Map created by EveryTrail: GPS Community
117 KMs Trip meter 14186 KMs
No alarms so i am up by like 9am. I heard knoc on the door and already the room is being show in the next tenant! Now these people will wait patiently till 10 am or when i checkout which every earlier! No mood to pay another 1000 bux so gather myself and place the luggage the reception. Have breakfast at the nearby nice hotel and it was very pleasant there. Just what i needed. I relaxed way too much and was like 12 noon when i got going. Kamlesh had suggested Mukteshwar and Saat taal the previous day. As it has been happening in the trip i get to a place and think now what!! I take the suggestion and thought if i could get to landsdowne the same day but looks difficult.
First head to saat taal. A small pretty road branches after some distance from Bhawali. It was an nice dark green peaceful lake. Commercialized just a bit though. Spend some time there and head towards Mukteshwar. The sky is a bit overcast and looks like it might rain. But i don't mind :). The going gets slow. Tough the tarmac is very good, the road is narrow and tight turns. Looks like i will settle in Ranikhet for the day. It takes a lot of time to get to Mukteshwar. All the while climbing on the mountains edge. There is not much of view cos its all hazy and also bit irritating wind which kinda unsettles you when you are looking at road ahead with one edge being a cliff edge. Get to sleepy Mukteshwar by 2.30 pm. No mood to walk up to the temple 200 meters! As i was looking at the map a few locals approach me and tell me about a road going through forest and is a short cut to Ranikhet. Well that's nice cos i was not really in mood to ride back the same way till Bhawoli! The zero point is actually a resort and lot of families come for holidaying. Have my food and get to the forest check post. The guard asks me am i sure i want to take that route? y? is it risky asks me. Its ok is says! What was that? any way i make the entry and get in. The road is not good. But is narrow and is going under the canopy of trees. I like it. Should be 30 kms to main road and some 10 kms in forest i heard. It was nice ride through. It was very pleasant after the forest stretch also. There was some resorts and villages on the way though, not really isolated.
When i get to the main road i see the road going to Ranikhet and other going to Almora. Look into the map and see Binsar near Almora. Call Kamlesh to confirm it and i am going to Almora for the day. Also got enlightened that there are cheeta and lions on the forest :D Its fantastic twisties till Almora. The tourist rest house the only hope of reasonable room does not have parking. There's one Hotel Deodar nearby and have to ride up on a steep private path to get to the gate. For a moment i thought it was a house. Confirmed by a passerby and get in. There is nice parking for the bike and get a room for 500 bux. The weather is great. I come down at the sitting place where there is a nice view of the mountains. The Owner Mr Girish shah, enthusiastically gives me lot of gyan of the place. Like the hotel is 300 years old and yes its really nice classic stay. Also Swamy Vivekananda stayed here on his visits to this place for lecture! He told me about lot of history of the place, the present levels of education next only to kerala. No crime, lot of IAS and ICs from here. Suggested me for a ride to Jogeshwar and quite a few interesting placed to see. Also made me a map for my way to Badrinath! Thank you so much.
This was right at the entrance to the town. So thought of checking out the town and also getting fuel. The town gets crowded. But can see people comfy. The place pretty clean. And yes there are reasonable hotels inside the town hehe. But the place i am staying is nice and peaceful. Have dinner outside with the pleasant wind. Hope to get going early tomm.
First head to saat taal. A small pretty road branches after some distance from Bhawali. It was an nice dark green peaceful lake. Commercialized just a bit though. Spend some time there and head towards Mukteshwar. The sky is a bit overcast and looks like it might rain. But i don't mind :). The going gets slow. Tough the tarmac is very good, the road is narrow and tight turns. Looks like i will settle in Ranikhet for the day. It takes a lot of time to get to Mukteshwar. All the while climbing on the mountains edge. There is not much of view cos its all hazy and also bit irritating wind which kinda unsettles you when you are looking at road ahead with one edge being a cliff edge. Get to sleepy Mukteshwar by 2.30 pm. No mood to walk up to the temple 200 meters! As i was looking at the map a few locals approach me and tell me about a road going through forest and is a short cut to Ranikhet. Well that's nice cos i was not really in mood to ride back the same way till Bhawoli! The zero point is actually a resort and lot of families come for holidaying. Have my food and get to the forest check post. The guard asks me am i sure i want to take that route? y? is it risky asks me. Its ok is says! What was that? any way i make the entry and get in. The road is not good. But is narrow and is going under the canopy of trees. I like it. Should be 30 kms to main road and some 10 kms in forest i heard. It was nice ride through. It was very pleasant after the forest stretch also. There was some resorts and villages on the way though, not really isolated.
When i get to the main road i see the road going to Ranikhet and other going to Almora. Look into the map and see Binsar near Almora. Call Kamlesh to confirm it and i am going to Almora for the day. Also got enlightened that there are cheeta and lions on the forest :D Its fantastic twisties till Almora. The tourist rest house the only hope of reasonable room does not have parking. There's one Hotel Deodar nearby and have to ride up on a steep private path to get to the gate. For a moment i thought it was a house. Confirmed by a passerby and get in. There is nice parking for the bike and get a room for 500 bux. The weather is great. I come down at the sitting place where there is a nice view of the mountains. The Owner Mr Girish shah, enthusiastically gives me lot of gyan of the place. Like the hotel is 300 years old and yes its really nice classic stay. Also Swamy Vivekananda stayed here on his visits to this place for lecture! He told me about lot of history of the place, the present levels of education next only to kerala. No crime, lot of IAS and ICs from here. Suggested me for a ride to Jogeshwar and quite a few interesting placed to see. Also made me a map for my way to Badrinath! Thank you so much.
This was right at the entrance to the town. So thought of checking out the town and also getting fuel. The town gets crowded. But can see people comfy. The place pretty clean. And yes there are reasonable hotels inside the town hehe. But the place i am staying is nice and peaceful. Have dinner outside with the pleasant wind. Hope to get going early tomm.
Misty Nainital in the morning...
Nice hotel with taal view. I spent 1.5 hours on breakfast!!
Towards Bhowali...
Colorful fruitstall...
Bhimtaal which i did not go near...
Nice narrow road towards Saat taal...
Saat taal spotted...
Awesome ride under canopy...
The dreamy lake...
Commercialized but not really crowded...
My bike by the lake...
What can i say?
Enroute Muktheshwar...
The sleepy town of Muktheshwar...
Its Zero point, end of the road with a resort...
I am taking the forest route after making an entry at the check post...
Ride into the wild...
I see plenty of monkeys...
I mean plenty!!
they stare at you, but when you point the cam at them, they scamper off...
Stop for coffee here...
The cute daughter of the coffee shop owner. she was embarrassed when i told that she had closed her eyes in the previous pic hehe..... The local man was intentionally framed :D
The road i thought i would ride...
See the familiar step irrigation plots...
It was a nice day's ride...
Now i had to give some 'chai paani' to this character, so that he will point me to the right direction in the confusing fork!! He put on the glasses when i pulled out the cam, He is not blind btw, there is a stick too and prolly he acts blind to get money???
I was horrified just after this pic. I had kept the cam just on the edge of the road and a car almost rolled over it before i crossed back!!
I see the main road...
The road to Almora...
Spend the evening lazing and staring at the view. Very pleasant weather...
A spin into the town...
Some info...
Almora's old clock tower...
Me having dinner outside looking at the city lights... what luxuary...
This is what i was looking at...
3 comments:
Dear Praveen,
Read your blog. You are a true inspiration for all petrosexuals. You are living your dreams and living it hard! You rock man!!!!
Your fan
Madhu
Wow, what a detailed account of the trip and excellent photographs. Thought I'll drop in and say "Hi".
Sruti
Thanks Madhu, sorry for this extremely late reply. Glad you liked the logs.
Hi Sruti. Thanks :)
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