As the summers swung by and the warm winds and bright sun made our eyes dry, I felt a breath of icy cool wind from an unknown direction. Something told me that the mountains are beckoning. Summer of 2015, I and some friends of mine wanting to get out of this hot oven like capital , decided to go to Mcleodganj.
A small hill station in Himachal pradesh above Dharamshala known for its beautiful serene environment. This small heaven like place amidst the Himalaya it boasts of a breath-taking night sky with millions of stars glittering above forming the milky way galaxy , the rim of which is visible from Triund which is 9kms away from the main city of Mcleodganj and has magical spots to stop and chill en-route. Being a group of boys , we always have budget constraints which wasn't a problem here because staying in Mcleodganj is very guy-savvy. 500/- per night for two people was a reasonable price and since some Argentinian girls were staying in the same resort, we really didn't have anywhere else to go.
The cannabis culture in Mcleodganj is not very flamboyant as compared to Kasol or Manali but we somehow got our hands on some fine hashish from local farmers which made our trip unforgettably relaxing . Reading novels and traveling alone have always been very important to me since I prefer to be alone then to be among naive strangers and though i wasn't alone , I had all the time i needed to read and listen to all the music i wanted to. From songs of Pdt.Bhim sen Joshi to Metallica, I have a very diverse music collection of genres including classic rock, Blues, Reggae, Electronic music, and Indian classical songs for every phase of mine. On the day we arrived at Mcleodganj, we straight away went to a restaurant and ordered food since we all were starving because of the 8 hours long Bus ride. To my relief, the menu of almost every restaurant in Mcleodganj is inspired by foreign cuisines and the quality of the food is mouth watering and the taste is orgasmic, especially when you have an empty stomach and all you expected was Maggie.
Many Israeli ,Spanish and Argentinian tourists come to Mcleodganj and apparently they love the place for its cool weather and beautiful sceneries . It is known as Little Lhasa (a short form of Dharamshala used mainly by Tibetans) because of its large population of Tibetans. The Tibetan Government in exile is headquartered in McLeod Ganj. World renowned His Holiness Dalai Lama's home is in Tsuglakhang temple in McLeod Ganj so if any of you are out there soul-searching, he might give you some enlightenment. The Bhagsunag waterfall, Shiva cafe, German Cafe, Dal lake and Triund are the main attractions for tourists.
* Dal Lake is a small mid-altitude lake (1,775 m above sea level) near a very beautiful village. The lake is surrounded by deodar trees. It is considered a sacred spot, and there is small Shiva mandir (shrine) on its bank. A fair and festival dedicated to Shiva is held yearly. Several kinds of fish live in the lake, which has greenish water most of the year.
* Triund is a 9,000-foot ridge behind the Dhauladhar range, and is the goal of a popular nine-kilometer trek for a day or overnight stay. Food is available at tea shops on the way and at the top but it is always safer to carry ones own food and drink, just in case you reach there to find the tea shops closed. There is a Forest Rest House atop the ridge, which can be booked through Himachal Tourist Office in Kotwali Bazaar. Everyone who might go on this trek are advised to go and come back in day light as there are no light posts on the trek route and it gets pitch dark with zero visibility after 7pm and wild animals like wild boar and cheetahs have been spotted during night .These animals will not attact you if you are in a group.Do not let any animals like dogs follow you on the trek as the cheetah or any other predator will come for it. The tea shops also give tents on rent for 600RS of three people capacity.