Some of you might know that #NAINAxRANIKHET is an annual ritual. There’s photographic documentation of this ritual on this blog since 2012. Before that, I’m not so sure. My parents first discovered Ranikhet in 1978 when they moved there as part of one of my Dad’s early Army postings.
Last year, both my parents were unable to make it but Akanksha, Aman, Bharat and I decided to go nonetheless. There was a bit of guilt and we had a hospital run around once we got back to Gurgaon, but all in all, I’m glad we went.
So, this year, it was specially SPECIAL because it was the first time that all six of us had made it to Ranikhet. Some of us couldn’t believe that was true, so we dug up the evidence on my blog and it turns out, all six of us have never been to Ranikhet before this. It’s always been some combination of family members but never this one.
One night stop over at Kamola because the drive from Gurgaon is no longer conducive to anyone’s butt or back ( except maybe Aman’s ). And then next day morning drive to Ranikhet. We were greeted by rain, and we had seen the weather forecasts that said that our entire Ranikhet vacation might have rain, and we were well-prepared for that eventuality. Luckily, except the first two days, it was sunny and warm.
One of the main agendas when we’re in Ranikhet, is to go for a walk. It sounds simplistic and it is. There’s the before breakfast walk. There’s the before evening drinks walk. There’s the post-dinner walk.
The before-breakfast walk, usually, doesn’t have many takers. When I travel with just Mom and Dad, then I go for these walks religiously. But when I have company that shams with me, I sham along. So, this trip, I went for a morning walk perhaps once.
The before-evening-drinks walk is everyone’s favourite. Sunsets for me, doggos for Bharat, ice-cream for Akanksha and Aman, and perhaps the entire experience for Mom and Dad. Lots of photographs of course.
Then there’s lots of beer on the agenda. Maybe a spot of golf. Food. And we made a new friend this time. Yeshka Awomi. Fun times.
I got obsessed with the Crepe Myrtle tree this time, so there’s a bunch of photographs of the tree trunk and its flowers. Also got a particularly nice photo with Bharat during a sunset.
Did not get any time to write at all, which is a good thing. There will be other vacations and more time for that. I had carried my paints along with me and I did get some time to do that. Aman was carrying a laser pointer with him and we made some cowtastic discoveries with it, much to the relief of Akanksha.
One highlight of this vacation – and not in a good way – was that Bharat went out for a sprint and a bunch of monkeys surprised him. Bharat fell and injured himself. There was blood. The soft-tissue injury on his left hand and wrist is going to take a couple of months to heal itself completely. Ouch.
Lunch at Valley View HomeStay with Jas Uncle this time. Saby Aunty wasn’t around. I also got Akanksha to take some weird photographs of me here and there. What fun!
Some tweed jackets were bought from the Kumaon Community Center.
Some spectacular sunsets this time around.
Brace yourself for the photo scroll.
Apart from these vacation photographs, I’ve also shared an album on my personal Facebook, which has more people photos and selfies. There’s also a personal project I shot and edited called Vacation Objects and am sharing one image every week till the end of 2019. See here , #NAINAxRANIKHET #VacationObjects
For all Ranikhet photo features on this blog, #NAINAxRANIKHET link can be visited.
Hopefully, until next year!
2 comments
Well written & extremely well shot.
Loved the pics and the text. Sounds like a dream ritual. Wishing you many more, sans simian surprises.
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