The old school way! (Literally)
DAY: 2
Rise & Shine, Dear Explorer. Today, lets shed some spotlight on the old beautiful trails of Mussoorie. Assuming, you are staying somewhere near Hotel Kahkashan on Spring Road (the hotel is your landmark) to tread on the same route uphill. Crossing Kapurthala estate & few shops dotted on your left keep walking until you reach the crossroad. Take a right turn from there & begin your hike parallel to the walls of Mussoorie Modern school. Yes, today we are tracing the route taken by the school kids & no wonder you will feel like one on this unexplored trail of Mussoorie.
As you continue your hike for less than half a km ahead you will find Cafe Menka. This little cafe is your one-stop-shop for a hot cup of coffee/ tea & maybe a plate of spring rolls. Don’t hesitate to ask the good old man to add less sugar (Mountain people prefer their tea sweeeet!) Once you have had enough to fuel yourself for today’s longish hike, begin your walk in the direction of Convent Lane Library (As shown below).
CJM Waverly, was started in the year 1845 as an all-girls residential & day school. Perched among the tall pine & deodar trees the school houses state of the art infrastructure for young girls, graduating as global leaders. Now that you have seen the oldest all-girls boarding school of India, its time to turn back in time to witness some jaw-dropping landmarks on your Circular road trail. Walking past the lush green side of The Queen & her splendid mountains, you will cross another school, Manav Bharati School. Spread over a sprawling 50 acre, the school overlooks the Dehradun valley & has also housed Sir Proby Cautley, the man behind The Ganges Canal in India.
The trail further descends, past the distant views of old British & the hill covered in canopies of green. You will find yourself on a meditative trance in your walk here & as the road widens you will catch sight of Guru Nanak Fifth Centenary School(GNFCS). Spread over an odd middle of the hill patch of 11 acres, this school is known as a Sikh International boarding school. A little further to your left, you will find a very rare hill of small boulders & grass spread on a downhill slope of the mountain. A rather distinct sight in Mussoorie!
As you keep tracing the downhill trail which has now opened to wider vistas of Mussoorie, you will find a small Dhaba, bang opposite Sterling Resort. The host will provide you with a freshly prepared meal in this cozy space which also has & a mini t.v to entertain (Her, actually). If this isn’t your type of place, then tread a little further for 400 m & you will come to Cafe Garaage, with its outdoor seating & a truck- food- order counter. (Absolutely love those!) Sadly, it was the peak of monsoons & they had shut down for the day, else the cafe is open till 11.00 pm.
Now that you have relished your meal you put your shoes on the first gear & tread down on the Spring road entrance to ITBP. Now you are on the other side of the Spring road & back to civilization finally. Let me tell you, dear traveler, you have now reached the finishing line, starting from Spring road & back to the Spring road, it makes for a full circle, hence the name, Circular road! I hope this long day in the lap of nature & amidst the silence of the hills, you did have a walk to remember!
Day 3 -https://samikshakhanduri.com/2020/01/20/day-3-exploring-the-happy-valley-mussoorie
