A visit to Palampur- Part three

The final day and return - musing#7

A visit to Palampur -- Part 3

The next morning, I awoke with mixed emotions: excitement because we were heading to see new places, and sadness because it was our last day in Palampur.

We ate breakfast before driving to Bharti's house. Ishwar uncle and Bindu di were discussing the best places to visit in Palampur when they decided to go to “Saurabh Van Vihar,” a lovely park with boating facilities.

So we drove to the ‘Van’ and paid the entry fees. We were surprised to discover that it provided breathtaking views of the magnificent, snow-capped Dhauladhar mountain range..

Our tour guide told us about the history of the ‘Van’, which was built in memory of Late Captain Saurabh Kalia and featured a massive statue of him. A large plate was placed beneath the statue, on which the army captain's life story was engraved. We saluted his statue in recognition of his valor and sacrifices for the country.

Once inside, one could see the lush green trees and a variety of botanical flowers that exuded a relaxing aura. We came across some swings, and as a kid at the time, I couldn't resist the urge to ride them. (Ah, what a lovely moment! Right now, I'm overwhelmed with nostalgia.🤩 )

We went boating after that. My sister and I would occasionally throw a handful of water on each other and laugh at our terrified expressions. Since the boat was powered by pedaling, my father and the guide were exhausted and we therefore decided to exit the ‘Van’ and went to the Neugal Khad river which was just outside the ‘Van’.

What a charming sight! I observed it cheerfully hop over the rocks, making a relaxing sound. We moved closer to the river, took a seat on one of the massive rocks, and began taking pictures. I enjoyed playing with water, so I dipped my palm in it. Dang! It was bitterly cold. Nonetheless, I dipped my hand in it and struck a pose for the sake of photographing it.

The time designated to explore the river and Saurabh Van was up.

We then went to a blooming parkland. We strolled through a variety of fruits there ranging from apples, peaches, to plants like camphor, aloe vera to flowers🌸 like blue lilies, hibiscus, pink rose etc . The park's surroundings were also selling natural skin care products. After a couple of hours taking a picnic there, we decided to go to the Bharti house.

Everyone greeted us warmly and asked (or rather persuaded) us to join them for dinner. We were introduced to Manjeet, who was the cousin of Bindu di. He was the coolest person I had ever met. He even taught me a few magic tricks with the help of cards (UNO!😃).It goes without saying that the people of Palampur were very friendly. The food was fantastic. We talked for about an hour after eating, and then Ishwar uncle came with us to our hotel to see us off. After changing into our nightgowns, we all remarked on how wonderful our trip had been and how quickly time had passed. Then we went to bed.

We awoke at 6 a.m. the next morning, had finished packing, and were about to leave the hotel when Ishwar uncle waved at us. We thanked him and his family profusely for making our journey so much more enjoyable, and then said our goodbyes. We got in the car and drove all the way to Jalandhar(while feeling nauseated the whole time),where we boarded a train to Indore.

Once inside the train, we noticed a family sitting in our compartment. They informed us that they would be sharing the compartment with us and introduced themselves. They weren't as entertaining as the Punjabi ladies, but they were still intriguing. Apparently, they gossiped a lot, saying things like, "You know, my neighbor married her cousin." (Oops! I got it wrong….let me correct it)

“You know, my cousin married her neighbor.” (hehe!😂 )

The rest of the train journey flew by as our thoughts wandered along the chilly streets of Palampur and our hearts captivated by the Bharti family.

Yayyy ! I have completed this journey series’ blogs. I really miss Palampur💚 and the Bharti family💜. Readers make sure that when the situation becomes normal again and travelling becomes safe, you must go to Palampur. Trust me, you’ll love every inch of the town.

That’s it for this post. Hope you liked it!