Fuel Trouble #2

From Bhowali, we took the road up to Mukteshwar. We passed a lot of picturesque valleys and stepped farms on the way. The weather changed very frequently, with rains coming on in brief spells of 10 minutes or so. The lighting was generally poor, so the photography was limited.

A farm house overlooks a valley.

Stepped farms are the only way to grow stuff out here - Courtesy Prashi

Life, universe and everything, as seen by an air filter.

We reached the KMVN Tourist Rest house late in the afternoon. We seemed to be the only guests there, what with it being off-season and a non-weekend. A short trek away from the guest house is a place called Chauli Ki Jaali. It is supposed to be the suicide point to scare the bravest. But we were spared the nightmares by a thick cloud cover which blanketed the whole valley.

The guest house caretaker looked like he lasted 6 rounds with Dara Singh back in the day, but was very nifty with the ladle and saucepan. He rustled up a pretty mean dinner… comprising Aloo Parathas and chicken soup.

Sunset, as seen from Chauli Ki Jaali.

Booze in Uttaranchal is 4 times (yes, that’s FOUR) as expensive as in Karnataka. Despite that, all brands, including the premium ones, are available easily. The booze shops here are like bank cashier strongboxes, with a thick iron mesh. A small opening in the mesh is used to transact bottles and currency.