A Visit to a Hill Station
Essay No. 01
A few months ago, I visited Darjeeling. Situated in the Eastern Himalayas, world-famous for its tea gardens, and enveloped by an eternal fog almost the whole year round, it has a charm and beauty all of its own. I went there with my school friends. We took a taxi from Siliguri and drove up the gently sloping road with the fascinating railway track crisscrossing it at unexpected places.
Halfway through we heard a loud whistle, the unmistakable sound of a train “chug-chugging” and suddenly it appeared, right before us. Brightly painted, old-fashioned, with a huge bell in front and just about four carriages to it, the most popular tourist attraction of that area—the Toy Train—looked like something out of a fairy tale.
When we entered Darjeeling there was a thick fog all around and it seemed as if we were driving into the clouds. It was very cold but we were well-prepared with our coats, caps, and mufflers. Arrangements for our stay had been made in a small but comfortable lodging house, and after spending the night there we embarked upon a tour of sightseeing. We visited the Botanical Gardens, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, the Senchal Lake, and many more places of interest. We ate some authentic Tibetan food and bought traditional Eastern curios.
Early the next morning, we went to Tiger Hill to see the sunrise. This is possible only if it is a clear day and many people come back disappointed. But we were lucky. A. hush fell over the crowd as the first rays of the sun struggled out from behind the clouds and the sun rose in all its glory. The snow-clad Kanchenjunga looked breathtakingly beautiful. I have never seen anything so awe-inspiring! From this spot, we were even able to get a glimpse of Mount Everest.
On our way back we visited the lush tea gardens, which produce some of the finest tea in the whole world.
My trip to Darjeeling was really an enjoyable one. I did not know until I went there that nature could be so magical!
A Visit to A Hill Station
Essay No. 02
Last month my school took us all for a trip to Dehradoon and Mussoorie. About 150 students went in two buses. Some of our teachers were also accompanying us. We took our overnight cases along with some eatables and set off with great enthusiasm.
We reached Dehradoon after a journey of six hours from Delhi. We had been singing and dancing all the way and were very tired. We were first taken to Sahastra Dhara. All our tiredness vanished after a refreshing dip in the cold waterfall. It is said that its water can cure you of any ailment. We enjoyed our bath very much.
After our lunch, we went to the famous forest Research Institute. We marvelled at the wealth that our forests had to offer to us. We also learned the valuable lesson of how important it was for us to conserve our forests. We all resolved to use paper more carefully and to plant trees as soon as we went back to Delhi.
The road from Dehradoon to Mussoorie was full of hairpin bends and the rise was dizzying. We checked into a hotel for tonight. The next day we saw all the beautiful sights of Mussoorie-the Kempty Falls, Gun Hill, and Company Garden. We loved walking along the quaint streets of Mussoorie and enjoying the view from the mountain top. The crowd and dirt of Delhi seemed very far away. We also did some shopping at the Mall Road.
Our buses reached Delhi the next morning after an exhausting but memorable trip. The photographs that I took along with my friends will always remind me of our visit to Dehradoon and Mussoorie.
