Weekend in Shimla

The last weekend in Shimla was all fun and excitement. Adesh was a part of Shimla Half Marathon and completed the run in under 3 hrs.

On Saturday, 3rd October, we reached Shimla at around 12pm and after checking into Hotel Holiday Home, we went straight to the race expo at The Ridge. And then, we set off to do a recce of the route that Adesh was to take next day. For me walking on that terrain itself was so exhausting, I was just wondering how the runners will complete their 21km. Thank God I had decided not to run and be a volunteer. I clicked photographs of the route during recce and on the race day. I was trying to live up to the role of the photographer assigned to me.

Adesh has shared his experience here.

And, when it was time to start the return journey, we were already exhausted. Nonetheless, we carried back with us fun filled sweet memories. Looking forward to the Diwali weekend round the corner!

Experience in Bangladesh

I went to Dhaka for 5 days in the last week of August. It was an official trip, and I did not have an option but to agree to go. This was to be my first international trip and I must admit that I was little excited too. But then, I never wanted my first international experience to be in Bangladesh!

Anyways, I had to fly from the international airport and I was to spend in foreign currency, so I was somewhat contend. I had a Jet Airways flight and the service was good.

The feeling changed quite a lot when I landed in Dhaka. The international airport was OK. The hotel cab was there, so I was happy. Finally, I was on foreign soil!

The first thing I noticed was the number of Toyotas on the road... so many Corollas. There were other models also, Yari, Noah, Ace, RAV4 apart from Camry and Prado. Nissan was also present in a big way. It was a Saturday and weekend there. So the traffic was not much.

As were were driving down, what seemed to be the main road of the city, I could see many familiar brands' hoardings. I even crossed the Radisson. Globalization has definitely led to familiarization.

I was happy when we crossed a KFC. I could definitely do with a Zinger. It was the holy month of Ramadan starting the next day, and people were gearing up for that. The hotel room was comfortable, and I did not venture out. I am a vegetarian, by choice and not compulsion, when I travel. And this was a challenge for me. Well, I thought of playing safe and ordered the plain dal-roti.

The next foor days were going to be hectic in office. I had meetings lined up from morning till evening.

Next day while coming back from office, it was iftar time. The markets were buzzing with vendors selling sweets and pakoras and other delicacies. It was a very different experience. I was advised by friends back home to venture out alone. And, since it was Ramadan, all colleagues were busy with family gatherings.

Four days spent in office, hotel room and in the cab transiting between the two.

Finally, on the day of return, I reached Airport early morning. I had an 8.30am flight for Kolkata. The sight at the International Airport was very different from our IGI in Delhi. It was more like the domestic airport in a Tier-II city in India. Un-hygienic environment, dingy place. I was waiting for my flight after checking in, and it was about 7.45am and there was no announcement for boarding or moving to boarding gate area. After another half an hour I came to know that the flight has been delayed, till when no idea! The airlines staff were all communicating in Bengali and I was feeling so helpless. I had to ask the co-passengers for the update. After another 1 hour, we came to know that the flight has been delayed till 6.30pm as there was some 'technical snag' in the aircraft. They could not make any other aircraft available for the international flight though they had aircraft for the domestic flight. They were unable to transfer us to another carrier. Another 1 hour of arguement with the staff. The airline manager and the airport manager were unavailable. The airlines staff plainly refused to help. They said that we will have to buy tickets for another flight on our own and they will issue a credit note from their airline as the flight has been delayed. We had just 30 minutes left for the flight to depart for India as the next flight was at 4pm. I just ran to the ticketing counter and to my horror they were not accepting International Credit Cards and Indian Currency. They only wanted USD or Takas. I ran to the bank counter, but they refused to exchange INR. Finally a Scottish lady, Barbara, who was also travelling on the same flight, offered me USD to buy the ticket. I was so grateful to her and finally managed to board the flight. I was so gald to land back in India.

I was so amazed at the casual attitude of the people at the airport. There was a critically ill person who had to be admitted to a hospital in India. The mother was begging the airline staff for help as every moment was precious for them. But her pleas were falling on deaf ears. Till then I had thought that Indian sarkari babus were the worst one could find. But after that encounter, they also seem far superior.

Phulkari Treasures

I went visiting Adesh's relatives in the interiors of Punjab during the second leg of the vacation. It was hard core Punjabi culture at its full. Since I was visiting them first time after our wedding, (though its seems a lifetime ago to me!), the ladies were all decked up to welcome me. And I, the supposedly new bride, was dressed in summer casuals. Thank God I was in right mind to dress in Salwar Kameez. Anyways, back to the relatives. They welcomed me with Phulkaris, my favorite. And I was already loving them. Generation old phulkaris adorned by these beautiful ladies.

Each Chachi had a different story to tell about her phulkari. How and when it was made? Who gifted it to her? What was the occasion? I was enthralled. How I love these tales, they did not even know.

Since it was peak summer, with no rains and long power cuts, the hand fans or pakhhis were out. These pakhhis were also embroidered with phulkari and had been in the household since ages. The ladies still make these hand fans on their own, and they even showed me a couple of these with work in progress. I could not help requesting them to make some for me as well. I was going crazy and Adesh was just laughing at me.

In the evening when we left I still had those beautiful treasures in my eyes.

Travelogue: Sarahan & Sangla- V

Day 5: 19th June

We were all set to bid adieu the beautiful Sangla Valley. Our bus left at 6.30am. We bought tickets till Narkanda, as we planned to stay overnight at Thanedhar.

We reached Narkanda at around 2pm and after lunch at the New Himalayan Dhaba, we caught a bus for Thanedhar. Thanedhar is a small town around 18kms from Narkanda. It is the apple country with apple orchards and cherry trees spread as far as the eye can see.

At Thanedhar, we stayed at Hotel Sunset View. It is small guest house run by a local family. Complete homely environment. We paid couple of hundreds extra for a room with a view, and it was absolutely worth it. The sunset was beautiful. The placed lived up to its name.


There is another property of Banjara Camps in Thanedhar, but the rates were steep for us.

Thanedhar is a sleepy town with complete silence post 8pm. Not a soul on the road. There is not much to do here, except for strolling around.

Samuel Stokes had introduced apple plantations in this region, and it gave the town's economy a boost. It is still the major source of income for the locals.


Day 6: 20th June

After a heavy breakfast of Aloo Paranthas we caught a bust to Simla, from right outside our doorstep! The luxury of a small town. Another interesting thing that we observed... any courier, of any size, to be sent to the nearby village is done through the local bus without any escort. Just tell the driver/ conductor the receipents name and village, and delivery is guaranteed. Social networking at its best!

We also witnessed a procession carrying the local diety. Himachal is after all the Devbhumi- Land of Gods, with every village having its own presiding diety.


We reached Shimla at 2.30 pm and caught a bus for Chandigarh. We were already feeling the heat. From Snow covered mountains to burning plains, it was quite a transition.

Finally, we reached Chandigarh at 7.00pm and one week of holiday in 'Wonderland' came to an end. Our first leg of chutti was over. And we were headed for our hometown, Patiala the next day.

Travelogue: Sarahan & Sangla-IV

Day 3: 17th June

After a goodnight sleep tucked in quilts, we got up all charged up. After breakfast, we went around exploring the small town. It was a bright sunny morning.

We decided to trek up 2 kms to the village of Kamru. We could see our destination up on the hill, with the local temple being the highest point. The trek was through a narrow path amidst apple and walnut orchards. The last 500m was too steep and I was out of breath! But the view from temple was worth all the breaths lost. The temple, like all others in the area, had a Buddhist monastery and the Hindu temple in the same complex. Also, through the complex there is the route to the old palace of Bushahr dynasty. It is a seven storey wooden structure, and only the temple committee can enter it. general public is forbidden. In this complex also, leather goods are forbidden and you have to cover your head and remove your shoes. The temple caretaker patiently explained the history and the local customs. He also happily posed for us !

The caretaker told us that in a certain month in the summers, the locals go for a pilgrimage of Kinner Kailash. They do a parikrama on foot, and the entire trek lasts for seven days. I was impressed.


After spending half an hour there, we trekked down and enquired about the bus to Chhitkul. Chhitkul is about 26kms from Sangla, and it is the last Indian village on the old Hindustan Tibet Road. The bus from Reckong Peo to Chhitkul leaves Sangla at around 12pm. It is a 2 hour journey through Batseri and Rakcham villages. The view of the valley is heavenly. It can not be expressed in words and you have to experience it.


The bus stays in Chhitkul for 10 minutes and returns back. There is a dhaba there, that proudly calls itself as 'Hindustan ka aakhri dhaba'. There are old houses of wood and stones, and you can experience the Kinnauri culture to its core. The Indo- Chinese border is 60 kms from there.

Another bus for to Chhitkul leaves Sangla at 4pm and stays overnight at Chhitkul to return next morning at 6am.

We reached back Sangla at 3.30pm and after lunch at "Tast of Tibet", a Tibetan eatery serving Veg thalis as well, we headed for our siesta. The momos at this place were yummy. We returned in the evening for a cup of coffee and were rewarded with creamy home-style coffee with loads of milk. The Punjabi in me just loved it. You can enjoy the hustle-bustle of the town sitting in the balcony of the restaurant, sipping coffee, feasting on momos and thukpa and reading a book.

The dinners were at Baspa Guest House. Home cooked food for us. We were loving this place, and dreaming of settling to a peaceful life here.


Day 4: 18th June

We planned to trek to Batseri village, which was 5 kms from Sangla. We trekked down to the riverside. There is Sangla Nag temple in the village downside. After crossing the Baspa river, there is a small hydel power project. You reach a small village named Azaad Kashmir, after crossing the hydel project. There is river on one side, and pine forests on the towering mountains on the other side. It was definitely an adventure.



The locals kept guiding us and we crossed the Government Trout Fish Farm. Suddenly, we encountered a stretch full of stones and rocks. Actually, there had been a landslide a couple of weeks earlier and the normal path was blocked. Our hotel person was not aware and he had encouraged us to go for the trek. The original path is supposed to be a straight one along the river side. We crossed this stretch and were exhausted. There was some relief in terms of a stretch of green grass. But another 100 metres and we encountered another rocky stretch. Fearing that we would be lost in the wild, we took a u-turn. We came across some locals who asked us to follow them to Batseri, but we regretfully declined. We still needed some energy to trek back up to Sangla.

Finally after 3 hours, with water and cereal bars devoured for energy, we were back in the main street of Sangla. We were tired and we were hungry. And we barged into Tast of Tibet. All we could think of was FOOD.

After a short nap, we were back for our coffee and momos. I also tried the pan cakes at the neighbouring Sonu Cafe, a favourite of foreign tourists, but was disappointed. We decided to retire early as we planned to catch an early morning bus next day. We were on our journey back.


Bus fare to Chhitkul: Rs 15 per person
Meal for two at Tast of Tibet: Rs 100- Rs 150
Stay at Baspa Guest House: Rs 550 - Rs 850 per night
A hospitable host and great customer service: Free

Trvelogue: Sarahan & Sangla -I

We had been planning for a fortnight vacation for over six months. It was to be in the end of May or beginning of June. Eventually we planned it for the second half of June. Since the economic downturn, we were contemplating whether to go ahead with the planned vacation or not. But what the hell! Approved leaves of 15 days are hard to come by, for me as well as Adesh. So we thought of 'budget holiday'.

One week of budget travel and one week at home in Punjab.

We decided to go to Sangla Valley in Himachal Pradesh. And, we planned to travel by Himachal Roadways bus.

The itinerary was:

14th June: Gurgaon- Chandigarh
15th June: Chandigarh- Sarahan
16th June: Sarahan- Sangla
17th June: Sangla
18th June: Sangla
19th June: Sangla- Thanedhar
20th June: Thanedhar- Chandigarh

Lonely Planet and K Srinivasan's blog helped a lot in planning the trip.

The stay was in budget guest houses and Himachal Tourism hotel. We booked the Himachal Tourism hotel in Sarahan beforehand through their website. The bus schedule at HRTC website also helped, and my brother got the bus ticket booked in advance from Chandigarh.

The bags were packed. The excitement was high. And, we were raring to say- "Let's Go!!!"

Chutti Over

I am back and back after a long break. Break not just from the blogger's world but from the maddening metro life as well. I went on a vacation! It was chutti time. Adesh and I took a fortnight off and hit the road up to hills to escape the burning Delhi.

It was a vacation that we both thought was well deserved, though our respective employers may disagree. First one week was in Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh, in the towns of Sarahan and Sangla. The next week in the villages of Punjab.

Details of the entire vacation will be in the following posts. For now, its just great to be rejuvenated, but sad to be back in the rush.

Of Strikes, Traffic...and Stink

I was travelling to Kolkata early this week. I landed at around 8.00am, and took a taxi for South Kolkata, which usually takes 45min to an hour. Just as we crossed Science City, the driver slowed down and there was this huge stink. I had just started to wonder, when I realised that there were lorries after lorries loaded with garbage parked on either side of the road. The drivers were preparing for a chakka jam. Somehow we managed to cross the stretch at moderate pace, since it was still early morning by Kolkata standards. But, in my heart of hearts, I was dreading the return by the same route a couple of hours later. I had to be at a conference in Salt Lake.

And my worst fears came true, when we were stuck for almost 3 hours on that road, on our way back. I almost threw up because of the stink, and it was a very humid day.

But the question to which I fail to get an answer is, what purpose was solved by this blockade/ strike. My cab driver was also a Bengali, and he was equally angry. There was wastage of time, fuel, money. The aam janta surely was not sympathising with the strikers. Who likes the stink!!!
And I guess, this can happen only in Bengal.

Travelogue: Lansdowne and Rishikesh-II

After two days of rejuvenation in the calm and serene town of Lansdowne, we started for Rishikesh. We drove downhill to Kotdwar and then through Najibabad and the Rajaji National Park to reach Hardwar. From there we took the road to Badrinath, crossed the Rishikesh city and an uphill drive of 30 kms later, we reached our destination- Camp 5 Elements. It took us around 4 hrs to reach.

It is a camp on the beach of Ganges. From the road it looked so tiny. We had to trek down the hill to reach our camp. There was a suspension bridge over the river, and this swings when the wind blows! Our friends, Priyanka and Raghav were already there. This was my first time in any camp and the idea of living in a tent was very exciting. I must say that the camp staff was very friendly and hospitable. As soon as we reached, we hit the sand. Played volleyball, tried rock climbing and rappelling. Then just sat on the rocks with feet dangling in water. We even had a pebble throwing competition. This was like being back to childhood! There was another group of 5 people there who joined us for bon-fire and we exchanged anecdotes.

The most amusing part of the camp stay was the toilets. Each tent had shower and bathing place inside, but the dry toilets were all separate. They are all sand pits and the idea was quite repulsive. Anyways, next day we were gonna move out for rafting. The most exciting part of the entire trip.

We started next day after breakfast. There was a base camp for rafter around 5 minutes drive from our camp. We all had adrenaline running high. All strapped up in life jackets and after safety instructions we started our journey on the mighty Ganges. This was FUN!!! We crossed three rapids- Three Blind Mice, Black Money and Wall. We did body surfing which was akin to taking a holy dip in the holy Ganges. The professionals with us were encouraging all of us to jump in the water. They gave loads of instructions at all points of time, so that we enjoyed and we were safe. In all, a fun filled adventure, which we already planned to re-do next year.

After a tiring watery session we changed and headed towards Hardwar. The camp people had sent our car through a driver to our finish point. We stopped over at Hardwar for lunch. And then on the Sunday afternoon, we were headed back home via Rishikesh, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut and Ghaziabad to reach Delhi. The stretch of the road from Meerut to Ghaziabad was very bad and it took us very long to cover the short distance. We dropped Priyanka and Raghav at their home and headed for our abode in Gurgaon.

A fun filled trip of 4 days and 3 nights came to end. A lot of memories etched in our hearts. I recommend rafting in Rishikesh to everyone. It is a MUST-DO in your lifetime. By far, our best vacation. And, here I am already planning for the next one...

Travelogue: Lansdowne and Rishikesh-I

We went for a weekend trip to Lansdowne and Rishikesh. It was a four day trip from 2nd to 5th Oct. Lansdowne is the closest hill station from Delhi (250km approx). So, here is a brief account of our trip- Travelogue on Lansdowne and Rishikesh. This is the first part on Lansdowne.

We started on 2nd Oct morning at around 7.45am from Gurgaon. We crossed Delhi and hit Ghaziabad by 9.00 am. From there we took the road to Hardwar, we were supposed to go via Meerut but somehow took a wrong turn and hit Hapur. So, it was a detour of around 30km to Meerut. It was Id-ul Fitr and we could see a lot of men and young boys in white kurta- pyjama and skull caps going to Idgah and mosques. It was a holiday and we were able to avoid the morning traffic of school and office goers. From Meerut we took the road to Mawana (town famous for sugar). The National Highway 119 was in a pathetic condition, and in saying pathetic I am being very generous. There is a stretch of around 25-30km which is just stones and dirt. even a village road is betterthan this NH. Anyways, from Mawana we reached an upmarket dhaba- Monty Millions. This is the only decent eating place en- route Bijnor from Meerut. We reached there at around 11.30am. After having our Aloo Paranthas and Cold Coffee, we started our drive again. We crossed Bijnor, Najibabad and reached Kotdwar. Kotdwar is the entrance or dwar to the Garhwal region of the Himalayas. The view of the mountains from the city was so refreshing and encouraging. As soon as we hit the mountain area, the weather became so cool and refreshing. We stopped on the way for posing and clicking. There was tea stall in a hutment where the chaiwallah still cooks in coal fed stove.

We reached Lansdowne at around 3.00pm. It is atop a hill. The view from the hotel balcony (Blue Pine Resort) was awesome. Clouds floating outside, and then again sunny...

Lansdowne is a small, beautiful, picturesque hill station nestled in the Himalayas. It is in Garhwal region and home to Garhwal Rifles. Lansdowne is mostly Army area and is the regimental HQ for Garhwal Rifles. Everywhere you see jawans going up and down the roads. There are so many tracks in the hills for the ones with an adventurous spirit. We took the off-road path and trekked up for 3.5kms to reach the market place, through the Lansdowne Golf Course. After a tiring trek we had pakoras and tikki at Mayur Hotel. Diet plan gone for a toss!

The places to visit in Lansdowne are Army Museum, Bhulla Lake, Tiffin Top, St Mary's Church, St John's Church and the market place. There is a Shiv Mandir, around 35 kms from Lansdowne on another hill, Tarakeshwar Dham. The drive is very bumpy but its worth it. For the last 5 kms there was no road! But, by far the best place I have ever visited. So calm, serene, in the lap of nature with trees all around. It seemed like a scene out of a picture book. A must visit for everyone. Another interesting fact about Lansdowne is that there is no petrol pump. You have to drive downhill 45km to get petrol. So, we were mostly on foot. There are local taxis available for local sightseeing and they cost around Rs 400/-.

Our hotel, Blue Pine Resort, is supposedly the best out of three decent accommodations available. Though the food was not as we had expected, but still it was reasonable, considering that was our best option. After spending two nights at Lansdowne we started of towards Rishikesh. More of it in the next post.

Click here for photos

Trip to Corbett Tiger Reserve

We had been to Corbett over the Holi weekend. Corbett Tiger Reserve falls in Distt Nainital and is nestled in the hills with rivers criss-crossing the jungle.

We had made reservations a couple of months in advance, with Tiger Camp. We started Friday morning from Gurgaon, at 8.00 am, planning to reach by 3.00pm. But destiny had something else in store!

The road till Hapur, NH 24, is damn good. Post that, till Moradabad, it is OK. Around 15 kms before Garh Mukteshwar, there was an enormous traffic jam. We had started off towards the jungle to get away from the hustle-bustle of the metro, including traffic jams, but it would just not leave us. We managed to cover 13km in 2hrs. I guess, it summarises our situation.

Apparently, it was purnima and near Ganga ghat there was some pooja. This led to congestion on the river bridge. And hence, the jam. By this hour it was already 2.00pm. So much for our planning. On the way, we stopped at A1 Plaza at Reliance Petrol Pump. It was something out of loyalty to my ex-employer and Adesh's present employer. We hit Moradabad in another hour and a half. Discovered the local market in our effort to buy a memory card for the digicam. Last minute shopping... Finally after another 2 hrs, we reached our destination.

En route, we discovered a local village market dealing in cattle. Also, a lot of mango orchards. Weather was cool at Corbett. The moment I stepped into the resort, I was spellbound. It was WOW!!! So green, so cool and so relaxing... And, we had an entire cottage to ourselves! No TV, No Newspaper and Low mobile network. It would be interesting. That very evening we went down to the Kosi river (which flows next to Tiger Camp) and walked along the bank. We also watched a couple of wildlife documentaries.

Next day, early morning we went to discover jungle, riding an elephant. Ours was a female elephant named Padma. It was 6.00am and sun had not risen yet. We carried our cameras, hoping to spot a tiger, which we could not. We did spot some herds of Cheetal and Sambhar. Also lots and lots of langoors. The ride was fun. We saw a lot of different kinds of birds. The elephant would just wander in the forest on its own. She would stray away from the path and enter the bush. It was some adventure, though it left me with bad scratches on hands and arms.

We came back at around 8.30 and savaged the breakfast. It was holi and we played with colours. The reserve was closed, so we just chilled out and relaxed in the resort. The next day, after spending few hours in the reserve and driving around, we started the return journey.

It was a refreshing break from the monotonous schedule that both of us follow. We returned recharged and rejuvenated and full of fond memories. The vacation was awesome and memories are still fresh. A must visit for all nature lovers.

Visit to Wagah

During the month of March, I was visiting Amritsar and had a chance to visit Wagah Border. Though I have lived in Punjab for most of my life, but never got a chance to visit the border. For those who are not aware, Wagah border is the border check post between India and Pakistan. It is around 30 minutes drive from the Amritsar city. I was accompanying my boss, whose friend had arranged for seats in VIP area (One of the many privileges still available in India!)

As we were approaching the border side, I could see the fencing that had been done across the fields to mark the end of our country. I felt an unusual sensation and it was exciting! With grandparents who had immigrated from the other side at the time of partition, I have very mixed feelings about our neighbour country. Nonetheless, I was too excited to visit the check post. Well, it was Sunday evening and we were going to witness the very famous closing ceremony. There were hoards of people on every possible mode of road transport heading towards the border.

As we approached the border and alighted from our vehicle, I could see the BSF and Pakistani Rangers, standing across the fence. Our guide informed us that there were many farmers on the Indian side whose land was on the other side. They have a pass and they cross over every morning, till the land and return at sunset. I had heard and read about all this, but watching those farmers crossing back was something different.

Finally, after various points of checking, we were able to view the 'Point Zero', which marks the end of Indian territory. There is an amphitheatre on both sides of the border. As the time of closing ceremony was approaching, the rush of people kept increasing. I could feel goose bumps on my arms.

People were clicking pictures at the gate. There were loudspeakers blaring patriotic songs on both the sides. One of the many differences that I noticed, on the Pakistani side, there were separate seats for males and females. One side had women in colourful burqas, while the other half had men mostly in kurta-salwar. While on the Indian side there was no such demarcation!

The drama began when a man with a microphone emerged in the centre of the crowd and started urging the crowd to repeat the slogans after him. And he started, "Hindustan Zindabaad" The crowd went berserk (including the two of us!) shouting after him.
Then came "Bharat Mata ki Jai", and the third one "Vande Matram". We have all done that during our school days, but there at the border, my voice had a new enthusiasm. I was experiencing patriotism of a different kind.


Our patriotic slogans were followed by similar shouts from the other side, "Allah o Akbar" and "Pakistan Zindabad", with equal fervor.
After various such rounds, a few puzzled foreign tourists sitting next to me asked, "What are they saying?" I explained to her and with an amused look on her face, one of them asked, "But why do you need to shout that???"

I just could not explain that to her. I feel, no one else anywhere in the world can feel the same way as Indians and Pakistanis do here. I have known people from both nations to be at very friendly terms when together in any other part of the world, but here it all changes!
May be the feeling that comes while watching an Indo-Pak cricket or hockey match, can come very close to this.

Anyways, the wait for watching the very famous ceremony of gate closure and taking down of the National Flags, was worth it. As the sepoy blew horn, indicating the time, the guards from both sides came marching. There feet almost touched thier turbans!!!!!!!!!!! You have to watch it to believe it! And enjoy it!

As the guards shook hands for the last time for that day, and the National Anthem was played, the National Flags of both the countries came down in perfect harmony.

Our visit had come to an end, but something inside me had changed forever. I had heard about it from friends and relatives, who could not explain it, but now I know why they could not. All I can say is that each of the fellow countrymen should visit the place at least once. It is worth it!

A journey...

Monday morning I was returning from home and after a long long time had a taste of the legendary PRTC bus. Why I call PRTC buses legendary, ask any Punjabi who has stayed in Punjab.

Monday morning rush and I was running at the Bus Terminus platform... and was astonished to look at the number of people waiting for a bus from Patiala to Chandigarh.

After a wait of half an hour and missing 3-4 buses, I finally managed to get on an overcrowded bus... and I couldn't help but comparing it with the Mumbai locals! Believe me, huge similarity!!

No place to move even an inch...
The stench of sweat...
And above that,
Rash driving...
And, absolutely no courtesy by conductor or driver...

I guess they need a lesson or two in customer service!!

Just wondering how other State Transport buses are rated by travellers.
And I found some interesting information at a blog on busnews.






I must add here that the above two images have been shamelessly copied from the www and I do not have rights for these pictures.

As for me, my mission is to avoid the back breaking rides as much as I can!!!