Day 1: Delhi to Mandi

It's really unfair on a day to write retrospectively - it doesn't do justice because the next day's experiences override the previous day's and you never have the same feeling about that day again. But here I am - done with the whole thing and I'll try to relive the memory as best as I can.

Started early in the day and drove right up to Ahuja dhaba on the Haryana border. Had first been there during Manik's wedding and they dish out phenomenal parathas with white butter - just yum! It was a good start. I don't recall any particular incident. I was just excited to see Punjab - its roads and cities. I also saw Punjab on my return and it's green throughout and developed throughout. Our other states need not look for examples outside the country - Punjab is definitely an ideal role model. It's food is so deeply ingrained into the Indian cuisine, Punjabis make some of the best businessmen, the state thrives on agriculture and is the source of rice and wheat for the country, the highways are smooth and pothole free, literacy levels are high, the state is highly adherent to its spiritual past, crime is low, Punjabis also are synonymous with the Indian army, they are synonymous with bravery and strength - it's a lot for a state.

As soon as Himachal Pradesh starts, it's up hill - the terrain dramatically changes. I recall giving a ride to a local - I often do that and enjoy the conversation. Finally reached Mandi - which seemed more like a Punjabi town and stayed in a hotel that was formerly the palace of Raja of Mandi. Filling my tummy with beer and dal, I rested for the next day's ride.