#wonderinthoseeyes

[wonderinthoseeyes]

Third Birthday Diaries - Mountains Calling

We had started planning Aadyaa’s third birthday outing almost six months prior this time and had an increased sense of confidence of traveling with her. Besides spending the birthday week with her, we also wanted to continue with our quest of visiting a different state in India each year...something that we had kept up with since 2006.  

Running out of options that would be good choice to visit in May and avoiding places that would be too touristy, we finally zeroed in on parts of Himachal Pradesh that we had not been to. We assumed that our travel agent had taken the fact that we were traveling with a feisty three-year old into account when they suggested super offbeat locations like Shoja and Sonaugi. We would also be stopping at Mandi on the way back, to breakup an otherwise long leg of road travel. On the last trip to Himachal, we had first traveled to Amritsar...this time it would be Chandigarh! 

We set out almost a week before the big day and it all started with a very comfortable and pleasant flight to Chandigarh. The meticulously planned Chandigarh grows on you almost instantly and we enjoyed the short stay, which included a visit to the Rock Garden. The next morning, we left for Shoja. As much as I love the mountains, I can never sleep when the vehicle is hurtling down the steep slopes or navigating the coiling roads. In my mind, and as had been printed on our itinerary, we should have reached Shoja in 6-7 hours. However, I would hardly be writing about it if it had been that straightforward! 

Our driver, who picked us up at the Chandigarh airport and was to be with us for the next 8 days, was persistently discouraging about Shoja. He kept asking us what we were going to do there, who recommended this place to us and that he would have suggested Manali instead! Contrary to our expectation that he would have been briefed about where he was going to be heading, or that he would have cared enough to find out where he was going to be, he was clueless! We even took a wrong turn and drove for miles in the opposite direction. 

Finally when we did get to Shoja, the road to the resort was unpaved, full of rocks, steep and dangerous since it overlooked a valley. I vividly remember Hrushi and me looking at each other and gulping our thoughts down as we passed a small road side temple that had vehicle number plates put up around it. After being on this arduous drive for close to 10 hours by then, we could only think that they probably belonged to vehicles that didn’t make it to the top!! We hoped we would, since we were driving through darkness. 

We did reach as we topped 11 hours on the clock eventually. The resort was a rather no frills one. The views were supposed to be stunning from here and it was supposed to be a place that we were to enjoy and relax at. We would have loved it had we been there pre-Aadyaa, as we could have trekked around, explored on foot and enjoyed the calm. It wasn’t baby friendly in the sense that there was no quintessential play area, no TV (Baby TV gave us a much needed breather in those days) and very limited food options. Just by virtue of being situated on a hillside, the property itself was with its ups and downs and we couldn’t have even let Aadyaa be unattended for a short while. To add to all of this, we were also the only guests there and that made it seem all the more alienated. 

The staff was super welcoming and tried their best to make us comfortable. But the draining travel and the driver’s negativity had already made an impact. We crashed in and called it a night determined to leave the next morning and not go ahead with the three-night stay it was originally meant to be. We had decided to skip Sonaugi too, since it was also offbeat and the driver was persistently demotivating! I called the contact person from the agency to let them know that we were changing plans and contrary to the expected response, I found him asking me to consider going to Sonaugi!! However, we knew we wanted to be in a more child-friendly place and wouldn’t budge though it would mean forsaking the amount we had already paid in full! In hindsight, it was a good decision and I don’t regret it to this date. 

For a person who prefers everything planned to a T, I was most out of my comfort zone...on a fully planned and paid vacation, now heading to an unplanned destination at the last minute! More about where we were headed soon.    

[wonderinthoseeyes]

The Sea Beckons

Back in the day when mini-vacations were normal (and necessary), we have had several day trips with Aadyaa. Of those, she spent most of the time sleeping during the journey back and forth...so not much to say about them. There were also several which were weekend getaways, some of which are definitely worth sharing. 

When she was a little over two, we decided to make a quick beach trip. Mumbai was the closest and most obvious choice. My sister and I spent all our summer vacations during school life in Mumbai, and Dadar and Girgaon chowpaty were an integral part of those...I don’t ever remember going crazy playing in the water, but I do remember making sand castles, staring at the waves, enjoying the short horse-cart rides on the beach and relishing the typical food items you get on a beach. I was eager for her to experience all of this! 

It was a comfortable drive to The Resort at Madh Island. We had booked a sea-facing room and the view was lovely. We waited for evening so it wouldn’t be too hot and took Aadyaa to the beach with a running commentary of how lovely it would be, how she would love the waves and on...and on! 

She stared at the open ocean and watched the waves come and go. She watched the surf come in and hit our feet while we held her. While one of us held her, the other tried to point out all that we could...the swaying palm trees, bobbing trawlers on the horizon, people splashing around in the water, kids building sand castles and whatever else was happening around us that was worth drawing a baby’s attention to! We walked around for a bit, watched her soak in all the views and then thought that it was time for the real thing. That’s when all hell broke loose! 

While she seemed to like everything till that moment, she hated the feeling of the clingy wet sand on her feet and the waves rushing towards her. She screamed as loudly as she could and demanded to be picked up right away! We had not expected this at all! We tried the ringa-ringa roses kind of games, tag and other silly stuff to distract her. But she was crying her lungs out! The moment we picked her up, she would stop...if she sensed we were going to make her stand in the sand again, she would cling on with her life and refuse to even point her legs remotely in the direction of the sand. While our futile attempts may only have lasted a few minutes, it seemed like forever! It’s amazing how much resistance a little person can put up!

We spent the second day of the stay at the resort with a quick walk on the beach with no attempt to get her anywhere close to the sand. It wasn’t worth the fight she would have put up! We did end up making short trips to some beaches post this and her resistance continued for at least two more years. She finally let up when she discovered the universal joy of looking for colorful shells hiding in the sand and giving the waves a high five. Now she gets excited even before we can complete saying ‘beach trip!’

I wish I could remember what I had felt the first time I saw the ocean, but from her expressions at the time it seemed pretty overwhelming to her. In retrospect, I can imagine how threatening a wave must seem to a little person standing right in it’s path. The sand slipping under her delicate little feet must have been an unnerving feeling and a sense of being dragged away from the most comfortable place in her tiny little world...her parent’s arms. 

But I am glad she came around to enjoying the ocean eventually, because there is nothing more calming to me than the sound of the waves! I could probably sit on the beach for hours doing nothing...the only place where I do experience moments of thoughtlessness...when nothing and no one seems to matter. As she grows up, I hope she finds this zone somewhere in the noisy world, beach or not! 

[wonderinthoseeyes]

Second Birthday Diaries—Jungle Safaris

The last part of the trip that we spent at Kabini River Lodge was the opposite of the leisurely Mysore and Coorg stays. It was adrenaline rush from the word go! The resort is simple, clean, practical and strategically located. Everyone coming here has the same two-fold agenda: going for maximum jungle safaris and hoping for awesome sightings of the big cats! We realized how passionate people are about this when we got there...it’s really hard to miss and even harder not to get bitten by the safari bug! 

Tired from the road trip, we dozed off early...in anticipation of the promised ‘wake up call’ aka loud knock on the door. We woke up while it was still dark, cold and quiet. After a quick and much-needed cup of piping hot tea, we headed out to the open jeeps! We were allotted to a jeep and we got in all excited and chirpy, Aadyaa included! 

The other couple in our jeep seemed to know our guide well from previous safaris they had done with him and assured us that we were lucky to have his company for the very first trip. HIs amazing tracking skills, his understanding of animal behavior and his passion to make this a memorable experience for the passengers he was responsible for during those safaris was evident throughout. We owe part of our love for the jungles to him and his perspective that you may drive on the same jungle route a million times, but no two drives will ever be the same.

As soon as we entered the Nagarhole National Park, he heard langur calls and began tracking right away...it led to our first ever sighting of a leopard crossing the road with two little fur balls in tow. It was mesmerizing to know about how the animals give each other warning signals using peculiar sounds each time a predator is on the move through the jungle. From subsequent safaris, we have learnt that a quiet jungle means that the apex predator in that territory has its tummy full and is resting somewhere...the jungle literally comes alive as soon as the predator is on the move, whether out for a kill or not! 

Aadyaa was chirpy and babbling and while we were excited for her to experience the jungle, we still hadn’t realized that a two-year cannot possibly spot an animal amidst the thick foliage! Since it was our first safari, there was no experience to draw upon ourselves. She got bored even though we tried to show her the abundant langurs, macaques, peacocks and birds. She had been woken up early and got cranky real quick. The guide asked us to try and calm her down...but we weren’t very successful! In a normal situation, we would have probably just retreated to the room, but a jungle safari is not something you can drop mid-way and return. Thankfully, she fell asleep due to the jeep’s motion and after one assertive “shhhhhhh” from the guide :D So the rest of the safari was more of a narration that she heard from us when she grew up a little. 

Regardless, it was, and still is the best safari we’ve been on till date...with sightings of a leopard with two cubs, two sub-adult tigresses, numerous other animals and birds...and having survived a mock charge by the matriarch of a sizable elephant herd. The mock charge had us sweating and the guide and the couple laughing at our plight...we joined in and had a good laugh eventually, but not before the thought that this could be our first and last safari had crossed my mind :D 

We returned for another jungle safari that afternoon and then a boat safari the next morning! The Kabini river banks were buzzing and we saw crocodiles, elephants, otters, peacocks, wild boar, deer, sambar, gaur and even a jackal that looked rather clueless running back and forth on the same strip of land. I don’t have a list of all the birds we saw during the jungle and boat safaris, but I do wish I had maintained it. Another regret is not having had an SLR at that time so we could have captured the big cats. 

We came back to Pune after a quick stop at Bangalore to meet family, already planning about the best age to take Aadyaa back to the jungle...since though she had been on a jungle safari this time, she had missed the experience! 

[wonderinthoseeyes]

Second Birthday - Coorg Diaries

With Aadyaa’s second birthday celebration done just the way we had imagined it—at the Mysore zoo, spending our entire day undisturbed with Aadyaa—we left by road for Coorg. 

We had a reservation at The Windflower Spa & Resorts at Coorg and from the photos I had seen while making a selection between the choice of resorts the travel agency had given us, I was absolutely looking forward to getting there! This resort is located much before the bustling all-about-spices Coorg city and had a beautiful sense of calm to it. It was a little off road and secluded, so it was a conscious choice for those who opted for it.  

The staff was very warm and welcoming and our suite had a humble view...green, vibrant, and calming! The restaurant was towards the other end of the property and it exuded quite the opposite vibe. It was always busy, dishing out amazing menus and preparations...a definite foodie’s paradise! The restaurant overlooked an infinity pool that had a beautiful sustainable design. It had gracefully accommodated two trees that stood tall and proud bang in the middle of the pool. Just a glance at the pool evoked the feeling that you don’t have to enjoy at the cost of nature, but rather by embracing it! 

The stay at this resort was especially peaceful thanks to the F&B Manager, Mr. Sangeeth Sundar, who checked in with us at every single meal about what Aadyaa was having and whether she was happy with what was on the menu. He catered to her needs and brought her a perfectly spiced mashed dal khichadi or a glass of warm chocolate milk before we even requested it. A cranky kid hardly makes for a cheerful vacation...so a happy baby meant happy us! 

The only time we ventured out of this pad was for a trip to the Dubare Elephant camp. Once we got there, we had to take a small boat ride to the camp, where we were greeted by a calf who was being bathed by the caretaker. This is one place where you can get really up and close to elephants and Aadyaa would babble about this place for months afterwards, until her brain then latched on to something more exciting. She would enact how the elephants skillfully held the coconuts they were offered in their trunks and ate them and also how they splashed water with their trunks. With sound effects for both, of course! :) It was a sight to watch! We had nothing else planned and so we could spend a good couple of hours at this camp and just let her be, exclusively observing the gentle giants all around her (quite literally) in amazement! 

We did not go all the way to the spice market while we stayed at Windflower, since shopping for spices was never on the list anyway. Also, Aadyaa was too young to take her around a spice & herbs garden or a coffee plantation, since she wouldn’t understand anything anyway. As we reluctantly checked out (having no time-table is our idea of the perfect vacation and this one came pretty close!) to proceed to Kabini, the driver did persuade us to make a quick stop at the famous spice market. The only thing worth mentioning that I bought from there were awesome spice drops...concentrated extracts of ginger and lemongrass among a few others. 

Once we got to Kabini and actually understood what we had signed up for, we were glad that we had been able to rest up in Coorg! More soon...

[wonderinthoseeyes]

Second Birthday - Mysore Diaries

Excited about taking off for Aadyaa’s second birthday, I got in touch with our usual travel agency for suggestions to escape the sweltering May heat and yet have fun. After some back and forth, we decided on going down South for a week...to Mysore, Coorg and Kabini. 

We flew to Bangalore from Pune and then headed to Mysore by road. The journey took twice the time than usual, since everyone was headed out for the long weekend it was and the highway was choked. Aadyaa slept through the drive, so it was peaceful and restful for all of us.  

We stayed at the Mysore Infosys campus for three days and it was beautiful, lush green, vehicle free and secure. We could let Aadyaa be as she roamed the picture perfect landscaped premise, interacted with people with naughty smiles and chuckles and made her presence felt. 

On her birthday the next day, we went to Mysore Zoo to show her all the animals from her board books in flesh and blood. Boy was she excited! There is a white peacock enclosure as soon as you enter the Mysore zoo and we were lucky to see it dancing in full glory as we entered. It just set the tone for the rest of the experience. She was happy to walk around and show her excitement as she saw the animals she recognized! Some were a shocker as we could tell from her expressions, since they all look the same size in a board book after all! :) A towering giraffe was definitely not what she expected to see, nor was the gigantic elephant! But we could tell that she enjoyed herself and it felt like mission accomplished :) A birthday well spent! 

We also went to Mysore Palace the same evening to fulfill our touristy obligations, but she couldn’t really enjoy that since she was exhausted from the zoo earlier in the day. Also, the Mysore Palace was crazy crowded and there was no place to take a baby sleeping peacefully in a pram around. We didn’t feel the need to wake her up to see the structure, so we took turns in going in and seeing it and called it a day! 

The next day was dedicated mostly to the famous Brindavan Gardens. It was also crowded, but the magnanimity of the gardens just grows over you once you step in. We walked up and down twice because Aadyaa just couldn’t get enough of the fountains in there! I still remember having a well deserved cup of tea and snacks at the Royal Orchid Brindavan Garden Palace Hotel situated just atop the gardens. The outdoor deck gives has a spectacular view of the gardens and the seating there is just perfect! 

We headed back to the Infosys campus after pretending to enjoy the musical fountains, which I don’t remember seeing much of anyway. I say pretending, since there were way too many people between us and the fountains, so we managed to get only glimpses of the fountains...but there she was dancing (from a mother’s point of view, of course...moving arbitrarily from the point of view of most onlookers I’m sure) to the music and having fun anyway, so we waited till it was almost over. 

On the last day of the Mysore leg, we went to the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary...give yourself a little treat if you tried to read that name and got it right on the first attempt :) The bird sanctuary is great, but not very pram-friendly. We went around most of it anyway. There is a boat ride you can take to see birds like storks and cranes nesting on the other side of the water body, but I wasn’t very keen once I knew that the water was home to crocs! To say that my hydrophobia was accentuated by that ‘fun fact’ would be an understatement! 

All in all, the Mysore leg of the tour was awesome and that birthday celebration in the zoo priceless! In hindsight, this trip was all about animals, from the zoo in Mysore, to the Elephant park in Coorg to the jungle safari in Kabini. 

More soon...

[wonderinthoseeyes]

Aadyaa’s Birthday Celebrations

Loss of a parent is something that leaves a forever void regardless of what stage and age of one’s life it happens...you can NEVER be prepared for it! 2014 had been such a year of sudden loss...it was like being caught off guard in the worst way possible with my mom’s aggravated illness and death! And the only one person who saw us all through it was Aadyaa! 

No matter how helpless, stressed, and pained everyone at home felt in the days leading up to the loss and since, we had to be normal around her...she needed the love and the care...and she in turn, with her silly antics, blabbering, questions and just by being her wonderful self, restored some sense of ‘normalcy’..or at least, made it seem like that. 

As Aadyaa’s second birthday approached in May 2015, we knew it had to be special for her...on that day and when she would grow up and look back too! At the same time, there was an unsaid fatigue from dealing with everything over the past few months and absolutely no mindset for a big celebration. 

When we gave it a thought, it seemed like taking time off from work and spending so called ‘quality time’ with Aadyaa would be the best way to bring in her birthday! In any case, she was too young to enjoy her birthday party with no real friends of her own yet. Besides from the big first birthday bash, we knew that throwing a party would mean that we would be busy in the prep and playing host and would ironically spend very less relaxed time with her on her special day. This idea of taking off for her birthday then became the norm for every birthday...a decision that we are so proud of! 

Since her fifth birthday, we have thrown a small party at home too so she could celebrate with her friends. But that’s never been on her actual birthday...it’s usually a day or more prior. On her birthday, we have almost always been traveling somewhere, making memories and having fun at a different place each year...and it has never felt more right!  

The birthday travelogues will follow next....I can’t wait to share our wonderful experiences as we plan on the side for the big day coming up soon! :) 

[wonderinthoseeyes]

What brings me here

I had been toying with the idea of blogging for a while, but it took flying to another country and having a much saner day to actually get me started! And here’s what it is going to be all about! 

My husband and I have always loved visiting and exploring new places. I am a planner to the core and I (almost always) need to know what my day is going to look like. But, my planning took on a whole new level and our travel experiences gained a whole new dimension, once our daughter was born.  

We’ve literally gone places over the past seven years and enjoyed seeing them through her eyes. Of course we’ve had our fair share of planning fails (and victories, where we didn’t forget a thing...really, not kidding!), crazy journeys, last-minute (read unavoidable) changes to itineraries and lot’s more...but what has always made it worth it in the end is the WONDER IN THOSE EYES!     

[wonderinthoseeyes]

Off to USA

Aadyaa’s first-ever international trip is memorable for almost all the wrong reasons! Thankfully she was too little to understand what was happening around her and she was the one that kept things seemingly sane! 

Aadyaa and I set off on our first international trip together in September of 2014. She was 15 months old and unaware of where, what, why, and how! Though I have always loved travel, honestly, teleporting would be really nice to have some day...I love the destinations, but almost never the journey! 

My mom had been unwell for a while, but my dad was really persistent about me and Aadyaa traveling since it had been planned for a long time. On the other side of the world, Hrishi was eagerly waiting to see us...this was the longest he had stayed away from his little princess...all of two months! :) None of us anticipated how that trip would eventually have to be cut short at the time, but with dad’s reassurance that things would only be better by the time we were back, Aadyaa and I left anyway.  

I thought we were all set with a bassinet booked and the journey looked doable! I had flown for business earlier, so I wasn’t a nervous flyer either. From what I remembered, babies looked cozy and comfortable in those bassinets! But not mine...our flight was bumpy to say the least and as per the rules, babies cannot be in the bassinets during turbulence. I lost track of how many times I put her in the bassinet and then held her again, fastening the infant seat belt to mine each time. It was exhausting! 

The crew was exceptionally supportive and also offered to hold Aadyaa during her bouts of crying...possibly due to ear pain during take off and then due to the constant interruptions in her sleep during the flight! But she wouldn’t allow anyone to hold her...I guess everything was way too much out of her comfort zone, for her to be comforted by anyone else. I ended up skipping two meals out of the three that were served during the flight in all this. She finally slept a little better for the last four hours of the flight, giving me some much needed rest. Not in the bassinet, of course! 

After a seemingly unending immigration line up at the Chicago airport, and a fun moment when Aadyaa burst into peals of laughter saying ‘doddy, doddy’ when the sniffer dog was going around the immigration queue, we finally met Hrishi. The moment and the smiles on both their faces were PRICELESS! He had been raising silly doubts of whether she would forget him while he was away and they were all put to rest almost instantly by how she leapt into his arms! 

Aadyaa adapted to the hotel room quickly, gauging the new environment, new things to pull and explore, and a new routine. She would keep us up through the night in India anyway, so she did quite well in the US time zone thankfully! We couldn’t do much in the short week that we were there, though we managed to squeeze in a trip to the Shedd aquarium on the weekend. I still remember that huge tank with hundreds of colorful fish swimming around in circles...if it is so mesmerizing for an adult, imagine what it can do to a child who is just stepping out into the world! Her first ever aquarium trip too! I remember us standing there for a good half an hour, trying to show her all the vibrant colors and different kinds of ‘fishies’. She loved the touch pools too, though she has never been the adventurous kind (at least not yet!).

We were on our way back to India in exactly eight days due to mom’s critical condition. After the ordeal on the flight to the USA and the unsuccessful attempts of shaking off thoughts of what lay ahead, I had no strength to put on a brave front and travel alone with Aadyaa. The three of us flew back together, but honestly, to this date, I don’t remember anything at all about that flight! It’s a big blur and I think I could drift off into oblivion, since Hrishi was ably handling Aadyaa. 

I had almost decided never to travel long-distance with Aadyaa alone again until I was ready...but we eventually did few years down the line and she, all of six at the time, made it one of the best flights ever, almost as if to make up for this one! 

But that’s a story for another day... 

[wonderinthoseeyes]

The first trip...

The initial months after Aadyaa was born were a blur as she kept us awake through most nights. Before she was born, we had always managed to fit in mini-vacations as and when we could. So as we approached her six-month milestone, we badly needed a change of scene! We also felt ready to venture out of the comfort zone and break out of the routine. 

Soon, we planned our very first trip as a family of three to a bustling hill station, Mahabaleshwar, not too far away from home! There were several moments and firsts that made this trip special! Another reason we’ll always remember this one was epic first-time-parents mistakes we made, which we still laugh about! 

It was Christmas time and Mahabaleshwar was wintry as could be, with cold, crisp air! We had picked a hotel that was highly recommended by friends due to the walking distance to the famous market. The hotel was also known for delicious food, so it almost ticked all the boxes! Well...almost and I’ll come to that soon! Anyway, it was good drive with Aadyaa sleeping comfortably in her infant seat.

As we settled into the hotel room and unpacked, we realized that in packing all of Aadyaa’s stuff…we had forgotten most of ours...of which clothes to keep us warm topped the list! While she had six sweaters for three days, budgeting for what if the journey makes her queasy, what if she spills her food, what if she tossed the bottle…and so on (you get the drift, right!)…we totally forgot to pack any warm clothes for us! We laughed and grinned put on clothes that weren’t meant to be layered in layers, and looked like fools as we started walking towards the market 😊 Aadyaa was oblivious, happy, and super cozy in the baby carrier. 

We soon forgot about the awkward layers we had forced ourselves into, as we focused on showing Aadyaa every little thing on the way...a small puppy engrossed in chasing its own tail, fallen leaves and flowers, branches swaying to the breeze, colorful ware in the shops, luscious berries in huge heaps, and almost everything that caught our attention. I still remember the wonder in her eyes, taking in all the colors and the movement amidst the chatter in the market and our non-stop commentary. Those little eyes were widening in wonder every often and there was an occasional celebratory giggle too! Loved every moment! 

We got back after a long walk, hungry and tired. Aadyaa dozed off on the way back. It was no fun talking to each other in that crazy hush tone that all parents seem to switch to when the kids sleep...forgetting that we were walking back from a busy market and there were so many other sounds that could have woken her up! It was a quiet and looonng walk back to the hotel. That’s when we realized the one box that this hotel did not tick...room service! Not wanting to risk waking her up, we took turns in dragging ourselves to the dining area for the meal. This has been a lesson I’ve never forgotten, and the one thing that I’ve always checked hotel bookings for since this day has undoubtedly been the availability of room service!   

We spent another day repeating this routine before we headed back home. There wasn’t much else to do anyway, the only difference was the yummy strawberry with cream that we did have at Bagicha on the second day! Yumm! 

Regardless of our goof ups, we have some of Aadyaa’s most gorgeous photos and memories from this trip—our first trip with her! :) 

That’s all for now! More fun on the next one…

[wonderinthoseeyes]

Third Birthday Diaries - Manali

The next morning we were on our way to the touristy Manali. The driver harping on that must have made that seem like the obvious choice at the time. While we reached out to the agency like I had mentioned, I didn’t want to rely on them entirely either. So we reached out to Club Mahindra, Manali to check for bookings and lucked out as they had one for two nights. Originally we didn’t qualify for the peak season as per our package and we had not wanted to be in a tourist hot spot to begin with, so that had not been an option. But here we were, headed exactly there! 

We got to the resort and it felt comfortable instantly. Besides seeing other humans there, there was a sense of familiarity, having visited other properties earlier. Aadyaa was comfortable and that’s what it boils down to at the end of the day. Since we had gotten a run-time booking, we did not get it for all five days and we were perfectly okay with that. The travel agency booked us a beautiful cottage, which included having a chef at our disposal for the remaining three days and it was not too far from the Club Mahindra resort either...so there was no dramatic travel involved again! It did make us think about why that wasn’t suggested in the first place...but we did not dwell on that too much...or maybe we didn’t have the time to! 

We made the most of our time in Manali in every possible way and did all things touristy! We explored the mall road a couple of times, though there was no shopping involved. We visited the Dev Bhoomi Ropeway and had expected to get an expression of amazement from Aadyaa...but it was just a few squeals and that was it! She broke into a run at the top of the hill as we waited for a cable car back...she was running towards a snow-capped mountain thinking she was close to Elsa’s home on the north mountain! The fact that we’ve had two Disney Frozen themed birthdays since are stories for another time!  

The place she really and fully enjoyed was the one we had least expected her to! It was the day to visit temples and we were headed to the Hadimba temple and the nearby Vasishtha temple. The beautiful stone and wood Vasishtha temple is at the end of a narrow uphill lane that we walked up. On the way, Aadyaa stopped at a pet shop to stare at the fish tanks and we let her be for a minute or two as a break during the walk. As we reached the temple, we could see her eyes fixated in wonder on the local womenfolk holding fluffy, white-as-snow Angora rabbits. They would let you hold one for a few minutes for a price. I would have never expected Aadyaa to want to hold one, but she insisted...and she lit up as she held that cute little bunny...it was a few minutes before I took it from her, but it made that whole trip worthwhile. 

After a while as we neared the stone structure of the Hadimba temple in the midst of towering conifers, she stopped again to pet an adorable little lamb. It was the most thrilled she had been on the trip and that resulted in a demand for a pet rabbit or lamb for months to follow! Needless to say, we were able to talk her out of it eventually!  

Reflecting back on moments like these makes me think of how children find joy in the simplest of things! Aadyaa’s love and care for animals has only grown since she showed us this glimpse of what tugged at her heart. 

Just as we thought the adventure had ended, we were chased for a bit by a local couple who rented Himachali costumes for a photo op. It’s one part of being a tourist I genuinely dislike, but I was curious to see Aadyaa dressed up as a Himachali girl. As soon as we showed some sign of consent, the lady got to work and wrapped Aadyaa in the costume. Those clicks of hers are some of my favorite clicks to date and hardly anyone who has seen them has disagreed. What got annoying was that other people who were getting the clicks in the costumes wanted to click photos with her! To say that she was uncomfortable and we annoyed would be a gross understatement! Anyway, we wiggled out of there and got back to the room.  

By virtue of being in a town, we were able to order a birthday cake for Aadyaa and enjoyed a quiet celebration. 

After this week in Manali and the double expenses on the trip, the journey back home to Pune via Mandi and Chandigarh were uneventful and nothing to write home about! It was another birthday done right in our books...and to think of it, we still have Shimla and Kullu to explore at another time!