My first trip to Vaishnodevi was unimpressive. Climbing was hard, and it only served to highlight how badly out of shape I was, while my in-laws managed to cope so much better. Further, I hadn’t quite realized that the cave experience wouldn’t be the same as I had imagined, since the original cave was only opened at certain times a year, and that we only entered a newly created tunnel, one far easier to access, and hence more manageable with the crowds that thronged the mountain shrine. The resulting experience at the shrine, for barely a fraction of a second, hardly compared to what I had expected / imagined / heard about. So, for me, Vaishnodevi was like any other temple, nothing to write home about, something that was reflected (though not explicitly mentioned) in the blog post I wrote then.
When you plan your winter vacation in Shimla, you expect snow, even though you know very well that there hasn't been a white Christmas at Shimla in years!
It only gets worse when you reach there, and learn that it has snowed - just about a week back! You are not a great judge of the weather, and you hear conflicting opinions from people, which just makes it all the more confusing - some try to reassure you, saying that it will snow again soon. and others shake their heads mournfully and tell you that you should have gone to Manali instead! Things don't get any easier when you have a 9 year old kid eager to play in snow, and not at all happy with the situation! That is just what happened to us in December, when we visited Shimla during the Christmas holidays. Considering the situation, (and probably knowing the kid in question) you would imagine the kid moody and pouting, and the holiday in shambles. However, Shimla in winter without snow turned out to be memorable... and much better than we expected!! How? Read my post on 5 things to do in winter in Shimla, when it doesn't snow! The post was published on the Club Mahindra Blog, so here is the link...
We have gone to Shimla many times when the boys were young and the only time we got to see some snow was when it snowed a couple of inches and the kids and I played in it even as it melted! The L&M was laid low by an attack of migraine and was left sleeping in the hotel room with a hotel attendant keeping watch :) We went to Kufri and stayed there. You missed Tattapani, which has hot water springs on the banks of the freezing Sutlej.
ReplyDeletewow! that must have been a wonderful experience, Zephyr! but poor L&M.. to miss out on that! this was my first visit to Shimla, and frankly, i was a bit worried about what it would be like... and i did know about Tattapani, but we had decided not to do too much sightseeing this time... all these were just two days of roaming around. the rest we spent simply walking or lying back in bed and reading :D Tattapani is kept aside for the next visit!
DeleteNice post on the things to do in shimla. There are many things in shimla to explore and enjoy. It is situated in Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Tourism is the best place for tourism in India.
ReplyDeleteHi Anu,
ReplyDeleteI would have loved to hear your experience as I would be travelling under similar circumstances and want to keep all the alternatives in place. But unfortunately your blog is now not reachable, is it possible for you to share any specific details that would be of help.