On the Rail After 3 Years.

The view from my hotel in Mukteshwar

It has been three years since I had been planning. And things just didn't happen. Some spanner in the works, to say the least, would fin itself an unusual appearence. So the much longed for trip to the mountains had to be halted. Indeed it had been nearly three years since my last ride on a train. The last time it was to a place called Kathgodam in the state of Uttranchal. We were off to a camping trip to Sattal. This time too it was a train ride to Kathgodam. But the ultimate destination was the mystical Mukteshwar - wide valley, white mountains et all. So what if I could not partake the pleasures of a steam locomotive? It was a diesel set that chugged its way up, though not quite in the same manner as a regular steam engine. It's surprising to know that there are hardly any train stations in the hills! Kathgodam appears to cater to the whole of Kumaon region of Uttranchal! The terrain is tough and there are roads, but that is all. No tracks. I guess I'll have to look elsewhere for steam trains. As I say it now it would be quite interesting to set my next vacation aroun a steam train. Now where do I find one? Rajasthan? Perhaps Gujrat? Perhaps. Well, let's see.