April 2016 visit to Nainital

                                  
My train to Kathgodam was at 8:00 a.m. . Nearer to the end of my journey a Muslim woman in burqa came in our carriage with a young boy and her two little kids. She kept talking animatedly to this boy making frantic hand gestures through out the journey. Her children were real cute and kept looking outside train window, taking keen interest in everything that passed by. A nice guy in track suit travelled with me throughout my journey, seemed like an army guy.A plump guy from "Big Bazaar" retail outlet chain too travelled with us talking to his office colleagues on cell-phone through most of the journey.

As train nears Haldwani railway station, there is a big waste dump. Saw lots of trucks and huge mountains of polythene.A real turn-off for any visiting tourist.

I was again stupid to get off at Haldwani instead of Kathgodam,certainly a foolish mistake. Though thankfully Haldwani Bus station is quite nearby. I took a small Bus to Nainital.Met a retired St. James College staffer who had some Provident Fund business to take care of.

I stayed at Payal Hotel, a Mr. Pappu Singh checked me in.I had dinner at Purohit Restaurant.

Nainital lake had shrivelled up because of weak monsoon, though it rained at night. At dawn next day, near the old Bus Stand I asked a school boy to take my picture.Had tea there too, real nice. Later ate hill-fruits shahtoot and strawberries.Had lunch at Purohit Restaurant, since I was fasting for Navratri I ate 'Kuttu' rotis and 'lauki' sabzi with curd, without checking the price.Later I was shocked to get a 500 Rs bill. I discovered each Kuttu Roti was at a whopping price of 75 Rs. I silently paid the bill cursing myself.

 

In Bhowali as I was making some enquiries, a stammering taxi guy tried helping me. I thought to avoid strangers, he got sad saying people don't ask folks who know the hilly roads but choose to ask passengers who have little knowledge. I felt stupid and said I didn't mean to offend him and thanked him for his information. Actually because of K.M.O.U. running small buses these taxi drivers now get no passengers, so they look starved and ragged.