mukteshwar

does not receive very much space in the guide books, but I loved the place.

Maybe it is because I went there on a glorious morning, maybe because I walked to Mukteshwar along a mossy forest trail, maybe because the One was with me.

Or maybe the reason is more prosaic. The advantage of going there by the forest trail is that one bypasses the tourist area with the hotels and dhabas. Instead, we pass a lovely mixed forest, then traditional houses, and finally emerge onto a ridge with a few shops and the post office.

And what a post office! I have seen cute daak buildings in villages before, but
never one so well-loved. The garden was beautifully kept and in full bloom. The place sparkled like the little cottages of my childhood stories. Being a Sunday, it was shut, but someday I will enter it.

But the entire place has an unreal air to it. Some day, I think someone spilled a seed packet of dahlias. Now, they have taken over, and along the roadside, on the cliffs and every place, one sees these spots of deep, rich, velvety colour. I suppose the ecologist in me should be distressed, but they are pretty!
I liked Mukteshwar..there is a tea shop there with a glorious view..we couldn't go there this time, but there is always next time.