Finding Solitude amidst Chaos @ McLeodGanj

Post a hearty goodbye to YHA @ Dalhousie, I bound the 10 am bus to Dharamshala. Travelling as the locals do with an interesting but uneventful ride, I arrived at Dharamshala to catch the bus to McLeod. A distinct difference @ first sight was the proximity of the snow-clad mountain tops which seemed to emerge out of nowhere like sea-dragons from the oceans. Looming large over the green hills as if ensuring they had their presence felt. Truly inspiring, not in a charming way like Dalhousie, these were intimidating, mighty mounts of the tallest mountain ranges in the world. As they looked down upon the tiny humans frolicking to and fro with their daily chores and the hordes of travellers, they appeared to make a mockery of the insignificance of us all. Thus while the hills of Dalhousie left me with a warm fuzzy feeling of familiarity, the peaks of Dharamshala left me spellbound. A feeling akin to bowing to the power of the natural elements! A short search for my designated guest house revealed a scenic cafe overlooking the Kangra Valley. Thus delighted to having found a place, I took up the room available and settled for a couple of days of stay. What caught my attention was the mystique of Mcleod culture – a cauldron of cultures, coming together in harmony as a melting pot, each person carrying his own distinct flavour and yet blending in in a general on-going din. Tibetan, English, German, French, Punjabis, myself – A not so Indian feel with foreigners swarming the streets. A lively gait is characteristic of the town and captivated me with its peculiar eating joints and cross-country music blaring from the comfort of cafes serving even more comfort food ! I settled in the farthest corner of the terrace and savoured the setting sun along with a hot mug of Peach tea. A perfect ending to a tiring day. I would call this day as “Finding Solitude amidst Chaos”