Anecdote #26

My family's association with the hill station, Kasauli has been on for generations. My grand mother lived there in the late 50s when her father was posted in Kasauli. All of us have been enamoured by the charm the place holds. Perhaps it's the simplicity of the town or because we love living in the Kasauli Club. My parents had to wait for almost 10 years to get the membership of this club but honestly I feel that it was worth it. Although the amenities are quite basic, the property is sprawling and beautiful. You do not need to walk up to the sunset point because the clubhouse houses the most amazing view, the food is delicious and very cheap and last but not the least is that a few generous tips will get you some great service! This time around I took my mother because I had become quite familiar with the place and was confident that I could show her around well. As soon as we reached the club our minds and lungs were both detoxified. Post a hearty lunch we rested and braced ourselves for something big we had planned to do the following day. Legend has it that when Lord Hanuman was carrying the "sanjeevani booti" his left foot touched a hill in Kasauli. This spot was converted into a temple. I am a believer and I had visited the temple on an earlier visit but I was eager to take my mother this time. The climb is very steep and is over a kilometre up hill. This was tough especially under the scorching sun (Yes, hill stations can get scarily warm in the day). So the next day, in the morning we began our task, which was both exhausting and exhilarating. Exhausting because it was a tough and testing climb and exhilarating because when we reached the peak all of it seemed worth it. The air had gotten cooler and the vibes were peaceful and pure. We spent a good hour there. The whole experience was therapeutic because for a few moments we were cut off from the hustle bustle of the world below. There were no phones, no honking and no stray thoughts. Even though we had been through a rough up hill climb we felt energised. Sadly we couldn't be there all day so we went ahead with the descent. This was followed by a good resting session because Saturday evenings get lively at the club and we wanted to be ready for it. Saturdays are the Tambola nights which gets me very excited. I was extremely disappointed throughout the beginning because neither of us were winning anything but at the end of the last game I won the housie! Later I realised the money they had charged for the tickets was much more than the prize money, what tricksters! Nonetheless it was great fun, full of laughter and simple pleasures. We followed this up with a late night chai which was the cherry to the topping. After a good night's sleep we spend the next day rejoicing in the great weather. It was raining and I wished that I had carried a sweater. The day was spent in the library, partly snoozing and looking out the window. I guess we were pensive and also dreading the fact that we had to leave the next day. Compared to a lot of the other holidays I have been on, this was one of the simpler ones. It's true that there is sheer bliss in simplicity as there are lesser hesitations. You don't worry about the airline fare, cost of accommodation and the cost of food and beverages. During such holidays you let loose and truly shift into a better head space. No wonder that we have so many foreign tourists! My advise would be to try something more basic because it just another kind of fun and a novel experience you can count on.