The third experience during our trip to Uttarakhand, and the last one, was our stay in a place very near to Mussoorie.
Landour is a small, charming, cantonment town located 7500 feet above sea level. Dhanaulti, our previous stop, had been a short, but very memorable experience.
Landour’s temperatures are quite low during night, and pleasant during the day. The location is what makes it special. And that is what made the last location of our 2014 Uttarakhand trip magical!
Stopping at Kempty Falls
We had passed through Mussoorie before arriving at Landour, and we had stopped at the reputed Kempty Falls. Apart from the sight of people bathing (which actually made it look like a commercial ‘water park’), the waterfalls was beautiful!
During our halt at Kempty Falls, we stood near the railings, felt the cool splashes of the waterfalls, had cold drinks, and talked throughout the small descent (the rope-way was not working).
A small description of the place we were living in.
Landour mostly contains private properties, and very few hotels. We had booked a guest home: Prospect Point. Bill Kinzie’s blog post about Prospect Point will give you vivid detailing: Prospect Point
Here are some pictures of the property:
This was the most luxurious place where we had ever stayed in! The scenery surrounding us, coupled with the luxurious Prospect Point made Landour very engaging!
Here’s one of the spectacular aspects about living in Prospect point (even for two days):
Turn your head in any direction, you’ll get amazed!
In each of the four directions, a different type of view was present. Greenery, snow peaks, the garden of Prospect Point, and the city of Dehradun and Mussoorie.
The scenic beauty had been a cumulative element throughout the trip. Everything we had seen was present here.
There was a maple tree just outside the bungalow. My mother fell in love with the tree from the moment we entered through the gate…
Mr. Bhandari, the person who took care of the whole property, showed us around.
As the sun slowly dimmed, something else slowly appeared on the horizon. As it turned orange, we saw something spectacular…
Everyone was ecstatic! My father had a satisfied smile on his face, and recorded a few seconds of the moment on his handycam.
My mother quoted The Sound of Music as she watched this…
So somewhere in my youth or childhood. I must have done, something good.
Gradually, the cities of Dehradun and Mussoorie started lighting up.
The rapid change in the landscape view was amazing! Finally, when the winterline disappeared, we saw the stars meeting the citylights of Dehradun and Mussoorie!
We were rooted to our spots on the cool ground for a long time, spellbound. The moon had conquered another portion of the sky.
It was a memorable night.
The moments had truly been timeless!
This thought recurred in my mind…
The 10th of October – the following day
The following day we had breakfast at Chaar Dukan – a cluster of four shops that sell various items, ranging from amazing food to small daily household items.
The four of us walked through the town. The soft sun that escaped through the trees equalized the low temperatures.
Later in the afternoon, I took a stroll by myself, after having a fantastic lunch, prepared by Mr. Bhandari. I went by the huge private properties that were dispersed around Landour. I spotted numerous flowers.
From some places, the peaks became visible.
There was something worth noting. We see the signs ‘beware of dogs’ put up on the gates of various houses in the city. I saw
Leopards on patrol. Beware
I believe this is one the best examples which displays the class of people that live in this town.
The time following sunset was exciting. Not only because of the sparkling city that became visible once more, but largely because of this:
We had to leave the following day. A direct descent into Delhi. While we were in the mountains, I took a video on my phone to remember the winding roads with fresh, cool air. The stark difference was very depressing. Uttarakhand was memorable.
About the winterline
To see a ‘winterline’, one needs a very wide view of the sky, without any obstructions. On the right side, the orange sun was visible and a ‘horizontal rainbow’ stretched from the sun, along the horizon, towards the left. Mr. Bhandari told us that a winterline can be seen only from Landour, and from Switzerland.
Truly a magical experience…makes me sad because we miss out on all of this.
LikeLike
Maa is fixated on taking you and Kundan to Landour!
LikeLike
Loved reading this. God bless you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Anirban da! Really happy that you read this ^_^
LikeLike
<3. Beautiful is the word. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
You read it! ^_^ Thank you! 🙂 🙂 🙂
LikeLike
beautiful. 🙂 the essence of the hills, was brought out very well.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m really glad you liked it 🙂
LikeLike
Wonderful blogpost about a wonderful place
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes the place was truly magnificent! I’m very happy that you liked it 🙂
LikeLike
Nabhoneel Majumdar ..I always enjoy posts about Prospect Point (Walk in the Clouds). So happy that it has been rejuvenated/rebuilt so it can continue providing an exquisite life experience for those privileged to sojourn there. You mentioned a maple tree in the yard. It was a mere sapling when we were there and now it is a large mature tree. It was a pleasure to re-read your additions to your blog.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for reading the post once again! It’s very interesting to hear from a person who went there so many years back!
It is a paradise 🙂 Getting the opportunity to live there for a couple of days was a huge privilege. My parents love travelling! We all had a great experience!
LikeLike
Beautiful account of the place. The name rings so sweetly. 🙂
This photographs, my God, are mesmerising!
What a magnificent experience watching the winterline must have been!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Enjoyed re reading your comments about Prospect Point and Landour. It’s been nearly 70 years since I stayed at Prospect Point and attended Woodstock. A cherished memory. Bill Kinzie
LikeLiked by 2 people
Hello Mr. Kinzie! It’s always wonderful to see your comments! 🙂
Thank you for stopping by!
Only yesterday, I obtained a book by Ruskin Bond: ‘Landour Days’. I could not resist myself from buying it. Landour was magic. 🙂
LikeLike
Finally! Someone who appreciated the winterline! 😀
No one got the idea of the winterline from the pictures 😛
We had to cancel our trip to Kashmir because of the floods, but Uttarakhand DID NOT disappoint. The beauty simply escalated with each destination 🙂
And Landour, was Heaven (no exaggeration).
LikeLike
Oh, Uttarakhand can never disappoint. 🙂
Too bad about Kashmir. Kashmir aar Leh-Ladakh bibhinno karon’er jonyo jaowa’i hoye uthchhe naa.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We never knew that Uttarakhand was so beautiful!
We went there in 2012, primarily to visit Kedarnath, Chandrapuri, and a few other places, and during that trip, we felt the might of the Himalayas.
But the trip of 2014 was magical, simply magical 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
There are two places in Uttarakhand that can take your breath away. Chaukori and Binsar. Photobloggers’ paradise, I tell you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m Googling those places. Do one thing. Check out another post 😀
Open the ‘Travelling’ category, you’ll find something with Eco park inside its name.
Actually, here’s the link: The Eco Park at Dhanaulti
LikeLike