our Vaishnodevi trip

IT was still dark when i woke up to get ready to leave to the airport. I was looking forward to our trip to vaishnodevi and other places around. This was the second time i was going there.

We left home and reached the Bangalore Airport to catch the Delhi indigo flight. Vaishnavi was still sleeping when i picked her up from the bed and left. She woke up in the airport surprised. The lights, her fav trolleys, escalator....We had breakfast of idli, pongal. It was good.

We reached Delhi to and went straight to the Honeywell Guest house. We rested for a while and got vaishnavi ready and went to karol bagh. This photo of vaishnavi in a garment shop.

Back from shopping and getting ready for the train. KP somehow mistook the 20:40 train timing as 22:40!!!!! As a result we could not board the train. We had to stay put in Delhi for another day. The next morning we went to the Delhi office.

We boarded the bus directly to Katra that evening at 7 pm. That was a terrible journey. Then i knew what it meant when people said.... its simply not possible to go to vaishnodevi shrine untill the goddess gives you a call. When we reached katra it was 1030am. We quickly had a bath and rushed to the helipad.....KP had made arrangements so quickly that we dint waste a minute..except for the small tiff we had :( . We took the "Pavan hans" helicopter to sanji chath helipad, walked from there to the shrine. The durbar was awesome . we could not take an pics there.



Back to helipad on horseback. Vaishnavi dozing and falling off to the sides every now and then. We flew down to katra around 530 pm. The pilot showed me katra university, railway station and when i looked down, i felt i am diving into the forest. The first trip was a little scary, but the trip back was coool.....

We stayed in katra that night and left for Patnitop the next morning. The drive to Patnitop was around 4 hours and it was beautiful.

"Green top" hotel at Patnitop. the Landscaping is superb.







Vaishnavi in the sit out. The temperature there was around 8/10 C.
You know something! Any hotel in Patnitop does not have either FAN or AC. A few more photos of Patnitop

We enjoyed horseride, saw apple, acrot trees. We bought loads of kashmiri dress materials. We went to the famous Nag Temple of patnitop. And remember to take enough cash to this place. There are no ATMs . The nearest ATM is at Batote on the srinagar highway. IT is just about 12 kms from Patnitop, but takes an hour to reach on road. The next morning we played in the park. A few photos of vaishnavi playing in the park.

The last time we were in Patnitop was in the year 2005 and believe me it was deserted then. This time the number of tourists were in 1000s....
we drove back to Jammu railways station. The rajma chaval was in a dhaba after Udhampur was too good!
Vaishnavi enjoyed. I was happy.
Our flight to bangalore was at 10 am and we reached Delhi just in time and zoomed off to the airport....

KP told vaishnavi in the flight..."days eating paneer and rajma is over..now only rasam rice....."...Vaishnavi said..."haan...now only anna, saaru, MUDDE............." ha ha ha.........
Finally in Bangalore.

my first post........

What should i write about!! am thinking.....
should i write about how how yucky am feeling right now...becos of the recession, becos am not able to spend time with people I want to……. how anxious i am about the coming week at Vaishnavi’s school, how difficult it is to write.......!!!...

And these lay offs. Pay cut fears…This morning I heard someone say…you will have this job..eh…but 25% of your pay is cut!!!!!
Now how am I to cope with that….what do I do for the living..what about the insurance premiums…….I should stop dreaming about expensive red framed spectacle, swimming classes, dance school for Vaishnavi…………….Will I be able to give her the best ? I can imagine not using the Audio and video CDs for song, rhymes…………instead I have to sing and dance….funny eh…….I would love to do …but all these for cost cutting?......

Not feeling so good…my first post is so negative!!!