs.10 but will still make profit.

Also, we all know that companies spend huge amount on marketing & promotion whereas that's not the case with local stores.

Another reason what I felt is lack of choices from local vendor along with bad service.

Remember those days when you got a bad battery from the local shop and he refused to exchange the product? I believe we all had our bad experiences. The best that the shop owner would do is to say “I will show it to the company dealer” blah blah blah and nothing happened after two days.

Ecommerce has given a leverage of returning the product in case of manufacturing defect, wrong size, color, and if in some case we don’t like the product.

However there is a dark side of the picture too. Ecommerce is full of fraud stories too! In one case, the customer got two mangos instead of a smart phone..Really! We are looking at a saturation level for this ecommerce bubble. New companies are popping up every day with attractive discounts. The reality is far from what they claim.

Most of the small ecommerce companies are selling first copy of brands, there supply chain department is not effective and many times not able to deliver the right product. In case of dispute, there is no proper customer service. Examples of such companies are-Shop clues, Industrybuying.com, Star CJ etc.

Sometimes back big IT companies like HP and Lenovo stopped all warranty services to products bought online because according to them they are killing their own retail business by selling it on a huge difference, but somehow it was sorted.  The one billion sale of Flipkart was in huge controversy between the consumers and also with other ecommerce companies. Some of the companies are even selling product directly from the local dealer or what they claim; in case of Flipkart they have their own company by the name of WS Retails.

I understand that we all want discount but at the same time, couple of things we have to keep in our mind before clicking on the payment option:

1.       Try to buy from a reputed company as chances of getting cheated will be low

2.       Try not to buy clothes and shoes as most of the time you will end up with a wrong size or color. It’s better if we buy these things from the retail outlet as we can always try the product.

3.       Electronic items like TV, Camera, and Cellphones must be purchased after doing a research on the warranty period from the day you receive the product.

4.       Before buying from a new site do read their return and exchange policy. I have encountered a company who have mentioned that some products are not refundable, but there actual terms and condition says “All products can be returned in 7 days”.

5.       Before making the payment make sure it’s a secure site. Do check for https:// and always use OTP.

Veg Chinese Choupsey.

I have never imagined that a silly experiment would turn to be a great dish! I christened it Veg Chinese Choupsey.

Wife made sandwiches for breakfast filled with mashed potatoes, raw onions and cucumber topped with black pepper and salt. The left over of the sandwich filling clicked in my mind and made me do an experiment which made this dish born.

Had some Masala Oats left in a container, which nobody touched since over a month. It did magic to the dish.

In a shallow pan, I dry roasted half a cup vermicelli with two spoons of masala oats, till they turned light brown. That gave a crispy twist to it. Then I mixed the sandwich filling with the roasted mixture. I chopped a medium sized onion and added it to the dish. Added a little water, stirred it, dropped in a scoop of vegetarian mayonnaise  and let it simmer for four to five minutes.

And the dish was ready in no time! With the first bite of the dish, my wife said it tasted like Chinese! Hence christened it Veg Chinese Choupsey. Trust me, it was superb. Atleast I was happy with my culinary experiment. 

 This is how the delicacy looked like- 

Home made Chinese Veg Choupsey

A lot more to experiment and treat my taste buds with. 

Stay tuned for more! 

Barbeque Nation-Sohna Road Gurgaon

"BBQN is better than any grill in NCR" this is what I here from everyone. After a huge "Tamasha" in CP Bar where I had the most disastrous experience and an attack from paid freeloaders, I decided to visit the famous Barbeque Nation at Sohna Road, Gurgaon with my wife to celebrate V day.  

As we entered the premises, the security informed us about free parking for BBQ guests. They have a well managed valet parking so that guests don't feel harassed to spot a parking place.

The manager at the reception greeted us with a smile and requested us to sit in the waiting corner for 5-10 minutes.  The wait was over soon and we got our seat. The first thing what I observed is the accurate height of the tables, suitable for everybody. The distance between the chairs and the Barbeque is within reach for four guests and the seats are also quite comfortable. Not to forget the cleanliness and hygiene.

There was a little glitch in the washroom of water shortage for which the manager apologized and came to me after few minutes to inform that it has been fixed. This is a perfect example that the staff is serious about every small  problem the guests face.

And now food time :) We got a very warm welcome from Biku, a very friendly staff who attended us. I opted for lemon ice tea and my wife settled for fresh lime in the complimentary drinks. They were refreshing and amazing. A surprise Valentine Cake was served to us. What could be more warm and sweet than this!  

Among the starters we had:  

Cajun spicy Patoto – Must have, the taste is awesome full 5 on 5

Paneer Malai Tikka- Good 4 on 5

Labanese grill Veg- 4/5

Barbeque Pinaple-3/5

Chilli Corn Steak3/5

Veg Kabab-4.5/5

I hope my wife can give much better reviews on Veg and I dug in most into non-veg food

Non Veg Starters

Peri Peri Chicken- 5/5

Tandoori Tangri-4.5/5

Moroccon Seekh Kabab-5/5

Were also served with sweet Bread which was fresh and soft yes of course tastes pleasant. We enjoyed our Barbeque.

The courteous staff made sure that guests are happy and satisfied. So they went to each table and asked for feedback. They also offered to customize food in case someone wanted. The staff was on the toes singing songs for guests celebrating their anniversary or birthdays.

Then it was time for main course. I can only write for non veg; I am sure my better half had the same experience with veg.

Non Veg

Chicken Dum Biryani Masala-4/5

Burani Ghost- 5/5

Nimbu Makhan Ka Murg-4.5/5

Fish and Hot Garlic Sauce- 5/5

Out of the above I am in love with Burani Ghost and Fish and Hot garlic Sauce. We were almost full but as a true Indian we always have reserve for sweets. Desserts had an amazing variety and the taste drove us crazy J

 

Walnut Brownie with peanuts-5/5

Phirnee-5/5

Pan Icecream with Gulkand and Khas Syrup-5/5

Angoori Gulab Zamun-4.5/5

Charlotte de Royal mango cake-5/5

Out of all the Pan Ice Cream and Phirnee was out of this world.  It seems desserts were prepared by experienced chef because they were not overloaded with sweets unlike the regular Indian sweets.

As we finished our heavenly lunch, and were preparing to leave, in came the last surprise of the day. The floor manager came with a camera and took a picture of us together. I assumed it would be for their wall or soft board display. While waiting for our car to arrive, the manager came back with the hard copy of our picture nicely framed.  

Conclusion- The overall experience was beyond words. We met with very friendly staff and honest gestures from them. The food, the ambience, staff all were excellent.

Good Job BBQN. We surely will come again.