Manali 2011

Shut Eye and I recall that I've been coming to Manali regularly for the past 4 years. The place hasn't changed much, but surely I the visitor has. Old Manali abuzz with bhangi FIRANGS wearing loud pajamas, Punjabi's dotting the mall road, IL FORNO's finger licking Italian menu, and Beas at its majestic best.

The Gypsy

The trip timing couldn't have been better. Just about perfect weather, with a tinge of almost everything and the place isn't crowded either with Indian or foreign tourist. Manali has its own charm in the month of September. What lead to the trip was couple of coincidences culminating around same time. A work meeting.....touch-feel of rally prepared gypsy before the competition.....and a weekend.

The start was on time, cleared the plains and climb to mountains started just at daybreak. Purrrrrfect. My drive was careful, for the vehicle was rented and I had no sense of comfort/confidence over its running. However, it built with time. It started with small small sessions of 10-15 kms, knowing the limits of the machine, and didn't take long before came Mandi and Aut and Bhuntar and Kullu.....and Manali. Heck, it was 1230 hrs and I had half a day to explore. Jolly good rally imitator eh!

Breakfast set-up

Folks at Baikunth were expecting, and it bode well to find them well mannered throughout the stay. By that time morning pranthas at Mandi had me heavy, and I sprawled myself on bed. The first day is always exciting, has different energy and expectation, you ain't tired even with a big bum as me squeezing into that Sparco seat. I wish the ever brimming energy were to last - Alas! I'm not sun. A short walk to Old Manali was followed by a short company of Old Monk, and it was a flyby night. 

The sunlit balcony, nip in the air, greenery all around, brought the morning it was to be. And dare not I say that it stopped there. Breakfast under the cherry tree was to be the high-point. Very soon the first half was consumed by work affairs as I pondered over the sequence of events. IL FORNO played a good host to lunch, and I couldn't resist gobbling its offerings. A pleasant price to pay later, I had to walk miles in the Forest Reserve working on OLIVE OILED pasta and pizza before sleep could creep in.

Return was intoxicating. Having touched base with the rampant in me, I was cutting under and over the road sides to maintain speed and gypsy responded well to my overtures. Its been a while since the days of mad driving with Harbir as my co-driver; a sense of calm descended within as I stretched her legs. At the point, it was a knowledge to me that I'd enjoy Raid-de-Himalaya. Respect to Gypsy, for these overtures kept expanding their limit till we reached Kiratpur Sahib; she didn't squirm for a moment.

Diwakar Kalia, indeed has a  rally prepared gypsy.