Holiday in Rajpur

As I mentioned last week, Friday was the beginning of a five-day holiday for students and staff. October 2 is Gandhi’s birthday, a national holiday, and the semester is scheduled so that the end of the 9-week grading period coincides. By 3:00 on Friday afternoon the Quad seemed quite deserted.

We had decided to go down to Rajpur and Dehra Dun for a short getaway. Dan went down on his scooter earlier in the week to look at potential places. We have stayed at the President Hotel in Astley Hall in the past – it is very nice, but it is a noisy, crowded location. Dan found the Hotel Rajpur Heights, about a mile and a half above Rajpur on the old Mussoorie Road. It was quite nice and we enjoyed our stay there.

Looking down from our room's small balcony onto the "Party Lawn" -- available for rental for your wedding reception or other special event.

The restaurant is on the rooftop, open to the fresh air.

After we arrived and settled in, we walked into Rajpur town. It was a gentle grade down along the road and it was a very nice walk. Once in town, we found the Chayya café and had lunch there. They have a shop in Mussoorie, too, and it’s the best place for good bread and cookies. The walk back home was a bit harder for me – uphill all the way and very warm. But eventually I made it. The round trip was over four miles. We spent the rest of the day loafing in the room on our comfortable bed. We ate dinner in the evening in the restaurant on the rooftop of the hotel.

Sights along the road: Trumpet flower in bloom.

"Machan" restaurant next to our hotel. Each hut had a table and chairs. Machan is the Hindi word for a hut, usually located in the fields so a farmer can stay there and keep watch over the crops.

Lantana along the road -- some people consider this a weed, it is all over the area, but it has pretty flowers.

As so frequently seen, prayer flags strung along the side of the road by Tibetans.

This bull was enjoying the puddle at one of the hairpin turns.

Once we reached Rajpur, the hill turned upward into the town. Chayya is at the very top.

I enjoyed this sign on one of the houses in Rajpur.

A typical small delivery truck with three wheels.

Rajpur Resorts, another hotel along the way. We think ours was better.

Morning sunrise view from our balcony, the Himalayas to the left.

Valley view off to the right. There was a haze the whole time we were there.

Sunday we went into Dehra Dun, and I’ll write about that tomorrow.