Any way the journey to Bageshwar was mesmerizing as I had fleeting glimpses of picturesque Kausani and lovely towns of Someshwar and Gopeshwar.Also Bageshwar has an ancient Shiv Temple on the confluence of Saryu and Gomti.
I sat in the Bus at 6,had to wait till 6:45 before bus took off.Soon we left the main Almora city behind.As you reach outskirts of Almora city,houses are more scattered and there are thick green forests on both sides of the road.whether in the valley or on the hills.Colorfully painted houses with lovely flowering potted plants come in view also some schools and temples.We passed several small villages and towns as the serpentine road kept descending deep into the valley,till we left hilly roads far behind,now traveling on plain area.Soon wheat fields came into view.Wheat crop has ripened into light brown colour.
Wheat fields are in steppes earlier and later on in squares or other shapes.Light brown wheat fields,the surrounding green grass and the tall green trees on rolling hills presented one of the most picturesque scenery I have ever seen.After a long drive we reached Someshwar,its a town similar in looks to Bhowali.Trisection of a road looking up to steep ascending hill covered by thickly wooded forest.
As we ascend to Almora we see rocky geographical features.While as we travel to Kausani we see a very fertile land.Small hills with thick green foliage of trees.A river almost dried up runs parallel to the road in opposite direction.Its river bed again filled with huge chunks of atones.These hills have fertile soil and thick long tree grow from it reaching up to the lovely blue skies. A roadside quote "Trees are poems the earth writes upon the sky.".
Our Bus Driver got upset as a Bus whose number was behind his had gone ahead.Later on when he met the driver there was a huge commotion with our Driver showering choicest abuses on this othe hapless Driver,with the two sisters who got off in Kausani looking on and one of them feeling really amused as if she was used to men abusing and fighting like this.And in Someshwar three young holy men or Sadhus came and sat next to me in the Bus.They had long thick hairs held in a Bun on their head,a tika on forehead,saffron clothes,a short stick and Kamandal.I was in awe of them and thankfully a young man whose brother was traveling with his new Bride came and sat between us.
Kausani has Tea plantation but I did not see any en-route.The beautiful wheat fields with sporadic Banana and Mango groves continued till Gopeshwar where an ancient Temple is located. As we left Gopeshwar behind roads climbed up steadily on the way to Bageshwar.
Bageshwar seemed more like Aminabad from my native city Lucknow,with similar sort of bustling market place.It was quite hot in the valley.Just beyond the market place is the Shiv Temple located on the confluence of Gomti and Saryu.Many birds were flying above the confluence and Kids taking bath in its cool waters,and two bridges on on each river.I bought few oranges to eat.
On return I came in a maxi-cab that carried posts from all the post offices on that route to Almora Head Post-office.The driver a young tall Muslim guy was really eccentric.I ate noodles at Takula and had tea.Both the Drivers I had today had some issues.The two Pujaris I met at Shiv Temple were really nice.Younger one tied Kalewa on my wrist and put a tika on my forehead and the elder one too put a teeka on my forehead.I very foolishly soon after washed my face for I had not done that before worshiping and I was feeling dry face.I washed my face with tap-water in the temple and the teeka got washed away.
On returning journey on of the guy who was young and fair resembling my College Class-mate Amin Rizvi had to go up on the maxi-cab and sit on the roof.And a European man asked for lift en-route which the Driver could not give as maxi-cab was full.
A nice young boy sat with us resembling Zain Khan,with his sister mother and a granny who tried her level best to irritate them.One woman who got a seat in front later on in the way kept vomiting.A child with fractured hand traveled with us with his Father,brother and mom.A man a little drunk came in and sat with his wife,who praised my gentlemanly conduct on moving behind to accommodate this child with fractured hand.An old man and woman traveling with us,asked me at Takula two Fifty Rupees Note in exchange for a Hundred Rupee Note.Lucky for them I had two note of Fifty Rupees each.I drank water from a Srot,those inner tiny river-lets that flow underneath but sometimes come up.
The day proved to be nice and bright with bright sun-light and for today's happenings I can safely say "Journey was far better than the Destination".This does reminds me of this lovely song from Jab We Met".
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