By Shivani Singh:
A man who has not travelled has not read but one page of the chapter of life.
Travelling is among the many pleasures of life that has progressed along with the progress of civilization. Mankind has always travelled for religion, adventure, work, trade or simply for pleasure.
I travel mostly for pleasure and of course the wonderful memories that each destination has in store for me is unmatched. My trip to McLeod Ganj, a small hamlet near Dharamshala has been among the most memorable journeys I ever undertook not only because it was unplanned but also because it was on a tight budget. Me and my friend boarded a bus from Delhi at 7 o’clock in the evening from the Tibetan refugee area and reached McLeod Ganj, the adobe of the holy Dalai Lama, sharp twelve hours later. We had already done our research on rest-houses and had finally settled on the “Pink House” run by a family of Kashmiri brothers.
The moment you enter McLeod Ganj there is an assortment of tourist destinations waiting for your arrival, from St. John’s Church in the wilderness to the Bhagsu waterfall; from to the picturesque Nagli village, to the magnificent monastery which houses the Dalai Lama. A view of the majestic Himalayas was also visible from the terrace of our hotel along with hot black coffee and lovely pancakes. A must on a visit to McLeod Ganj is visiting the small coffee house run by the local Tibetan refugees. It is heartening the way they thus contribute in that small way to the cause of Tibet.
Besides all these tourist destinations, the cool pleasant weather here itself provides a much needed break from the relentless summers of Delhi. A must-do for a longer getaway from Delhi should be trekking in the snow-clad Himalayas. This destination is designed for the youth of today who really need refreshing and recharging breaks from their fast lives for a day or two. So go ahead and explore!