"Suraj liked valleys from Kathgodam to Almora on his first visit to any Hill Station,and that despite vomiting fits."
It was a long journey travelling from Lucknow to Almora.For the first time I was travelling in first class in Nainital Express. First Class cabin is not an A.C. cabin, it just has four sleepers and a door you can close from inside. T.T. was nice and showed us to our seats. Train journey was nice, an old man who was in some government job kept chatting while eating his Lunch. Later in our journey a couple came in while we were sleeping. When we were leaving the guy asked me to close my window which let a draft in, which I had opened to see the station.
Nainital express left us at Bhojipura junction which is infested with monkeys, its few kilometres away from Bareilly city. There we had to wait for two hours for the passenger train which comes at around seven in the morning.
On Lalkuan Daily Passenger train we stood up half of the way. A guy came in at Richha asking us to keep our baggage up on the shelves to make room for him to stand. Two policemen were really nice to us giving me space to sit and later letting Suraj to sit in their place when they got off at Baheri. Finally we reached Lalkuan,an old man advised us to go from over-bridge but Suraj said let us go through a stationery train to other side. I had to jump down from this train and it had a jarring effect on my knee. Then we walked back to Lalkuan Railway Station, since cars and maxi-cab stand outside and you can hire them to your desired destination. We soon hired a car and were off to Almora.
From Lalkuan we hired a car, it was a pleasant journey except Suraj kept vomiting, he would get sick and ask the driver to stop and then get out of the car and vomit, interestingly we hadn't even had our breakfast don't know what he was vomiting out. Car driver and his helper were nice and he drove deftly on treacherous mountain roads. Other person travelling with us talked and chatted mostly discussing politics of the region.
It seemed like a long unending journey, mountain air mostly pleasant but chilly at times.This is my third visit to Almora, nothing much has changed. I had first came to this region with my class-mate Ravinder Singh Karkee, then Nainital Express's last stop was Lalkuan.
I am keeping Navratra fast, so could not savour delicacies at Sumangalam. Bought several kinds of fruits. The fruit vendor girl and woman were really nice. We are staying at Ambassador Hotel and the staff is really nice. Our Hotel room faces the valley and it was nice to see sun-set.Vikram is a nice Bell-boy bought hot water for me.In voice and physique quite like Suraj's cousin Himanshu.
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