A Month WFH from McLeodGanj

Thursday, 25 February

So it has been 5 days since we reached MacLeodGanj. It’s Bhagsu Nag actually. 1.5 km away from there.

So I started on Saturday evening from Kolkata airport. Reached Delhi midnight. Met my friends and started for Dharamshala. We had a hotel prebooked at Bhagsu Nag. Skypie guest house.

Checked in and stayed there for a day. Food was okayish but costly. But the main problem was there wifi. It was pretty bad. We were meant to work from home from here. 6 of us. They tried hard to fix the wifi. But had to leave next morning.

We found another building. Almost the whole building for us. This one is pretty much better from all aspects from the last one. Awesome view from balcony. Musturd gardens, hills, numerous amount of new bird species.1/3rd the price. Cleaner and bigger rooms. And the owners are pretty cool too.

They have a restaurant uphill. Just a minute away. We have our breakfast there almost everyday now. We had a birthday party of didi (Puja, house owners daughter) too. Here’s the photo of her puppy Biku. She kind of looks like a bear though 🤔

Yesterday morning we visited Bhagsu Nag waterfall. It’s quite dry now. Not much to see. But the weather is pleasant. Had our breakfast at Shiva Cafe. It’s at the top of the waterfall.

Saturday, 27 February

We had a plan for Triund for the last weekend. But it started raining on Saturday . So we changed plan and strted for Naddi hills that day on foot, but it started raining quite heavily midway. So we came back. Just played card games inside our house.

Sunday, 28 February

On Sunday, we started for Naddi hills again. It was quite sunny today. Most of the path were off from Google Maps. There were a couple of on road hairpin bends which confused us a bit at beginning. Otherwise the path is quite simple. Total distance is somewhere around 4.5 km from White house.

Once we got off the road, the last 3.5 km were through rocky trails. Full of Rhododendrons. Picked some on the way. There were a lot of Lamas passing by. We went out of the track once. Had to ask them. Technically all roads lead to Naddi from there. It’s just how much time you want to spend on the way 🤣.

After the dirt trail full of Deodar, Pine and Rhododendrons, we hit a narrow concrete road. After sometime we could see the whole Dhauladhar range. There was one specific hotel or guest house there that caught our eye. The spot was really attractive, full of Musterd fields all around and whole Dhauladhar cleary visible from top to bottom in front.

We had to walk on the concrete road for some time until we reached Naddi and had breakfast. Or brunch maybe.

We could see a bit more of Dhauladhar from Naddi view point. There were telescopes too. We walked till the end of the road till a Meditation centre, which was closed. Then we walked down to the lake and came to Naddi again for sunset.

There were forest fire visible after the sunset. Not sure why it was on a straight line though. Took a cab back to McLeod Ganj and had our really heavy dinner at a tibetan restaurant.

Tuesday, 2 March

Yesterday we didn’t go anywhere. Worked from home. Today 4 of us started for the nearby trail again. But stopped midway and and settled there. It was quite a nice place to sit and work in solitude.

Friday, 5 March

Its 8:07 am. It has been quite sunny last few days. Last night the sky was quite as well, not as clear as Sandakphu though. Probably it would be better visible from Triund this weekend. From Sandakphu I could almost see the galaxy. Here I can only see the Orion and a couple more stars scattered across the sky. A bit amount of light pollution from McLeod Ganj direction.

Last couple of days I had been trying to identify the new bird species i came across here. Here are few of them. I will keep updating them in my birding page.

Tuesday, 9 March

We had an awesome time at Triund last 2 days. Started Saturday early morning. Took the Bhagsu Nag falls trail. Few people said this trail is a bit tougher than the other from Gallu Devi side.

Reached Bhagsu waterfalls top around 8:30 am. There was quite a steep rocky ascent from there. Stopped at a small café. waited there for about 30 min. After that, the path was through a tree-covered trail. Reached a Cafe in the middle of a small field. Few mules roaming around. Stayed there for half an hour. And started on the same trail again. No more trees around us. Mostly thorny bushes.

Around 12:45 we reached another cafe. We could see the whole Mcleod Ganj, Dharamshala, and Pong lake. Really large Himalayan Griffons flying over our head. We stayed there for about an hour and then started again. Triund is about 45 min away. We have rooms booked at a guest house there owned by 3 brothers.

Once we reached there took some rest on the field and then went into the guest house. I got one room for 4 of us and 1 tent for the rest 2. There were few small patches of snow around that place. At night we played cards, had rice and dal for dinner.

The next morning, after sunrise, we started for the snow lines. It took about an hour to reach there. There was a temple on the way. After some nice hiking with an awestruck view on the right side, we reached the point they call the snow lines. There was a cafe there too. Few people partying down the hill. Whole area is full of thick, hard a bit muddy snow. We had some coffee, played with snow, had some photoshoot, and started returning.

And then the snowfall started. We had checked the weather beforehand. It was going to rain anyway. So we brought ponchos. It snowed for about 10 min probably. then stopped.

Once we reached Triund back again, we had food and started back. This trail was quite decent descent. A bit rocky. Full of Rhododendron on the left side. Red and Pink ones. Stopped midway on a stall again, had maggie, and started back for Gallu Devi. Oh yes! we took the other path for returning. It is rather easier. But it was straining for the feet. 6 Km long rocky downhill, after 6 Km snowlines trek.

After returning near Gallu Devi, we took short cut stairs for Bhagsu Nag Taxi Stand, until we reached home by evening.

Friday, 18 March

Last weekend we went to Pong lake and Kangra fort. On Friday, we booked a cab, started Saturday morning.

The road was quite scenic, with curved roads across the hills. Noticed a lot of Egyptian vultures on the way. Flying over our head. Reached the wetlands around 10:45. Once we were about 5 km away from the lake we had to take the dirt road. Followed by a really large paddy field. The Dhauladhar range was bare visible in the clear sky.

Once we crossed the paddy fields, we reached the temple. Usually the lake would be submerged, but not at this time. The place was full of Bar headed geese and few more other birds. We stayed there for about 2 hours. Then started for the other side of the temple. Almost same birds there as well. Had my feet dipped into the mud at the wetland. It took about 10 min to wash them out.

Started for Masroor temple. Had lunch on the way at a dhaba. It’s owned by ASI. They have QR code scanned payment these days. ₹20 per person. The temple isn’t that big. Most of the parts were almost broken. A small pond in front.

We stayed there about till sunset and returned back to McLeod Ganj.

Sunday morning we started a bit late from McLeod Ganj Chowk with 3 rented scooties, for Kangra Fort.

Had lunch at a dhaba on the way. Himachali local cuisines, at Kangi Dham dhaba. Reached Kanga temple about 8 km away from there. Not much to see there.

It was almost evening when we reached the fort. Whole fort was in middle of a natural trench, surrounded by a tiny stream and a couple of really steep rocky hills. This one is also acquired by ASI, same ₹20 ticket.

As it might get dark, and there road near Dharamshala was pretty steep ascent, we started early from the fort. Had dinner at a cafe at Dharamshala, Illiterati.

Since then we haven’t travelled much. Mostly clicking birds from our balcony and nearby rocky area. Planning to visit Khajjiar sanctuary this weekend.

Tuesday, March 23

I think McLeodGanj is setting in on us. We extended our stay. 3 of us left due to some work and family commitments. 3 are left here. Weather has been pretty much gloomy since yesterday.

Last weekend we booked 2 Scooties and 4 of us travelled to Dalhousie. We had plans visit Khajjiar and Kalatop wildlife Sanctuary. But the time was short.

We moved into Hotel Monal at Dalhousie. The view from the balcony was quite stunning. It’s positioned at a slope, surrounded by pines on one side. Green mountains visible not at much distance, including Panchpulla and Ganji Pahari. All Yellow Billed Blue Magpies jumping around.

We took a stroll to Panchpulla falls by evening. Returned about before evening.

Thursday, March 24

Next morning we visited Kalatop wildlife sanctuary. Earlier we were told by a lot of people that it is closed due to COVID-19. But seems like it wasn’t. We had to cancel the Khajjiar plan. We just had only 2 days in total including the travelling time to and from Mcleodganj.

Had to drive a few kilometers inside the sanctuary and then reached the main entrance. Trees were pretty tall. not much birds visible. So we sat on a restaurant rooftop and had pakoda and tea.

By afternoon we returned to hotel Monal and started back. Weather was really cloudy and gloomy and quite pleasant for a ride.