Dehradun and Mussoorie: Learning to be Slow... Solo
- Akagra Agarwal
- Jan 12, 2024
- 8 min read
Rush, rush and rush, hill stations am I right! But this time I learn the value of pausing for a moment, being slow... solo
In the article (click to expand) : -
Leaving the college and the stress behind was a blessing. A blessing because I am here again on another impromptu journey. A blessing because I could resist hurry and be fully present. The journey however starts with me missing my bus. I run and catch another, so...
Half asleep, I reach Dehradun. It is 4:30 AM, and all the layers fail to keep me warm. My primary concern however is whether Dehradun is already crowded. Has the season started already? "Bhaiya kaun hi ghoomta hai itna Dehradun, sab aage jaate hain Mussoorie ya trek vagera par (Not many people visit here. They mostly go to Mussoorie or treks ahead of Dehradun)," said the auto drive exposing my plans for the day. All the shops are closed in the city, I am hungry from all the running. I also need shelter since I have reached my pick point 2 hours early. So, I go to ISBT Dehradun.
ISBTs always have dhabas open early morning and late at night. At a corner of the street where the tempo drops you at Saharanpur Road, you will find 5-6 dhabas open late at night. The smell of chai being served in kulhad is intoxicating. Aloo paratha and a cup of kulhad chai save me. I have 1 hour left and have enough time to just pause and observe. With a heavy bag on my back and a trek ahead, I try saving as much energy as possible. I sit on the pavement next to the dhaba. It is warm from all the food being cooked but still cold. The breeze is harsh. But I cannot hear the breeze. All I can hear are the noise of buses, tempos and taxis. This makes me realize that Dehradun is a city. I rest my thoughts for Dehradun for next day. I set off for the trek in Mussoorie Wildlife Sanctuary with 6 strangers, a trek leader, and a guide.
The trek is popularly called Benog Tibba Trek. This trek is a treat. You get to witness its rich flora and fauna very closely. Our guide stops us to appreciate rich flora and fauna. He introduces us to silver oak, wild pears, and many more plants and trees. One stood out personally, the Everlasting. As we trek up, the trees decrease, and the canopy disappears. It is late winter, the trees have shed their leaves and fruits. As we hike up, even the grass turns golden yellow. It is hard to survive the harsh sun. Here, we see again the plant that has been common throughout the trek. This is the Everlasting plant, which has white flowers on it. 'The plant is called Everlasting because when all other flowers are dead, this one survives,' said our trek leader. This is the only plant with any flowers on it, wild but everlasting... I learn to slow down and soak in the natural beauty.
We reach the top at 12 PM, and I take my time off. Sitting under the hot sun makes me forget about the cold. The views capture me... entirely. Snow-capped and green mountains create their contrasting sceneries. An almost 360° view. Stunned by the beauty and silence, I sit there on one side of the flat top. Half an hour passes, and I speak nothing. Staring at the landscapes appearing in their purest forms, I am blank, thoughtless. Extremely enthralled I can care about nothing else. Not hunger, time, cold, tiredness... and I revive. Revive from the rush and the hustle. I savor the destination rather than rushing on. This is partly the experience as I have come as a solo traveler. When I am solo, I can be slow. Slow enough to observe peacefully and rejuvenate. The trek leader, guide and I then have many conversations at the top. Our trek guide convinces me to visit his town and trek there. I add it to my list, Dayara Bugyal trek. The trek leader makes me miss home as he elaborates holiday season in Nagaland. Christmas is just a week away and both of us are excited to be home (him more, they don't have weekends off). I wander onto thoughts of both Uttarakhand and Nagalnd. Different places, different people, sharing their stories. Strangers who I did not know 12 hours ago, feeling very close. They break it to me that it had been over an hour, and we head down for lunch and then camp.
As we move further down the forest reserve to reach our campsite, the trek gets trickier and slippery. Supporting and being supported by the trek mates, we wander through the forest. The forest alters its appearance. The grass turns lush green, and trees decorate themselves with moss. I pause again and again to admire the moss-decorated trees. Soon, we realize why as we hear the sound of a running stream. The stream is beautiful, and its water cold. The trees are thick and create a canopy. The temperature starts to feel like a burden as the sun's rays cannot reach us. We reach our campsite, have snacks and then dinner. The campsite and nearby areas have no access to electricity. A blessing in disguise as the sky had bless us with minimal light pollution. We rush inside our camps and sleeping bags. The cold is unbearable and there is no light. Phone battery starts dying unless I put it under the blanket too. I soon hear our trek leader exclaim, 'Ah, that's the Andromeda!' Forgetting about the cold, I leave my tent. We stargaze and it is stunning. Andromeda Galaxy, Orion Constellation, Pleiades Cluster, Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, Milky Way Galaxy. We locate each of them as the cloudless sky reveal them. Some faint, some clear, shining like pearls in an infinite ocean. I check my clock, and it is just 8 PM.
Unlike the slow and silent mountain life, my biological clock doesn't let me sleep. I get out of my tent again and stare at the sky. I sit on a tree that has been cut entirely to leave a flat surface to sit on by the locals. The trek leader sees me, flashing his torch in the pitch-dark campsite. He asks me to get up, 'You know you can check for directions by looking at a tree cut horizontally.' Amazed by this sudden surprise, I ask how. Trees have various circles in their stem (layers if cut vertically). 'The circles will tend to be bigger at the edge for one side. This side usually points to the North direction.' The leader further explains that this probably protects resources from getting destroyed by excess sun exposure. Astounded by the nature, I call it a day. I was freezing. It was time to sleep through the cold.
The next day, we unpitch our camps and leave for Dehradun early in the morning. I change my clothes, clean myself up, and start roaming the streets of Dehradun. Dehradun feels like a city. It has traffic lights and cab services but with the mountain lifestyle. People close their shops at 9:30 PM, and it gets deserted. I roam the streets for over an hour, then a scooty as I am tired of carrying my heavy bag. I trust in public transport, especially the buses and shared tempos but the places I want to wander to are far away. Scooty cost me less than auto and cab fare, a steal. I take a pit stop at a beautiful cafe, Cafe Village Highway. A solo date heals me. Food and ambiance for me to experience and no one to share with. I am not in a hurry for the first time on a trip. I have created no checklists but have a few places in mind to explore in Dehradun. Offline google Maps are a blessing. With an inconsistent internet connection in an unknow city, it is me, my rented scooty, and Google Maps against the world (and the heavy backpack).
The first site is the Forest Research Institute (FRI). This place is a popular destination. It has witnessed many film shoots. Student of the Year 1 and 2, Genius... But what amazes me is the grandeur of the institute and the fact that they allow tourist vehicles inside. Riding my scooty inside the FRI, I reach the main building. The pinkish orange stones, domes, pillars and a huge garden in front... It stuns you and hints you about its British make. I pause my ride, and adore the campus. The Institute is set up to train Forest Rangers and Forest officers. The campus was set up as the Forest School in 1878. Later established as the Imperial Forest Research Institute in 1906. I adore the residences, dorms, the sports fields as I ride through the institute's campus. I head out to another popular attraction farther away. I ride through narrow lanes, with peaks on the side. The views are amazing. Hills on the side and curvy roads ahead. My hands start to freeze from the long drive to the Robber's Cave.
I reach the cave around 3:30 and take out my floaters. The cave is amazing, the most beautiful I have been to. I walked, splashing water with my backpack still with me. It is unreal that such a place exists in the outskirts of Dehradun. The rocks of the cave are as long as I can see but only in the sides. In the middle is a passage filled with water. Water is flowing, not steady. I move forward saving my slippers from flowing back to the starting point. The sound of flowing water and the hint of a waterfall is peaceful. But the hoards tourists break the peace. I get to see the waterfall through a passage and it is stunning honestly. Just beautiful. Someone tells me that there is bigger waterfall ahead. I move ahead and the passage is not straight anymore. I lose the crowd and go forward on the rocky path. The trek is difficult, rocky paths, slippery surface, no grip... all coupled with deep ditches. After 100 meters, the trek disappears. The stream reappears but is is much more peaceful. With no crowd, I stand and enjoy the site. I sit on a rock and enjoy the moments as I decide to not go ahead. The sun was setting and I had a hard trek back on the return.
I reached back to my scooty at sun down and we headed to the Mindrolling Monastery. The monastery is alluring. I reach there late but I take my time adoring the beautiful site. The Mindrolling Monastery is popular for its striking architecture and tranquil surroundings. Though many mispronounce its name, Mindrolling actually means "place of perfect emancipation". Founded in 1676 by Rigzin Tendak Lingpa and later reestablished in 1965, the monastery aims to preserve the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. It took 3 years and 50 artists to construct the ornate complex. For 300 years, Nyingma scholars studied at the monastic university. Jetsun Mingyur Paldron passed the monastery's Buddhist teachings down to his children, upholding its heritage. The Great Stupa and Buddha wall paintings are highlights, which I kept admiring throughout.
I did not expect Dehradun to be this beautiful. The city has its charm. The Paltan Bazaar, the Mall road, malls, the galis, streets and highways, the hills, the plains. All contrast each other. But this city sleeps early and it is too late for me to have dinner. I find a Domino's and have my dinner there. I camp there till 11pm when my bus was scheduled. With no checklists and no hurry, I wandered. This impromptu solo trip taught me to resist rushing. I learned to pause and be slow, savoring each place. Met many people on the road but this cat stood out...
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