Badlands

Driving eastwards on Interstate 90 in South Dakota, we ran into some very unpredictable weather. When we started, it was bright and sunny but suddenly out of the blue, the skies were covered with thick black rain clouds. We were on our way to the Badlands National Park and before we could decide whether to go ahead with the plans or call it a day, it started pouring. The rains were lashing hard on the window panes and we could barely see the signboards. Our gut sense was that we had at least one more hour to drive. Despite the thunderstorms and lightning, we braved our way towards the Park. We thought that it would be much better to drive towards our destination rather than face the same bad weather to go back to the hotel. We exited at a city called Wall, which is named after the sight of Badlands Wall and just followed the map.

Stranded in Thamel

Out of the four days that I was at Kathmandu, two days were declared as bandh. Upon my arrival at the airport, the hosts phoned and apologized for not coming to receive me because of a total bandh called very suddenly. Due to the volatile climate, only tourist vehicles were allowed to operate and I was told that instead of going to Park Village Resort where I was supposed to stay, it would be advisable to spend one night at Kathmandu Guest House which happens to be run by the same group. After much discussion and deliberation with the hosts, the taxi driver and the hotel and after weighing all options of the safest mode to travel, I finally got into a tourist vehicle along with a colleague and a couple of other passengers.

Chandigarh…visit incomplete

Now that I look back I think my visit to Chandigarh was meant to be incomplete, so that I can go there again with a little more time.

After wrapping up all the work that we had come to do, my colleague and I decided to go around the city for a few hours before heading back to the airport. Our hosts had given us a cab (gratis!) and told us to take it wherever we wanted (Go to Shimla if you wish, we were told) but little did we know that the cabbie would be such a spoilsport. Lesson learnt- think twice before accepting anything free.

Pratapgadh - the victor and the vanquished

Here’s another fort that is significant in Maratha history. Pratapgadh is where Shivaji killed Afzal Khan with his tiger claws after his concealed armour saved him from getting stabbed by Afzal Khan’s dagger during one of most vicious embraces that history has witnessed. The mausoleum of Afzal Khan lies at the foothills of Pratapgadh and the saffron flag symbolizing Maratha rule still flutters atop Pratapgadh.