TRAVELOGUE

NAUKUCHIATAL All have heard of Nainital .Naukuchiatal is only two hours drive from from there .Unlike the former , it is a very quiet place with facilities for boating ,horse riding and paragliding .And above all , trecking ! As the name suggests ,it is a ninecornered lake ,I think ,bigger than Nainital .We stayed in Tourism department hotel .Rates are cheap .The place is surrounded by mountain chain on all sides .For paragliding ,we have to drive up ,through hairpin bends causing inexplicable fear in us .Suddenly , the car swerved left ,my wife felt the end has come but, mercifully ,we stopped at a safe way to a village !My son-in-law who is an expert driver and studied in Himachal Pradesh , was just playing a prank ! The paragliders set up suitable spot along the slope of the hill.Leena and the children were led to the spot as we watched from something like a bus waiting shed.One by one we watched them going across the sky ,moving slowly away towards the valley below and coming home to earth .When all were safely landed , a jeep brought them up . They all wanted to go back but I was disappointed as I wanted to climb up the hill.I just started walking up when well laid trekking paths were noticed .My grandson Nikhil escorted me .So the rest of us followed ,though reluctantly. After some time we lost our way.A farmer working in the field offered to be our guide.At some point we looked around and were thrilled to see the landscape below ! A branch of the Ganga appeared far away ,as if in the sky and Icried out AKASHGANGA ! Of course we took several snaps in the digital. I wanted to go up as the guide assurerd us that the summit was near by, but even Nikhil was reluctant and all were hungry.So Igave up . While boating I made an indiscretion…I felt a sudden temptation to jump into the water …Of course I told them.All were stupified and my wife started crying .I felt tired in a few seconds in water .With pants on ,I found it exremely difficult even to keep floating and asked them to stop the boat.At sventyfour (it was last year ) one should know that one is old ! In the evening we enjoyed campfire dinner and a walk in the moonlight