Weekend travel

Spiraling down the NH22 from Shimla to Chandigarh, one tries to think of anything that won't turn the stomach. One must definitely try and ignore the the musky diesel fumes. Any imagination that makes one wonder if the excess oil from the chola bhatura that was devoured for breakfast would be processed by the roundabout travel to become a petrochemical product or paraffin wax must be checked. Nor should one concern himself about the narrowness of lanes suspended on alarming precipices supporting a disproportionate number of vehicles whooshing past at high speed. Hunting for the silver linings, at such scenarios, is but a natural thing to do. Apart from noting down the places we passed through in a notepad -from Shimla to Shoghi to Kandaghat and then on to Solan and Barogh till we reached Pinjore- there were also other fine things to take note of without a dashed notepad. Travelling in hills gives unusual vantages and lightings to appreciate the landscape. A slice of orange sun here, a deep cliff there, hill ranges, fields in valleys. The diversities are sharp and the landforms are closely packed. The forested hills at times appear like sheep clothed in green wool on the northern slopes. The bushy trees uniform and fluffy, covering the hills snugly. The southern slopes are barren, the cold winds and lack of sunlight not allowing vegetation to take root.

Chandigarh, the planned city in the plains was a stark contrast. Le Corbusier's 'open hand' greeted us as we entered the UT.  Neat and spacious, spreading wide and even, it felt like the earth had freed up its muscles and was stroking the pacemen freely in mid-season form. When we are going on about pacemen and being in form, let me also state the reason for our descent to the plains. We were to play a cricket match there in the ground in Sector-16. A day-night match it was and was played enthusiastically. A spectacle of sorts for most of us, making our debut in an international ground.

Later at night, we took a stroll outside our hotel. Right opposite was CAT (central administrative tribunal). We went round the shops, crossed the lanes and kerbs and parking lots. A city that looks near perfect to the tourist, the planned modernisation, breezy traffic. An exemplar of what Indian cities could be. If we go about arranging our cities in our living room, Chandigarh would take the best shelf in hte showcase. Anyway, after the match, we could walk only for a few minutes. W eessentially only went a few paces sniffing around the CAT bulding and a few shops. After the CATwalk and banter, had a sound sleep. Woke up and made our winding way back to Shimla. To the clean and cold air again. There, in the auditorium, watched India beat Pakistan at the Eden Gardens. All that remained was to snuggle up under the sheets with a Wodehouse paperback. Right Ho! 

Some pictures of the match