My Travel to Mussoorie

Patrick Russal (Australia)
Visited Mussoorie On: 27. 5. 1998
Long back I visited Mussoorie when I came to India on an official tour, those beautiful memories still hunt me as how can I forget those amazing days of my life. The memories are as fresh like a flower in my heart, that panoramic sight of the snowcapped Himalayan Mountains, green hill slopes covered with pine trees, valley overflowing with resplendent flowers blooming in profusion.

As it was a month of May a summer season in India, the weather was too hot and scotching. Luckily I got Saturday, Sunday as holidays, my fellow Indian colleague advised me to visit Mussoorie that is quite near from Delhi a beautiful city often addressed as the 'Queen of the Hill station' and will definitely relieve me of Delhi's burning heat. Then there was no looking back, me and my two fellow Indian colleagues started for Mussoorie along with the driver Dhaven. Our first halt was at Haridwar where we had our lunch, what a delicious Indian food it was, I thoroughly enjoyed the puris specially the sweet (jalabi) yes, I still remembered its name. Our second halt was at Dheradun, my friends offered me tea in earthen pots a traditional way of serving tea in India, with lot of sugar and milk in it as I suppose Indians take tea in this manner only. I even enjoyed that, a totally new flavor for me. Our next halt was our destination (Mussoorie) it is just an hour drive from Dehradun.

I had never known such a place, so beautiful and enchanting. Straight away we checked in the hotel and just in no time we were again ready for our day venture of Mussoorie. The rope way ride to Gun Hill, the second highest peak of Mussoorie was just awe-inspiring, it took 30 minutes to reach the hill top, we could also enjoy some distant views of snow capped mountains through telescopes installed there that can be used by paying the fees. The horse rides along the mall road and the edge of the road was quite daring, it was also a real thrill.

Next day in the morning as I was having my cup of coffee looking across the hotel window, I had a magnificent view of the green valley down, it seemed as if I am on the Elysian Fields. I also enjoyed the first rays of sun as they were penetrating in my room through large windows making the whole room glitter like a gold, it was such a fabulous sight my eyes had never seen before. Our next trip was the great waterfalls of Mussoorie known as Campty Falls, the waterfalls thundering down the mountains was absolutely enthralling. By evening we were back to Delhi with some splendid memories of Mussoorie with us.

As I remember those beautiful days spent in Mussoorie now, often in my heart I miss those few moments that I had spent in the hill station. I am again filled with a yearning, a desire to be there again.