Page 24 - Seniors Today - May21 Issue

This was followed by a trip from January 6
to 12 to a homestay called the Jilling Terraces
and a boutique hotel called the Kumaon in
Almora district. The trip got rougher as you
had to trek 40 minutes from the road head
to the Jilling Terraces which was a property
with beautiful views and nice rooms but not
warm rooms. I was the only guest there. I
followed the usual routine of hikes and walks
from 6am to 2pm, followed by lunch and rest.
Evening were by the fireplace with a drink
in one hand, a book in the other, listening to
classical music and old songs. Not finding
new hiking places, I moved to The Kumaon, At the Kumaon, I learned about Munsiyari
which was a 10-minute walk from the road which was said to be strikingly beautiful,
head. This was like being in the lap of luxury – as off the beaten track as you could get and
floor to ceiling glass windows, heated flooring close to the border with China. It was a long
in the bathrooms, super pahadi food and great trip in early February. To get there – fly to
conversation with the hotel manager and his Delhi, stay overnight and take a flight to
wife. The day routine of hikes, rest, evenings Pantnagar the next morning. Drive to The
remained the same. Route – Mumbai- Kumaon, stay overnight and then a full-
Delhi-Pantnagar or Kathgodam plane/train day drive to Munsiyari, the following day.
combination and then on by road. The road journey was beautiful with great

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