We drove a hefty 300 km and 5 hours south-east of the city, a ride that left me dizzy and on edge. I guess I still haven't gotten used to the ridiculous race of the road yet. Pachmarhi sits on the plateau of a mountain range, so our approach to the town was windy and steep. Though the road was much less frequented than the main road traversed for the majority of the journey, the honking prevailed. Actually, the honking was actually perfectly justified on this tightly curved road if no where else.
For my very first breakfast in Pachmarhi, I had paratas stuffed with potato and other spicy things with ketchup and fried chickpea bits. This was probably the most delicious of all the Indian dishes I've had so far.
There was, of course, more farmland.
And some lovely kids, who were extremely shy, but came around after I showed them their photos.
So, the main event in Pachmarhi was a trek down into the crevice....
...way down there.
And off we went on what was the most glorious day. Sunny, 26 degrees. Perfect.
...way down there.
And off we went on what was the most glorious day. Sunny, 26 degrees. Perfect.
After about 3 hours of climbing up and down the rocky volcanic slopes, we came to this sweet little spot where 3 rivulets converged. This was a point of intersection of three waters of different temperatures and mineral content, resulting in a diverse emergence of soils and plant life. There were rocks, pebbles, mud and even a patch of sandy beach. Perfect rest stop.
On our way through the forest, we encountered a few groups of women and kids who were collecting lumber and stripping bark for weaving.
On our way through the forest, we encountered a few groups of women and kids who were collecting lumber and stripping bark for weaving.
After about another hour of hiking, we made our way out of the valley, just in time for some para-gliding!
Then it was a stop at the sunset point where many residents and local tourists come for the best view in the state, or country! I could hardly tell what were mountains and what were clouds. Just magical.
The next day, we went for a bike ride into town. Out of the 10000 population, about 8000 military recruitments living in the many cantonments of Pachmarhi. We passed a field along the road that was carpeted by sheets and uniforms.
We also made a quick stop to see a local protestant church. It was decorated like a Chinese restaurant.
The center of the town was a tiny dense concentration of shops and guesthouses. What used to be mostly slums 10 years ago is now replaced with tacky concrete hotels.
The whole downtown area took about 3 minutes to walk through and we encountered this audacious fella trying to get a seat in a cafe.
Soon, it was time to head back to the city. And as almost always, there's something interesting along the way.
Then it was a stop at the sunset point where many residents and local tourists come for the best view in the state, or country! I could hardly tell what were mountains and what were clouds. Just magical.
The next day, we went for a bike ride into town. Out of the 10000 population, about 8000 military recruitments living in the many cantonments of Pachmarhi. We passed a field along the road that was carpeted by sheets and uniforms.
We also made a quick stop to see a local protestant church. It was decorated like a Chinese restaurant.
The center of the town was a tiny dense concentration of shops and guesthouses. What used to be mostly slums 10 years ago is now replaced with tacky concrete hotels.
The whole downtown area took about 3 minutes to walk through and we encountered this audacious fella trying to get a seat in a cafe.
Soon, it was time to head back to the city. And as almost always, there's something interesting along the way.
Damn those panoramas are awesome.
ReplyDeletegreat photos! don't forget to get some with you in them :)
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