Yogesh Sarkar
Administrator
Ranikhet to Delhi, 10-11th August 2019
Even though I did not face any breathing issue in the new room, still I had a hard time sleeping continuously and kept waking up throughout the night. Eventually, I decided to leave the bed around 6:15 am. It was bright and sunny already with just a tinge of clouds.
As usual, the KMVN Wi-Fi was down, thankfully though, BSNL data was working. After a few minutes, I came back into the room, switched on the geyser and began packing. My feet were still tired from yesterday’s walk and had large blisters. Therefore, I decided to pack my Forclaz 500 as well and decided to wear the sandals instead.
By 8 o’clock, I was all set and half an hour later, breakfast was served, consisting of potato subzi and plain paratha. Even though salt was a tad less in the subzi, it was delicious.
After breakfast, I checked out of the room and placed my luggage in the Wagon R of Lalit, and went to the reception to pay the bill. Rs. 2,950 had to be paid for room rent (Rs. 1,250 + Rs. 1,700), while I paid Rs. 283 for one breakfast and dinner that was not included in the room price (two breakfasts were.)
After settling the bill, it was time to bid adieu to KMVN and a few minutes later, I was dropped at the Ranikhet Bus Depot and for that, I had to pay Rs. 200.
Ranikhet – Delhi bus was standing in front, though with mechanic trying to fix minor niggles and all the window seats full. So I decided to wait for the next bus and after a while, a bus heading for Bareilly arrived and most of the passengers got off at Ranikhet. I went in and occupied a window seat.
After half an hour and around 9:45 am, the bus began its journey for Haldwani, where I was planning to get off and then take an AC or Volvo bus back to Delhi.
An hour later, we were back at the same restaurant we had stopped en route to Ranikhet and the bus stopped for another half an hour. I took the opportunity to walk a little and later on, came back into the bus and ate the chips I had bought last night from the mall road. While locals threw the garbage outside or the considerate ones in the garbage can nearby, I kept it in my camera bag, planning to dispose of it in Haldwani.
Soon we were back on the road and the bus started filling up with passengers and was soon filled to the brim. It was time to put on the earphones, drown out the sounds with music and venture into the depths of my mind and heart while admiring the natural beauty I was passing through and occasionally photographing with my mobile phone.
Around 1:30 pm, the bus reached the Haldwani Bus Depot and I got off, walked outside and found an auto-rickshaw to take me to the CCD, opposite Walkway Mall for Rs. 50.
The auto driver dropped on the opposite side of the CCD i.e. in front of the mall, then took a U-turn from in front of CCD and went back. Guess he figured I needed to walk a little with my luggage.
Like the CCD in Delhi and Starbucks in Gurgaon, I have a favorite seat in CCD Haldwani as well and thankfully, it was available so I promptly took it.
I have stopped here several times during my trips to Kumaon, spending hours before the Volvo back to Delhi, which is only available in the morning and then at night. Even though I have not been here since November 2016, nothing much had changed, except the staff, including the manager. I remember his face vividly because I once forgot my copy of Thurston House by Danielle Steel and found it a few months later when I revisited Kumaon. The manager at that time had kept it safe for me all the while.
I took out the face wash from my bag and went to the washroom to freshen up. After washing off the dirt from the route, I placed an order for paneer sandwich and cappuccino and came back to my seat and booked a ticket in the 9 pm UTC Volvo for Delhi.
Even though initially I had planned to carry Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence with me on this trip, at the last moment I decided to skip it. So I had to make do with reading Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D'Urbervilles on Kindle, which on the mobile phone screen wasn’t all that comfortable to read. This was until I spotted a flea market in front of Walkway Mall and a bookshop there.
I requested the CCD staff to look after my luggage, went across the road to the bookshop. Books were piled in a heap and finding a good one was difficult. Eventually, I decided to buy a copy of Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy for Rs. 70. It felt bad to see the books being sold by weight, but I really needed one and I did get it for cheap.
With a book in tow, I went back to the CCD and rest of the day flew by as I alternated between reading and scribbling a little in my journal.
Sunset hues from CCD.
Around 7:30 pm, I decided to have my dinner, consisting of a cheeseburger and then, around 8 pm I took an auto-rickshaw back to the bus station for my 9 pm bus to Delhi.
The auto driver dropped me half a kilometer before the bus stand, claiming cops will fine him, so I had to walk rest of the way to reach Haldwani bus stand.
I have a love and hate relationship with this bus stand. This is the bus stand I have spent maximum time at and I have gotten buses from here, which have helped me reach deep into the Kumaon. However, it is open, filthy, chaotic and everyone from bus drivers to car/two-wheeler/auto drivers are out to run you over and each other, though no one ever seems to get hurt!
Even at 8:30 pm, there was no sign of the 9 pm Volvo and I started hearing from people trouble around Moradabad, which had delayed the buses and now, buses weren’t being allowed to ply on that route. Upon inquiring, I was told by a fellow passenger waiting for 9 pm Volvo that due to Kanwads at Garh, buses had been delayed by 11 hours, taking 18 hours to reach Haldwani, instead of the usual 7 hours!
Drivers of the ordinary buses planned to drive in convoy mode, since they were planning to drive to Meerut via Kashipur and then head to Delhi, a longer and comparatively desolate route since the usual route had been closed for heavy vehicles.
However, even at 9 pm the 9 pm Volvo had not shown up and I was beginning to worry since the man at the information desk did not know the whereabouts of the bus either and just figured, it had been late. Soon the conductor showed up and began waiting for the bus, along with the passengers.
As per him, since the buses had been running late and the drivers had barely gotten any rest after the trip from Delhi, there had been delays. Now the bus that was supposed to leave at 10:30 pm was being ready to run at the 9 pm schedule since it was the first one to get ready.
Around 9:30 pm the 9 pm bus showed up and a struggle ensued to board it, since a few intelligent people, despite knowing this was the 9 pm bus and not their 9:30 pm bus, wanted to make sure of it, by making the conductor go through the passenger list and individually telling them to get off and wait a while!
Around 9:50 pm, the bus began its journey to Delhi and immediately, the passengers in the front seat lowered their back seat.
Initially, it was still manageable with only the older man lowering it quite a bit since there was no one sitting next to me. Then his idiotic son decided to match his father and almost pushed the seat into my lap. When I told the numskull politely to raise the seat by a few inches, he began arguing with me, even telling me to switch seats if I was feeling uncomfortable or shove my feet under his seat, so that he can sleep comfortably!
After arguing for 5 minutes I finally told him to either raise the seat or I’ll shove it up, after which he finally moved the seat back to the point, where it was in the above photograph and then began moaning and complaining like a little girl to his father, about other people having attitude and ego that gets hurt and how reclining the seat all the way back is in no way inconvenient for others.
Frankly speaking, I really feel bus providers should limit the tilt angle of seats, increase the leg space or just remove the darn backrest and give each passenger a pillow then can put in the lap of the person sitting behind them and go to sleep!
As the bus moved out of Haldwani and reached the railway crossing between Haldwani and Rudrapur, another interesting event occurred. Initially, the crossing was closed due to a small train passing it. After the train, railway staff tried to raise the barrier and the wire snapped and hurt his hand. He ran to his colleague, showing him his wound, while another of his colleague tried to raise the barrier but failed.
Thankfully, though, there were several linesmen around and together they dismantled the barrier and carried it off, otherwise, we would have likely been stuck for a long duration.
After a quick stop at Rudrapur to pick up passengers, the bus took the road to Kashipur. I had traveled on this route, while traveling from Haldwani to Dehradun in December 2017. The route was okish for an ordinary bus but seemed a little rough and narrow for the Volvo.
Around midnight we reached Kashipur and then took small and at times, broken state highways toward Meerut.
The first and only stop of the route came at 2:20 am when we stopped at a small Chowdhary Dhaba at Meeranpur bypass after the driver skipped the usual UTC stopover because there were too many buses.
I bought a bottle of water and boarded the bus, after a while and we made our way towards Meerut. After a while, I fell asleep for an hour and woke up, when we had reached Ghaziabad.
Around 5:10 am, we finally reached the Anand Vihar Bus Stand. After getting an Uber, I managed to reach home an hour later.
This journey, which almost never happened, turned out to be quite an interesting and fun affair. One I am unlikely to forget any time soon.
Even though I did not face any breathing issue in the new room, still I had a hard time sleeping continuously and kept waking up throughout the night. Eventually, I decided to leave the bed around 6:15 am. It was bright and sunny already with just a tinge of clouds.
As usual, the KMVN Wi-Fi was down, thankfully though, BSNL data was working. After a few minutes, I came back into the room, switched on the geyser and began packing. My feet were still tired from yesterday’s walk and had large blisters. Therefore, I decided to pack my Forclaz 500 as well and decided to wear the sandals instead.
By 8 o’clock, I was all set and half an hour later, breakfast was served, consisting of potato subzi and plain paratha. Even though salt was a tad less in the subzi, it was delicious.
After breakfast, I checked out of the room and placed my luggage in the Wagon R of Lalit, and went to the reception to pay the bill. Rs. 2,950 had to be paid for room rent (Rs. 1,250 + Rs. 1,700), while I paid Rs. 283 for one breakfast and dinner that was not included in the room price (two breakfasts were.)
After settling the bill, it was time to bid adieu to KMVN and a few minutes later, I was dropped at the Ranikhet Bus Depot and for that, I had to pay Rs. 200.
Ranikhet – Delhi bus was standing in front, though with mechanic trying to fix minor niggles and all the window seats full. So I decided to wait for the next bus and after a while, a bus heading for Bareilly arrived and most of the passengers got off at Ranikhet. I went in and occupied a window seat.
After half an hour and around 9:45 am, the bus began its journey for Haldwani, where I was planning to get off and then take an AC or Volvo bus back to Delhi.
An hour later, we were back at the same restaurant we had stopped en route to Ranikhet and the bus stopped for another half an hour. I took the opportunity to walk a little and later on, came back into the bus and ate the chips I had bought last night from the mall road. While locals threw the garbage outside or the considerate ones in the garbage can nearby, I kept it in my camera bag, planning to dispose of it in Haldwani.
Soon we were back on the road and the bus started filling up with passengers and was soon filled to the brim. It was time to put on the earphones, drown out the sounds with music and venture into the depths of my mind and heart while admiring the natural beauty I was passing through and occasionally photographing with my mobile phone.
Around 1:30 pm, the bus reached the Haldwani Bus Depot and I got off, walked outside and found an auto-rickshaw to take me to the CCD, opposite Walkway Mall for Rs. 50.
The auto driver dropped on the opposite side of the CCD i.e. in front of the mall, then took a U-turn from in front of CCD and went back. Guess he figured I needed to walk a little with my luggage.
Like the CCD in Delhi and Starbucks in Gurgaon, I have a favorite seat in CCD Haldwani as well and thankfully, it was available so I promptly took it.
I have stopped here several times during my trips to Kumaon, spending hours before the Volvo back to Delhi, which is only available in the morning and then at night. Even though I have not been here since November 2016, nothing much had changed, except the staff, including the manager. I remember his face vividly because I once forgot my copy of Thurston House by Danielle Steel and found it a few months later when I revisited Kumaon. The manager at that time had kept it safe for me all the while.
I took out the face wash from my bag and went to the washroom to freshen up. After washing off the dirt from the route, I placed an order for paneer sandwich and cappuccino and came back to my seat and booked a ticket in the 9 pm UTC Volvo for Delhi.
Even though initially I had planned to carry Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence with me on this trip, at the last moment I decided to skip it. So I had to make do with reading Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D'Urbervilles on Kindle, which on the mobile phone screen wasn’t all that comfortable to read. This was until I spotted a flea market in front of Walkway Mall and a bookshop there.
I requested the CCD staff to look after my luggage, went across the road to the bookshop. Books were piled in a heap and finding a good one was difficult. Eventually, I decided to buy a copy of Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy for Rs. 70. It felt bad to see the books being sold by weight, but I really needed one and I did get it for cheap.
With a book in tow, I went back to the CCD and rest of the day flew by as I alternated between reading and scribbling a little in my journal.
Sunset hues from CCD.
Around 7:30 pm, I decided to have my dinner, consisting of a cheeseburger and then, around 8 pm I took an auto-rickshaw back to the bus station for my 9 pm bus to Delhi.
The auto driver dropped me half a kilometer before the bus stand, claiming cops will fine him, so I had to walk rest of the way to reach Haldwani bus stand.
I have a love and hate relationship with this bus stand. This is the bus stand I have spent maximum time at and I have gotten buses from here, which have helped me reach deep into the Kumaon. However, it is open, filthy, chaotic and everyone from bus drivers to car/two-wheeler/auto drivers are out to run you over and each other, though no one ever seems to get hurt!
Even at 8:30 pm, there was no sign of the 9 pm Volvo and I started hearing from people trouble around Moradabad, which had delayed the buses and now, buses weren’t being allowed to ply on that route. Upon inquiring, I was told by a fellow passenger waiting for 9 pm Volvo that due to Kanwads at Garh, buses had been delayed by 11 hours, taking 18 hours to reach Haldwani, instead of the usual 7 hours!
Drivers of the ordinary buses planned to drive in convoy mode, since they were planning to drive to Meerut via Kashipur and then head to Delhi, a longer and comparatively desolate route since the usual route had been closed for heavy vehicles.
However, even at 9 pm the 9 pm Volvo had not shown up and I was beginning to worry since the man at the information desk did not know the whereabouts of the bus either and just figured, it had been late. Soon the conductor showed up and began waiting for the bus, along with the passengers.
As per him, since the buses had been running late and the drivers had barely gotten any rest after the trip from Delhi, there had been delays. Now the bus that was supposed to leave at 10:30 pm was being ready to run at the 9 pm schedule since it was the first one to get ready.
Around 9:30 pm the 9 pm bus showed up and a struggle ensued to board it, since a few intelligent people, despite knowing this was the 9 pm bus and not their 9:30 pm bus, wanted to make sure of it, by making the conductor go through the passenger list and individually telling them to get off and wait a while!
Around 9:50 pm, the bus began its journey to Delhi and immediately, the passengers in the front seat lowered their back seat.
Initially, it was still manageable with only the older man lowering it quite a bit since there was no one sitting next to me. Then his idiotic son decided to match his father and almost pushed the seat into my lap. When I told the numskull politely to raise the seat by a few inches, he began arguing with me, even telling me to switch seats if I was feeling uncomfortable or shove my feet under his seat, so that he can sleep comfortably!
After arguing for 5 minutes I finally told him to either raise the seat or I’ll shove it up, after which he finally moved the seat back to the point, where it was in the above photograph and then began moaning and complaining like a little girl to his father, about other people having attitude and ego that gets hurt and how reclining the seat all the way back is in no way inconvenient for others.
Frankly speaking, I really feel bus providers should limit the tilt angle of seats, increase the leg space or just remove the darn backrest and give each passenger a pillow then can put in the lap of the person sitting behind them and go to sleep!
As the bus moved out of Haldwani and reached the railway crossing between Haldwani and Rudrapur, another interesting event occurred. Initially, the crossing was closed due to a small train passing it. After the train, railway staff tried to raise the barrier and the wire snapped and hurt his hand. He ran to his colleague, showing him his wound, while another of his colleague tried to raise the barrier but failed.
Thankfully, though, there were several linesmen around and together they dismantled the barrier and carried it off, otherwise, we would have likely been stuck for a long duration.
After a quick stop at Rudrapur to pick up passengers, the bus took the road to Kashipur. I had traveled on this route, while traveling from Haldwani to Dehradun in December 2017. The route was okish for an ordinary bus but seemed a little rough and narrow for the Volvo.
Around midnight we reached Kashipur and then took small and at times, broken state highways toward Meerut.
The first and only stop of the route came at 2:20 am when we stopped at a small Chowdhary Dhaba at Meeranpur bypass after the driver skipped the usual UTC stopover because there were too many buses.
I bought a bottle of water and boarded the bus, after a while and we made our way towards Meerut. After a while, I fell asleep for an hour and woke up, when we had reached Ghaziabad.
Around 5:10 am, we finally reached the Anand Vihar Bus Stand. After getting an Uber, I managed to reach home an hour later.
This journey, which almost never happened, turned out to be quite an interesting and fun affair. One I am unlikely to forget any time soon.
Since then I look up to your blogs/suggestion whenever I need to plan my trip. 